Cooking from "Dining In," "Nothing Fancy," and "Sweet Enough" by Alison Roman

[blue_dolphin]

44 minutes ago, weinoo said:

You know, here's the thing with cookbooks by millennial bloggers.  Isn't every recipe available somewhere else? I don't necessary see any real creativity going on with these recipes, they all just look like rehased stuff with maybe an ingredient or two changed. But maybe that's just me.

 

Anyway, in case anyone is interested,  here are Alison's beauty secrets!

 

The more cookbooks I read and Google recipe searches I run, the more I think there's nothing really new, that everything's been done before, by someone, somewhere.  That said, I get a lot of enjoyment and inspiration from my cookbooks, from recipes I find online and from what I see folks cooking here, whether the dishes meet another's standards for real creativity or not.  

 

Deb Perleman, who writes the Smitten Kitchen blog, regularly draws on the inspiration of others for the recipes on the blog.  She credits the source and generally presents a modified version, formatted and discussed in a different way than the original.   Her cookbooks contain a lot of material not previously published on the blog but you can be pretty sure that there are similar recipes out there, somewhere.  Rehashing? Of course, but I still enjoy trying them when one piques my interest.

 

When I look over the books on my shelves, the authors whose recipes are most readily available online are Yotam Ottolenghi, Diana Henry and Melissa Clark, all due more to their newspaper columns than blogs.

There are a lot of Alison Roman recipes out there, too, because she's written widely for a number of years.  I'm not aware that she has a blog, but I'll look for it!

 

[weinoo]

Melissa Clark is probably the last "journalist's" cookbook I bought (Instant something or other), as I obviously waded into the Instant Pot insanity.

 

But my other recent purchases are all either single subject books, or books from restaurants/chefs I admire.

 

Examples include the Joe Beef cookbook, Nopalito, Roscioli, a book about Riesling, etc. I also just ordered a used book I thought I owned, but which is hiding somewhere - Richard Olney's French Menu Cookbook.

 

[blue_dolphin]

While my polenta was cooking this AM, I tossed together a peach version of the Pistachio-Plum Crisp from Dining In p 286.  

I used coriander instead of cardamom and a splash of bourbon instead of the rose water. I made a 1/4-sized recipe with 1 lb peaches and baked it in a 1 qt Pyrex dish. 
I like the flavors, especially the pistachios but some of the topping that slipped down in-between the peaches didn't crisp up and I didn't care for the flour-y texture of those bits.  
There's a small hiccup with the recipe calling for 1 cup of nuts while the instructions use 1.5 cups.

The ice cream isn't necessary, I think I prefer the crisp on its own, but it was in the freezer, so I had to check.

[blue_dolphin]

Baked Pasta with Artichokes, Greens and Too Much Cheese from Dining In p 159

This is a vegetable lasagna-type dish.  I used frozen instead of marinated artichokes, added a bunch of mushrooms and made a 1/3 recipe in a loaf pan.

As can be seen, the top layer of pasta got dried out and rather crispy.  This is a re-heated leftover so that effect is increased but was present in the original, as would be expected given the instructions. 

I'd say this was OK, not great.  Out of curiosity, I may repeat it with the marinated artichokes called for but I'm not overly excited by it. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Persimmons and Pears with Blue Cheese and Spicy Pecans from Dining In p 93. This is a fun salad to eat with its different flavors and textures. 

I found both Bosc pears and chocolate persimmons at the Penryn Orchards stand at the farmers market and I had some Pt. Reyes blue cheese on hand so it was time to make this salad.

The spicy pecans are made by cooking them in a skillet with maple syrup and Aleppo pepper.  I like the flavor combination and will try adapting those ingredients to the method used in @JAZ's Spicy Sweet Walnuts as it's less tedious than standing at the stove as I did with these. 

There are no greens in the recipe as written but I served it on a bed of arugula and was happy with that addition. 

