smitten kitchen » Guest Post

molly’s apple tarte tatin

deb — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:00:00 +0000

[Guest post by Molly] You remember Molly, right? This summer, she shared her secrets for awesome, dry-rubbed ribs. (I still dream about them, I really do.) Well, Molly also makes a killer apple tarte tatin, one of my favorite desserts and she was kind enough to come over to my apartment last week and demonstrate–you wouldn’t believe how amazing it smelled. Here she tells you how she did it, in her own words. Thanks Molly!

The beginning of apple season this year found me in Highlands, North Carolina. The Forest Service had just finished a new hiking trail, the trailhead just steps away from my parents’ cabin. Dad, Sophie the doggie and I hiked along the trail until it opened up into a rolling field with rows of huge old McIntosh apple trees–the remnants of an old farm, it seemed, with some abandoned garden flowers still blooming, even. The apple trees were long untended–even overgrown in places with blackberry brambles–but still sagging with delicious fruit. We stopped and filled our backpacks. If there’s anything my Dad loves more than food in general, it’s free food, so he was thrilled.

Back at the cabin, I made a baked apple dessert and 2 quarts of applesauce. It was the end of a weekend of epic feasting, largely thanks to the efforts of Smitten AKA the Best Houseguest Ever. [Ed note: Aww.] So the thought of a Tarte Tatin, my favorite apple dessert, seemed gluttonous, as it contains more than two sticks of butter. I would have to save it for another time.

... Read the rest of molly’s apple tarte tatin on smittenkitchen.com

meatballs and spaghetti

deb — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:00:34 +0000

[Guest photography by Elizabeth Bick] A few weeks ago, over a couple ~~bottles~~ glasses of wine, my friend Liz, a photographer, and I got to discussing the photography in the smittenkitchen, and she said she was dying to come in and take some pictures of me at “work” one day. We started fantasizing about doing a 1950s Mad Men-style shoot, rollers in the hair, a frilly but perfectly tailored apron and classic home cooking. In reality, the rollers and the silly apron didn’t quite happen, but Liz came over earlier this week (and then our other friends, a couple hours later for dinner) and we had a blast. So please welcome here today our very first smittenkitchen guest photographer, Elizabeth Bick. I suspect you’ll be as wowed by her photos as I am. [Oh, and in case you're wondering, I do cook everyday in full lip gloss and an apron coordinated with my potholders. I can't believe you even had to ask!]

Living in New York City, a place where you barely have to walk 10 blocks to find shaved black truffles over artisanal french fries or a fois-stuffed date by a chef with their name on that door, the one a few doors down and several products in the frozen food aisle, I couldn’t honestly give a damn about making futsy food like that at home. By the time I climb my 51 stairs to my apartment in two-inch heels with three heavy bags and, a dripping umbrella and a box of books our house guest has forwarded here, all I am thinking about is the kind of meal that will cancel it all out, and that meal involves not a single ingredient cooked sous-vide.

... Read the rest of meatballs and spaghetti on smittenkitchen.com

my family’s noodle kugel

deb — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:47:56 +0000

[Guest post by Deb's mom!] Last year, I briefly told you the story of how my mother jokes that she married my father for his family’s noodle kugel recipe. But then, as if just to be cruel, I tried my own spin on it with cream cheese and dried cherries. Was it delicious? Oh, heck yeah. Are you long overdue to get a taste of the real deal? Most certainly so. Please welcome my mother herself here today in her first-ever guest post, finally sharing with you the noodle kugel recipe you are owed.

Growing up in a German family, I had many noodle puddings. Shortly after becoming engaged to my now-husband, we were at a family buffet party, where everything was homemade and beautifully displayed. It was at their party that I first encountered the noodle pudding. I thought this was the best food I had ever tasted.

... Read the rest of my family’s noodle kugel on smittenkitchen.com

molly’s dry-rubbed ribs

deb — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:31:04 +0000

[My friend Molly made the most amazing ribs on Memorial Day. Prior to Monday, I thought I liked mopped, or barbecue sauced-up ribs. I am now officially a dry rub convert, and begged her to let us know how she did it. Thanks Molly!--Deb]

I started making these ribs last summer. I got inspired by an amazing BBQ I attended in Bed-Stuy at my friend Antoine’s friend Pete’s house. Pete has six jumbo grills with attached smokers or something ridiculous like that. At that BBQ, I think he smoked so much meat in his backyard that he probably violated some kind of zoning ordinance. The buffet table in the backyard groaned under the weight of at least half a dozen BBQ competition trophies. Pete is a serious BBQ chef. It was the first truly delicious BBQ pork I’d eaten since I had moved to NYC after living in North Carolina for two years.

