New: December 2017



INGREDIENTS
2  large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1  large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
2  large eggs
½  cup all-purpose flour
2  teaspoons course kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt), plus more for sprinkling
1  teaspoon baking powder
½  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 Safflower or other oil, for frying

Consider making a half recipe instead of this full one.

PREPARATION
Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about 1/4 inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

From:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015533-classic-potato-latkes

New: December 2017



http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/hanukkah-brisket

tried to make a half recipe. turned out okay.

Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened baking cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then
stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.
To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center;
roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.
Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Tips from our bakers
The most reliable way to make sure you have equal amounts of filling and chocolate dough is to use a cookie scoop. Our teaspoon scoop yields exactly 26 fillings when scooped with the dough level across the top. Our tablespoon scoop when filled level will yield exactly 26 chocolate blobs of dough to match.
If you're doubling this recipe, add an extra egg to the chocolate dough.
If you're making this dough ahead of time, add an 2 tablespoons of milk to the chocolate dough. It tends to dry out as it sits, and the extra moisture will keep the outside dough from cracking as you form the cookies.

Tried to take the best of both worlds:

1.25 cups flour (175g)
1 T sugar (12.5g)
.5 t salt (2.5g)
1 stick butter
2 T crisco
3T water

1.     In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces remaining.
2.     Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overprocess.
3.     Turn dough out onto a work surface; form dough into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
4.     Before baking, unwrap dough; place on a large piece of floured waxed paper. Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Using paper, lift and wrap dough around rolling pin (discarding paper); carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate.
5.     Trim overhang to 1 inch; fold overhang under itself. Pinch between thumb and forefinger to make a uniform edge around the rim. Crimp edge; refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Oven Roasted Potatoes
Published October 2017
New: October 2017

Ingredients
Yukon Gold Potates

1. Place a rack in lowest position in oven and preheat to 425°. Halve 2 lb. Yukon Gold
potatoes crosswise.

2. Arrange potatoes, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Pour in 1½–2 cups water (it needs to cover baking sheet in a thin layer).

3. Cover baking sheet with a double layer (or just use a single layer properly..) of foil, crimping sides very tightly to seal well. Doing this will trap in steam and prevent water from dribbling out if you tip the sheet.

4. Bake potatoes until a fork or skewer slides easily through potatoes, 25–30 minutes. The foil will be puffed (not if you actually do it tightly), but poke through and feel around for a potato to test. Try testing a couple to gauge doneness.

5. Let potatoes cool about 5 minutes. Crank up oven temperature to 500° (or as high as your oven goes). Use tongs to lift up foil at 1 corner, peeling it back only about 1". Tip open corner into the sink and pour off water.

6. Remove foil and drizzle ¼ cup oil over potatoes; season generously with salt and pepper. Let potatoes cool to the point you can handle them, then toss with your hands to coat completely. Arrange cut side down again.

7. Roast potatoes until tops are golden, bottoms are deeply browned and crisp, and oil around
edges is sizzling and, 20–25 minutes.

8. Let potatoes cool slightly, then use a spatula to unstick them from baking sheet.

from: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfectly-roasted-potatoes

Ropa Vieja

8 SERVINGS
New:

Ingredients
3 pounds chuck roast, brisket, or flank steak
2 tablespoons (or more if using flank steak) extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal or 3½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt
8 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried Mexican or Italian oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 bay leaves
¾ cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, halved crosswise
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Chopped cilantro, white rice, maduros, and black beans (for serving)

Preparation
Pat roast dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large heatproof pot over high. Cook chuck roast, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, 5–7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 250°. Cook onion, bell peppers, and salt (plus 2 Tbsp. oil if using flank steak), stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 12–14 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pan, until vegetables are golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Stir in wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated. Stir in paprika, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne until vegetables are coated; continue to cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and coarsely break up with a spoon (they’ll continue to break down as they cook). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Nestle roast into tomato mixture and tuck in bay leaves on either side. Cover and transfer to oven. Braise roast and vegetables until meat is very tender and shreds easily, 2½–3 hours. Let cool 15 minutes.
Skim excess fat from sauce; discard bay leaves. Using a potato masher or 2 forks, tear and smash beef into sauce until it’s shredded and incorporated into sauce. Stir in olives and vinegar.
Divide ropa vieja among plates. Top with cilantro. Serve with rice, maduros, and beans alongside.


