admin, Author at What We Eat NYC

Cooking for Family Gatherings

Posted on November 22, 2016August 23, 2018 by admin – By admin

I’m the new girl at What We Eat so I’ll start by introducing myself. My name is Charlotte and I’m here because cooking is the single most consistent thread in my life. Not necessarily the subject of cooking, but the social and communal aspects of it. Growing up in Chicago, my mom wasn’t home most nights as the committed breadwinner of our household and my father’s cooking ability didn’t extent beyond basting chicken wings with a bottle of “Open Pit” over the Weber grill. Although home cooked meals weren’t a nightly staple, we made up for it on weekends, holidays, family reunions, or just about any excuse we could think of to sit people around our dinning room table. My fondest memories as a kid were, without a doubt, hosting wedding showers for my big cousins in our back yard and travelling to my grandparent’s house with our ETA scheduled the moment the Christmas ham came out of the oven. I understood from a very early age that the key to making people happy and being happy myself was eating well and sharing good food with the people I care about.

In college, cooking was what set me apart from almost everyone I lived with. I struggled to find the balance between expressing my predisposition toward cooking and going above and beyond for roommates who, for the most part, didn’t understand what was so great about homemade pizza crust. I (literally) fed off the satisfaction of pleasing others with food; no matter who it was or at what cost. I went out of my way to cook these elaborate meals for people that were just as content eating ramen for breakfast. I set ridiculous goals for myself and was always disappointed by the results. Ultimately, I lost touch with what cooking for others in a positive, fulfilling way feels like and knew it shouldn’t feel like I’m doing it to impress someone or make new friends. The food you bring to the table should be personal and it should reflect your taste, not just catered to what you think people will enjoy. With this attitude my menus evolved from simple spaghetti with tomato sauce to discovering my favorite combination of veal, pork and beef meatballs and spaghetti. My standards and tastes developed to appreciate new cuisines and adjust old ones. That being said the soul of my cooking originated from my most memorable family meals and to this day the most influential cookbook on my shelf was bound by my aunt and consists of a curated and expanding history of my family’s favorite, most craved and worshiped recipes. I still consult it’s oil-stained pages for my grandmother’s tried and true oatmeal cookies and my mother’s prized mushroom pate but I must admit that I’m motivated more and more by the excitement of trying new recipes with the tradition of family getting together the defining ingredient.

Now, I’m not saying that Thursday morning is the time to test out the cauliflower version of mashed potatoes or a deep fried turkey on your thanksgiving guests (or guinea pigs). So, stick to what you know but challenge yourself to come out of the green bean comfort zone. The easiest adjustment or addition you can make to the spread is to try a new salad or blend of roasted vegetables. It’s no surprise that salad is the most overlooked dish at the thanksgiving table. I mean who wants to compete with creamy mashed potatoes and savory stuffing? But after just three weeks at What We Eat, I’m a believer that salad could steal the show (not that we’re keeping score). Because salads are adaptable and easy to tweak, it makes them hard to screw up. This thanksgiving I’ve nominated myself to make the salad and based on the ones we’ve been making for clients lately, I’m pretty confident my family will be licking their salad plates.

Here are some rough ideas:

Crispy shaved brussels sprout salad with tender farro, pomegranate seeds, pickled red onion, currents with a honey-lemon vinaigrette

Roasted carrots and beets with a red-wine vinegar dressing, toasted pistachios and crumbled goat cheese.

Stay tuned for the results! With love, Charlotte 🙂

Rian’s Butternut Squash Soup

Posted on November 4, 2016 by admin – By admin

Butternut squash soup with greek yogurt and arugula

Fall is in the air! The leaves on the trees are becoming as vibrantly colorful as this season’s offerings at the farmer’s market. It’s officially time to swap stone fruit for sweet and crunchy apples, trade summer squash for the butternut squash, and switch from pea shoots to brussel sprouts. Fall is a warm invitation for comfort; a time for greeting the familiar scent of a bonfire, sipping spiced tea, firing up the oven for roasts and braises.

