CAMEMBERT IN PISTACHIO CRUST JACQUES PÉPIN 4 TO 6 SERVINGS ½ cup pistachio nuts I have always enjoyed a good Camembert, especially the raw milk varieties 1 Camembert cheese round (about 9 from France. To make this version a bit more elegant, I moisten the cheese ounces), preferably from France and with honey, cover it with chopped pistachios and serve it garnished with made with raw milk dried cranberries. 1 tablespoon honey ½ cup dried cranberries 1. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until pulverized but not ground into a Crackers, for serving powder—small pieces of nuts should still be visible. 2. Unwrap the cheese. If you object to the crust, you can scrape it lightly; I leave it on. Brush the top and sides of the cheese with the honey. 3. Sprinkle a layer of nuts on top of the Camembert. Holding the cheese round in one hand, pat more nuts around the sides with the other hand, pressing lightly so the nuts stick. 4. Put the remaining nuts in the center of a serving platter and place the cheese on top. Sprinkle the cranberries around the cheese. Serve at room temperature, with crackers. CANNELLINI BEAN DIP JACQUES PÉPIN 4 SERVINGS DIP I like to offer guests a little treat when I’m serving drinks, and this dip is One (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, always welcome. My pantry is never without canned beans, from cannellini rinsed well and drained beans to black beans to large butter beans. The garnishes make the dish look 1 large clove garlic, crushed more attractive—and more like a classic hummus made with chickpeas. ½ cup diced bread 1. MAKE THE DIP: Put 1¾ cup cannellini beans in a blender or food processor; ¼ cup olive oil reserve remaining beans (about cup) for garnish. Add all the remaining dip 1 tablespoon water ingredients and process until very smooth, scraping the bowl with a rubber ¼ teaspoon ground cumin spatula a few times to help combine the ingredients. Transfer the dip (you should ½ teaspoon salt have about 2 cups) to a shallow dish, and create a well in the center. ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce 2. MAKE THE GARNISHES: Put the reserved beans into the well in the dip and pour in the oil. Sprinkle with the paprika, poppy seeds and parsley. GARNISHES 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil Serve surrounded by the tostados or tacos, toasts or crackers. ¼ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon poppy seeds 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 3 or 4 tostados or hard taco shells, broken into wedges, or toasts or rice crackers CARPACCIO OF BABY BELLAS JACQUES PÉPIN 4 SERVINGS 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms or large I had a few friends coming for drinks and I didn’t have anything for them to cremini mushrooms (about 8; you will munch on except olives. I had a few mushrooms left over from the previous use only the caps) night’s dinner and decided to make a carpaccio of mushrooms. Only the caps ¾ teaspoon truffle salt or regular salt are used; the rest can be pureed or sautéed and used in a soup or stew. The ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper mushrooms become more flavorful after standing at room temperature for 1 1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest hour. Truffle salt improves the taste, but regular salt is fine. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1. Holding a mushroom by the stem and on its side, cut the cap into 1/8-inch- thick slices (you should have 5 slices per cap). Repeat with all the mushrooms, 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano- reserving the stems and gills for another recipe. Reggiano cheese 1 tablespoon finely minced scallion 2. Arrange the mushroom slices on a platter so they overlap slightly, like roof titles, greens or fresh chives starting with the biggest and finishing with the smallest. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, Thin baguette slices, for serving lemon zest and lemon juice on top, then sprinkle with the oil and cheese and finish with the scallions or chives. Let macerate for 1 hour at room temperature. Serve with thin slices of baguette. EGGS IN PEPPER BOATS JACQUES PÉPIN 4 SERVINGS 2 cubanelle, poblano or banana peppers One day I decided to cook eggs in sweet peppers with a bit of cheese and (about 4 ounces each) cilantro. It made a great lunch dish. I used the long pale green peppers 1 tablespoon olive oil sometimes called banana peppers. Poblano and cubanelle also work, 4 tablespoons water especially if you want to add a little heat. ½ teaspoon salt 1. Split the peppers in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds and the stems if 6 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese desired. Arrange them cut side down in a large skillet, and add the oil, water, and 4 extra-large eggs (preferably organic) ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cover