Ropa Vieja
Typically this dish is made with flank steak, which is lean and has long, shreddy fibers, and is how the dish earned the name “old clothes.” It’s the traditional choice, but we find it can be a bit tough, even after it’s braised for a long time. We prefer chuck roast for its fat, tenderness, and richness, but at the end of the day, this will be good with whatever you have on hand. Serve with maduros (fried sweet plantains) and Cuban-style black beans.


https://www.bonappetit.com/story/ropa-vieja-recipe

Chinese Eggplant with Minced Pork



New: October 2017

Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)
New: October 2017

Ingredients

(this is a double recipe)

Marinade
2 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (shao king)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2.5 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes


Sauce
2 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, or balsamic vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
2 teaspoon soy sauce (dark)
2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

Stirfry
3 carrots, peeled and minced
3 celery sticks, minced
2 red/yellow peppers, minced

4 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
16 to 20 dried red chilies (used birds eye/chili de arbol/thai chili, ideally 朝天椒,zhǐtiānjiāo "Facing heaven pepper")
2 bunch of scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts


Preparation

1. Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and stir gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Prepare the sauce: In another bowl, combine the black vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved and set aside.
3. Precook carrots, celery, peppers stir frying in batches on high heat.
4. Turn on your stove's exhaust fan, because stir-frying dried chilies on high heat can get a smoky. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the chilies and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, or until the chilies have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the pre-cooked vegetables. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.


Adapted from: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/kung-pao-chicken-51179600

Ultimate zha jiang sauce

http://www.cocinafacil.com.mx/recetas/16/11/15/huachinango-marinado-en-guajillo-receta

2 cans of yellow curry
2 cans  of coconut milk
4 carrots
White mushrooms
1 large yellow onion
2 orange peppers
New potatoes
1 lb salmon

http://rasamalaysia.com/char-kuey-teow/2/


Char Kuey Teow Recipe (炒粿條/Penang Fried Flat Noodles)

Ingredients:

Chili Paste:

1 oz. seeded dried red chiles (soak in water)
2 fresh red chilies (seeded)
3 small shallots (peeled and sliced)
1 teaspoon oil
A pinch of salt

Sauce (mix and blend well):

5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 dashes white pepper powder

12 shelled prawn (submerge in ice cold water plus 2 tablespoons sugar for 30 minutes)
1 lb. fresh flat rice noodles (completely loosened and no clumps)
1 lb. bloody cockles (extract the cockles by opening its shell)
2 Chinese sausages (sliced diagonally)
A bunch of fresh bean sprouts (rinsed with cold water and drained)
A bunch of Chinese chives (removed about 1-inch of the bottom section and cut into 2-inch lengths)
3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)

Lamb Rendang Recipe (Spicy Lamb Curry)
New: September 2017
Adapted from: http://rasamalaysia.com/lamb-rendang-spicy-lamb-curry/2/

DOUBLED RECIPE
Ingredients:



4 lbs boneless leg of lamb (or beef or chicken), cut into cubes
14 tablespoons oil
1/2 piece turmeric leaf (optional), thinly shredded
20 kaffir lime leaves
2 stalk lemongrass, cut bottom 3-inches (not chopped any further)
3 cups coconut milk (OR 2 can, 14.5 oz each)
4 tablespoons desiccated coconut, lightly toasted
Salt and sugar to taste



Spice Paste:
3 tablespoons oil
20 dried mild red chilis, soaked in warm water and seeds removed (Guajillo)
10 dried chili de arbol
10 fresh red chilis, seeds removed (literally chinese grocery has "red chilis" also could be fresno chilies)
4 stalks lemongrass (bottom white part only), sliced
2 small red onions
4 cloves garlic
1-inch ginger, peeled and slicted
1-inch galangal (lengkuas), peeled and sliced
2 teaspoon corriander seeds (toast in small cast-iron pan first if possible)
2 candlenut
2 teaspoon tamarind paste
2 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar


Method:
1. Blend all Spice Paste ingredients in a food processor until fine.

