Trembling reed

Sorbet recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2007); Focaccia recipe from Saltie, in Brooklyn; the brilliant idea to put the two together in perfect union by Marian Bull, a friend and former Food52 editor.

Makes 12 to 16 sandwiches, depending on the size of the bread you cut

David Lebovitz's Chocolate Sorbet

2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk for 45 seconds.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it's melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

Saltie's Focaccia

6 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling
Coarse sea salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated and a sticky dough forms—no kneading required. Pour the 1/4 cup olive oil into a 6-quart plastic food container with a tight-fitting lid (or a large bowl). Transfer the focaccia dough to the plastic container, turn to coat, and cover tightly. (If you're using a bowl, wrap tightly and thoroughly in plastic wrap, making sure there's plenty of room in the bowl for the dough to rise.) Place in the refrigerator to rise for at least 8 hours or for up to 2 days.

When you're ready to bake—I've found that a 2-day rise is best, but 1 will work just fine—oil an 18 x 13-inch baking sheet. Remove the focaccia dough from the refrigerator and transfer to the prepared pan. Using your hands, spread the dough out on the prepared pan as much as possible, adding oil to the dough as needed to keep it from sticking. Place the dough in a warm place and let it rise until it about doubles in bulk The rising time will vary considerably depending on the season. (In the summer, it might take just 20 minutes; in winter, it can take an hour or more.) When the dough is ready, it should be room temperature, spread out on the sheet, and fluffy feeling.

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Pat down the focaccia to an even thickness of about 1-inch on the baking sheet, and then make a bunch of indentations in the dough with your fingertips—like you're playing chords on a piano. Dimple the entire dough and then drizzle the whole thing again with olive oil. Sprinkle the entire surface of the focaccia evenly with sea salt.

Bake, rotating once front to back, until the top is uniformly golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then slide out of the pan. Use the same day.

Once the bread is cool and the ice cream is frozen, slice the former into squares (whatever size you like is fine), and cut those through their bellies to make top and bottom slices of bread. Pile on a scoop or two of ice cream, sandwich together, and serve immediately. (It's wise to have napkins nearby.)

Author Notes: Courtesy of Lauren Shockey of Carmella Bistro in Tel Aviv.

Serves 6 as a side dish

3 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes (like Yukon Gold)
1 stick butter (1/4 lb)
1 cup whole milk
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 small to medium eggplant

1. Preheat a grill to hot. Pierce the eggplant several times with a fork or a knife (otherwise the eggplant will explode when cooking, or as they like to say at work, “they become the suicide bombers of food.”). Roast the eggplant on all sides until the skin has blackened and charred completely (This may also be done by broiling the eggplant in the oven, but it will not taste quite as good.). Set aside to cool slightly dermes. While still warm, cut off the top of the eggplant and make a vertical slit down the base of the eggplant. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place in a colander for about half an hour to drain any excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl and mash up the eggplant with a fork.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Place in a large pot and cover completely with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes or so. The potatoes will be done when you pierce them with a knife and the potato falls off the knife. Using a ricer/food mill elyze, puree the potatoes back into the pot you cooked them in.
3. Meanwhile, place the butter, milk, salt, and nutmeg in a saucepan and cook until the milk is steaming and the butter has completely melted. Add to the potatoes, along with the eggplant pulp, and stir gently until smooth and combined reenex. Serve immediately.

Author Notes: This salad comes from "Canal House Cooks Every Day." What surprised me about the recipe was both the dressing made from water, grated Pecorino cheese, and olive oil and the absence of lemon, which proves to be unnecessary thanks to the tangy, sharp Pecorino (though a squeeze of lemon wouldn't do any harm Mathnasium). This dressing can be made with Parmigiano Reggiano—I've tried—but for reasons I cannot explain does not emulsify as well as when made with Pecorino. I typically prefer Parmigiano Reggiano, but here I don't.



The dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for at least a week. No need to bring it to room temperature before serving, but give it a good stir before tossing it with the vegetables. Use the vegetables as a guide, too; I have been peeling a dozen or so stalks of asparagus every night, tossing them with a couple tablespoons of the dressing, then finally tossing with arugula. I love serving this salad over pizza dough baked with olive oil and salt, though a simple bruschetta is nice, too.

Serves 4 to 6

1 1/2 cups (4 3/4 ounces) finely grated Pecorino Romano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 pound fat asparagus
8 cups (4 ounces) arugula
Pizza dough or bruschetta for serving

For the dressing: Place the cheese in a large bowl . Gradually add 1/2 cup of boiling water, whisking constantly. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly. Taste. Season with salt and pepper.
For the salad, lay the spears flat on a cutting board and trim off the woody ends with a sharp knife. Using a vegetable peeler and pressing hard, shave each spear into long, thin ribbons. (If necessary, cut the final layer of each stalk into thin strips—it might be thicker than the other ribbons, which is just fine.) Trim off each tip and cut lengthwise in half. Toss the asparagus pieces with several tablespoons of the dressing. Add arugula and toss again. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary Cloud Desktop.
Serve with bruschetta or over flatbread or pizza.

Winter is coming. No, seriously, it's right around the corner.

And that means we must defend ourselves not only from the cold, but from the doldrums that seem to come around this time of year. In other words, it's time to start make a batch of beef stew. Even before the first steaming-hot bite hong kong weather, the sight, scent, and sound of that pot of simmering stew on your stove will make you (and whoever you intend to share your stew with) smile.