[Shelby]

As always, BD, you do an amazing job and you also make me want to spend money on cookbooks  

[blue_dolphin]

26 minutes ago, Shelby said:

As always, BD, you do an amazing job and you also make me want to spend money on cookbooks  

 

Thanks, @Shelby!

I'd say Dining In is good but not great.  I've enjoyed trying everything I've made and have more recipes marked but, at this point, I wouldn't give it my highest rating. 

[Smithy]

18 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Persimmons and Pears with Blue Cheese and Spicy Pecans from Dining In p 93. This is a fun salad to eat with its different flavors and textures. 

I found both Bosc pears and chocolate persimmons at the Penryn Orchards stand at the farmers market and I had some Pt. Reyes blue cheese on hand so it was time to make this salad.

The spicy pecans are made by cooking them in a skillet with maple syrup and Aleppo pepper.  I like the flavor combination and will try adapting those ingredients to the method used in @JAZ's Spicy Sweet Walnuts as it's less tedious than standing at the stove as I did with these. 

There are no greens in the recipe as written but I served it on a bed of arugula and was happy with that addition. 

 

I didn't know until now that there are so many varieties of persimmon! Thank you for that link. The Penryn Orchards web page mentions the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Is that the one you frequent, or is there one closer to home for you?

[blue_dolphin]

16 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

I didn't know until now that there are so many varieties of persimmon! Thank you for that link. The Penryn Orchards web page mentions the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Is that the one you frequent, or is there one closer to home for you?

 

Most often, I go to the local markets.  There's one on Thursday, only a mile from my house, so I go there most every week or shop at a local farmstand.  Sometimes I hit up the other Ventura County markets in Camarillo, Ventura or Ojai.

However,  I used to live in Santa Monica and miss those markets so I occasionally head down, as I did this past Wednesday,  to visit my old stomping grounds.  It's about 45 min to a hour drive, depending on traffic.  That's nothing compared with the Penryn people driving down from Placer County, north of Sacramento - yikes!

 

[heidih]

2 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Most often, I go to the local markets.  There's one on Thursday, only a mile from my house, so I go there most every week or shop at a local farmstand.  Sometimes I hit up the other Ventura County markets in Camarillo, Ventura or Ojai.

However,  I used to live in Santa Monica and miss those markets so I occasionally head down, as I did this past Wednesday,  to visit my old stomping grounds.  It's about 45 min to a hour drive, depending on traffic.  That's nothing compared with the Penryn people driving down from Placer County, north of Sacramento - yikes!

 

 

Ha I have farmers in my markets driving from Fresno! Incredible people - so grateful!

[kayb]

@blue_dolphin -- were there spoons, or forks in those persimmon seeds?

 

[blue_dolphin]

20 minutes ago, kayb said:

@blue_dolphin -- were there spoons, or forks in those persimmon seeds?

 

 I have no idea.  What do you think?

Edited to add that either way, I predict no snow in my local area 🙃

Edited October 20, 2018 by blue_dolphin (log)

[kayb]

I'm thinking it's a spoon. Maybe. Or maybe it's a spork, and you're going to have a Col. Sanders sort of winter.

 

[Shelby]

Definitely a spork.

[FrogPrincesse]

Thank you @blue_dolphin for starting this thread. It's time to resurrect it!

 

Before the holidays, I got Alison Roman's books (it's an upcoming theme for the cookbook club I joined a few months ago) and noticed the recipe for gravlax, because this is something I like making for new year's. I was very intrigued by her non-traditional take, especially the use of scotch whisky and aleppo pepper which are supposed to impart a smoky flavor to the dish, re-creating the flavor of cold-smoked salmon.

I used Laphroaig for the scotch, which is ultra-peaty. I skipped the dill in the marinating step because I didn't have any on hand and prefer to use fresh herbs as a finishing step / garnish. The salmon was sushi-grade from Catalina Offshore. I placed it on chopticks inside a baking dish, covered in plastic wrap, put a small cutting board on top with two heavy cans, and let it sit for 4 days in the fridge.

