https://www.grandmashungry.com/blog daily 0.75 2020-06-08 https://www.grandmashungry.com/who daily 0.75 2020-07-08 https://www.grandmashungry.com/food daily 1.0 2025-08-19 https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/chickenokragumbo monthly 0.5 2021-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1602997215073-7QF4346OLP58DVUUFJ5T/IMG_0979.jpg F O O D - CHICKEN OKRA GUMBO - CHICKEN OKRA GUMBO Here’s another two parter. When Okra season rolls around i like to buy it a couple pounds at a time and have a batch cooked in the fridge for snacking. if i were smart, I’d buy twice as much and freeze batches ahead of time so I could whip this up any time. if you can’t find fresh you can always buy it frozen and sliced. no big deal and half the work. the point is - I like to have the okra already done. Okra 1 lb okra sliced 2 garlic cloves finely sliced 1/2 yellow onion diced 6-8 cherry tomatoes in a pan over medium heat add a glug of olive oil and sauté onions and garlic until translucent. add okra and be prepared to stir for like 40 minutes. if you aren’t constantly stirring all the slime is going to start burning to the bottom of your pan - it likely will any ways depending on your pan. when this happens add a little splash of water and it will come right off. as the slime dissipates and the okra is a sort of golden olive color add the tomatoes and keep stirring. the tomatoes will burst + everything will be incorporated - smelling roasty + caramelized. For the Roux 2 Tbsp AP Flour 2 tbsp oil (my family always used Canola, but i’ve made it with Grapeseed and Olive Oil - i, personally use Olive, b/c it feels cleaner) 2 tsp Gumbo Filé This is the hardest part as it is the foundation of the entire gumbo. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/hatchgreenchilewhitebeansoup monthly 0.5 2021-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1639073188178-RMAPCWBVKTUP9CGHMMZ2/IMG_BF630B92338D-1.jpeg F O O D - HATCH GREEN CHILE WHITE BEAN SOUP - HATCH GREEN CHILE + WHITE BEAN SOUP serves 4 2 tbsp butter or a healthy glug of olive oil 1/2 yellow onion chopped 4 garlic cloves sliced 4-5 oz white wine (Nomadica in the can!) 8-10 oz veg or chicken stock or broth 1 tbsp white miso paste Chile powder to taste (i use super hot dried green hatch, but, cayenne or anything spicy will do) 4 oz water 2 cans of white beans drained (cannellini, great northern, or navy - i prefer cannellini) 1 4oz can of diced hatch green chiles 3 pinches of dried oregano in a pot over medium heat add either your butter or olive oil and chopped onions and sauté until barely translucent. add garlic and stir until aromatic. crack a can of Nomadica white or sparkling and add half to the pot allowing to reduce. drink the remaining wine. after simmering for about 2 minutes add your veg or chicken stock and miso paste making sure to incorporate the paste so it becomes one with the liquid. stir in the drained beans, chile powder, + oregano. reduce to medium-low heat and allow the flavors to meld for about 20 minutes without a lid, stirring occassionally. one trick to making this soup extra satisfying is to smash a few of the beans against the side of the pot while you’re stirring. not all of them, just a few. it gives it a richer creamy texture. the soup should have reduced by about a third at this point. add 4 oz water, lower heat, and cover for another 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. plate and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and whatever feels right - fresh herbs, avocado, green onion, sliced serrano or jalapeño, sour cream - whatever - it’s your soup. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/pennetteallavodka monthly 0.5 2021-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1639157888382-2TNE6UZ5XB4K66ARWHRR/IMG_D6ABD57C0695-1.jpeg F O O D - SAUSAGE PENNETTE ALLA VODKA - FENNEL SAUSAGE PENNETTE ALLA VODKA serves 4 1 pound pennette pasta or whatever suits your fancy 2 tbsp butter 1 yellow onion diced 3 garlic cloves sliced 3-4 oz white wine 6 oz vodka (1/2 for early on 1/2 for later) 2 tbsp flour or cornstarch whisked in by the tbsp 2/3 cup veg broth or stock 3 sweet Italian sausages cut out of their casing 1 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 large can crushed tomatoes 1 tbsp red pepper flakes 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (don’t buy grated!) salt to taste basil chiffonade for garnish over medium heat add butter to a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. sweat onions and garlic until aromatic and nearly translucent. add white wine, a pinch of salt, and allow to cook down for 5 minutes-ish. add veg stock and allow to reduce by about half. should take about 8-10 minutes. add 1/2 of the vodka (3 oz) and allow to cook off - should be about 2 minutes. add your can of crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. gradually whisk in the flour or cornstarch making sure there are no lumps. add red pepper flakes, nutmeg, + parmigiano reggiano making sure to incorporate well - you don’t want a hunk of cheese finding its way to the bottom and getting burned. finally, add your cream then allow to simmer for 10 minutes or so on medium low heat with the pot partially covered. using either an immersion blender or transferring the sauce to a blender you’re going to puree everything to a super smooth consistency. add last 3 oz vodka and cover sauce over lowest heat for 15-20. remove sausage from casing and pinch into small bite sized pieces and sear in a cast iron skillet making sure they get cooked through and have good crusty color. allow to drain on paper towel and reserve. boil pasta in well salted water and reserve a ladle of pasta water to add to sauce for plating. add sausage nugs to vodka sauce. add pasta and pasta water to sauce. mix well, plate and finish with basil and more freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/redbeansnrice monthly 0.5 2021-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1639613581775-5YFB3IBV8LS38NREYIJ0/IMG_8064.jpg F O O D - RED BEANS + RICE - RED BEANS + RICE serves 4 2 cans of red kidney beans drained 1 lb of andouille sausage or any other type of smoked sausage chopped into 1/2 inch quarters 1 yellow onion diced 1 stalk of celery chopped 1 green bell pepper diced 3 garlic cloves sliced 3-4 oz white wine 1 cup water 2 cups chicken stock 1-2 tbsp Cayenne pepper powder (to taste) 1 bay leaf salt to taste green onion, fresh hot peppers, parsley (for garnish) 1 cup of rice in a heavy bottom pan or dutch oven add chopped sausage and brown over high heat. reduce heart to medium high - add onion, bell pepper, and celery and sweat until