Ingredients
- 1¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp. (9 oz.) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more
- 1 large yellow onion (7 oz.), half thinly sliced, half finely chopped
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 5 large eggs
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup (4 oz.) grated Bavarian bergkäse cheese or Gruyère
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the flour and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Add the sliced half of the onion and toss to coat.
- To a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the sliced onions (leave the excess flour behind) and fry, using tongs to stir occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, 9–10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Transfer the oil in the skillet to a heatproof bowl and cool completely before discarding. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Meanwhile, return the skillet to the stove and place over medium heat. Add the butter. When it has melted and the foam begins to subside, add the chopped half of the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not yet browned, 8–9 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until very frothy. Add the nutmeg and the remaining flour and salt and whisk to a uniform, thick batter. Continue whisking until bubbles slowly rise to the surface when you stop whisking, about 2 minutes more.
- When the water begins to boil, place a spätzle maker or a heat-resistant colander with large holes over the pot. Pour the batter onto the spätzle maker or colander. Working quickly, use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to force the all of the batter through the holes. Immediately stir the water gently to separate any stuck pieces. When the water returns to a boil, cook the spätzle for 2 minutes, then drain them and rinse well under cold water.
- Return the large skillet with the chopped onions to the stove and place it over medium-high heat. When the onions begin to sizzle, add the spätzle and cheese. Stir until the spätzle is hot and the cheese is fully melted. Season to taste with salt, then transfer to a large bowl or four small plates. Top with the chives and reserved fried onions, sprinkle with black pepper, and serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. pickling spices
- 14 whole cloves
- 8 black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 parsley sprigs
- One 5-lb. beef eye of round
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups red wine
- 1½ cups red wine vinegar
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced, divided
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
- 4 bacon slices, finely chopped
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 6 gingersnaps, crumbled
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped parsley leaves
Directions
- Make a bouquet garni: In a square of cheesecloth, use twine to tie the pickling spices, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley into a tight bundle.
- Salt the beef generously and place in a large bowl. In a pot, bring the wine, vinegar, one of the onions, the carrot, bouquet garni, and 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour over the beef, then cover and refrigerate, turning once or twice a day, for 5 days.
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Transfer the beef to a plate and pat dry with paper towels. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the marinade. Reserve 5 cups of the marinade and the bouquet garni.
- To a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the bacon and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned and has rendered its fat, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Add the beef and cook, turning every few minutes, until browned all over, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining onions to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and deeply browned, about 18 minutes.
- Return the beef to the pot. Add the reserved marinade and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Cover and bake until the beef is very tender, about 2½ hours. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and tent with foil. Into a bowl, strain the sauce.
- In the pot, melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and sugar and cook, whisking continuously, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to high and whisk in the reserved sauce, raisins, gingersnaps, and lemon juice and boil until reduced slightly, about 7 minutes.
- Thinly slice the sauerbraten and transfer to a platter. Ladle with the sauce, sprinkle with the bacon and parsley, and serve hot.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) tap water, heated to 115° F
- 1 teaspoon (1/8 ounce) active dry yeast
- 3 1/4 cups (14 2/3 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons (3/8 ounces) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (note: if using a fine-grained salt like table salt, fine sea salt or other brands of kosher salt, you will need to use a smaller volume)
- 1 splash Canola oil, for greasing bowl
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
Directions
- Whisk together water and yeast in a large bowl; let sit until yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add flour, and stir with a fork until dough forms and all flour is absorbed; let dough sit to allow flour to hydrate, about 20 minutes. Add salt, then transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough ball to a lightly greased bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and place bowl in a cold oven or microwave. Let dough rest until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and shape into an 8-inch x 6-inch rectangle. Fold the 8-inch sides toward the middle, then fold the shorter sides toward the center, like a T-shirt. Return dough, seam side down, to the bowl. Cover with plastic again, and return to oven. Let sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Remove bowl with dough from oven, and place a cast–iron skillet on the bottom rack of oven; position another rack above skillet, and place a baking stone or upside down or rimless sheet pan on it.
- Heat oven to 475° F. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and cut into three equal pieces; shape each piece into a 14-inch rope. Flour a sheet of parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet; place ropes, evenly spaced, on paper. Lift paper between ropes to form pleats; place two tightly rolled kitchen towels under long edges of paper, creating supports for the loaves. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let sit until it doubles in size, about 50 minutes.
- Uncover; remove towels, and flatten paper to space out loaves. Using a sharp razor, knife, bread lame, or scissors, slash the top of each baguette at a 30–degree angle in four spots; each slash should be about 4 inches long. Pull out the oven rack with the stone or baking sheet on it and, using the corner of the parchment paper as a guide, slide the loaves, still on the parchment paper, onto the baking stone or pan. Place ice cubes in skillet (this produces steam that lets the loaves rise fully before a crust forms). Bake the baguettes until darkly browned and crisp, 20 to 30 minutes; cool before serving.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, plus more, chopped, for garnish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (2 to 3 medium carrots)
Cheese Cake
- Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Directions
- For the carrot cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup of the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool, and then finely chop.
- Combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil, sugar and eggs in a separate bowl. Stir the carrots into the egg mixture. Fold the carrot-egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch springform cake pan and tap it on the counter to even out the batter. Bake until the cake bounces back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. The cake can be made a day ahead and stored in the pan.