Well, it turned out to be truly delectable and we finished it in no time. We had it on thinly sliced rustic sourdough, with crème fraiche and fresh dill. It is now my favorite recipe for gravlax!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Smithy]

3 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:

Thank you @blue_dolphin for starting this thread. It's time to resurrect it!

 

Before the holidays, I got Alison Roman's books (it's an upcoming theme for the cookbook club I joined a few months ago) and noticed the recipe for gravlax, because this is something I like making for new year's. I was very intrigued by her non-traditional take, especially the use of scotch whisky and aleppo pepper which are supposed to impart a smoky flavor to the dish, re-creating the flavor of cold-smoked salmon.

I used Laphroaig for the scotch, which is ultra-peaty. I skipped the dill in the marinating step because I didn't have any on hand and prefer to use fresh herbs as a finishing step / garnish. The salmon was sushi-grade from Catalina Offshore. I placed it on chopticks inside a baking dish, covered in plastic wrap, put a small cutting board on top with two heavy cans, and let it sit for 4 days in the fridge.

Well, it turned out to be truly delectable and we finished it in no time. We had it on thinly sliced rustic sourdough, with crème fraiche and fresh dill. It is now my favorite recipe for gravlax!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm delighted at your writeup and results, but surprised that a peaty Scotch worked so well. Did it not leave a heavy whiskey flavor in the fish? If not, why not, do you think?

[FrogPrincesse]

45 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

I'm delighted at your writeup and results, but surprised that a peaty Scotch worked so well. Did it not leave a heavy whiskey flavor in the fish? If not, why not, do you think?

You only use 1 tablespoon for a 1-pound fillet of salmon, and most of it is lost with the water that leaches out of the salmon as a result of the curing process. So, in the end, some of the wonderful peaty aroma of the scotch get imparted to the salmon, rather than a heavy / obvious whisky flavor. 

[FrogPrincesse]

I had a bunch of broccolini in my Specialty Produce farmer's market box the other day, so I made the roasted broccolini and lemon with crispy parmesan. It's super simple: mix the broccolini with lemon slices, smashed garlic cloves, and olive oil; season with salt & pepper and top with plenty of grated parmesan. Cook for 15 min in the oven at 425F, and add a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.

 

It was really tasty! It helped that the broccolini was super fresh. I am going to make it again tonight with sprouting cauliflower.

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

This one is from Nothing Fancy, her second book: one-pot chicken with dates and caramelized lemon. It's a pretty standard braise - you brown the chicken in olive oil (I used chicken parts / legs rather than a whole chicken as this was a week night and time was limited). Then you set the chicken aside and brown lemon slices and shallots (love shallots) in the same pot which now contains chicken fat. The lemon slices are the genius part of the recipe here - they deglaze the pot and later add delicious flavors during the braise (a bit like lemon confit but it all happens in the pot). Add dates (I used local medjools that I had forgotten in the fridge), fresh thyme, water. Sprinkle with urfa chile (never heard of this but am intrigued; I used aleppo instead). Then it goes into the oven. 

About an hour later...

 

 

This was simple and totally delicious. I could not get enough of the chicken, lemon, and date combo, and the juices are just lovely. Lemon and chicken has always been a favorite, and the dates add another dimension. I have added this recipe to my favorite recipes!

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Posting this one here as well, even though it's from her latest book, Sweet Enough.

 

Crunchy cholate shortbread. I followed the recipe as written, just skipped the sprinkle of flaky salt on top because that's not my thing. I used (light brown) coconut palm sugar which added a subtle caramelized flavor. The chocolate was macondo 60% from Luker, and the nuts hazelnuts.

