new at the market.

Cherry red cherries have arrived.  

I fall hard for cherries.  They are the first of the seasonal fruits that work exceptionally well in both sweet and savory applications.  

For sweet you have cherry pie, cherry almond clafoutis, cherry cornmeal upside down cake, cherry breakfast crumble, .

For savory you have pickled cherries to be thrown in salads, roasted cherry compote atop goat cheese crostini, pork chops with cherry sauce.  

Or you can eat them on road trips.  Popping them in your mouth and shooting the pits out onto the open highway which is how I will be consuming them tomorrow as the boy and I road trip up to Maine.  

all i want.

All I want is to be on vacation somewhere far away from New York City's humidity.  I want to be barefoot in a simple swingy black dress (something like this would be lovely) baking cherry clafoutis and drinking freshly brewed coffee.  I want to be half way through a novel that I find so engaging I can barely tear myself away from the book.  I want to have a stack of fashion magazines waiting to be read next to my bed.  I want to eat tomato, avocado, and burrata tartines for breakfast and lunch (recipe here).  I want to spend my mornings swimming in the sun and my late afternoons napping to the sounds of summer thundershowers.  I want to not have a schedule or plan or a list of things that have to be done.  I want to eat ice cream.  I want to be calm.  I want to be in this kitchen. 

This kitchen is perfection.  

Image via Pinterest.

miso glazed salmon.

A lot of what we eat for dinner each evening stems from me Googling random ingredients and seeing what recipes come up.  This is not always conducive to having a successful dinner (blue cheese, tortillas, and cucumbers surprisingly doesn't come up with much).  Usually, this method leads to absurd meals but some days you need meals like that in an effort to clean out the fridge before things go bad.  (I know I can't be the only one who has this issue.) On occasion I stumble upon a recipe that has me questioning why I don't try cooking like this every night especially once I discover a recipe like this miso glazed salmon that is absurdly good (and easy!).  

This recipe search came about because I have the tendency to buy ingredients that I use for a specific recipe and then sometimes forget about (I have a terrible memory).  The boy likes to remind me of these tendencies every time I have us searching for some obscure item and every time he does that I like to remind him it will get used (I just don't specify exactly when it will happen).  So when I was searching through the fridge and saw the container of miso languishing in the back, I figured it was time to use it again before I heard him give me an earful.  A quick search for salmon (on sale at Whole Foods!) and miso led me to this recipe and I couldn't be happier with the results.  Miso is flavor-bomb ingredient (also known as a umami ingredient) and when paired with ginger and salmon you have one of the most flavorful glazes for fish ever (or for anything else you may find yourself pairing it with, I strongly suggest green beans and sugar snap peas).  

Miso Glazed Salmon
Recipe adapted (barely) via Bon Appetit

Serves 4

The original recipe calls for bone in salmon steaks but I find that salmon fillet works just as well (if not better).  Feel free to use either because really you could put this glaze on anything and people will devour it and you will have extra miso mixture which I strongly suggest using on vegetables.  White miso can be found at Asian supermarkets in the refridgerated section.  There are many types of miso but I suggest white miso the first time you buy it since it the mildest one.  

1 side, skin-on wild sockeye salmon fillet, about 1 1/2 pounds (pin bones removed)
1/3 cup white miso
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger (or grated on a microplane)
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
4 lime wedges for serving
Sesame seeds and cilantro for garnish (optional)

Line a rimed baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.  Lightly brush with vegetable oil.  Place salmon filet on the baking sheet, skin side down.  Whisk miso, mirin, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil in a bowl to blend.  Spread the miso mixture over the salmon fillet so the whole thing is evenly coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or in the fridge for up to an hour.  

Position an oven rack 6"-8" from broiler and preheat. Broil salmon, turning once, until golden brown and just opaque in center, 10-12 minutes total (or until an instant read thermometer reaches a temperature of 131 degrees.  Let salmon rest 5 minutes.  Top with minced cilantro and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with lime wedges.  

blueberry crumble pie.

My better half was born and raised in Maine which means he has a strong affinity for hockey, swimming in lakes, lobster and corn on the cob, and any all things involving blueberries.  Maine takes their blueberries very seriously (they have a special breed of blueberries called wild blueberries that puts the blueberries from New York to shame I would know because I've been known to eat them pints at a time). The boy also takes his blueberries very seriously, so when a pie was requested by him once blueberry season arrived on the East Coast, I knew I had my work cut out for me.  

Making food for someone when they request it specifically is a daunting task, it usually stresses me out to no end.  I live in fear of giving someone a version of a dish that doesn't meet their expectations.  The horror!  Thankfully after dating someone for so long you tend to know their preferences better then your own (like their strong aversion for anything involving blue cheese and toasted sliced almonds).  This pie is an ode to the boy.  A buttery, flaky crust encapsulates a sweet blueberry filling that is elevated by the addition of lemon zest (some how the zest really brings out the flavor of the fruit).  The pie is topped with a spiced strussel to bring some extra zing and crunch to the pie (and let's be honest adding ginger and diced almonds is always a good idea when in the presence of blueberries).  The plate was licked clean which I am going to take as a good sign.  

