The Bitten Word

Dinner with Mom: Beet-and-Burrata Crostini

Food & Wine (August 2008)

For our Dinner with Mom, we wanted a meal that would be light and summery, but full of delicious flavors that would highlight the vegetables in season. And since we were having a few friends over, we wanted a dinner that would lend itself to sharing and fun conversation.

Our solution? Small plates.

By now, tapas are a familiar part of American menus. But the idea of cooking small plates at home can be a little daunting:  How will you cook every item you need? How can you ensure it will all be ready at the right time? Won't you spend the entire meal jumping up to prepare the next dish?

As it turned out, our small-plates dinner was a blast, and -- with three sets of hands and a little extra organization -- it was pretty simple to prepare. And it was a fun way to showcase some delicious seasonal tastes.

And there was no better way to kick off the meal than with these delectable beet crostini.

Dinner with Mom: Raspberry-Thyme Smash

Bon Appétit (July 2008)

With the sweltering heat as of late, isn't it time for a refreshing cocktail? 

Zach's mom -- B -- was recently visiting from Tennessee, and we took it as an opportunity to have a few friends over for dinner on a Sunday night.  We usually don't have friends over when we have guests, but B is an exception.  Her visits are filled with great food, late-night Scrabble games, and fun exploration of our nation's capital. 

B also happens to be a fantastic cook, the sort who can get away with never using recipes, and the dishes turn out marvelously.  She's also been a big supporter/cheerleader of our blog, so we thought it would be fun to plan and cook a meal together. 

Cabbage and Carrot Salad

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

As summer's been heating up, our CSA farm share has been growing. Recently, we've found ourselves with more cabbage than we know what to do with.

This cabbage and carrot salad is one of the best things we came up with.  It's absolutely delicious, and the mix of vegetables and colors makes for a shocking neon jumble that's as wowza as the Vegas Strip.

Best BBQ Chicken with Simple Barbecue Sauce

Everyday Food (July/August 2008)

When barbecuing chicken over the years, we've always done it the same way:  create a barbecue sauce, marinate the chicken in said sauce, grill, and baste.  It was a simple approach with varied but good results. 

Turns out we've been doing it wrong.

Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarine-Onion Salsa

Martha Stewart Living (July 2008)

We live in a recession, kids. Times are tough. Money's tight.

That's why this dish is a decided departure from the recipe that ran in the July 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living (which, as you've seen from our recent string of posts, is one fantastic issue).

See, the recipe includes a salsa made from nectarines and onions -- served atop grilled swordfish steaks. We were sure that'd be delicious.

But when we got to the seafood counter at our local grocery store, we were hit with sticker shock. Buying enough swordfish for the two of us was going to cost $32. Thanks, but no thanks.

So we walked over to the pork section and grabbed two chops for $2.99 -- and just maaaaybe improved the recipe in the process.

Elderflower Sherbet

Martha Stewart Living (July 2008)

At some point last summer, it began to feel like we were being stalked by elderflowers. Having never really given them much -- okay, any -- thought before, we suddenly started seeing elderflowers cropping up like weeds on restaurant menus, in cocktails, at parties and in the pages of food magazines.

Mostly, the craze is attributable to St. Germain, a new artisanal liquor made from elderflower blossoms. It was introduced in the United States just last year, and it seemed to go from a novelty to a de rigeur bar staple in the time it takes you to order a drink. (A recent "Weekend in New York" column in the New York Times poked fun a St. Germain's ubiquity on Gotham's bar menus.)

But there's a reason St. Germain has become so popular, other than its bottle, which is the most gorgeous thing we've ever seen. (If you can't find St. Germain in your local liquor store, you can order it from the Web site [and no, by the way, we don't work for St. Germain {but we wouldn't turn down a free bottle, if anyone from St. Germain is reading this}]). It has a lovely taste that's like nothing you've had before. Imagine a sort of lavender-scented honey that's just swathed in this heady, floral sweetness.

It's delicious in a cocktail, or as a grace note in a glass of champagne.

Turns out?  It makes one pretty astoundingly good sherbet, too.

Roasted Cod with Balsamic, Caper and Anchovy Marinade

Martha Stewart Living (July 2008)

 

The July 2008 Martha Stewart Living is a truly excellent issue of the magazine. In addition to the Golden-Beet Salad we just cooked, the magazine features a few fantastic spreads, including one about all kinds of burgers and another that features five easy marinades.

We like the marinades feature because it is organized by type of meat, and only features recipes for making and using the marinade, but not specifically what type or cut of meat to use, or how to cook it. 

Golden-Beet Salad

Martha Stewart Living (July 2008)

 

We're in the midst of a summer love affair with beets, touched off by this recipe and delicious golden beets that we purchased at our local farmer's market. 

We've already made the salad twice this summer, and eagerly look forward to making it a third time. The delicious combination of rich beets, fresh green beans, and goat cheese, mixed with a Dijon-shallot vinaigrette and sprinkled with fresh basil, is absolute perfection. 

Milk-Chocolate Creams

Martha Stewart Living (June 2008)

File this one away on your summer desserts "must list."  

It has definitely joined ours, along with berries and cream, grilled fruit, popsicles (don't ask), and all manner of ice creams/frozen yogurts/sorbets/granitas. 

These amazing Milk-Chocolate Creams are just the ticket when you're craving chocolate for dessert but it's too hot for baking.