breakfast for dinner

hello! last night i scurried all the way to the upper east side, to an event thrown by decades to benefit sloan-kettering hospital's cancer center. basically, i got to sip champagne and feast my eyes on some of the most beautiful designer vintage clothing i've ever seen in person - none of which i could afford, of course. still, it was fun, and i got to catch up with a long-lost friend, which is always a good thing.
 

top: thrifted vintage
scarf: thrifted
boots & skirt: madewell
earrings: c/o charming charlie

 i got home and set straight to work on dinner - i'd scored some duck eggs and house-made corned beef hash from work, so i had a vague plan for breakfast for dinner. i heated up the oven, got some pizza dough rising, and set about chopping.

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breakfast pizza 

one batch pizza dough - i use this recipe
white or red sauce - i made a bechamel sauce (basic recipe here) with onions, mushrooms, ramps and fresh ricotta
toppings of your choice - i used baby heirloom tomatoes, duck prosciutto, avocado and an egg

heat your oven as high as it will go without broiling - mine was up to about 550. put your pizza stone or a sheet pan inside to heat up with the oven. make your sauce, then roll out your pizza dough on a piece of parchment so you can easily slide it onto your sheet pan/pizza stone. bake it for 2-3 minutes, then pull it out and spread your sauce over the dough, and add the toppings that need more time - for me, it was the tomatoes and prosciutto. bake these for 5-6 minutes, then pull out and add the egg and avocado; bake for five more minutes or so, until the white of the egg is fully cooked.
 

while everything was baking, i quickly threw together some corned beef hash.

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corned beef hash

 3 large idaho potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
a spring of rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup of prepared corned beef hash (mine was dressed with some mustard and mustard seeds, salt, and pepper)
butter
3 eggs (i used duck eggs, just because.)

once everything is chopped, it's quite simple; use a cast-iron pan and add a couple tablespoons of butter. add the onion, and sautee until soft and transparent; add the potatoes, turn the heat down to medium-low, and just let those potatoes cook through. don't worry too much about them sticking to the pan; add a bit of butter if this happens (my favorite solution to any problem) and you'll just have some nice crispy bits. add the rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste, and the corned beef (chopped into bite sized pieces) once the potatoes have cooked through, and stir occasionally; i put mine in the super hot oven with the pizza, still baking, so they'd be ready at the same time. while the hash crisped up in the oven, i fried the duck eggs to place on top.
 

i didn't get home to start cooking until nearly ten o'clock, so by the time we sat down to dinner it was a rather unhealthy 11:20; it felt sort of right, though, eating breakfast in the pitch black, all sleepy-like. but instead of just waking up, i got to go to bed right after. bonus. have a wonderful week, and more from me soon -

xo audrey

bitty benedict

good morning! this is part II of the stuffed-grape dinner - the day i made all this food was pretty slow at work, and i spent much of the day dreaming about different teeny-tiny courses i could make for one regular-sized meal. i ended up making mini quiches (about 3 inches each,) bite-sized caprese salads, and quail eggs benedicts. in case i wasn't getting every single dish in my kitchen dirty, i made three different types of benedicts - a sampler, if you will.






first thing first - i had to make biscuits for the benedicts. i thought about buying brioche and just cutting out little circles, but i DID have all that buttermilk in the fridge from my morel butter, so i just went ahead and made buttermilk biscuits from scratch. much tastier that way, anyhow! i made a full batch, rolled out about 1/4 of it to get the biscuits i needed, and then wrapped the rest tightly and saved it (it ended up being the base of some biscuits and gravy over fourth of july weekend, so none went to waste!)




baby biscuits, brushed with cream.

next up i sauteed the mushrooms, cut & fried the ham, and sliced some smoked salmon and set them aside. time for hollandaise - i used my hollandaise for one recipe. at the same time, i boiled a small pot of water and poached 6 quail eggs. this was easier than i expected - really the same as poaching chicken eggs: drop 'em carefully in boiling water, wait for them to float to the top, scoop 'em up and let them rest for a second in a bowl.

