Kale-Sauce Pasta

 

INGREDIENTS

•  Kosher salt, to taste
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed flat and peeled
• 1 pound lacinato kale, thick ribs removed
•  Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ pound pasta, like pappardelle or rigatoni
• ¾ cup coarsely grated Parmigiano- Reggiano

PREPARATION

1. Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don’t drain the pot; you’ll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.
3. Add the pasta to the still-boiling water, and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the kale purée, about 3/4 of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away, and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese.

Coconut Custard Macaroons

 Ingredients

- 510g sweetened shredded coconut

- 235g sweetened condensed milk

- 110g melted unsalted butter

- 1 large egg

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 3/4 tsp flaky sea salt

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment

2. Combine coconut, condensed milk, butter egg, vanilla and salt in large bowl and stir to mix

3. Scoop 2tbsp batter onto sheets spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until tops and edges are dark brown about 14 minutes, rotating half way through

4.  Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.

5. If retoasting, place on lined baking sheet for 5-10 minutes in 350F oven

Cocoa Brownies

 Ingredients

- 140g butter

- 200g sugar

- 80g dutch processed cocoa

- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 tbsp instant espresso

- 2 large eggs, cold

- 65g flour

- 65g walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

- flaky sea salt for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F with rack lower 1/3. Line 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, with 1 inch overhang on 2 sides for easier lifting

2. Combine butter sugar, cocoa powder and salt in metal bowl and heat over water bath until butter melted and mixture is gritty. Let cool until mixture is warm to touch

3. Stir in vanilla, beat in eggs one at a time. When batter is shiny, add flour and stir until no streaks remain. Then beat vigorously for an additional 40 strokes. Fold in nuts if using then scrape into pan and smooth the top.

4. Bake until toothpick comes out slightly moist with batter, 20-25 minutes

5.  Lift up brownies and cut into 16 pieces. Sprinkle with flaky salt. 

Pressure Cooker Vietnamese Caramel Pork and Eggs

 

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more as needed
• ⅛ teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• 1 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, belly or leg (see Note) 
• 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
• 2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, plus more as needed 
• ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 ½ teaspoons black peppercorns
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut water, strained if pulpy
• 4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 2 fresh Thai chiles 

• PREPARATION

  1. Make a caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, vinegar and 1 tablespoon water over medium heat until the sugar nearly dissolves, 60 to 90 seconds. Cook without stirring until champagne yellow, about 3 minutes, then continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, frequently picking up the pan and swirling it to control the caramelization. When the mixture is a dark tea color (expect faint smoking), turn off the heat and keep the pan on the burner. Let the caramelization continue until the mixture is burgundy in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide the pan to a cool burner and add 3 tablespoons water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Warm over medium heat to loosen, if needed. 
  2. Cut the pork into chunks about 1-inch thick and 2 to 3 inches long, making sure each piece has both lean meat and fat. Warm the oil in a 6-quart multicooker on the highest heat setting, such as “Saute.” Working in 2 or 3 batches, cook the pork on all sides until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side, holding the seared meat on a plate. When done, return all the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot, then add the caramel sauce, fish sauce, onion, garlic, peppercorns and coconut water. Lock the lid, then set to high pressure for 12 minutes. 
  3. Naturally depressurize for 10 minutes before releasing pressure. Use tongs to retrieve the pork and hold in a bowl, loosely covered to prevent drying. If peppercorns cling to the pork, leave them for zing, or knock them off and discard. To quickly filter and remove fat from the cooking liquid, set a mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl, line with a double layer of paper towels and pour the liquid through. After most of the liquid passes through and a layer of fat remains above the solids, set the strainer aside. (Save the fat for cooking if you like.)
  4. Return the liquid to the pot, bring to a boil on the highest heat setting (Saute) and cook until reduced to 1 cup, 15 to 18 minutes. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, then add the pork and eggs. Cook, gently stirring now and then, to heat through and coat with the dark sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest 5 minutes, uncovered, to concentrate flavors. Taste and add up to 1 1/2 teaspoons of fish sauce or 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, or both, as needed for a pleasant savory-sweet finish. Transfer to a shallow bowl for serving. Invite diners to halve the eggs themselves. If you’d like spicy heat, gently smash the chiles in individual dishes for dipping sauce with some sauce from the pot, and use it to dip the pork and egg or to drizzle into the bowls. 

  Tip

  • If using pork shoulder, choose a fatty portion. Pork belly can be skin-on or skinless. If choosing pork leg, select the meatier upper butt portion rather than the lower shank portion.