Witchy Kitchen

Tag: lemon

  • Once, Twice, Thrice Baked Garlic and Lemon Potatoes

    Once, Twice, Thrice Baked Garlic and Lemon Potatoes

    Timecrimes is a twisty, turny, time-traveling thriller written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo (who also costars in the film as the young scientist). The Spanish film stars Karra Elejalde as Hector, a loving yet somewhat bumbling husband who becomes entangled in a time loop. As time progresses, and then repeats, he desperately tries to both force the outcome and evade mounting misfortune.

    Often time travel films are both intriguing yet infuriating in that they leave questions, paradoxes and holes, yet this one manages to keep the story focused and neat. It’s satisfying both as a narrative that conscientiously wraps up all its loose ends, but also as a character study of how Hector evolves as a person, paradoxically (it’s time travel, of course) in the matter of a few hours. And a few hours. And a few hours.

    A note, whilst cooking I realized that this recipe itself has some light spoilers…though not overt, eat at your own risk!

    When thinking up a recipe, I started philosophizing about my oven as a time machine. Materials go in, and emerge transformed. Playing with the input and settings can change the outcome. Countless weeknights I have thrown in veggies to roast, how many times, one or a hundred, time is a flat circle, it’s all the same. And oh how I wish I could go back in time when I forget things a little too long (Who among us has not burnt things to a crisp? Who?). This recipe puts raw materials into the machine three times, and they emerge the same, yet changed – and delicious!

    Twice-baked potatoes are the standard, but please consider thrice baked potatoes. The extra step yields extra crispy potato skins beyond what you can achieve through two trips through the time machine, and they perfectly complement the texture of the rich, creamy filling. As for the filling, I always love to incorporate local flavor to reference a film, and this one is no different. It’s a Spanish profile, flavored with lemon, parsley, and a full head of luscious roasted garlic. Though Spain has no shortage of iconic potato dishes (patatas bravas, Spanish tortilla, and world-famous roasted potatoes), this is a fun spin.

    Additionally the garnishes add some time traveling flair. Potato 1 is unadulterated. Potato 2 is draped in roasted carrot bandages. And Potato 3, sprinkled with smoked paprika, looks a little worse for the wear but is probably the best of all.

    Garlic and Lemon Thrice Baked Potatoes

    • 3 large russet potatoes
    • 1 large carrot
    • 1 head garlic
    • 1 shallot
    • olive oil
    • sea salt
    • large handful Italian parsley, finely chopped
    • zest of 1 lemon
    • 5 tablespoons sour cream
    • smoked paprika

    Roast the potatoes by your desired method – since you are going to crisp up the skin, either oven or microwave is fine. Cool and set aside.

    Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°;. Thinly slice the carrot into long strips with a mandolin. Toss with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Cut the top third off the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in aluminum foil. Cut the shallot into chunks, toss with olive oil and sea salt, and place in a small oven safe dish (I used a pie plate).

    Put all vegetables in the oven and bake until golden (stir the shallot occasionally). The carrots will be done first (15 minutes or so), the shallot next (20-25 minutes), and the garlic last (45 minutes or so). Set the carrot aside, finely chop the shallot, and when the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze it out of the papers. Cut the roasted potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the insides into a large bowl. Arrange the skins skin-side up on a baking rack on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Return to the 400°; oven and cook until golden.

    While the skins are cooking, mash the potato with shallot, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, sour cream and salt to taste. Mix well, but don’t overmix. Take the skins out of the oven, flip, and fill them evenly with filling. Return to the oven and bake until golden brown. Leave two of the potatoes plain, drape two of the potatoes with roasted carrot strips, and garnish the remaining two with smoked paprika.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Myers Lemon Pumpkin Pie

    Myers Lemon Pumpkin Pie

    ‘Tis the season! We’ve decked the halls with cobwebs and pumpkins, and are so ready for the final confrontation between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers in 2018’s Halloween, directed by David Gordon Green.

    John Carpenter’s original Halloween film (1978), is iconic. We get the fearsome, stalky villain that launched a thousand slashers, the original Scream Queen, goddess Jamie Lee Curtis, and the spooky synth soundtrack that became a genuine classic. The film is almost beyond reproach. Almost.