and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper for about 4 minutes, or until the peppers are softened somewhat but still firm. About 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves 2. Remove the skillet from the heat and, if necessary, turn over the peppers so they are hollow side up. Place the cheese in the peppers. Break an egg into each one and sprinkle the eggs with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper. 3. Return the skillet to the stove, cover, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Transfer to plates, sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately. GRILLED CHICKEN TENDERS CHIMICHURRI JACQUES PÉPIN 4 SERVINGS CHICKEN Chimichurri, originally from Argentina, is a finely chopped mixture of garlic, 1¼ pounds chicken tenders (about 16) parsley, oil and vinegar, usually served with steak. In Mexico, it is made with ½ teaspoon salt cilantro and lime juice, and my version contains cilantro, scallions, radishes 1 tablespoon olive oil and Mexican oregano. If chicken tenders are not available, cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts. CHIMICHURRI 1. MAKE THE CHICKEN: Preheat the oven to 140°. Heat a grill to hot (or heat a ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro nonstick skillet until very hot). Put the chicken in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt and cup minced scallions oil, and stir until well coated. 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2. Arrange the chicken on the hot grill or in the hot skillet, and cook for about 1 ½ ½ cup julienned radishes minutes. Turn and cook for 1 minute on the other side, until just cooked through. 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Transfer to a platter and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce. Mexican ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes 3. MAKE THE CHIMICHURRI: Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. ½ teaspoon salt Serve the chicken coated with the sauce. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice cup olive oil INSTANT ORANGE CAKE JACQUES PÉPIN 4 SERVINGS 3 seedless oranges (about 10 ounces I made this dessert when friends came by for drinks and didn’t leave. I found each) a pound cake in the freezer and a couple of oranges and some leftover ½ cup mascarpone cheese mascarpone in the refrigerator, although crème fraîche or sour cream would 1 tablespoon sugar also work. These impromptu dishes often work out best. 1 pound cake (12 ounces), brown edges trimmed off all around, cut lengthwise 1. Using a sharp knife, peel the oranges, removing the skin and pith so the flesh is into ¾-inch slices exposed. Cut between the membranes of the orange and remove the segments 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (you will have about 25). Squeeze the membranes over a small bowl to extract all the juice (about 1/3 cup), and reserve the juice. ½ cup orange marmalade A few sprigs of fresh mint for 2. Mix the mascarpone cheese with the sugar. decoration 3. Arrange the slices of pound cake side by side in the bottom of a gratin dish, a pie plate, or a glass platter (about 9 inches across and 1 inch deep) that is nice enough to go the dining room. 4. Mix half the reserved orange juice with the Grand Marnier and sprinkle it on the cake slices. Spread the mascarpone on top and arrange the orange segments on top of the mascarpone. Combine the remaining juice with the orange marmalade and coat the orange segments with it. Decorate with the mint. 5. Serve, using a large spoon to lift up the cake pieces. Recipes from Heart & Soul in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin. Copyright © 2015 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. HIDE AND SEEK SALMON SALAD WITH TEFF NOODLES MARCUS SAMUELSSON 2 SERVINGS NOODLES 1. MAKE THE NOODLES: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add ramen noodles 1 package ramen noodles (or any and cook for 45 seconds. Drain, transfer to large bowl and set aside. variation of fresh ramen noodles) ½ tablespoon chopped dill 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ tablespoon dill, mirin, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon wasabi paste, 1 teaspoon white miso, 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ teaspoon berbere. 2 teaspoons mirin 1 tablespoon soy sauce 3. Add the spice mixture, arugula, cucumber, daikon, apple and mint to the bowl ½ teaspoon wasabi paste with noodles. Toss to combine, and set aside. 1 teaspoon white miso 4. MAKE THE SALMON: In a bowl, whisk together ½ teaspoon wasabi, 2 teaspoons 2 tablespoons olive oil miso, 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ teaspoon berbere (or paprika). Brush salmon filets ¼ teaspoon berbere (or paprika) with mixture. 6 arugula leaves, ripped 2-inch piece of cucumber, thinly sliced 5. In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the butter over mediu.