aromatic and nearly translucent. add garlic, a pinch of salt, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf stir for another 2 minutes. add white wine and deglaze pan for 5 minutes scraping off all the sausage browny bits while the booze cooks out of the wine. add chicken stock and beans - bring to a simmer for 10 minutes or so occasionally stirring. crush some of the beans on the side of the pot to give the dish a richer texture. if you’ve followed any of my previous recipes you’ll know what this is all about. i do it almost every time. add water, cover 90%, reduce heat to low. allow to cook down for 20-30 minutes, checking in and stirring occasionally. taste and salt accordingly. cook some rice - i like cooking 1 cup of rice with 1 cup water and 1 cup of chicken stock and a pat of butter. cooking rice sucks. plate your beans in a bowl with a scoop of rice in the center. garnish with fresh cut hot peppers (Serranos, cayenne, etc.), sliced green onion and some parsley. Pooya! https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/octopuspersimmonsalad monthly 0.5 2021-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1639614495003-BLRSPMG2XJS6DZN1IZG2/IMG_8065.jpg F O O D - OCTOPUS CUCUMBER PERSIMMON SALAD - OCTOPUS, CUCUMBER, + PERSIMMON SALAD serves 2 2 tins of cooked octopus in olive oil (I like the spiced octopus from Jose Gourmet) 2 fuyu persimmons peeled and cut into small pieces (make sure they are just barely soft to the touch, too firm and they’ll be crisp like apples and not really sweet enough, too ripe and they’ll be like gobs of jam in the bowl, but either way they’re delicious so do whatever you want.) 3 Persian cucumbers diced into quarters and salted (prep them first, toss them in salt in a bowl, and when you’re ready to assemble everything drain off any liquid that has been pulled out) 1 serrano pepper finely chopped 2 tbsp furikake (you can find this in almost any specialty store now, but if not just finish with some white and black sesame seeds, some torn up nori, and salt) chunk sea salt to taste drizzle of olive oil to finish for dressing 3 tbsp ponzu 1 tbsp mirin 1 squeeze of a half of lemon 1 tsp honey WHISK TOGETHER! start with your cucumbers, salt, toss, and set aside while you do the rest of this (per my last email!) whisk your dressing together. drain the olive oil from the tinned octopus. toss the octopus and cucumbers in the dressing. toss the pieces of persimmon around the bowl (if you had tossed them they might have gotten a little banged up and turned to mush!) finish with Serranos, furikake, a drizzle of olive oil, and chunky sea salt https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/clamsfennelserrano monthly 0.5 2022-02-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1644199287516-SROXHLXYKR42995I6Z90/IMG_9262.jpg F O O D - CLAMS, FENNEL, + WHITE WINE SERRANO BUTTER - CLAMS, FENNEL, + WHITE WINE SERRANO BUTTER serves 2 3 lbs littleneck clams scrubbed and purged glug of olive oil 1 fennel bulb trimmed and sliced into ribs (reserve fronds for garnish) 1 shallot sliced 4-6 cloves of garlic crushed and sliced 2 cans of Nomadica white (or a cup of whatever white wine) 2/3 cup water 2 serrano peppers sliced thinly 4 tbsp butter (chill, it’s just butter) handful of finely chopped parsley sliced toasted baguette first thing’s first. gotta clean those clams - give the shells a little scrub to clean them of any grit or or other sea bits. discard any that are cracked or open. submerge clams in a bowl of cool water for about 20 minutes. they’ll spit out any sand or whatever else they may be smuggling in their shells. in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat. sear the fennel until it becomes slightly translucent and picks up a little color. add the sliced shallot and garlic making sure that the garlic doesn’t burn, but becomes aromatic. add one of the sliced Serranos. crack both cans of Nomadica white wine and add 1.5 to the pot. chug the remaining half can, feel good about yourself. add the water and bring the mixture to a simmer for about 5 minutes. add the butter and allow to melt. add the clams to the pot and cover for about 8-10 minutes or until the clams have all fully opened. serve in a large bowl with loads of broth. garnish with the remaining sliced serrano pepper, fennel fronds, and chopped parsley. slather a long slice of baguette in olive oil and grill either directly under the broiler in the oven or right on the gas burner of your stove. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/sichuasteakaupoivre monthly 0.5 2023-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/ec4980fc-2831-4ef5-8984-61b2564afd92/IMG_6A232C85B0CC-1.jpeg F O O D - SICHUAN STEAK AU POIVRE - SICHUAN STEAK AU POIVRE serves 2 2 ~8oz hanger or bavette steaks 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 cloves garlic smashed 5 sprigs thyme Kosher salt ground black pepper For the Au Poivre sauce: 1 Tbsp black peppercorns ground 2 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorn ground 2 cloves garlic sliced thinly 1 shallot finely diced 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 1/3 cup of cognac or brandy 1/3 cup of heavy cream pat those steaks dry and season them generously with salt and pepper - extra pepper. get a cast iron ripping hot and add a glug of vegetable oil. drop your steak and get a good sear - should take 2-3 minutes. flip and sear the other side. lower the heat to medium and add your aromatics - the crushed garlic, thyme, and a healthy scoop of butter to the bottom/close side of the pan. angle the pan and using a big spoon baste the steak with the butter garlic thyme. it should be sizzling as you toss the butter over the steak. make sure not to over cook. all in this should take about 8 minutes. pull the steak and set aside to rest. now it’s au poivre time. in the same pan throw in the 2 tbsp butter. there should be crunchy steak bits that are packed with flavor. sautée the shallots and garlic until translucent. add your peppercorns. then just before the garlic and shallots are overcooked hit with the brandy and scrape everything together and cook off the booze from the brandy. you’ll be able to smell the alcohol cooking off as it comes to a simmer. add the cream and lower the heat. continue to stir as the sauce thickens until it coats the back of your spoon. at this point the steak should be properly rested. slice across the grain and spoon the au poivre across the steak. you’ll want the meat to be sitting in a pool of that delicious sauce. so don’t skimp. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/halloumipeascarrots monthly 0.5 2023-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/747d52bd-bd6d-46fa-819c-daf0b2b2eb03/IMG_4966.jpg F O O D - HALLOUMI + PEAS + CARROTS - HALLOUMI + PEAS + CARROTS serves 2-4 1 block of halloumi cheese sliced into 1/4 inch slices - 3 slices per serving 3 carrots sliced diagonally 1 lb snap peas sliced into even pieces - 1/3s or 1/2s 1 shallot sliced thinly and rinsed (then let sit in red wine vinegar while prepping everything else - it's a quick pickle) a couple pinches of za'atar and torn dill for garnish For the vinaigrette: 1 Tbsp honey 1 lemon juiced 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar 1 Tbsp good olive oil salt whisk together and set aside First thing - thinly slice your shallot, rinse under cold water. and cover in a bowl with red wine vinegar. This will make you a little quick pickle while you do everything else. The left overs you can store away for another day. Make the vinaigrette above and set aside. Heat a stainless steel pan over high heat and add a glug of olive oil. Add the sliced peas and carrots and sear for 2-3 minutes tossing - you don't want the veggies to get too soft - just get a little color and retain their crunch - set aside. Add your slices of halloumi to the still hot pan and sear on both sides until they are crispy golden brown and a little bit melty. Plate these immediately. Add your peas and carrots to the plate and spoon over the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with za'atar and garnish with some of your pickled shallot, torn dill, and a pinch of sea salt. Serve immediately, with a healthy glass of Lorenza Rosé - a match that goes together like - well - you know. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/albacorcrudo monthly 0.5 2023-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/3b73c762-f91d-4b4f-9aa2-027eb96ac147/IMG_DD1EC813335A-1.jpeg F O O D - ALBACORE CRUDO - ALBACORE CRUDO serves 2-4 1/2 Lb raw sashimi grade albacore healthy drizzle of good olive oil small drizzle of Calabrian chili oil squeeze of lemon juice zest of lemon pinch of za’atar pinch of coarse flaky sea salt micro greens - you can find sunflower or radish sprouts in most asian markets - but if you can get your hands on micro cilantro sprouts get those the hardest part here is feeling comfortable with the fish market. these days it’s not too difficult to find sashimi grade fish and you can sub any tuna or hamachi here. once you trust the quality of the fish you’re working with you’re literally just going to slice it up and dress it. just make sure your knife is sharp and you’re slicing thinly - the trick here is to pull the knife slowly and in one long stroke towards you. if you start sawing through the fish you’re going to get ragged looking slices. which isn’t a problem, but it’s not going to look as sexy. make sure you put the plates you’re going to serve on in the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to serving. it will help keep everything feeling light and cool. drizzle the olive oil all over the sliced and plated fish. drizzle a small amount of Calabrian chili oil. add a squeeze of lemon. using a microplane grate some fresh lemon zest over the top. ad a pinch of za’atar, chunky sea salt, and finish with your greens. all done in like 5 minutes and you will impress the pants off of your friends. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/crunchycabbagesalad monthly 0.5 2023-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/d6548b96-b38e-429c-a852-ceff154d9109/IMG_4965.jpg F O O D - CRUNCHY HERBY CABBAGE SALAD W/ TINNED FISH - CRUNCHY HERBY CABBAGE SALAD W/ TINNED FISH serves 2-4 Crunchy Herbaceous Cabbage Salad w/ tinned fish (serves 2) 1/2 head of cabbage thinly sliced 1 Tbsp Cumin seeds ground 1 Tbsp Coriander seeds ground 1 tsp Fennel seeds ground 1 Tbsp dried Oregano 2 tsp salt 1 Serrano pepper diced 1 avocado cubed 1-2 Tbsp Feta cheese 1 -2 Persian cucumbers sliced into quarters 1-2 thinly sliced radishes a few pickled shallots or onion (just rinse the sliced onion or shallot in water and then soak in red wine vinegar, salt, and sherry vinegar for like 10 minutes. slice enough to have leftovers and then you have them on hand.) a hand full of cilantro a hand full of dill a good tin of fish (I used Tuna belly here, but whatever suits your fancy) a few pinches of nigella seeds (if you don't have nigella feel free to use black sesame) extra torn till and cilantro for garnish sea salt For the Dressing: 1/3 cup of Lorenza piquepoul 1 Tbsp lime juice 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp good Olive Oil whisk together in a large mixing bowl Make your dressing first. Grind the coriander, cumin, and fennel in a mortal and pestle. Add shredded cabbage, cucumber, and radishes to the bowl wth your dressing but don't mix yet. Sprinkle one tsp of salt over the cabbage, cukes, and radish. Add ground spices, herbs, serranos and toss. Add avocado and feta and gentle toss one more time - (we do a couple tosses b/c you don't want the Feta and the Avocado to get too banged up here) Plate the salad and top with the tinned fish of your choice. Garnish with pickled shallots, remaining cilanto and dill then finish with sprinkling of nigella seeds or black sesame. If you like a little more heat add some more serranos as well. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/octopuswhitebeanfeta monthly 0.5 2025-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/10347d9f-8585-462d-9678-6efed4424e5d/IMG_85C9A6325A1A-1.jpeg F O O D - OCTOPUS, WHITE BEAN, WHIPPED FETA + ZHOUG - OCTOPUS, WHITE BEANS, WHIPPED FETA, + ZHOUG serves 4 FOR THE WHITE BEANS: 1 can cannellini or great northern 1 shallot diced 2 cloves of garlic sliced 1 stalk of celery diced 1 carrot finely diced 1 tbsp dried oregano 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 3-4 radishes sliced into matchsticks 4-6 sprigs thyme (tied together w/ twine, make life easier) 1 cup chicken or veg stock Glug of white wine Olive oil Add a glug of good olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and sweat shallot, garlic, celery, and carrrot until aromatic and translucent. Add a pinch of salt, stir, and add a glug of wine - 2ish ounces. Allow the alcohol to cook off - maybe 2-3 minutes. Add chicken or veg stock, oregano, thyme and bring to a simmer. Stir in the white beans - mash maybe a quarter on the inside of the pot to thicken everything because you’re going to be eating this cold or room temp. Add sherry vin Allow to reduce to desired thickness - remember - as this cools it will thicken even more - so you don’t want it too thick (think cold refried beans - ugh) Remove thyme bundle, taste, salt, taste, adjust. Remove from heat, add another glug