Squid Ink Pasta in a Truffled White Wine Garlic Sauce

I had started to have my doubts. Every time I looked out the window, or turned on the weather report, or ventured outside wrapped as if I was embarking for a trip to outer Mongolia (as opposed to the grocery store across the street), I sincerely doubted that I would ever feel the warmth of the sun on my skin again. This winter was a doozy, and I am just so ready to grasp at any straw that resembles spring.

But then the days got longer, the breeze grew less sharp, and a few courageous croci pushed their way through the frozen earth. So, what better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than with a fresh, light, and citrusy pasta dish? The light flavors and tender pink seafood plays really nicely against the bold, dark color of the pasta, making this as visually striking as it is flavorful.

Ingredients:

1 lb squid ink pasta (available in specialty food stores)
2 tsps garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lb fresh squid 
1/2 lb uncooked shrimp
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can chopped clams, with their juice
1 lemon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
white truffle oil (optional, but highly recommended)

Before doing anything else, prep your seafood. Be sure to wash the squid and the shrimp thoroughly and to pat them completely dry. This is an important step in preparing squid for cooking. The drier the squid, the better it will cook. If you've never cooked quid before (don't worry, it's not hard!), I would highly recommend this tutorial video from the New York Times' Melissa Clark.

Now that your seafood is prepped, you can start boiling the pasta in salted water. While you're waiting, get a large skillet and add the olive oil and butter, warming the oil over medium-high heat until it's very hot. Add the garlic, then add the squid and the shrimp. Make sure that your skillet is large enough so that the seafood is not crowded. Now for the hard part--don't touch the seafood for a full minute. Just let it cook and get a good color for an entire 60 seconds, before tossing it in the oil/garlic mixture. The squid should get a lovely rich color from this, and the shrimp will turn a light pink. Once the seafood is cooked (~3-4 minutes), add the white wine, clams, and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute over medium heat.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add the seafood and sauce and toss thoroughly to coat. The wine sauce will absorb into the pasta. Spritz with lemon and dress lightly with white truffle oil.

Happy spring, and happy eating!

Prepare for the feast

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it refuses to be commercialized, in spite of the persistent efforts of Black Friday advertisers. Sure, you can buy the best quality ingredients, prepare the most lavish table layout, and race through dessert to queue up at the Best Buy; however, Thanksgiving remains a holiday focused on family and food.

Many of us will head to bed on this Thanksgiving Eve with visions of sausage-sage-stuffing and pumpkin pie dancing in our heads. But many of us will also experience that little nagging voice in the back of our minds, taunting us about that second (third?) helping of pie.

I am not one of those people who loves taking the fun out of everything. I raise my eyebrows and roll my eyes at that person (you know one) who insists on guilt-tripping you for every mouthful of carby, buttery goodness you consume: "It's hard to watch what you eat around the holidays!" "Make sure you don't eat too much--after all, you're not hibernating!" "You're going to have to do double time at the gym next week!"

Oh please. For every person who relishes questioning your extra cocktail or supersized helping of mashed potatoes, there are countless ways in which to enjoy your holiday and not prove that person right by going up a pants-size.

Here is a game plan as you approach the Thanksgivukkah table:

1. Eat small meals throughout the day leading up to the big feast. You will eat your heart out later, so make sure you save room without starving yourself. Enjoy small helpings of high-energy snacks throughout the day. Have a bowl of oatmeal or a high-protein omelette for breakfast--the slow-release carbs and protein will give you consistent energy. Enjoy a small but thoughtful lunch. And, sneak a handful of nuts for those the-turkey-popper-was-supposed-to-pop-half-an-hour-ago moments.

2. Eat food because you enjoy it, not because it's there. A table full of snacks and a kitchen full of food prep pose a potential problem. If you want a bowl of chips, eat a bowl of chips--just don't eat them because they're next to you as you watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Same thing goes for the meal itself--resist eating a second serving unless you really want it. Often times, I find myself wanting a second helping because the first was so good. Most of the time, however, that second serving pales in comparison with the first and leaves me with an upset stomach and a lot of guilt.

3. It's a holiday devoted to eating--so, eat. There's really no way around it. Enjoy every turkey drumstick and yam, savor every glass of wine and piece of pie. You don't eat like this every day, and one blip on the radar will not matter. Staying healthy is not a chore, it's a habit. If you're in the habit of eating well and taking care of yourself, one day off the charts will not affect you--because it's not the norm.

4. And, of course, post feast--you're going to be in a food coma, so might as well wind down with a healthy routine for a few days. Skip booze and dessert for the week after the holiday, and eat clean, healthy meals. You'll be resetting your switch and cherishing the memories of that wonderful feast.

xx Madeleine

Well, it's been a while

Looking at the date on my latest (if that word can be used in this context) post, I am filled with no small amount of shame. It's been over a year since I last shared any sign of life, let alone any evidence of having cooked for myself in 2013.

