Easy | Saveur

California Sandwich

Betsy Andrews — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:20:43 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

Our classic California sandwich recipe combines a trio of fresh Golden State produce, Monterey Jack cheese, and a creamy ranch-like dressing. A version of this late-century favorite can still be found on deli-counter and sandwich-shop menus throughout California—but the feel-good meal is just as easy to layer up at home.

This recipe first appeared in our April 2011 Sandwich Issue with the story, “Golden State of Sandwiches,” by Betsy Andrews.

Yield: 2

Time: 10 minutes

¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices multigrain bread
2 slices Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup alfalfa sprouts
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 ripe tomato, cored and thinly sliced

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then spread the mixture on one side of each of the bread slices. Place a slice of cheese on two of the bread slices, then divide the sprouts, avocado, and tomato atop the cheese. Season the vegetables lightly with salt and black pepper, top with the remaining bread slices, and serve the sandwiches cold or at room temperature.

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Paloma

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:43:25 +0000

Photography by Julia Gartland; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

One of Mexico’s many widely known and beloved tequila drinks, the Paloma cocktail, is a refreshing summertime highball featuring lime juice and grapefruit. Grapefruit-flavored sodas like Fresca or Squirt are common ingredients, but this version swaps in fresh juice and seltzer for a more balanced sweetness and maximum citrus flavor. For this Paloma recipe, we prefer an unoaked tequila blanco (also known as silver tequila), as opposed to tequila reposado or tequila añejo, which may be barrel-aged between two months and three years. The blanco’s clean taste and herbaceous quality make a perfect base for this drink’s sweet and sunny flavors.

Yield: 1

Time: 3 minutes

2 oz. tequila blanco
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Pinch fine salt
3 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
3 oz. seltzer
Lime slices, for garnish

Instructions

To a highball or Collins glass, add the tequila, lime juice, and salt. Fill the glass with ice, add the grapefruit juice and seltzer, stir gently, garnish with lime slices, and serve.

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Atol de Elote

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:45:26 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

Atol de elote is a sweet corn beverage frequently doled out warm in Guatemalan markets. Seasoned with cinnamon or vanilla, fresh corn kernels are pulverized on a grinding stone or metate to achieve the drink’s silky, creamy consistency. (In a pinch, a blender gets the job done, too.)

This recipe ran alongside Chris Bagley‘s 2017 story, “Guatemala’s Ancient Food Traditions.“

Yield: 6–8

Time: 40 minutes

3 fresh corn cobs, shucked (about 1¾ lb.)
2 cups whole milk
¹⁄₂ cup raw turbinado sugar
¹⁄₄ tsp. ground cinnamon or vanilla extract, or more
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

Using a large chefs knife, slice the kernels from the corn cobs, reserving the kernels (about 2 cups) and their juices (discard the cobs). Set a few kernels aside for garnish if desired.
Transfer the corn kernels to a blender and pulse until coarsely ground. Add 2 cups water, the milk, sugar, and cinnamon or vanilla, and blend on high until very smooth.
To a medium pot over medium-low heat, add the corn mixture, bring to a low boil, then stir in the salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the atol de elote is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and ladle into heatproof cups or mugs. Garnish with any reserved corn kernels and a bit more cinnamon if desired.

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Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole)

Aglaia Kremezi — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:29:15 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

A good moussaka is “one of the most fabulous things you can eat,” according to Aglaia Kremezi, author of Mediterranean Hot and Spicy. Her recipe for the Greek eggplant casserole, inherited from her mother, is a labor of love requiring sautéing, frying, boiling, and baking—but it’s well worth the trouble. The components (meat sauce, béchamel, and fried eggplant and potatoes) can be prepared the day before assembling.