    The one problem…it doesn’t feel like Halloween at all! The houses are barely decorated, and a few half-hearted trick-or-treaters do not a proper Halloween make. Most of the lack of seasonal feel comes from the fact that though it’s set in the Midwest in October, it was filmed in Southern California in May. The film crew struggled to find pumpkins, used artificial fall leaves on streets lined with fully green trees, and every once in a while you even get a glimpse of a palm.

    Here’s hoping the new film is every bit as scary and trope-y as the first, but pumped up with pumpkin spice! To honor the original, we’re making a pumpkin pie – the official pie of Illinois (which also happens to include our fictional town of Haddonfield) – marbled with California citrus. And not just any citrus: Myers, I mean Meyer, lemons. Meyer lemons are sweeter and less sharp than your basic lemons, but they aren’t quite in season – so if you have trouble finding them, using a mixture of lemon and orange works as well. The pie has a very snappy gingersnap crust, which is unfussy and compliments the filling well. There’s also a ribbon of pomegranate molasses flowing through, a quite autumnal ingredient with a gorgeous color that I never miss a chance to use. It works particularly well here to evoke blood. Slice with a BIG SHARP KNIFE and serve!

    Myers Lemon Pumpkin Pie

    For the crust

    • 9 ounces gingersnap cookies
    • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

    Heat oven to 350°. In a food processor, blitz the cookies to crumbs, then add melted butter and pulse several times to combine. Press into a greased 9 inch glass pie plate, using the heel of your hand to flatten and gently spread it up the sides of the plate, and toast in the oven for 10 minutes until golden. Cool slightly before filling.

    For the pumpkin mixture

    • 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 stick butter, melted
    • 3 eggs, beaten
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1/4 cup flour

    Using a hand mixer or whisk, blend together pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, butter, eggs, vanilla, and heavy cream. Sift flour into the mixture and blend until combined.

    For the citrus cream cheese

    • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
    • 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest (or a combination of lemon and orange zest)
    • 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice (or a combination of lemon and orange juice)
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 3 tablespoons heavy cream

    Using a hand mixture, blend all ingredients.

    To assemble

    • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (you can purchase this at a Middle Eastern grocer, or make it yourself by boiling down pomegranate juice to about a third of its volume and cooling)

    Pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust. Spoon cream cheese mixture over top and use a knife to marble it into the mixture. Drizzle pomegranate molasses on top and give it a last swirl with the knife before putting in the oven, at 350° for 50 minutes until just set.

    Allow to cool at least 3 hours and even better, overnight, before serving.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Apple Charlotte

    Apple Charlotte

    I have always thought that there is no more fruitful source of family discontent than a housewife’s badly cooked dinners and untidy ways. -Isabella Beeton

    Though Apple Charlotte never actually got made on Downton Abbey, its absence led to poorly sighted Mrs Patmore’s raspberry meringue, which led to spoonfuls of salt in place of sugar, which led to Sir Anthony Strallan nearly choking and Lady Grantham with one of her Lady Granthamest lines ever: Bring fruit, bring cheese, bring anything to take this taste away!

    I made a recipe from Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, an extensive guide first published in 1861 by Isabella Beeton, and the standard for all English households from the Victorian era onward. Served with a lovely Lady Grey creme anglaise; it’s like Earl Grey but it’s for ladies.

    Apple Charlotte

    Adapted from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management

    • About 6 large slices bread, crusts cut off and buttered, more if needed
    • About 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, more if needed
    • 3 pinches of salt
    • zest of one lemon
    • 3 heaping tablespoons brown sugar

    Heat oven to 350°

    Butter a pie pan. Tear large pieces of bread and place in a single layer. Arrange a layer of apple slices on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a third of the lemon zest, and a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar. Repeat for the other two layers. Gently press down and cover with foil.

    Bake for 45 minutes to an hour (I checked at 45, the apples were cooked but firm, by an hour they were cooked down properly).