Well, quite a few things have happened in this past year and a half. Here's the SparkNotes version:

• After graduating from college and rejoining the company that I worked at as an intern in college, I started on a rocky road of adjusting to post-college-still-living-with-my-parents life. It was an incredibly difficult few months. I had been unable to score a "real" job and felt incredibly uncertain about my future. To deal with my lack of friends and general despondency, I turned to food and cooking--the things that made me happy. Unfortunately, this reliance on food for comfort led me to gain almost 15 pounds, and to weigh the most I ever had. 
• Determined to take my health into my hands and to become a healthier and more informed cook and consumer, I began on a strict routine of dieting, exercising, and educating myself about nutrition in June 2013. I learned a ton about food, nutrition, and my body. I started looking and feeling much healthier.
• I attended graduate school from Fall 2012 to Spring 2013--all the while, I continued cooking consciously, with attention to both caloric content and flavor. I continued to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle, even in the midst of an incredibly stressful period.
• After graduation, I started working full time. I don't always have time to work out, or even go on a walk, but I still try to cook as many meals as possible and to take my eating into my own hands. In the past 16 months, I have lost over 20 pounds and will (hopefully) continue to do so. With the holidays coming up, that might prove a challenge, but I feel and look better than ever before. And--above all--I am healthy and getting the proper nourishment. I've realized that it's not about being thin--it's about treating your body well and knowing what it needs to be its best.

I will continue to cook because, well, life wouldn't be much fun without it. And, in the weeks and the months ahead, I look forward to sharing my new lifestyle and favorite recipes with you all.

xx Madeleine

Smoked Salmon with Cream

Doesn't that sound good?


This continues my series of recipes from my most recent cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education, Vive la Bretagne. If you're looking for a refined appetizer or even a small meal for your next dinner, this is a winner. As if smoked salmon wasn't delicious enough--here, the salmon is stuffed with an herbed whipped cream made from crème fraiche, and garnished with marinated fennel and shallot confit.

Not too shabby on the whole.

The Recipe:


6 slices of smoked salmon
3 regular-sized fennel bulbs
8 ounces lemon juice
6 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
4 shallots
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup ruby Port
1 thyme sprig
1 tsp sugar
1 quart crème fraiche
Chives
1 tsp cider vinegar
Salt and Cayenne pepper to taste

First, wash and clean the fennel. Chop off the leaves just up to the bulb and remove the roots. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the fennel bulbs very thinly (width-wise) so that you have thin slices. Layer the fennel slices along the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. Stir the lemon juice and olive oil together and pour over the fennel in the pan. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, to marinate.

To make the shallot confit, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the Port, wine, thyme, sugar, and shallots--cut in 1/4" thick slices--in a small gratin dish. Cover with foil and bake for an hour, then remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the liquid has almost evaporated. Let cool to room temperature, and discard the thyme sprig.

Now, for the pièce de resistance--the salmon with cream. Whisk the crème fraiche as you would whisk whipping cream, until it forms soft peaks. Then add the salt, cayenne pepper, chives, vinegar, and half of the shallot confit.

Now for the tricky part: presentation. This is my way of plating the dish, but don't hesitate to be creative with your presentation. To fill the salmon slices with the cream, take a paper cup and cut off the topmost ring to use as a mold. Place the ring on the plate and drape salmon slices over the edges, so that they touch the plate but will be able to be folded over. Then, put the cream in the center of the ring of salmon, and fold the pieces over. Remove the ring. Place a few slices of the marinated fennel on the side, and garnish with additional shallot confit. Garnish with thyme sprigs and lemon rind curls.

Salade de Roscoff: Salad of Warm, Seasonal Vegetables

As I had mentioned in my previous post, I attended my second class at the Institute of Culinary Education. The class, entitled "Vive la Bretagne: Brittany's Signature Dishes" gave a soup to nuts--or in this case, fish to flan--overview of the fresh and crisp cooking of France's northwestern peninsula.

The first dish from the series was a Salade de Roscoff, or a salad of warm, seasonal vegetables in a vinaigrette. This salad features leeks, turnips, fennel, carrots, onions, and potatoes at their very best: intact, colorful, and filled with flavor and nutrients. This dish celebrates each vegetable in its natural form, preserving the shape and manipulating it minimally.

The Recipe:

12 baby carrots

12 pearl onions

6 baby fennel

2 leeks (young, if possible)

12 baby turnips

12 fingerling potatoes

3 quarts chicken stock

For the vinaigrette:

1 shallot

Chives (to taste)

1 garlic clove

2 tbsps cider vinegar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

First, you will need to clean and peel all of your vegetables. Before you reach for that peeler (I see you--STOP), put it back and get a small, sharp knife. As I mentioned above, this dish celebrates vegetables in their natural and unaltered state (with a little sauce). Since most of the vegetables we are using are small, baby vegetables, they are delicate and we must treat them as such. 

Here are instructions for peeling and preparing each vegetable in the salad:

Baby fennel: First, wash your fennel and pat dry. Then cut off the majority of the fluffy green stalk, leaving 2 or 3 springs for garnish. Halve the fennel lengthwise, and carefully remove their root bulbs. 

