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Overview
Alon Shaya's is no ordinary cookbook. It is a memoir of a culinary sensibility that begins in Israel and wends its way from the U.S.A. (Philadelphia) to Italy (Milan and Bergamo), back to Israel (Jerusalem) and comes together in the American South, in the heart of New Orleans. It's a book that tells of how food saved the author's life and how, through a circuitous path of (cooking) twists and (life-affirming) turns the author's celebrated cuisinefood of his native Israel with a creole New Orleans kick came to be, along with his award-winning New Orleans restaurants: Shaya, Domenica, and Pizza Domenica, ranked by Esquire, Bon Appétit, and others as the best new restaurants in the United States.
These are stories of place, of people, and of the food that connects them, a memoir of one man's culinary sensibility, with food as the continuum throughout his journeyguiding his personal and professional decisions, punctuating every memory, choice, every turning point in his life. Interspersed with glorious full-color photographs and illustrations that follow the course of all the flavors Shaya has tried, places he's traveled, things he's experienced, lessons he's learnedmore than one hundred recipesfrom Roasted Chicken with Harissa to Speckled Trout with Tahini and Pine Nuts; Crab Cakes with Preserved Lemon Aioli; Roasted Cast-Iron Ribeye; Marinated Soft Cheese with Herbs and Spices; Buttermilk Biscuits; and Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Feta.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780451494160 |
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Publisher: | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |
Publication date: | 03/13/2018 |
Pages: | 440 |
Sales rank: | 343,181 |
Product dimensions: | 7.10(w) x 9.60(h) x 1.30(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Marinated Soft Cheese with Herbs and Spices
YIELD: 6 to 8 servings
This dish was a revelation when Emily and I ate it in Milan: when you start with great ingredients, you’re wise not to mess with them. It’s a perfect moment of simplicity; at the right temperature, olive oil and cheese can be as flawless as anything that costs you far more time, money, or energy. Any brand of soft aged cheese will do—I like La Tur, a flawless mixed-milk cheese that’s as creamy as goat, with just a little sheep-y funk that’s softened by the cow’s milk. Have fun with the spices: throw in a couple cloves instead of the star anise, add a sprig of rosemary instead of the bay, or use lemon instead of orange.
8-ounce wheel of soft goat or mixed-milk cheese, like La Tur
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 dried árbol chile or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 star anise pod
Two 1-inch strips of orange peel, divided
A crusty baguette
Maldon or other flaky sea salt to finish
1. Heat the oven to 325F. Put the cheese in the bowl or rimmed plate from which it’ll be served so that it can soften.
2. Use the side of a knife or a rolling pin to lightly crush the garlic, just so it starts to open up in its skin. Lightly crush or roughly chop the allspice and coriander and add them with the garlic to a small ovenproof saucepan along with the olive oil, bay leaves, árbol chile, star anise, and 1 strip of orange peel. Cover with a lid and bake for 40 to 45 minutes; the garlic will be very golden and the orange rind will have darkened quite a bit.
3. Once the sauce has come together, remove the saucepan from the oven and increase the heat to 425F. Take the second strip of orange peel and give it a little twist over the pan to release the oil, then drop it into the pan and let the oil cool down.
4. Cut the baguette on a bias into ½-inch slices and arrange them on a baking sheet. Toast at 425F for 6 to 8 minutes, until they’ve built some nice color along the edges.
5. Pour the oil over and around the softened cheese, letting the spices run free, and sprinkle the salt just before serving. Slather the toasts with cheese and encourage your friends to dab up every last drop of the infused oil.
Shakshouka
YIELD: 4 to 6 servings
Plenty of water, for the Jerusalem artichokes, fava beans, and an ice bath
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt, divided
½ pound Jerusalem artichokes
1 pound fava beans in their shells
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
1 egg per person
¼ cup zhoug (page 395)
Eggs poached in a spicy, savory tomato sauce: this dish serves itself. It’s my go-to when I show up at someone’s house and everyone is hungry. Chances are, there are eggs and a can of tomatoes on hand. Outside of that foundation, you can be as creative or as simple about adding anything else as you like.
Jerusalem artichokes, if you’ve never had them, taste and feel like a cross between potatoes and artichoke hearts; along with the fava beans, they make this dish special. They do need to be pre- pared separately, but you can do that in advance if it makes your life (and cooking timeline) easier. If you have trouble tracking either ingredient down, substitute any root vegetable—turnips, potatoes, even beets—for the Jerusalem artichokes, and a cup of shelled fresh or frozen beans, such as limas, for the fava beans.
Once you put pan to stove, the rest of the dish comes together quite quickly, so, for the sake of the vegetables’ flavor and texture, make sure everything is prepped and ready to go. Dress it up or down with your favorite vegetables or meats—whatever’s on hand—along with any herbs and spices you like. Tomatoes are the perfect backdrop. You’ll need one egg per person, as few as two or as many as six. Part of the fun is making this dish your own, but one word of advice: try it with the zhoug, a spicy Yemeni green chile sauce, like the Middle Eastern approach to pesto. Its fresh, herbal heat is the perfect finishing touch.