    Allow to cool, then overturn on a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with vanilla ice cream, or creme anglaise (recipe follows).

    Lady Grey Creme Anglaise

    Adapted from Biscayenne

    • 3/4 cup milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 Lady Grey tea bags
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 1/4 cup sugar

    Bring milk, vanilla and tea bags to a simmer, then remove from heat and steep 10 minutes. Remove tea bags (after squeezing out the liquid).

    Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar until mixture is pale yellow. Pour half the milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour everything back into the sauce pan and reheat over medium heat, constantly stirring, until mixture has thickened. Do not boil. It is ready when it coats a spoon, and you can run your finger over the creme and the trail remains.

    Pour into a bowl placed into a larger bowl of ice and stir until the sauce is cool. Refrigerate to thicken further.

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 8: DOWNTON ABBEY in which Diana and Carrie discuss Downton Abbey in its Edwardian glory, including Mrs. Beeton, food styling, frozen gravy, Mrs. Patmore’s dark side, and the best table scraps in Yorkshire.

    Ms Beeton Desserts Downton Abbey

    Illustration from Mrs Beeton’s

    Love apples? Try:

  • Linguine with Clam Sauce

    Linguine with Clam Sauce

    You are in my blood. I cant help it. We can’t be anywhere except together.

    Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block is a glittery glam fairy tale, full of enchanting characters living deliciously on a sparkling sun-soaked LA backdrop. Though it views the world through neon pink colored glasses, it sensitively takes on some very real issues. I loved this and the rest of the Dangerous Angels books as a young adult, and adored revisiting it for our podcast.

    Illustration by Jill Lydon

    Weetzie, her boyfriend Secret Agent Lover Man, her best friend Dirk and his partner Duck, and babies Cherokee and Witch Baby, make a beautiful if unconventional family. Toward the end of the novel, after ups and downs and all being said and done, there is a lovely dinner scene with everyone around a table, with Weetzie feeling perfectly content with her chosen family.

    And what’s the dish? Linguine with Clam Sauce, a classic family dinner. I believe on the podcast I said old school, because it feels like in the days before carb aversion and when Italian was “exotic,” everyone’s idea of a fancy dinner was pasta. (But isn’t classic a classier way to say that?) It’s elegantly simple, exactly the type of thing My Secret Agent Lover Man would be making. It’s the type of food that makes you feel warm and safe, surrounded by the people you love, comfort food with style – because Weetzie never does anything without style.

    Linguine with Clam Sauce

    Adapted from Anne Burrell’s Linguine with White Clam Sauce

    • 1 pound clams (I used steamer, next time will probably use littleneck)
    • 1 pound linguini
    • sea salt or kosher salt
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 5 cloves garlic, sliced
    • Good pinch red chili flakes
    • 1/2 cup dry white wine
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • handful finely chopped parsley, grated parmesan, olive oil and lemon wedges for garnish

    Clean your clams well. I have heard if you soak them in a bowl in the fridge with a couple spoonfuls of flour it will help get all the grit out – I don’t think this is true? But I tried it anyway.

    Heat a pot of well-salted water, and cook your linguine to even less than al dente (it will finish in the sauce). If you are some sort of time wizard, you can try to coordinate finishing cooking your linguini with finishing your sauce, so you can directly transfer it to the pot, but I just reserve a mugful of the starchy cooking liquid before draining the pasta. Don’t rinse, the starch will help the sauce stick to the pasta.

    Meanwhile, rinse your clams and have them ready. In a pot with a cover (or a wok, as I did), heat olive oil on medium high and add garlic. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until garlic is golden (being careful not to burn). Add white wine and another half cup of water and bring to a boil. Throw in your clams and cover the pot or wok.

    After two minutes they should be steamed open – remove clams and reduce liquid to more than half. Reduce heat to medium and add in the butter and stir to make a silky sauce. Using tongs or forks, toss your pasta in the sauce, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary. When the linguine is thoroughly coated and cooked, transfer to a large plate, arrange the clams around the edge, and top with finely chopped parsley, grated parmesan, and drizzles of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges.

