Linguini with White Clam Sauce

Whether or not your Christmas Eve includes the Italian feast of the seven fishes this fresh clam sauce is a perfect dish for a night of merriment and tree decorating. Start by sautéing a large minced shallot and a quarter teaspoon of red chili flakes with a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. After a few minutes add two cups of the best available clam stock and turn the heat down to low.

Fifteen minutes before serving add two pints of fresh chopped clams and a few tablespoons of chopped parsley to the clam stock then cover and simmer gently. Boil and drain a pound of linguini and stir into your sauce along with a half a cup of grated parmesan and salt to taste, let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Merry Merry!

Potato Pancakes

It’s potato pancake week and you don’t have to be Jewish to give this lazy man’s version a try, no peeling or tearing, just lots of crispy potato goodness.

Wash and dry three baking potatoes then grate into a large bowl using the coarse side of a box grater. Combine thoroughly with half a bunch of chopped scallions, a teaspoon of kosher salt, a quarter cup of flour, a lightly beaten egg and pepper to taste. Heat your heaviest frying pan over a medium flame and pour in just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. (And no worries if your potatoes start to brown, it won’t affect the outcome).

When your oil is hot fill a large slotted spoon with the potato mixture and push out as much liquid as possible against the spoon with the palm of your hand. Flip the pancake into the pan, flatten with the spoon, and repeat adding more oil if necessary. It’s best not to crowd the pan so only cook four or five at a time until brown and very crispy, about five minutes on each side. Drain for a minute on a brown paper bag and place on a dish in a 250 oven if you’re not serving right away. Three potatoes makes about eight pancakes, the perfect side dish to a steak, roast chicken, or topped with a couple of fried eggs.

Pea Soup with Chive Crème Fraiche

This isn’t that stick to your ribs ham bone pea soup but rather a lighter fresher version that’s still hits the spot on a cold night. In a soup pot sauté a chopped onion until soft then stir in a large handful of fresh mint leaves along with a smaller handful of Italian parsley. Add a couple boxes of thawed frozen peas and enough chicken stock to generously cover them, about four cups. Set the heat to low and simmer long enough to heat up the stock then turn off the heat.

Let cool for twenty minutes then puree the soup in small batches in a blender or Cuisinart until smooth. For the crème fraiche mix a small container together with some finely chopped chives and half a minced shallot and stir a large spoonful into each bowl of soup before serving.

Curried Sweet Potato with Toasted Coconut

Here’s a quick sweet potato recipe that you’ll want to keep making long after the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone. Peel and cube a couple of pounds of sweet potatoes and bring to a boil in 1 ½ cups of salted water then cover and simmer for about ten minutes.

In the meantime toast a half cup of unsweetened shredded coconut in a sauté pan over medium heat, stirring constantly so as not to burn then set aside. Once your sweet potatoes are tender mash them coarsely and add the coconut, a couple heaping tablespoons of vindaloo or your favorite curry paste, two minced garlic cloves, and some salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer and stir for another five minutes before serving.

Spicy Honey Glazed Parsnips

If you’re looking to spice up your Thanksgiving these honey glazed parsnips are the perfect combination of heat and sweet and best of all parsnips are still available from our local farmers. Preheat your oven to 450, wash about 2 pounds of parsnips thoroughly, then halve and cut them into two inch lengths and toss with some olive oil and kosher salt. Roast for approximately 45 minutes.

In a small pot heat two tablespoons of butter, a half a teaspoon of chili flakes, and a tablespoon each of cider vinegar and honey for five minutes stirring occasionally. When your parsnips are browned and tender simply toss with the honey glaze until well coated.

And if you’re tight for oven space you could prepare these earlier in the day and reheat while you’re carving the turkey. The quantities I’ve used here will serve five.

Seared Sea Scallops Gremolata

Gremolata is a simple mixture of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley that adds a lot of flavor with very little effort. It traditionally accompanies veal osso bucco but works equally well on grilled chicken, stews, and seared scallops.

