SUPPER

POSTED: Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 3:23 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER | Vegan | Vegetarian
Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Traditional white gazpacho with green grapes

Say gazpacho and immediately think tomato. Say white gazpacho, the Andalucian pur�e of olive oil, almonds and garlic, and think again.

This Spanish soup is a traditional summer starter course, served in restaurants fancy and humble all over Andalucia. Also called ajo blanco, the smooth soup is an easy pur�e of blanched almonds, raw garlic and green grapes. The chilled, finished product is shockingly refreshing, yielding spoonfuls more flavor than its milky white appearance suggests.

The major flavors here are clean and simple: sweetness from the grapes, earthy nuttiness from the blanched almonds and a bite from the garlic. If you can find locally grown garlic, by all means use it, as it has a less sharp flavor than commercial bulbs from Cali.

I've tried several recipes for white gazpacho, with mixed results. Starting with just one clove of garlic is recommended � it can become a powerful element.

Searching "white gazpacho recipe" on Google turns up 54,200 matches. I filtered for you.

The Good: The best recipe (flavor, ease, good instructions) was adapted by Sean of San Francisco's Hedonia blog. His tips are way useful, and his ajo blanco is supreme.

The Bad: I don't know why I didn't look at the URL of this terrible, one-dimensional recipe. It should have tipped me off immediately.

The Complicated: Bobby Flay adds all kinds of luxe ingredients to his version, including verjus and walnut oil.


Sean
Posted 2009-05-26 22:54:36
You like me, you really like me! I'm flattered beyond belief and thrilled you found the recipe so compelling. It was an homage to the white gazpacho we had in Cordoba that haunts me still.

Faiqa
Posted 2009-05-28 07:58:37
Great work.  Thanks for shairing that.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:23 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 8:55 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER
Photo | Drew Lazor

It turns out my nightmares were unfounded, as my sous chefs Drew Lazor, Mike Persico and I covered ourselves in glory at last night's Open ChefAMe event at The Dark Horse. 6ABC even dropped by to interview us! Unfortunately it was right when I was wrestling sheet trays in and out of a 400-degree convection oven, so I look hassled and sweaty instead of cocky and swaggering like a real TV chef.

Here, for your pleasure, are the recipes I used to create the three courses that fed 87 people. Since it's unlikely you have the entire Phillies staff or the cast and crew of Top Chef coming over for dinner, everything is scaled to feed six normal folks. After the jump, the links and methods for my three inexplicably successful courses. (Check back soon for more pics and Drew's recap of the evening.)

Sweet Corn Soup with bacon, chive and cr�me fra�che garnish

Serves 6 as a hearty first course or lunch

Bon App�tit's recipe for Summer Corn Soup

Prepare Dorie Greenspan's recipe as directed; but replace green onions with chives for garnish


Goug�res with dry-cured ham, watercress and Dijon cream

Serves� 6-8 as a very generous appetizer or light lunch

Alain Ducasses' recipe for Goug�res at Food & Wine

Prepare as Alain directs; while puffs are in oven, assemble the following:

1/4 lb. prosciutto di Parma, very thinly sliced

One bunch watercress, rinsed well, leaves picked off stems

Dijon cream:� 1 tsp. Grey Poupon mixed well with 2 tbsp. cr�me fra�che

Now Do This:

Slice each goug�re like a sandwich roll.� Dab a tiny dot of Dijon cream in the center of one side, top with three or four leaves of watercress.� Stack one or two slices of the prosciutto inside, close up and serve immediately.


Moroccan spiced braised lamb shoulder with lentils and minted yogurt

Serves 6 as an entre�

Go Get This:

4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder
1 1/2 cups diced onions, mixture of white and red
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
4 cups white wine
1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
12 pitted prunes, sliced in half
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper

Now Do This:

Unroll the lamb shoulder. Using a sharp knife, cut away all of the fat cap as well as most of the sinew and connective tissue. Season all over with salt and pepper. Cut into large chunks all the same size.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large, heavy bottom cast-iron casserole or pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the lamb in batches until it is dark red on all sides. Set lamb aside.

In the lamb fat and olive oil, sweat onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook that down as well, until soft. Add cumin and cinnamon and stir to combine. Add some salt and pepper.