Yield: 8-10

Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 lb. ground beef
¼ cup tomato paste
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided, plus more for dusting
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, divided
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
One 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
3 large eggplants, sliced into ¼-in.-thick rounds
5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼-in.-thick rounds
1 cup coarsely grated graviera cheese, or Gruyère
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

To a large pot set over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of the oil, the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 5–7 minutes. Add the beef and cook until browned and all the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, 1¼ teaspoons of the ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of the nutmeg, and the cloves and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated, about 1½ hours. Remove from the heat, then discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Season generously with salt and black pepper and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the béchamel: In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Melt the butter in a medium pot set over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until light golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1½ teaspoons of salt, the milk, and the remaining cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook, whisking frequently, until thick, about 10 minutes. Ladle about 1 cup of the béchamel into the egg, then whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, then whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. To a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil. Lightly dust the eggplant slices with cinnamon slices. When the oil is hot and shimmering, working in batches, fry the eggplant (turning once) until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the potatoes and cook until barely tender, 8–10 minutes. Drain and transfer to an ice bath. When cool, drain and set aside.
On the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the béchamel. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the graviera. Spread the potatoes evenly over the cheese, then cover evenly with the eggplant. Pour the meat sauce over the top, then spread with the remaining béchamel. Top with the remaining graviera. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 1 hour.

Around the World in 26 Eggplant Recipes

Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross

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Bamonte’s Pork Chops with Pickled Peppers

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:21:08 +0000

Photography by Julia Gartland; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

These juicy pork chops with pickled peppers have been a menu staple at Bamonte’s restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, since the 1950s. Both sweet and hot pickled cherry peppers are available at Italian grocery stores and online; if you’re sensitive to spicy foods, use either all sweet peppers or a mix of the two.

This recipe first appeared in our January/February 2013 issue along with Greg Ferro‘s article “Bamonte’s”.

Yield: 2–4

Time: 26 minutes

Two 1-in.-thick bone-in pork chops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 pickled cherry peppers, halved
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup chicken stock

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Season the chops generously with salt and black pepper.
To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the chops and cook, flipping once, until evenly browned, 5–8 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chops are just cooked through (145°F on an instant read thermometer), 18–20 minutes. Transfer chops to a plate and set aside (the meat will continue cooking as it rests).
Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat, add the remaining oil, garlic, and peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 3–4 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, stir in the wine and stock, and continue cooking until the liquid has reduced in volume by half, 3–4 minutes. Spoon the sauce and peppers over the pork chops and serve hot.

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Eggplant Caponata

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:35:59 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

This silky, tangy eggplant dish is an iconic Sicilian specialty, typically served as an appetizer or side dish. Beautifully absorbent, eggplant does an excellent job of soaking up the sweetness of the caramelized onions and raisins and the briny pungence of the capers and olives. Eleonora Consoli, a cooking teacher in Sicily, includes the unexpected addition of chocolate in her signature version of the dish. This eggplant caponata recipe first appeared in our March 2011 issue with the story, “Home Cooking in Sicily,” by Nancy Harmon Jenkins.

Yield: 4

Time: 50 minutes

3 cups olive oil
2 lb. eggplant, cut into 1-in. cubes
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. tomato paste, thinned with ¼ cup water
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
6 oz. green olives, pitted and finely chopped
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. finely grated unsweetened chocolate
½ cup finely shredded basil
2 Tbsp. pine nuts

Instructions

To a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the oil. Working in batches, add the eggplant and fry, tossing occasionally, until browned, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a large bowl and set aside.
Pour off all but ¼ cup of the oil (you can reserve it for another use) and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is a deep rust-brown color and the liquid has almost completely evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and continue cooking until slightly reduced and just beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in the olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, sugar, and chocolate; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of a loose paste, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat then pour the sauce over the eggplant. Add the basil and pine nuts, and stir well. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper, and set the caponata aside to cool to room temperature before serving.

