We Heart :: Saltie

Sunday Suppers popped into the new sandwich shop Saltie recently to check out Caroline Fidanza’s latest undertaking (and first proprietorship), having worked for the Andrew Tarlow and Mark Firth local Williamsburg empire (needs no introduction, but just in case – Diner, Marlow & Sons, Marlow & Daughters). I have to say, we were impressed! Or better yet, hungry. One look at the pastries and sandwiches and the 4pm busy-bee stomach let me know it was empty. I read in an interview with seriouseats.com that one of Caroline’s “over-the-kitchen-sink” go-to meals was Salvatore ricotta with sea salt and olive oil either on Finn Crisp or fresh Italian bread. Clearly her style shows on this menu. These interesting combos, so carefully curated for the taste buds are heaven. I opted for the Spanish Armada – a potato tortilla with Russian-ish aioli, and a leek, chicken, prune stew (the name has slipped my mind). I climbed my starving little self into the car with the beauty you see here and every last bite, every last slurp, was a party in my mouth. Divine. And the décor speaks for itself. I loved walking in off Metropolitan Ave to these blue boards and block letters. I felt like I had walked into a little New England seafood shack with picnic tables and red-and-white checked cardboard containers. I will be back there for lunch sooner than later. I think next on my list is the “clean slate”: Wheatberries, chickpeas, miso, and pickled vegetables. Mmmmm….. You can visit Caroline in all her quaintness too – at 378 Metropolitan Ave, here in Brooklyn for lunch or dinner.

UPCOMING CLASSES!

We're very pleased to announce our next series of classes at Sunday Suppers:

Sunday Supper :: Fall Harvest
Sunday Nov 15, 2009
Tickets available online at Brown Paper Tickets
Chef: Casey Solomon

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Sunday Supper :: A Winter Dinner
Sunday Dec. 6, 2009
Tickets available online at Brown Paper Tickets

Guest Chefs: The Jewels of NY
Diana Yen and Lisel Arroyo

Sunday Supper :: Picnic, Fennel Slaw

The last salad from our picnic was a fennel slaw with pickled red onion, raisin, hazelnuts & mint. The fennel and hazelnuts give a nice crispness along with the sweetness of the golden raisins and a hint of mint, it's the perfect bite (way better than coleslaw :). Below are the recipes for both the pickled red onions and the fennel slaw.



All Food Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai
Recipe Courtesy of Camille Becerra for Sunday Suppers

Pickled Red Onion

1 pound red onions, peeled
3 cups red wine vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup sugar
10 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 Thai bird chili

Cut the onion in half lengthwise and cut thin slices.

In a non-reactive saucepan combine the vinegar, red wine, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and the chili. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the red onion and allow it to sit overnight.

This can be refrigerated for up to one month and goes great on sandwiches.

Fennel Slaw
pickled red onion, raisin, hazelnuts & mint
Serves 4

1/4 cup golden raisins
4 cups fennel, sliced thin, preferably on a mandolin
1/2 cup pickled onion, drained (recipe below)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup mint, coarsely chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
sea salt
pepper

Place raisins in a bowl and cover with water allowing them to soften and plump up, about 15-20 minutes.
Toss all the ingredients in a bowl, adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
For picnics or parties, layer ingredients to prevent the pickled red onion from bleeding and discoloring the other components. The fennel layer is dressed with the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. As well, the pickled onion should be the bottom layer.

Sunday Supper, Picnic :: Tomato & Cantaloupe Salad

A note from Camille : A perfect end of summer salad when cantaloupes at the market are extremely fragrant and sweet and tomatoes are full of flavor. The combination of the two, sweet and acid, is what makes this salad so special. The addition of the mustard seed oil brings in a slight spiciness, a pleasant surprise and the lemon I find enhances all the different flavors. I enjoy using green and yellow heirloom tomatoes in this dish strictly for the color combination in relation to orange of the cantaloupe.




All Food Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai
Recipe Courtesy of Camille Becerra for Sunday Suppers


Tomato & Cantaloupe Salad
mustard seed oil & lemon
Serves 4

2 cups tomato, cut into 3/4” cubes
2 cups cantaloupe, cut into 3/4” cubes
1 tbl mustard seed oil
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Mix all together in a bowl, taste and adjust seasonings. I usually add a little more mustard seed oil so the spice is more pronounced. I suggest you play around to suit your preference.

Sunday Supper, Picnic :: Burrata Salad

Camille created this wonderful burrata salad by simply layering, in a small jar we used these:
using a slice of ripe red tomato
a slice of burrata or buffalo mozzarella (if burrata is unavailable) then topped it with a couple heaping spoonfuls of the cauliflower relish.

We are absolutely obsessed with burata ? In Italian it literally means "buttered" - a perfect description...It's a version of fresh mozarella, a silky exterior and a creamy gorgeous inside. It can be hard to find, since it's imported from Italy. But we recently spotted it at the Bedford Cheese Shop in Brooklyn. It can also be used in a classic caprese (tomato, basil and lots of great olive oil). If you haven't tried it yet, seek it out - it's truly wonderful.





All Food Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai
Recipe Courtesy of Camille Becerra for Sunday Suppers

Sunday Supper Picnic :: Cauliflower Relish

The Burrata Salad was a layering of burrata (more about that deliciousness coming soon) heirloom tomato, and a spicy cauliflower relish. Below is part one...the cauliflower relish. It is absolutely delicious. We packaged small jars of this for our guests to take home as favors...and were very happy to keep one jar for ourselves. It is wonderful over fish, in pasta or on toast with avocados.









All Food Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai
Recipe Courtesy of Camille Becerra for Sunday Suppers

Cauliflower Relish
recipe makes about 3 cups of Relish (8-10 servings)

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/4 cup olive oil
4 Thai bird chilies
2 anchovies
2 cloves of garlic, diced fine
8 sprigs of thyme
2 tsp of course ground peppercorns
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1 cup red onion, diced small
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup of white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger, a micro plane works best
fresh lemon juice and salt to taste

Blanch the cauliflower.
Saute whole chilies, garlic, anchovies in oil till the anchovies melt.
Add the thyme springs, peppercorns, bell pepper, red onion and bay leaves and saute till the onion cooks through.
Add the cauliflower and season mixture with salt.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and add white balsamic to the pan just used to make the cauliflower, reduce vinegar by half.
Once reduce add to the cauliflower along with the fresh ginger and lemon juice.
Adjust seasoning.
Allow to sit in refrigerator one day to allow all the flavors to bloom.

