Here is a spring pasta, with two great flavor combinations at work: asparagus and ramps, and asparagus and orange. It’s green, fresh, and has spring written all over. A little high-quality olive oil drizzled over top, along with maybe a bit of sea salt, would finish it off fine. Living in New York City, finding [...]

The Chanterelle cookbook was one that I’ve had my eye on for quite some time, and recently finally decided to purchase. I love restaurant cookbooks most of all because they give us an inside look at some of the country’s top kitchens, and its an inexpensive way to explore the cuisines of well-known chefs. Although [...]

Spinach, avocado, and grapefruit. It’s a simple salad, but very balanced and enjoyable. The grapefruit adds juicy, acid brightness to lift up the spinach, while the avocado brings a satisfying heartiness. Toasted pine nuts add some crunch, and a nice balsamic vinaigrette rounds it all out. The Recipe Source: Garde Manger: The Art and Craft [...]

Cold carrot soup is a summer classic; sweet and refreshing, as well as brightly colorful. Orange juice and white wine give this one a nice acidic lift, while cloves, ginger, and cardamom round out the flavor. This is a very easy, quick soup to make. Just start by sauteing the aromatics, then add the carrots [...]

So far every restaurant in New York that I’ve cooked at has had at least one beet salad, and they’re all as different as can be. Some use big red beets, some use baby beets; some are served with goat cheese, others with pistachios. The beet salad is a fun menu item because it’s so [...]

This recipe gave me a use for my preserved lemons, which I wrote about here. The beef is braised in a flavorful broth of diced preserved lemons, cilantro, and Middle Eastern spices. The sweet, earthy flavors of sunchokes and pearl onions come out in the long braise and balance out the spice and sourness of [...]