Food plays such a large role in why I love the fall. Harvest time provides bountiful offerings, a plethora of seasonal recipes for savory, hot meals, and a prolonged sense of happiness and nostalgia as a result from eating such dishes. Pumpkin bread, roasted mushrooms and pork tenderloin with homemade spiced-apple chutney never fail to bring me back to a happy place from my childhood. I remember the joy of submerging myself into the warmth and scents of a welcoming home after walking through the front door on a blustery day. All of these meals are treasured for the memories they carry with them, but in the end nothing comes close to the comfort I remember of curling up on the couch with a bowl of warm, spiced butternut squash soup.

I recently returned home one evening, exhausted from a long day, only to find that my roommate Rian, of What We Eat, had easily whipped up a small meal. The soup was ready and waiting for me while an armchair and a cozy blanket beckoned from the corner. I filled up a bowl and joined in watching a film, but was immediately transported to another place when I tried a spoonful of soup. Creamy in consistency, deeply herbaceous, slightly sweet, and lightly spiced with nutmeg, accented by a subtle heat achieved by a dash of cayenne. This meal embodied that fall represents, all in a 12 ounce serving.

With love, Kristina 🙂

Rian’s Squash soup

1 onion
2 carrots
3 cloves garlic
2 cups butternut squash
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4^th teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
parmesan cheese rind (or grated parmesan if you do not have)

The secret to this soup is to add depth of flavor by deeply caramelizing the onions. Roughly chop the onion and put into a pot with some olive oil on medium-high heat.

Once the onions have achieved some good color, add in chopped carrots and chopped butternut squash and sauté until they are tender, about ten minutes. At this point add in chopped garlic, cumin and nutmeg. Cook for a few minutes longer so that the spices can toast and then add the chicken stock.

For an amazing umami flavor, place a parmesan cheese rind into the pot with the rest of the ingredients. If you do not have a rind, a little grated parmesan added in before blending will be fine too. Allow the soup to come up to a simmer for about ten minutes and then remove from the heat.

Remove the rind now, or add in the grated parmesan. Blend the soup to a thick pureed consistency, either by using an immersion blender or a regular blender. Be careful of splatters if you do not have the patience to wait until the soup has cooled. At this point adjust by adding more liquid if the soup is very thick. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted bread, (I love mine rubbed with garlic and chopped into croutons) a dollop of Greek yogurt or a sprinkling of fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro or basil.

Kristina’s Salsa Verde

Posted on September 30, 2016September 30, 2016 by admin – By admin

Chickpea and farro salad with fennel radish and salsa verde

The more you cook, the more you develop your signature style. Anyone who eats our food knows that well toasted nuts, strategically placed cheese and tons of citrus are a few of the What We Eat team’s hallmarks. But if there is one thing that defines our cooking, it’s our ridiculously abundant use of fresh herbs.

There is no better way to impart explosive flavor than with fresh herbs. Mint, cilantro, parsley and scallions are constants on our grocery lists, but we also reserve a place in our hearts for tarragon, basil, sage and dill. Of course, there are many others, but having the above on hand at any given time is crucial to the success of any meal.

Smorgasbord with Salsa Verde

An added perk to our herb obsession is that we find ourselves with an surplus of odds and ends at the end of the week…a few stems sprouting sad broken parsley leaves, a handful of bruised cilantro or one lone sprig of rosemary. What to do with these little bits that are too often thrown away as casualty or waste? There is a simple answer, a lesson I learned years ago that has since been held close and always remembered. Let me paint a picture for you…

It was 2010. I was sitting outside at an Italian bistro, sipping chilled white wine, awaiting my meal, a perfect day. Then the roast chicken was placed in front of me. After savoring my first bite of the tender meat, I questioned aloud, “What is it that makes this simple meal so unbelievably amazing?” As they say, the secret is in the sauce.

Roast chicken with lemon zest and salsa verde green sauce

Drizzled across the crisp and charred chicken skin was a thin but vibrantly green dressing, the ingredients of which were so frustratingly mysterious and difficult to pinpoint that it warranted further investigation. My helpful waiter informed me it was salsa verde (aka green sauce), a mix of whatever herbs they had on hand. Herbs + olive oil + blender = magical sauce served as an accoutrement to any dish from red meats to poultry, fish or vegetables. This aha moment will forever stick with me. Salsa verde, the endlessly versatile little black dress of sauces, appears as a star in many of my meals. It’s my signature.