2. Season lamb cubes with a little salt and put aside.

3. In a dutch oven at medium heat 3 Tbs oil, stir-fry turmeric leaf and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant.

4. Turn heat to slightly medium-high, add blended Spice Paste, stir-fry until fragrant, or until color changes for 5 minutes.

5. Put in lamb cubes, stir well and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

6. Pour in coconut milk and toasted coconut and bring to a quick boil. Turn to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

7. Remove pot cover, and let slow simmer for another 30 min or so, stirring to prevent burning as liquids evaporate.

 The Lamb Rendang is ready to dish out and serve with steamed white rice or coconut rice.




ORIGINAL
Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless leg of lamb (or beef or chicken), cut into cubes
7 tablespoons oil
1/4 piece turmeric leaf (optional), thinly shredded
10 kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, cut bottom 3-inches (not chopped any further)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (OR 1 can, 14.5 oz)
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut, lightly toasted
Salt and sugar to taste

Spice Paste:

3 tablespoons oil
10 dried mild red chilis, soaked in warm water and seeds removed (Guajillo)
5 dried chili de arbol
5 fresh red chilis, seeds removed (used pack of 9 red/orange/yellow peppers)
2 stalks lemongrass (bottom white part only), sliced
7 shallots, or 1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2-inch ginger, peeled and slicted
1/2-inch galangal (lengkuas), peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon corriander seeds (toast in small cast-iron pan first if possible)
1 candlenut
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

1. Blend all Spice Paste ingredients in a food processor until fine.

2. Season lamb cubes with a little salt and put aside.

3. In a dutch oven at medium heat 3 Tbs oil, stir-fry turmeric leaf and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant.

4. Turn heat to slightly medium-high, add blended Spice Paste, stir-fry until fragrant, or until color changes for 5 minutes.

5. Put in lamb cubes, stir well and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

6. Pour in coconut milk and toasted coconut and bring to a quick boil. Turn to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

7. Remove pot cover, and let slow simmer for another 30 min or so, stirring to prevent burning as liquids evaporate.

 The Lamb Rendang is ready to dish out and serve with steamed white rice or coconut rice.

New: August 2017

Make with Kashmir Lab

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 small onion, quartered then sliced
2 serrano chile peppers, minced
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Fry the cumin seeds for a few seconds until they turn golden brown and begin to pop. Reduce heat to medium, stir in the onion, and cook until lightly browned.
Try doing this part AFTER adding potatoes to lessen the sticking: (Stir in serrano pepper and ginger, fry for 1 minute. Season with coriander, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala; cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.)
Stir in potatoes and salt, cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cauliflower, cover, and cook until the cauliflower steams in it's own juices until it's tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, then pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil around the edges of the pot. Increase heat to medium-high and fry for 3 to 5 minutes to brown, stirring gently to avoid mashing the cauliflower.


From:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/103915/aloo-gobi/

KASHMIRI LAMB IN CHILE SAUCE (MIRCHI QORMA)

New August 2017

6 dried Kashmiri chiles or pasilla chiles, stemmed
2 small red Thai chiles or 1 red jalapeño, stemmed
2 lb. lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
4 green cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
1⁄4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. kala jeera (black cumin seeds)
10 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
2 Indian or regular bay leaves
1⁄4 cup tamarind paste
3 tbsp. dried mint
1 tbsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne
Kosher salt, to taste


Heat a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high. Cook dried chiles until lightly toasted, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor; add fresh chiles and 1/2 cup water (or less water, 1 cup will splash out and make a mess). Purée until smooth and return to pan. Add lamb, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, and 3 cups water; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until lamb is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer lamb mixture to a bowl.
Wipe pan clean; heat oil over medium-high. Cook cumin seeds, garlic, and bay leaves until seeds pop, 1–2 minutes. Add reserved lamb mixture, the tamarind paste, 1 tbsp. mint, the chile powder, and salt; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until thickened, about 1 hour (or much more to thicken sauce). Garnish with remaining mint.