Pour white wine into pan and scrape bottom of pan vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate flavorful browned bits (this is deglazing). Allow to boil for a few minutes. Add lamb and prunes to pan � make sure there is enough liquid in pan that lamb is sitting in a shallow puddle � not totally immersed. Add water or wine as necessary.

Cover tightly and place in 325-degree oven. Allow to braise for two hours, then check that there is enough liquid remaining. Stir well and return to oven for two more hours.

Remove when lamb is falling apart tender. Check for seasoning � keep covered and set aside.

To make the lentils:

Go Get This:

1 1/2 cups lentils de Puy (French green lentils)
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp. bacon fat or butter
1/2 cup diced red onions
salt and pepper

Now Do This:

Combine lentils and bay leaf with 6 cups water and a small handful of salt� in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, then turn down to a simmer until lentils are tender with a little bite. Drain lentils and set aside.

When ready to serve lentils with lamb, heat the bacon fat or butter in a large saut� pan until hot and shimmering. Add diced onion to pan and cook until slightly browned and softened.

Add lentils to pan and saut� until heated through and slightly crispy from oil.

To make the minted yogurt:

Go Get This:

One bunch fresh mint, washed, leaves picked off stems
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
One small container (7 oz.) plain Greek yogurt

Now Do This:

Put yogurt into a small bowl or Tupperware container. Take mint leaves and pulse in a blender or Cuisinart with a stream of olive oil until a rough paste forms.

Blend mint paste with yogurt until well combined. Refrigerate until needed for service.

To Plate:

Get one lemon and wash it thoroughly.

Place a scoop of warmed lentils in a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Top with a scoop of the warm lamb, then a large dollop of the mint yogurt.

With a Microplane, zest the lemon over top of each dish as garnish.

Serve with a light red wine like Dolcetto or a big, crisp white like Chenin Blanc.


ChefAMe » Blog Archive » Two chefs, one night — A great success!
Posted 2009-05-19 17:23:06
[...] sharing Alyssa’s recipes with you all very soon.  Felicia’s recipes are posted over at Meal Ticket, the City Paper’s food blog.  We hope that you’ll give these recipes a shot and let us know how you fare with making [...] 

Meal Ticket :: Blog Archive :: Behind the scenes at Open ChefAMe :: Philadelphia City Paper :: Philadelphia Arts, Restaurants, Music, Movies, Jobs, Classifieds, Blogs
Posted 2009-05-19 18:40:10
[...] the world)• Morning Rounds, May 5th Meal Ticket• Behind the scenes at Open ChefAMe• Three Courses of Glory: The Open ChefAMe Recipes• SUPPER: Grilled Melon, all purpose• GQ's Alan Richman shouts out two Philly spots in [...] 
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 8:55 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 4:04 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER | Vegan | Vegetarian
Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio
Major heat.

Firing up the grill marks the transition between changeable, windy spring and the warm, outdoor-eating nights of summer. At my house, it also means throwing all kinds of things onto the grill in� char-broil experiments. Pizza, chicken thighs and fruit all cook well on the high heat.

Grilling sweet melon is as unnecessary as it is tasty. The stuff tastes great on its own, but caramelizing the surface sugars amplifies the sweetness of an underripe fruit and amplifies the juicy texture. The grilled melon can then be combined with other fresh fruits and vegetables for a summer salad, pur�ed into a chilled soup and garnished with cr�me fra�che for a light dessert, or wrapped in prosciutto for a twist on the traditional Italian starter.

To prepare, slice the melon in half and scoop out the seeds. With the cut side down, cut away the skin and green layer of the fruit with a sharp knife. Slice the skinned half-melon into 1/4- or 1/2-inch slices. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and brush lightly with vegetable oil, or spray with nonstick grilling spray. Grill each side of the melon until dark brown grill marks form and the fruit is softened slightly, two minutes on each side.

Chop the melon into chunks and mix with sliced cucumbers, Belgian endive and sliced fennel for a unique salad. Dress with lime juice and a bit of cayenne pepper. For a dessert, serve the whole slices topped with vanilla ice cream, or pur�e the grilled melons and place in a shallow pan in the freezer for an hour. Scrape the mostly frozen mixture with a flat spoon to create a chilly granita. Layer the granita with whipped cream for a parfait.