i'm realizing now i didn't really provide much for scale - but the mushroom is a baby bella, abbout the size of a dollar coin, and covers the biscuit, if that gives you an idea.

i dressed them all differently - fresh cracked pepper on the mushroom benedict, a dash of smokey paprika on the classic ham, and some little tomato chicken juice caviars on the smoked salmon. that's right - too cheap to spring for caviar, i created some in my kitchen with a little molecular magic.



the caprese salads were easy - just buy the smallest mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes, and dress them with the smallest basil leaf you can find. salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. these were delicious (of course - not many salads can beat a caprese, in my book) and surprisingly elegant - i think at my next dinner party i'll serve these as appetizers, with cute toothpicks holding them together.





and that's it! dinner was absolutely delicious, but our friends surprised us by coming over with gifts of beer and cheese and we ended up getting kinda drunk - mini dinner is not enough when up against surprise friend-beer time.





too small, perhaps, but bite-sized and delicious. i'll definitely make these again - just with less beer next time.

i hope you had a good breakfast, and have a lovely day -

xo audrey

egg cup custard

good morning!

my parents are two of the most happily married folks i know, to degrees that used to be embarrassing when i was a kid - back then, their public displays of affection made me duck my head and moan "moooOOOM!" but now i'm old enough to know better, and hope sam and i are as happy as they 30 years in. my sisters and i are going home to california for their 30 year wedding anniversary this august and making them a big, fancy dinner; i decided to test out one of my courses for sam and i a couple night ago.

i've been wanting to try out a custard served in its shell for awhile. i have a thing for eggs in egg cups - soft boiled eggs are a bit boring for my taste, but i eat them anyway, just for the joy of sprinkling them with salt & pepper and spooning them out of their shell. i received 8 little white egg cups along with a bunch of other kitchen goodies, and decided it was time to give this a try.



sage & truffle custard with parmesan crisp & tomato foam (adapted from here.)

1 egg
6 egg shells
a few leaves of sage
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 T truffle or mushroom oil
paprika
salt
pepper

for the foam: juice of one tomato and 1/4 t soy lecitithin (you can find it at GNC, whole foods & the like)

parmesan cheese for the crisp

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preheat oven to 275.

measure the milk, cream, and sage leaves (torn up a bit) into a small saucepan. turn on low heat until it simmers, then let it cool off so the sage can infuse.

while you're doing this, cut the tops off 6 eggs over an airtight tupperware. set aside. clean the egg shells verrry carefully under a gentle stream of cold water; it'll kind of feel like peeling off a sunburn. make sure to get all the membrane out. place these in a cardboard egg carton and hold on.

strain the sage out of the milk and pour the milk into a food processor or mixing bowl; i used my immersion blender. add salt, pepper, paprika, & oil, & blend; then add one egg from the bowl and blend. pour this through a sieve into a container with a good lip for pouring. (i used a gravy boat.) place the egg shells in a oven proof container with tall-ish sides (i used a cake pan,) boil some water, place the pan in your preheated oven and pour water about halfway up the egg shells. set a timer for 30 minutes - the original recipe said it'd take 40-45, but mine was perfect after 30. if they are set, remove them and let them cool.

while the custards are baking, simply grate some parmesan cheese into little piles on a silpat or piece of parchment paper. stick it in the oven for ten minutes or so, until it starts to brown. let them cool and voila! parmesan chips.

for the tomato foam, juice a tomato, then add the soy lecitithin - this just helps the foam keep its structure longer, so you don't end up with tomato juice floating atop your custard. i used a little aerolatte foamer to whisk it up into a foamy frenzy, then spooned it atop the custard & crisp.




and voila! a beautifully delicate & tasty appetizer or amuse bouche that's lovely to look at and sooo tasty. don't be shy with the salt & pepper on this one.


more from this meal soon!

xo audrey

pretty woman

hi everyone! happy tuesday! i have a bunch to do today so i'm just going to crank this out.