- For the cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the flour, lemon zest and juice and vanilla, about 1 minute.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the carrot cake. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of foil. Put in a roasting pan or a large baking dish and fill halfway up the sides of the cake pan with water. Bake until the cheesecake is pale yellow and just jiggles slightly in the center, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the hot oven for 30 minutes. Remove, run a sharp knife around the edge and let cool completely on a rack. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- For the sour cream topping: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, vanilla and salt. Spread on top of the cheesecake; garnish with chopped pecans. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and serve.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 5 cups thinly sliced peeled russet potatoes (about 6 medium)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- Additional pepper, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add potatoes and onion.
Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake 1 hour. Uncover; bake 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. If desired, top with additional pepper.
Tips
If your au gratin is watery, replace the milk with heavy cream, which has a higher fat content, next time you prepare the recipe. Also, russet potatoes have less water and more starch, making them ideal for au gratin recipes.
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped cabbage
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup uncooked instant rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- Place the cabbage in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the rice, salt if desired, and pepper; spoon over cabbage.
- Combine soup and water; pour over beef mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until rice and cabbage are tender. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.
Substitutions
This is such a versatile recipe! Prepare a vegetarian version using plant-based meat crumbles instead of ground beef. You can also use ground turkey in place of beef, or quinoa instead of rice.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup za’atar seasoning
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 cup pimiento-stuffed olives
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup pitted dried plums (prunes)
- 1/4 cup water
- Hot cooked basmati rice, optional
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. Add chicken; toss to coat.
- Arrange olives, apricots and plums in bottom of a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Add 1/4 cup water; top with chicken. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours. If desired, serve with rice.
Tips
If you have a few minutes to spare, try browning the chicken in a little oil before placing it in the slow cooker.Make your own za’atar spice by mixing 1 Tbsp. each fresh chopped oregano, ground sumac, ground cumin and sesame seeds; and 1 tsp. each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Za’atar seasoning may become your new favorite spice. Add it to melted butter and toss with popcorn, mix it with olive oil for a dipping sauce or toss it with potatoes before roasting.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 12 oz. spaghetti or other long pasta
- Kosher salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ¾ cup)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove two 2″-long strips of zest from 1 lemon. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining lemon zest into a large pot (like a Dutch oven). Cut zested lemon in half and squeeze out enough fresh lemon juice to yield 2 Tbsp. into a small bowl; set aside.
- Cook 12 oz. spaghetti or other long pasta in another large pot of boiling heavily salted water according to package directions, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
- Meanwhile, add ¾ cup heavy cream to pot with lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until melted and sauce is creamy and emulsified. Remove from heat.
- Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out 1½ cups pasta cooking liquid. Add ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid to cream sauce and return to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer spaghetti to pot with sauce (it’s okay if a little water comes along with it). Cook pasta, tossing often and adding 3 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ¾ cup) little by little, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in reserved lemon juice. If sauce looks tight, add 1–2 Tbsp. more pasta cooking liquid (cream sauces tighten up very quickly as they cool, so it’s better to lean on the saucier side of things). Season with more salt, if needed.
- Divide pasta among bowls. Season with pepper and top with reserved lemon zest strands.
Ingredients
- 3 ears of corn, husked
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 oz. smoked Spanish chorizo (cured, not fresh), finely chopped
- 12 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½–1 serrano chile (depending on heat), finely chopped
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 12 large sea scallops (about 1 lb.), side muscle removed, patted dry
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 lime, halved
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Directions
- Cut kernels from corncobs and place in a medium bowl. Using the back of a chef’s knife, scrape milk from cobs into the bowl; discard cobs.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook chorizo, stirring occasionally, until it starts to get crisp, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour chorizo oil into a small bowl (use a slotted spoon to hold back chorizo); set chorizo oil aside. Return chorizo pan to medium heat and add scallions, garlic, chile, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and ¾ tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright yellow and softened, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and let corn mixture cool in pan 5 minutes. Gently mix in buttermilk and cilantro. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Season scallops generously with salt. Heat reserved chorizo oil and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Cook scallops on one side, reducing heat if they are taking on too much color and moving around in pan for even browning, until a golden brown crust forms on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and turn scallops over. Add butter to skillet and, using a spoon, baste scallops with butter 30 seconds. Transfer scallops to a plate. Squeeze halved lime over.
- Divide corn mixture among plates and arrange scallops on top. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Substitutions
Chicken and or shrimp for Scallops
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- Fresh assorted berries and sweetened whipped cream, as desired
Directions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch tart pan with 1-inch rim and removable bottom with cooking spray.
- In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup sugar with spoon until well mixed. Stir in flour until blended (dough will be crumbly but can be pressed together). Pat and press dough very firmly on bottom and up sides of tart pan. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until crust is set in center but still pale. Cool 15 minutes.
- In 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Gradually stir in water, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat. Heat to boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat.
- In small bowl, beat egg yolks with whisk. Gradually beat about 1/2 cup hot mixture into egg yolks. Gradually stir yolk mixture into hot mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to gently boil. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons butter. Pour over cooled baked crust. Cool at room temperature 15 minutes; refrigerate at least 3 hours until set.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle fresh berries on top. Serve with whipped cream. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
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