Bosc pear + mascarpone puff pastry tart.

The olllllld "Bosc & Masc," am I right.  

I really love pears. Especially Bosc pears -- perfect for baking, insanely floral and off-sweet, lovely to behold in their understated, kraft-like skins.

And this tart couldn't be easier prepare, or more celebratory of the Bosc's simple beauty. It's comprised of five ingredients, it takes like 30 minutes to make, and it's tellement jolie laide -- basically, it's the "I woke up like this" of food.

I like to complement the floral quality of the Bosc with equally floral honey; wildflower is my fave, followed by clover. But you could go ban-nay-nay and use orange blossom honey instead.

Or, if you're feeling sassy, use truffle honey, and sub some fresh nutmeg + a little pink salt for the five spice. Kabloom < your mind lol not sorry.

yours,
aa

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Bosc Pear + Mascarpone Puff Pastry Tart

>> Prep time: 10 minutes
>> Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes
>> Serves 6 to 8

Recommended pairing: Coffee for breakfast, cava or a beautiful, round, rich Sauternes for dessert

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (I get mine at Trader Joe's!)
1 Bosc pear, nearly ripe
6 oz. mascarpone
1 to 2 tsp wildflower or other floral honey (like clover or orange blossom, or truffle) 
A pinch of five spice (sub fresh-ground nutmeg + pink salt if using truffle honey)

Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

While your oven is preheating, slice the pear thinly, like 1/4" if you can. Once your oven is heated, roll out your puff pastry onto the parchment. Working quickly, spread the mascarpone over the pastry, leaving ~1" clearance around the edges. Next, line up your lil pear slices, overlapping slightly if you must, but generally giving every slice her own personal space. 

Drizzle the entire tart with honey, 1 tsp if you're into less-sweet, 2 tsp if you want the full floral-sweetness. Sprinkle your five spice over the the pears. 

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry around the edge is puffed and golden, the mascarpone is bubbling, and the pears have softened. 

Now eat it!

ps. If you don't have Bosc pears, you can use d'Anjou or even Bartlett, so long as they're a few days from ripe -- because Bosc are a naturally denser pear, they stand up well to baking; d'Anjou and Bartlett are much juicier, so if they're too ripe, they can wilt your pastry while it's cooking. Fair warning. 

Nest eggs are the best eggs.

At Christmastime, some families have egg nog. Mine has nest eggs.

My mom makes Nest Eggs for the family on Christmas morning every year, so they occupy a very special place in my tiny chef's heart.

This down-home delicacy goes by the noms du guerre "Eggs in a Nest" and "Toad in a Hole," the first of which is unnecessarily prolix, and the second of which is something I'd never want to eat, ever, so out of respect for my mother, linguistic efficiency, and, let's be honest, simple propriety, we shall call them Nest Eggs.

Like Lemon Curd Mousse and RTTH on Toast, Nest Eggs are foolproof. They are simply over-easy eggs nestled in grilled bread, but they have a super cute name and that au courant rustic-chic look, too. 

You can use any bread and any egg for this dish, e.g., my mom uses whole wheat bread and chicken eggs, and I use brioche and duck eggs (dear lord, I'm a lush). The point is that you're grilling bread and eggs simultaneously, so choose a bread that browns at about the same rate as your egg cooks. Like, don't use thick-sliced pumpernickel and a quail egg -- you get me? 

Kick your Nesties up a notch with grated cheddar and pepper jelly; blue cheese and pickled nectarines; or Apple Campfires and a drizzle of Hickory Smoked Maple Syrup (both an absolute snap to prepare).

Or eat them like Mom makes, unadorned and awesome -- wheat, chicken eggs, salt, pepper -- on Xmas morning, alongside a giant mug of coffee, while your Dad gives you and Mom the daily-paper Super Quiz, your older brother sleeps in, and White Christmas plays on the tv. 

yours,
aa

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"Just Ducky" Nest Eggs
with Hickory Smoked Maple Syrup + Apple Campfires

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 2 nests
Recommended pairing: Coffeeeeeeeeeeee

For the nests
2 duck eggs
2 slices brioche
1 ½ tbsp salted butter
Salt & pepper to taste

For the syrup + campfires
¼ c. maple syrup
2 to 3 drops hickory liquid smoke, depending on how smoky you like it
¼ c. Granny Smith or other tart green apple, julienned
1 tsp fresh-squeezed orange juice
Salt to taste

Heat butter in a 10" cast iron skillet over low heat. While butter is heating, prepare your syrup by whisking hickory liquid smoke into maple syrup. Set aside.

Drizzle your julienned apples with orange juice and add a tiny pinch of salt. Stir to coat and set aside. 

Using a 2" biscuit cutter, cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread. (Or just tear it. We're not fussy.) When butter foams, place bread in the skillet. Crack an egg into each hole, season with salt and pepper, and let it brown, 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Using a flat spatula, flip each slice and brown for another 2 ½ to 3 minutes, or until the yolks have reached your desired consistency. 

Plate your nests. Build a mini apple campfire on each nest, as pictured above, leaning your apples against one another as though you were a Girl Scout vying for that sweet Camping Skills merit badge. Drizzle with syrup. Feast!

ps. If you're adding cheese to your nests, sprinkle it on top in the last 1 to 2 minutes of cook time so it has a chance to melt. Ditto pepper jelly.

pps. Note that apple campfires would work with any of the flavor combos above, mainly because apple campfires are, quite frankly, too legit to quit. 

