Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 pounds pork cheeks, silver skin, fat, and cartilage removed
• 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 1 leek, white part only, sliced
• 1 head garlic, cut in half
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 cups veal or pork stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 bunches baby mâche or 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pork cheeks and sear until well caramelized on all sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the celery, carrots, onions, leeks, and garlic and sauté until tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Add the honey and mix well. Return the pork to the pot and stir. Add the red wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Add the stock and return to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven, and braise until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside. Strain the braising liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 minutes. Skim the fat from the top. Return the pork to the liquid and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Alternatively: After removing the pork from the pot, do not strain the braising liquid (remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves). Add a 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes and reduce until it forms a proper tomato sauce. Shred the pork cheeks and return them to the sauce, and serve over pasta.

Adapted from James Beard Foundation

Ingredients

For shortbread crust:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For chocolate dulce de leche:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 4 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces 60%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (preferably in a food processor)

Preparation

Make shortbread crust: Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a shallow 9- to 9 1/2-inch square baking pan (1 to 1 1/2 inches deep). Line bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Butter parchment.

Blend together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift in flour and blend with fork until a soft dough forms.

Spread dough evenly in baking pan using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, then prick all over with fork.

Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make chocolate dulce de leche: Bring cream and dulce de leche to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until dulce de leche has dissolved.

Whisk together yolks in a bowl, then slowly whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pan is visible in tracks of spoon and mixture registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until melted.

Make bars: Pour chocolate mixture over cooled shortbread and chill, uncovered, until cold and set, about 2 hours.

Run a small knife around edges to loosen, then transfer to a cutting board using parchment. Cut with a hot clean knife (dip in hot water and wipe clean between cuts) into 24 bars. Chill until ready to serve.

Gourmet, July 2008

Ingredients

• 1 pound merguez sausage
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, halved and sliced
• 1 lemon, quartered [CP: can see no reason why this wouldn’t be a preserved lemon]
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup green olives, pitted
• 1/2 pound zucchini, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 10-ounce box couscous

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot. Use a tagine if you have one, but if not a big dutch oven will do. Add the cinnamon, coriander, paprika, turmeric and cumin to the pot.

Add the lemon, onion, fennel, garlic and green olives to the pot and cook until softened, for about 15 minutes. Taste for salt.

Meanwhile, brown the merguez sausage in a skillet over medium heat and reserve the cooking oils. Set aside.

Add the tablespoon of flour and mix well. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and allow to bubble for 5 minutes.

Place the merguez, plus the oil rendered from the merguez, and the remaining vegetables into the pot. Add the chickpeas, dried apricots and the raisins. Continue to cook over medium for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the merguez is cooked through.

For the couscous, follow the directions on the box, and stir in the turmeric before covering the pot to give the couscous a bright yellow hue.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with couscous.

Laila Gohar, Food Republic

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 1/4 pounds meaty oxtails, patted dry
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, chopped
• 3 stalks lemongrass, chopped
• 2/3 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 7 whole star anise
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 12 cups water
• 7 cups canned beef broth (about four 14 1/2-ounce cans)
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 12-ounce package fresh udon noodles or fresh linguine
• 1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 serrano chilies, thinly sliced [CP: omit these to bring down spice]
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 6 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Additional fish sauce (nam pla)

Preparation

Heat peanut oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle oxtails with salt and pepper. Add oxtails to pot and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Transfer oxtails to large bowl. Add onions and next 6 ingredients to same pot. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Return oxtails to pot. Add 12 cups water, beef broth and 3 tablespoons fish sauce. Cover and simmer gently until oxtails are very tender, about 3 hours.

Using tongs, transfer oxtails to large bowl. Strain broth into another large pot; discard solids. Remove meat from oxtails; discard bones. Add meat to broth.

Refrigerate overnight. Spoon solid fat off top of soup. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain; rinse under cold water. Return to same pot. Toss noodles with sesame oil.

Bring soup to boil. Divide noodles, sprouts and next 6 ingredients among 6 bowls. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with lime wedges and additional fish sauce.

Bon Appetit, March 2000

Ingredients

For all:

• 2 pounds lemons, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• 10 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings, sterilized

Lemon marmalade:

• 2 lb. lemons, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges, then seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
• 8 1/2 c. sugar (3 3/4 lb.)

