Cacio e Pepe

Cheese and pepper and pasta.  Such a basic recipe calls for the best ingredients.  I've searched my NYC neighborhood high and low for the freshest cheese, and sadly on far too many occasions (okay, basically on every occasion) I've purchased cheeses that have been suffocated in plastic wrap until they taste of nothing natural or good.  So it was with high hopes that I went to Eataly, a sort of Disneyland for those in NYC who love Italian food.  Eataly claims Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali among its many partners.  The NYC store is absolutely huge, and includes several restaurants, a cheese counter, a meat shop, a cured meat counter, a coffee bar, a wine bar, a dessert shop, a bread shop, a dry goods shop, a produce station, a book store, a kitchen supply shop, etc, etc, etc.  You name it, if it's Italian and you can cook it, it's probably at Eataly (with a few notable exceptions).  As expected I was not disappointed by the quality of the cheese, or the pasta.  It was, as they say, worth the trip.

This is a nice time to suggest that most cheeses should be wrapped in parchment or waxed paper once you get them home, and stored in a separate container in the fridge.  This allows them to breathe.  Click here or here or here for a more in-depth discussion on this topic.  And this link here provides good information on how to determine if your cheese has gone bad.

Cacio e Pepe translates as "cheese and pepper."  This dish, common in Rome, is traditionally made with a cheese called Cacio de Roma (which sadly, Eataly does not sell, highlighting one of the many ways in which the store cannot compete with the more traditional shops in Little Italy, which do carry the cheese), though this can be substituted with the more readily available, Grana Padano.  The other ingredients are easy enough to find, and are so very Italian: Pecorino Romano, pasta, olive oil, and a large helping of fresh ground pepper.  Now, with all of this pepper, this dish has a bit heat to it, perfect for warming up on a cold winter's night.  Serve with a bright arugula salad, dressed simply with some good balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

The recipe below has been adapted from a version printed in the April 2010 edition of Saveur.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces pasta, preferably bucatini, tonnarelli, or spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked, coarsely ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 + 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 cup finely grated Cacio de Roma or Grana Padano

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta; cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
3. Add pepper to the oil; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Carefully ladle 1/2 cup of pasta water into the skillet and bring to a boil.
5. Transfer pasta to skillet; spread evenly.
6. Sprinkle with a 1/2 cup each of Pecorino and Cacio de Roma; toss vigorously with tongs to combine until the sauce is creamy and clings to the pasta without clumping, about 2 minutes, adding a little pasta water if necessary.
7. Plate the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining Pecorino and more pepper to your liking.

Drink:  Serve with a peppery Cote du Rhone or a medium-bodied Cabernet.

Fresh pasta counter at Eataly

Produce stand at Eataly

More beautiful produce

Cheeses and dried meats counter

One of the many dining options in Eataly

Butcher counter

Fresh bread loaves

Flatbreads

Fresh pasta

Cacio e Pepe

Eat and enjoy life.

Baked Pork Chops

Make no mistake, you will not find this recipe filed under "fine dining," nor will it be stored with the "healthy eating" options or in the collection of recipes labeled "beautiful presentation."  Where you will find it, however, is stored in the "easy crowd pleasers for the non-cook" section.

This recipe takes no time at all to prepare and the required skill-set is minimal.  I was reminded of this after a conversation I had with a close friend who surprised me with the news that she doesn't like to cook.  (No judgements here.)  Sadly, this recipe isn't ideal for my friend, since she keeps Kosher and doesn't eat pork, but I will keep thinking of possible options for her to try.  Until then, if you are the type of person who likes pork, is open-minded about using mayonnaise, and may (or may not) have little patience for cooking, you'll definitely want to take this recipe out for a quick spin.  It's absolutely delicious, and takes very little effort.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork chops (cut ~1/3 inch thick)
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste (optional)
• onion powder, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place pork chops on a baking rack over a shallow roasting pan.  Place a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan to keep the juices from burning as the chops cook.
3. Sprinkle chops with salt, freshly cracked pepper (optional), onion powder and garlic powder, to taste.
4. Spread a thin coat of mayonnaise over the top of each chop.
5. Bake the chops in the center of the over for 20 minutes.
6. Turn the broiler on for about 4 minutes to brown the chops. 

