urban family easter

as another year starts rushing by, easter comes screaming in.  we love easter for many reasons, and besides the obvious we love it for our yearly tradition of urban family easter.  we are on our 4th year and it gets better every time.  we always have the same system; friends bring the champagne and we do the food.  as we speak, we are cooking away, full of great tastes.  here are just a couple of sneak peeks of what we will blog about all week.  the bowl from mixing chocolate for a sweet and salty cake from the guys of baked in new york, and a sink full of dirty dishes from a bunch of other fun recipes.  we are making a martha stewart inspired ham to a bunch of sides we will share with great pics throughout the week, so stay tuned.  happy easter!!

happy birthday!

taking a day off from shooting and writing recipes today because it's my birthday! there's me celebrating my second birthday and my adorable parents in monument valley before i came along - thanks for everything mom & dad, i love you!

here are a few other things we're up to right now:

loving this great new book from the talented molly. she was also so kind to mention pictures & pancakes in this interview for W magazine's blog - thanks molly!

listening to the new joe purdy & bonnie prince billy albums again and again and again.

congratulations to our friend jen on this cover & feature - great to be a part of!

still planning our big easter brunch menu but definitely excited to try this recipe.

the greatest day...

...is opening day.  in our household, not many days can compare with the opening day of the major league baseball season.  for most it's a fresh start for their team, as it is for us, but an added bonus is the start of the sights and smells of summer.  for my money, there is nothing better than a dog and a beer at any ball park in america.  there is just something about that classic combination, the crack of the bat, the cheer of the crowd and the opportunity for our angels to win it all this year.  this special year has the addition of the new yankees and new mets stadiums, which bring a new blend of the idea of food and sport together.  truly game changing stuff out there - we can't wait to partake in some ny baseball this year.  pictures above are a couple of dogs, on the left a chicago dog from a spring training game in arizona this year, and on the right, our version of our favorite dog (suggested below).  anyway you slice it, a dog tastes great at a game so get out there and have a few.  here is to celebrating the dog days of summer, no pun intended.  GO ANGELS!!!

the purcell dog

hebrew national beef knockwurst (our must have dog)

grilled chopped onion

heinz ketchup

gulden's spicy brown mustard

bread and butter pickle slices

oroweat country potato hot dog bun

add all or some of these to your favorite dog.  these ingredients are our favorite to put on a dog at home.  everyone has a different taste, make it your best.

miso

we love a simple delicious salad for lunch or dinner - this one combines warm flaky salmon with fresh baby lettuces and a salty sweet asian dressing. the marinade and dressing are a great way to use up some of the white miso paste we mentioned last week! the baby romaine, baby red leaf and other fresh picked lettuce at farmer's market right now is so adorable! if you don't care for salmon, try this recipe with chicken or a nice white fish like halibut instead. enjoy!

Salmon Salad with Miso Dressing

serves 4

1/3 cup mirin

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tbs fresh grated ginger

2 tbs white miso paste

2 tsp sugar

juice 1/2 lemon

1 lb salmon filet, skin on

3 large handfuls of assorted lettuces, like baby romaine & baby spinach, washed & torn

1/2 cup pea shoots, chopped

1/2 cup sugar snap peas, sliced on the diagonal

3 green onions, sliced

4 radishes, thinly sliced on mandolin

in a small bowl, combine mirin, soy sauce, ginger, miso, sugar and lemon juice and stir. place salmon in a large ziplock bag and cover with marinade. refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. heat a large oven-safe non-stick skillet over medium high heat. sear salmon, top side first for about 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned and crisp. transfer pan to oven and bake until just pink in the center, about 6 minutes depending on thickness of fish. set aside.

gently toss torn lettuces, pea shoots, snap peas, green onions and radishes together and divide between 4 shallow bowls or plates. break up salmon into chunks and divide between plates. drizzle with dressing and fresh ground pepper.

Miso Dressing

1/4 cup white miso paste

1 tbs low sodium soy sauce

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tbs mirin

2 tbs sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tbs olive oil

in a small bowl, combine miso paste, soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, sugar and lemon juice with 2 tbs hot water and stir to dissolve sugar. slowly whisk in olive oil and set aside.

breakfast of champions

did anyone happen to read this article on sunday? it reminded me that i still had half a bag of anasazi beans in the cupboard leftover from this recipe. chilaquiles is basically soggy tortilla chips - so the first time a friend said we absolutely had to have them at la super rica, julia child's favorite taqueria, we didn't jump at the offer. but after the first spicy, soggy, crispy, sweet mouthful, we were hooked. there are loads of recipes out there and they all add a little something different - eggs, beans, shredded chicken, salsa verde, etc. here's the recipe we made for breakfast this morning and can't stop talking about!

Breakfast Chilaquiles

serves 2

1/3 cup olive oil

5 corn tortillas, each cut into 8 triangles

1 cup homemade or store bought salsa (more liquid, less chunks works best)

3/4 cup drained, cooked beans such as anasazi

2 green onions, chopped

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

avocado, sour cream & fresh cilantro for garnish

in a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. fry the tortillas, turning constantly with tongs, until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. carefully add salsa - it will splatter and bubble. cook for 2 minutes, turning constantly, until tortillas soak up most of the salsa. add beans, stir to combine and keep warm on low heat. in a small skillet, cook green onion over medium high heat for 1 minute until wilted. add eggs and scramble, stirring constantly. stir in cheese about 30 seconds before eggs are finished cooking. to serve, divide tortilla bean mixture between two plates. top with scrambled eggs and garnish with diced avocado, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro. enjoy! 

i scream, you scream

everyone loves ice cream. i've also always loved the combination of oranges and cream - creamsicles, orange julius, orange sherbet. i haven't had most of these in years so when i saw these beautiful blood oranges at the market, i thought ice cream would be a fun thing to make. a traditional sherbet recipe is lighter than ice cream and contains egg whites instead of yolks but this is a more traditional ice cream recipe. it stirs up memories of melty bright orange sherbet on a hot summer day, now with a little more sophisticated color and flavor.

