Trembling reed

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."

This household's affinity for pie-making has been well-documented, we've made crumble and cream pies, infinite chess pies in my family's tradition and chocolate and mango and everything in between. Our pies, however, have always been made in a pie pan, as would seem obvious. Sure, there are hand-pies, and weird people who stack pies, and then there's Martha Stewart's slab pie, but I've always sort of ignored them . However, this year when I was planning a 4th of July meal that was as traditional as you could get (burgers, from scratch baked beans made with homemade BBQ sauce, potato salad with homemade mayo - okay fine it wasn't so traditional, I put sumac in my potato salad!). Anyway, this slab pie kept popping up in my internets and just screaming 4th of July at me. Maybe it's those interminable flag cakes and colored jello but rectangular desserts just seem so American holiday to me.
 
So slab pie it was, to be filled with the last of our local strawberries and cherries. And no pie is complete without homemade ice cream, especially on the 4th. This ice cream is a super simple mix of some common local ingredients (creme fraiche and honey), and all you have to do is whirl it in a blender, chill it, and freeze. The honey not only is a healthier sweetener but keeps the ice cream from freezing too hard in the freezer.

Making a slab pie is a breeze, you just roll out two squares of dough, pile in some fruit, and crimp the edges together. Unlike a triangular wedge of pie, you don't have to worry so much that the filling will be soupy and runny, plus you get a higher crust-to-fruit ratio, which is a definite plus. I used Martha's pate brisee recipe and honestly, it's not my favorite. I think it can be a bit too soft and difficult to work with, so feel free to use your favorite dough recipe if you prefer. The slab pie is very easy to serve and the ice cream is a snap, I think they may become a summer tradition!
 
Strawberry Cherry Slab Pie
Adapted from Food52 and Martha Stewart. You can use any combination of berries you like but we thought the strawberry-cherry combo (about 2/3 strawberries to 1/3 cherries) was really perfect. Don't forget to sprinkle the sugar on top before baking Vitamin, it gives the crust a nice crunch!

6 to 7 cups mixed cherries and berries, a mix of berries of your choice
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling over crust
1/4 cup (4 tbl) cornstarch
juice of half a lemon
pinch salt
for the dough:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons sugar
24 tablespoons (.75 pounds) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice water
equipment: jelly roll pan or a 10x15 inch rimmed baking sheet

1. Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, sugar. Add butter. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream just until dough comes together. (Do not process more than 30 seconds.) Divide dough into two, pat into discs, wrap and refrigerate until ready to make pie.
2. Make the pie: Preheat oven to 375 F. Take out the dough to soften slightly. Grease a jelly roll pan.
3. Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, stirring to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, working on a well-floured surface roll the two dough rounds out into large rectangles, slightly larger then your baking pan (about 13x18). If desired, cut out shapes from the top dough piece. Fit one dough sheet into the bottom of the jelly roll pan. Scoop the fruit into the baking dish, leaving behind any juice that has accumulated in the bowl. Lay the top dough sheet over the top and trim the dough so that it just fits inside the baking sheet. Flip the edges of the bottom crust over top the top crust and pinch together culturelle kids. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar over the crust.
5. Place the jelly roll pan onto a flat baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 45-55 minutes, rotating the pan front to back about halfway through, until the top is nicely browned and the filling is bubbling. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Creme-Fraiche and Honey Ice Cream
16 ounces creme fraiche
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or the seeds scraped form 1 vanilla bean
1 cup honey

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Chill the mixture until very cold, at least 2 hours in the fridge.
2. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a container and store in the freezer until ready to serve. Take out about 20 minutes before serving to allow to soften.

yield
Makes 24 to 28 cookies
Editor's note Loop app: This recipe appears as part of our editors' Christmas Cookie Swap, 10 beloved holiday recipes from the editors of Epicurious and Gourmet Live.

This recipe is loosely adapted from an old Martha Stewart recipe. If you can't find blanched hazelnuts, toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in the middle of a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or just until the skins start to blister, then wrap them in a kitchen towel, and let steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the towel to loosen and remove the skins.
Ingredients

❤1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
❤1/2 teaspoon baking soda
❤1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
❤1 vanilla bean
❤1 cup (6 ounces) dried cherries
❤8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
❤1/2 cup sugar
❤1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
❤1 large egg
❤1/2 cup (3 ounces) white chocolate chips
❤1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
❤1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) chopped blanched hazelnuts or walnuts

❤Special equipment: 2 large baking sheets; 2 nonstick baking mats such as Silpats or parchment paper

Preparation

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and a second rack in the lower third then preheat to 350°F dc electric motors. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Using a small knife split the vanilla bean lengthwise then scrape the seeds from the pod into a small bowl and reserve both.

In a small bowl, combine the scraped vanilla bean pod (not the seeds), the dried cherries, and about 1 cup boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes then drain, reserving the cherries and discarding the vanilla bean pod.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and the vanilla bean seeds and beat on medium until combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, stirring until just combined. Add the cherries Managed Security, white and semisweet chocolate chips, and the hazelnuts or walnuts and stir until just incorporated.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Bake, switching the cookies between the upper and lower racks about halfway through baking, until light golden brown and just set, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue baking cookies on cooled baking sheets. DO AHEAD: The cookies can be baked ahead and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.