A guide to everyday cooking and eating
Abrams, New York
Writing + Photography: Karen Mordechai
Styling: Karen Mordechai
Concept + Graphic Design: Marjolein Delhaas (marjoleindelhaas.com)
Styling + Editorial Assistants: Lara Southern + Julia Johnson
Editor: Laura Dozier
Production Manager: True Sims
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016943556
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2414-5
eISBN: 978-1-68335-023-1
Text copyright © 2017 Karen Mordechai
Photographs copyright © 2017 Karen Mordechai
Graphic design copyright © 2017 Marjolein Delhaas
Published in 2017 by Abrams, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
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Introduction
Usage/Market Variations
Seasonality
Essentials
Bread half-day rye
Guide to Cooking Grains
Eggs, a guide
Garlic Confit thyme, lemon peel
Basic Vegetable Stock
Pickles
Pickled Red Onion
Pickled Mustard Seeds
Breakfast
Poached Eggs: black quinoa, toasted buckwheat, kefir, fermented kraut, pepita
Fruit Salad: cantaloupe, rainier cherry, golden raspberry, ricotta
Green Shakshuka: wild greens, leek, za’atar oil, yogurt
Breakfast Board: salmon, trout, whitefish roe, crème fraîche, sumac red onion
Buttered Eggs: rye, pecorino, lemon
Soft-Boiled Eggs: labneh, breakfast radish, pine nut
Slow-Cooked Oat Porridge: honeycomb, white sesame, chamomile, cyprus salt
Smoothie Bowl: espresso, maca, cinnamon, maple, banana, almond milk
Toast and Roasted Fruit Jam: blueberry, balsamic, basil
Wilted Flower Yogurt Bowl: petals, pistachio, black sesame, maple
Buckwheat Bread: whipped ricotta, rose honey
Ricotta Pancakes: blackberry, thyme, crème fraîche, hazelnut
Toasts
Avocado Toast: watermelon radish, mustard seed, pickled red onion, pink salt
Mushroom Toast: beech, thyme, sancerre
Ramp Toast: ramp butter, roasted ramp
Pan con Tomate : roma tomato, olive oil-fried miche
Eggplant Crostini: black garlic, tahini, pine nut, pickled red onion
Poached Salmon Toast: herb pesto, lemon, pink salt
Bowls
Parmesan Brodo: egg, young spinach, radish
Everyday Bowl: farro, market radish, roasted purple carrot, watercress dressing, piave
White Miso Soup: soba noodle, black trumpet mushroom, bok choy, beet-cured egg
Plates
Ceviche: halibut, yellowfin tuna, red onion, kaffir lime, poblano, crispy garlic
Spring Salad: zucchini crudo, buffalo mozzarella, lemon balm, almond
Grilled Octopus: burnt citrus crema, braised olive, parsley
Smoked Black Bread Panzanella: beet, purple kale, radicchio, smoked ricotta, saba
Deconstructed Niçoise Salad: market lettuce, halibut, potato, haricot vert, braised olive, soft egg
Vegetables
Skillet-Charred Greens
Oxheart Tomatoes, fresh
Fiesole Artichokes
Burnt Carrots
Asparagus, buttered and shaved
Mains
Whole Fish: yellowtail snapper, sumac red onion
Sausage: buttered purple cabbage, yogurt, pickled mustard seed, charred pearl onion
Dukkah-Covered Schnitzel: baby gem lettuce, fennel, pea shoot, roasted garlic dressing
Brisket Tacos: napa cabbage, pickled red onion, cotija
Shells: wood ear, oil-cured olive, pecorino
Lasagnette: san marzano, roasted garlic oil
Smoked Ricotta Gnudi: brown butter, purple basil
Aged Rib Eye: buffalo butter, pink and black peppercorn, lemon balm, watermelon radish
Snacks
Cheese Board
Meat Board
Charred Eggplant Puree
Braised Black Olives
Burrata: fried basil, lemon oil
Cured Eggs: black peppercorn, bay leaf
Dukkah: white sesame, coconut flake, pine nut, almond, chamomile, sea salt
Desserts
Sahleb: rose water, coconut, pistachio, ceylon cinnamon
Burnt Apricot: whipped yogurt, puffed amaranth, maple, salt
Banana Bread: dark chocolate, crème fraîche, cyprus salt
Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake: pistachio, rose, cardamom cream, cyprus salt
Roasted Ice Cream, two ways, with seeds: no. 1 carrot, hazelnut, sesame seed crumble
no. 2 beet, pistachio, sunflower seed crumble
Dairy
Crème Fraîche
Yogurt
Ricotta
Marinated Labneh
Cook’s Notes
Basic Ingredients
Sources
Index
Acknowledgments
Concept
This book is meant to be a resource, a guide for cooking seasonally and simply.
