turnovers

we saw this pear at the market and just couldn't resist his perfect shape and adorable dried leaves - isn't he cute? we bought a few extra and headed home with only a pear portrait in mind. so now what? this recipe from molly inspired me to make an incredibly easy & dangerously delicious little pastry. it's amazing what a little puff pastry can do! this is a great recipe to use with any extra fruit you have on hand (like apples & cinnamon), although watch out for very "wet" fruits making a soggy pastry. a pear turnover & a cup of stumptown coffee is a wonderful way to being your day. (we're currently working out way through latin america!)

Pear Turnovers

makes 9

1 1/2 lbs. firm pears, peeled, cored & cut into 1-inch pieces

1/8 cup water

2-3 tbs sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 package frozen puff pastry (this is our favorite), thawed

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

2 tbs demerara or turbinado sugar

place pears, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. cook for about 5 minutes or until pears are very tender but not too mushy. you can add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture is much too dry. remove from heat and stir in cardamom. cool completely.

preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. roll out puff pastry into a 15-inch square. cut pastry into nine 5-inch squares. place a generous tablespoon of filling in center of each square and lightly brush the edges of pastry with beaten egg. fold half of pastry square over the filling to form a triangle and press the edges firmly with fingertips to seal tightly. brush the top of pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. using a sharp knife, make 3 small slits on the top of each triangle to allow steam to escape. place triangles on baking sheets and refrigerate 15 minutes. bake turnovers until beginning to color, 15 minutes. reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until golden brown, 10-15 minutes longer. serve slightly warm or at room temperature. enjoy!

carrot soup

as the temperatures rise and it feels more and more like summer outside, the last thing on our minds was a warm bowl of soup! but with several bunches of carrots leftover from a recent shoot, i couldn't think of anything i'd rather make. it's actually quite perfect to eat near the blasting air conditioner with a cold crisp salad for lunch or dinner. quick to prepare and with minimal time spent by a warm stove, this soup could even be served chilled.

might have to try this salad over the weekend from smitten kitchen via the wednesday chef.

it's now the perfect time of year to start drinking rose and this bottle was always one of our favorites! wonder if we can find it in nyc?

great recipes for icy treats here from design sponge. remember when we made boozy pops here? also, if you happen to be around brooklyn flea or chelsea market, definitely check out people's pops - they're great.

have a wonderful weekend!

Spiced Carrot Soup

serves 4

2 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

1 lb carrots, peeled & roughly chopped

2 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock stock

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

cilantro sprigs, optional garnish

in a large saucepan, heat oil and saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more. add carrots and broth and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. carefully puree soup in batches in a blender or in the saucepan using an immersion blender until smooth. stir in cumin, coriander and lemon. divide between four bowls and garnish with yogurt and cilantro.

spring risotto

how was your holiday weekend? ours was wonderful & relaxing - filled with beautiful weather, a rooftop bbq, a corn dog from the shake shack and a few long walks in the sun. according to the calendar it's still officially spring, so you've got a few weeks left to make this delicious spring risotto. or use the concept as a base to add your favorite seasonal vegetables all year long. we found a great stand at the green market with amazing sprouted and leafy goodness and decided to pick up some pea shoots (which scream spring!) and lamb's quarters (new to us, but so tasty). too many people think risotto is a labor intensive dish - but it really just requires a little prep and about 20-25 minutes of stirring - and the result is definitely worth it! in our opinion, there are two key elements to good risotto - the freshest ingredients, which should go without saying, and a rich homemade stock. whether you prefer veggie or chicken, make it at home and you'll love the depth it adds to your cooking. hmmm, i feel another blog post coming soon . . on stocks!

Spring Risotto

serves 4

4 cups chicken stock

3 tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled & diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 small carrots, peeled & diced

1 cup carnaroli or arborio rice

1 cup fava beans, shelled, blanched & second skins removed

1 cup lamb's quarters, roughly chopped

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup pea greens

in a small saucepan, bring stock to a simmer and keep warm over low heat. in a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil. saute onion, garlic and carrots until just tender, about 5 minutes. add rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. add 1 cup of warm stock and stir constantly until all or nearly all the liquid is absorbed by the rice. add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time and stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed. stir in fava beans and lamb's quarters and cook for 1 minute. remove from heat and stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. garnish each portion with 1/4 cup pea greens and serve immediately. enjoy!

pimm's

here's a quick cocktail to get your holiday weekend started off just right! pimm's no. 1 cup is a gin based liqueur and the drink of choice if you're headed to any polo matches this summer. we love the pimm's cup so much it was one of the signature drinks at our wedding! there are several different versions - some with lemonade, some with sliced apple, some with mint or basil, and they're all equally delicious but this is our favorite right now. have a wonderful & safe memorial day weekend!