Now I must provide the obligatory rant on my BBQ predilections/prejudices: I enjoy a tangy red sauce as much as anyone else. I especially love Ina Garten’s Barbecue Sauce that Deb introduced me to: brushed on a chicken thigh over a charcoal fire, it’s wonderful. But in my opinion, tomato-containing sauce of any kind does not belong on pork BBQ. It took just two years in Orange County, NC, home of the Tar Heels and the inimitable Allen & Sons Barbecue, to convince me of this.

There is only one way to do right by pork: cover it with a simple, spicy-sweet dry rub. Let it sit for a while. Slowly cook it in smoky, indirect heat, using a wood fire or natural charcoal, until the meat is tender enough to melt in your mouth. Then go hawg wild. It’s best to enjoy the meat without any sauce, at least at first. Sometimes, if I am in the mood, I will add a hot pepper vinegar to my pulled pork, but only after I eat some of it unsauced. I never add any sauce to ribs.

... Read the rest of molly’s dry-rubbed ribs on smittenkitchen.com

mango margaritas + blood orange martinis

deb — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:43:16 +0000

They always say, write about what you know and I know how to make a good cocktail. My favorite is the Blood Orange Martini, a very popular drink over here at the Barbie Dream Loft where I reside in NY’s fabulous Williamsburg.

I start by juicing the oranges:

In a cocktail shaker mix Grey Goose Vodka, Triple Sec and fresh squeezed Blood Orange Juice. Shake and serve with a lime!

Another classic is the Margarita. Who doesn’t love them? Must be made with really good tequila that you bring back from Mexico, or I usually go with Sauza Tequila, mixed with triple sec and Sauza makes a really good margarita mix, if you can’t make your own. Add lots of lemon & lime slices, best when made by the pitcher:

... Read the rest of mango margaritas + blood orange martinis on smittenkitchen.com

fish tacos

deb — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:36:18 +0000

In honor of Debbie & Alex’s trip to Playa del Carmen I cooked Fish Tacos tonight! A receipe I learned from my Mexicans in none other than Playa Del Carmen. My first trip down there was with my BFF Victoria and about 10 guy friends. The boys would scuba dive and spear fish while we sun bathed and then the boys would bring up their catch of the day to the Mexicans at a beach front cabana cook-out place. They would turn the catch of the day into the best fish tacos I had ever had. So I spent the next day having them teach me how. And today foodies, I will give you my secret fish taco receipe, direct from Mexico to you, where ever you may be!

In a large pan or a wok throw together some white fish (I used tilapia), fresh cilantro, a small amount of oil (I use coconut oil), chopped onion and chopped red bell or poblano pepper. Squeeze fresh lime juice all over and simmer for approx 15 minutes. I usually flip the fish often and let it break up into small pieces.

When you are done scoop onto a flour tortilla and add toppings. You can use whatever kind of cheese is your favorite, I use the sharpest chedder I can find, fat-free sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro, Santa Barbara Mango & Peach Salsa and mixed greens. Wrap up and enjoy!

... Read the rest of fish tacos on smittenkitchen.com

dinner with joc’s parents

deb — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:17:10 +0000

So I went home for dinner tonight to visit my parents in Connecticut. Mom cooked dinner and Mom is the Queen of “if it doesn’t come in a box or you can’t microwave it, she can’t cook it”! Aha aha aahha. Mom is more the cream puff type that likes to hang out at the yacht club, order take out and she is the one who taught me how to make reservations. Smart lady. Now I will admit she can make a few things *really* well, tonight was a dinner in a bag night. And I swear it was actually really good and the whole thing was done in 10 minutes. Now that is the kind of time I have to cook.

Bertolli, frozen dinner in a bag:

After 10 minutes:

... Read the rest of dinner with joc’s parents on smittenkitchen.com

pizza by the slice

deb — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:28:57 +0000

Many of probably heard by now that we are slightly under the weather here in fabulous NYC. I had big plans to go to the grocery store and actually try to buy something so I could cook for you and make Debbie really proud. Alas the intersections are flooded, the airports are closed and well, I don’t drive…..Sooooo I had to rely on one of my old favorites: Pizza by the slice. It’s a thing you can always count on in Brooklyn, you are never more than a block away from a delicious slice of NY pizza. I like a regular slice with granulated garlic. I take mine to go, because there have been two shootings at my local pizza parlor since I have lived here, so I do not stick around!

... Read the rest of pizza by the slice on smittenkitchen.com