 

 

These cookies are absolutely terrific: great texture (buttery, slightly sandy), interesting flavor (with the touch of salt, the chocolate chunks, the nuts, the crunchy outside demerara sugar layer). I am usually not a cookie person, especially not American cookies which I almost always find unbearably sweet. But I really enjoyed these, and found myself craving them with a shot of espresso. My family gave them their seal of approval as well. 😄

Edited February 23 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

I wanted to make an omelette for breakfast yesterday, so I finally tried the Crispy Kimchi and Cheddar Omelette from Dining In. I used a locally-made kimchi. The contrast between the creamy rich eggs & cheese and the sharp acidic bite of the kimchi was nice. All that being said, it is a very basic recipe. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A thought for Anna who is missed by many of us.

 

On 7/29/2018 at 5:37 AM, Anna N said:

Good morning. It’s sunny and 19°C with a forecast high of 24°C, but there are showers in the forecast.  For now it is blue skies and sunshine.

 

 

Breakfast this morning is a Crispy Kimchi  and Cheddar Omelet from the book Dining In which I bought yesterday. (If I were to be truly open and honest I would admit here that when I got home I found I owned both books in Kindle editions.) 

 

But for anyone interested, the recipe is available on-line on the Food52 site.  Just ignore the typo that says “serves 4”.  

 

Kerry is back on call today so, as always,  anything could happen. 

[FrogPrincesse]

I made the Impostor Al Pastor for a gathering and they were pretty outstanding. My modifications were to use pineapple vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar in the marinade, and, more importantly, to do all the cooking in a cast iron skillet on the grill (following the recipe, cooking in a pan on the stove, it started to stick and burn very rapidly. Moving this outdoors reduced the "mess" considerably.). With that technique, I was really happy with the results! It is absolutely delicious. As a side note, this was my first time cooking a Mexican dish and won't be my last, for sure!

 

 

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Adding a few process pictures to the tacos al pastor recipe. 

 

Assembling the marinade components

 

 

Adding the meat (deboned pork shoulder cut into 1-inch slabs) to the marinade. The marinade recipe yields a large amount, more than what is needed.

 

 

Post marinade for 24 hours, the pork gets cooked (I did this step on the grill).

 

 

Then it gets cut into bite-sized pieces, and cooked again (the first cooking step can be done in advance, and the second step right before serving).

 

 

The end result

 

 

Edited March 22 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

In Nothing Fancy, there are a couple of pages devoted to a "DIY Martini Bar". I liked the idea and the recipe was legit, so I made it for an Alison Roman-themed cookbook club gathering.

 

The recipe is a 50:50 gin vermouth ratio (similar to Audrey Saunders' Fitty Fitty Martini, minus the orange bitters), pre-diluted with 20% water, so it's on the lighter side. You keep it chilled, and your guests can pour themselves a glass on ice and add their favorite garnish(es): I had lemon peel, two types of olives (feta-stuffed divinas which are super umami, and, on the other end of the olive spectrum, castelvetranos which taste green and almost sweet, like green almonds), and home-brined onions for Gibsons (my current go-to drink). I used Tanqueray 10 and Noilly Prat dry vermouth (I used the extra dry because it is milder/less busy than the dry, which works best in a 50:50). I made a 1/2 recipe which yielded a full bottle. There were some leftovers that I was happy to bring back home.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Still catching up with my Alison Roman cooking adventures. For pie day (March 14), I was in the mood for a pissaladiere, the French anchovy and onion tart, which is traditionally made with a bread-type dough and topped with black olives. Her recipe in Sweet Enough, caramelized onion and anchovy tart, is a bit different. It is made on a whole wheat pie crust (I used rye flour). The dough was a bit hard to work with, quite crumbly, and rendered quite a bit of fat when cooked but it held up and was super crispy and flavorful, like a nicely toasted cracker. The caramelized onions are an exercise in patience as she writes; it took me close to 2 hours of constant attention. On the plus side, most of the prep can be done in advance (the dough, the onions). I really liked the end result, super savory, with some freshness from the parsley and lemon juice sprinkled on top!