I am drawn to food and its inherent beauty. In this book, I have collected a sampling of the way I like to cook, daily—both at our studio and for my family. The recipes are seasonally inspired, good, and wholesome. It is food as it should be: nuanced, bright, and gorgeous. This is about how we cook and eat every day in our home and with our loved ones.
Journey
I grew up surrounded by food, as it was the backbone of immigrant traditions in a new environment. My family brought their cultures and traditions and expressed their love through meals of plenty. Their story (and their food) was a complex and varied one rooted in Jerusalem in the 1950s, a time in which ethnicities from around the globe were melding together in a young country. Influences from the Middle East and Eastern Europe were converging to formulate a new community. When my family then immigrated to the United States, they brought these melded cultures with them. As I developed my own viewpoint, these influences, along with my current journey, created my own path. I was always fascinated with food. I was drawn to its beauty and also moved by its cultural significance. I studied as a photographer, and in 2005 I did my master’s thesis on the food in my home, through the scope of its maternal lineage.
A few years later, I began Sunday Suppers, a communal cooking space, and became more and more immersed in the world of food. I was photographing and also cooking. Exploring, eating, and finding my own sense of things. I met amazing chefs and cooks, and was continually inspired in our collaborative atmosphere.
Sunday Suppers evolved into a hub and a center point for community and inspiration. At the space, we hold community dinners and events that bring people into the kitchen. The premise is to cook together and enjoy the culture and beauty of food through connectivity.
I believe food should capture your spirit. Your food, I believe, is a compilation of your journey in life—it collects bits and pieces as you go. From youth and culture, from travel, and from day-to-day experiences. It is also, very much, an evolution. My own story and viewpoint sit on the pages ahead.
As you read, I hope you will see a true love and celebration of food. That is what this book is about. My hope is that it liberates you and allows you to learn a few great techniques that will honestly make you a better cook. More than anything, I hope it inspires you to find the same joy in cooking as I do.
Food’s ability to bring people together is unparalleled. It is at the foundation of our cultures; it is the goodness we can bring to ourselves and others. When we celebrate food and retain its inherent quality, we nourish ourselves and our lives. We take the time to source good ingredients and produce. We support our local farmers and artisans, and we help sustain a beautiful cycle of goodness that extends to the people around us.
Food
At Sunday Suppers, I’ve had the opportunity to experience and make food as a cultural connector. At the studio, we create food that is gorgeous and fun and sometimes off-beat. We cook all the time, and we experiment with colors and flavors. Sometimes these are simple studio meals, and other times they are larger community dinners for twenty to fifty people. Food, in our studio, brings people together: It is a day-to-day community affair.
As a mother, I cook almost all our meals (yes, even after long studio days). I feel this is important, and it is how I can nourish my (little) family and myself. I know where my food is coming from: I try to buy seasonally, from farmers and local purveyors. With all this said, I also know the challenges of a very busy schedule and weekday life. And so I have found my way: making grains and a soup on a Sunday night, and sometimes roasting some vegetables for the week. I’ll often make double the amount of dressing so we can have it in the refrigerator. I keep lots of greens, eggs, avocados, and fresh breads on hand at home.
Format
Ultimately, the purpose of this book is to compile all these meals from the studio and our home and bring them forth as a resource for simple and beautiful food. The journey is unending, but this is a starting point. This book will be a two-volume one, with Fall / Winter upcoming.
Each family and home has their own story, their own way. If there is a contribution to be made here, it is simply to tell our path and food story. If it happens to inspire you to cook, to visit a market, and to experiment beyond the norm, that would be an achievement.
The recipes are meant to be utilitarian and straightforward, but simultaneously unique and inspiring. The word simple is used often and is meant to impart a sense of ease, not intended to be simplistic—these recipes are aimed to be inspiring without being out of reach. Aspirational and liberating.
Cook with your season, and in your way. Have freedom and lightness in your kitchen; it’s a wonderful place to be.
I hear from many cooks that they will follow a recipe to a T; they will create their list and take on a recipe like it is a didactic thing.
Here, we are breaking the mold a bit. If you go to market with the intention to make an oyster mushroom risotto, but the mushrooms are not looking great, or there are no oyster mushrooms in season, you can make an alternate decision.
Instead of mushrooms, sage, and Pecorino for your risotto, choose fennel, Parmesan, and thyme. The idea here is to offer alternates, which we call “market variations,” based on the season and also to give readers guidance on some flavor profiles that work. In this way, readers can feel liberated.
Each recipe is built with a few seasonal items, herbs, and flavorings. These original ingredients are underlined. Beneath the recipe title, you will find two or three alternate versions of the original ingredients. These variations can be substituted for the underlined ingredients and are listed in the same order as the items that they are replacing in the recipe title. Unless otherwise noted, the alternate ingredients can be prepared and incorporated into the finished dish in the same manner as the original.
