Brunch at Colicchio & Sons: A steal of a meal

We went to Colicchio & Sons after church last sunday with high expectations. Colicchio & Sons is Tom Colicchio's newest venture after he closed down Craft Steak with the reinvented Colicchio & Sons. It’s a modern American menu with a twist on traditional American cuisine.

(Pictures courtesy of SeriousEats.com)

The Carolina rice Johnny cakes ($12) were totally distinct from any other brunch dish I've been served. A small stack of rice and cornmeal cakes alongside a red-eye gravy-drowned serving of duck confit, all topped with a poached egg, it's hard to see how the dish would fail. The cake was gritty and sweet from the cornmeal. And although the egg was a little under done, the runny yolk helped bring the dish together.

(Pictures courtesy of SeriousEats.com)

The real winner of the meal though were the Lemon cream Doughnuts ($7 for 3) With shells of powdered sugar that exploded upon contact, they were fantastic. We even got an extra order because they were so tasty.

Nutmeg spiced pan-roasted quail with pan reduction sauce

My aunt came up from Maryland to visit among other things this past week. She brought me a little surprise too, which I was quite happy about, it was 6 small quails as fresh as could be. Quail are a small gamey bird, which if cooked the right way are delicious. But since they are so small, its easy to overcook them and then they become dry which no one likes. Since it's such a gamey bird, I wanted to add some bold flavors to it that complement it well. I was thinking out of the box a little bit and went with a nutmeg/cinnamon/cayenne combo for a dry rub of sorts. It was spicy, gamey, juicy and a little salty all in one.

Pan-Roasted Quail

3 quails, spatchcocked

1 1/2 Tbsp grated nutmeg

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp ground cayenne pepper

1 half lemon

1-2 sprigs rosemary

1/2 Tbsp clarified butter

salt and pepper for tasting

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 clove garlic, crushed

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. To spatchcock the quail, using scissors cut out the backbone. Then cut out the rib cage and the bone in-between it so it can lay flat.
3. combine all the spices and rub onto the skin of the quail, season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat the butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Sear the quail, skin side down for 2-3 minutes on until the skin is golden brown. Flip and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer into the oven for 5-8 minutes, add rosemary and lemon.
6. Transfer quails to a plate and add broth, and garlic to hot pan, scrapping up the brown bits. Reduce the sauce until slightly thicken, pour over quail, enjoy!

My version of Milano's: lime melt away cookies filled with luscious chocolate ganache

It's my friends birthday tomorrow, and like all other friends have asked for; she wanted me to cook her something awesome for her. Being the "nice and generous" person that I am, I made a special treat that i've been meaning to make from a while, but haven't had the time. This is my take on the traditional Milano, which is a thin cookie with dark chocolate filling. They are undeniably addictive. I've changed it up a little bit, I made a Lime melt away cookie, which adds nice texture and citrus from the lime zest. I filled it with a rich chocolate ganache.

I had some leftover dough so I went a little all out and piped her name out with the dough, it was way to delicate though, and broke up on me :(.

Lime melt away Cookies filled with luscious Chocolate ganache

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Zest of 2 limes, finely-grated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Procedure

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, powered sugar, lime zest and vanilla extract, on medium-high speed, for five minutes.

4. Reduce the speed of the mixer, and slowly add the flour and salt. Return the mixer speed back to medium-high and continue to cream the mixture for another five minutes.

5. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip of your choice.

6. Pipe the dough into 1 1/2" rounds (or any other shape you might prefer), about a 1/2" apart.

7. Bake until edges are light golden and cookie dough is dry to the touch—approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Let cool to room temperature on the sheet trays used for baking. Once cool, gently transfer to a serving dish or store in an airtight container for a day or two.

Peter's Eats Night 3/Day 1

Due to one guests unavailability during the night, I had the first "day" Peter's Eats night dinner. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the day, it was still great. My friends surprised me by showing up with "Peter's Eats Night 3" t-shirts with a giant picture of me on it in my chefs jacket; it was quite comical to say the least.

I tried a few new foods for this night, as some old favorites like pork buns and my crepe cake. I did a ceviche for the first time, and i'll definitely be making it again. It's just a fresh, light meal, and there are so many possibilities. I also made a bolognese for the first time from a Mario Batali recipe, and ironically made it in a Mario Batali pot.

Here is a copy of the Menu, designed by my computer-genuis brother Alex,

Peter’s Eats Night 3

Course 1: Momofuku-style pork belly buns

Course 2: shrimp and bay scallop ceviche, chive oil

Course 3: Pappardelle with fiery bolognese, grilled sausage

Course 4: Gâteau de Crêpes filled with dulce del leche and whipped cream

The first course were the famed Momofuku pork buns, I knew I had to make these up to par because one of my guests sister used to work there, so there was no room for error.

The next course was used as a sort of palate cleanser, it was a fresh seafood ceviche. Bright with colors and taste, it lightened the meal up.

The main course was a Papardelle Bolognese. Fresh pasta in a homemade bolognese sauce.... doesn't get much better then that. Oh wait, it does, I topped it with grilled sausage.

(Photo credit to Lara)

To end the meal, I served a Crepe cake or a Gâteau de Crêpes if you wanna get fancy.

Creamy mashed potatoes with prosciutto and chives

These creamy and luscious are a breeze to put together and are a great complement to any main course. They get a little more fancy with the addition of fresh chopped chives and salty prosciutto. The panko topping adds great texture to the creamy potatoes.