Pimm's Cup

serves 1

fill a highball glass with ice. add 2oz pimm's no. 1. top with ginger ale and stir. garnish with 2 slices of lime, 2 slices of tangerine, a slice of english cucumber and a small sprig of lemon thyme. enjoy!

focaccia

i went through a serious bread baking phase in culinary school. if bakers didn't hold such odd hours, i definitely would've loved to be one. the simplicity of fresh baked bread still amazes me - yeast, flour, water and salt - so simple! and such a wonder to watch the dough grow, filling with tiny air bubbles and rising tall within the bowl. and then that yeasty smell - aromas just as delicious from the raw dough as when it's baking in a hot oven. we've had a few bad experiences with unsuccessfully baking focaccia but can now say it no longer turns out heavy and dense. after 2 1/2 years of marriage, i can also finally say that i've found my husband's weakness - warm rosemary garlic focaccia! the recipe is adapted from this book which is one of our favorites and a fantastic reference for any bread recipe you can think of. baking is a time consuming process but most of that time if taken up by simply waiting for the dough to do its thing - so make a cup of tea, grab a good book and get baking!

Rosemary Garlic Focaccia

makes one 12x17-inch loaf

2 3/4-3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/8 teaspoon instant yeast

2 cups minus 2 tbs water (70-90 degrees F)

3/4 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs fresh rosemary

8-10 cloves garlic, roasted in olive oil until soft and lightly brown

1 tsp maldon or large flake sea salt

in the mixer bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 2 3/4 cups flour and yeast. with the mixer running on low, gradually add the water and mix until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes. increase the speed to medium and beat until dough thickens a bit and is very smooth. add extra flour a few tablespoons at a time if needed until a bit stiffer but still a very runny dough resembling melted mozzarella. add sugar and salt and beat until just incorporated.

spray or oil a large stainless steel bowl and scrape the dough into bowl. lightly spray the top of the dough and cover with plastic wrap. allow the dough to rise in a warm place until at least doubled, about 2-3 hours. coat a 12x17-inch sheet pan with a heaping tablespoon of olive oil. pour the dough out onto the sheet pan and coat your hands with some of the remaining olive oil. spread the dough as thin as possible without tearing it. let it relax for 10 minutes and continue until the dough fills up most of the pan. cover with greased plastic and let rise about 1 hour or until doubled.

preheat oven to 475 degrees F. once dough has risen, use your fingertips to gently dimple the dough. place the whole cloves of roasted garlic in some of the dimples, sprinkle with fresh rosemary leaves, drizzle with remaining olive oil and salt. place the pan on the lowest shelf in the oven preferably directly on top of a hot pizza stone. bake 13-16 minutes or until the top is golden brown. remove from the oven and serve immediately - enjoy!

blue

hi all, we wanted to tell you how blue we are that we haven't posted in a while, but it's all for good reason!! we recently decided that after a year and a half, we needed a blog change, an update. new york can make you rethink everything... it just happens to coincide with changes in our professional life as well. we are excited to report that we are both now represented by big leo productions, happy to be part of mary, mason and willie's amazing team!! we are currently working on updating portfolios, websites, new promos, our blog and everything in between. we are looking forward to sharing new work, new ideas, new loves, new recipes and new blog posts with you. we recently worked on a job for a cheese company overseas and we still have enough cheese in our fridge to open a cheese shop. check out this new promo we put together featuring just a taste of the masses of cheese! we have had our fill with all the different things you can do with blue, but this english stilton makes a wonderful blue cheese dressing that is so simple and we can't get enough of. it's great on an iceberg wedge with crumbled bacon and slices of heirloom tomatoes or as a dip for celery and carrot sticks!

Blue Cheese Dressing

makes 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1 cup blue cheese, crumbled plus 2 tbs

fresh cracked black pepper

in a blender, combine buttermilk, yogurt, 1 cup blue cheese crumbles and black pepper. blend until smooth. stir in remaining 2 tablespoons crumbled cheese and serve. can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

tart & tangy

like i mentioned earlier, a friend gave me the big sur bakery cookbook for my birthday and i couldn't wait to make something out of it! it's a wonderful cookbook about a quaint eatery in one of the most beautiful places on earth and is filled with great stories of local farmers, fishers & butchers, including the story of a woman named Clovis and her bearss limes. i didn't use that variety of lime for the tart this time but it was still amazing - perfectly balanced between the salty homemade graham crust, tart lime custard and fluffy white meringue topping. reminded me a little of the super tart lemon meringue pie my grandma always made that had everyone around the table puckering. the graham crackers that you make for the crust are a real treat to nibble on while you're making the rest of the pie - or stash them away for later.

have a great weekend!