Alternative: Use Pasilla chili's (dark dark red almost black) and leave out mint.



from: http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/mirchi-qorma-kashmiri-lamb-in-chile-sauce

400 g ground pork and/or veal or lamb
1 teaspoon salt
1 knife-tip fill pepper
45 g flour
1 egg
1/2 onion (50 g)
20 mL milk
15 g butter
1 tablespoon olie

(Dad’s Favorite) Napa Cabbage and Dried Shrimp Soup


INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Dried Shrimp (Smithfield Ham or  Prosciutto may be substituted)
20 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 lb fresh or frozen shrimp
1 medium head Napa (or Savoy) Cabbage
6 - 8 oz Bean Thread
1 TBS Shaoxing wine
2 TBS Cooking Oil
3 slices Ginger Root
Salt to taste
4 cups Chicken Broth
4 cups Water


DIRECTIONS
1. Soak the dried shrimp in the sherry, mixed with 3 TBS water.
2. Soak shiitake mushrooms in just boiling water
3. Pan fry shrimp until just seared and remove to a plate.
4. Discard the wilted outside leaves of the cabbage and then cut it into 1 1/2 inch chunks.
5. Soak the bean thread in some warm water until softened.  Cut it into shorter lengths if preferred.  Drain in a colander.
6. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan or stock pot.  Add the ginger root slices and cabbage chunks.  Stir and cook over medium high heat until the cabbage is wilted.
7. Add the broth, water, shrimp/sherry mixture and bring to a boil.  Simmer, partially covered, until the cabbage is tender.
8. Finally, add the bean thread and bring just to a boil (do not overcook, as the bean thread will turn mushy).
9. Remove from heat, salt to taste,  and serve immediately. 

Matcha Latte

2 tsp (4 bamboo scoops) of matcha powder
1/4 c boiling water
0.5-1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 carton (~1 cup) of milk

1. Whisk together boiling water and matcha powder with bamboo whisk.
2. Add sugar and vanilla. Stir to dissolve.
3. Heat milk in small saucepan (or microwave) until almost boiling.
4. Add milk to matcha mix, serve hot.

Mark Bittman's Pad Thai

new: April 2017
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013121-pad-thai?register=email&auth=register-email

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces fettuccine-width rice stick noodles
¼ cup peanut oil
4 tablespoons tamarind paste
½ cup fish sauce (nam pla)
½ cup honey
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 Tb red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 bunch chopped scallions
4 garlic clove, minced
4 eggs
1 small head Napa cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1.5 cup mung bean sprouts (+extra for garnish)
1.5 cup carrots (+extra for garnish)
1 pound peeled shrimp
1/2 pack of fried tofu
2 chicken breasts
½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, quartered



PREPARATION
1. Put noodles in a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit until noodles are just tender; check every 5 minutes or so to make sure they do not get too soft. Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon peanut oil to keep from sticking and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, put 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer. Taste and add more tamarind paste if desired. It should be piquant, but not unpleasantly sour. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside.

3. Put remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when oil shimmers, add scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute.

4. Add eggs to pan; once they begin to set, scramble them until just done.

5. Add cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts and continue to cook until cabbage begins to wilt. (If you have to, remove half, and cook half at a time.)

6. Remove half or all of veggie mix, and add chicken. Cook until almost cooked through.

7. Add shrimp and cook until pink and almost cooked through.

8. Add fried tofu and warm.

9. Add back in all of the veggie mix.

10. Add drained noodles to pan along with sauce. Toss everything together to coat with tamarind sauce and combine well until noodles are warmed through.

11. Serve, sprinkling each dish with peanuts and garnishing with cilantro, raw bean sprouts, raw carrots, and lime wedges.

