Donut Army

Everything about this dish was a delight. It was easy to assemble during a workday, but doing some bits in the morning, some during lunch, and then tossing it into the oven at the end of the work day. But this particular chicken roasts beautifully, and then that bright splash of preserved lemon at the end is just a delight. Highly recommended! Peri-Peri Chicken Geoffrey Zakarian's Town Country 1 chicken , 4 lbs, washed, patted dry, in 8 pieces 3/4 c peri-peri sauce 8 cloves garlic 1 tsp coarse salt 1 tsp pepper 1 preserved lemon 12 green olives , pitted 2 lemons Combine chicken and peri-peri sauce in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and fridge at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 450. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add garlic cloves, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the garlic is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and place garlic in a baking dish just large enough to hold the chicken pieces in a single layer. Lay chicken, skin...

  Very rich and flavorful, especially for something that comes together rather quickly. The original version was vegetarian; I added the rotisserie chicken. It's not quite the real thing, but the name doesn't promise that it will be. Faux Pho Soup: a way of life Ingredients: 2 onions , unpeeled and quartered 2 onions , thinly sliced 2 4" pieces ginger , halved lengthwise 6 star anise 4 cloves, whole 6 peppercorns , black 5 qts stock 1/3 c f ish sauce 5 T sugar 3 T coarse salt 1 bunch cilantro , chopped 1/2 c thai basil , julienned 1 serrano chile , chopped 12 leaves cilantro , julienned 8 scallion , chopped 1 rotisserie chicken , shredded  For Noodles 1 lb rice noodles , 1/8" thick, cooked according to package 1/2 lb bean sprouts Heat large frying pan over high. Place quartered onions and ginger cut-side down in pan. Cook until beginning to blacken, about 10 minutes. Remove ginger and reserve. Turn onions and black the other si...

  This was very very good. The soup itself was flavorful and would have been enough as a dinner soup. But adding the dumplings converted this soup into an entree. The couscous addition in the batter makes the dumplings pretty foolproof -- no real concern that they'll still be raw because most of the bulk is couscous, which was already cooked. I opted to cook only enough dumplings as we needed that night. We will have to make future dumplings "on demand" as we eat this as leftovers. Spicy Bulgarian Tomato Dumpling Soup - Domatene Supa Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant Soup 1 onion , diced 4 cloves garlic , minced 3 T olive oil 6 c tomatoes , chopped (fresh or canned and drained) 2 tsp chili powder 2 T flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 4 c stock Dumplings 2 T butter , room temperature 2 eggs , separated 1/4 c couscous 1/4 c boiling water 3/4 c flour 1/4 tsp salt 2 T dill weed , fresh (or 1 tsp dried) 1/3 c milk or stock In medium pot, sa...

  This was delightful. Particularly the potatoes. While I had used pomegranate molasses before,  I hadn't anticipated liking this as much as I did. I think the difference is in the quality of the molasses. Previously, I had used an economical version, which was much to sweet, much too sticky. I highly recommend splurging on a higher quality ingredient. Garlicky Spiced Chicken and Potato Traybake with Pomegranate Molasses Milk Street 1/4  olive oil 2 tsp pomegranate molasses 1 T allspice 1 tsp coriander 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp cardamon salt and pepper 3 lb chicken , bone-in, skin on, trimmed and patted dry 1 1/2 lb potatoes , unpeeled, in 1 1/2" wedges 8 cloves garlic , peeled parsley , to serve In a large bowl, stir together the oil, molasses, allspice, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, 4 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Put chicken and potatoes on a large tray. Toss with the sauce. Add garlic cloves. Heat the oven to 450°F. Roast until the thi...

  This recipe did not work as written. The dough was far too dry and crumbly. I was tempted to add maybe 2 T of milk, but suspected that would change the structure of the shortbread. A quick Google search suggested that increasing the fat -- the butter -- by another 2 T should fix the problem. I softened 2 more T of butter and beat it in and the dough came together just fine. I have amended this in the below.   These have a nice shortbread texture. The lavender flavor is interesting, but perhaps too floral for a cookie. The source that advised me about adding more butter also used less lavender -- only 2 tsp instead of 3 (which is what a T is). I have made that suggestion below, as well. In all, I guess I"m suggesting that you use her version, and not the one from Serious Eats! Honey Lavender Shortbread Cookies Serious Eats 2 c flour 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp lavender 8 oz unsalted butter, softened 2 T honey 1/2 c powdered sugar Combine flour, salt, baking powd...

The flamed orange peel part didn't work for me, but maybe next time! This is a strong but tasty drink. Sip in moderation!   Vesper The Essential Cocktail, by Dale Degrof 3 oz gin 1 oz vodka 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc flamed orange peel Combine liquids with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. To flame the peel, make an oval-shaped garnish. Hold it over the cocktail, peel-side down, about 4" above the drink. Place a lit match between the drink and the peel. Squeeze the peel to squirt oil/juice through the flame and into the drink.