Therefore, it is finally time to share the recipe for my secret sauce. Keep in mind that certain ingredients may be omitted or altered, but that the recipe below is what I have found to be the tastiest. I’ve gotten Laura and Rian hooked on it as well, so next time one of them makes you something with an impossibly delicious green sauce, you’ll know who deserves credit.

With love, Kristina:)

Salsa Verde

1/3 cup basil
1/3 cup cilantro
1/3 cup parsley
2 tablespoons tarragon
2 tablespoons chives
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon capers
1-3 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves
1/4^th teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil

Roughly chop all herbs, garlic and anchovies and then place all ingredients other than the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse the contents of the food processor and then gradually stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

The end result should be a vibrantly green sauce in which the original integrity of some of the herbs is still apparent. This means that it should look like more of a rough chop rather than a paste or puree. We like to keep it rustic. Drizzle over any meal of choice and serve. Enjoy!

Roast carrot and egg salad with salsa verde

SALAD LOVE

Posted on September 16, 2016February 28, 2022 by admin – By admin

What We Eat: Salad Love
It’s such a cliché. A girl—a dietitian girl—who loves salads. But I won’t apologize. I love salad.

What makes me feel a little better about it is that other people seem to love my salads too. Sometimes we get requests from our clients: “Can we do chicken more often?” “More vegetarian meals please.” “Our kids aren’t into salmon lately so let’s nix that for awhile.” But by far the most consistent piece of feedback is “We love the salads! More of the same.”

Our claim to fame is that we can make anyone (okay, any adult…kids are hard) a salad lover if they give us time. This is something I’m really proud of because the fact is, the more veggies we eat, the healthier we’re going to be. (We’re saving lives here people! Not really. But kind of.) And if you can make them taste really good, there is no sacrifice.

So what follows are very loose recipes for some of my most oft-repeated salads. Some of them are my “pantry” salads – the ones I make because I haven’t been to the market but the vegetables needed are those that I keep stocked in my veggie drawer – while others I have on rotation just because I love them so much. A few special notes…

I’ve broken down the recipes into “set ingredients,” those that are non-negotiable, and “highly recommended additions,” which are those that bring the salads to the next level.
All of the salads should be made in wide, shallow bowls and platters so none of the ingredients get crushed or lost at the bottom.
Typically, the more fresh herbs, the better.
Never waste citrus zest. If the vinaigrette includes it, zest the citrus directly into the salad or include it in the vinaigrette.
Exact measurements don’t matter. Trust your instincts. If you don’t like it exactly as is you make it the first time, you’ll know what you want to adjust the next time you make it!
Varying the type of herbs, cheese and/or nuts you use changes the character of a salad. In that way, each of the recipes below represent countless recipes. Experiment!
I love tahini, even if I just use a teaspoon of it in my dressing. But not all tahini is created equal. I mail order Al Wadi and Soom brands and love both.
Avocado is always an optional ingredient but I almost always include it.
Always toast your nuts to bring out maximum flavor.

Year-Round “Pantry” Salads

SHAVED CELERY SALAD

Set ingredients

Thinly sliced celery
Golden raisins or chopped dried dates
Sliced scallions or shallots
Lemon zest
Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds
Parsley, mint, and/or basil

Highly recommended additions

Arugula
Shaved Parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
Avocado
A drizzle of tahini

SHAVED CARROT SALAD

Set ingredients

Carrots thinly sliced or shaved into ribbons using a peeler
Golden raisins or chopped dried dates
Toasted almonds or walnuts
Mint, scallions and/or parsley (the more, the better; def include mint if you have it)
Lemon zest
Lemon juice/tahini/olive oil/salt/pepper

Selection of highly recommended additions

Arugula
Goat cheese
Avocado
Shaved raw beets or apples

Spring/Summer Salads

GREEN BEAN AND PEA SALAD

Set ingredients

Mix or just one of the following – sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans, freshly shucked peas (blanched, all kept whole or thinly sliced if you like)
Toasted walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds
Mint, basil and/or parsley
Shallot or scallions
Lemon zest
Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Arugula or little gem or butter lettuce
Goat cheese, Parmesan, pecorino, or feta
Avocado
Radish

