Oui, Chef - Part 11

Coconut Chocolate Macaroons

May 23, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

Not to be confused with the dainty and ever popular French Macarons, these delightful flavor bombs are big and bold, jammed with sweetened coconut (and in this case mini semi-sweet chocolate chips), and made luxuriant with a mix of egg whites and pastry cream.

The base recipe is one from a favorite local chef of mine, and a HUGE supporter of Share Our Strength, Joanne Chang. Joanne is a wonderful gal, super dedicated to ending childhood hunger in the US, and a very successful chef and restaurateur. She is an owner (along with her husband Christopher) of the wildly popular Boston restaurant Myers and Chang, and also runs a growing empire of Flour Bakery and Cafe locations (currently 4 and counting) in and around the city.

Yogurt Coffee Cake

May 20, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

I came up with this cake the other day as a means of using up some nuts and yogurt I had laying about, and to have a little something special on-hand for our "morning after prom" gang. It turns out that the cake never survived the prom after party to be enjoyed as an accompaniment to morning coffee….oh well.

Crispy Salt and Vinegar Potatoes

May 16, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

I'm a freak for a good potato chip, and without question my favorite flavor of chip is sea salt and vinegar. You can keep your sour cream and onion, your barbeque, and your cheddar jalapeno….nothing comes close to a good vinegar chip in my book.

To me, the love of chips (or crisps for my Brit or Oz readers) is universal. I have never met anyone who doesn't love potato chips. Have you? I don't think the same can't be said for many other "cult" status foods.

Fennel Soup with Almonds and Mint

May 13, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

You are not going to believe how creamy, smooth and tasty this simple soup is, and even better, you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes. From my friends at Cooking Light Magazine, this soup was recently featured as a "High Velocity Vegetarian" dish and for good reason….it is super fast to make, and fires on all 12 cylinders.

Dirt Bombs

May 9, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

Please don't click past this recipe because of it's less than appealing name….you'll be VERY sorry if you do, I can promise you that. These delightful little nuggets are from the Bantam Bread Bakery in Bantam, CT and come to us courtesy of the R.S.V.P. feature in the May 2014 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. R.S.V.P is where reader's write in to request that the magazine ferret out the recipes from their favorite restaurant meals.

World Peace Cookies

May 6, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

I know what you're thinking. Wouldn't it be lovely if all we had to do to rid the world of conflict and bring peace was to bake a few batches of top-notch cookies.

Just imagine……

Israel and Palestine…..fixed.

Russia and Ukraine…..done.

Syria's civil war………a thing of the past.

Lannisters v. Tyrells……..just make sure there's enough cold milk to go around (it turns out drinking wine in Westeros can prove fatal….poor Joffrey).

It seems silly to ponder a world where a single sweet confection could turn the tides of conflict and put us on a path to world peace, but if any treat could, then it would surely be these masterful cookies.

Thai Peanut Pork Belly

May 2, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

This is my take on one of the best restaurant dishes I've ever had. The original, an appetizer by Chef Kate Rench of Café Diva in Steamboat Springs, CO is called a "Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwich" and consists of Asian braised pork belly, Thai peanut sauce, sriracha, and raisin nut toast. The boys and I first tried this dish two years ago while skiing at Steamboat and were totally blown away by its complexity and utter deliciousness. Truth be told, when we decided to head back to Steamboat for February vacation this year it was this dish more than any other factor (except maybe the awesome snow there) that sealed our decision to return. Yup….it's that freakin' good!

Mejadra

April 28, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

Hey Eithne…you still out there?

Good, because this one's for you.

My friend Eithne wrote to me a while ago asking if I had a really good recipe for Mejadra (or Mujadara, depending on where in the middle-east you might hail from), and while I had enjoyed a few different versions over the years I had never made it myself and so couldn't really help her. I did tell her that I'd search some reliable sources and try a few different twists on the dish and get bacl to her. When I finally came upon this Ottolenghi-Tamimi take on the classic, I knew my search was over.

We Have a Global Kitchen Winner!

April 27, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

The WINNER of Cooking Light's new cookbook, "Global Kitchen" is Lindsey Farr, congratulations Lindsey!

I pulled Lindsey's name out of a hat with much fanfare on Friday and with half a dozen witnesses making sure I didn't peek and cheat.

Lindsey, please send me an email through the "Contact Me" link above and give me your mailing address so that I can send the book along to you.

I know you're gonna love it!

Cheers – Steve

Fried Brussels Sprouts with Curried Sriracha Aioli

April 18, 2014 By Steve Dunn Leave a Comment

Fried brussels sprouts seem to be all the rage these days, available on many restaraunt's menus as an appetizer or side-dish. I first encountered them over a year ago at a local place called the Rye Tavern, and from my first bite was smitten.

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