Ah, summer.

Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 4:04 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, May 4, 2009, 3:30 PM
Filed Under: Contests | Recipes | SUPPER
Photo l Michael Persico
Pretty cheesy

When first I heard about Open Chef-A-Me, the "kitchen meets karaoke" idea that Drew Lazor told you about in March, I immediately wanted in. What better way to prove one's cooking (and blogging) cred?

After a barrage of emails to Chef-A-Me co-founder Jesse Middleton, I got my wish. On Monday, May 18 at The Dark Horse, I'll be going head to head with Alyssa Shilliday, an aspiring restaurateur who's cooked at The Olive Garden, Iron Hill Brewery, Washington Square,� World Caf� Live and Cuba Libre. Each of us will make three courses to be served tasting style, and our guests will get to "play restaurant critic" and share their feedback on our dishes. Proceeds from the $35 tickets (City Paper readers get $5 off; snag the discount code after the jump) will be donated to a yet-to-be-determined charity. The price includes our carefully prepared eats, discounted booze, live entertainment and the chance to tell me what you really think.

With just a $400 budget to feed 80 people three courses (that's just $5 for all three plates), I'm counting on creativity, good technique and simple ingredients to get me through. When you can't rely on fancy foie or luxury lamb chops, you look to the masters. Alain Ducasse's recipe for goug�res � classic cheese puffs � is going to anchor one of my courses. These decadent bites are simple to make, provided you have a strong stirring arm and a wooden spoon. Any semi-hard, dry cheese (I used Gruy�re) works � or a combination of your favorites. The petite puffs are fun to eat and fun to say � try goo-jhair.

Recipes for elements of the other two courses are forthcoming � look for previews next Monday, and showtime on May 18.

Recipe for Alain Ducasses's Goug�res, as well as the code for $5 off our ticket price, after the jump.

Open Chef-A-Me featuring writer Felicia D'Ambrosio and cook Alyssa Shilliday, Mon., May 18, 6:30 p.m., The Dark Horse pub, 421 S.2nd St., $35; OpenChefAMe.com

Enter code 2009CP when you purchase your tickets at OpenChefAMe.com

Photo l Michael Persico
Dough, after incorporating 4 eggs

Alain Ducasses's Goug�res from Food & Wine

Yields: About 28 puffs

Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup water
  2. 1/2 cup milk
  3. 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  4. Large pinch of coarse salt
  5. 1 cup all-purpose flour
  6. 4 large eggs
  7. 3 1/2 ounces shredded Gruy�re cheese (1 cup), plus more for sprinkling
  8. Freshly ground pepper
  9. Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.
  2. Scrape the dough into a bowl; let cool for 1 minute. Beat the eggs into the dough, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly between each one. Add the cheese and a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg.
  3. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot, or let cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in a 350� oven until piping hot.

Notes

    When making the choux pastry, it is important to be sure that each egg is fully incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Don't worry if the batter separates and looks curdled at first. Keep beating, and it will come together nicely.

Monica Holmes
Posted 2009-05-19 18:43:16
Good receipe i liked it!. I can't wait for backing those and let  my guests to try them at the tea time hmm yamy yamy.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:30 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, April 27, 2009, 3:00 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER | Vegetarian
Photo l Elizabeth D'Ambrosio
Ricotta cheese gets sweet.

Simple, creamy and classic, ricotta pie is an Italian dessert that can tempt even non-sweets eaters. My father's mother makes this in the spring for family parties, along with her benchmark pound cake, and we fight for the leftovers. Citrus zest and juice adds brightness to the subtly sweet ricotta, and a sprinkle of cinnamon adds just enough spice.

Buying prepared pie crust tones down the prep work and speeds the process, and even Mom-Mom approves store-bought crust � try Keebler Ready Crust.

Mom-Mom's key tips:

  • Eggs must be room temperature. Skip this step and she makes no guarantees to good results.
  • After blending egg mixture and ricotta cheese, ladle from the bottom of the bowl between the two pie crusts.� This ensures an even distribution of cheese and egg mixture.

