Sign up for an Advance Review Copy of Kid Chef! And, St. Patrick's Day Shepherd's Pie

In case you haven't heard already, I’m thrilled to let you know I’ve written a new book! Kid Chef (on sale April 5th) is a cookbook for kids who truly love to cook, supplying them on the real information they need to get comfortable in the kitchen and make meals the entire family can be proud of. 

I confess I've been secretly excited that Kid Chef will equally provide a greater foundation for grownup cooks, too. That the book is written in a no-nonsense way, and the recipes are just real, *good food* means kids and adults alike can use the fundamentals in Kid Chef.

Now, we need readers and kids to take it for a test drive. My publisher Sonoma Press is giving away a limited number of digital advance review copies to see what parents and kids think! We want to get your feedback about the book in the form of an honest and thoughtful Amazon review to help online shoppers get to know the book through real readers. Sign up for yours here! Thank you as ever for your love and support.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, here is that super savory shepherds pie I teased you with on Instagram. Enjoy! 

Lamb Neck Shepherd's Pie

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs lamb neck, finely diced*

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely grated on a microplane

most of a bottle of porter beer - I used Yuengling and it was excellent

2 cups free-range chicken stock

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 tbsp mustard powder

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

good olive oil

For potato topping

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed - I used German Butter Balls 

1 egg, lightly beaten for wash

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 tbsp butter, cubed

1 tbsp hot English or Dijon mustard

*Rotating things out of the freezer, I had a mix of both boneless and bone-in lamb neck. I diced the boneless and browned the batch with the larger chunks, and after simmering the two in the savory mixture (those lovely bones added extra body and flavor), I removed the chunks from the pot when all was ready, just long enough to cool so that I could shred the meat from the bones. Return the meat to the pot and discard the bone fragments if you have the same configuration when you make this dish. 

Pour a glug of olive oil in a heavy bottom or enameled pot, and over medium-high heat, add the vegetables. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes, adding the garlic to the mix a few minutes in. 

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high. Add another good glug of olive oil once the pan is hot, swirl to coat, then add lamb in batches so as not to crowd the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes a side. Add lamb to veggie mixture, pour in stout, and cook until reduced by half, 5 minutes or so. Add stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes. Check, cooking a little longer if needed.

Make a paste with flour and a little cold water in a small bowl, mixing until smooth. Add to lamb mixture and stir until incorporated throughout. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper and transfer to an ovenproof dish, or four small casseroles, leaving 1/2-inch space from top to allow for potato mash. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, empty into a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. (for finer mash, press through a food mill or potato ricer) 

Add cubed butter to the still-warm mash. Pour in cream and buttermilk and mash again to thoroughly combine. Add mustard and season with s+p once again, to your taste. Spoon onto lamb mixture, covering entire surface. Brush with egg wash, place onto a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes or so. 

Serve warm, alongside a stout or robust red wine, and good company.

Sweet and Savory: Beautiful Piles on Toast, and The New York Times Summer Cooking

Three delicious and unexpected flavor and texture pairings, atop crunchy, chewy toasts. Why not have sweet and savory together, one a foil to the other in a dance, making mealtime especially awesome? That is the theme of this month's Anthology column.

Choose good bread. It's your foundation. 

pink peppercorn salt, fig preserves, and buffalo mozzarela toast

There are limitless opportunities for sweet-savory combinations. Here are a few I thought up in considering this month's vittles…

Which will be your new favorite?

sea salt-sprinkled bruléed bananas on melted chocolate and sourdough toast

How indulgent is your sweet tooth? How much do you crave savory bites? There is something here for everyone.

Pepita honeycomb brittle crumbled over umami grilled lettuce toasts

The fact that each of these is pretty simple to prepare makes them all the more attractive. I can't wait to hear what strikes you, and which you chose for your afternoon (or late night) snack.

Full story and recipes here.

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In more layers of savory, for last week's New York Times Food Section I produced eight recipes to showcase four flavor powerhouses devised by Sam Sifton, which you can pull from and reproduce all summer long. Pretty tantalizing for a summer of good eating.

Here are some of my favorite images from the work, some printed for the feature and others not -

Lobster butter, with wild shrimp for dipping…

Lemon herb compound butter, paired with wild king salmon….

A sweet-spicy-smoky rub for meat…

And, an herby, vinegary marinade for the best grilled meat ever. This is my favorite of the bunch, though choosing a favorite is highly subjective. They are all delicious.

Warm weather is in full gear now. The chanterelle mushrooms are poking their golden caps robustly through the moist, black soil. I hope to bring some home for a new chapter in an ongoing series I've been producing on wild foods.

Most recently, I foraged mulberries (and made an amazing pie), made honeysuckle syrup from cups of plucked blossoms, and have already a haul of blackberries with which a shrub or mostarda (or maybe pie, let's face it) may be its outcome. Good eating, each and every one.

Make something sweet, something savory, for yourself today. 

Color-Punch Slaw at Anthology

Color. It's where it's at.

Especially with everything spring finally exploding in the great outdoors.

My newest story at Anthology is a vibrant, toothsome recipe that requires absolutely no cooking. There's a good bit of chopping and a little stirring, but I know your muscles need a little workout so that you can be your warm-weather best…. ;) I hope you like it. It really is delicious, one of my steady go-to's that pleases every single time.

It is just as savory-sweet-crunchy-juicy as it looks. To try the slaw for yourself, click here for the full details. Let me know how you love it!  :-)

And don't forget I still have a giveaway on offer!! There's so much to enjoy in Sweet Paul's book, so visit this page for the details if you want a shot at the goods.

Happy weekend everyone!

Happy New Year!!!

Some tasty bites for your New Years Eve enjoyment....

Sable with creme fraiche, dill and whitefish roe on seeded crackers

 

Minted mashed peas with harissa yogurt and chopped black walnuts on whole grain crostini

 

White truffle butter-sauteed morel mushrooms on brioche toasts with thyme sprigs

Chili and dill pickled quail eggs and shaved shallots on cracker rounds

Salted dark chocolate-dipped candied oranges

Thank you for your continued support - it has been a wonderful year sharing good food and life with you all! I love how much this little blog has grown with your help, shaping and reflecting so many adventures - great and small - along the way.  I look forward to all the new goodies we'll cook up together in the coming year. Wishing you all the very best in 2013!!!!!

Summertime! Hamptons Magazine, The New York Times, and More

I've been eager to share these images with you all for a while now - a series I shot at the end of June for the Hamptons Magazine. It's for the Soft Serve Fruit Company - healthy, actually, and quite a tasty list of offerings (as you can see)! Having fun photographing melting things is some of the most spontaneous creativity out there. :)

For more fun with food, I photographed a new still life for The New York Times, which appeared in last's week's dining section.

For the still life, I sourced from friends. My good friend Jon is an expert on all things delicious, and a few years ago he shed new light on what a good mussel is. He over-nighted 5 pounds of these plump, sweet, and sustainably grown mussels, harvested from the nutrient-rich waters of Puget Sound. The carrots and beans are from the well-tended gardens of none other than Susan Orem, who runs a yoga & retreat center in heart of the Catskills. I am (as ever) eternally grateful to these folks. Wisdom, friendship, and great food! What more can a girl ask for?

As you might guess, I had a good bit of leftovers and so got to cooking. I hope you'll adore these preparations. Rather different from one another, equally outstanding in flavor.