Meyer lemon marmalade:

• 2 lb. Meyer lemons, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges, then seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
• 7 1/2 c. sugar (3 1/4 lb.)

Valencia orange marmalade:

• 2 lb. Valencia oranges, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 8 wedges, then seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
• 8 c. sugar (3 1/2 lb.)

Preparation

Day 1:

For all of the marmalades: in a large, nonreactive saucepan, cover the first 2 lb. of lemons with 2 inches of water (about 8 cups). Leave to stand at room temperature overnight.

For the orange marmalade: In another nonreactive saucepan, cover the orange wedges with 2 inches of water (about 8 cups) and leave to stand at room temperature overnight.

Day 2:

_For all of the marmalades: _Bring the lemon wedges to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring every 30 minutes, until the lemons are very tender and the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Pour the lemon wedges into a fine sieve set over a large heatproof bowl; let cool completely. Wrap the sieve and bowl with plastic and let drain overnight at room temperature; discard the lemon wedges.

For the lemon marmalade: In a large nonreactive saucepan, cover the lemon slices with 2 inches of water (about 8 cups) and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the lemon slices in a fine strainer; discard the cooking liquid. Return the lemon slices to the saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the lemons are very tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 40 minutes; let stand at room temperature overnight.

For the Meyer lemon marmalade: In a large saucepan, cover the Meyer lemon slices with 1 inch of water (about 4 cups) and let stand at room temperature overnight.

_For the orange marmalade: _Bring the oranges to a boil and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the oranges are very tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Let stand covered at room temperature overnight.

Day 3:

For all the marmalades: Add the strained lemon-wedge liquid to the slices in the saucepan. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, without stirring, until the marmalade darkens slightly, about 30 minutes; skim off any foam as necessary. Test for doneness: Spoon 1 tablespoon of the marmalade onto a chilled plate and refrigerate until it is room temperature, about 3 minutes; the marmalade is ready when it thickens like jelly and a spoon leaves a trail when dragged through it. If not, continue simmering and testing every 10 minutes until it passes the test, up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Spoon the marmalade into the canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top. Screw on the lids. Using canning tongs, lower the jars into a large pot of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. Remove the jars with the tongs and let stand until the lids seal (they will look concave). Store the marmalade in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

Food and Wine, December 2013

Ingredients

• 5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if they are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. [CP: Right here, mom says she blenderized half of the soup all the way smooth, and another half just coarse.] Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Ina Garten, Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Southern Comfort
• dash angostura bitters
• 4 oz. champagne, chilled
• twist lemon peel

Preparation

Combine. Variations: Brandy instead of Southern Comfort, no bitters, orange peel; Cognac, extra dash or two of bitters, no citrus.

Epicurious, February 2003

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. pisco
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. Clement Creole Shrubb (or Grand Marnier, Cointreau)
• 1/4 oz. Cherry Heering
• 2 dashes bitters (pref. orange)

Preparation

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake, then strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, via Spirit Magazine

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• salt and pepper
• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. tomate frito (or a sofrito or other rich tomato sauce, pref. homemade)
• 1 c. samfaina (pisto)
• 1/3 c. roasted red peppers
• 1/3 c. roasted onions
• 1/3 c. roasted eggplant
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

Preparation

Cut the eggplant, peppers, and onions into 1/4" pieces, place them in 3 tbsp. of the olive oil (or, if your peppers or eggplant were cured in olive oil, the olive oil from the vegetables), and set aside.

Cut the chicken thighs into quarters and season them with salt and black pepper. In a large saute pan, heat the other 2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken, skin side down, and brown on all sides, 5-6 minutes. Set aside.

In the same pan, add the tomate frito and simmer for 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Return the chicken to the pain and continue to simmer for 6-7 minutes, until just about cooked through.

Stir in the samfaina and the vegetables in olive oil. Stirring frequently, cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Jose Andres Foods

Ingredients

• 2 oz. rye
• 1/2 oz. maple syrup
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. Suze (or punt e mes, campari, Fernet, etc.)
• absinthe

Preparation

Combine first four ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Hard-shake, then strain into a cocktail glass that has been rinsed with absinthe. Garnish with a thyme sprig.

Sobou, via Spirit Magazine