Departure: Puerto Rico (And a UNESCO World Heritage Site)

We just got back from an adults-only, 5 day trip to Puerto Rico. It was a fantastic vacation. I grew up in New York City and the islands aren't very far away, but for some reason I never made it down until now. I guess I didn't think it exotic enough (or maybe because it wasn't really far away, I never thought about it as a destination...) But our 16 month old was going to stay with his grandparents in Larchmont, so we couldn't venture too far and we needed some place relatively close (read: New Zealand was out!). 

Maybe it was all the billboards advertising Puerto Rico or the fact that my husband found really cheap tickets, but our destination was set: Old San Juan and the island of Vieques. 

The weather could not have been more perfect: 82 degrees and sunny every day we were there. We walked around Old San Juan, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, saw the forts, the various architectural styles at we ate...boy, did we eat. We had mallorcas (this recipe looks fantastic) at La Bombonera and Cafeteria Mallorca, as well as beans and rice, plantains and yucca. The mofongo and flan at El Jibarito were fantastic- classic island dishes that were big on flavor. My husband had ceviche and mahi-mahi that he said were terrific. We had salads dressed with passion fruit dressing, paellas, snow-cones and bean dips that were so delicious.   

The biggest treat, and hand-down the highlight of our trip, was kayaking in Vieques. We signed up for a night tour that took us to Mosquito Bay, which has the highest concentration of bioluminescence in the world. Every time our paddle hit the water, it would make a glowing ripple. Then we got to jump into the bay. Our bodies were aglow. Aglow! It looked like someone was shining a flashlight underneath us. It was a truly memorable and wonderful experience. 

The next day we took a publico (taxi) over to Red Beach. It was the most spectacular beach I'd ever been to (well, okay, there was some winners in Hawaii as well). Let's just say that Coney Island can't compete with this one. The waters were so pristine, so clear, so turquoise...it was amazing. No pollution, no trash - just gorgeous white sand and stunning water that we swam in for hours! Yes, hours. There was no undertow and that water was really calm. I did think about my friends and family stuck in another ice storm a few thousand miles away, but then the warm waters lapped at my feet...and I applied another coat of non-toxic sunscreen and closed my eyes:) 

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

I never miss an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, thanks in large part to our new DVR. The show features new recipes from "How Easy Is That?" and some popular episodes are also re-broadcast. 
On a recent show Ina went to a local farm to select the freshest, most-seasonal ingredients for a three-course meal she was preparing for some friends. Fresh and colorful corn, ripe and flavorful tomatoes, as well as the most gorgeous basil and herbs.  
Of course this made me long for the days when we got fresh, local and seasonal vegetables from our CSA (weep). But alas, our CSA share ended three months ago and we have a few more months to go before delivery starts again...   
I've been eating a ton of apples, squashes, potatoes, and legumes, but what is really 'in season' right now, and bursting with flavor, is citrus. (It's very seasonal, but not very local-- so you can be the judge of how your 'environmental footprint' is doing and make your purchases accordingly...)
I've been having a severe craving for all things citrus recently: blood oranges (see this post), limes, lemons, oranges and ruby red grapefruits.  I thought I was going to go out of my mind the other day if I didn't get my hands on a Steve's Key Lime Pie.  You know you have problems when you think of going out in a snow storm to get that perfect pie-- graham cracker crust with the most delicious key lime filing. Topped with whipped cream? Yes please! But that's a story for another time...
Anyway, this salad makes the most of the season's best fruit. I had it for the first time at my husband's aunt's home and was waiting to make it again-- and then I saw the most perfect ruby red grapefruits and I knew the time had come. Enjoy!

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad (Courtesy of Ina Garten)
Ingredients
Yields 4-6
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
4 ripe Hass avocados
2 large red grapefruits
Directions
Place the mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
Before serving, cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pit, and carefully peel off the skin. Cut each half into 4 thick slices. Toss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Use a large, sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruits (be sure to remove all the white pith), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments.
Arrange the avocado slices around the edge of a large platter. Arrange the grapefruit segments in the center. Spoon the vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Ottolenghi's Cauliflower and Cumin Fritters with Lime Yogurt

I have become mildly obsessed with Yotam Ottolenghi. Okay, let me just be honest, I have a big-time crush. Yotam has a cooking column in The Guardian and his dishes always look incredible. You can imagine, then, how happy I was when Yana,(She Cooks With Books), invited us over for dinner...and her Bible for the evening? The eponymous Ottolenghi. Big happy smiles.
Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli ex-pat, moved to London from his hometown of West Jerusalem. His partner, Sami Tamimi, is Palestinian from East Jerusalem. And their bond? Food. Folks, this is my kind of partnership. Their dishes have a range of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences -- they use sumac, za'atar, pistachio, rosewater, cumin and lots of regional herbs.
For our winter (birthday) feast Yana's made a lentil, red onion and chard soup, roasted butternut squash with pomegranate molasses, cauliflower and cumin fritters with lime yogurt, and for the omnivores of the bunch- roasted chicken with saffron, hazelnuts and honey. It was all excellent! We had three desserts: meringues with pistachio and rosewater, swedish chocolate balls with coconut (see this post) and I made a pumpkin-chocolate-chip loaf...which was moister than moist! It was a wonderful meal and I have decided to make the fritters for dinner tonight.

