Quick one today. Just a few tips and tricks to up your game in the kitchen, beginning with numberย 1 (above),ย The Tomato Can Pizza Stand.ย Backstory: There were exactly two days this past summer when the kidsโ sleepaway camps overlapped. And on those two nights, we ate well. One night we cooked at home and made Scallops with Corn and Bacon Hash (DALS owners, page 28-29) notable for the hyper-freshness of the sea scallops and for being a meal based around a seafood that neither of our daughters would ever touch. On the other night, we went out to a favorite Westchester haunt, Fortina (good news locals: thereโs now one in Yonkers) where they spoiled us with generous martinis, spicy pastas, and truffled pizzas. That pizza sat atop this giant can of tomatoes, a space-saving idea I thought was clever enough to pass on to DALS readers entertaining a large group at a crowded table. Cute, right? Start saving those tins.
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2. All-Purpose Kid Elixir Iโm not sure when I discovered the power of the French-fry-and-a-milkshake ritual. Maybe it was at Shake Shack after a demoralizing defeat on the soccer field. Or maybe it was at SmashBurger after a triumphant soccer victory on the soccer field. Couldโve also been that day I had to deliver some bad news at pick-up, so figured it wouldnโt hurt to have some diner take-out waiting in the front seat of the car to maybe make that news go down a little easier. (Is that why they call it a console?) I canโt pinpoint the exact science behind this statement, but something about the chemical reaction that occurs when eating hot a French fry with a cold milkshake (preferably strawberry, sometimes one dipped in the other) generates the power to sooth, lift, fete, salve, and fillโฆin all senses of the word. Give it a try.
3. The Jammy Egg Breakfast ย Iโve been in and out of the Bon Appetit offices this summer, filling in for an editor who is on maternity leave, and, as you might expect, Iโve picked up a few things in and out of the kitchen, i.e. where to eat in both Montreal and Durham, how to cook quinoa to perfection, what pairs best with a grassy olive oil, to name just a scant few. Last week, though, I was editing a story for the November issue that mustโve mentioned the term โjammy eggโ (BAย speak for โ7-minute eggโ) seventeen times in three pages. I remember these being a thing when everyone was first discovering homemade ramen, but I hadnโt ever actually attempted one. So the following week, when I was working from home again, I woke up, went for a run, poured myself a cup of cold brew, and set to work following Amiel Stanekโs and Chris Moroccoโs very precise instructions for creating the Jammiest Soft-Boiled Eggย ever. Wowowowow. Gorgeous, warm, almost-buttery yolks, and tender whites with no weird filmy stuff going on, they were mind-blowing. And they were mind-blowing the next morning and the morning after that, too. Technique, my friends. Itโs real.
4. New Avocado Toast Trick A few weeks ago, I met a friend for coffee atย Boro6, a newish wine bar in my neighborhood that also offers a beautiful breakfast menu, which includes, of course, avocado toast. As you know, hardly a day goes by that I donโt have some version of this sandwich, but when I first tried Boro6โs take, I couldnโt put my finger on why it was so much better than the one I make at home. So when I was in my kitchen a few days later, toasting my artisanal loaf and mashing my avocado with salt, I texted one of the co-owners of Boro6, Jen Aaronson. โWhat exactly is it that makes your avocado toast so much better than mine?โ ย The response came in under ten seconds. โA schmear of coconut oil on the toast, while itโs still warm.โ Now we know!
5. Som Drinking Vinegarsย As you may have read back June, itโs been a little over two years since weโve given up weeknight drinking in our house, and in those two years weโve learned a thing or two about evenings when we are more susceptible to giving in to the vodka tonic or rose or whatever pretty drink we happened to scroll by on instagram during cocktail hour. (Lesson #1 being, of course, Donโt look at instagram during cocktail hour;ย followed closely byย Lesson #2, Donโt read the Presidential twitter feed ever.) One strategy that seems to most routinely thwart our cravings is having a stash of PokPokโs drinking vinegars on hand. Theyโre a little pricey, yes, but you only need a splash stirred in with ice and seltzer to concoct a shrub. (You can also do this with Braggโs cider vinegar, a trick I learned from Bon Appetit a few years ago.) I love the shrub for its refreshing tang, but I think mostly I love it because it satisfies my ritualistic craving to physically fix a drink. Favorite flavors: Pomegranate, Thai Basil, and Ginger.