1. Fill a large pot with the water and 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Thoroughly scrub the Jerusalem artichokes; if they’re large or unevenly sized, cut them into even chunks. Boil for 30 to 35 minutes, until they’re about the consistency of a cooked potato, easily pierced with a knife but not falling apart. Drain, and when they’re cool enough to handle, slice into little coins.
2. Fill another pot with water and bring it to a boil; meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. Cook the fava beans for 5 minutes, or until the outer shell puffs up and pulls away from the bean. The water in the pot will turn reddish, but don’t freak out—that’s normal. Shock the beans in the ice bath to stop the cooking, then shell them when they’ve cooled down. You should have about 1 cup beans.
3. Add the olive oil to a large enameled or stainless-steel skillet that has a lid (but don’t use the lid just yet). Turn the heat to high, and when the oil is shimmering, pull the skillet off the heat and carefully add the cherry tomatoes; they’ll give off
a lot of smoke and may splatter. Place the pan back on the heat, and don’t stir; you want the tomatoes to char lightly in a few places.
4. After a couple of minutes, when the tomatoes are starting
to blister, stir in the bell peppers, onion, and garlic.
Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or so, until all the vegetables are a little golden around the edges and the cherry tomatoes are melting into everything else.
5. Decrease the heat to medium, and add the Jerusalem artichokes, favas, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Roughly crush the canned tomatoes between your fingers, or chop them, and add them to the pan with their juice. Cook the sauce for a couple of minutes, until it thickens slightly.
6. Decrease the heat to medium-low, and use your spoon to make little divots in the sauce, one per egg. Crack an egg into each, cover the pan, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the egg white is set but the center still jiggles. Dollop a spoonful of zhoug over each egg before serving.
Tabbouleh with Preserved Lemon and Almonds
YIELD: 4 to 6 servings
This simplest of salads always surprises people at Shaya. “How can parsley salad be so complex?” they ask. The answer is twofold: preserved lemon and baharat (page 000). Take the time to find (or make) these ingredients and it will pay off with flavor, although ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice is a pretty good replica of the baharat and freshly grated lemon zest can stand in for preserved lemon. Bear in mind, tabbouleh is a parsley salad—even the bulgur plays a supporting role—so it is only as good and fresh as the parsley you get. Find bunches with crisp, bright green leaves at the grocery store or farmer’s market.
¼ cup water
⅛ teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons bulgur wheat
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced preserved lemon
½ teaspoon Baharat (page 000)
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 quarts lightly packed fresh parsley leaves (from about 4 bunches)
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
A quarter of a red onion, finely chopped
1. Bring the water to a boil with ⅛ teaspoon salt (this won’t take long since there’s so little of it). Put the bulgur in a small heatproof bowl, cover it with the boiling water, and cover with plastic wrap or foil until all the water is absorbed, 15 minutes or so. Fluff it with a fork and let it cool.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, preserved lemon, baharat, and allspice. Stream in the olive oil while you whisk to finish the dressing.
3. Finely chop all the parsley and toss it in a large bowl with the bulgur, almonds, and onion. Drizzle in the dressing and mix by hand. Serve right away.
Table of Contents
Preface xi
Notes on Cooking xiii
I Echoes of Israel
1 My Grandmother's Peppers and Eggplants
Lutenitsa 8
Watermelon and Feta Salad with Harissa 10
Fried Eggplant with Caramelized Tomato and Goat Cheese 12
Tomato Soup with Rice 15
Bulgarian Lamb Kebabs 16
2 Show-and-Tell Borekas
Boreka Dough 22
Everything Borekas 24
Potato and Egg Boreka Tart 25
Sweet Tahini Borekas 26
3 Solo Hamantashen
Peach and Mascarpone Hamantashen 30
Israeli Salad 33
Schmaltzy Potatoes 34
Mom's Leek Patties 35
Labneh Dip with Peppers and Radishes 38
Yemenite Stewed Chicken 39
4 Fishing with My Father
Pan-Fried Whole Fish with Brown Butter 46
A Good Turkey Sandwich 48
Hungarian Paprikash 51
Tarragon Dumplings 52
Fennel Sausage 54