Ricotta, tomato, tarragon, and honey on toast.

This may be the new way to Caprese.

No disrespect to Capri, of course. The traditional Caprese salad comprises the culinary triumvirate della Italia: tomato, basil, and mozzarella. Topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, the Caprese is iconic, beautiful, perfect. 

To be fair, I'm not altering that ideal mix of Italian ingredients. Rather, I'm using it as inspiration for these amazing lil toasts, which are great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacktime, dinner, oh hell pretty much any time. 

And since tomato season is coming to a close, I figured I do it one last solid until next year. The combination of flavors on these toasties is heavenly. Allow me to elucidate: 

A foundation of earthy whole-wheat bread
A base of creamy, just-so tangy ricotta 
A layer of sweet, brightly acidic cherry tomatoes
A dash of herbal, licorice-y tarragon
A drizzle of rich, golden mesquite honey
A sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper

Oops, that's the recipe. Ha ha. Enjoy.

yours,
aa

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Ricotta, Tomato, Tarragon, and Honey on Toast

Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 1
Recommended pairing: Vinho verde, or if you don't booze at lunchtime or whatever, sparkling water with lemon.

2 slices whole-wheat bread
2 to 3 tbsp whole-milk ricotta cheese
½ to ¾ c. cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 tbsp tarragon, loosely packed, chopped or torn
Scant 2 tsp mesquite honey
Sea salt & fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Toast your bread according to your preference. (I like mine chestnut brown, but I'm not you. Fwiw, I don't recommend super-charred toast for this recipe.) Spread each slice with a healthy schmear of ricotta, ~1 to 1 ½ tbsp, depending on the size of your bread. Top with cherry tomatoes and tarragon. Drizzle with honey, about just under 1 tsp per slice. Drizzle a bit less if you want to cut the sweetness. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Eat it all. 

ps. If you're really into Caprese flavors, sub basil for the tarragon. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Or go nuts: skip the olive oil, but keep the honey and balsamic. It'll wow you. 

 

Salmon, apples, sliders, yum.

Something special happens when you grow up in the Pacific Northwest, and then you make a recipe with salmon and apples. 

Some call it team spirit, others nostos. I call it delicious.

This slider screams SEATTLE! (figuratively, dur). The robust, buttery salmon* is a wonderful foil for the tangy, sweet Pickled Apple + Shallot Relish.

Mixed with mayo and a little Greek yogurt for added body, apple and green onion for crunch, yummy capers for that earthy, herbal-y note, it's downright toothsome. And it's great for cool/casual get-togethers, where you're like Oh yeah, nbd, just some salmon sliders that are gonna breakdance on your palate.

yours,
aa

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Salmon + Apple Salad Sliders
with Pickled Apple + Shallot Relish

Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes 8 to 10 sliders
Recommended pairing: I didn't do it, but I think these could kick ass with a lite French red, like Beaujolais-Villages. If you serve these for brunch, try extra sec champagne with a splash of grapefruit juice. (Full disclosure: I didn't try that, either, but you trust me, right?) 

8 to 10 slider buns (I use potato, but ciabatta or another chewy bun would be just fine)
10 oz. Pickled Apple + Shallot Relish
15 oz. canned salmon, preferably half Pink, half Sockeye
⅓ to ½ c. mayonnaise
¼ to ⅓ c. plain Greek yogurt
½ to 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ c. chopped green onion
¼ c. green apple, julienned (Granny Smith apples are ideal)
1 to 1½ tbsp capers, plus ½ to 1 tsp of their liquid
Salt & pepper to taste
Squeeze or two of lemon juice

Un-tin your salmon into a medium bowl and mash with a fork. As you break down your fish, remove the bones. (This might take a minute or two.) Once bones have been removed, add your mayo and yogurt,** green onion, green apple, capers and liquid, s&p, and lemon juice. Mix it all together with that trusty fork.

TASTE IT. OMG, this is key. If you're not tasting as you go, how do you know it's any good? Fundamentals, yo. If you want more tang, add a little yogurt. If you want a punch of heat at the back of your palate, add some more Dijon. If you want more pucker, squeeze yer lemon. If you just want pop, add a touch of salt.

Slice your slider buns. Spread each side with a thin-thin-thin layer of mayo, or, if you're feeling fresh, Dijon. Spoon a few tbsps of salmon salad onto a bun. Top with ~tbsp of relish. Tip the top bun at a rakish angle, as seen above. This gives your slider a jaunty edge!

Serve with potato chips, or, if at brunch, a simple green salad.

ps. Kick out the jams! 86 the apples, and incorporate a tsp (or more!) Vietnamese chile sauce/Sriracha into your mayo. Skip the relish, and instead top with sliced purple cabbage or even Daikon radish and carrot, julienned. Serve with jalapeno-flavored potato chips and Singha beer. (This is an equally SEATTLE! presentation, btw.)

*A note about salmon: I buy canned salmon from Trader Joe's or my local co-op, and I use a half-n-half mix of Alaskan Pink (flavor petit) and Sockeye (flavor royale). If you're a fancyman and you have smoked salmon hanging around, you could use that, too, but the salad's profile will be different. I'd suggest playing off the smoke by adding a little more caper liquid, and maybe a double-shake of chile flake. 

**A note about measurements: I'm giving you a range of measurements in this recipe, because you might like your fish salad crumbly (less mayo/yog, less liquid) or creamy (more mayo/yog, more liquid). It's up to you. You're the chef. Be that brave lil champion you've always been. Take a risk!