last night i came home with a dinner plan all set; i'd spotted these scotch eggs on tastespotting earlier in the day and decided to make my move. i've always wanted to try these things, and as they require some frying, i figured it'd be best to get them out of my system before it gets so bleeping hot in my kitchen i barely want to cook, much less negotiate with hot, splattery oil. i changed the recipe a bit to suit what i had, and to make it small enough for me & sam. i paired it with these sesame soba noodles and fresh squeezed juice to try to keep it light. a great meal it was, but light it certainly wasn't. don't make this for dinner unless you plan on retreating immediately afterwards to bed to watch a movie. (fortunately, this was exactly what i had in mind.)



vietnamese-ish scotch eggs

4 eggs, soft boiled (put eggs in a pot; boil some water; pour it over them and turn the heat to medium; set a timer for 6 minutes; remove the eggs and plunge them into ice water. peel when cooled.)
1 lb ground pork
2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
3 small green chillies
4 cloves of garlic
2 inch piece of fresh ginger (skinned)
a spoonful of brown sugar
zest of one lime
fish sauce
salt
1/2 bunch of cilantro
a couple cups of flour
a couple cups of panko
1 egg, beaten

combine the lemongrass, chillies, garlic, ginger, and lime zest in the food processor until quite pulverized. add the brown sugar, then turn on the food processor and stream in fish sauce until it turns into a loose paste. add salt to taste. (beware: this will be pretty spicy. i was talking on the phone when i was making mine and i somehow got chili on my hand and then on my phone and then on my face, and way too much of my conversation became about my face being on fire.) finely chop the cilantro. mix this, the pork, and the paste together well.

now you're going to want to get a piece of saran wrap. grab a piece of the pork about as big as your fist (a little bigger, in the case of my toddlerhands,) and pound it out so it's about 1/2 inch (or less) thick. put the egg on top. caaaaarefully use the saran wrap to envelop the egg in the pork mixture. seal it well and make it as round as possible, then pop it in the freezer until you're ready to use it. repeat 3x.




once you're ready to go, get some oil going in a pan on medium-low heat until it's good and hot. take your eggs and roll them in flour, then egg, then panko and plop 'em in the pan. you want to cook them until they are very dark on each side - 3-4 minutes - and turn so every side is well cooked. repeat. you can keep them warm in the oven; i set them on a drying rack as they came out and put them in at 300.

and voila! they were so tasty - sam had his with some sriracha sauce and i just drank lots of milk to minimize sweating. they are hot and heavy, but so good, and paired with fresh juice and soba noodles it was a pretty great dinner.





aaand an outfit at last! i had to get dressed in a hurry today - i'd planned on tights but it was already over 70 by the time i left my apartment this morning and i was worried i'd overheat. what i should have worried about was wearing newly-thrifted shoes without road-testing them first - my feet hurt so bad after walking to and from the subway this morning that i'm truly not sure how i'll make it home today. and the title of this post doesn't refer to my appearance, but the fact that this dress is straight outta that 1990 julia roberts classic.





dress: thrifted
belt: urban outfitters
shoes: painfully thrifted


all right, that's all from me for now! have a lovely tuesday!

xo audrey

little angel, little devils

hello everyone! i let my weekend sneak into this week and am playing a bit of catch up - sam and i were in california this past weekend for my grandma's funeral. . . and to meet my nephew, pete! pretty amazing the way the circle of life lassos you sometimes. i think everyone in my family found quite a bit of comfort in this newest member of our family - he is such a cutie pie, and so patient with a grabby family passing him around. i snapped a few photos of him just before we left (unfortunately, after i'd slept on my updo and right before i got on an airplane.)




in truth, i have always kept my distance from babies, especially little ones. of course i ooh and awww when i see them, but i am so clumsy and inexperienced with them it seems best to stay away. well, i can honestly say that i don't have the baby bug myself, but i am one enthusiastic aunt. or as emily would like me to call myself, tante audrey.