To help you utilize the market variations in the book, there is a “Cook’s Notes” section (see this page) that offers measurements and additional information on how to prepare the variations. Be sure to reference that section for further assistance when making a recipe with a variant ingredient.
Cooking seasonally means supporting our local farmers and producers. It also means celebrating produce at its peak and best form.
There is a natural rhythm to the markets and the seasons. In winter, we stay closer to the home and cook warm and nurturing meals. Most of the produce is in the form of root vegetation, some greens, and limited fruits. As the weather warms, new and exciting produce starts to become available. Ramps, morels, and rhubarb make their appearance, as well as peas, alliums, and other vibrant greens. In summer we find berries and tomatoes and stone fruit. The market quite literally blooms. Of course, there are no hard-and-fast rules; some cities and climates offer varied seasonal produce, but this is the general format, give or take.
These recipes will guide you through the Spring/Summer offerings at your local markets, as they tend to unfold in different locales. As there is always a transition between seasons, you’ll find that reflected in the meals. Slowly, as the weather warms, we begin to lighten our meals a bit, but the beginning of spring can still be chilly. We ease into the season. Some of the dishes are warm and soothing, while others are lighter, cooler options. As your personal surroundings change, your cooking often reflects those changes.
In this section, you will find the building blocks of our kitchen. These are the foundations of our meals, and great things to stock your larder with. At the beginning of the week, usually on a Sunday evening, I will make a stock, a grain, or pickles to keep in the refrigerator for the week. The beauty is having them at the ready on busy weekdays to enlighten or enhance your meals, but also to speed things up a bit. You will also find practical guidance: a guide to grain cooking and one on making eggs properly. These things are so useful to have in your culinary repertoire and will allow you to cook intuitively. Removing the guesswork lets you have more fun with the recipes in the following chapters.
We love an artisanal bread from a local bakery, but on a day when you have the urge to bake, this bread is a wonder—crusty on the outside and pillow-like in the interior. While a classic bread recipe can take several days to prepare, this one requires merely a half day to make and rise, and will become a go-to for everyday usage. Use high-quality milled rye flour for best results. Serve toasted and well buttered.
3¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons (340 g) rye flour
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3½ teaspoons (17 g) kosher salt
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Makes 1 loaf
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, and sugar until well combined. Add 3 cups (720 ml) room-temperature water and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place to rest for 4 hours.
Butter a 16 x 4-inch (approximately 40.5 x 10-cm) extra-long loaf pan. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. With floured hands, and handling the dough as little as possible, gently shape into an approximate 16 x 12-inch (40.5 x 30-cm) rectangle. Fold the rectangle into thirds, as you would a letter, to form a long, narrow loaf, about the size of the loaf pan. Carefully lower the dough into the loaf pan and cover loosely with a clean dish towel; place in a warm, draft-free place to rise for an hour, or until the loaf has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Remove the dish towel from the pan and, using a fine-mesh sieve, lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour. Transfer it to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes. Invert the pan to remove the bread and allow to cool completely.
Storage – Best enjoyed immediately. If storage is necessary, keep in a sealed bag.
Healthful grains are a great thing to have on hand. I tend to make a pot weekly and keep it handy to add to an everyday bowl, salad, or even soup. It makes the meals hearty and enriching. Choosing well-milled quality grains is important for both nutrition and taste. You may use water or any stock of your preference to infuse additional flavor.
Grain to water (or stock) ratio:
quinoa*
1: 1¾ cups (170 g : 420 ml)
25 minutes
farro 1: 3
cups (200 g : 720 ml)
30 minutes
bulgur
1: 2 cups (140 g : 480 ml)
15 minutes
short-grain brown rice
1: 2 cups (190 g : 480 ml)
45 minutes
long-grain white rice
1: 1½ cups (180 g : 360 ml)
20 minutes
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the grain of your choice and toast in the saucepan until lightly golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the water (or stock) and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for the time indicated by the chart. Remove from the heat, leave grains covered for 5 minutes, and fluff the grains before serving or using in a recipe. If you are making farro, simply drain any excess water before serving. If you are cooking more than 1 cup of a grain, use a ratio of 1 cup grain to 1 tablespoon olive oil to toast it.
* Make sure to rinse quinoa very well before cooking to remove the naturally occurring but unpleasant-tasting chemical saponin that coats the grains.
A beautifully prepared egg is a staple in many of our bowls, toasts, and other dishes, enriching a meal with protein and creaminess. When poaching, the goal is to achieve the perfect oval: white on the outside, oozy on the inside. For frying or boiling, getting the yolk to the preferred doneness determines its perfection. These are our methods, tried and true for both single and multiple preparations.
fried, Makes 1 egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
1 egg