Mom-Mom's Ricotta Pie

Recipe yields two 9-inch pies

Go Get This:

9 eggs, room temperature
1 c sugar
1/4 c orange juice
zest of 2 oranges
zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp vanilla
3 lbs ricotta

2 prepared 9-inch pie crusts (Keebler recommended)

Now Do This:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beat eggs with sugar, juice, zest and vanilla until well blended.� Add ricotta and blend well.

Place prepared 9-inch pie crusts on a cookie sheet or broiler pan.� Ladle the ricotta mixture from the bottom of the bowl, alternating between crusts until mixture is all doled out.

Protect crust by gently covering edges with foil.� Place cookie sheet with filled pie crusts in oven and bake for 35 minutes.� Remove foil and bake for 25 more minutes. Turn oven off and allow pies to rest in oven for five minutes.� Remove and cool.

Dust with cinnamon generously just before serving.


Jennie
Posted 2009-04-27 10:07:38
This looks awesome - I made something similar out of Vetri's cookbook, but crustless - called Jenny's Ricotta cake, totally easy...

Captain Lewis
Posted 2009-05-16 09:02:09
Making now. One concern is that I have more of the mixture than can fit in the 2 crusts.  I'm thinking that I should have gotten 2 of the Keebler 10" instead?
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 5:30 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER
Photo l Mike Persico
Man-food

One thing NYC has on Philly food (other than pizza and decent bagels) is cheap and delicious noodle soup. Ramen bars like David Chang's Momofuku fire up creative interpretations of the homey dish as well as traditional versions, but the trend has not yet crept this far down the East Coast megalopolis.

My dear boyfriend is a disgruntled noodle-soup lover � he doesn't know where to get his fix around here, so he has to cook it up himself. As a hater of both reconstituted dried mushrooms and slippery soba noodles, I can't share his love of the following recipe, but he makes this for himself constantly.

The fiend got into my stash of freshly dug West Virginia ramps yesterday and cooked up a Noodle Soup with Shittakes, Ramps and a Poached Egg. Try it out, and if any Meal Ticketers have the skinny on the good ramen in Philly, let us know in the comments.

Noodle Soup with Shittakes, Ramps and a Poached Egg

Serves One

Go Get This:

1 bundle soba noodles (about 3 oz)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small red onion, minced

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. pickled hot peppers

1 tsp. sriracha

One cup water to add to broth

Two cups of very hot water to reconstitute mushrooms

1/3 c dried shittake mushrooms

Four fresh ramps, rinsed and root end cut off

One poached egg

Now Do This:

Prepare noodles per package directions; drain and rinse with warm water. Set aside.

Reconstitute dried shittakes:

Add dried mushrooms to 2 cups very hot water. Allow to sit 20 minutes.

For the Broth:

Soften onions with 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, add hot peppers, soften 1-2 minutes.� Pour in mushroom-reconstituting water (not mushrooms) and bring to a boil.

Add ginger, 1 cup water, black pepper and soy sauce. Boil 2 minutes, reduce to simmer. Let cook 5 minutes, until reduced by 1/3.

Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes. Turn off heat.

While broth is simmering, poach your egg:

Prepare poaching water in small saucepan: boil 3-4 cups of water and add 2 Tbsp. white vinegar. When water reaches a very low boil, spin the water into a whirlpool and carefully drop in egg. Poach for 3-5 minutes, until firm but not solid. Remove egg with slotted spoon, dry with paper towel.

To Plate:

Arrange noodles in bottom of a large bowl. Add whole ramps. Pour soup over, add poached egg. Garnish with sriracha. Eat by yourself, since Momofuku is 90 miles away.


Marilyn Glass
Posted 2009-04-23 18:55:24
There is a superb Vietnamese noodle soup restaurant at the corner of 11th and Washington.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 5:30 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, April 17, 2009, 3:47 PM
Photo l Michael Persico

While local strawberries have not yet appeared, millions of California's little jewels are flooding markets right now.� Pick up a few cheap quarts -- one to eat straight out of the carton, and one to macerate with a little booze for a fresh and sophisticated dessert.

