For our last brunch, I made sure to add some extra veggies to balance out the heavier dishes we were serving. While everyone patiently waited for the main courses to be ready, I served Ina’s Green Herb Dip with carrots, celery, broccoli, tomatoes and cucumbers. An absolute Ina classic.
Ina’s Ham & Leek Empanadas are incredibly simple to prepare, using store-bought puff pastry filled with a delicious combination of ham, gruyere cheese, spinach, leek, basil, parmesan, and creme fraiche. A bake in the oven results in golden brown, super flakey parcels with so much melty goodness inside.
The first recipe from Lidey’s Cooking in Real Life is the perfect weeknight meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor: Salmon with Honey & Chili Crunch! For this simple dish, Momofuku Chili Crunch sauce is mixed with honey and rice vinegar, slathered on the salmon and roasted. We served it with her Crunchy Cucumber Salad.
Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Dan Pelosi and Gus Heagerty for dinner! Given our shared love of Ina, it was only appropriate to create a menu featuring some of my favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes!
I love the simplicity of Eric Kim’s Salt-and-Pepper Ribs with Fresh Mint Sauce, which took inspiration from his dad’s recipe, slicking the baby back ribs in olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper before roasting in a very hot oven. The simple treatment allows the ribs to shine!
If you’re not familiar, disco fries are New Jersey’s answer to Canadian Poutine – crunchy fries smothered in brown gravy and melty mozzarella cheese – and they can be found in just about every diner in New York City. This recipe is based off my favorite version at the now-closed Market Diner: Waffle Disco Fries!
Ike’s Vietnamese Fish-Sauce Wings were one of the most popular dishes at Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok in Portland. Marinated in a blend of garlic, fish sauce, and sugar, then coated in rice flour and fried to crispy perfection. The final glaze of fish sauce, sugar, and roasted chili paste, provides a sweet, spicy, and umami-rich flavor.
My love for Win Son knows no bounds, and the latest recipe I tried from their phenomenal cookbook is Fan Tuan – a popular breakfast treat in Taiwan that’s bursting with flavor with a delightful contrast of textures.
Over-easy eggs, pork floss, youtiao (a crispy Chinese donut), pickled mustard greens, scallions, and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) are rolled up in a layer of sticky rice.