Frittata of Rice, Baby Zucchini & Feta + Fennel Pollen Yogurt

All Food Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai
Recipe Courtesy of Camille Becerra for Sunday Suppers

Frittata of Rice, Baby Zucchini & Feta
served with fennel pollen yogurt

1 cup cooked white rice
2 tbl butter
2 tbl olive oil
10 baby zucchini, sliced length wise
4 scallion, sliced
1/2 bunch of chopped mint
2 tbl of chopped dill
6 eggs
1/4 cup of heavy cream
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup feta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a cast iron skillet saute zucchini and scallion in butter and oil until soft. Mix in the rice and herbs.
Whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Pour over rice mixture. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Add crumbled feta on top.
Transfer into oven, bake 12 minutes.

Fennel Pollen Yogurt
1 cups Greek yogurt
2 pinches of fennel pollen
2 tbl olive oil

Combine all the ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for an hour to allow the fennel pollen to release its flavor and aroma.

Sunday Supper, Picnic :: Meat Pies with Chicken, Baby Carrots & Nigella

Camille's food focuses on farm fresh and seasonal ingredients, our favorite kind ! The meat pies are a bit of an English tradition with a twist. They were perfect for a picnic outing because they hold well at room temperature. The crust was a flaky buttery outside, complimented with the unique yummy filling inside. Camille also infuses some unique flavors like nigella (an onion seed) which we had never tasted before, and the results are absolutely delicious. Scroll down for the full recipe below.





All Food Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai
Recipes Courtesy of Camille Becerra for Sunday Suppers

Meat Pies with Chicken, Baby Carrots & Nigella

Savory Pie Dough
3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
20 twist of a pepper mill
2 sticks cold butter cut in cubes
1/4 cup ice-cold water

Measure out flour, salt and pepper into a food processor. Mix well. Add the butter and pulse till butter resembles small pea size pieces. Add water while pulsing processor. Stop once the dough becomes a ball. Lay out a piece of clear wrap, lay the dough on it, flatten to a thick disk while wrapping. Allow to rest for at least 1/2 hour.

For meat pies lightly spray muffin tins with spray oil. Roll out dough and cut individual circles using a cookie cutter or rim of a glass slightly larger that the round of the muffin mold. Lay each circle in the molds and using a pastry brush brush edges with water. Fill with meat filling. Top with dough circle cut out, and with a fork seal edges. Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle with course sea salt.

Bake 20 minutes or till golden brown on the top and bottoms.


Chicken, Carrot and Nigella Meat Pie Filling
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
4 thai bird chilis
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sofrito
2 tsp. nigella seed
8 baby carrots, chopped into 1/4" rounds
2 cups chicken pieces
1 bunch cilantro

Gently warm the oil and add chiles allowing them to cook over a low heat. Increase the heat and add the onion, sauteing till soft. Add and saute the sofito and nigella for a few minutes. Add the carrots, chicken and wine. Lower heat, put a lid on it and allow to simmer till the wine has reduced. Remove mixture from pan and cool. Wash and coarsely chop the cilantro. With your hands shred the chicken to allow more of the flavor to be absorbed by the chicken. Add and mix in the cilantro.

Sunday Supper, Picnic :: Flowers

We're kind of in love with these little flower arrangements, we bought a mismatch of glass salt and pepper shakers and created wild arrangements to decorate our picnic. Aren't they cute? xoxo

Sunday Supper :: Picnic

Our last ss was an urban picnic in the park - an ode to the end of summer. Our guest chef was the incredibly talented Camille Becerra.
Camille's menu was the perfect picnic in our eyes... we started off with Watermelon Aqua Fresca Cocktails and served:
Meat Pies
chicken, baby carrots & nigella
Frittatta
rice, baby zucchini & feta with fennel pollen yogurt
Burrata Salad
spicy cauliflower relish & crostini
Tomato & Cantalope Salad
mustard seed oil & lemon
Fennel Slaw
pickled red onion, raisin, hazelnuts & mint

After a class at our loft in williamsburg, we set up our picnic down on the waterfront with a great view of the bridges & city across the river.
We had a great time basking in the last days of sun. Below are a few photos from the day, and coming next will be recipes...class photos and more.

Merci, Paris: Part 2

Part 2 of our Paris post was a visit to the amazing "merci" store in the marais. Housed in a former wallpaper factory "merci" is an incredible 16,000 square foot industrial conversion on the boulevard beaumarchais. The store is a 4-story haven, featuring a flower store, a used book shop, a perfume bar, designer clothing, a kids boutique, a fabric shop and more. It's truly like nothing we've ever seen. We loved the cute red vintage car when you enter, the vintage crates as wall shelves, and the little herb garden below, it was all very parisian and so chic. Scroll down for some photos below.

And are you ready for the best part? Furniture, clothing, and other pieces for the home are all donated by designers like YSL, Stella McCartney, Azzaro, Alexis Mabille and Marni. 100% of the proceeds from Merci go to a homeless charity in Madagascar called Accueil des Sans-abri. The store was started by Bernard and Marie-France Cohen, founders of Bonpoint clothing, (by the way- the most gorgeous french kids clothing line).

The Perfume bar is an Annick Goutal laboratory where you can create your own fragrance. Since the brand is not taking any profit on sales, the scents cost 40 percent less at Merci than at the brand's own boutique. The bottom floor houses kitchen goods, and decor items, where we stocked up on some wonderful pieces for our last sunday supper. There is also a communal cafe, serving coffees and treats. From the concept to the design- merci is a flawless project, and for such a good cause...we came back inspired & excited to share !
Merci is located at 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris 75003. Next time you're in paris, you must go!