It's an easy dish to prepare, with not a whole lot of work, so one can whip it up to go as a quick side with dinner.

Creamy mashed potatoes

2 pounds yukon gold potatoes

2 Tbsp butter, cubed

1/4 cup whole milk

2 Tbsp chopped chives

2 slices prosciutto, roughly cut

1/4 cup panko

Directions

1. Peel the potatoes and dice them into one inch cubes.
2. In a deep pot, place all the potatoes in and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, toss in some salt, and cook until fork tender.
3. Put the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl, add in the chives and prosciutto, stir to combine.
4. Toast panko in a pan until brown, top mashed potatoes with browned panko, enjoy!

Roasted rice cakes in a sweet and spicy sauce

Rice cakes are gelatinous, chewy, and a bit of an acquired texture. Rice cakes don’t have a lot of flavor on their own since they are made from rice. I first had them at Momofuku Ssam bar, and was hooked ever since, they do it roasted in a spicy Korean sauce. Roasted rice cakes are different because of the roasting. Roasting them in oil in a cast iron skillet crisps up the rice cake giving it a toasty, crunchy outside and a soft, chewy inside. It’s an addictive combination. I tried some of the roasted cakes right out of the pan and they were delicious just like that. The cakes were delicious plain, but they were even better when you tossed them in my own sweet and spicy sauce made with chipotles and sriracha.

Roasted Rice Cakes

for sauce:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely diced

1 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup Mirin

1 package rice cakes, cut into logs, then into bite-sized pieces

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 Tbsp chopped chives

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

2 onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Combine sugar and water and cook under medium heat until sugar is dissolved. add chipotle and Sriracha, reduce.
2. Boil the broth and Mirin until lightly reduced in a separate pan. Then combine the sweet sauce with the Mirin/broth sauce and reduce under medium heat.
3. In a pan over medium heat, caramelize the onions until super fragrant and brown, around 20 minutes.
4. In a cast-iron pan, toast the logs of rice cakes for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cut the browned cakes into bite sized pieces and toss into the sauce.
5. Let flavors develop in the cakes in the sauce for a few minutes, top with chives and sesame seeds, enjoy!

Momofuku Crack pie

I’ve never tried crack before, but after having this pie, I don’t feel I ever need to.

Feelings of euphoria? Check.


Supreme confidence from the sugar rush? Check.

Paranoia? Somebody besides me eating my pie!? Check.


Loss of appetite? After eating almost a pound of butter? Check.


A craving for more? Double check.

Sold at Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar in Manhattan, crack pie has taken New York City by storm, partly because of the audacious name, partly because of the jaw-dropping price tag -- $44 a pie, and partly because anyone who has tried it, including myself, CNN's Anderson Cooper and the people who are buying the 60 to 90 Crack Pies sold each day or two, can't stop raving about it.

Crack Pie is a twist on Chess Pie -- an old-school dessert found in the "Joy of Cooking," but Milk Bar pastry chef Christina Tosi's reimagining makes Crack Pie an original. Instead of just a normal pie shell that serves as a container for the filling, Tosi dreamed up a shell that begins with a oat cookie blended with a bit more butter, sugar and a healthy dash of salt, because everyone loves more butter and sugar.

Momofuku Crack pie(apadpted from the latime.com)

Servings: Makes 2 pies (6 to 8 servings each) I halved the following recipe and only made one.

Cookie for crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar

1 egg

Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.

5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated.

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended. Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins.

Filling

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar

3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.

5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.

6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Meyer Lemon Curd Tartlettes

These petite tartlettes are simply sweet pastry dough baked off, then filled with lemon curd, and topped with a sweetened whipped cream. Meyer lemon is a little more fruitier and not as tart as regular lemon, so that's why I opted for them instead of a regular lemon curd. Regular lemon curd would work fine too though, it'll just be a little more intense flavor.

Meyer lemon curd Tartlettes

1 cup flour

1 stick butter, chilled and diced

1/8 cup water

1/8 cup sugar

1 cup Meyer lemon curd

Directions

1. Sift flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Cream the butter and flour-sugar.
2. Add the water until combined. Form into a rough ball, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
   
   
3. Roll dough into a thing rectangle and using a circular cutter, cut out around 8 tartlettes.
4. Brush with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes in a 425 degree oven.
5. Let tarts cool and then fill with 2 Tbsp of curd and top with freshly whipped cream, enjoy!

Pork and Chive Gyoza/Potstickers

These little flavor bombs are a hassle to make, but they are worth it. There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to gyoza, I went with a classic pork and chive combo. If you wanna get a little more creative, you can use a blend of different meats, add some kimchi in the filling, the combinations are truly endless.

Pork and Chive Gyoza

1 pound ground pork

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 Tbsp chopped chives

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Ponzu sauce

1/2 jalapeno, diced

1 egg

1 package round dumpling wrappers

3 Tbsp sesame oil, or canola oil

for sauce:

1 part soy sauce

1 part white vinegar

Directions

1. Sauté green onions, onions, garlic and jalapeno until soft, about 5 minutes. Mix into pork-egg mixture until combined.
   
   
2. Place about 1 Tbsp of meat into the middle of the wrapper, brush the sides with water. Fold into a half moon shape. With your index finger, fold pleats on dumplings, make about three.
3. Pan-fry in sesame oil for 3 minutes, until brown. Then pour enough water into the pan cover a little less then half of the potstickers, cover for 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, enjoy!
4. For sauce, combine soy and vinegar.