Macerate means simply to soak, and usually refers to the soaking of fruits in liqueur.� This treat can be made with port, as I used here; substitute what you like or have on hand.� Excellent swaps would be dessert wine, champagne, amaretto or a liqueur like Grand Marnier.

Cr�me fra�che adds a tangy element and richness to the freshness of strawberries that yogurt and whipped cream lack.� Different brands of cr�me fra�che offer different flavors -- some are very creamy or buttery, some are more cheesy.� I used Vermont Butter & Cheese Company brand, $5 at both DiBruno Bros. locations, which has a soft nutty flavor and can be whipped into peaks for use in topping desserts.

After the jump, the technique for strawberries in port with cr�me fra�che.

Strawberries in Port with Cr�me Fra�che

(Serves 4 as a light dessert, or as a topping for pancakes or french toast)

Go Get This:

One quart strawberries

6 tbsp port (or champagne, amaretto, Grand Marnier or dessert wine)

1 and 1/2 tbsp sugar (any kind)

4 heaping tbsp cr�me fra�che


Now Do This:

Wash and hull the strawberries (slice off the green tops).

Halve the strawberries lengthwise, quarter very large berries.

Place halved berries in a Tupperware container, add port and sugar.� Stir well to combine. Cover tightly.

Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight, shaking container or stirring occasionally.


To Serve:

Spoon berries into 4 stemmed glasses, pour over some of the port liquid.

Top each portion with a heaping spoonful of cr�me fra�che.

Serve with a small glass of port or champagne.



mike
Posted 2009-04-19 22:31:31
Even better - at least in the summer - is to use enough port to completely cover the strawberries, then freeze it.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:47 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, April 13, 2009, 3:51 PM
Filed Under: Recipes | SUPPER | Vegan | Vegetarian
Photo l Elizabeth D'Ambrosio
A classic 4-Bean Salad, all from cans.

I don't really get Easter food. The fluorescent pink ham, the marshmallow ambrosia � these things are fine, but they don't inspire excited anticipation like a whole prime rib at Christmas, or Thanksgiving mashed potatoes.

One thing I look forward to is my stepmother's mom's 4-Bean Salad. Fran mixes this one up the old-fashioned way � that is, straight from cans. It takes 5 minutes from opening the cans to sticking the whole bowl in the fridge to marinate overnight, and comes out delicious, crisp and refreshing with apple cider vinegar.

If you turn your nose up at canned veg, feel free to soak, cook and cool the cannelli and kidney beans before mixing them with snipped and chopped green and yellow wax beans. If you want to get really fancy, Rancho Gordo has been getting serious foodie press as the elite grower of American heirloom beans. Check out their stunningly photogenic selection here.

After the jump, a fast recipe for 4-Bean Salad, infinitely modifiable to your personal proclivities.

Bean Salad

Adapted from Pamela Mathieu, RN, CHD, from Successful Operations in the Kitchen, a cookbook compiled by the O.R. Staffs of Kennedy Memorial Hospitals, University Medical Center

Go Get This:

1 (16 oz can) can green beans, drained
1 (16 oz can) can yellow wax beans, drained
1 (16 oz can) can white cannelli beans, drained
1 (16 oz can) can red kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup green bell pepper, minced
2 tbsp onions, minced
� cup sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup extra light olive oil

Now Do This:

Drain all beans and combine in bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a quart jar, shake to combine.

Pour dressing over beans, cover and refrigerate overnight. Makes 10 servings.


ryan
Posted 2009-04-27 12:35:25
Just sharing a healthy, colorful, tasty and super simple black bean salad recipe:  http://miocibo.com/2009/04/27/black-bean-mango-and-lentil-salad/



;)
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:51 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, April 6, 2009, 3:00 PM

Last week, I was laid low by a mystery microbe.� I don't know if it was food poisoning or flu, but whatever its name, it tried to kill me.� No drop of liquid or nibble of toast could pass my lips without being express-trained out the way it came in. In Anansi Boys (Harper Perennial), Neil Gaiman unleashes a comparable misery on his innocent protagonist, Fat Charlie Nancy:� "Anything louder than the gentle Brownian motion of air molecules drifting softly past each other was above his pain threshold. Also, he wished he were dead."