Cauliflower and Cumin Fritters with Lime Yogurt (Courtesy of Ottolenghi)
Serves 4
1 small cauliflower
120 grams (1 cup) plain flour
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus a few extra leaves to garnish
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 free-range eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
500 ml sunflower oil for frying (I just lightly coated the pan)

Lime sauce
300 grams Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
grated zest of one lime
2 tablespoons of lime juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper


Directions

1. Put all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.  Taste- looking for a vibrant, tart, citrusy flavor-- and adjust the seasoning. Chill or leave out for up to one hour.
2. To prepare the cauliflower, trim off any leaves and use a small knife to divide the cauliflower into little florets.  Add the to a large pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 15 minutes or until very soft. Drain into a colander.
3. While the cauliflower is cooking, put the flour, chopped parsley, garlic, shallots, eggs, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk together well to make a batter. When the mixture is smooth and homogeneous, add the warm cauliflower.  mix to break down the cauliflower into the batter.
4. Pour the sunflower oil into a wide pan to a depth of 1.5 cm and heat up. (I didn't use that much oil. I just put enough to thinly coat the pan.) When it is very hot, carefully spoon in generous portions of the cauliflower mixture, 3 tablespoons per fritter. Take care with the hot oil. Space the fritters apart and don't overcrowd the pan. Fry in small batches, controlling the oil temperature so that the fritters don't burn. They should take 3-4 minutes on each side.
5. Remove from the pan and drain well on a few layers of kitchen paper.  
6. Serve with the sauce on the side.

Brooklyn's Baked Brownies: A Bit of Chocolate Heaven

According to popular lore, these are Oprah's favorite brownies.  But I wanted to know, how do these really taste? The verdict? Fantastic.
I used 68% cacao chocolate and followed the instructions to-a-T.  Like everything else I have made from the Baked Bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn (including Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins and Pumpkin-Chocolate Loaf) these hit the spot and made me forget that this winter has been...well, absolutely awful.  So don't fret the 16 degree weather and the non-stop snow that keeps you homebound. Just warm a brownie square in the oven and serve ala mode!
Be careful not to over-bake, under-bake or over-mix.  
Now say it with me, "If it's good enough for Oprah, it's good enough for me!"
Baked Brownies (Courtesy of Baked: Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)
Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder

11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72 percent cacao), coarsely chopped

1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, cut into one-inch pieces

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature.
• Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat or your brownies will be cakey.
• Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. 
• Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares and serve.

A "Sunny" Side Dish: Roasted Winter Squash Toss

I'm not exactly known as a 'gym rat' but I do like to work out a few times a week. I don't do anything too strenuous, just 40-50 minutes on the elliptical followed by some light weight exercises.   Now, when the weather is nice, I can easily be convinced to go long hikes or walks in the park. I find it stimulating, invigorating and I love being outdoors. I never get bored walking outside and am always going on new hikes thanks to 50 Hikes of the Lower Hudson Valley.  But boy can I get bored in the gym.  So how do I keep my legs working without going bonkers?  I watch the Food Network (of course!) and that makes the time fly by.  With the help of my culinary friends on the tube (Ina, Giada, Tyler or Sunny-- depending on what time I go), 45 minutes to an hour just whizzes by.
Anyway, that long story about my physical exercise routine probably could have been boiled down this: I saw Sunny Anderson make this dish that highlights winter produce the other day, while I was at the gym.  She used winter squashes, butternut and acorn, and made a rub using olive oil, cumin, garlic, chili flakes, sugar and cinnamon.  The addition of toasted almonds provides a nice and contrasting texture.  Then Sunny dressed the squash with orange zest and juice.   

This is a very simple way to prepare squash and it has a nice flavor.  It's the perfect side dish for a winter meal!  Oh, and with a prep time of under 10 minutes, you really can't go wrong...

Roasted Winter Squash Toss (Courtesy of Sunny Anderson)
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons red chili flakes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (2 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (1 1/2 pound) acorn squash, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup almond slivers
1/2 orange, zested and juiced (about 1/3 cup juice and 1 tablespoon zest). The zest cuts down on the sharpness of the chili flakes...just a bit.

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together garlic, olive oil, sugar, cumin, chili flakes and cinnamon. Add squash cubes and toss well to evenly coat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place on two sheet pans and bake until nicely caramelized and soft when poked with a fork, stirring squash halfway through baking, about 25 to 30 minutes. While baking, place almonds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer squash and almonds to a serving bowl, toss with orange juice and zest, and serve.