Jamie Oliver's Fantastic Fish Lasagna
Serves 4-6

New: January 2017

Ingredients:

For the sauce
125g butter
1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
a small bunch fresh parsley stalks
a sprig of fresh bay leaves (I used dried bay leaves)
a rasher of pancetta or bacon
10 whole fresh prawns, heads removed and reserved (I accidentally bought some cooked prawns and some fresh prawns - I just used them all the same way and they turned out fine)
100mL white wine (I used cheap carton wine)
850mL milk
80g plain flour
sea salt and ground black pepper
1/2 a nutmeg, grated (I used ground nutmeg to taste)

For the lasagna
600g fish fillets (Jamie suggests cod, red mullet, sea bass, bream or salmon but I used barramundi), skinned and cut into small chunks
300g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
70g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
the leaves from the bunch of parsley that you took the stalks off, finely chopped
250g lasagne sheets (I used fresh sheets that didn't require blanching but you should read the instructions on your sheets for advice on how to cook)

For the breadcrumbs
50g breadcrumbs
small bunch of fresh parsley, leaves picked
zest of 1 lemon (I couldn't be bothered zesting so I just used some lemon juice)
To serve
Fresh rocket, washed and dried
Procedure:

Sauce
1. Melt 30g of the butter (approx 1/4 of the total amount you're using) in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add all the veggies for the sauce and leave for 10min.
2. In the meantime, you can wrap the parsley stalks with a piece of pancetta and tie with a string. If you're using fresh bay leaves, they should also be included in the herb bundle.3. Add the herb bundle and prawn heads (and dried bay leaves, if you didn't have fresh ones) to your vegetables and cook for around 15min until the veggies are soft but not browned and the prawn heads have turned pink (see pics 1 and 2 below).
4. Add the wine and boil with lid off until reduced (I turned up the heat for this bit)
5. Pour in the milk and bring slowly back to the boil (had heat on med-high). As soon as milk boils, turn off the heat, pop on the lid and let the flavors infuse into the milk (see pic 3 below).
6. In another deep saucepan, plop the rest of the butter.
7. Once that butter is melted and bubbling, add in the flour and stir until smooth.
8. Fish the prawn heads and herb bundle out of your milky stock mix. Squeeze out any liquids before removing because good flavors shouldn't be wasted!
9. Add the milk and vegetable mix to the flour and butter one ladle at a time. I had my heat on low to do this and remember to mix in each ladle until it's absorbed by the flour before adding the next ladle (see pic 4 below).
10. Once all the liquid has been incorporated, bring to the boil gently, stirring constantly and simmer for a few seconds longer to cook the flour.11. Remove your white sauce from the heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. At this point, you can remove any prawn whiskers that may have fallen off. Blanch your lasagna sheets now if you need to

Building the lasagna
Before you start: preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. I used the fan-forced + convectional mode on my oven
1. Ladle 1/4 of the sauce into your pan and smooth out evenly (see pic 1 below).
2. Scatter 1/3 of the fish and 1/3 of the prawns. What I did was chop the prawns up into nice chunks and combined with the fish chunks in 1 bowl so that I could layer them on at once (see pic 2 below).
3. Add 1/3 of the tomatoes, 1/3 of the chopped parsley and approx 1/4 of the grated Parmesan4. Cover with a layer of lasagna sheets and repeat 2 times till all your fish and tomatoes are used up (see pic 1 below).
5. Sprinkle the last of the parmesan over the top sheet of pasta.
6. Make your breadcrumb mix by popping the breadcrumbs, zest and parsley in a food processor. I just mixed by hand. Note: the breadcrumbs are REALLY YUMMY on the end product so I suggest you maybe up the amount. You don't want too much though because if it's layered on too thick on the top, it won't go crispy (see pic 3 below).
7. Sprinkle your breadcrumb mix over the top of the lasagna
8. Cover the dish with foil and bake in preheated oven for 45min. Remove the foil after the first 30min so that the breadcrumbs can go crispy and golden in the last 15min. Make sure the lasagna is piping hot all the way through (see pic 4 below).9. Serve with fresh rocket (really compliments the lasagna if you eat a bit of lasagna with the rocket at the same time). I also cut some peach wedges to eat with the rocket for a nice seasonal touch.