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 15: WEETZIE BAT in which Diana and Carrie discuss the slinkster cool world of Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block, including classic LA eateries, ubiquitous avocados, “fancy” family meals, questionable burrito contents, and strawberry sundaes with marshmallow topping.

  • Codfish Pudding

    Codfish Pudding

    Just always be waiting for me.

    I reread Peter Pan by JM Barrie, a book I loved as a child, a couple of years ago; it was just as sweet and funny as I remembered, but it’s now layered by my adult experience. There’s some unfortunate misogyny (poor Wendy), and now knowing that it’s about the death of a child, much of it is just so unbearably sad.

    But from unbearable tragedy comes a charming and awfully big adventure, and I made a recipe to match. This is equal parts British nursery food for darling little children and the worst insult to effeminate one-handed pirates.

    I based my dish on this recipe from Cook it Simply with several adjustments in ingredients and cooking method (Do I look like I have suet? Or a pudding basin? But I got through it, oh the cleverness of me!). The result was like a crustless mini quiche – super tasty, and I think the lemon zest brought out the pleasant fishy flavor and brightened it several shades above stereotypically tasteless nursery fare.

    It was very good warm the night of, my kids loved it, and, because I am a monster who eats straight from the fridge, can offer that it was even good cold the next day.

    Codfish Pudding

    Adapted from Cook it Simply

    • 1 pound skinless cod, sliced into small cubes
    • 1 stick butter, melted
    • zest of one lemon
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • fresh cracked pepper
    • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 2 slices bread
    • handful parsley

    Heat oven to 350° and grease a muffin tin.

    Combine cod, butter, lemon zest, salt, pepper, eggs, and milk. In a food processor, blitz bread and parsley to fine crumbs. Stir into cod mixture.

    Divide evenly between muffin cups. Place the muffin tin on a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven, and add water to the baking sheet to about three quarters full.

    Bake for one hour (start checking at 50 minutes, it’s fine for the tops to brown but if they start getting too done cover with foil) until the mixture is fairly solid. Remove to a rack and cool 15-20 minutes.

    Gently remove each pudding, I spooned around the rim to loosen it and used two spoons to lift it to the plate. They’ll get less delicate as they cool.

    Garnish with a little extra chopped parsley and serve warm, or enjoy later room temp or even cold.

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Podcast Episode 45: PETER PAN, in which Carrie and Diana discuss the novel and various adaptations. Diana dreams of cakes, Carrie gets emotional, and there’s pretend feasts, medicine, panpipes and nursery food to go around.

    Lovely artwork by Renae De Liz

  • Rosy Lemon Cakes

    Rosy Lemon Cakes

    I had a very specific image of Sansa’s favorite treat in mind as I was reading Game of Thrones, so it took a couple of tries to get them right! I had a vision of small, almost bite-sized cakes on a platter, decorated prettily. I wanted them very dense, barely leavened, so I melted the butter and cooked them at a very low temperature. There are a million lemon cake recipes floating around, so I’ve tried what I imagined as regional variations. This one is inspired by Highgarden. I used rosewater in both the lemon curd and the lemon cakes; the Tyrell’s sigil is the Rose, which I thought was fitting as Marjorie was a decent ally for awhile to Sansa.

    As a variation, I also made a Queen in the North version: Rosemary Lemon Cakes with rosemary and candied lemon.

    Rosy Lemon Cakes

    For the rosy lemon curd
    Adapted from Ina Garten

    • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • zest of 3 lemons
    • 4 eggs
    • juice of 2 lemons
    • 2 tbsp rose water
    • 1/8 tsp salt

    Cream the butter, then beat in the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs one by one, then the lemon juice, rosewater, and salt.

    Pour into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened (10 minutes or so, mine took longer). Remove from heat and cool completely. Can save in the fridge.

    For the lemon cakes

    • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
    • 1/3 cup honey
    • 3 egg yolks
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons rosewater
    • pinch safflower for color (optional)
    • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (spoon very lightly into measuring cups to measure)
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • powdered sugar, rosy lemon curd, and optional rose petals to decorate

    Heat oven to 275°

    Whisk together well butter and honey, then whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Whisk in lemon juice, rosewater, and crumbled safflower.