Baby leeks: Baby leeks are leeks, but smaller (as in they look like scallions). You will not need to rinse them, as you would with typical leeks, as they will not have much sand in them. Rather, carefully cut off the roots, and then peel off the outermost layer of skin, pulling the green leaf and removing the exterior of the leek. Cut off the dark green stems and rinse the leeks.

Baby turnips: Cut off the stems and the roots and rinse. Using the sharp edge of your knife, delicately peel the turnips so that you remove only a thin layer of skin.

Baby carrots: Cut off the stems, and peel carefully, as you peeled the turnips (with the edge of a knife).

Fingerling potatoes: Rinse the skin. Do not peel the skin off, as it is filled with nutrients. Just halve them lengthwise.







Now that you have prepared all of your vegetables, it is time to blanch them in the chicken stock. Blanching is when you place vegetables in boiling water (or, in this case, stock), remove them after a short time, and then plunge them into ice water. The ice water halts the cooking process and ensures that vegetables are colorful and retain their nutrients and flavor. Prepare an ice bath, and then blanch each vegetable.

While they are sitting in the ice bath, make your vinaigrette:

Dice the shallots and chives. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar, and then slowly incorporate the mustard, chives, shallots, are garlic, whisking well.

To finish off, toss the warm vegetables in the vinaigrette and serve on a warmed plate.

Vive la Bretagne : ICE Revisited

As some of you may remember, I had the pleasure of taking my very first cooking class this past Fall. Ever since attending "Elegant Autumn Desserts" with Chef Vicki Wells at the Institute for Culinary Education in downtown Manhattan, I'd been aching to go back and try my hand on some other delicacies.

The Institute for Culinary Education is located on 23rd street between 5th and 6th avenue, and offers a full range of recreational cooking classes for those interested in cooking, baking, wine and bar-tending, and cheese.

This time around--motivated by the gift of two cooking classes of my choice for Christmas--I decided to opt for a cooking class as opposed to a baking class. People always ask me what I prefer--cooking or baking. I'd have to say that I prefer baking, because it just comes to me more naturally. There seems to me that there is less room for error, and who could say no to working with ingredients like cream, chocolate, and sugar? I do enjoy cooking though, even though it does not come as easily to me.

This time around, I chose Vive la Bretagne, a celebration of tradition Bréton cuisine. The class was taught by Chef Hervé Riou who is an ambassador of Breton cuisine in the United States, representing the Union Culinaire Bretonne. My motivations for taking this particular class were twofold: first, my family originates from Brittany, the northwestern peninsula of France that projects into the Atlantic Ocean, and, second, I was looking to acquire some tricksy cooking skills.

The class was limited to 20 people and was spread over four hours on a Monday morning. The price was reasonable, considering the time in the kitchen, the price of the materials, and the fact that you got to take bags of goodies home. (I have what must amount to three rabbits in my fridge.)

Within our four hours we made Salade de Roscoff (salad of warm seasonal vegetables in an herb vinaigrette), Timbale de saumon aux herbes et fenouil marinée (smoked salmon served with marinated fennel in lemon and creme fouette with shallots confit), Soupe de poisson cotriade (traditional fish soup), Medaillons de veau à la mode d'Iffiniac (sautéed veal medaillons with Muscadet, onion and grated cheese), Coquille St Jacques à la Concarnoise (pan-seared scallops served with a ragout of chanterelles or wild mushrooms and a vermouth reduction), Lapin sauté aux herbes de Bretagnes (rabbit braised with mushroom shallots parsley and a white wine-herb infusion), Flan de St Enogat (flan with marc of cider and apples or pears caramalized), and Traou Mad (traditional butter cake).

Each one was relatively simple to make, and came out looking and tasting divine. Each used tools and ingredients that are easily available and that shouldn't be too much of a drain on the budget.

Look for each recipe as I remake them in the confines of my home kitchen in the next few weeks!

Health Kick: Ratatouille

I know at least some of you out there have resolved, with the beginning of the New Year, to be healthier. Now, you can go to the gym and do as many hot-rock yoga classes as you like, but we all know that a quality diet is the backbone of a healthy lifestyle.

I am the first one to admit that I am not the healthiest of people. I mean, I own and use a copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for God's sake. The butter in that book alone is enough to put a trainer in a coma. I'm also allergic to exercise, though I am an avid walker and have dabbled in running and yoga.

So, the moral of the story is that I am always looking for recipes that can help me incorporate more vegetables into my diet. This one, from my friend Deirdre, really did the trick.

It's a quick and flavorful dish that's delicious hot or cold, and that makes a colorful addition to your meals. The combination of the healthy fat in olive oil, and the nutrients present in the peppers, squash, and eggplant will make even the most carnivorous person's mouth water.

The Recipe:

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups finely-diced yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin on
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 cup diced green bell peppers
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini squash
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Set a large 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Then, add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.