Celebratory dishes and some good wishes
Happy almost New Year!
Hello and Happy almost New Year!
This newsletter is short and sweet—a change, for once! I wasn’t planning on sending one until next week, but I wanted to say a thank you for being here. This newsletter started out on a whim and without a plan—one could argue that there is still not a fully formed plan here—but I’ve come to really enjoy writing it, connecting with you more and hearing your responses, so thank you so much for your time!
Truthfully, I’m not a big New Year’s Eve person, but I do love the idea of something ending and starting anew, more in the fresh start vein. I don’t make resolutions per se, but I do have one tradition that I thought I would share in case it appeals to you.
I write a top 10 list of sorts. Rather than it being the 10 best things that have happened, it’s a list of things that I’m thankful for this past year, ones that have made me happy or that I’m proud of myself for, which sparks a bit of reflection on the year gone by. Then, I write a list of 10 things that I’d like to bring in this next year. They range from big to small, and some are definitely cheesy, personal and would feel embarrassing to share—this isn’t a list meant to be shared. Or, it can be. I just don’t. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever told anyone that I’ve been doing this since 2012. It started after a wonderful morning yoga class on NYE in NYC, during which the teacher suggested this or something similar to this, I can’t fully remember, and I thought it was such a lovely idea. I then proceeded to cancel all of my NYE plans, because all I wanted to do was stay happy and relaxed and write this list in my journal—do I sound lame? This caused several friends to reach out asking if I was okay, as I typically didn’t cancel plans on fun parties. Perhaps this was the moment I truly shifted in adulthood? Unclear.
In general, I much prefer New Year’s Day, one of my favorite times to set up shop at a great restaurant bar, spending the day slowly drinking, eating and chatting. Everyone is usually in a good mood and relaxed, kind of like how they are when attending a wedding, so it feels like an automatically fun day without an agenda or set plan.
Back to the list, I tend to make mine vague yet with a specific intention or feeling in mind. For example something for next year would be, “travel to a new place” or “do things just for fun without an agenda” or “be more creative.” Whereas some might make clearer resolutions of, “go to Mexico” or “learn to paint,” I don’t love putting pressure on myself to do something concrete as I like having flexibility. Some personal ones might be, “Take more naps” as a way to rest and slow down or “Be nicer to myself.” This can be the internal way I talk to myself or expectations of what I *should* be doing. I tend to be quite hard on myself in terms of what I accomplish. I’m not competitive with others, just myself, so I think this list is a nice way to remember the good things that have happened rather than always focusing on what’s next or what I feel like I’m *missing.*
Mostly, I love reading the ones from years past as it’s kind of neat to see what has changed over this span of time. (I want to note that my journals are not deep, poetic works—it’s mostly me cataloging how I slept, my mood, writing down weird dreams that I remember and then getting my grumbles and worries out on paper—thank you, The Artist’s Way!)
Maybe you’ll make a list, maybe you won’t, either way, I hope you have a great NYE, however you choose to celebrate it, and an even better 2024!
Now onto the celebratory meal!
I did end up making duck legs on Christmas (yay!), and they were a hit, if I can say so myself (though others did, which is why I feel confident saying this). I experimented with a different method than the previous time, which was risky on such a big day. This is why I didn’t tell anyone the risk I was taking until we were eating, and it had worked out. My brother-in-law even turned to me and said, “I would have told you not to experiment on Christmas!” (I was a bit nervous, but I felt like it would all work out and knew we had enough food, but I’m very glad that it did.)
The recipes below are what I made, but they are more recipe suggestions than fully tested recipes. (I’m going to quickly explain the difference, apologies if you already know this!) When I submit a recipe for a publication or a cookbook, I make each one myself at least twice with my computer on hand, so I can type notes and make changes to what I’ve already written as the method (one reason why my computer is always covered in food) and then they are tested again by someone else. They are made one more time for the photo, which, because I’m there for cookbook shoots, can be another round of testing and real-time notes, which are invaluable.
When I cook for myself, I tend to grab a spoon to add some mustard, use my fingers to sprinkle in spices or shake them right out of the jar. I can usually eyeball the amount, but it’s not as precise as using a tablespoon or measuring cup. I then taste, look and adjust as needed. It relies much more on my senses and instincts and lets me experiment and make changes on the fly, which is how I get ideas for what eventually becomes a recipe. Both are great ways to cook and are helpful in different ways. These dishes below were made in the experimentation mode, so the measurements are loose, the tone conversational and more in the no-recipe recipe format, if you’re an NYT fan. I would truly like to know if you find this interesting, helpful or utterly annoying.
The above video was of the spread set on a makeshift table as a cloth was spread over an outdoor storage unit in my sister’s backyard. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be delicious!
All served family style on a large table (or makeshift table).