A Day in Paris: Part One

Hello all, back from a wonderful trip to Paris, and so much catching up to do. My husband and I spent 3 days in paris and the strategy was simple: eat, drink, eat a bit more. For those of you who have met ken at a sunday supper, you know he is so sweet and charming (if I do say so myself) ; he is also the perfect travel mate. We were not going to attempt the tourist sites, just dally around the streets, take in the gorgeous atmosphere, and see where our little feet took us. Every morning we had a delightful breakfast at Carette in Trocadero Square. The parisian breakfast consisted of croissants and pastries, the most divine scrambled eggs we'd ever had...and one too many cappuccinos. We strolled around paris, cafe & pastry hopping along the way. We bought macaroons and treats at Gerard Mulot. The thing about paris is that everything is just gorgeous, you really can't go wrong. We enjoyed every little bit: riding the metro, taking afternoon breaks at a local cafe, discovering quiet streets in the evening hours and feeling like paris was all ours. Walking along the Seine and down to the Pantheon at night. A perfect day in Paris.

The next day we payed a visit to the most perfect store (ever)...stay tuned- k.

Sunday Supper, Summer - Thank you

My apologies for the few scattered posts, turns out blogging and traveling is a bit tougher than it looks ! Thank you for all your sweet comments and emails ! I've just returned from my trip and it was just wonderful...lots and lots of photos coming soon ! In the meantime...I'm behind on this last post, our favors for our guests from the last sunday supper. As a celebration of the sweet and savory we made a sugar and a salt for guests to take home. A lavender strawberry sugar and a fresh mint salt. These are so easy to make at home, just add your favorite spice/herb and blend it in a blender on high for a few seconds. We used wonderful dehydrated berries (which you can find at whole foods, fairway and trader joe's) and fresh lavender for the sugar and a big bunch of mint from our garden along with a nice coarse salt. easy ! - k.

New Class :: Picnic Sunday Sept 20th

We are very excited to announce our next class Sept 20th a Sunday Supper Picnic, celebrating the end of summer. Our guest chef will be Camille Becerra, chef and restaurateur in NYC, former TopChef contestant. Camille formerly owned Paloma in Greenpoint, a neighborhood restaurant that offered a daily changing menu reflective of the current availability of local product and the creativity of its staff. A fire last November shuttered it's doors. Camille is currently consulting on restaurants, writing recipes and cooking at various dinner parties. We are very honored to have her!
Tickets will go on sale Thursday Sept 10th @ 10 am on brown paper tickets

Summer Supper :: Pearl Couscous Salad

All Photos by Karen Mordechai
Recipes by Casey Solomon for Sunday Suppers

Pearl Couscous Salad

2 cups couscous
1 3/4 cups fresh orange juice
juice of one lemon
juice of one lime
splash of white vinegar
splash of olive oil
half a stick of butter melted
salt and freshly ground black pepper

one red onion finely diced
2 roma tomates finely diced
1/2 bunch of parsley (the market variety, not the small bunches from the supermarket)
1/2 bunch of cilantro (as above)
toasted slivered almonds

Combine orange juice, lemon and lime juice, white vinegar, olive oil and butter in a pan on the stove. Season. When this mixture is boiling pour it over the cous cous and mix it through with a fork. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for ten minutes.
Remove the plastic wrap and separate the grains of cous cous with a fork. Add the red onion, tomato, parsley, cilantro and toasted almonds. Check the seasoning, it may need a bit more olive oil, salt and pepper.

Summer Supper :: swordfish and salmon kabobs with market vegetables

All Photos by Karen Mordechai
Recipes by Casey Solomon for Sunday Suppers

Kabobs of Artic Char, Swordfish, Green Pepper, Red Onion and Cherry Tomatoes

1 lb Artic Char
1 lb Swordfish
2 lb Peppers
Two handfuls of Cherry Tomatoes
1 Red Onion

Soak the wooden skewers in water for a few hours.
Cut the swordfish and artic char into cubes.
Cut the green pepper and red onion into pieces that are similar in size to the fish.
Thread a piece of fish, pepper, onion and tomato, repeating three times.
Barbecue skewers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are softened/browned and fish is cooked.
Note that these skewers cook very quickly over hot coals - be sure to turn them more regularly than you would with meat.

Pine Nut, Caper and Golden Raisin Butter

3 ounces of pine nuts
1 ounce of salted capers rinsed and drained
3 ounces of golden raisins
2 sticks of butter

Gently warm the butter, when it starts to foam, add pine nuts. As these start to golden, add raisins and capers. Check for seasoning and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Pour this wonderful mixture over the grilled fish & enjoy.

Summer Supper :: watermelon, feta and basil salad + market greens with mint and marigold

All Photos by Karen Mordechai
Recipes by Casey Solomon for Sunday Suppers

Salad of Watermelon, Feta, Caramelized Onion and Aged Balsamic

One quarter of a whole seedless watermelon, cut into cubes
Half Pound of Bulgarian Feta crumbled
One bunch of Basil leaves picked and washed
Caramelized Onions (see below)
Aged Balsamic
Black Pepper

Gently mix all ingredients together and finish with a good drizzle of the best quality balsamic and a grind of black pepper.

For the caramelized onions:

3 red onions, peeled and sliced finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown soft sugar

Put the oil in a small pot, add onions on low heat and allow to caramelize. When the onions are soft add the red wine vinegar and sugar. Cook on low for about ten minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Allow to cool before adding them to the other salad ingredients.
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Marigold and Mint Salad
6 cups mixed greens
8 marigolds, petals only
1 bunch of mint
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in the bottom of a bowl. Layer greens, torn mint and marigolds over top. Keep chilled and toss right before serving.

Summer Supper :: Aran's Desserts Part 3, Assorted Petits Fours

Aran served a wonderful array of petit fours at the end of our summer meal.
Our first thought...are these cookies too pretty to eat ? well almost ! The Pistachio Currant is our fave, but really they are all wonderful. We were able to truly taste test Aran's desserts, and the verdict is out - her desserts taste as good as they look. See full recipes below & have a wonderful weekend.

