Cakes, Desserts

Polenta Cake with Grappa, Berries, and Minted Mascarpone

Makes 6 servings This cake is dense and not too sweet, almost like a sweet cornbread. I like to use coarse polenta so that it also has an interesting texture, but if you have to use regular cornmeal, that works as well. Ingredients Polenta Cake 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at […]

Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Preserved Lemons

Makes 1 quart Use preserved lemons (flesh and rind!) in stews, soups, salad dressings, and even pastas. They will add an unexpected burst of brightness and a surprising savory element you don’t expect from lemon. 6 lemons 1/2 cup salt Juice of 6 lemons 1. Wash the lemons very well. […]

Allergen Friendly, Desserts

Raspberry Granita

Makes 2 pints Ingredients 1 1/4 cup raspberries 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, fresh Directions Push the raspberries through a wire-mesh sieve into a small bowl to make a purée. Stir all of the ingredients until blended and the sugar has dissolved. Pour […]

Free Recipes, Salads

Red Salad

Makes 8 portions Chef’s notes: The salad may be served on a bed of spinach or chiffonade Tuscan kale. For crunch, add a sprinkling of lightly toasted chopped pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds. If you can’t find opal basil, you can substitute any type of sprout, such as pea shoots, broccoli […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Refreshing Agua Frescas

Originating in Latin America, agua fresca is a refreshing nonalcoholic beverage based on fruits, hibiscus flowers, or, in some regions, cereals, along with sugar and water. Though some may be prepared using juice or tea, like lime or hibiscus (also known as agua de Jamaica), agua frescas are often made […]

Breakfast and Brunch

Rhubarb Mini-Muffins

Makes 24 mini-muffins These tender mini-muffins are the perfect mix of sweet and tart, highlighting our spring favorite: rhubarb! Once rhubarb season has passed, you can use this recipe with raspberries, peaches, or any fruit that suits your fancy. Depending on the size of your muffin pan, you may have […]

Pies and Tarts

Roasted Ginger Plum Tart with Nut Streusel

This tart makes the best of in-season plums, but you can substitute any stone fruit, like halved cherries, apricots, or nectarines. Makes one 9-inch tart Ingredients Vanilla Tart Dough, fitted into a 9-inch tart pan and chilled 1 1/2 lb plums (7 to 8 medium), rinsed, halved, and pitted 1/2 […]

Beverages and Cocktails

Spicy Watermelon Refresher

Makes about 8 servings The key to this perfect summer refresher is great watermelon, so if your melon is a dud, you may want to try something else. Of course, you can also make the same mixture with cantaloupe or pineapple (or basically any other fruit!), so pick what’s tastiest […]

Chef's Blog

Spike Your Seltzer

As the unofficial last weekend of summer, your Labor Day Weekend should be a celebration of all things summer. Song of the summer on loop, bottomless corn on the cob, and of course, the drink of summer 2021: the spiked seltzer. Canned hard seltzers in a can took over the […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Spring is For Foodies

Welcome, spring! After a cold winter, nothing is more welcome than the first signs of the season: bright green shoots poking through the soil, buzzing bumblebees, and—my favorite, naturally—new produce! Having grown up in The Garden State and after many years in New York’s Hudson Valley, I consider myself a […]