    In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt, then stir into wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon into greased mini muffin cups, and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

    Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then overturn onto a plate to cool the rest of the way. Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar, dollop with lemon curd, and garnish with a few sprinkled rose petals.

    This is kind of an amalgam of these:
    Fine Cakes translated by Gode Cookery
    Medieval Lemon Cakes by Inn at the Crossroads
    Lemoncakes from Geeky Chef (this is my favorite presentation, I may try the ones above again with just little lemon slices in the muffin cups)

    This dish was first posted for Fiction Kitchen Episode 1: GAME OF THRONES in which Carrie and Diana discuss characters, regions and cuisines of Westeros and Essos, salt rite, food styling, and blood and boobs.

  • Lemony White Bean Hummus

    Lemony White Bean Hummus

    My 9 year old, Zoeya, has snapped up all thirteen novels in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and all of us in our family are fans of Netflix’s adaptation which I have dubbed the NPH Show (Neil Patrick Harris’s murderous Count Olaf is exquisite).

    Being a bit of a smartypants herself, Zoeya loves the too-clever children Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire and their counterplots to escape Count Olaf’s clutches. I myself love the Victorian gothic undertones, creepier elements, and fun quirky appearances of actors I love. Joan Cusack is an adorable Justice Strauss in the first two episodes which essentially cover the first book in the series, The Bad Beginning.

    Justice Strauss lives in the charming and bright house next to Count Olaf’s dark and dilapidated manor. Although she is an example of one of the adults that fail the children over and over again, her flaw being ridiculous and extreme pedanticism, she is kind and has their best interest at heart. She returns from the store at one point saying she has the ingredients for white bean hhhummus (over-enunciated with some hocking from the epiglottis).

    Inspired by this, I pulled back my hair Violet Baudelaire-style and made a very lemony (pun intended) version of white bean hhhummus with rosemary as charming and bright as Justice Strauss’s house, served with baguette which we can see in her grocery sack as well as crunchy veggies which biting baby Sunny is partial to. It’s very “festive”, a word which here means “fun” (narrator wink).

    Lemony White Bean Hummus

    • 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (or one can, rinsed)
    • 1/4 cup tahini
    • zest and juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
    • 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and roughly chopped (you could also use other herbs such as parsley or thyme, or a combination)
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • 1/4 cup olive oil (plus a little for garnish)

    In a food processor, combine white beans, tahini, lemon juice and zest, garlic, rosemary, and a generous pinch salt and pepper until well combined. While still running, drizzle in olive oil. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

    Serve drizzled with a little olive oil with toasted baguette or pita and crunchy veggies.

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 54: A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS in which Carrie and Diana discuss the first four lamentable books in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events in relation to the grievous new Netflix show. We talk putrid puttanesca, crummy coconut cake, cumbersome cucumber soup, and tragic chewing gum. You’ve been warned. We’re sure there are more uplifting things you could be listening to, so feel free to turn away now.

  • Rosemary Lemon Cakes

    Rosemary Lemon Cakes

    No Game of Thrones menu, especially one themed Queen in the North, is complete without the iconic lemon cakes.

    Previously I had made a southern Highgardenish version delicately flavored with rosewater, dolloped with a rosey lemon curd. Now that Sansa is back up north outside of Winterfell, presumably heading to the Wall, I started dreaming of a fragrant, piney, northern version of her favorite treat. Rosemary pairs so perfectly with lemon, and I made pretty candied lemon slices to decorate.

    These turned out delicious, and were even better over the next couple of days.

    Rosemary Lemon Cakes

    For the candied lemon slices

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 sprigs rosemary
    • 1 large lemon, cut into thin slices

    In a saucepan, heat sugar with 1 cup water and the sprigs of rosemary. Bring to a boil, swirling the sugar to dissolve it. Gently drop in lemon slices in a single layer and lower heat to medium low. Simmer gently, flipping occasionally, for 15 minutes, until rind softens. Remove to a wax-paper lined baking sheet, cool for an hour, then move to the fridge for an hour. When ready to use, slice the lemon slices into quarters.