We will continue to post recipes from the summer class next week and a few other fun things we've been working on. I (karen) will be leaving for 2 weeks: Paris for a few days and then to Israel to visit family and work on a few projects...I hope to take lots of photos and notes and share them while I'm away. stay tuned...xo








Photos by Karen Mordechai
Recipe : Courtesy of Aran Goyoaga

Raspberry Financiers
Makes 3 dozen mini financiers
120 grams egg whites
125 grams sugar
55 grams flour
55 grams almond flour, toasted
150 grams brown butter
25 grams raspberries, halved
Place the butter in a small saucepan and cook until it starts to smell nutty and the milk solids caramelize in the bottom of the pan. Strain through a fine sieve and let it cool.
Toast the almond flour in a 325F oven for about 5 minutes until lightly golden. Let it cool.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, flour, toasted almond flour and finally the brown butter. Let the mixture cool in the fridge for about 4 hours.
Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe into mini rectangular molds. Top with half a raspberry.
Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden on top.


Pecan Sandies
280 grams butter, room temperature
110 grams powdered sugar
340 grams flour
85 grams chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Powdered sugar for rolling.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and mix until just incorporated. Add the chopped pecans.
Scoop the dough into a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicon mat using a 1 to 2 inch ice cream scoop.
Bake at 350 until lightly golden, about 12 minutes depending on the size.
Let them cool for a couple of minutes and when they can be handled but are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar until coated.

Pistachio and currant cookies
110 grams butter, room temperature
110 grams brown butter
55 grams sugar
1 egg
225 grams flour
85 grams pistachios, chopped
65 grams dried currants
3g baking soda
4g salt

Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar together. Add the egg and mix. Scrape the bowl and mix until all ingredients well incorporated.
Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until ingredients come together. Add pistachios and currants and mix some more.
Roll the dough into a log that is about 2-3 inches in diameter. Wrap in parchment and let it set in refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Cut the log into disks and place them on a baking sheet (leave about 1 inch between the cookies as they spread a little). Bake them at 350F for about 8 minutes.

Summer Supper :: Aran's Desserts Part 2, Nectarine, Pistachio and Lemon Mascarpone Tart

Photos by Karen Mordechai
Recipe : Courtesy of Aran Goyoaga

Nectarine, Pistachio and Lemon Mascarpone Tart

Pistachio Crumble

100 grams unsalted butter
100 grams sugar
100 grams flour
125 grams pistachios, chopped
pinch of salt

Cream all ingredients together in an electric mixer. It will be crumbly. Place on a cookie sheet or in an airtight container and refrigerate over night.
The next day, spread the crumble on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 350F until golden, about 8 minutes. Let it cool.

Roasted Nectarines

5 nectarines
25 grams sugar
1 vanilla bean split
Juice of ½ lemon

Peel and cut the nectarines into medium dice. Mix nectarines with sugar, vanilla bean and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook for 2 minutes until slightly soft.
Let the nectarines cool before assembling the tart.

Lemon and Almond Sponge

250 grams almond paste
5 eggs
40 grams flour
3 grams baking powder
100 grams butter, melted and cooled
Zest 3 lemons

Place the almond paste and one egg in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, cream the almond paste and egg until it starts to break down and turn into a smoother paste. Add the lemon zest. Slowly add one egg at a time.
Switch to the whip attachment and whip until ribbons are formed, about 5 minutes.
Add the flour and baking powder and mix.
Add cooled and melted butter and mix.
Place the batter in a piping bag with the plain pastry tip and fill the savarin molds about ¾ full.
Bake at 365F for about 12 minutes until lightly golden brown and springy.

Vanilla Mousseline

250 grams whole milk
1 vanilla bean
3 egg yolks
40 grams sugar
25 grams cornstarch
125 grams butter, cold and cut into small pieces

Place the milk, vanilla and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a light boil.
Whisk together the egg yolks, half of the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. When the milk mixture comes to a light boil, temper it into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk to incorporate and then return this to the saucepan. Cook while constantly whisking until the custard thickens.
Remove vanilla bean and transfer the custard to a clean bowl. Whisk to slightly cool the custard down and start adding the cold butter while whisking. This will cool it down and make it shiny and creamier.
Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and chill.

Lemon Mascarpone Cream

200 grams heavy cream
50 grams mascarpone
25 grams sugar
Zest of 2 lemons

Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until semi stiff peaks form.

Assemble the Dessert

Place a 3” ring on a plate and press in some pistachio crumble. Next add a layer of roasted nectarines (previously drained a bit). Press gently to make it compact.
Carefully remove the ring.
Place the lemon sponge savarin on top of the nectarines.
Pipe some vanilla mousseline in the savarin cavity.
Top with a quenelle of lemon mascarpone cream.

Summer Supper :: Aran's Desserts Part 1

Our guest chef from the Summer Supper was Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille. Aran is one of those people you meet that are so lovely and wonderful and beautiful - both inside and out that you just want to have her around all the time ! Her talents are incredible as many of you know, and watching her in action - it is just effortless and graceful. We were entranced watching her make a perfect one spoon quenelle. We were so honored and thrilled to have Aran teach a class and are happy to have her as a friend as well. If you have not clicked over to her site yet, what are you waiting for ?! go here to see more of Aran's work. Below is her first course - a pre-dessert: berry consomme with lemon champagne sorbet. recipe below.









All Photos by Karen Mordechai
Recipe Courtesy of Aran Goyoaga of Canelle et Vanille

Berry Consomme
500 grams assorted berries (strawberries, currants, raspberries)
50 grams sugar
Juice of half a lemon
Place all ingredients in a non reactive bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the bowl over a double boiler (low heat). Let the berries macerate and release their juices for about 4 hours.
Strain the berries through a fine sieve. Do not press the flesh down. We just want to collect the clear juice. Let it cool completely in the refrigerator before serving.

Lemon Champagne Sorbet
adapted from David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”
1 1/3 cups (330 ml) champagne
1 cup (100 gr) sugar
2 ½ cups (625 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Heat half of the champagne with sugar until it dissolves. Add lemon juice and rest of champagne. Cool completely and churn in the ice cream machine.

Gleena Ceramics

The gorgeous bowl we used for Aran's pre-dessert are a set created by Asya of Gleena Ceramics. Asya created a custon line of pink summer bowls for us to match the decor of the evening. They were even numbered 1-18 for our 18 guests ! how cute is that. Check out Asya's work here. For you locals she's at the brooklyn flea in fort green on Saturdays. Thank you Asya !