Blood Orange Ice Cream

makes about 3 cups

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split open

pinch of salt

2 tbs orange zest

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup blood orange juice, about 6 small oranges

in a heavy saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean, salt, and zest. bring to a boil and remove from heat. beat together egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until pale and frothy. slowly add warm milk mixture while constantly whisky until well combined. pour mixture back into saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats back of a wooden spoon. remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a metal bowl set in a larger metal bowl of ice and water. whisk to release heat and let cool about 10 minutes. stir in blood orange juice and freeze in ice cream maker. transfer to an airtight container and freeze until hard.

for the love of root beer

help!!!  well not really help in its dramatic emergency sense, but in the can you help a friend out.  we have been on the search for the perfect bottle or can of root beer.  we dont even really have a deep life long obsession for the drink, but we have always loved it.  i think the desire to find our favorite came from a thought at hadleys in cabazon, ca on a road trip stop.  we were looking in the drink case and I wondered why out of all the soda like drinks we consume in the world, why root beer has so many more varieties than all the others.  there is only really coke and pepsi, 7-up and sprite and all the others with their limits.  but root beer has so many more.  so, in pure indulgent fashion, we bought all the different kinds they had(and a date shake, when at hadleys, you have to).  

so that gets us to here, we have had about 12 different ones and are looking for help to find the worlds best root beer.  we would love your suggestions.  it has to be in a bottle or can, as we have a hard time traveling to drink it out of a tap.  I know that some people like it sweet and some with more of a bite, but being husband and wife, we already have our his and hers favorites.  I love the sprecher the best and she loves the virgil's, each lovely in their different ways.  please leave a comment and we will try and track it down.  we will keep you updated as we go.

five spice pork

this is a dish that really shows of the simplicity of asian cuisine. it's refreshing that something so basic can be so comforting - a big bowl of warm noodles, rich broth, tender pork and hearty greens. we could eat something like this every day! it's always fun and inspiring to slowly walk through the aisles of your local asian grocery and that's where we found these gorgeous soba noodles, spicy sambal oelek and gai lan. gai lan is also known as chinese kale or chinese broccoli and is very similar in taste to broccoli raab.

Five Spice Pork with Soba Noodles & Miso

1 lb pork tenderloin

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs ground coriander

1 tsp five spice powder

32 oz reduced sodium chicken stock

8 oz soba noodles

6-8 crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 tbs white miso paste

1 small bunch asian leafy greens (gai lan or choy sum), sliced

2 tbs soy sauce

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1-2 tbs sambal oelek, optional (hot chili paste)

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. rub pork tenderloin with a few drops of sesame oil and coat well with coriander, five spice, salt and pepper. roast until cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

in a large saucepan, bring stock and 1 cup water to a boil. add the noodles and mushrooms and simmer for 3-4 minutes. whisk in miso paste and add leafy greens. continue to simmer until greens are wilted, about 3-4 minutes. stir in soy sauce and remove from heat.

divide noodles and vegetables between bowls, top with sliced pork and cover with broth. garnish with a few more drops of sesame oil, sliced green onion and a little sambal oelek for heat. enjoy!

fast food

all of the sudden the mint growing in a box on our patio is looking extra green and healthy. i never think of using mint in savory dishes and tend to just make a big batch of mojitos when i have too much. this is a quick and easy recipe that's actually healthy and makes use of a little mint too! if you can't find sumac in the spice section of your local market, you can always order it from penzy but definitely don't leave it out! one of my first encounters with this spice was when i styled this recipe for a bon appetit shoot. it adds a wonderful fresh lemony flavor to many middle eastern dishes and is definitely worth adding to your spice collection.

Couscous with Minted Yogurt

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1 lemon, juiced

2 tbs mint, chopped plus leaves for garnish

1 cup whole wheat couscous

3 carrots, peeled & chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

1 tsp sumac

2 tbs olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

in a small bowl, combine yogurt, 1 tbs lemon juice and chopped mint. mix well and set aside. bring 1 cup water to a boil with a pinch of salt. remove from heat and add couscous. stir well, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. meanwhile, steam carrots and zucchini until tender. uncover couscous and fluff with a fork. in a mixing bowl, combine couscous with steamed vegetables, beans, sumac, olive oil, 1 tbs lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. serve with minted yogurt and garnish with a few mint leaves. enjoy!

springtime

we just got home from a wonderful week in sunny arizona visiting family and really got to experience spring with all of our senses. the overwhelming smell of sweet orange blossoms every evening as the sun went down filled the air for hours; citrus trees were full of both flowers and fruit (which made great fresh squeezed juice every morning); bright white apple blossoms began to appear; bees and bumble bees were working overtime; and the sun was warm on our skin as we sat at the ballpark or did cartwheels in the grass. happy first day of spring!