Serves 6 with leftovers
Radicchio salad with a punchy dressing
This goes really well with the duck as it’s acidic and, well, punchy, which cuts through the richness of the duck. You can use any type of chicory, but this is what I found at the market.
How to make it: In the bottom of a large bowl, add 2 roughly chopped anchovies (packed in oil), ~2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix together until smooth-ish. I had some chopped dill so I added a pinch, though chopped parsley would also be nice. I think toasted pumpkin seeds would be too, but I kept it simple. About 20 minutes before you’re going to eat, thinly slice 2 medium radicchio and toss with the dressing. Generously grate pecorino (or parmesan, but pecorino is a touch more salty so it’s nice with this type of salad) over the dish, and toss again. Taste and add more oil, cheese or vinegar. Serve with a few grinds of black pepper. I didn’t add salt because there were so many salty ingredients, but taste and add if you’d like.
Duck legs!
I will spare you more talk on duck legs. But here’s what I did.
How to make them: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a high-sided roasting pan (you can use a sheet pan, but I like a roasting pan better because the juices tend to evaporate in a sheet pan), add ~2 pounds baby potatoes, halving large ones, 1 red onion sliced into ½ -inch wedges, 4 or 5 whole, peeled garlic cloves, a sprinkle of dried oregano and season lightly with salt. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix all together. Pat 6 duck legs dry, especially the skin. Poke them all over with a knife, then set down skin-side up in the pan. Rub salt on the skin.
Then I think I used ¾ cup of chicken stock (you can use store-bought broth), mixed in 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Add it in the pan so that it just meets the skin, so where the duck skin is sloping down off the bone but doesn’t cover the skin in any way. The idea is for the meat to cook in the stock with the skin rising above to get crispy. You might need a full cup, but you can always add more after. Gently shake the pan to distribute the liquid, but it will bubble and mix in there so don’t worry. Cook for 2 hours. Halfway, you can rotate the pan and move the potatoes around, so they all get submerged. I also had two lemon halves that I had squeezed on something else, so I added those to the liquid halfway. I also tossed in some extra delicata squash 30 minutes in because I had nowhere else to cook it. Garnish with some parsley or dill leaves and a few grinds of black pepper.
Serve with…
Lemony feta-dill yogurt dip
This is meant to be a loose-ish dip/sauce that can be spooned onto the plate to dip potatoes, duck, chicken or whatever you’d like into it. I used a “European-style” yogurt from Straus farms because I love it, and it’s not as thick as Greek. You can use Greek, I would just add a splash of water or more lemon juice to loosen it up.
How to make it: In a medium bowl (like a cereal bowl), add ~½ cup crumbled feta, ~1 cup of yogurt, 1 sprig of dill, finely chopped, and season with salt. Halve a lemon, then squeeze in some juice from one half, mix and then continue to taste and season with more lemon juice, salt or even more feta. Let sit in the fridge until ready to serve (you can make this the day before).
Miso-Butter Brussels Sprouts
I finished about 2 pounds of halved sprouts, simply tossed with olive oil, salt and some red-pepper flakes, with the miso-butter in this NYT broccoli recipe. I normally cook them at a higher heat but because the oven was set to 350 and was in high demand that day, I cooked them on a separate rack from the duck before I put the chicken in. They were cooked through, but not quite as crispy and charred as I would normally let them get to (which was intentional). I then placed them under the broiler right before serving to warm up and finish charring, then added the miso-butter and lime juice.
Other dishes…
I also made a roast, spatchocked chicken surrounded by cut carrots, onion and purple sweet potatoes. I seasoned it with smoked paprika, salt, cumin, coriander, dried oregano, turmeric and black pepper. This I would typically cook at 400 for ~45 minutes to an hour, or more until the skin is crispy (you can finish under the broiler, too). I also made some delicata squash that I had to cook in the toaster oven (the best!) as there wasn’t enough oven room. These I seasoned with cumin, red-pepper flakes and, because I made too much miso-butter, I added a little bit to them too and a squeeze of lime juice.
Ooh! I also made Sumac Onions with Parsley. I personally liked these with the squash to contrast the sweetness, but I also have a deep love for pickled anything and lots of herbs. Others felt ambivalent about this because they didn’t like the herbs as much and preferred the yogurt dip (I’m can’t pretend that it didn’t hurt my feelings a little when they said this). This is adapted from my upcoming cookbook and goes well with a smashed turkey burger, so I hope you’ll enjoy it now or later!
How to make it: In another medium cereal bowl, add ½ red onion thinly sliced with some ground sumac, salt, and red wine vinegar. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or overnight. 15 minutes before serving, toss in 1 bunch of parsley that’s been chopped a few times so it’s still somewhat leafy, 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to combine. Some chopped dill would also be nice and a grind or two of black pepper.
Happy New Year to you all! Xx
Happy 2024