Sunday Supper :: Summer, Menu

The menu for our Summer Supper was a 3 course Savory, 3 course Sweet celebration of summer. Casey's portion of the meal was served family style in big bowls and platters that were passed around the table. The market inspired menu was filled with the most seasonal goodies, marigolds, watermelon, corn, berries, currants....the list goes on. We will start posting recipes tomorrow, we'll be working our way backwards and starting with the wonderful creations by Aran, we know you are patiently awaiting them :)The menu was as follows:

savory:
swordfish and salmon kabobs with market vegetables
pearl couscous salad
watermelon, feta and basil salad
market greens with mint and marigold

sweet:
berry consomme with lemon champagne sorbet
nectarine, pistachio and lemon mascarpone tart
assorted petits fours

Sunday Supper :: Summer, Table

The table Design for our Summer Supper was a large family style setting. We used white table clothes, layered with brown kraft paper. We set the table with our vintage silverware and a mix-matched array of vintage napkins. Jessie's flowers topped it all off with a wonderful deep hues of pinks and reds. One of the things that makes Jessie's work so unique is how she seamlessly incorporates the most unexpected items, look closely and you'll find acorns, poppy pods and the really dark flowers are called scabiosa. We also collected vintage white milk glass vessels as containers for the flowers in an array of shapes and sizes. The wonderful menu was designed by thoughtfulday (and it actually gives you a sneak peak at our new logo which will be revealed in coming weeks!)











All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper :: Behind the Scenes, NYC

In preparation for our Summer Supper with guest chef Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille....the three of us hit the markets on a beautiful hot saturday afternoon. It was the perfect NY day (and you guys know those are few and far between these days). The markets were overflowing with the most amazing produce and we were ooo-ing and aahhing the whole way through. Both Aran and Karen had their cameras, so it was a bit paparazzi - but we thought you'd enjoy some photos from the day. Mostly food and a few pics of us are below :) We were in love with the market goods, the purple eggplants - the heirloom tomatoes...just incredible. Casey picked up some fresh herbs and greens and Aran found the most lovely currants and berries for her desserts. We worked up an appetite and ended the day with a late lunch at Pastis. The perfect day for 3 foodies and 2 cameras. cheers.












All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Photo from Left to Right: Karen Mordechai shopping at the Farmer's Market (photo by Aran Goyoaga), Middle Photo Aran @ Meatpacking

Sunday Supper :: Market, Thank You

Our favors at the end of our Market class were wonderful seasonal peaches that we wanted to share with our guests. We filled a crate of these beauties near the door, and on their way out - guests happily filled their bags. Our menus were printed on these brown paper bags (designed with the help of Stefanie Pitaro), and we were happy to reuse and recycle :). Thanks again to all of our wonderful guests at market, we hope to see you again soon.

Sunday Supper, Market :: Lemon Rosemary Cake with Strawberry Compote

Our dessert from Market was a Lemon Rosemary Cake with Strawberry Compote. This is a very versatile lemon cake recipe, you can add any additional flavor to change it up. Swap the rosemary for lavender or ground cardamon (about 3 tbl). Lemon and cardamon, yummmm! These strawberries were so perfectly in season we just wanted to highlight their amazing flavor.











All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Lemon Rosemary Cake with Strawberry Compote

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
2 c turbinado sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
¼ c lemon zest
¼ c rosemary leaves, chopped
3 c all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¼ c lemon juice
¾ c buttermilk
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy and a pale yellow color, approximately 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time making sure they are completely incorporated before adding the next one. Add zest and rosemary.
Sift together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl.
Alternate adding flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until tester comes out clean.

Strawberry Compote

4 pints of strawberries, hulled
1 vanilla bean split and scraped of seeds

In a medium saucepan, add the strawberries, vanilla bean and seeds. Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. If the strawberries are in season and ripe, they will give up their juice very quickly. Serve at room temperature.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon for Sunday Suppers

Sunday Supper, Market :: Brook Trout with Parsley Puree and Radish Salad

Below is our third course from the Market class, a Brook Trout with Parsley Puree and Radish Salad. You can use any kind of fish for this dish really. The grassy taste of the parsley puree and the crispness of the radish salad would compliment any type of fish very well. enjoy.



Photos by Karen Mordechai

Brook Trout with Parsley Puree and Radish Salad

1 large bunch of parsley, trimmed of stems
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup of olive oil
½ clove of garlic, roughly chopped
2 bunches of radishes, trimmed of greens and cut into matchsticks
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbl olive oil
4 fillets of brook trout

Place parsley, lemon juice, zest, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth. Refrigerate,
Toss together the radishes, olives, lime juice and zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. On high heat, place the fish skin side down in a sauté pan. Let crisp up and turn over. (3-5min) Cook flesh side down for 1 minute.
For plating, put a dollop of parsley puree in the center of the plate, place fish on top and garnish with radish salad.
Drizzle with some good olive oil.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon for Sunday Suppers

Sunday Supper :: Market Pasta, Tagliattele with Young Garlic, Asparagus and Mushrooms

All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Tip: When making pasta, wait until the water boils to add your salt. Add a large handful and let the water boil again. You want the water to taste like sea water.

Tagliattele with Young Garlic, Asparagus and Mushrooms

6 bulbs young garlic, trimmed of the stem and scape, cut in half lengthwise
1 bunch asparagus, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 lb of mixed mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
1 c white wine
½ c half and half
1 lb fresh tagliatelle
salt and pepper

Boil water for the pasta. In the meantime, in a heavy skillet, add 4 tbl of olive oil and sauté the young garlic until caramelized and just soft. 10-15 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they give up their liquid. Pour in the wine and let reduce by half. Cook the pasta and remove from pot when just al dente.
Add the cooked pasta directly to the vegetables and turn to coat, keeping the flame low. Pour in the half and half and toss. Add asparagus ribbons and toss. Remove from heat and shave some parm-regg over top and toss. Plate and drizzle with a little truffle oil and more parm-regg.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon for Sunday Suppers

Sunday Supper :: Market, cont'd !

Sorry for skipping around there...but we are back to posting recipes and photos from our Market class. In case you missed the description , the idea was creating a seasonal menu (on the fly) based on a visit to the market. We've posted the citrus water the wonderful market goods and the table decor.
For the rest of the week, we'll be posting recipes & photos from the evening.

