GC loved this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Plenty. I’ve never cared much for fennel’s taste of black licorice, but this recipe is really lovely. The secret is also to use really high-quality goat cheese.
Homemade Butter
The best-quality butter has a sweet flavor, similar to fresh heavy cream; if salt has been added, it should be barely detectable. It’s surprisingly simple to make butter at home— just start with high-quality organic heavy whipping cream.
Plantain Chips
Plantain chips are an easy, delicious snack. Many recipes call for frying the fruit, but I prefer to bake. These chips can be prepared with any seasonings you enjoy, from chili powder to cinnamon. Today I simply used flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ragù di Seppia
I’ve been practicing my Italian, with GC’s help. I found the following recipe for maltagliati al ragù di seppia online. I didn’t have time to prepare the pasta from scratch, so I used pappardelle that I had in the pantry. The sauce came out very well.
Asparagus Gruyere Tart
This tart is one of my favorite simple appetizers. I found this recipe years ago in Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine (March/April 2003). Puff pastry is an easy base for impromptu tarts like this one, but I prefer to use homemade tart dough. I also prefer pencil-thin asparagus instead of medium or thick asparagus.
Alejandra's Kitchen 