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Bun Cha (Grilled Vietnamese Meatballs with Rice Vermicelli)

Kate Berry — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:20:48 +0000

Photography by David Malosh; Food Styling by Pearl Jones; Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio

SAVEUR’s chief content officer Kate Berry was born in Southern Vietnam, though she is particularly fond of these Northern-style grilled meatballs, which she tasted for the first time in a restaurant here in the States. According to the classic bun cha recipe, the slightly flattened meatballs are cooked over a wood or charcoal fire, but she finds that a stovetop grill pan is a great substitute for achieving the dish’s requisite char and smoky flavor.

Bun cha is usually served with a light and brothy dipping sauce; Berry suggests swirling the grilled meatballs directly in the condiment—fortifying it with their flavorful juices—before pouring the liquid liberally over the noodles and topping with fresh herbs. A side of crunchy do chua—Vietnamese carrot-daikon pickle—lends the rich pork an extra layer of freshness and crunch; find our recipe here. If cooking the meatballs on a wide-set grill, thread the meatballs on a skewer to prevent them from falling through the grates.

Yield: 4–6

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

¼ cup fish sauce, preferably Vietnamese-style
3 Tbsp. turbinado sugar
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
3 lemongrass stalks, outer layers removed, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. ground pork

For the dipping sauce:

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, preferably Vietnamese-style
⅓ cup turbinado sugar
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. coconut water
¼ cup fresh lime juice
4 garlic cloves, grated
1–2 red bird’s-eye chiles (optional)

For serving:

Leaves from 1 head soft lettuce, such as red or green leaf or Bibb
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced on the bias
Fresh herb sprigs, such as Thai basil, cilantro, mint, shiso, rau ram, or sawtooth
Rice vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package instructions and chilled

Instructions

Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, whisk together the fish sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves. To a small food processor, add the shallot, garlic, and lemongrass until finely chopped (or finely chop using a chef’s knife). Stir the chopped aromatics and black pepper into the sugar mixture, then add the pork, stirring with clean hands to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, coconut water, lime juice, garlic, chiles (if using), and ½ cup cool water until the sugar dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat a grill over medium heat, or a well-seasoned grill-pan over medium-high heat. Place a clean, large platter by the grill or stove.
Divide the chilled meatball mixture into twenty 2-ounce portions (a scant ¼ cup per meatball). Gently roll each portion into a ball, then press gently between your palms to slightly flatten on 2 sides. (This will make the meatballs easier to grill; do not fully flatten into patties). Grill the meatballs, turning once, until deeply charred on both sides and cooked through, 5–10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to the platter; serve the bun cha hot, with the reserved dipping sauce, lettuce leaves, cucumbers, and herbs on the side.

Do Chua (Vietnamese Carrot Daikon Pickle)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID MALOSH; FOOD STYLING BY PEARL JONES; PROP STYLING BY SOPHIE STRANGIO

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Tom Roach’s Heavenly Angel Food Cake

Tom Roach — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:30:12 +0000

The late, great American cookbook author Marion Cunningham famously carried with her a photograph of a table loaded with angel food cakes, all slightly different: some tall, some short, some white and fluffy, some in a Bundt shape. The photo was taken at a meeting of the Baker’s Dozen, a group of pro bakers including Alice Medrich and Carol Field who met regularly to exchange problems and solutions. Each of the cakes was baked by the members from the same recipe. “If all our results were this different,” Cunningham sympathized, “think of the plight of the poor home cook.” This recipe in question is this one, from “cookie baker for the stars,” Tom Roach, adapted with a bit of Cunningham’s gentle advice.

This recipe originally ran alongside Christopher Hirsheimer’s 1999 article, Baking Lessons.

Order the SAVEUR Selects Artisan Series Angel Food Cake Pan here.