This main course couldn't be easier.  The mayonnaise keeps the chops from drying out, making it really difficult to overcook the meat.  There really isn't anything fancy about the dish, except for the taste and flavor, which is wonderful.  Make sure to use a good quality pork chop since the meat is the highlight here with nothing else really to add to the dish.  I look for chops that have a nice red color to them, just lighter than that of beef (who said pork should be "the other white meat"), and a decent amount of marbling.  I usually have good luck with pork chops from Niman Ranch.  Eat and enjoy!

Cauliflower with Mustard-Lemon Butter

Based on the ingredients (cauliflower, mustard, lemon, butter...) it would be easy to imagine that this recipe is rather ordinary.  But don't be fooled, this dish is beyond the simple sum of its parts.  Something truly transformative happens during the roasting process and what results is simply magical.  Cauliflower has never tasted this good.  The day after making this dish the first time (and eating every last floret) I went out and bought an even bigger head of cauliflower to make this recipe again, for a second night in a row.  I just couldn't get enough.

The key to this recipe's magic trick is the browning of the cauliflower and the melding of the buttery, lemony, mustardy dressing during this process.  The result is a kind of cauliflower-alchemy.  I hate to say that what results is beyond words, but it just might be.  Try it for yourself and see. 

The recipe below is a modification of one that appeared in the November 2006 issue of Bon Appétit, available at epicurious.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• olive oil
• salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 garlic clove, crushed and minced (optional)
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon, for example)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. Cut larger cauliflower florets in half or in thirds, and leave the smaller ones whole. 
3. Arrange florets in single layer on a sturdy baking sheet*; drizzle the florets with a little olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Toss to coat.
4. Roast cauliflower until slightly softened, about 15 minutes.
5. While the cauliflower is roasting, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  
6. Warm the garlic slightly in the butter without browning.  
7. Whisk in the lemon juice and mustard.
8. Spoon the mixture evenly over the cauliflower.  Toss gently to coat.
9. Roast the cauliflower until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes longer.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Note: The height of the baking dish used to roast the cauliflower can make a big difference in the end result.  Using a cookie sheet will expose the cauliflower to more direct heat, and will result in a greater amount of browning.  Whereas using a baking dish with taller sides will allow more steam to develop around the florets, and in this case there will be less browning, less caramelization.  I've prepared the dish both ways and don't yet have a favorite... but if I had to pick, perhaps I'd use the cookie sheet over the baking dish.

This cauliflower is creamy and slightly crisp at the same time.  The flavor as well as the texture is oh so buttery.  And did I mention how easy it is to prepare?!  This is a wonderful side dish to serve with a savory cut of pork or beef, but I've known some people who will make a whole meal out of this cauliflower alone.  Eat and enjoy! 

Chorizo and White Bean Stew

So far this year, winter in NYC (like the rest of the northeast) has been cold, and windy, and blustery, and snowy, and frigid, and cold...  and just downright ideal for stew!  I was looking for a new recipe and came across a wonderful one on epicurious.com that includes chorizo, white beans, spinach, and smoked paprika.  I was intrigued.  Of course, I tweaked things ever so slightly.

What makes this stew so wonderful is that it's a really simple recipe, with relatively few ingredients, but the result is a hearty, earthy, filling, absolutely delicious stew, that has a surprisingly deep flavor profile, and yet still feels somewhat fresh due to the addition of the spinach.  This recipe is a great choice for a weekend meal; it's not too involved, and the leftovers are even better than when the stew is first prepared.  In fact, I strongly recommend making this stew a day in advance.  Set overnight the stew thickens a bit, and the flavors meld to perfection. 

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb fresh chorizo
• 1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 15.5 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 3 c chicken broth
• 9 oz baby spinach, rinsed
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (add more to taste)
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large (~ 6 qt) Dutch oven or stock pot.  Remove the chorizo from its casing and add the chorizo to the pot.  Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.  Transfer chorizo to a plate.
2. Turn the heat down to medium low.  Remove all but 1 tbsp of oil from the pot.  Add onion, garlic, and thyme.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is browned, about 8 minutes; add more oil (up to 1 tbsp) if the onions begin to stick to the pot.  
3. Add in the beans and broth; crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to help thicken the stew.  Cook on medium heat, 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened. 
4. Add the chorizo back into the pot to reheat; cook about 3 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and paprika.  Cook just until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.  Season to taste.  Serve.

Adding the spinach

Any leftovers will store well in the refrigerator for up to 5 or 6 days, making this dish a fantastic option for a pre-made meal, ready in minutes, just perfect for when you come in from the cold.  Enjoy!

A dusting of snow on the Upper East Side