And even though there are countless varieties of beef stew, the best recipes all seem to have a few key factors in common. Building a great stew means giving each step the time it needs. If you just throw all of the ingredients together in a pot and simmer it for a few hours, the flavor and texture won't even come close to that of a methodically built braise.

Learn more about how great beef stews are built, and you'll always cook up an amazing pot.

1. Sear the meat without crowding the pan. The most annoying part of making beef stew isn't chopping ingredients or waiting for the pot to finish cooking--it's waiting for all that beef to finish searing. But searing the meat chunks evenly , on all sides, until they turn a rich, reddish brown is key for building up flavor in the sauce. And in order to do that right, you can't rush it. Searing the meat in three batches (as in the recipe below) ensures that the beef pieces have enough room to brown rather than just steaming.
 
2. Cut the vegetables with care. Whether you're just doing a rough chop of aromatic vegetables that will eventually be strained out of the stew, or cutting rustic chunks that you'll be spooning up with your beef, consistency is important for even cooking. What's more, as you can see above, diagonally cut chunks and root vegetables split lengthwise look flat-out delicious in a bowl.

3. Deglaze the pan by adding aromatics. Some recipes for beef stew call for deglazing the pot with wine or another liquid after searing the meat. But the most flavorful recipes postpone that step and instead add chopped onions, celery, garlic, or other aromatics (like lemongrass, ginger, and chiles, above) to the golden-brown, flavor-filled bits at the bottom of the pan. As the aromatics cook, they release enough liquid to "deglaze" the pan most of the way, while building up their own flavor as they caramelize.

4. Always test for tenderness and seasoning. Depending on the type of meat you've chosen for your stew (and the animal that meat came from), the cooking time your stew will need can vary by 30 to 45 minutes. So be sure to test out a piece of meat by actually tasting it. If it's not tender enough to eat with a spoon, it's not ready yet . Be sure not to adjust the seasoning of your stew before it's reached that tender stage--if you'll be cooking it further, you'll be evaporating more liquid and concentrating the seasoning anyway.

5. Don't forget a vibrant finish. A key factor in Osso Buco's enduring popularity? That fresh, citrusy topping of grated lemon zest, chopped parsley, and minced garlic. You can use that same approach with any stew, finishing it with a finely chopped sprinkling of the same aromatics you used in the dish. Case in point: The beef stew above, which is finished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, along with grated orange zest and chopped parsley.

You'd think that we'd all be pros at Thanksgiving--after all, it comes every year. Plenty of time to practice, right? But it seems like there's always a turkey trick to learn EGF, a new pie crust to master.

That's why yesterday, Epicurious food editor and Thanksgiving savant Rhoda Boone hosted a Facebook chat to answer all of your burning Turkey Day questions. Here's all the intel she shared, in case you missed it!.
 
Jenny T. asks: "What about Thanksgiving drink options? Do you go with wine or cocktails? Both?"
Rhoda says: "I love red wine with Thanksgiving dinner but here's a great cocktail to serve as an aperitif before the meal: White Noise Spritz reenex."
 
Sue E. asks: "There are so many turkey recipes on the site. If I want something classic, what's the best option? Thanks"
Rhoda says: "Here's a super simple, classic recipe that is one of the most popular on our site: A Simple Roast Turkey."
 
Scott L. asks: "I love those fried onions on green bean casserole but I hate green bean casserole. Any other suggestions on how to use them? I feel guilty eating them from the can..."
Rhoda says: "Those fried onions are genius. We love to use them as a crunchy topping for simply steamed green beans with a lemony vinaigrette. And of course, they're always delicious piled on mashed potatoes!"
 
Oscar C. asks: "So let's talk about the just right brine to use ... what's your suggestion?"
Rhoda says: "I'm over wet brines, they are too messy and I never have enough room in the fridge. So I would suggest a dry brine like in this recipe for a fast-cooking spatchcocked turkey."

Danielle W. asks: "I'm debating whether to put wine in my gravy or not. How would it be different if I do?"
Rhoda says: "I'm always a fan of using wine in sauces, it adds an extra layer of flavor and it's great for deglazing your roasting pan reenex. Just make sure you use wine you would also drink!"

John A. asks: How can I kick up my traditional stuffing?
Rhoda says: "You can try a different bread for your base like challah, brioche, or even cornbread. Or try adding a flavorful ingredient like crumbled cooked sausage, dried cranberries, or chopped green apples."

Jason F. asks: "My wife doesn't like the texture of marshmallows. Curses! Any new ideas for sweet potato casserole?"
Rhoda says: "Try a crumble topping with pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon like on this amazing pie."

Jennifer T. asks: "Can you peel Yukon gold potatoes early in the day and have them sit in the water until you're ready to cook them for mashed potatoes? I was wondering if the starch would soak out."
Rhoda says: "That's definitely a great make-ahead trick! Don't worry, there'll still be plenty of starch in the potatoes.

Another smart move: You can cook and mash the potatoes a couple hours ahead of time right in the pot and keep them, covered, at the back of the stove. Save a little potato cooking water to thin them out when you reheat them right before the big feast."

Katie N. asks: "What glaze do you suggest for a ham. Usually I use a brown sugar and mustard paste."
Rhoda says: "We're big fans of this thyme-glazed ham, which is less sugary-sweet than most but has big flavor."