Serves 4. Published November 1, 2006.
So that the sauce and pasta finish cooking at the same time, drop the pasta into boiling water just after adding the vodka to the sauce. If possible, use premium vodka; inexpensive brands will taste harsh in this sauce. Pepper vodka imparts a pleasant flavor and can be substituted for plain.
| 1 | (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes , drained, liquid reserved |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1/2 | small onion , minced (about 1/4 cup) |
| 1 | tablespoon tomato paste |
| 2 | medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons) |
| 1/4-1/2 | teaspoon hot red pepper flakes |
| Table salt | |
| 1/3 | cup vodka |
| 1/2 | cup heavy cream |
| 1 | pound penne pasta |
| 2 | tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves |
| Grated Parmesan cheese , for serving |
1. Puree half of tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding cores. Combine pureed and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 2/3 cups). Add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around edges, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes too vigorous. Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.
4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven. Add sauce to pasta and toss over medium heat until pasta absorbs some of sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt. Divide among pasta bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.
Serves 3 to 4. Published January 1, 2003.
If using a kosher chicken, skip the brining and begin with step 2. Broiling the fully roasted and quartered chicken skin-side up as it sits in a shallow pool of sauce crisps and browns the skin while keeping the meat succulent. If you decide to skip the broiling step, go directly from quartering the chicken to finishing the sauce with lemon juice, butter, and herbs.
| 1/2 | cup table salt or 1 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 3/4 cup Morton Kosher Salt |
| 1 | whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, giblets removed and discarded, chicken rinsed and patted dry |
| Cooking spray | |
| 2 | medium lemons |
| 6 | medium cloves garlic , crushed and peeled |
| 4 | tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), 2 tablespoons melted and the remaining 2 tablespoons chilled and cut into 2 pieces |
| Ground black pepper | |
| 1 3/4 | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
| 1 | tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves |
| 1 | teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves |
1. Dissolve the salt in 2 quarts cold water in a large bowl, stockpot, or Dutch oven. Immerse the chicken in the brine and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a V-rack with cooking spray and set in a flameproof roasting pan.
3. Cut 1 of the lemons lengthwise into quarters. Place the lemon quarters and garlic in the cavity of the chicken. Following the illustration below, thread a long wooden skewer through the flaps of skin on either side of the cavity. Turn the skewer and rethread back through the skin flaps. Repeat stitching as necessary to shut cavity. Brush breast side of chicken with 1 tablespoon melted butter and season generously with pepper. Place chicken breast-side down in V-rack, then brush back with remaining tablespoon melted butter and season generously with pepper.
4. Roast the chicken 40 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven; increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate the chicken breast-side up; add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan. Return the roasting pan to the oven and continue roasting until the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 to 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 to 40 minutes longer. Remove the roasting pan from the oven; tip the V-rack to let the juices from the chicken cavity run into the roasting pan. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest, uncovered, while making the sauce. Remove the V-rack from the roasting pan.
5. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position; heat the broiler. Skim the fat from the drippings in the roasting pan, add the remaining cup chicken broth, and set the roasting pan over high heat on a burner. Simmer the liquid, scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until reduced to cup, about 4 minutes; set aside off heat.
6. Discard the lemons and garlic from the chicken cavity. Following the illustrations below, cut the chicken into quarters. Pour the accumulated chicken juices into the roasting pan, then place the chicken quarters, skin-side up, into the sauce in the roasting pan; broil the chicken until the skin is crisp and deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.
7. Halve the remaining lemon lengthwise; squeeze the juice of one half into the roasting pan; cut the remaining half into 4 wedges and set aside. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into the sauce until combined; stir in the parsley and thyme. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and lemon wedges
Despite its most humble origins, this salad is delicious. The bread must be coarse peasant bread or any sturdy Italian-style bread. Other breads will not hold up to being dressed with oil and vinegar and combined with tomatoes, which are full of water. Also, don't use sweetened breads. If the tomatoes are ripe and the olive oil is particularly flavorful, you can omit the vinegar, moistening the bread with a tablespoon or two of water instead.
| 1 | pound Italian peasant bread , day-old, crusts removed, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups) |
| 1/2 | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
| 3 | tablespoons red wine vinegar |
| 2 | large vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice |
| 1/2 | red onion , sliced paper-thin |
| 2 | tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves , or mint leaves |
| 2 | teaspoons fresh oregano leaves |
| 1 | tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves |
| 1/2 | teaspoon table salt |
| 1/4 | teaspoon ground black pepper |
Place bread cubes in shallow bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, tomatoes, onion, and half of herbs in medium bowl. Let stand for flavors to develop, about 10 minutes, then add to bread, along with remaining herbs, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper or to taste. If bread still seems dry, sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons water to rehydrate it a bit. Serve. (If sturdy bread is used, salad can be covered and set aside up to 2 hours.)