I was as helpless as Fat Charlie, but no one will ever write a novel about it.� By the time I could pick my head up off the pillow on Thursday night, I was as dehydrated as a sun-dried tomato without any of the pleasant sweetness.� Since all fluids had been a no-go,� I pondered the contents of the refrigerator for watery edibles that might stay in my stomach for longer than five minutes.

When you are already sick or nauseated,� drinking water can induce vomiting because it is absorbed too quickly across the membranes of your stomach (osmosis).� That's why ginger ale, with its absorption slowed by sugar, has long been a home remedy.� Ginger also alleviates nausea.� Once your stomach can tolerate it, food with a high water content can help rehydrate you.

Hello, crisper.� Out of the fridge came a cantaloupe, a grapefruit, green grapes and a cucumber.� Sliced down and mixed together, they saved my life.� They also tasted amazing, especially after two days of eating nothing.� For just a moment, I understood the raw foodists and vegans who promote fresh and pure plants as the best way to nourish your body.� The next time a born-again prostelytizer asks me if I've heard the Good News, I'll look them right in the eye and say, sure have.

I have seen the Truth, and its name is Melon.

Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 3:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, March 30, 2009, 1:47 PM
Filed Under: Food and Music | Recipes | SUPPER
Portrait of Natalie Walker l Jason Frank Rothenberg All food photos l Michael Persico

Fans of electronic music know Natalie Walker for her powerful, haunting voice that emerges from a sweet and childishly beautiful face.� Walker got her start as the lead singer of Daughter Darling, and released her first solo album, Urban Angel, in 2006 to critical acclaim from Billboard, Urb, Trace and All Music Guide.� National exposure came in the form of a Thievery Corporation remix of her song "Quicksand", featured in Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette. Walker's second effort, With You, stirs a few poppy singles into the album of ethereal, textured sounds and layered songwriting.

What fans of her sound don't know is that Natalie is as accomplished a cook and hostess as she is a musician. "I'd love to start a catering business," she said.� Natalie invited Meal Ticket into her Fishtown home for a pitcher of white sangria and a few tastes of her culinary talent.

Tender scallops got a light sear on both sides and were dressed with a simple salad of sectioned grapefruit, fennel and red onion.� Once the guests arrived, Natalie put them to work dipping summer roll wrappers in warm water to soften, then rolling them up with a filling of shredded cabbage and carrots, sauteed mushrooms and vermicelli.� The fan favorite, however, were the silver dollar potato pancakes topped with Korean-style shredded short ribs.� Check out Natalie Walker's recipe for Korean-ish Short Ribs over Potato Pancakes, after the jump.

Korean-ish short ribs

Go Get This:
6 Boneless Short Ribs
1/2 cup natural applesauce
1/4 pineapple chopped (or a small can of natural crushed pineapple)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs sriacha hot sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp tangerine or orange zest
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Now Do This:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Season the meat with plenty of salt and pepper and then sear on medium high in large oven safe pan or dutch oven in a bit of canola oil until brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

In same pan with heat lowered to medium, cook garlic for a few seconds and then build your sauce by adding sriracha, pineapple, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, orange zest, applesauce, soy sauce and cook together for a few minutes until bubbly.

Place short ribs back into the pan and then add your water and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid is simmering, cover with tight lid (or foil if you don't have a lid) and place in preheated oven.

Cook for 2-2.5 hours turning short ribs in the sauce every half hour. Cook them until they are very tender and easily pull apart with a fork. Let them rest on the stove top once they are finished cooking for 30 minutes and then pull them apart and stir the shredded short ribs into the sauce.

If you want to eat them as a main course, I would serve them over jasmine rice with some steamed broccoli or sweet peas. As an appetizer, though, I served the shredded meat on my potato pancakes.

Appetizer Potato Pancakes

Go Get This:
2 cups grated raw red potatoes
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
5 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp grated onion
1 small clove garlic minced
chopped parsley or cilantro (You could also add chopped scallions)
Now Do This:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and heat non stick pan to medium high drizzled with canola oil and drop a tablespoon of batter on hot pan and fry until golden and crispy, turn and fry the other side until golden. �I always do just one to start so I can taste it to see if the batter needs to be seasoned more.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 1:47 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About this blog
Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews herethose are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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