Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot or 2 smaller shallots, cut into thin slices (enough to yield 1/2 packed cup)
• 4 slices bacon, cooked, drained and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup shaved or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preparation

Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Line a plate with paper towels.

Heat the butter and oil in a nonstick saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Stir in the shallot slices and reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become golden brown, molten soft and shimmering. Transfer to the lined plate to drain and cool.

Combine the bacon pieces, cheese and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Add the cooled shallot and stir until well incorporated. Transfer to a small gratin or baking dish (8-ounce capacity); broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until bubbling and a thin crust forms on top.

Serve right away.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 5 ounces raw pepitas (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• ½ cup shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 jalapeño (stemmed, seeded and finely chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup parsley (lightly packed)
• ¼ cup cilantro (lightly packed)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon orange zest (finely grated)
• Tortilla chips (for serving)

Preparation

In a large skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds over moderate heat, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

In the skillet, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Add the shallots, jalapeño, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the food processor and let cool.

Add the parsley, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, orange zest and 1/4 cup of water to the food processor and puree until nearly smooth. Season with salt. Transfer the sikil pak to a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

Pour le tartare:

• 3 asperges blanches [white asparagus]
• 2 asperges vertes [green asparagus]
• 1 échalote hachée [shallot, minced]
• ciboulette ciselée [chives, finely chopped]
• 1 càc de vinaigre balsamique blanc [1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar]
• sel et poivre [salt and pepper]
• quelques rosaces de Tête de Moine [several rosettes of Tête de Moine cheese; or shaved Parmesan]

Pour la crème de Meaux:

• 150 mL crème à 40% [150 mL of heavy whipping cream]
• 1 càc de moutarde de Meaux ou à l’ancienne [1 tsp. of Meaux mustard]
• sel et poivre [salt and pepper]

Preparation

Le tartare :

Cuire les asperges blanches dans de l’eau bouillante pendant 10 à 12 minutes. Vérifier la cuisson avec la pointe du couteau. Ensuite plongez-les dans de l’eau froide pour stopper la cuisson. Faites de même pour les asperges vertes mais pour une cuisson de 5 à 8 minutes. [Cook the white asparagus in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes. Check the cooking with a knife point, then transfer to a cold water bath to stop cooking. Do the same for the green asparagus for 5 to 8 minutes.]

Couper les asperges en petits dés en gardant les têtes entières pour la décoration. Ajouter l’échalote, la ciboulette, le vinaigre balsamique blanc ; saler et poivrer. [Cut the asparagus into a small dice, keeping the heads whole for decoration. Add the shallot, chive, vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.]

La crème à la moutarde de Meaux :

Monter les ingrédients de la crème au batteur comme une chantilly. [Add all ingredients and beat to a Chantilly consistency, like soft whipped cream.]

Pour la décoration, utiliser les têtes d’asperge et quelques rosaces de Tête de Moine. [Decorate with the aspargagus heads and cheese.]

Martin’s Hotels

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 or 5 small yellow onions, cut in half through ends
• 8 ounces frozen/defrosted puff pastry dough
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces mushrooms, preferably a mix, such as chanterelles, king trumpet and oyster, stemmed, rinsed well and chopped if large
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 6 ounces blue cheese, preferably Cabrales

Preparation

Heat the oil in a 9-inch, heavy, ovenproof skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, arrange the onion halves around the pan, cut sides down, with their stem ends pointing toward the center. Place one at the center of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for about 20 minutes, until softened and colored slightly on the bottom.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unfold the puff pastry dough and roll out between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper to a thin, 10-inch round; it’s okay if a foldover seam is showing or if the dough is not completely smooth.

Sprinkle the brown sugar around the pan with the onions, then season lightly with salt. Once the brown sugar looks like it is melting into the oil, distribute the mushroom pieces and walnuts around, using them to fill in nooks and crannies. Remove from the heat.

Follow suit with the pinches of the blue cheese, dotting the pan with them.

Discard the top parchment from the puff pastry dough. Invert the dough over the contents of the pan, pressing and tucking the dough around the edges in the pan. Transfer to the oven; roast (middle rack) for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the pan from front to back halfway through to promote even pastry browning.

The pastry should look flaky and nicely browned, with a mixure underneath that you can hear sizzling. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then invert a serving plate over the pastry.

Carefully invert the pan to reveal the tarte tatin; if some pieces do not quite make the transfer, just pop them back into place, straightening up the onions etc, as needed. The mixture should be nicely caramelized; if not, slide the tarte tatin onto a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for another 5 minutes or so.

Cut into wedges; serve warm.

