Category Archives: Recipes (Savory)

Preview IV: Ad Hoc’s Leek Bread Pudding

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Bread pudding that's super rich, yet light as a souffle.

As far as achievements go, this might be a small feat. But I can happily report that I’ve now succeeded in making all the recipes from the small promo brochure for the upcoming “At Hoc At Home” cookbook (Artisan) by legendary chef, Thomas Keller.

Of the four recipes printed in this sneak-peek brochure, this one for “Leek Bread Pudding” is by far the richest.

Richer than the Ad Hoc chocolate chip cookie recipe? Yup.

Richer than the Ad Hoc pineapple upside-down cake recipe? Uh huh.

Just how rich?

Not only are there three cups of whole milk in this dish, but there is also an equal number of cups of heavy cream.

And the bread used in this particular bread pudding? Oh, that would be very, very, very buttery brioche, which you can make yourself if you feel like channeling your inner Martha Stewart or purchase at a bakery like I did. (Note: Draeger’s stores on the Peninsula make brioche rolls that work perfectly for this dish. I opted to leave the crust on the rolls for this recipe, which originally called for cutting them off. But the crust is so soft on the rolls, it’s fine to do so.)

Crispy on the outside, custardy within.

Yes, this may as far as it gets from a low-cal dish, but I’m here to tell you this decadent dish is far worth each and every calorie.

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Preview III: Ad Hoc’s Caramelized Sea Scallops

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Scallops that are so extraordinarily flavorful, one bite will make you a believer in this recipe.

Simple. Elegant. Timeless.

That’s my mantra when it comes to fashion, architecture, art, and often, even cooking.

And that’s exactly what this dish is all about.

If you’ve been following FoodGal over the past couple of weeks, you know I’ve been cooking my way through the small promotional brochure I got in the mail for the upcoming “Ad Hoc at Home” (Artisan) by Thomas Keller. Unlike the other cookbooks by this esteemed chef, this one promises to be much more accessible to the home cook, being that it’s based on dishes cooked at his most casual of restaurants.

What a tease this is. The brochure only includes four recipes as a sneak preview of the actual book, which won’t be published until November. If early results are any indication, this book looks to be a classic that we’ll all be reaching for time and time again.

Ad Hoc’s “Caramelized Sea Scallops” is the third recipe I’ve made, and like the others, it’s a winner, too. (You can find links to the other Ad Hoc recipes at the end of this post.)

A quick brine is the secret to this dish.

Keller starts with enormous scallops — graded U7, meaning seven make up one pound.

At my local seafood store, I couldn’t find U7. So I settled for “U Be As Big As They Get” — about 11 to one pound.

Keller actually brines the scallops before cooking, too. I’ve brined my share of turkeys, chickens, and pig parts. But never scallops.

He explains that he does this to season them all the way through. And what an amazing technique this is.

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Embracing High Heat, Part I (The Savory)

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The juiciest shrimp ever.

I dunno about you, but in my early days of cooking, I was petrified of high heat.

Back then when I was a teen, the words, “Heat the pan on high,” would make me quake in fear.

I thought I’d end up burning myself, not to mention whatever I was cooking, along with the poor pan, too.

But the more you cook, the more you realize the beauty of high-heat cooking. There’s nothing like it for creating caramelization, and thus, greater flavor, texture, and color.

Who doesn’t love the blistered crust of pizza baked in a scorching wood-oven? Or the yummy crust on a seared steak? Or the crispy skin on a salmon fillet? Or the smoky, intense flavor vegetables get from being tossed around in a fiery wok?

When I took a recent class at Draeger’s in San Mateo, veteran cookbook authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough reminded me of the joy of high-heat cooking, when they demonstrated their recipe for “Roasted Shrimp.” It’s from their newest cookbook, “Cooking Know-How” (Wiley).

Normally, I just saute shrimp in a pan. But their oven-method could not be easier. It’s my new favorite way to cook shrimp.

Like all the recipes in this book, the shrimp one gives you a basic technique, then variations so you can alter the flavorings.

Preparing the baking pan.

The method remains the same: You put a baking dish in a cold oven with oil and herbs. Turn the oven on to 450 degrees. As it warms, the herbs get infused gently into the oil. When the oven gets up to temperature in 15 to 20 minutes, add shrimp (or scallops) to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes for large shrimp (about 5 minutes for scallops), stirring a couple of times during the cooking process.

Pull out the pan, then stir in salt, pepper, and a dash of acid (vinegar, citrus juice, or wine).

This is by far the juiciest shrimp you’ll ever eat, with a pleasing crunch, too. It’s the high heat that does all that. Moreover, the fragrance of the herbs roasting in the oven is utterly intoxicating.

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Drunken Pasta

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No, you don't have to be drunk to enjoy this delightful, impromptu pasta dish. But you do have to add a little booze to the mix.

This is what results when you find yourself with 2 pounds of fresh clams, a craving for pasta, and some already opened containers of booze lying around.

Although my husband, Meat Boy, loves to grill and roast big hunks of meat — hence the nickname — he also loves making seafood pasta. I know, I know. One has nothing to do with the other. But that’s just him. And you got to love a guy for his contradictions, don’t you?

He found a recipe online. But it called for chorizo. We had none, and didn’t want to make an extra trip to the grocery store, so we used bacon instead, along with a liberal amount of red pepper flakes.

The recipe also called for white wine. We didn’t feel like opening a bottle that night just for this dish, so we decided to use a mix of vodka and absinthe instead. After all, I still had a quite full bottle of St. George Spirits Absinthe Verte, and it did add such a nice touch to the Manhattan Bay Scallop Chowder I made this past winter. So why not give it a go in pasta?

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What Do These Peppers Look Like to You?

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I see the Rolling Stone lips logo. What do you see?

OK, let’s play that game where you gaze up at the clouds and ponder what images come to mind.

See those peppers above?

I look at them and see the red tongue logo made famous by the Rolling Stones.

That’s just me, though.

What do they bring to mind for you?

With a deep lipstick-red hue and a glossy look, Spanish piquillo peppers are definitely striking looking. They’re also wonderful to have on hand for quick appetizers or colorful additions to main courses. Stuff them with cheese, then grill or saute them until melted. Serve alongside crusty bread. Roast them with shrimp or fish. Or add them to a big pan of paella.

You’ll find them at gourmet grocery stores in cans or jars. They’re a godsend to have around in the pantry.

Tender, juicy chicken thighs baked with saffron and piquillo peppers.

After all, with these tender, slippery peppers, you can make “Oven-Baked Chicken with Spanish Peppers” from “Lobel’s Meat Bible” (Chronicle Books) by Stanley, Evan, Mark, and David Lobel. You probably know the Lobel name from the high-caliber artisan meats the family has sold at its New York store for generations.

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