Clovis's Lime Tart

makes one 10-inch tart

for the graham cracker crumbs:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs honey

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 1 tbs whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

cream the butter, sugars and honey with the paddle attachment of an electric mixture until light and fluffy. add the remaining ingredients and mix until dough comes together. roll the dough between two pieces of parchment until you have a rough 1/4-inch thick rectangle. chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. preheat oven to 375 degrees F. peel back the top layer of parchment and place dough on a cookie sheet. bake for 20-25 minutes or until brown. let cool to room temperature. break the graham cracker into pieces and pulse in a food processor until fine.

for the shell:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (see above)

2 tbs sugar

2 tbs unsalted butter, melted

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. in a medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and melted butter. lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. sprinkle the crumbs into the pan and use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly over the entire pan and up the sides. refrigerate for 20 minutes. bake 7-10 minutes, remove and cool completely on a rack.

for the filling:

1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice

1 cup sugar

6 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

reduce oven to 325 degrees F. whisk together all the filling ingredients in a medium saucepan. cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. pour into cooled crust and back 10-15 minutes or until the filling is set. let the tart cool to room temperature and then place it in the freezer until the filling is firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

for the meringue:

6 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

increase oven to 400 degrees F. place the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water. whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar dissolves. remove bowl from heat and whisk the whites with an electric mixer on high speed until medium peaks form. add vanilla and whisk to combine. remove tart from the freezer. spread the meringue over the top of the tart, leaving the edges of the shell uncovered. bake 2-4 minutes until the meringue is browned. refrigerate until ready to serve & enjoy!

raspberry bars, etc.

we've been so busy these past few weeks - eating, working, eating some more, entertaining & enjoying spring in this amazing city. we had a good friend & fellow foodie here for a long visit and hit up many great places for food, drinks, coffee, etc. it's tough to pick any favorites from the past few weeks but several food related highlights include a great cheese & beer dinner here, small tasty plates and wonderful atmosphere here, an icy treat before brooklyn flea, best deviled eggs ever here, and awesome sangria here!

got a few great cookbooks recently that i'm sure we'll posting recipes from soon - Molto Gusto and The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook. both are filled with beautiful images of amazing food! also excited for new music from one of our favorite voices and these guys too.

not much time for cooking or baking lately but we're excited to get to the green market this week to see what's in season and inspiring. in the meantime, these raspberry crumb breakfast bars from Baked are a perfect treat with a cup of coffee any time of day as we anxiously await the release of their next cookbook. enjoy!

Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars

for the crust & crumb:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

for the filling:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tbs lemon zest

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbs all purpose flour

1 lb fresh or frozen raspberries

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbs unsalted butter, melted & cooled

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside. combine flour brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until just combined. add butter and pulse until loose crumbs form. reserve 1 cup of the mixture and set aside. pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands to push the crust into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. bake until golden, 12-15 minutes. transfer pan to a wire rack and cool.

in a medium bowl, whisk sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. add the raspberries, lemon juice and butter and toss gently until the raspberries are evenly coated. spread the raspberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. top with reserved cup of crumble mixture and bake 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown. let cool completely before cutting into squares.

scalloped

we're still recovering from this year's urban family easter and definitely still enjoying all the leftovers! doctor pepper & mustard glazed ham, horseradish deviled eggs, homemade pickles, burrata with melted leeks and italian style cheesecake with blood orange marmalade were just a few of the favorites. lots of leftover ham so we had to make some scalloped potatoes with ham, fennel and irish cheddar. this dish makes a nice meal for two with a simple side salad.

we've also got a a few other things we're excited about right now. thrilled to get this book in the mail yesterday - we love the art of jason munn, and so do our walls which are covered in his fabulous concert posters. check out jen's newest etsy shop, feather & bone, filled with beautiful prints from a trip to the university of colorado museum of natural history. and finally, we're very excited to see molly speak at her book signing here tonight! oh, and yesterday was opening day in ballparks around the country, so make some purcell dogs and start watching baseball!

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

serves 2

2 tbs olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

2-3 small russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced ham

2 cups shredded cheese, such as sharp irish cheddar or gruyere

fresh ground black pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. grease a 1.5 quart baking dish and set aside. in a medium saute pan, heat olive oil and add red onion and fennel. cook over medium high heat until wilted, about 6 minutes. layer 1/3 of the potatoes on bottom of baking dish, overlapping slightly. layer with 1/2 of the ham, then half of the onion and fennel, and top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. continue with another layer and finish with remaining potatoes, a few grinds of pepper and remaining cheese. loosely cover with foil, tented so as not to stick to the cheese, and bake 35 minutes. remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown. let cool 10 minutes before serving. enjoy!

northern spy

we've probably mentioned Northern Spy Food Co. a few times since moving to new york - it's a cozy spot in the east village focusing on sustainable, local, snout-to-tail cuisine, putting out creative dishes in a beautiful space and we love it! this kale salad is a favorite of ours and has gotten a lot of attention from food websites such as tasting table, who published the recipe a few months ago. just in case you haven't tasted it or seen it yet, we wanted to share this simple tasty recipe. getting ready for urban family Easter this weekend - the menu planning has begun and we'll be sure to take lots of pictures and share recipes. what will you be cooking?

Kale Salad

serves 2

2 1/2 cups shredded kale, preferably Tuscan

1/4 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup crumbled aged cheddar

1/2 cup cubed roasted kabocha or butternut squash

juice of 1 lemon

extra virgin olive oil

pecorino, optional garnish

in a large mixing bowl, toss the kale with almonds, cheddar and squash. season to taste with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. divide salad between two serving plates and garnish with shaved pecorino cheese if desired. enjoy!