Casey's menu was as follows:
mixed market greens, toasted pignoli nuts, shaved green apple, parmigiano reggiano
fresh tagliatelle, mushrooms, young garlic
brook trout, butter, lemon, parsley puree
rosemary lemon pound cake, strawberry coulis

Below is the recipe for the market green salad...




Market Green Salad

7 oz or 8 cups loosely packed mixed greens
1 green apple- cored and thinly sliced
½ c toasted pignoli nuts
16 nice big shavings of really good parmigiano-reggiano
1 tbl champagne vinegar
1 tsp diced shallots
½ tsp dijon mustard
¼ c good olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine vinegar, shallots and mustard. Add the olive oil in a slow steady stream- whisking constantly. Toss greens with the dressing and divide evenly among four plates. Top each with the apple slices, pignoli nuts, and parmigiano-reggiano.

Recipe :: How to Preserve Lemons

We used these Preserved Lemons in our Chicken Tagine, and they are one of the most popular Moroccan condiments. You can use them in many traditional Moroccan dishes, like couscous, fish & lamb. But don't be afraid to throw them into a salad, a pasta or any old chicken dish - we use them all the time!






All Photos by Karen Mordchai

10 to 12 lemons (2 1/2 to 3 lb)
2/3 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Equipment:
a 4- to 6-cup jar with a tight-fitting lid

Scrub lemons well, and slice them into medium or thin slices, leave a few extra lemons for juice
Coat the sliced lemons in kosher salt & a bit of the olive oil, allow them to sit for about an hour to allow the juices to formulate
Pack the lemons in a jar and Push the lemons down firmly to pack them tightly
Fill the top of the jar with the extra lemon juice and top it with remaining olive oil. Be sure to fill the jar up to the very top and seal well.
Store in Refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Moroccan Sunday Supper :: A Sweet Goodbye

A warm thank you to all of our wonderful guests who attended & contributed at our moroccan sunday supper. Happy friday & thanks for all the love & support !
Scroll down for a Moroccan Mint Tea recipe, traditionally served at the end of a great meal.





All Photos by Karen Mordchai

Moroccan Mint Tea

1 tablespoon loose green tea
5 cups boiling water
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1 large bunch fresh mint or spearmint

Put tea in teapot and pour in 1 cup boiling water, then swirl gently to warm pot and rinse tea. Strain out and discard water, reserving tea leaves in pot.

Add remaining 4 cups boiling water to tea and let steep 2 minutes. Stir in sugar (to taste) and mint sprigs and steep 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve in small heatproof glasses.

**traditionally served sweet, you can also try adding orange blossom water to your tea for an added sweetness

Sunday Supper + Thoughtful Designs

Our dear friend Erica Miller designed all of the custom paper items for the Moroccan Evening. Inspired by the Moroccan tiles, Erica designed a custom Mandala for both Amy's Dessert Table and the Sunday Supper Table - allowing both tables to relate well to each other and create a cohesive story. The colors and scale of patterns of the dinner table were a softer interpretation of the designs.

For those of you who don't know what a Mandala is, it's quite a beautiful concept...in Sanskrit maṇḍala literally means "essence" It is a concentric diagram having spiritual and ritual significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism and represents"circle-circumference" or "completion." Erica at Thoughtful Day created a Mandala for Karen's wedding invitations last year, and thus inspired the tradition. It was a beautiful way to create a unique logo that was infused with a bit more meaning. We were clearly thrilled to have Erica design another mandala for SS, and all the proper paper goods that followed ! For those of you who may not be familiar with Erica's work, you must see it immediately. Erica's line of Invitations (both custom & mix and match suites) are elegant and delightful at the same time. And not only is Erica Super talented, she is one of the sweetest-funniest-cutest people you'll ever meet. Check out her Wedding Invitations here and her awesome wedding blog here.
Erica's full suite included recipe cards for our guests to take home. Each recipe card had its own unique border all complimenting one another. Along with the recipe cards and the cookie bags from Amy's table...guests took home these adorable jars of home made preserved lemons. Erica designed the tags for these jars and the cookie packaging as well. Thank you e! xoxo

We'll be posting tips on how to preserve your own lemons at home soon.

Recipe:: Fig and Sesame Tarts with Orange Blossom Whipped Cream

As many of you know one of our guests at the last sunday supper was Aran Goyoaga ( who will also be teaching our next class. (yay!!) Casey was putting the finishing touches on her fig & sesame tarts for dessert, and Aran happily jumped right in to help us plate and garnish. Aran was a true pleasure to have at our class, she wrote the sweetest review here - if you haven't seen her inspiring work, go there now ! It's absolutely amazing. Scroll down for the recipe of our Fig & Sesame Tart below.








All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Fig and Sesame Tarts with Orange Blossom Whipped Cream
Tip: If you want a smoother filling, put the cooked fig mixture in a blender and pour in to tart shells then chill.

10 oz dried Turkish figs
¼ c sugar
zest and juice of 1 orange
¼ c marsala wine or any sweet dessert wine
¼ c water
¼ c sesame seeds, toasted
10-12 pre-made mini shortbread pastry crusts
3 fresh figs
whipping cream
1 tbl sugar
½ tsp orange blossom water

Chop the figs into small cubes. Combine figs, sugar, orange zest and juice, wine and water into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture becomes the consistency of jam.
Let cool for 15 minutes and stir in the sesame seeds. Spoon into tart shells.
Make whipped cream with 1 tbl sugar and ½ tsp orange flower water. Put a dollop of cream on each tart.
Top with a sliver of orange zest and fresh fig.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Recipe :: Feta and Coriander Polenta

This feta coriander polenta was a clean and soft flavor accompaniment to the chicken tagine. Be sure to buy stone ground polenta or cornmeal. You can use instant in a pinch but it doesn’t have the same texture as stone ground.