and to go along with this little cutie, i made mini deviled eggs today! we'd picked up some quail eggs a week or two ago, and they were nearing their expiration date - so i decided to whip up some deviled eggs with them to see how they turn out. i like deviled eggs in full size, but more than one bite is just too much of them for me. these babies are dangerously perfect - about the size of a popcorn kernel, and with soooo much more flavor than a regular chicken egg. i highly recommend them.



need - 12 quail eggs
about 2 - 3 T mayonnaise (i used about 1 T mayo and 2 T artichoke garlic cream, a spread that i needed to use up in the fridge.)
1/2 t dry mustard
1 t paprika, plus more for sprinkling
sea salt

i highly recommend this paprika. my sister got me a bunch of spices for christmas (and i immediately broke into them like an impatient 7 year old) and the paprika she included is soooo good - lots of flavor, very smokey and earthy and amazing. far better than any i've gotten at a grocery store.

so - put the eggs in a pot with half vinegar (any kind - i used white wine) and half water. (the vinegar helps the shell peel off a bit easier.) once the water boils, time 5 minutes, then take the eggs out and put them in an ice bath; once cool, peel, slice in half, and empty the yolks into a bowl. add the above ingredients (reserve some salt to sprinkle atop) and mix until smooth; it helps if you have a little piping bag, since the whites are so tiny and delicate. pipe into the shells, sprinkle with paprika and salt, and bam! a great holiday party appetizer - adorable and packed full of flavor. and vegetarian!

xo audrey

tart

hello everyone! happy monday! i hope your weekend was lovely, long, and less headache-filled than mine. i've felt on the verge of a big sick for a few days now and i'm hoping that getting enough sleep and eating my fruits and veggies will stave it off for at least a little while longer, as sam and i are heading to the beach this weekend in hopes of some fresh fish and sunshine.

i have been cooking and baking up a storm, as per usual; this week was a big one because. . . drumroll please. . . sam started eating meat after 8 years of vegetarianism. before the hate mail starts, i did NOT coerce him to switch over to the dark side in any way. i was vegetarian for many years and i have an immense amount of respect for those who chose not to eat meat; as a chef, i just like to have all my options open. i've always been a very adventurous eater and i never want to have to say no to anything because of dietary restrictions (so here's hoping all the sugar i eat doesn't turn me into a diabetic one day.) after months of watching me scarf bacon like it's my job, sam decided he was ready for some of that action. this is actually what i wore to the grocery store for the momentous occasion of picking up a rack of lamb to cook for dinner one night.



shirt: thrifted
brooch: thrifted (shoe clip)
skirt: dress from h&m
socks: american apparel
shoes: thrifted
belt: anthropologie

and now for a of recipe! no meat just yet, just seafood. i have a huge backlog of stuff to post; my days seem to be very formulaic. wake up. work until 3. come home, go for a jog, and start dinner; start movie while eating; finish movie in bed and go to sleep. yep, i've basically fast-forwarded to my late 60s, but i rather like it.

crab deviled eggs




6 hard cooked eggs
1 T sour cream
T dijon mustard
2 t garlic, crushed
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup celery, julienned
1 cup king crab meat, sauteed in butter
1 t ground fennel
salt and pepper to taste
sesame seeds

first: hard boil the eggs. put them in a pot with at least an inch of water over the top and bring it up to a boil over medium high heat; then take off heat, cover with a lid, and let 'em sit for 12 minutes. julienne your celery, prep your other items, sautee your crab and let it cool. take the eggs out of the hot water and put them in an ice bath to let 'em cool down. once they're cool, peel off the shell and don't slice them horizontally like you usually do - slice a little bit off the smaller end of the egg, height-wise. then cut about a half inch down on the other side and take out the yolk carefully. mix it up with all the other stuff and stuff it back in there; top with salt, pepper and sesame seeds.




so delicious, and pretty impressive as a nice appetizer for guests that you can prep hours in advance.

more soon. thanks for all the kind comments!

xo audrey