Blueberry Crumble Pie

Crust recipe from Recipe from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Filling and strussel recipe adapted a great deal from Bon Appetit 

For the Crust (makes enough dough for one double or two single crust pies or you can halve it)

2 ½ cups (315 grams) flour

1 tablespoons (15 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt

2 sticks (8 ounces, 225 grams, or 1 cup) unsalted butter, very cold

For the Filling

5 cups of blueberries

2/3 cup sugar

Zest of 1 lemon and juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Strussel

1/4 cup almonds toasted and coarsely chopped

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt 

5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

To make the dough - Gather your ingredients: Fill a one cup liquid measuring cup with water, and drop in a few ice cubes; set it aside. In a large bowl — I like to use a very wide one, so I can get my hands in — whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Dice two sticks (8 ounces or 1 cup) of very cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch pieces. Get out your pastry blender.

Make your mix: Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour and begin working them in with the pastry blender, using it to scoop and redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly. When all of the butter pieces are the size of tiny peas — this won’t take long — stop. Yes, even if it looks uneven; you’ll thank me later.

Glue it together: Start by drizzling 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the ice-cold water (but not the cubes, if there are any left!) over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber or silicon spatula, gather the dough together. You’ll probably need an additional 1/4 cup (60 ml) of cold water to bring it together, but add it a tablespoon as a time. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and get your hands in there (see how that big bowl comes in handy?). Gather the disparate damp clumps together into one mound, kneading them gently together.

Pack it up: Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. I like to use the sides to pull in the dough and shape it into a disk. Let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour, but preferably at least two, before rolling it out.

Do ahead: Dough will keep in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer longer. If not using it that day, wrap it in additional layers of plastic wrap to protect it from fridge/freezer smells. To defrost your dough, move it to the fridge for one day before using it.

To make the pie:  Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round. Transfer to pie dish, gently pressing dough onto bottom and up sides of dish. Fold overhang under and crimp edges decoratively. Pierce bottom of crust in several places with a fork, then chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, and juice in a bowl about 30 minutes before baking.  You may need to stab some of the blueberries with a fork to get them to release some juices.  After 30 minutes add in the cornstarch to thicken the juices.  

Line crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and pie weights. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer crust to a wire rack; let cool.

Make the strussel: Combine the almonds, flour, cinnamon, ginger, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Pour the melted butter over it and mix topping with fingertips until blended and clumps form.  

To assemble the pie: Pour the blueberries into the cooled crust and spread it out so it forms an even layer.  Sprinkle topping over the blueberry filling.  Bake pie until filling is bubbling and topping is golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cover with foil after 30 minutes if browning too fast.

Let pie cool on a wire rack.

whole wheat pizza dough.

I thought a delicious whole wheat pizza crust was an impossible thing to make. 

It turns out I was wrong (which makes me pleasantly surprised). 

This crust is everything a pizza crust should be  - it’s chewy and crispy, with a strong taste that develops as the dough rests in the fridge.   The nutty whole wheat flour gives an interesting texture and an added level of flavor that you don’t get from traditional white flour crusts.    I love pairing it with vegetables – thin slices of zucchini with basil and pecorino, blistered cherry tomatoes with ricotta and garlic oil (as seen to the left), or roasted peppers with chorizo and manchego.   The nuttiness balances out the sweetness of the vegetables (and the vegetables get super sweet and mellow as they cook in the oven). 

This will be a summer staple (actually it already is a summer staple) – I am already dreaming about a corn and tomato pizza with bacon and blue cheese.  Summer eating makes me swoon. 

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Recipe via Cooks Illustrated 

The key here is to make sure your pizza pan is SUPER hot.  I suggest heating it at least 30 - 45 minutes before you want to cook.  It’s imperative if you want a super crispy crust! 

Makes 2 13-inch pizzas 

1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) whole-wheat flour

1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) bread flour

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast (I used active dry yeast and it worked fine for me)

1 1/4 cups ice water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

To make the dough: Process whole wheat flour, bread flour, honey and yeast in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds.  With processor running, add water and process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds.  Let dough stand for 10 minutes.  

Add oil and salt to dough and process until it forms satiny, stick ball that clears sides of the workbowl, 45 to 60 seconds.  Remove from bowl and knead on oiled counter-top until smooth, about 1 minute.  Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 18 hours or up to 2 days.  

To bake the pizza: One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack 4 1/2 inches from broiler element, set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.  Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. (At this point if you are only making 1 pizza you can place the other ball of dough in the freezer. Defrost on counter when ready to use.)  Shape each half into a smooth tight ball.  Place balls on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart.  Cover loosely with plastic coated with vegetable oil spray.  Let stand for 1 hour.  

Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well floured counter-top.  Using your fingertips gently flatten into an 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker then the center.  Lift edge of dough and using your back of hands and knuckles, gently stretch into a 12 inch round, working along edges and giving a quarter turns as you stretch.  Remove pizza stone from oven, and carefully place your pizza dough on your stone.  Top dough with toppings of your choice (work quickly!).  Return stone to the oven and bake the pizza for 8 - 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.  Let pizza rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve.  

vacation kitchen.

If I ever own a vacation home in the woods on the edge of lake - I want a kitchen like this.  A place where the light streams in and casts shadows on my gorgeous wood floors. A room that has a sliding glass door that leads to a patio filled with wrought iron furniture that I can sit on while I drink my coffee and eat my muffin and watch the sun rise over the lake.  A counter-top large enough for me to roll out buttery crusts for stone fruit pies that I would serve to friends and family each evening after we ate a dinner of heirloom tomato salad and assorted tacos.  

I am exhausted and delusional and dreaming about next week when I will be on vacation in Maine. I am also apparently dreaming about an imaginary vacation home.  

Image via Pinterest.