of good olive oil, stir, and allow to cool. I make double batches of this b/c i like having it on hand as a snack. FOR THE WHIPPED FETA: 1/2 cup feta 1/4 cup tahini (fully blended tahini with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and garlic) Pinch of dried oregano Couple cracks of black pepper Blend together with a hand blender if you want it super smooth or it you want it chunky do it by hand with a fork - up to you. FOR THE ZHOUG: This is my rough recipe that i make 1 bunch of cilantro stems and all 1 serrano pepper, top removed (i love spice and if I’m only making this for myself I’ll add a couple thai chilies b/c i love the flavor and heat - up to you) Tsp coriander seeds Tsp cumin seeds Pinch dried oregano Pinch of chili flakes 2 cloves garlic Start with 1 tsp salt but taste and adjust 1/2 cup of olive oil Blend in a food processor until mostly smooth. this is supposed to be spicy! Zhoug is usually better after a day or two, b/c it can taste a bit bitter or too spicy out of the gate, but i don’t mind eating it right away. OCTOPUS: 4-6 arms pre cooked octopus Olive oil Salt I like cooking this on the grill - charcoal, ideally. However, if you get a pan super hot you’ll get the char you really want. Slather the arms in olive oil and sear until there is a little char and crispy bits. Plate: Whipped feta on bottom. White beans. Octopus. Zhoug. Garnish with torn fresh mint, oregano, or both. Drizzle with olive oil a pinch of chunky sea salt. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/sweetcornsweetsausage monthly 0.5 2025-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/db394a26-b5eb-47aa-bb18-48217b4876b7/Sausage+Corn F O O D - SWEET CORN, SWEET SAUSAGE, + PEPPERS IN MISO MAPLE BUTTER - SWEET CORN, SWEET SAUSAGE, + PEPPERS IN MISO MAPLE BUTTER serves 4 SWEET CORN + SAUSAGE 4 ears of corn kernels cut from the cob 1/2 lb sweet sausage out of the casing rolled into pinball sized balls 1 clove garlic sliced 4-6 small sweet peppers sliced 16 cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup white wine Basil leaves (some chiffonade some smaller leaves left whole for garnish) Pinch of cayenne pepper Salt + pepper to taste MISO MAPLE BUTTER: i eyeball this but its 3:1:1 butter to white miso paste to maple syrup so: 3 tbls unsalted butter 1 tbls miso paste 1 tbls maple syrup Mash this together with a fork until well incorporated Start off by browning the sweet Italian sausage balls and set aside. Sautéed peppers and cherry tomatoes in the rendered sausage fat with a glug of extra olive oil until the tomatoes start to blister and the peppers have color. Add corn, cayenne, salt, sliced garlic, and sautee for 5-8 minutes. Add a glug of white wine and sautee for 2 minutes to let the alcohol cook off. Add the miso maple butter to taste but start off with half - you can always add more to taste. Sautee until everything starts to pick up some color. Add the sausage back in with the chiffonade basil. Toss and taste adding more miso maple to taste. Plate, add a crack of black pepper, and garnish with small basil leaves. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/cocklesingreenbroth monthly 0.5 2025-08-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/bc4dff26-3102-45db-b738-4ecf845a6abe/BECFBE0B-CF13-485B-B8B3-A5367FB388F3.jpg F O O D - COCKLES IN GREEN BROTH - COCKLES IN HERBY GREEN BROTH serves 4 3 lbs cockles or clams scrubbed, cleaned, and purged 1 shallot sliced 3 cloves garlic sliced 4 tbsp butter 1 cup white wine 1/3 cup water Good toasted crusty bread brushed with olive oil GREEN SAUCE 1 fistful dill 1 fistful parsley 1 fistful cilantro 1 green onion 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp coriander seed 1 tsp fennel seed 1 tbsp sherry vinegar A healthy of olive oil 4-6 ice cubes (this helps keep everything green and adds liquid) 2 pinches salt 1 serrano pepper Puree in a food processor until smooth and set aside clean the cockles - give the shells a good scrub and discard any that are cracked or open. submerge clams in a bowl of cool water for about 20 minutes. they’ll spit out any sand or whatever else they may be hiding. in a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat. add the sliced shallot and garlic making sure that the garlic doesn’t burn and becomes aromatic. add the white wine, water, and butter bringing to a simmer for about 2 minutes. Add your green sauce and give it a stir before quickly adding the cockles. Cover for about 5 minutes or until the clams have all fully opened. While the cockles are steaming slather some good crusty bread with olive oil and toast. Serve in a large bowl with lots of broth. Finish with the toast to soak up all the juices. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/carrocampanelle monthly 0.5 2025-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/fe9d0467-a1d7-4ee5-be8a-cf755fa07315/IMG_4504.jpg F O O D - CARROT CAMPANELLE + ZA’ATAR - CARROT CAMPANELLE + ZA’ATAR serves 4 1 Lb Campanelle pasta 1 hunk of Pecorino Romano 3 tbsp za’atar Chives Rosi’s hot oil (go to their website and order some now! In our house we put it on next to everything) CARROT SAUCE 6 carrots sliced at an angle about 1/2 inch thick 1 shallot diced 3 cloves of garlic sliced 2 tbsp butter A couple glugs of olive oil Salt to taste 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/3 cup veg broth 4-6 ice cubes Add butter and a glug of olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot. Add shallot, garlic, half of the carrots, spices, and a pinch of salt and sautee for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the veg stock and simmer for another 3-5 minutes to reduce. You want the shallot and garlic to sweat and become aromatic, but not burn while the carrots should soften a bit but still have a bit of snap. Add to a blender with the remaining uncooked carrots, ice, around 1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano, and another glug of olive oil - puree until smooth, taste and season with salt to taste reminding yourself that you’re going to add more salt when you grate more Pecorino all over this. Set aside to cool at room temperature. Getting a pot of salted water boiling should have been the first step here, because you need to cook your pasta. But I like to make the sauce ahead and fire the pasta when I’m really ready. Boil the campanelle according to the instructions - probably around 8 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before straining pasta. In the same heavy bottomed pot from earlier warm your sauce, add the pasta, three to four healthy pinches of za’atar, and grate another bit of pecorino. Taste. Taste. Taste. Plate, hit with another healthy pinch of za’atar, drizzle with Rosi’s hot oil, grate more pecorino on top, and garnish with finely copped chives and a few cracks of black pepper. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/gravlax monthly 0.5 2020-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1593271362764-UNAHW0EKISKR1AREMDD2/CUREDTROUT.jpg F O O D - GRAVLAX - GRAVLAX serves 4-6 2 lbs high quality Salmon, Ocean Trout, or Arctic Char - skin on 4 ounces of aquavit or dry gin 2/3 cups of sugar 2/3 cups of salt zest of half of a lemon 1 tbsp of fennel seeds ground (use a mortar and pestle) 1 tbsp pink peppercorns ground (not necessary, but they look great and give it some pop) 1/2 cup of dill chopped first thing’s first. make sure you’re working with good quality fish - saying things like ‘sashimi grade’ or even just being frank with your fish person and letting them know you’re planning to cure the fish is the best way to go. When you start having conversations like this you’ll start to build a relationship you’ll wish you had years ago. feel along the filet and make sure there aren’t any pin bones. If there are - pull them out with fish tweezers. in a sheet pan, evenly drizzle the booze over the flesh of the fish. let it sit for a few minutes. spoon the booze back over the fish - especially if you have aquavit or gin. let it roll around in it. with a mortar and pestle grind up the fennel seeds and mix evenly with the salt and sugar. cover the fish in the chopped dill. then cover that with a layer of lemon zest. then cover THAT with your salt/sugar/fennel seed mixture wrap the whole thing up tightly in plastic wrap - and with a knife - poke holes in the skin side of the fish and place on a rack inside of a baking sheet. you want the moisture to be able to drip out of your little fish package. weight the fish down with something like a heavy cast iron or a few cans of beans or whatever. pop that baby in the fridge for at least 18 hours. depending on what you’re going for and how thick your filet is you can leave it in up to 4 days. however, i personally prefer it a little on the more rare side, so 24 hours is my limit. whenever you think you’re ready to pull the fish! you will find some liquid in the base of your tray. unwrap your fish and wash the cure mixture off under the tap and pat dry. at this point I like to remove the skin - take a knife to the tapered (tail end) of the fish right at the skin and then just cut your way thorough it’s easy to hang onto the skin once you get through the first inch. to serve, i recommend investing in a carving knife. they’re cheap and make the job so much easier. you’ll want to pull the blade deliberately towards yourself and at an angle making sure to SLICE IT THIN! serve with creme fraiche, capers, dill, shallots, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, on/with rye toast or pumpernickel, crackers - really whatever suits your fancy, but keep it bright and fresh let it compliment your fish. go fuckin nuts. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/straciatella monthly 0.5 2020-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591578522144-B83RLAX33BQ71JO7IOCJ/2AFA5238-AE54-4E87-94C3-BB5FB0EECD52.JPG F O O D - STRACCIATELLA - MUSHROOM STRACCIATELLA 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 2 cloves of garlic sliced thinly 1/2 yellow onion chopped 10-12 cremini mushrooms sliced - a small basket from the store healthy pinch of dried oregano 1/4 cup white wine, always 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano in a dutch oven, over medium-high heat add olive oil, onion, + garlic until translucent. add mushrooms + dried oregano + cook for 2 more minutes. deglaze with white wine and reduce by half, stirring mushrooms all the while, making sure they soak up as much flavor as possible. raise heat to high and cover the mix with veg or chicken stock. bring to a simmer and then lower heat to 30% - allow to simmer for about 30-40 minutes covered. but taste it as you go. when you’ve tasted it and you’re happy with the broth… in a mixing bowl beat 2 eggs and add 1/2 cup of parmigiano reggiano. whip together until well incorporated. stir your broth and slowly pour your egg + cheese mixture to the broth while stirring. you will have immediate egg curds and i recommend serving immediately. finish with chopped parsley, a drizzle or olive oil, and a grid of black pepper. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/coldcornsoup monthly 0.5 2025-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1597214770791-7QY5Q7135QBJQYHPMASP/IMG_9324.jpg F O O D - COLD CORN SOUP + SHRIMP - COLD CORN SOUP + SHRIMP 4 ears of corn, kernels removed from the cob 1/2 yellow onion roughly chopped and lightly sautéed until translucent 2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped - sauté with onion 3 thai chilis, tops removed 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp turmeric (fresh is ideal, but powder will do, too) 1 tsp fresh grated ginger teensy tiny pinch of cardamom 2 cups veg stock THROW THIS ALL IN A BLENDER UNTIL IT IS SMOOTH AS HELL. POUR INTO A NON REACTIVE CONTAINER AND PUT IN THE FRIDGE UNTIL IT IS COLD. FOR THE SHRIMP 8-10 wild caught shrimp deveined, shelled, + cut into the thumbnail size pieces (I keep a big bag of frozen dudes in the freezer at all times - huge hack) 1 tsp cayenne pepper pinch of salt + pepper if you ever made the lacto-watermelon juice - this is perfect - otherwise, apple cider vinegar totally works instead and is still super delicious - just slightly less funky summer. 1 tbsp either way (lacto watermelon or ACV) Set out the cold soup so it can not be ice cold and more like ‘slightly chilled’ heat a skillet with a glug of olive oil. in the mean time toss your shrimpy bits in another glug of olive oil, the cayenne, vinegar, salt + pepper when the oil just starts to smoke, drop the shrimp, and keep moving for about 3 minutes until done. plate your soup, finish with your shrimp, garnish with fresh herbs (I love oregano), a serious drizzle of bright olive oil, and chunky sea salt https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/smoked-trout-in-the-morning monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591577600186-N56YTCE4IXRI0X1CUKM9/90856DD3-2B4E-4E50-B99C-15F46891D5E8.JPG F O O D - SMOKED TROUT TOAST - SMOKED TROUT TOAST 3-4 oz smoked trout slice of good dark seedy bread - i’m a sucker for Danish seeded rye when I can find it but it’s a hot commodity - anything dark, dense, + or seedy will fit the bill 1 tbsp creme fraîche or sour cream 1 tsp fresh horseradish - jarred works too 6-8 ish capers - your call sliced or minced shallot fresh dill salt + pepper fresh squeezed lemon TOAST THAT BREAD! in the meantime, whip together the creme fraîche and horseradish with a squeeze of lemon juice. smear on the toast. place smoked fish on top of the cream + dress with the following: dot with capers shallot bits torn dill fresh ground pepper feel free to also add things like: baby tomato slices cucumber slices caper berries anything bright and fresh that you love - this is supposed to be easy and a good way to move through anything that you have laying around - sometimes, I will sear whatever is fresh and lay that under the fish. make it yours! https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/not-alison-romans-dip monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591578031505-HZOBGLS6P5TN7DAIZGK9/CE67D8AB-04ED-46ED-9BB8-60B33C6C780A.JPG F O O D - A DIP - NOT? ALISON ROMAN’S DIP 1 1/4 cups of labne 3/4 cup of tahini 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp flax 1 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp cayenne pepper pinch of salt pepper in a dry pan toast fennel, flax, + sesame seeds until fragrant. add smoked paprika and cayenne, turn off heat and and toss to incorporate. add a healthy glug of olive oil and stir until cool. using a large spoon mix together tahini and labne and plate in a bowl. pour seed spice olive oil mixture over the top. drizzle another healthy bit of olive oil over the top and grind a bit of fresh pepper, a pinch or two of salt, and some fresh herbs - dill or oregano are my favorites. then use either fresh tortillas, chips, or pita - whatever you live to get in there. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/uni-spaghetti monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591578797129-PAJQ7FE1SMINCAUSNM11/6C047601-83F5-4ACC-B0A9-99DFD3279F3B.JPG F O O D - UNI SPAGHETTI - UNI SPAGHETTI 1 tray of uni - is this a standard measurement - obviously, the fresher the better - even though most of the tongues are going to get turned into a sauce, you’ll want them to have bright orange color + good structure/texture - it’s a sign of great quality + that’s the whole point of this dish. simplicity. quality. 1 clove of garlic, very finely minced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 small pinch of something of serious spice - Thai chili powder is the best, but Cayenne also totally works like a charm get a pot of water boiling and season with salt. it shouldn’t be salty like seawater - more like a tablespoon or so. boil your pasta for about 6-8 minutes while you do the following. in a pan glug about a tbsp of olive oil and sauté the garlic over mid level heat making sure not to burn. reduce the heat and throw 6-8 tongues of uni into the pan and stir quickly - more like whisking. you want to break the uni apart while emulsifying with the olive oil and garlic. hit with a pinch of your chili and turn the heat all the way down. it should be an orange saucy guy flecked with pepper. by this point, your pasta should be just about done. remove a spoonful or so of pasta water from the pot and add to your uni sauce and incorporate. drain the pasta + add it to the uni sauce mixture and toss for no more than a minute. plate, and finish with a couple more tongues of fresh uni, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a couple small pieces of basil if you have it - however, totally not necessary. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/chicken-larb monthly 0.5 2020-07-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591707902910-FUKWWFB7Q73UMQUGVHUB/chixlarbbereche.jpg F O O D - CHICKEN LARB - CHICKEN LARB serves 4-6 for the marinade + dressing: 1/3 cup good quality maple syrup (i know. it’s not authentic at all, but we’re just looking for a sweetening agent here - you can use palm sugar or coconut sugar if you want to get on your high horse. I like using maple b/c it gives a bit more depth, i know what i’m getting quality-wise, + it’s easy to whisk in and incorporate.) 1/2 cup fish sauce 1 thumb size nob of ginger grated 2 good cloves of garlic grated 1 handful of finely sliced cilantro stems 2 birds eye chilis or Serranos thinly sliced 2 glugs of olive oil 2 limes juiced - just squeeze ‘em! 1 shallot minced pinch of salt + 2 grinds of pepper healthy slosh of whatever white wine you’re drinking right now - as long as it’s dry - about 1/4 cup save a 1/4 cup of this marinade for the salad dressing the rest of it 2 skinless chicken breasts minced into roughly 1/4 inch pieces 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs minced into 1/4 inch pieces cabbage is the springboard here and anything else goes - the beauty of this is not only how delicious it is, but it’s a great way to use all kinds of bright seasonal ingredients, + it’s a great way to empty out your fridge. just keep it fresh, herbaceous, + crunchy. here’s one rule though: the crunchiest of crunchy stuff needs to marinate in the dressing for a second to balance out - especially things like fennel. here’s a few things that i like: baby bok choy - slice the bottoms like celery ribs, leave larger leaves more intact carrots thinly sliced lengthwise all the herbs like basil + cilantro + shiso + oregano + chives radishes cut into matchsticks but you can also use things like celery curls arugula turnips it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s crunchy and delicious however, this is definitely not the arena for limp doodle leafy greens. this is the realm of the super crunchy that can handle a heavy amount of dressing. okay. so reserve a little bit of the marinade for your salad dressing - about a 1/4 cup max. dump the rest on the chicken bits, toss well - coating all the bits, + let marinate for at least 40 minutes. set your cast iron skillet up to be non stick - give it a glug of olive oil and get it ripping hot until the oil is lightly smoking - wipe the oil out with a paper towel and slightly lower the heat - 75% give the skillet a fresh glug of olive oil, a pinch of salt, crank the heat to 100%, + add the minced chicken. hopefully, you’ll get some good color on your first sear - if not, don’t sweat it. let the chicken sit on that heat for at least 6 minutes before stirring. then lower the heat to 60%. toss your greens - cabbage first - in the remaining marinade. plate the chicken and the salad together in a bowl side by side and finish with a drizzle of bright green olive oil, crunchy sea salt, + a few cracks of pepper. i strongly recommend enjoying this with highly acidic or mineral-driven white wine like Riesling or Fiano. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/hot-tangy-carrots monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591577127392-YH8WSDY8VDT2OEOL0XK7/5D201731-6053-4AEC-9FA9-DDE8EDA91784.JPG F O O D - HOT + TANGY CARROTS - HOT + TANGY CARROTS serves 4-6 1.5 - 2 lbs young carrots sliced halved 3 tbls labne/skyr or greek yogurt - as long as it’s got tang 1 thinly serrano or other hot pepper 2 tbls lime pickle - you can find this at any South Asian market 2 pinches of Korean chili flakes fresh dill to taste chunky sea salt to finish slice the carrots lengthwise, don’t bother peeling. on a screaming hot grill, or under a broiler, give the carrots a good char - keep an eye on them, but don’t fuss over them. let the heat do its job - you neither want them to just get sweaty or burn up. smear the yogurt all over the plate then spoon small dabs of lime pickle on the yogurt. sprinkle a couple pinches of Korean chili flake all over. plate the carrots. sprinkle with dill, thinly sliced Serrano, + sea salt. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/ott-rye-chix-schnitzel monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591579014966-IIG5U4SP50YFNUC2EMDG/516CA346-ED07-4859-ABF2-DB482608FB7A.JPG F O O D - RYE CHICKEN SCHNITZEL + PORCINI - RYE CHICKEN SCHNITZEL 2 chicken breasts 2 cups bread crumbs - panko is probably ideal althooooogh - (i’m a sucker for rye, so i throw some sad, old rye bread or Swedish rye crackers in the food processor, but do whatever you like - you just need crumbs!) 2 eggs beaten 1/2 cup cornstarch or flour - I prefer cornstarch only because it tends to get crispier, but it really doesn’t matter - whatever you got 1 tbsp salt 2 fistfuls of cabbage 1-2 radishes mushrooms optional 1 lemon small bunch of mint small bunch of dill so you get your 3 dreaded bowls. the first has either flour or cornstarch and a tsp of salt. bowl two has your beaten eggs. bowl three holds your breadcrumb of choice. then you’ll want to fill a shallow pan (preferably cast iron) with a good neutral cooking oil - canola, sunflower, peanut, rapeseed - any of these work. give the skillet about 1/4 inch of oil. it feels healthy, but we’re doing some serious pan frying here so it’s okay. with your fry station now complete it is time to pound some chicken. wrap the breasts in plastic wrap and using a meat tenderizer or a heavy pan - i have yet to buy a meat pounder. i either use my hands (see: fist) or a heavy pan - pound to about 1/4 inch thickness. the plastic wrap is so the chicken bits don’t fly about your kitchen. back to your fry station. you’ll coat the pounded breast in the cornstarch/flour + salt mixture, shake, dip in the egg wash, shake, and then hit the breadcrumb bowl, making sure to get good full coating. Then, with the oil hot in the pan, you’ll want to lay the chicken down gently in the frier - i recommend using a fork and laying the thin side of the breast in the frier, and then lowering the thicker side in away from you - so to reduce splatter and potential grease burns. let fry about 6-8 minutes on each side. making sure that everything is crispy, browned, + cooked through. Meanwhile - you’re going to want to do at least one of two things. if you have mushrooms, great - we will get there. if not, that’s totally okay too. most importantly, you’re going to make salad-like thing. so shred some cabbage, chop some radish into matchsticks, toss with some torn mint, dill, lemon juice, + olive oil. then you’re good to go. if you want to complicate things, I DARE YOU TO FOLLOW ME DOWN THE MUSHROOM + LEMON SAUCE HOLE! THE MUSHROOM + LEMON SAUCE HOLE: basically, mushroom-wise, you’re going to want to find something either basic and workable like cremini, or funky and rare as hell like porcini. slice thinly, and add to a pan with a tbsp of olive oil + a pinch of salt. sauté until noisy, and then give the mushrooms a douse of white wine, the juice from a half of lemon, + a tsp of capers. reduce. in a bowl, make a slurry of one tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water. add this to the pan to thicken your sauce - reduce for a minute or so. ta-da! you’ve made a lemon mushroom sauce. meanwhile, your chicken should be just about done. plate that crispy chicken boi! top it with the salad + leave a piece of lemon wedge on the side. if you made a lemon mushroom sauce - good for you, sport. spoon that on top as well. rip up a bunch of dill and garnish the whole thing. you did it. you’ll never look back. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/shrimp-n-grits monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591629976778-NDAAFH5KF3YMOL6ZMCQH/Aro%2BHa_0010.jp F O O D - SHRIMP + GRITS - SHRIMP + GRITS serves 2 10-12 medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined glug of white wine 1 tbsp sweet paprika 1 tsp Cayenne pepper 1 tbsp butter pinch of salt 1/4 cup yellow onion diced 1 clove garlic sliced thinly For the grits: follow the instructions on the package. however, you’ll want to add a half a cup of cheddar, parmigiano reggiano, or if you’re luck enough to have some pimento cheese laying around - my god - use two or three tablespoons of that. plus a healthy knob of butter to taste Grits love cheese + butter. taste and season to your liking. set aside and cook your shrimp in a skillet bring butter to a sizzle add onion, garlic, paprika, cayenne, cook until onion is translucent. deglaze with white wine and reduce by half. add shrimp to high heat and cook for 3-5 minutes. plate on top of grits - garnish with green onion, parsley, crack or two of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/cataplana monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1591577780994-TQVAX5NXP7XRKN3B5CUL/IMG_6897.jpg F O O D - CATAPLANA - CATAPLANA serves two 3 lbs of manila or little neck clams 2 links of sweet Italian sausage removed from their casing thumb sized piece of dry Spanish style chorizo, diced very small 2 garlic cloves sliced thinly 1/4 yellow onion, diced 1/2 can whole, peeled tomatoes 1/2 cup ish white wine, always 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth healthy pinch of dried oregano (i’m allegiant to Sicilian Oregano for the punch but use what you have) submerge the clams in a bowl of cool water for at least 30 minutes - minding to change the water twice - once every 10 minutes, so the clams can purge themselves of grit. meanwhile in a medium dutch oven - heat a good glug of olive oil + a pinch of salt. add finely diced Spanish chorizo + diced onion - sauté until the color of the chorizo has stained the onion then add the garlic. sauté for 30 seconds then add two healthy glugs of white wine to deglaze. as the whole thing begins to reduce, take tablespoon sized pieces of sweet sausage and add to the mix. searing on all sides as the wine reduces. if the pan dries up - add a splash more of wine and toss in oregano, stirring all the while. add the tomatoes and broth. allow to meld for 5-10 minutes - stirring all the while. add all the clams to the pot and cover for 6-8 minutes. the shells should have all opened - discard any that haven't. spoon the mess into a bowl an garnish with fresh parsley + a drizzle of olive oil. if you have some bread - drizzle it in olive oil, toast it and soak up all that juice. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/pistachio-pesto monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1594167301661-5ZBQ4YJ9V75P0MLG6T4V/PistachioPesto.jpg F O O D - PISTACHIO PESTO - PISTACHIO PESTO 1 + 1/2 cups fresh basil 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic 1/2 cup toasted pistachios out of the shell 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley 1/2 cup bright green extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp salt 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 1 tsp lemon juice if you’re really trying to keep the color bright - boil a small pot of water. plunge the basil in the boiling water for 2 seconds then plunge into an ice and water bath to make the color stick. toast the pistachios in a non stick pan for like 5 minutes or so until they’re just starting to show some color and becoming fragrant. place in a food processor - add your garlic and lemon juice. pulse until somewhat mixed. add the cheese, basil, + parsley + pulse again - scrape the bits down the sides and continue to pulse until satisfactorily homogenized. drizzle in olive oil bit by bit while pulsing to emulsify the mixture. season with salt and continue to pulse until well incorporated. taste and tweak as necessary. USE LIBERALLY + MAKE OFTEN! https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/gazpachatouille monthly 0.5 2020-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1594999976056-KPH04XRCTOLHD7D0TDJZ/RATATOUILLE F O O D - GAZPACHO + RATATOUILLE - GAZPACHO + RATATOUILLE Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side skip down to the assembly section + boil the potatoes ahead of time and let them cool - you want them to be kind of al dente - so only boil for 10 minutes max. for the gazpacho/sauce: 4 medium sized heirloom tomatoes 1 small Persian cucumber 2 cloves of fresh garlic 1/2 medium size yellow onion 1/2 red bell pepper 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper 1/4 cup chopped parsley 3 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 lemon juiced 1/2 cup olive oil 3 pinches of salt throw all of this in the blender and drizzle the olive oil it at the end. leave the blender running for 8 minutes or so or until the whole thing is super silky smooth. BOOM you have a Gazpacho. Take anywhere from 3/4 to a cup for your sauce + put the rest in the fridge to chill and enjoy later with a drizzle of olive oil and some herbs. finishing the saucepacho: 6-8 cherry tomatoes 1 clove of garlic sliced 2 pinches of oregano 2 sprigs of thyme stripped pinch of salt glug of white wine glug of olive oil if you have a cast iron skillet that fits the bill, you can finish this whole recipe in one pan. if not - well more dishes for you. in your cast iron sauté garlic in olive oil until aromatic add herbs + salt. deglaze with white wine + add cherry tomatoes until the burst + wine reduces. the tomatoes might need a little encouragement so don’t be shy about getting in there and bashing them up a bit. add 2/3 finished sauce to your cast iron (unless you’re already cooking in it, good for you!) or baking dish. assembly: 1 zucchini thinly sliced 1 Japanese eggplant thinly sliced 2-3 medium potatoes boiled and sliced 1/2 shallot thinly sliced 1 tbsp dried oregano fresh oregano or basil to finish heat the over to 375 on top of 2/3 sauce shingle your veggies - eggplant, zucchini, tater, in a circular pattern around the dish. sprinkle with salt, cover with remaining sauce, drizzle with olive oil, herbs, shallot bits, + toss in the oven. let bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges of the veggies start to brown and curl. finish with fresh herbs + serve. https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/apricot-liqueur monthly 0.5 2020-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1595287786314-42OYFMNCDF47C44OOUWT/apricot+liqueur F O O D - APRICOT LIQUEUR - APRICOT LIQUEUR 1 gallon glass jar 3-4 lbs of apricots pitted and halved 10 apricot pits 1.75 liters overproof neutral grain spirit at least 100 proof - we’re talking jet fuel, y’all (this volume is ‘a handle’ - only to keep it easy - if you have to get 2 liter bottles or 2 750ml bottles of booze difference doesn’t really matter - it’s a minute shift of concentration) 2/3 cup Demerrara sugar 1 cup purified water in your big glass jar, add fruit, pits, + booze. let steep for at least 30 days in a cool dark area. after 30 days, the fruit should be desiccated and the liquid orange and murky. strain the liquid + discard the fruit or reserve it to make an insane boozy jam. in a sauce pan combine Demerara sugar and water to make a simple syrup. add to apricot booze and stir well. strain through a cone filter to get rid of the murky bits only for aesthetic - or don’t. re-bottle in tiny bottles to make friends, family, + acquaintances super happy. this recipe can be used with any stone fruit. there’s another version for apples… https://www.grandmashungry.com/food/lactowatermelon monthly 0.5 2020-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edd817f7896c5502f23f551/1595289756128-OJ4MRGTVSH72DHKCKTTX/lacto+watermelon+juice F O O D - LACTO - WATERMELON - JUICE - LACTO-FERMENTED WATERMELON JUICE 1 gallon glass jar 1 3-4 lb very ripe watermelon peeled and chopped 1 lime juiced 1.5 tbsp kosher salt 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar chop that bad boy up, add the lime juice, salt, + toss it all in a blender. puree until totally liquid. put it in a jar or ideally a swing-lid beer bottle so you can burp that baby. place in a temperate + dark place (65-75 degrees - maybe 80) for at least 2 weeks and check on it daily to burp your baby. total time is really about a month. it should be making bubbles and fizzing at around a week in. keep an eye on it. there shouldn’t be any mold forming. by the time your ferment is pretty done producing bubbles, add the cider vinegar and let sit for another week or two before using. the color should be bright, there shouldn’t be any floaties (outside of natural unfiltered watermelon bits), + absolutely no sounds coming from your juice. this stuff is super bright, super tart, and is perhaps the ultimate summer secret ingredient.