WaPo/BBC

Ingredients

(amounts in brackets are scaled for a 515 mL European can of tomato soup)

• 1 lb. [750 g] fresh salmon (or canned)
• 1 can concentrated tomato soup (10.75 oz) [515 mL]
• 8 oz. [360 g] cream cheese
• 2 envelopes gelatine (1/2 oz., around 14g) [26g, 2 European packets]
• 1 [2] onion, chopped fine
• 1 [2] celery stalk, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp. [5 tsp.] Worcestershire sauce
• 1 c. [350 g] mayonnaise
• 2 [4] dashes Tabasco

Preparation

If using fresh salmon, bake the salmon until it flakes easily; cool.

Heat the tomato soup (undiluted) in a large pot, melt in the cream cheese. Dissolve the gelatine in 1/2 c. of cold water. Add to the soup, and cool.

Add in the remainder of the ingredients, pour into a serving dish, and refrigerate until set. Serve with black or French bread.

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced

Wontons

• 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seed removed, and diced
• 1 package won ton wrappers
• 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together cilantro lime dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat (should reach 350 degrees).

3. While oil heats up, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add in the diced avocado and gently fold in with a spoon.

4. Lightly brush both sides of the wonton wrapper with the egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon water). Put about a teaspoon of the avocado cream cheese filling in the center of each wonton. Fold the wonton wrappers in half, forming a triangle, and seal the edges. Fold the very ends of each point of the triangle over.

5. Fry wontons in the hot oil 4 at a time until golden brown. This will only take about a minute.or two. Using a slotted spoon, remove the golden brown wontons from the oil and put on paper towels to drain.

6. Divide the dipping sauce into individual bowls and serve with hot wontons.

The Stay at Home Chef

Ingredients

• 1 lb. crawfish tails
• 1 lb. cream cheese, softened
• 4 scallions
• 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp. chopped tarragon
• 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• salt
• lime juice
• 1/2 lb. phyllo sheets
• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 1/2 c. breadcrumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roughly chop crawfish meat and combine with cream cheese. Chop green and white of scallions and add to cream cheese along with cilantro, tarragon, garlic, and curry powder. Add pepper flakes, salt, and lime juice to taste.

Lay out one sheet of dough. Brush lightly with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat with two more sheets, stacking one on top of the other. Cut widthwise into three pieces. Place a large spoonful of filling in the corner of each piece and fold flag-style into triangle. Brush with butter and place on a tray sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets. Bake until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Serves 10-12.

The hallway by the bathroom, Bayona

Ingredients

• 3 pints firm small mixed cherry and grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

Preparation

Cut a small X in bottom of each tomato. Blanch tomatoes, 5 at a time, in a saucepan of boiling water 3 seconds. Immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and peel, transferring to a large shallow dish. Stir together vodka, vinegar, sugar, and zest until sugar has dissolved, then pour over tomatoes, gently tossing to coat. Marinate, chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Stir together salt and pepper and serve with tomatoes for dipping.

Gourmet, August 2009

Ingredients

• 3 cups crushed saltine crackers
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cups shucked small oysters with liquor
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Combine saltine crackers and butter in a bowl; stir until all crumbs are saturated with butter.

Spread 1/3 of the saltines mixture on the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Pour half of the oysters with their liquor over the saltines mixture. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Repeat with next 1/3 of saltines and remaining oysters. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and Italian parsley.

Sprinkle remaining saltines mixture over the oysters. Drizzle cream slowly and evenly over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• ½ pound ground pork, not too lean
• ½ pound fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon sweet rice wine, such as Shaoxing rice wine (or use sherry)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon spicy Chinese bean paste, also called chili bean sauce (or use chile paste)
• 2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups chopped Chinese garlic chives (or use 3/4 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts)
• 36 wonton skins, about 3 by 3 inches, available at Asian markets and many grocery stores
• 1 small egg, beaten
• Cornstarch for dusting
• 8 ounces baby spinach leaves
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 8 cups good chicken broth, hot, salted to taste
• Red pepper oil (optional)

Preparation

Put pork and shrimp in a chilled mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix briefly with chopsticks, wet hands or wooden spoons. Add rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, bean paste, serrano chiles and garlic chives. Mix well to incorporate. Pan-fry a small flat patty in a small amount of oil to check seasoning; taste and adjust. Transfer mixture to a small container, cover and chill at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have time, up to 24 hours.

To prepare wontons, remove a few wonton skins from package and lay them on dry work surface. Put 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each square skin. Paint edges of square lightly with egg. Gently fold one side over the other, pinching edges together. You should a have a folded rectangle. Now pull the lower corners in toward each other and pinch together to make the traditional curved wonton shape. Place wontons 1 inch apart on a baking sheet or platter. Dust lightly with cornstarch and refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put a small handful of spinach leaves and about 2 tablespoons cilantro in each person’s deep wide soup bowl. When water is boiling, drop about 10 wontons into pot and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with wire bamboo spider (or a large fine-meshed sieve with a handle) and divide among bowls. Repeat with remaining wontons. Pour about 1 1/2 cups hot broth over each serving. Drizzle with red pepper oil if desired.

New York Times