CORN ANY WHICH WAY SALAD

Set ingredients

Corn (grilled, boiled, roasted, raw) cut off the cob
Mint, cilantro, basil, scallions and/or parsley
Toasted pepitas, walnuts or almonds
Lemon or lime zest
Lemon or lime juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Arugula, butter lettuce, mizuna, or other greens
Grains of any kind
Sliced cucumber
Avocado
Radish
Scallions
Dusting of chili powder

TOMATO AND STONE FRUIT SALAD

Set ingredients

Sliced tomato
Sliced stone fruit (peaches, plums, apricot, cherries, etc.)
Mint and/or basil
Shallot
Lemon zest
Balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Arugula, little gem or butter lettuce
Avocado
Goat cheese, burrata, mozzarella
Toasted almonds or pecans

DARK FRUIT AND GREENS

Set ingredients

Dark fruit – pitted cherries, figs, and/or plums (roasted or raw)
Arugula, little gem or butter lettuce
Mint and/or basil
Toasted almonds
Lemon zest
Balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Avocado
Goat cheese
Shallot

GRILLED OR ROASTED ZUCCHINI SALAD

Set ingredients

Grilled or roasted zucchini
Mint, basil and/or parsley
Red wine vinegar/olive oil/salt/pepper
Small amount of chopped garlic, red onion or shallots added to vinaigrette

Highly recommended additions

Arugula
Toasted walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pine nuts
Goat cheese, mozzarella, burrata or Parmesan
Avocado

Fall/Winter Salads

ROASTED WINTER SQUASH SALAD

Set ingredients

Roasted winter squash like butternut, delicata or kabocha OR roasted sweet potato (cut into 1 inch cubes or into wedges, 425, olive oil, salt, pepper, 35-45 minutes until well caramelized, let them go longer than you think)
Arugula or massaged lacinto kale
Toasted almonds, walnuts or pecans
Mint, basil, cilantro (if doing tahini dressing option) or parsley
Shallot or scallions
Balsamic or white balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper OR tahini/lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Avocado
Parmesan, pecorino, goat cheese, cheddar, or blue cheese
Dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate arils

BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

Set ingredients

Raw shaved Brussels sprouts or roasted halved Brussels sprouts (425F, olive oil/salt/pepper, 25-30 minutes until golden brown with some crunch)
Thinly shaved shallot
Arugula
Mint, basil and/or parsley
Shaved parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
Lemon zest
Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended ingredients

Avocado
Shaved apple

CITRUS SALAD

Set ingredients

Segmented or sliced oranges (blood, navel, a mix, etc.)
Thinly shaved shallot
Arugula, butter lettuce, endive, fennel or a mix
Mint
Orange zest
Orange juice/white balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended ingredients

Avocado
Goat cheese

Year-Round Salads

ROASTED CARROT AND AVOCADO SALAD

Set ingredients

Roasted carrots (425F, olive oil/salt/pepper/cumin/coriander/garlic powder, 30-40 minutes until well caramelized)
Thickly sliced avocado
Mint, cilantro, scallions and/or basil
Toasted walnuts or pepitas
Lemon, lime or orange zest
Lemon, lime or orange juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Arugula
Sprouts or microgreens
Feta, goat cheese or dollops of full fat Greek yogurt

SHAVED FENNEL AND ARUGULA

Set ingredients

Arugula
Shaved fennel
Scallions or shallots
Mint, parsley, dill and/or basil
Toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts or almonds
Lemon zest
Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Sliced radish
Sliced celery
Parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
Avocado

What We Eat: Avocado, Cucumber and Mango Salad CUCUMBER AND AVOCADO

Set ingredients

Thickly chunked cucumber
Thickly chunked avocado
Thinly sliced scallions
Cilantro
Lime juice/a little mayo/olive oil/chili powder or sriracha/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Arugula or romaine
Thinly sliced mango
Toasted pepitas, walnuts or almonds
Feta

ROASTED MUSHROOM SALAD

Set ingredients

Roasted or grilled mushrooms, usually shiitake (if roasted, torn into bite size pieces by hand, 425F, olive oil, salt, pepper, 25-30 minutes tossed halfway through until almost crunchy)
Arugula or massaged lacinto kale
Scallions or shallot or red onion
Toasted hazelnuts or walnuts
Parmesan or pecorino
Mint, basil and or parsley
Lemon zest
Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper

Highly recommended additions

Radish
Avocado
Chickpeas (can roast at 425F with olive oil/salt/pepper for 40 minutes until crunchy if you like)
Cherry tomatoes
Hard-boiled eggs

Copper Beech and Quinoa and Freshly Shucked Corn Salad with Fried Halloumi

Posted on August 29, 2016February 28, 2022 by admin – By admin

This summer we had the incredible fortune to work with genius designers and husbands Dan Fink and Thomas O’Brien on their newest joint venture, Copper Beech in Bellport, New York. The store, which operated as a pop-up for the past two months but is planned to be open in earnest in 2017, offered a well-curated selection of home furnishings and accessories, and prepared foods by the What We Eat team (aka Kristina, Rian and me). Even in its “temporary format” (I use quotations because nothing about it appeared temporary), Copper Beech was truly special. That comes as no surprise to anyone who knows Dan and Thomas’s work. Dan and Thomas also happen to be two of the nicest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet, so again, we are counting our blessings.

As private chefs, the learning curve was steep getting into the prepared foods/market business. The takeaways were many. For instance, we now know how to operate in a commercial kitchen, work with suppliers, package our items beautifully but practically, and transport our food safely and efficiently (aka navigate New York streets in massive refrigerated trucks). But perhaps the most eye opening lesson for me came from our Copper Beech customers: while our private clients enjoy week-to-week variety, our market customers preferred to have the same (or very similar) items from one week to the next. In hindsight this makes total sense. I am always bummed when my go-to’s are all of a sudden off the menu at my local haunts.

The clearest example of this came in the form of a quinoa and grilled corn salad with fried halloumi. We prepared it our opening week and it sold out within a few hours. I was sure there would be the same enthusiasm about our super green quinoa on week two. Instead? “Where’s the quinoa and corn salad?” “Will you be making the quinoa and corn salad again?” “What happened to the quinoa and corn salad?” Our poor super green quinoa, which for the record was a freaking delicious riff on Ottolenghi’s green couscous, got no love at all. We listened. The quinoa and corn salad was on the menu every week thereafter and continued to be a top seller.

So, without further ado, here’s the recipe. It highlights one of the hallmarks of our cooking – a balance between healthy and delicious. We use indulgent ingredients like cheese and nuts to enhance the flavor of things we know we should be eating more of like seasonal vegetables and whole grains. It’s a perfect recipe for the Labor Day weekend because it can be made ahead and served at room temperature, and is a perfect accompaniment to anything grilled – burgers, fish, chicken, you name it. Let us know how you like it!

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Quinoa and Freshly Shucked Corn with Fried Halloumi

(served 4-6)

1 cup quinoa

4 ears of corn, shucked

¼ cup mint, roughly chopped (plus some whole leaves to scatter atop the finished dish)

¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped (plus some whole leaves to scatter atop the finished dish)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

4 teaspoons chili powder, divided

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 package halloumi (a wonderfully salty cheese that can withstand high temperatures, allowing it to maintain its when cooked)

3 limes, juiced

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Make quinoa: Measure 1 cup quinoa and 1 ¾ cups water into saucepan with a three-finger pinch of salt. Bring water to boil and then lower the heat to simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, and fluff fork.
Grill corn: Drizzle corn with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons chili powder and a generous pinch of salt. Grill corn on high heat until it begins to develop char marks. Allow corn to cool and then cut the kernals off the cob and into a bowl.
Toast pepitas: Lightly toast pepitas in a skillet on medium heat with a small drizzle of olive oil, just enough to coat the seeds. Stir frequently and remove the seeds from heat once they have become crunchy and slightly browned.
Make halloumi croutons: Slice halloumi cheese into ½ inch cubes. Heat a skillet on high with a glug of olive oil. Fry cheese until golden brown on all sides, flipping with spatula throughout the cooking process. Drain excess oil off croutons by resting on a paper towel lined plate.
Assemble salad: Combine cooled quinoa, corn, sliced tomatoes, chopped herbs, lime juice, olive oil, remaining two teaspoons of chili powder and half of the halloumi cheese and pepitas. Toss to combine and adjust seasoning as needed. Pile the salad into a bowl and top with the rest of the cheese, peptias and extra herbs.