As the new year approaches, it’s resolution time.  And with every bite of those Christmas cookies and each sip of that eggnog, you think yourself, “I’ll start fresh in the new year.” And the fastest way to a healthier life is to cook for yourself. When you’re making your OWN food, you’ll be a whole lot less likely to add another pinch of salt or that extra tablespoon of butter.  

That’s why I teamed up with SHAPE Magazine on a series called “SHAPE Cooking School.” The idea is that everyone should be armed with the basic skills necessary to cook a decent meal.  And that’s precisely where I come in! Throughout the 11-video series, I show you how to season your food, chop an onion, make vinaigrette, poach an egg, roast a chicken, and more!  They’re all short and sweet, but are packed full of information that will make any novice feel like a pro.  So check them out, pass them along, and make sure to tweet me if there are any other basic skills you’re interested in learning about! 

So this New Year, don’t make the resolution to diet - that’s all about limits and restrictions.  Instead, make it a point to nourish your body and mind by cooking for yourself.  You’ll not only hone your skills but you’ll feel great too. 

Make sure to check out all 11 videos HERE. Now get cooking! 

So it’s the big day… and while you may think Thanksgiving is all about the cooking, it’s also really about the timing.  If you’ve been following HIB’s checklists, you should have your appetizer, dessert, and cranberry sauce already complete. Here’s a list of what to do throughout the day so that all your dishes are ready to be served at the same time.  And while this may seem like a pretty jam-packed day, there’s plenty of free time throughout for enjoying some libations. 

10:00 AM - Eat Breakfast.  You’ll need sustenance for the day of cooking you have ahead of you! 

11:00 AM - Take your turkey out of the fridge: the goal is to take the chill off for roasting. You can certainly get it all prepped and ready for the oven, and then let it hang out on your counter until you’re ready to roast it. This is also a great time to take your Cranberry sauce out of the fridge - it’s best served room temperature.

11:30 - Prep your brussels sprouts and carrots & parsnips (chopping, tossing with oil, seasoning, etc) and put them in their respective baking dishes. 

12:00 - Preheat your oven to 425 Degrees F

12:30 - Roast the turkey. You’re looking at a cook time of around 3 hours, depending on how large the bird is - and remember, it has to rest before carving (and can rest up to 45 minutes/hour - it will retain its heat) so don’t rush it. Let it hang out! 

1:30 - Chop your potatoes and add them to water for boiling 

2:15 - Your potatoes are done, make the mashed potatoes! 

2:30 - Make your stuffing on the stove top and then transfer it to an oven-safe dish for baking once there’s room in the oven. 

3:00 - Add your Carrots & Parsnips to the oven on the bottom rack and heat up your soup on the stove top.  

3:30 - Pull your turkey out of the oven and allow it to rest.  Pop those Brussels Sprouts and Stuffing in the oven now that you have the room. Take this time to make gravy with the pan drippings. 

4:00  - Serve your soup! Your guests have been smelling amazing things in that kitchen and have gotten hungry!

4:15 - Your brussels sprouts, stuffing, and carrot & parsnip dishes are all done! Remove them from the oven, carve the turkey and…..

4:30/5:00 - Dinner is served!  Have a drink, enjoy, and give thanks to your friends and family who will certainly clean up after this fine meal considering all the work you’ve done to make this a feast to remember! 

Happy Thanksgiving from Hungry in Brooklyn!

Walnut and Basil Pesto over Pasta - photo courtesy Raphael Rodriguez

It’s no secret that San Francisco is an amazing food town. I mean, the local, sustainable, and organic movement pretty much started in Northern California years and years ago and is now just a way of life.  It’s down right inspirational, and exciting to see meet the young people upholding these ideals.  Enter Three Babes Bakeshop.  They’re a pop up pie company that not only sells their pies online and delivers throughout San Francisco, they operate out of a shipping container behind Stable Cafe in the Mission.  We caught up with the girls to learn about their signature Salted Honey Walnut Pie - a delicious concoction reminiscent of pecan pie, only better. It’s perfect, in fact. And those walnuts come from a family friend who’s ranch is not too far from San Francisco, so naturally we had to stop by the farm first to see how a walnut is grown and harvested.  But walnuts are great in savory dishes too, so once we’re back in Brooklyn, we put the walnuts to good use in a savory Walnut Basil Pesto. 

Check out the episode below, and follow along with the recipe! 

RECIPE - WALNUT BASIL PESTO

1/2 C Walnuts, shelled and toasted 

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 C Fresh Basil Leaves

1/2 C Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Lemon Zest

Juice of 1 Lemon 

1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pulse all the ingredients in the food processor until pesto consistency.  Do not over mix - the pesto should be rustic!  It’s very versatile, and is delicious as a dip, a sandwich spread, or in pasta.  In fact, this is the perfect amount of pesto for a half pound of pasta - a fast and delicious dinner for two! Double the recipe for the full pound of pasta!

Throughout college I was a hostess at a fancy Manhattan restaurant, and nothing gave me more anxiety than Valentine’s Day. Even now I refuse to eat out on the 14th, because I know what goes into it:  prix fixe menu, shuffling guests in and out, and tables so close together you end up sharing food with strangers.  Enjoy your favorite restaurant on an off night, and do something more romantic:  cook with one another.  

And a perfect romantic first course requires no cooking at all:  a raw oyster platter! The hardest part about putting together this platter is the shucking.  But once you get the hang of it, it’s as easy as pie.  A dozen roses is a nice gesture. But a dozen oysters? Now you’re talking!  

I love butter. I REALLY love butter. I love it melted, whipped, clarified, or cold.  But then a few years back when I came across Beurre Monté in Thomas Keller’s French Laundry Cookbook, I realized this was perhaps the perfect application of butter.  You see, Beurre Monté is melted butter that remains emulsified.  Once butter reaches about 160 degrees, it separates into the milk solids and the fat (that fat is how you get clarified butter).  But using this simple technique, you can melt the butter and keep it heated up to 190 degrees without that separation occurring, resulting in a silky-smooth butter sauce that’s both gorgeous and delicious.  What does Thomas Keller use Beurre Monté for? Poaching lobster of course. Ah the decadence.  I would expect nothing less.  

Trout is delicious and easy to prepare, but the whole-troutedness of it might make you decide to pick up a different fish that is skinless, boneless, and filleted into a perfect package.  Well, my friends, you are missing out! Trout is not only delicious and easy to prepare, it’s extremely inexpensive.  The recipe below is for one trout, which is a great dinner for two when paired with other hearty side dishes.  These are 1-lb. fish, but a lot of that weight is accounted for in the head, so make one for each person with a light salad or vegetable.  

Our good friend Davis Herron over at The Lobster Place answers all your questions about trout before we head to Lodge for Cooking Trout 101.  Then it’s back to our own kitchen for a roasted trout recipe that’s simple yet impressive. 

ROASTED BROOK TROUT 

• 1  1-lb Red or White Meat Brook Trout: cleaned, gutted and butterflied. 
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil, plus extra for the skin of the fish 
• 3 lemon slices 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a mortar and pestal, grind the garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary until it’s in a paste.  Thin out the paste with the lemon juice and olive oil.  Place your fish on a baking sheet and rub the skin with olive oil.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper for extra flavor - especially if you like to eat the skin. Spread the marinade on each filet, place the lemon slices inside, close it up and roast it in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the flesh is opaque and flaky.  

Dig in and enjoy!