The gremolata can be made up to five hours beforehand by finely mincing together the peel of half a lemon, three garlic cloves, and a handful of parsley leaves. Then it’s just a matter of heating your heaviest pan over high heat for several minutes, salt and peppering your scallops, and searing them for a couple of minutes on each side. Serve with the gremolata and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Vietnamese Chicken Wings

Whether you’re frying, grilling, or baking your wings try this Vietnamese preparation I’ve adapted from chef Andy Ricker of Pok Pok fame, which he adapted from roadside stands all over Vietnam. What makes them so good is taking the time to marinate, so they do take a little bit of preplanning.

For the marinade whisk together half a cup each of fish sauce and sugar along with a couple minced garlic cloves. Toss with the wings then refrigerate for at least three hours. Frying is always best but sometimes something has to give…whatever cooking method you choose make sure you reserve the marinade.

While you’re cooking your wings simmer the marinade over medium high heat for about five minutes until syrupy. To serve, coat the wings with the marinade and top with some chopped mint and or cilantro. And wings aren’t just for football, these would make a great dinner alongside some peanut noodles or a cabbage salad.

Crispy Squash Pancakes

Peel and seed a small butternut squash then grate into a bowl using the big holes of a box grater. Next, stir in a few chopped scallions, a quarter cup of flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, a lightly beaten egg, and salt and pepper to taste. When you’re ready heat some vegetable oil in a nonstick pan and using the palm of your hand flatten a scoop of the squash mixture into a large spoon then slide the formed mound into the hot oil, repeat until the pan is full but not overcrowded.

Cook until the bottoms are golden then flip and flatten as best you can with a spatula. Continue cooking for another few minutes until equally golden and crispy on both sides then drain on brown paper bags or paper towels and serve with lemon, sour cream, or yogurt. These also work well if you wanted to prepare beforehand and reheat in the oven. And as always, they’ll taste better if you use a locally grown squash.

Bloody Brain

Bloody Brain….well not exactly, but this oven roasted cauliflower will turn some heads with Halloween just around the corner. Preheat your oven to 450 while you trim the core and any leaves from the bottom of a whole head of cauliflower. Over medium heat add a heavy pour of olive oil to a deep ovenproof pot (with lid) followed by a chopped onion, a can of whole anchovies, and three chopped garlic cloves.

Sauté for five minutes or so then add a small can of crushed tomatoes, a quarter cup of chicken stock, and chili flakes and salt to taste. Place the cauliflower in the pot core side down then simmer uncovered for another five minutes while occasionally basting the cauliflower with the tomato sauce. Finally, cover the pot and place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Serve on a platter with plenty of the tomato chunks over the top. Have fun!

Wheat Berry Edamame Corn and Feta Saute

If wheat berries aren’t already in your regular rotation they will be after you give them a try in this simple sauté, they’re one of the best chews out there…and you know what they say about whole grains.

Bring some salted water to a boil, add your wheat berries then simmer for 50 minutes and drain. You only need a half cup for this dish but you might as well throw in a whole cup as they’re great in soups and salads and last for a couple of weeks in the fridge.

Sauté some shallot and garlic along with a box each of frozen corn and edamame. Once your veggies are cooked through add the wheat berries, chopped mint, crumbled feta, and salt and pepper to taste, then sauté another five minutes and serve.

Caramelized Dates

Need an after school snack, a last minute hors d'oeurve, or just looking to jazz up a salad or a bowl of ice cream? Then you need to try these dates, they’re incredible…and so simple too. Until I made these I couldn’t imagine eating a date in anything but trail mix or a bad fruit cake, but a container of pitted dates is now a staple in our pantry.

Halve dates length wise while you heat a little bit of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat with an optional pinch or two of cayenne pepper. Add the dates to the hot oil making sure not to overcrowd, you want each date to have contact with the bottom of the pan. And don’t look away for too long as they do burn easily, but they won’t take more than a few minutes. Stir occasionally to caramelize both sides then serve warm with flakey or coarse salt.

Mashed Potatoes and Celery Root

If you like the flavor of celery you have to give this mashed potato and celery root combo a try, it’s a quick and easy side dish that can accompany just about anything you’re cooking. The celery root is often sold under the name celeriac.

Wash, peel, and cube twice as much potato than celery root before boiling both in a pot of salted water, the celeriac will need a ten minute head start. When they’re soft enough to pierce with a fork drain thoroughly and return the vegetables to the pot over low heat. Add butter and or olive oil as well a bit of chopped parsley then mash, salt and pepper to taste.