Use the excuse that blueberries are a superfood and make some today!
Serves 4 to 6 as a main course. Published May 1, 2000.
Our favorite cut of beef for kebabs is top blade steak (known sometimes as blade or flatiron steak), but you can also use top sirloin. If you do, ask the butcher to cut the top sirloin steak between 1 and 1 1/4 inches thick (most packaged sirloin steaks are thinner). For maximum efficiency, prepare the fruit and vegetables while the meat is marinating. For a gas-grilled variation, see "Gas-Grilled Beef Kebabs."
3/4teaspoon table salt
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper
2pounds blade steaks (about 4 to 5 steaks), trimmed of fat and prepared according to illustrations below
Fruit and Vegetables
1large pineapple (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, core removed, and each piece cut into six chunks (see illustrations below)
1medium red bell pepper (about 5 1/2 ounces), halved, cored, and each half cut into 9 chunks (see illustrations below)
1medium yellow bell pepper (about 5 1/2 ounces), halved, cored, and each half cut into 9 chunks
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
1large red onion , ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, core discarded, each half cut into four pieces, and each piece cut crosswise into thirds (see illustrations below)
lemon wedges or lime wedges for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the Marinade: Combine oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, chipotle chile en adobo, cilantro, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add steak cubes and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until fully seasoned, at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Ignite 1 large chimney (about 6 quarts, or 5 pounds) of charcoal and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and spread over three-quarters of grill surface. Position grill rack over coals; heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Scrape rack clean with wire brush.
3. For the Fruit and Vegetables: Toss pineapple and peppers with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Brush onions with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Using eight 12-inch metal skewers, thread each skewer with a pineapple piece, a stack of onion, a cube of meat (skewering as if it were an uncut cube), and one piece of each kind of pepper, and then repeat this sequence two more times. Brush any oil remaining in bowl over skewers.
4. Grill kebabs directly over coals, uncovered, until meat is well browned, grill marked, and cooked to medium-rare, about 7 minutes (or about 8 minutes for medium), turning each kabob every 1 3/4 minutes to brown all sides. Transfer kebabs to serving platter, squeeze lemon or lime wedges over kebabs, if desired; serve immediately.
10 enchiladas, serving 4 or 5. Published May 1, 2003.
If you prefer, Monterey Jack can be used instead of cheddar, or, for a mellower flavor and creamier texture, try substituting an equal amount of farmers' cheese.
| Sauce and Filling | |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil |
| 1 | medium onion ,chopped fine (about 1 cup) |
| 3 | medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon) |
| 3 | tablespoons chili powder |
| 2 | teaspoons ground coriander |
| 2 | teaspoons ground cumin |
| 1/2 | teaspoon table salt |
| 2 | teaspoons granulated sugar |
| 12 | ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips |
| 2 | cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each) |
| 1/2 | cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves |
| 1 can (4 ounces) pickled jalapeños , drained and chopped (about 1/4 cup) | |
| 8 | ounces sharp cheddar cheese , grated (2 cups) |
| Tortillas and Toppings | |
| 10 | corn tortillas (six-inch) |
| Vegetable cooking spray | |
| 3 | ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup) |
| 3/4 | cup sour cream |
| 1 | avocado , diced medium |
| 5 | leaves romaine lettuce washed, dried, and shredded |
| 2 | limes , quartered |
1. FOR THE SAUCE AND FILLING: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and 3/4 cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes. Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with cilantro, jalapenos, and cheese in medium bowl and set aside.
2. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.
3. TO ASSEMBLE: Follow illustrations below to heat tortillas and fill, roll, and sauce enchiladas. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and lime wedges separately.
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