II Rebellion and Redemption
5 A Butcher and a Baker
Kibbeh Nayeh 63
Malawach 64
Spicy Scallop Rolls 69
Yogurt Pound Cake with Cardamom-Lemon Syrup 71
Blueberry Rugelach 72
6 Arrested for the Munchies
Pastrami Scrambled Eggs 80
Za'atar Toad in the Hole 83
Shakshouka 84
Special Sandwiches 87
Green Butter 88
7 Home Ec Hero
Linguine and Clams "Carbonara" 91
8 Wood Ovens and Butterflies
Caesar Salad, 1990s Style 98
Caesar Dressing 99
Simple Cured Salmon 100
Labneh Cheesecake with Pomegranate Caramel and Candied Nuts 102
Pomegranate Caramel 104
Orange Blossom Candied Nuts 105
9 Trayf and Tribulation
Kugel in Crisis 111
Classic Hummus with Tahini 114
Shortcut Hummus 116
Shaved Cabbage Salad with Orange Blossom Vinaigrette 118
Bright Green Falafel 121
10 Vegas or Bust
Roasted Marrow Bones with Gremolata and Brioche 126
Lobster Green Curry 129
Lobster Stock 132
11 Steak for My Saba
Cast-iron Ribeye 137
Za'atar Chimichurri 138
Brussels Sprouts with Caraway and Tahini 141
Creamy Baked Fennel 142
Vegetable "Pot Roast" with Duqqa 145
12 Boss Man
Five-Onion Soup with Provolone Toast 151
Gnocchi with Fast Tomato Sauce 152
Fast Tomato Sauce 155
Chicken Milanese with Watercress and Lemon 157
13 Safta's Last Lutenitsa
Tzatziki 162
Chilled Yogurt Soup with Crushed Walnuts 163
Cherry, Jalapeño, and Cilantro Salad 165
Roasted Beets with Tahini 167
Salmon Roe Ikra 168
Collard Spanakopita 169
Stuffed Cabbage with Tomatoes and Onions 171
Safta's Stewed Strawberries and Ice Cream 174
III Finding Home in the South
14 The Lost Crab Cakes of Katrina
Crab Cakes with Preserved Lemon Aioli 185
Preserved Lemon Aioli 186
Roasted Speckled Trout with Tahini and Pine Nuts 187
Israeli Couscous with Summer Vegetables and Caramelized Tomato 190
15 Red Beans to the Rescue
Emily's Famous Red Beans and Rice 197
Green Salad with Green Dressing 200
Green Dressing 200
Arugula with Citrus, Olives, and Za'atar 203
Tomato and Peach Panzanella 205
Farro and Kale with Saffron Vinaigrette 206
Apple and Fennel Salad with Candied Pecans 208
16 Manischewitz for Willie Mae
Buttermilk Biscuits 214
Stewed Okra and Bacon over Grits 216
Za'atar Fried Chicken 219
How to break Down a Chicken 220
Jim Core's Kale and Andouille Jambalaya 222
17 Day Off for Dates
Date Pancakes with Rose Tahini 227
Ricotta with Date and Pecan Pesto 229
Chicken Liver Pâté with Celery and Dates 231
Dates, Turnips, and Bacon with Gorgonzola Dressing 233
18 Not So Semplice
Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Caprese 237
Pesto 237
Smoked Chicken with Harissa 239
Roasted Chicken with Harissa 240
Schmaltzy Cornbread with Gribenes 243
Banana Bread with Carob Molasses Butter 244
IV An Italian Sojourn
19 A Bed by the Dough Mixer
Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder 254
Creamy Polenta with Taleggio 257
20 A Real Live Nonna!
Marinated Soft Cheese with Herbs and Spices 263
Pickled Shrimp 264
White Asparagus with Eggs and Speck 267
Sea Bass in Cartoccio with Tomatoes and Olives 268
Spiced Couscous 271
21 My Italian Guardian Angel
Tortelli d'Erbetta 277
Fresh Pasta 280
Pork and Mushroom Risotto 283
Blackberry Torta della Nonna 286
Chocolate-Hazel nut Semifreddo 289
Chocolate-Candied Hazelnuts 290
22 Enzo the Pizzaiolo
Dough for Pizza and Pita 297
Pizza Enzo 299
Pita 302
23 From Sunday to Domenica
Bagna Cauda 308
Bresaola Salad with Arugula and Parmesan 310
Ricotta Cavatelli with White Bolognese 313
White Bolognese 314
Cherry and Pistachio Cookies 317
Chocolate-Espresso Cookies 318
V Homecoming
24 Family Meal
Smoked Goat Tacos 329
Brussels Sprout Salad with Mustard and Toasted Almonds 333
Parmesan and Nutmeg Stuffing 333
Cranberry Sauce with Rosemary and Orange 335
Curried Sweet Potato and Leek Pie 336
Flaky Pie Crust 338
Sous Vide Turkey 341
Turkey Stock 344
Gravy 345
25 The Reluctant Israeli Chef
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Feta 350
Charoset 353
Tahini Chicken Salad 354
Matzo Ball Wedding Soup 356
26 An Israeli Restaurant in New Orleans
Tabbouleh with Preserved Lemon and Almonds 365
Moroccan Carrot Salad 366
Baba Ganoush 368
Avocado Toast with Smoked Whitefish 371
Charred Cabbage with Olive Oil 372
Matbucha 374
Hazelnut and Pomegranate Muhammara 376
Malabi with Strawberries, Rose, and Pistachio 376
Halvah Iced Latte 378
Halvah Syrup 379
Moroccan Mint Tea 381
VI Essentials
Baharat 387
Duqqa 388
Harissa 389
Hawaij 390
Herb Salt 391
Prepared Tahini 392
Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette 393
Rose Tahini 393
Schmaltz and Gribenes 394
Tahini Mayo 395
Zhoug 395
Acknowledgments 397
Recipes by Category 399
Index 403