What makes a Spectacularly Delicious dish? Look no further than these opulent Oysters Bienville, a quintessential example of what it takes to make it here on SpecD: Oysters Bienville have a proper name and a pedigree: The dish was created in honor of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, sieur de Bienville, the second colonial governor of Louisiana, by "Count" Arnaud Cazeneuve at his … [Read more...]
Peach Plum Pignoli — “THREE P TART”
Followers of Spectacularly Delicious may recall the blueberry semifreddo scandal of July 4th, 2011. Once again invite to dine chez Weiss, this time around I was determined to present a dessert that lived up to its billing. The sage advice in Ghostbusters' theme came to mind, albeit with a twist ending -- "If there's something weird, and it don't look good -- Who ya gonna … [Read more...]
MEXICAN CORN RELISH: A BIG BATCH BUSHEL RECIPE
Did I learn this recipe for corn relish when I lived in Mexico? No. But to me, "Mexican" indicates that some combination of cilantro, jalapeno, chipotle, serrano, cumin, oregano, lime and garlic feature prominently in the flavor profile. And of course corn is as Mexican as can be. Ask any Aztec. So whether or not this corn relish is anything like what might grace the tables … [Read more...]
SPECTACULAR SUMMER SALAD OF SHAVED VEGETABLES
For a limited time only: A Spectacular Summer Salad of Shaved Vegetables. This dazzler is less about a recipe than having the best ingredients and some easy techniques. Isn't it the Italians who say you first taste with your eyes? Armed with a few key kitchen tools and an abbodanza di verdure (heaps o' fresh vegetables) straight from the hand of God you can't go wrong. The … [Read more...]
CARROTS WITH HORSERADISH AND HONEYCOMB
Gabrielle Hamilton, chef/owner of Prune restaurant in NYC's fashionable Lower East Side, has a nifty item on this summer's menu: peas with horseradish and honeycomb. The great thing about Gabrielle's cooking is the intense flavors. Her chicken leg recipe (forget the breast, dark meat is the richest part of the bird, yeah baby!) includes a entire jar of cornichon pickles -- … [Read more...]
MONTAUK CEVICHE
Ceviche is pretty forgiving as long as you adhere to some simple rules: only use the freshest fish possible and a good amount of fresh acidic fruit juice to cure it. I always include lime juice, either straight up or mixed with other fruit juices, like grapefruit which has a mellowing effect. But all sorts of stuff works like tomatoes, lemon, a shot of vinegar -- the acid … [Read more...]
FROM THE ESTATE OF CRAIG CLAIBORNE
An unexpected turn of events led to my being involved in clearing out the late Craig Claiborne's house before it was to be demolished. Click to read the main story here. A good friend of Craig's was overseeing the clean-up, clear-out, and in thanks for spending a day helping her out, we were allowed to take these discarded items. This Italian stainless steel pasta pot … [Read more...]
MOZZARELLA BRIOCHE
This recipe for Mozzarella Brioche came via a somewhat circuitous route. With the recent publication of the Craig Claiborne bio The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance, I've been itching to tell the story of retrieving a set of massive antique Edwardian dining chairs for a friend when Craig's estate was being settled. Regular … [Read more...]
GRILLED APRICOTS WITH HONEYCOMB
The recipe, or guide actually, for grilled apricots (or peaches or plums or nectarines...) is simple: tree-ripe fruit and a well-cleaned grill. Ripeness is a no-brainer; a clean grill ensures no transfer of residual flavors from previous grillings. I turn mine up high for a good 10 minutes (my humble brand X gas grill reaches an impressive 500 degrees very quickly) and then … [Read more...]
Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella
Once we placed this brilliant platter of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on the table it was fast work to snap a picture before the spectacular rainbow was demolished. (Note the serving pieces reluctantly hoovering above.) Luckily our friend and party planner MJ Vineberg (a.k.a. Marge in Charge) had equally lovely back-ups ready to go. Pasquale Langella of East Hampton's … [Read more...]