Yield: 8–10

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

1½ cup sifted cake flour
1½ cup superfine sugar
1½ cup egg whites (from 11–12 large eggs)
1½ tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. fine sea salt

Instructions

Sift and measure flour. Add a third of the sugar and sift together three times. (M.C. prefers 1¼ cups granulated sugar to 1½ cups superfine sugar, which she feels makes the cake too sweet. She sifts the flour by itself and adds sugar directly to the egg whites.)
Place into a large mixing bowl the egg whites, 2 tablespoons cold water, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt—yes, all at once! Whip until barely stiff enough to hold a peak when the beater is lifted, but not dry. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 2–3 tablespoons at a time, whipping gently after each of the first few additions, then folding rather than beating towards the end. (M.C. sprinkles the sugar into the whites in four parts as she beats, until the whites are shiny and hold soft peaks.)
Add the sifted flour and sugar, 3–4 tablespoons at a time, and fold gently until smooth after each addition. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10 tube pan and bake in a preheated 325°F oven about 1 hour. (M.C. sifts the flour into the egg whites as she’s folding it in.)
Invert the angel food cake and cool completely before removing from pan. (M.C.: Or invert the pan on a bottle until cake cools.)

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Lidnivikis

Jenn Louis — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:44:51 +0000

Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

These old school Polish pancakes are lighter, fluffier, and cheesier than the batter-based standard. The batter—really more of a dough made from cottage cheese and egg barely bound together with flour—is sliced into rounds and baked, rather than cooked in a pan. Be careful not to overwork it when adding flour; the pancakes should be fall-apart tender.

Featured in: “Old School Pancakes So Good They Don’t Need a Pan.”

Yield: 5–7

Time: 45 minutes

2 cups cottage cheese (about 1 lb.)
3 large eggs
1½ cups (7½ oz.) all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Fresh dill and sour cream, for serving

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F; position two of the racks in the top and bottom third of the oven. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese and eggs. Stir in 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt. Lay a second large rectangle of parchment paper on a clean work surface and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup flour lengthwise down the center. Pour the batter over the flour in an approximately 12- by 2½-inch log, then lift the long sides of the parchment to roll the log back and forth over the parchment until it’s evenly coated in flour (the dough will be very wet and soft). Using a knife, cut the log crosswise into ten 1½-inch thick rounds; using the side of your knife for help, quickly transfer the rounds to the lined baking sheets cut-side-up and spaced at least 2 inches apart.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking, until lightly browned on the bottom and set in the middle, about 20 minutes.
Using a thin, offset spatula, transfer the pancakes to a plate or serving platter. Pinch off small knobs of butter with your fingers and place over each pancake. Sprinkle with dill and serve hot with sour cream on the side.

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Sour Cherry Crumble

Stacy Adimando — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 13:03:47 +0000

Photography by Brian Klutch

Whether you call it a crisp or a crumble, this easy recipe from Stacy Adimando requires just a baking dish and a few bowls. Delicious right after it cools, sour cherry crumble is arguably even better the next day for breakfast. Using natural cane sugar—which is less refined and slightly coarser—helps keep it from being overly sweet.

Featured in: Sour Cherries Are Summer’s Greatest, Most Fleeting Gift.

Yield: 8

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the crumb:

1 cup all-purpose flour
¹⁄₂ cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 Tbsp. natural cane sugar
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
9 Tbsp. (41/2 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into medium cubes

For filling and serving:

8 cups fresh sour cherries (about 2 lb. 12 oz.)
¼ cup tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
¹⁄₄ cup natural cane sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of ½ small lemon
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch kosher salt
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

Make the crumb: In a large bowl, mix the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and squeeze the mixture firmly and repeatedly with your fingers, scooping up the bits from the bottom of the bowl until the mixture feels moist and comes together in golf-ball-size crumbles. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Gently pit the cherries, recruiting help as needed, and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the tapioca flour, sugar, vanilla, zest, cinnamon, and salt.
Quickly transfer the cherry mixture to a 10-inch ceramic baking dish or pie plate. Sprinkle the topping evenly on top to cover the cherries, crumbling it into smaller pieces as you go.
Bake on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet until the juices are thickened, syrupy, and bubbling slowly and the top is lightly golden, about 50 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely (or nearly). Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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