    Reserve the syrup, you will use it for the lemon cakes.

    For the lemon cakes

    • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
    • 1/3 cup honey
    • 3 egg yolks
    • zest and juice of one large lemon
    • 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
    • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (spoon very lightly into measuring cups to measure)
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • candied lemon slices (above)
    • lemon rosemary syrup (above)

    Heat oven to 275°

    Whisk together well butter and honey, then whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Whisk in lemon juice and rosemary.

    In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt, then stir into wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon into greased mini muffin cups, and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

    Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then overturn onto a plate. Brush liberally with the reserved lemon rosemary syrup (slighly warmed), and top with a candied lemon slice. Cool completely.

    Even better the next day!

    From Game of Thrones menu Queen in the North

  • Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Quiche

    This origin story of this quiche came from a time when both my friend and I were fresh off breakups; we were both in the bumming around phase, but were making the best of it by setting up camp on the pull out couch in her living room, knitting, and watching Sex and the City. In other words, being aggressively single. We made this for a fantastic lunch, along with a avocado and grapefruit salad with Dijon dressing, another combo I still make all the time.

    It’s the classic French velvety custard with a salty bite, brightened up with lemon zest. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or, as I most recently made it, for a trip to the vineyard! I sliced this into squares to take with – and can confirm it pairs well with North Carolina whites.

    Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Quiche

    • 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought

    I made the press crust from The Joy of Cooking. The texture will be crumbly vs. flaky, but it is so, so easy to make. Quick instructions: in food processor, combine 1 1/2 c flour, 1 stick unsalted butter, pinch of salt and 2-3 tbsp milk. Press into a pie plate or 9 inch cake pan, crimp the edges if you can be bothered (I prefer mine rustic!) and bake for 18-22 minutes at 400. Brush with an egg yolk and return to oven for 2 min.

    • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1/2 cup half and half or cream
    • zest of 1/2 lemon
    • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
    • 4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into slivers
    • 1 teaspoon dried dill
    • 1 tbsp capers, coarsely chopped

    Preheat oven to 350°

    Blend the cream cheese with a hand mixer, until creamy and smooth. Add eggs and blend until combined (cream cheese might be just a little lumpy, that’s ok). Blend in milk, half and half or cream, lemon zest and salt. Fold in salmon, chives, and capers. Pour into pie crust, stir so that the salmon is evenly distributed, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until edges are set and middle is just a little jiggly. Cool for 30 minutes and serve warm or room temp.

  • Asparagus with Lemon, Aleppo Pepper and Burrata

    Asparagus with Lemon, Aleppo Pepper and Burrata

    Asparagus for dinner again. I hate asparagus. Does this mean I’ll never grow up?

    This is such a dead simple non-recipe, but it’s currently one of my favorite way to prepare vegetables, as elegant as Laura Palmer’s slinky black red room dress. The asparagus is broiled so it takes minutes to cook, and keeps it’s lovely green color with a hint of a char. The simple flavors of lemon and aleppo compliment each other perfectly, and the burrata is creamy just a little melty.

    Maybe Laura would have liked it prepared this way, maybe not; but that’s ok, you can absolutely do other vegetables. Burrata is a little pricey, but I buy it in a package with two four ounce balls, and can make different veggies on different days – with the other ball I roasted half a butternut squash with the same seasonings, equally lovely.

    Asparagus with Lemon, Aleppo and Burrata

    • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
    • olive oil, sea salt, aleppo pepper (or substitute paprika)
    • 1 lemon
    • 4 ounce ball burrata

    Set oven to broil.

    In a roasting pan, toss asparagus with olive oil, a generous sprinkle of sea salt, a good pinch aleppo pepper and the zest of one lemon. Broil for five minutes then roll with a spatula, then broil for two or three more minutes, until asparagus is soft but keeps a bite.

    Slice the burrata and lay in a line on a plate, arranging the warm asparagus over it. Sprinkle with a little more aleppo pepper and a spritz of lemon juice.

    Read the Food recap Twin Peaks s01e01: The Pilot