All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Coriander and Feta Polenta
3 ½ c of chicken stock
½ c half and half
1 tsp salt
2 tbl ground coriander
1 c yellow polenta or cornmeal
2 tbl butter
16 oz french feta

Bring chicken stock, half and half, salt and coriander to a boil in a sauce pan. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Cook for 10 minutes, continuing to whisk. Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Crumble feta into polenta and fold in gently.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Recipe:: Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Green Olives and Golden Raisins

The full menu from our Moroccan dinner was : A Harissa brushed Halibut, Gazpacho, Greens followed by the Chicken Tagine with preserved lemons and cracked olives a coriander feta polenta and a roasted beet and fresh mint salad. For dessert: a Fig and sesame Tart with orange cardamon cream.

Creating the Moroccan chicken in an authentic clay tagine from Morocco was divine. The earthy flavors from the clay along with the wonderful seasonings meld to create this comforting stew. If you don't own a tagine you this can be done in a heavy dutch oven and cooked stove top. Just bring the mixture to a boil then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook for 45 minutes or longer. Scroll down for the full recipe. Bon appétit.




All Photos by Karen Mordechai


Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Green Olives and Golden Raisins

1 whole chicken, quartered
1 tsp each, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dried cilantro
½ c olive oil
½ c lemon juice
8 slices preserved lemon
½ c green olives
½ c golden raisins
2 c chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all of the dry spices together with the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss the chicken in the marinade and let sit refrigerated for at least an hour.
On medium-high heat, sear the chicken to create a nice golden crust, approximately 8-10 minutes. Make sure to turn the chicken so that all sides get the color.
Scatter lemons, olives and raisins over the tops. Pour in chicken stock and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Recipe :: Roasted Beet Salad

Alongside our main entree and as a palate cleanser we served a side of roasted beets. We used a mix of red & baby beets which are gorgeous at the farmers market. This is the kind of dish that gets better the longer it sits. You’re essentially pickling the beets so the longer the better.


All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Roasted Beet Salad


24 baby beets, scrubbed with stems cut
3 tbl olive oil
2 tbl minced shallot
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ c red-wine vinegar
½ c really good olive oil
1 bunch of fresh mint

Toss beets with olive oil and salt, wrap in a double layer of foil and roast in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Mix together shallots, sugar, salt and vinegar. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking constantly.
Remove beets from oven and let stand for 10 minutes still covered, Peel if desired.
Cut in half and toss with vinaigrette while still warm. Tear mint leaves and fold in gently. Serve warm or chilled.


Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Recipe :: Harissa Brushed Halibut with Gazpacho

Our first course at the Moroccan dinner was this beautiful Harissa brushed Halibut. Harissa is very powerful so use it sparingly. It’s a gorgeous contrast to the delicate white halibut. Harissa is a North African hot red sauce or paste made from chili peppers (often smoked or dried) and garlic, often with coriander and caraway or cumin and served with olive oil. It can be used both as a condiment and as an ingredient in recipes. Our favorite is this one.

The gazpacho will be one of the easiest things you’ll ever make. Double the recipe and have it on hand for lunch. So refreshing! Scroll down for the full recipe.







All Photos by Karen Mordechai


Harissa Brushed Halibut with Gazpacho
(Makes 4 servings)

For the Halibut
1 tbl harissa paste
juice of ½ a lemon
1 lb halibut, cut into 4
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine harissa powder and lemon juice. Brush a super thin layer on the fish and season with salt. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 10 minutes.

For the Gazpacho
4 cups tomato juice
1 cucumber, peeled seeded and cubed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ small red onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
¼ c olive oil
¼ c balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl Worcestire Sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
juice nad zest of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 3 minutes
chill for at least an hour

garnish: microgreens from the farmers market tossed with a bit of olive oil

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Oh, and the chairs...!

All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Moroccan Sunday Supper :: Table Designs + Flowers

The table design from our Moroccan dinner was inspired by the old tiles that we used as a runner down the middle. Jessie (from Rountree flowers) came in and constructed these amazing little mum shapes - inspired by the patterns in the tiles and by piles of spices - amaaaazing. She then continued with rose petal garlands, decorating the tabletop with those pops of orange and pink, they were just the thing. The candlestick holders were actually regular taper holders that Jessie converted into pillars by attaching votive holders on top, filling them with sand and using a bit of fun tak to attach - neat trick ! More about the menus & paper items coming soon...stay tuned xoxo

Credits:
All Photos by Karen Mordechai
Flowers: Jessie Weidinger from Rountree Flowers
Menu Design: Erica Bohanon of Thoughtful Day

Sunday Supper :: Amy Atlas Part 2...@ Moroccan Evening

Ok, please forgive us, caving into popular demand we will be going out of order a bit. We know we owe you some market photos (and we will post those next week)...but everyone is anxious to see the photos from Amy's Table up close. We don't blame you - it was magnificent and it was truly an honor to have Amy as our guest contributor. The fabulous backdrop and pattern along with all the paper goods & goodie bags were designed by the ever-talented Erica Miller of Thoughtfulday.

Other incredibly talented women worked to bring this together - Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille baked the orange flower macaroons, orange creamsicle panna cotta and baked meringue sandwich cookies. The gorgeous cake was designed by Archana Rao of Love Street Cakes. Those gorgeous flower centerpieces were created by Jessie of Rountree Flowers. And...Ali Kantor created a traditional moroccan cookie called kaab el ghazal, which served as a favor for the guests to take home in goodie bags. YUM.












All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper :: New Class !

We're pretty psyched about this one !

Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Summer Supper
A 3 Course Meal & Demo by Chef Casey Solomon (Menu details coming soon)
AND...! A guest appearance and Dessert Class with Pastry Chef Aran Goyoaga from Cannelle et Vanille

To sign up email us at: info[at]sunday-suppers.com


All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper :: Moroccan Evening, a sneak peek

We are so very behind, and we're so sorry ! we have lots of market photos and recipes to continue posting...but wanted to give you a sneak peek at our Moroccan Evening that we hosted last night. So many of you wrote in and wanted to attend, we truly wish we had room for all of you ! It was a full house with guests and amazingly talented vendors...we couldn't have been more excited to work with all these lovely ladies: Erica Bohanon from Thoughtful Day, Amy Atlas (check out her Moroccan Inspired Dessert Table below (!), Aran Goyoaga from Cannelle et Vanille and of course our fav. florist & friend Jessie from Rountree...Just wait till you see all their creations...ok, back to the editing board :) more coming soon







All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper, Market :: Table Design

Our tabletop: Burlap tablecloths + blue & white napkins, cute little mini ball jar glasses + vintage silverware & gorgeous flower creations by Jessie = a rustic but classic tabletop, perfect for a farmer's market dinner, don't you think? The menus were printed on brown paper bags which we incorporated into our favors (more about these later) and we used these adorable little clothespins, which we are in love with!

