I’m usually a vinaigrette kind of girl, but boy do I hate to waste ingredients. So whenever I have buttermilk around from baking or pancakes, I make a jar of Buttermilk Ranch Dressing to use up the rest of the carton.  And guess what? It’s almost as easy as opening up a bottle of the store-bought stuff that usually contains MSG and loads of preservatives.  Watch the video and learn how to make my version of this decadent dressing (recipe below).  And here’s a tip: marinate organic chicken breasts in the dressing for at least four hours, then grill.  You won’t be disappointed!

BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING RECIPE: 

• 1 C. Organic Buttermilk 
• 1/2 C. Sour Cream 
• 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard 
• pinch of salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic 
• 1 TBSP minced shallot 
• 2 TBSP fresh chives, chopped 
• 1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped

Whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, and mustard until combined.  Add the remaining ingredients,  and whisk again.  Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Serve over an iceberg wedge, bibb lettuce, garden tomatoes, or as a marinade for chicken or pork!

We just got back from a pretty awesome trip to Northern California.  While there, we shot with a pretty rad pie company called Three Babes Bakeshop that operates out of a shipping container in the back of a super cool cafe.  Then we visited a walnut farm near Stockton and a small family vineyard and winery in Healdsburg.  But don’t worry, even though we were hard at work, we still found plenty of time to play.

And we that’s exactly what we did at Cafe Van Kleef in Oakland.  This unassuming spot on Telegraph Avenue is known for their greyhounds because the bartenders painstakingly press fresh grapefruits all night long.  The smell of citrus wafting through the air to the sounds of New Orleans-style live music is the perfect combination of California and kitsch.  And if you’re lucky, you’ll meet Benny the Tamales Man, who will bring you a delicious homemade tamal (request his super spicy hot sauce served in a gatorade bottle) for about $3.  Wash it down with a couple greyhounds ($7) and I would say you’ve had the perfect night. 

Check out HIB’s homage to Oakland with our latest video, How to Make a Fresh Squeezed Greyhound: 

One thing I love about blogging is having the opportunity to be part of a virtual community of like-minded people.  Enter Mark Walker, creator of WineLife365 - a blog that pairs well (pun intended) with HiB because it’s all about taking the intimidation out of wine.  

Not too long ago, Mark asked me to write a post for his guest-writer section aptly named BYOB.  Check out the article to learn more about organic wines, and also for a guide to which organic wineries are a must-see if you’re in Sonoma County.  

Below are some pictures from my family’s Sonoma vacation, where we toured only small production, organic practicing vineyards that changed that way I will drink wine forever.

These “old vines” are so prevalent throughout Dry Creek Valley.  Our very knowledgable driver, Rodney, explained that the gnarly vines look this way because they were planted prior to prohibition and therefore left unattended through this dark period of our countries history :) Doesn’t mean they can’t still produce some of the finest Zins in the world. 

The entrance to Quivira, a biodynamic winery that also has an organic farm on premises.  Very light, crisp, lovely reds and whites.  

The last stop on our wine tour was Sausal, where a few kitties were tasting room pets. I didn’t actually do the tasting because I was so enthralled by the “entertainment.” Feeling guilty that I had ignored the wine maker while my parents and husband drank, I bought a few bottles to enjoy at home. All of it was reasonably priced and DELICIOUS.  

Scallops can sometimes be a bit intimidating to the home cook. But the bottom line is they’re really easy to make and require very little effort, but a little bit of know-how. 

Our adventure begins in Montauk fishing with the guys at Montauk Shellfish, a fishery dedicated to sustainability and making sure that generations to come will be able to enjoy the fruits of the sea.  It was a life-changing experience to spend a day on the water dredging for Peconic Bay Scallops, perhaps the sweetest scallops I’ve ever tasted. 

But bay scallops are different than diver scallops, a larger variety loved by chefs.  So we stop by Dressler for a lesson with Polo Dobkin on how to pan roast the perfect scallop. Last but not least we whip up our catch of the day back home. 

Pan Seared Peconic Bay Scallops:

1/2 pound Peconic Bay Scallops 

olive or canola oil 

1 tbsp chives 

1-2 tbsp butter

1/2 a lemon 

Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot.  Add the oil, and then the scallops, being careful not to crowd the pan.  Allow them to sear on one side for a minute and then turn off the heat, flip them and add the butter and chives.  Baste until they’re done, about a minute more.  Give them a spritz of fresh lemon juice for a bright, crisp flavor. Enjoy! 

Ice cream is by-far my favorite dessert, and it’s actually really easy to make at home provided you have an Ice Cream Machine. The beauty in making your own ice cream is that you control everything about it.  Buy the freshest cream from the farmers market, the best milk from grass-fed cows, organic and fair trade vanilla beans, farm-fresh eggs…you get the picture. When you have taken care to source perfect ingredients, then put those ingredients to use in a decadent dessert, it tastes that much sweeter. Gives new meaning to “guilt free.”  

Here’s a quick demonstration on how to make the perfect vanilla ice cream, straight up. If you care to add anything to it-fruit, chocolate, marshmallow, cookie dough-do so in the last couple minutes of churning.  I served mine Paulie Gee style with Ovenly’s Spicy Bacon Caramel Corn, which I’ve been obsessed with ever since meeting them at Thrillist’s Bacon and Blues party last October.  It really is the perfect complex accompaniment to this super simple, classic ice cream. 

HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM: 

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 vanilla bean, scraped 

6 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat the milk, sugar, scraped vanilla beans and pod, and salt over medium heat until warm. Whisk the six egg yolks and slowly temper the warm milk into the egg yolks, bit by bit until it’s all incorporated.  Be sure to take your time so that the warm milk does not cook the yolks.  Return the milk and egg mixture back to the pot and stir constantly over low heat until the custard reaches 170 degrees.  

Set up an ice bath in a large bowl, and place a smaller nesting bowl inside it with a strainer over the top.  Pour the cream and vanilla through the strainer, and then the heated custard.  Stir to incorporate and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, though overnight is best. 

Remove the vanilla bean pod, and freeze the ice cream in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer instructions.  Put it back in the freezer to harden before serving.  Dig in and enjoy!

Some of the first liquids that come to mind when you think braising are wine, stock and broth.  But we forget about beer - and some may argue that because beer is made from grain (barley/rye) and herbs (hops), it pairs with certain foods even better than wine, which is obviously made from grapes.  I’m not so sure I agree completely with that statement, but I will admit it’s fun to mix things up a bit and swap out my usual red wine for a bottle of beer instead.  But just like cooking with wine, please use something you would drink. Which brings me to our featured brewer:

I was also really inspired by the guys at Sixpoint.  Shane started his company from scratch on credit cards and a vision, and has seen huge growth and great success over the past 6-7 years.  His beer is voted consistently the best in New York City.  Check out the video below and follow along with the recipe, posted after the video. 

BEER BRAISED BRISKET 

SERVES 4

This is an excellent make-ahead dish.  In fact, it gets better and better the longer it sits.  Braise the day before and pop it back in the oven when you want to serve it for maximum flavor. I served mine over Pureed Parsnips, the perfect sweet accompaniment to this salty and zesty beef.

• 1 3-lb beef brisket (some fat trimmed)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika 
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bottle beer (Rye Beer such as Sixpoint Righteous Ale)
• beef stock (to bring the liquid to the halfway point on the meat, about 1 1/2 cups)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Mix the salt, pepper, cumin and paprika together.  Rub the brisket with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle the spice mixture all over, rubbing in to evenly coat. In a dutch oven, sear the meat about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from the pan.  Add a little extra olive oil, then sautee the onions with a pinch of salt until soft, about eight minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic and bay leave, sautee a minute more.  Deglaze the pan with the bottle of beer, bring to a simmer,and place the meat back in the pan. Add beef stock until the braising liquid comes halfway up the meat.  

Cover and put in the oven for four hours.  Remove the lid partially and cook an hour more.  

Allow the meat to rest for about a 15 minutes before slicing.  Cut against the grain, or shred like a stew, whatever you prefer. (I love shredding mine).  Serve over parsnips or mashed potatoes and enjoy! 

Last month we had our December Hungry in Brooklyn Dinner Party and it was a great success!  I had every intention of getting this post up right away, but then all of a sudden it was Christmas and I found myself in Sonoma County. I drank wine. A lot of it. Every single day. I got very little work done, and thus I understand France a lot better now, even after having studied abroad there in my college days.

So without further adieu, the courses! 

FIRST:

Frisee Aux Lardons - chicory & frisee, meat-hook bacon, poached egg, shallot vinaigrette

SECOND: 

Cranberry Bean and Winter Kale Crostini - lacinato kale, heirloom beans, salvatore brooklyn ricotta, house-pickled red onion 

SAVORY:

Filet of Sole - baked wild-caught atlantic sole, roasted pink radishes & brussels sprouts with beurre noisette, microgreens in lemon vinaigrette; pureed parsnips family style 

SWEET

Organic Pumpkin Whoopie Pies - locally milled flour, organic pumpkin, organic cream cheese buttercream filling 

I’ll be updating the blog all week with recipes and links!  Make sure to check out the next post for photos of the food, the guests, and the fun courtesy of Wyatt Tuzo.  

Photos of the december HiB Supper Club Dinner!  If you want to be added to the notification list, let me know! Thanks to Wyatt Tuzo for the awesome pics.