Love the 6 and a half minute egg! It has been my go-to this summer. Hereโs one technique-y thing I think BA leaves out. Does the egg start refrigerator cold or room temp? Does it matter? Seems it should, no?
I scrolled down past the video to the step by step slideshow and there it states to start with cold eggs right from the fridge. Enjoy!!
Now I want to know the perfect way to cook quinoa!
Also โ REFINED or UNREFINED coconut oil!? THANKS!
Fries and a McDonaldโs sundae (strawberry or fudge depending on the mood) were my elixir growing up!
Love everything about this post!
Iโm still a little in awe of you giving up your weeknight cocktail. With a 4 year old and 1 year old, and a recent oppressive heatwave in Chicago, 5 pm cannot come soon enough most days so I can crack open a Modelo.
I hear you Gara. I donโt think I wouldโve had the strength to do it when my kids were that age. I also consistently cave to the craving โ the real difference is just not going into every evening with the assumption that Iโm going to have a gin and tonic. It gets easier the longer you do it, and, for me at least, I start to actually crave a โdetoxโ week because I feel so much better after dinner and in the morning. (And, by the way, itโs 10:20 on Thursday morning in New York and a cold Modelo sounds sooooo good right now. ๐ )
Finally, validation that French fries dipped in a strawberry shake is a delicious combo!!! Iโve been touting this for over 50 years, mostly falling on deaf earsโฆ.
Great tips! Canโt wait to try them, although I must admit the French fry milkshake is a trick Iโve used many a time! Itโs just soooo good together ๐
I believe the cold-weather elixir is hot chocolate and buttered toast.
Tried the โjammy eggโ following instructions exactly and did not wind up with a perfect egg. Very runny yolk and filmy white. Do you think Denverโs high altitude could be the problem?
Bonnie, so sorry! Here is the reply from Chris Morocco: โFor SURE. Water boils at a way lower temp at altitude because of reduced air pressure. I canโt say how much longer exactly she needs to go but it is longer for sure.โ Sorry it doesnโt give you exact instructions, you might have to experiment a little, but at least you know that is officially the problem. Hope that helps.
Love that idea of a tomato can. I was almost going to buy a pizza stand! Not now, on the hunt for an awesome can! I also read How to Celebrate Everything over the summer. By far it has been one of my favoriteโs of all time. I so sad when I finished it, just wanted to keep going. Will re-read it. Loved it, so many things reminded me of the traditions we had around food growing up and now with the traditions we established with our own children. Thank you for writing these books. Looking forward to your nextโฆ
Have you ever heard of Tajin? It is a Mexican seasoning with flavors of lime, chiles and sea salt. It is SO GOOD sprinkled on avocado toast!!!
My sonโs class sang for the wife of the French President when they were in town for the UN. He was disappointed that I couldnโt attend. I told him weโd have a special dinner. French fries and French toast turned out to be the funniest, most unexpectedly wonderful dinner weโve had in a long time. We ate the fries first, while they were good and hot, and then I kept the toast warm in the still-warm oven as I made it, and we kind of had it for โdessert.โ Not the healthiest, but fun. And a lovely memory. xox
So restrained, with coconut oil under the avocado! The ultimate decadence, to me, is salted butter swiped on the warm toast before layering avocado atop.
You say to save cans for the pizza stand, but wouldnโt a full can of tomatoes actually work better? Harder to knock over. Brilliant idea, thanks!
I love #5! It must be universal feel better food, Iโm Australian and have been enjoying this combination in various forms for about 20 years!! Anything from chips from the local shops to home made roast potatoes paired with a takeaway strawberry syrup shake to my own smoothies with sour greek yogurt and raspberries has hit the spot over the years! As long as the chips are piping hot and crunchy and the milkshake is cool and pink itโll be a success!
That pizza stand trick is a throw back to BJโs in the 90s back before it was a franchise
Man I miss that local spot before it exploded into a giant mega restaurant
Love the tips!! I tried the โsix and a half minuteโ technique and I had the best jammy eggs ever. Thank you for sharing these cool tips! Gonna try the rest.