We'll be posting more about the food, menus & flowers this week and next...!







All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper, Market :: Citrus Thyme Water

We like to serve a little welcome beverage when everyone arrives for class, at our Market Class we made a beautiful Citrus Thyme Water. This is great to do with any combination of fruit and herbs. Make a huge batch and just have it on hand. The flavors intensify as they sit.

We served it in an oversized glass jar, an old ladle & a collection of vintage cocktail napkins. It's so easy to do ! Scroll down for the full recipe below.







All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Citrus Thyme Water

Thinly slice 3 oranges, 3 lemons and 3 limes. To 2 gallons of water, add the citrus slices and a handful of thyme sprigs. Let stand refrigerated for at least 2 hours before drinking.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Sunday Supper :: Market

Our Market class was a celebration of seasonal and fresh ingredients from the local farmer's market. All the wonderful produce was so gorgeously inspiring. This was a spontaneous menu put together on the fly. A salad, pasta, fish & a sweet. Here's a little sneak peak of our market finds: asparagus, spring garlic, mushrooms, peaches, strawberries. Throughout the week we'll be posting more about the class, decor, flowers (wait till you see these little wonders) and more!













All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Suppers :: Private Events !

Email us (info[at]sunday-suppers.com) for more details. Here's one we did as a 31st birthday party at a loft in Williamsburg. The menu for the evening: Tamari-garlic roasted swordfish, Brown Rice Salad and Chilli powder and lemon roasted asparagus. Now that's our kind of party.








All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Midday Meal :: Grilled Peaches with Cardamom Sugar Crust

Ending on a sweet note...

These peaches are delicious on their own but- if you're really looking to impress- serve them with some really good shortbread cookies and some raspberry sorbet. Yum!!!
Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July. (next week ...previews from our market class :)




All Photography by Karen Mordechai


Grilled Peaches with Cardamom Sugar Crust

4 semi ripe peaches cut in half and pit removed
6 tbl turbinado sugar
1 tbl ground cardamom

Toss the sugar and cardamom together in a bowl. Dip the peaches, flesh side down, into the sugar. Place on a medium/high heat grill and let them alone for approximately 7 minutes. You want the sugar to caramelize on the peaches and create a crust.
Serve with your favorite ice cream, crème fraiche or mascarpone.
Serves 4.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Midday Meal :: Grilled Pork Chops And Sweet Potato Fries

All Photography by Karen Mordechai



As promised...a few more BBQ recipes for 4th of July Weekend ! This is a great recipe and a nice change from the typical burger. We hope you enjoy and tune in tomorrow for dessert... !


Grilled Pork Chops with Scallion Ginger Salad and Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4

3 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large knob of ginger, minced (5 tbl)
zest and juice of 1 orange
5 tbl olive oil
4 bone in, center cut pork chops

Whisk everything except the chops together in a shallow dish. Season the pork with salt and pepper and place in dish, turning to coat. Let marinate in the fridge for an hour or more. Grill on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Top with scallion, ginger salad.

Scallion, Ginger Salad
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
4 shallots, chopped,
1 large knob of ginger, julienned

Saute scallions, shallots and ginger in olive oil on medium heat until soft, 5-7 minutes.

Tip:
This can be made with any cut of pork or chicken but grilling or roasting with the bone in imparts so much flavor in to the meat.


Sweet Potato Fries
3-4 large sweet potatoes
zest of 2 limes
good sea salt

Cut sweet potatoes into wedges. Toss with olive oil and sea salt. Grill on medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side or until soft.
Remove from heat and while still hot, toss with lime zest and a little more sea salt. Serve with some lime wedges on the side.

Serves 4

Tip:
You can do this with russet potatoes as well but the contrast of the sweet potatoes and the tartness of the lime is sooooo good!
When zesting, make sure you just get the colored part of the rind. You don't want to get any of the pith. (the bitter white stuff underneath- think grapefruit)

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Midday Meal :: Grilled Corn Soup

All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Our apologies for being a little late on posting this week, it's been quite busy here at sunday suppers. We're looking forward to the long weekend and hopefully some sunny days ! This week we'll be posting a few bbq recipes in honor of the 4th - here's an easy grilled corn soup to start things off -

Chilled Grilled Corn Soup
Serves 4

6 ears of corn, cleaned
2 tbl olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups chicken stock
¼ c half and half
zest and juice of half a lime
crème fraiche and chopped chives for garnish

Brush the corn with a little olive oil and grill over medium heat, turning often until the kernels start to color, 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly and cut kernels off the cob.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat until translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken stock and grilled corn kernels. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with a hand held blender until smooth. Stir in half and half, lime zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Pour in to bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and finely chopped chives.
Serves 4.

Tip: This soup can also be made with frozen corn in a pinch. You can saute it in a pan to get some color on it.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Sunday Supper :: A French Dinner

Our French Dinner - was so lovely ! For the decor we found a gorgeous vintage wallpaper to line the tabletop. We wanted a more dramatic take on a french countryside evening. We added tall candlesticks, flowers from Saipua...vintage silverware...and voila !
We had an amazing wine pairing with each course from Pour Wines. Casey served a refreshing mint water and a small bite of french bread with a baked herb goat cheese and a burnt fig spread as a starter. And for dinner...moules marinieres, grilled skirt steak au poivre- parsnip puree, braised fennel and tomato. The cherry on top...a bittersweet chocolate and orange pot de crème with almond cream. mmmm. makes our mouth water all over again!
Scroll down for photos & recipes galore. And check out the illustrations on our menus (!) how cute are they ? all hand drawn by our dear Stefanie Pitaro (thanks stef! )
Hope you enjoy looking through the photos & happy cooking. Bon appetite.










All Photography by Karen Mordechai