  I was going to prepare this as a grilled skewer, but it was raining and I was tired of being on my feet. So I prepared everything as written, but instead of skewering the ingredients, I tossed them on a roasting sheet and baked them in a 425 oven for 15 minutes or until the chicken was at temperature. Also, I felt that the marinade wasn't enough, so I probably tripled the amount of five-spice powder and doubled the oil to encourage coating. The flavor still wasn't pronounced, and I would likely increase again. Served with a soba noodle side dish and smashed cucumbers. Chinese Five Spice Chicken Skewers From Annie Bell's Soup Glorious Soup 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, in 1" cubes 2 T peanut oil 2 tsp five-spice powder 2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste 1 red onion, peeled and quartered Put chicken, oil, garlic, and five-spice powder in a Ziploc bag. Toss to coat. Chill at least one hour. Place all on a roasting sheet. Put in a 425 oven and roast until ch...

  We destroyed these. In a good way. It's a lovely-to-look-at dish, chock full of vegetables. More so than I had anticipated, and more so than most soba noodle dishes I've made in the past. We absolutely gobbled this up! Served here with a five-spice chicken and smashed cucumbers.  The original calls for nori. We don't love nori so left it out. Maybe we are missing a part of the experience, but even without it, this was delicious.  Chilled Soba Noodles with Cucumber, Snow Peas, and Radishes Cook's Illustrated 8 oz soba noodles 3 T white miso paste 3 T mirin 2 T toasted sesame oil 1 T sesame seeds 1 tsp ginger, grated 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/3 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded, sliced thin 4 oz snow peas, strings removed, cut lengthwise into matchsticks 4 radishes, trimmed, halved, sliced thin into half-moons 3 scallions, sliced thin Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Stir in noodles and cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally...

  Made this as a side-dish for an entree that was going to have some spice to it. I figured (rightly) that this would provide some balance to the heat of the entree. However, I wound up thinking about the leftovers all evening, and even woke up wondering if I could have smashed cucumbers for breakfast. These are very very good. Smashed Cucumbers (Pai Huang Gua) Cooks Illustrated 2 14 oz English cucumber 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt 4 tsp black vinegar 1 tsp garlic , minced to paste 1 T soy sauce 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp sesame seeds , toasted Trim and discard ends from cucumbers. Cut each cucumber crosswise into three equal lengths. Place pieces in large zipper-lock bag and seal bag. Using small skillet or rolling pin, firmly but gently smash cucumbers until flattened and split lengthwise into 3 to 4 spears each. Tear spears into rough 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to colander set in large bowl. Toss cucumbers with salt and let stand for at...

This dish has a depth of flavor that is much appreciated! The broth is rich, and the dish itself is hearty. Side note - as I was assembling this for the first time, I realized that I didn't know how to present it. And the recipe didn't provide any guidance. Over rice? With bread? So I visited the comments section online, where multiple people described this as the hottest dish they've ever eaten in their lives. I disagree. Most of the heat will come from the berbere, so perhaps it depends on which berbere you buy. We actually make our own, since it's just a name for a mix of spices. And while there's heat, it's not painful. I encourage you to not be afraid! Also, I wound up making chapatis as a quick bread to serve with the dish. That was helpful and I would recommend. I'd also serve this over rice in the future, for ease of eating. Ethiopian Chickpea Stew Milk Street 2 T red lentils 3 T ghee 1 yellow onion , chopped 1 pint cherry tomatoes , halve...

These are delightfully flavored sugar cookies - a little hint of grapefruit and that makes the taster wonder "what is in this thing?" The below is the original recipe. Personally, I would amp up the juice or zest to make the flavor even more pronounced. It's worth it. Ruby Red Grapefruit Cookies Homesick Texan 1 1/2 c sugar , plus more for dipping 1/2 c butter , softened 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 T ruby red grapefruit juice 1 T ruby red grapefruit zest 2 c all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp kosher salt pinch of ground ginger Preheat the oven to 350°F and either lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream together the sugar and the butter until well combined. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, grapefruit juice, and grapefruit zest until well combined. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and ginger and then combine with the liquid ingredients until a soft dou...

  I enjoy having a quiche in the house - good for an easy lunch or dinner, and certainly great for breakfast leftovers. Couple this with some side potatoes and a salad and you've got a meal that feels healthy and diverse and also filling. Spinach & Gruyère Quiche The quiche dough comes from Epicurious, but no longer appears to be available online. The quiche is based on a recipe from this source, but improved upon: Once Upon a Chef. Quiche Dough 1 1/2 c flour pinch salt 8 T unsalted butter, chilled, in small pieces 5-6 T cold water Put flour, salt and butter in a food process to mix. With processor running, add water until the dough forms one large ball. Remove and roll out on a floured surface. Quiche 1 T butter 1/2 c shallot, thinly sliced (I didn't have enough shallot so also used scallion) 10 oz spinach, chopped 4 eggs 1 1/4 c heavy cream pinch nutmeg 3/4 tsp tsalt 1/8 tsp cayenne 1 c gruyere, shredded Preheat oven to 325. Make crust Heat butter i...