Chicken Pot Pie

New: March 2017

Ingredients
6 SERVINGS
Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2' cubes
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
Chicken
2 cups peeled, coarsely chopped carrots
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 leek, coarsely chopped
1 3-pound whole chicken
4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Filling
2 tablespoons dried chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms
1 cup 1/2' slices peeled carrots
1 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) peas
1 cup red (purple) pearl onions
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 fresh sage leaves
4 thyme sprigs
2 sprigs rosemary
1 cup button mushrooms, halved if large
1 cup 1/4' rounds sliced fingerling potatoes
1 egg, beaten to blend
Coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper, optional


Preparation
Crust
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor. Add cubed butter and shortening and process until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size lumps. With machine running, add 1/2 cup ice water and process, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry, until dough forms. Form dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 12x9 1/2" rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Place on prepared sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
Chicken
Preheat oven to 400°. Place carrots, onion, and leek on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large pot fitted with a lid. Add chicken, breast side down, celery, thyme sprigs, wine, salt, and peppercorns to pot. Add 8 cups water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and poach chicken until cooked through, about 35 minutes.
Remove chicken from pot and set aside until cool. Reserve broth. Shred meat; discard skin and bones. Set a large strainer over another pot. Strain broth into clean pot. Stir in tomato paste. Return to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 5 cups, about 40 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool. Cover chicken and broth separately; keep chilled. Rewarm broth before continuing.
Filling
Place dried chanterelles in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Let steep for 10 minutes; set aside. Reserve soaking liquid. Cook carrots in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Add peas to saucepan; cook for 1 minute; transfer to bowl with carrots. Add onions to saucepan and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside; let cool. Peel onions.
In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Whisk in herbs and warm broth from chicken. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chanterelles to saucepan. Pour in soaking liquid, leaving sediment behind. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Set a strainer over another large pot. Strain broth into pot; discard solids. Add chicken, carrots, peas, onions, mushrooms, and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.
Preheat oven to 400°. Spoon filling into an 11x8x2" or 2 1/2-qt. round baking dish. (Add pie bird, if using.) Top with pastry, pinching edges to seal. If not using pie bird, cut a 1" slit in center of crust for steam to vent. Brush pastry with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, if desired.
Place pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes.

from:https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-pot-pie-2

Linguine And Clams
Clams vary in brininess and the amount of liquid they’ll release during cooking, so you’ll need to adjust the salt and add pasta water accordingly. To prevent the sauce from getting too salty, we recommend a measured amount of salt for the pasta water. If possible, look for an artisanal dried pasta for this recipe—the rougher surface texture will catch the slippery sauce better. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Ingredients
4 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal or 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt, plus more
12 garlic cloves, divided
4 ounces sourdough or country-style bread, crusts removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 pounds littleneck clams (about 24) or cockles (about 32), scrubbed
12 ounces linguine or spaghetti
½ cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation
Bring 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal salt and 10 cups water to a boil in a large pot.
Meanwhile, pulse 3 garlic cloves in a food processor until chopped. Add bread and pulse several times until fine crumbs form.
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add breadcrumb mixture and cook, stirring often, until crumbs are golden and crisp, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add lemon zest, season with salt, and toss to combine; set aside.
Wipe out Dutch oven. Using a mandoline if you have one (if not, use a really sharp knife), very thinly slice remaining 9 garlic cloves. Heat ¼ cup oil in Dutch oven over medium. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add anchovies, if using, and ½ tsp. red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden all over and anchovies are dissolved. Quickly stir in wine and simmer until only a couple of tablespoons of liquid are left in pot. Add clams and toss to combine. Cover and cook until clams are open, 5–7 minutes (about 4 minutes for cockles). Uncover pot and transfer clams to a medium bowl, leaving liquid in pot. If any clams are still closed, cover pot again and cook a few minutes longer, then transfer to bowl with others (discard any that have not opened at this point). Tent clams with foil.
Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes. Using a ladle or heatproof measuring cup, scoop out about 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with clam liquid. Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Cook, tossing constantly and adding more pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time if needed, until pasta is al dente and sauce is glossy and thick enough to cling to noodles, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add parsley and butter and toss until butter is melted. Sprinkle about one-third of breadcrumbs over pasta and toss to combine (you can add more or less depending on how much liquid is in bottom of pot—you want them to absorb some of the sauce but not make it dry). Give pasta a taste; you probably won’t need additional salt, but you can add some if you’d like. Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with reserved clams, more breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of oil.


from: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/best-linguine-and-clams

275g (2 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp) ground almonds (almond flour)
250g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) confectioners (icing) sugar
210g (6 1/2) egg whites (I used fresh egg whites)
210g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar