Out to Lunch

by Stacey Ballis

  Once the pork is out of the oven, let it rest for half an hour before removing it to a large board. Pull off the cracklings, and scrape extra fat from the underside of the cracklings and remove large pieces of unrendered fat from the surface of the meat. You can either pull the meat apart into large pieces, or serve whole with a tongs and a large fork for your guests to pull apart themselves. If you are pulling the pork yourself, serve the cracklings on the side, if you are serving whole, simply place the cracklings back on top of the roast once you have defatted. Hold in a 200°F oven until you want to serve.

  Remove the thyme sprigs from the pan, and use a slotted spoon to put all of the vegetables in a medium saucepan. Defat the pan juices and add to saucepan. For a chunky sauce, use a potato masher, for smooth, an immersion blender, and add enough stock to achieve the consistency you want. If your sauce needs brightness, try adding a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  Swiss Chard and Chickpeas

  SERVES 6 AS A SIDE DISH

  Jenna tends to bring vegetable side dishes when she goes to dinner at Jasmin and Gene’s, since they lean toward rich hearty soul foods. This is a great winter side dish that Jenna developed when her fourth CSA farm box in a row contained a pile of Swiss chard. You can substitute kale or other hearty greens if you don’t have chard.

  2 large or 3 medium bunches Swiss chard, any color or combination

  1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish

  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

  ½ cup chicken stock

  Salt and pepper to taste

  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

  Separate the stems from the leaves of the chard, and chop the stems into ½-inch slices, and tear the leaves in 1 ½-inch pieces. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the chickpeas and sauté until they begin to get a little golden and crispy on the outside. Add the chard stems and cook for a minute, then sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce and vinegar over the top and cook until nearly evaporated. Toss in the chard leaves and gently combine with the stems and beans, then pour the chicken stock over. Mix in the red pepper flakes if you like a little heat. Continue to sauté until the leaves are cooked, and the stock is mostly gone. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and finish with a drizzle of fruity olive oil.

  Lois’s Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

  YOUR YIELD WILL DEPEND ON HOW LARGE YOU MAKE THEM, BUT ASSUME ABOUT TWO DOZEN LARGER OR FOUR DOZEN SMALLER BISCUITS.

  Who says that you shouldn’t bake for your furry pals? The bonus? If you’re like Jenna and having willpower problems, baking for dogs ensures that you can keep your homemade treats around and not impact your waistline. Adapted from whiteonricecouple.com, a foodie blog that is as fabulous for people as it is for dogs.

  2 ¾ cups whole wheat flour

  1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

  1 cup spelt flour

  ½ cup flax seeds

  2 tablespoons brown sugar

  1 teaspoon sea salt

  3 eggs

  1 cup peanut butter

  ⅓ cup vegetable oil

  1 cup water

  Combine flours, brown sugar, flax seeds, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Mix in oil. Add enough water until dough is smooth and workable.

  Cover the dough and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to relax.

  Preheat oven to 375°F and line a couple sheet pans with parchment paper or Silpats.

  Roll out dough to about ½-inch thick. Cut to desired shape then put on sheet pans. Base your shapes on the size of the dogs you are dealing with. Volnay likes a delicate, small round about 1 ½ inch in diameter; Chewbacca likes a large 3 x 1 ½-inch rectangle. But if you have dog bone cutters, have at it.

  Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until biscuits are slightly browned and fairly hard. (They will harden a touch more when cool.) Set aside to cool, then treat the pups liberally.

  Wedge Salad with Thousand Island

  SERVES 4

  You might think you don’t like Thousand Island dressing, but this homemade version is nothing like the gloopy bottled stuff, or overly sweet stuff you get at the salad bar. This is old school delicious, and a wonderful surprise for your guests.

  1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and cut into 4 wedges and kept cold

  8 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

  1 cup good-quality mayonnaise, Hellman’s is best

  ½ cup Heinz chili sauce

  2 tablespoons sour cream

  1 teaspoon lemon juice

  1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

  2 tablespoons finely chopped celery hearts

  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Mix all the dressing ingredients together and keep chilled. To serve, place a wedge on a chilled plate, dress with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and a generous sprinkle of bacon bits. Pass more dressing on the side.

  Jenna’s Blackout Elevator Cake

  SERVES 8 TO 12

  For all chocolate lovers, the ultimate chocolate cake. Just don’t feed it to your dog.

  For the Cake:

  1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  1 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder

  1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

  1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  2 cups granulated sugar

  2 large eggs

  1 large egg yolk

  1 cup sour cream

  ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 cup brewed dark roast coffee

  2 ounces dark chocolate, melted

  For the Filling:

  1 cup whole milk

  Pinch salt

  ¼ cup sugar

  1 large egg

  2 tablespoons cornstarch

  2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

  For the Frosting:

  4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

  11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

  1 ⅔ cups powdered sugar, sifted

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

  Pinch salt

  1 package Nabisco chocolate wafers, crushed

  Make the Cake:

  Mix dry ingredients including flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk to combine.

  In separate bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, butter, melted chocolate, and vanilla. In bowl of standing mixer, add wet ingredient mixture to the dry. Mix for one minute until combined. Pour in coffee and mix until smooth. Divide evenly into two 9-inch cake rounds that have been greased. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes until toothpick comes out cleanly.

  Make the Pastry Cream:

  Warm milk and salt in a saucepan on medium-low heat until steaming. Meanwhile, whisk egg, sugar, and cornstarch. Pour hot milk slowly over egg mixture, stirring continuously. Pour entire mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Pour hot pastry cream over chocolate. Stir until smooth as chocolate melts. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Place in between layers of cake once both cake and cream are completely cooled. Very important: Assemble cake before making frosting. If your kitchen is warm, store the assembled cake in the fridge while you make the frosting.

  Make the Frosting:

  Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Cream butter in bowl of standing mixer. Add sifted powdered sugar and espresso powder and salt, and cream again. Finally, pour in vanilla and melted chocolate, mix until smooth. Frost cake before icing is cooled, because it will harden at room temperature and be difficult to spread. While the frosting is still fresh, press cookie crumbs around the out
side of the cake.

  Serve with vanilla ice cream or very lightly sweetened whipped cream.

  Aimee’s Salad Bar Soup

  SERVES 1 TO 8

  A perfect fall or winter last-minute dinner. Just dump and heat up. Use what you have. Done in 30 minutes, but even better the next day, or the third. A little crusty bread on the side, maybe a green salad, it will be all you need and a cure for what ails you.

  8 cups assorted veggies from your salad bar, in fairly equal proportions. I use the following, but you should use what you like. (I don’t like mushrooms in this soup, they make the broth sort of muddy.)

  Shredded red cabbage

  Kale

  Carrots

  Celery

  Chickpeas

  Red onion

  Zucchini and/or yellow squash

  Broccoli and/or cauliflower

  Peas

  Chicken (If they don’t have it on the salad bar, try a rotisserie chicken. Also good with leftover meats if you have them around.)

  1 jar of your favorite marinara or tomato basil sauce (I love Rao’s), or a jar of tomato puree

  1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed

  1 cup small whole wheat pasta, like ditalini or orzo, or a grain like barley or brown rice

  ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

  Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Water or chicken stock

  Lemon and Parmesan cheese to garnish

  Dump all of the veggies excluding the potato into a large stockpot. Add the jar of marinara or tomato puree and enough water (or good chicken or vegetable stock if you have it on hand) to cover the veggies by about 2 inches. Stir well, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When the soup is bubbling, add the red pepper flakes if you like, and salt and pepper to taste. When the broth tastes great, add the pasta and potato and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes. When the potato and pasta are cooked through, taste again for seasoning, and let cool before storing in fridge or freezer.

  If you have any leftover cooked veggies in your fridge, you can add them when you add the pasta and potato.

  Use what you have! No jarred pasta sauce? Grab a large can of crushed tomatoes. Have some fresh herbs on hand, or some slightly sad wilty veggies in the crisper? Use ’em up. Prefer a grain to pasta? Try barley or farro or brown rice. Want it soupier? Add more water or stock. Heartier and more stewlike, add less.

  Elliot’s Valentine’s Toffee Bread Pudding

  SERVES 12

  If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Preferably with vodka in it. If life gives you stale bread? Make bread pudding. Elliot knows that the way to Jenna’s heart is through gestures like bringing her enormous sandwiches and a pan of this homey and comforting dessert.

  4 cups whole milk

  1 cup heavy cream

  5 large eggs

  4 large egg yolks

  8 to 10 cups stale cubed bread, preferably French baguettes, about 1 ½ to 2 loaves

  1 cup chopped chocolate-covered toffee (about 4 to 6 Heath Bars, chopped)

  1 cup sugar

  Pinch salt

  1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out

  6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  8 palmier cookies (optional)

  Preheat your oven to 375°F and butter a 9 x 13 deep baking dish or roasting pan. Toss your cubed bread in the melted butter in a large bowl to coat all of the pieces.

  Mix the milk and cream in a medium saucepan with the scraped vanilla seeds and the pod, and put over medium-high heat. Cook just until a thin skin forms and you can see small bubbles around the outside edge. Do not let boil. When the milk reaches this point, remove it from the heat and remove the vanilla pod.

  Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the warm milk mixture, whisking quickly to temper, then add the rest of the milk and whisk until completely combined and the sugar melts.

  Put half of the cubed buttered bread in the bottom of the pan. If using the palmier cookies, crumble them in an even layer over the bread. Sprinkle the toffee pieces evenly over the layer, then top with the rest of the cubed bread. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down to help the bread absorb. Let the pan sit for at least 30 minutes to absorb the custard. Can be made to this point and then refrigerated overnight if you want to make it the day before an event.

  Place the baking dish in a large, deep roasting pan, and fill halfway up the side of the baking dish with boiling water. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in the water bath until a skewer in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, with ice cream, whipped cream, or sweetened crème frâiche, or caramel sauce if you like.

  Fire Station Ham

  SERVES 16 TO 20

  You don’t need a houseful of hungry firemen to enjoy this ham; it’s the perfect thing to make for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter, or for a Super Bowl party!

  1 whole bone-in ham, about 12 pounds (You can use spiral sliced if you want, but I find that they tend to be less moist than whole hams you slice yourself; see if your butcher can get you one if you don’t have good access at the grocery store.)

  1 8-ounce jar mango chutney

  2 ounces ginger jam or ginger syrup

  2 tablespoons finely grated shallot

  1 cup light brown sugar

  Zest and juice of 1 orange

  ½ cup strong Dijon mustard, I prefer Maille brand

  3 tablespoons tomato paste

  2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

  Salt and pepper

  ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  Preheat oven to 350°F. If you are using an unsliced ham, score the skin and fat of the ham in a diamond pattern. Place the ham in a roasting pan, and put 1 cup of water in the bottom.

  Mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl. Spread the glaze all over the ham, being sure to get it into the scores. Cover the pan loosely with foil, trying not to touch the surface of the ham, but still sealing in the edges. Bake for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake an additional half an hour or so to caramelize the glaze. You can hold in a 200°F oven for up to two more hours before serving.

  Corn Soufflé Pudding

  SERVES 12

  Nothing goes better with ham than corn pudding, and this version is surprisingly light.

  2 cans creamed corn

  2 cans whole kernel corn (do not strain or drain)

  16 ounces sour cream

  2 sticks butter, softened

  2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix

  3 eggs, separated

  ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

  Pinch salt

  ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

  Preheat oven to 350°F, and butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix all of the ingredients except the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. In your standing mixer, beat the egg whites till they are foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat to stiff peaks. Fold a third of the egg whites into the corn mixture to lighten it, and then fold the rest in carefully, trying not to deflate the mixture too much.

  Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown and a skewer in the middle comes out clean.

  Coconut Macaroons

  MAKES UP TO 24 COOKIES

  These unusual cookies use larger dried flaked coconut instead of the usual shredded sweetened coconut, for a much more sophisticated and less cloyingly sweet dessert. Adapted from Alice Medrich.

  4 large egg whites

  3 ½ cups unsweetened dried flaked, not shredded, coconut (also known as coconut chips)

  ¾ cup sugar

  2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  Slightly rounded ¼ teaspoon salt

  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  Combine all of the ingredients in a large heatproof mixing bowl. Set the bowl directly in a wide skillet of barely simmering water (if your bowl bobs in the water, simply pour some out). Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent burning, until the mixture
is very hot to the touch and the egg whites have thickened slightly and turned from translucent to opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. Set the batter aside for at least an hour to let the coconut absorb more of the goop. (You can also make it to this stage and store in the fridge for up to three days before baking.)

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Using 2 tablespoons of batter, make heaps 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets. It is okay if some of the goop is left over in the bowl, but try not to have the goop puddle at the base of the cookies. Bake for about 5 minutes, just until the coconut tips begin to color, rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.

  Lower the temperature to 325°F and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are a beautiful cream and gold with deeper brown edges, again rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time. If the coconut tips are browning too fast, lower the heat to 300°F. Set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool. Let cool completely before gently peeling the parchment away from each cookie. If they are sticking, place them in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes and try again.

  The cookies are best on the day they are baked—the exterior is crisp and chewy and the interior soft and moist. Although the crispy edges will soften, the cookies remain delicious stored in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

  Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate and Walnuts

  SERVES 6

  Andrea knows that this homey dish is the right way to welcome a weary traveler home. An easy dish for a dinner party, you can make it the day before and reheat; the flavors only get better.

  Adapted from Daniel Boulud’s Braise cookbook

  6 lamb shanks (buy foreshanks if you can get them, ask your butcher)

  4 ½ tablespoons grapeseed oil

  6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

  2 sprigs fresh sage

  1 ½ teaspoons ground sumac

  ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds

  3 medium red onions, sliced