Prosciutto & Melon
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
½ small cantaloupe, rind cut off, seeds removed
2 oz (60 g) Prosciutto di Parma
2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) balsamic vinegar reduction
1 handful fresh basil leaves
black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut melon into 2 to 3-in (5 to 8 cm) chunks. Wrap each piece of melon with a piece of prosciutto, cutting prosciutto to fit, if desired. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and garnish with basil and pepper.
Drink Pairings
Taralli
Ingredients
Serves 24
1 tsp (5 ml) active dry yeast
½ tsp (2.5 ml) white sugar
¾ cup (175 ml) lukewarm water
2½ cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt, plus extra for boiling
½ tsp (2.5 ml) fennel seeds
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together yeast, sugar and water and allow to sit for 5 minutes to activate yeast.
- In a large bowl, mix yeast mixture with remaining ingredients until it comes together into a dough. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 5 to 8 minutes, or until smooth. Then place dough in a clean oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, divide dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-in (8 cm) long rope (do not dust with flour), then fasten ends together to create a loop.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working in batches of 2 to 3, drop each loop in the boiling water and cook until they float to top, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to lined baking sheet.
- Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F (180 C) and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving. Taralli will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
Drink Pairings
Whisky Thyme
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice
¾ oz (22 ml) simple syrup*
2 dashes Angostura bitters
5 sprigs thyme (save 2 for garnish)
3 oz (90 ml) soda water
lemon wheel, for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, bitters and 3 sprigs thyme. Shake vigorously and fine strain into a Collins glass. Add soda, then add cubed ice to fill glass. Garnish with 2 sprigs thyme and a lemon wheel.
- * 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.
Featuring
Picador Primavera
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) El Jimador Blanco Tequila or Espolon Blanco Tequila
¾ oz (22 ml) lime juice
¾ oz (22 ml) simple syrup*
4 cucumber ribbons (save 2 for garnish)**
3 sprigs cilantro (save 1 for garnish)
3 jalapeño slices (save 1 for garnish)
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, 2 cucumber ribbons, 2 sprigs cilantro and 2 jalapeño slices. Shake vigorously and fine strain into a rocks glass over new cubed ice. Garnish with 2 cucumber ribbons, 1 sprig cilantro and 1 jalapeño slice.
- * 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.
- ** Use a vegetable peeler to peel down the length of a cucumber. Mini cucumbers are handy, but larger ones work too.
Featuring
Salt Cod Dip served with Music Bread
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
½ lb (227 g) salt cod fillets
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
5 whole black peppercorns
1 small bay leaf
1 small shallot, peeled
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 strip lemon zest, plus extra grated zest for garnish
½ lemon, juice only
½ cup (125 m) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish
salt, to taste (if needed)
chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Sardinian music bread or crackers, to serve
Instructions
- Soak cod in cold water for 24 hours in refrigerator, changing water 2 to 3 times throughout soaking time.
- Rinse cod well. Place in a saucepan and add milk, peppercorns, bay leaf, whole shallot, garlic and lemon zest. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, then remove pan from heat and allow to sit for another 15 minutes.
- Remove cod from milk. Remove any bones and skin and discard. Discard bay leaf, shallot and lemon zest but reserve milk and garlic.
- Transfer cod to a food processor or blender with ¼ cup (60 ml) reserved milk, lemon juice and reserved garlic. Pulse a few times, then with food processor or blender on low speed, drizzle in olive oil until mixture reaches desired consistency of dip, adding more reserved milk to thin out if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed (you may not need any, depending on saltiness of cod).
- Spread dip in a shallow dish, then garnish with lemon zest, parsley and olive oil. Serve with music bread or crackers.
Drink Pairings
Very Special Edition
Ingredients
Serves 1
1¼ oz (37 ml) Hennessy Very Special Cognac
¾ oz (22 ml) Aperol Aperitivo
¼ oz (7 ml) St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 tsp (5 ml) citric acid syrup*
2 dashes lemon bitters
1 oz (30 ml) Segura Viudas Reserva Cava Brut, to top
grapefruit twist, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except Cava and grapefruit twist in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube. Top with Cava and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
- * Combine ½ cup (125 ml) water and ½ cup (125 ml) white sugar and heat gently until dissolved. Add ½ tsp (2.5 ml) citric acid powder (available online or at specialty stores) and allow to cool.
Featuring
Spring Break
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) BacardÍ Superior Rum
½ oz (15 ml) Montenegro Amaro
1 tsp (5 ml) Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum (optional)
¾ oz (22 ml) simple syrup*
¾ oz (22 ml) lime juice
2 tsp (10 ml) pineapple juice
tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain into a large coupe or stemmed cocktail glass.
- * 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.
Featuring
Reginald
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 oz (30 ml) Lot No. 40 Canadian Rye Whisky
¾ oz (22 ml) Taylor Fladgate Fine White Port
½ oz (15 ml) Alvear Medium Dry Sherry
1 tsp (5 ml) demerara syrup*
2 dashes orange bitters
lemon twist, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled small coupe or stemmed cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
- * 1:1 ratio of demerara (brown) sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.
Featuring
Spring Greens Shakshuka
Ingredients
Serves 2
4 cups (1 L) dark leafy greens, such as kale, chard and/or spinach
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
½ yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 raw chorizo sausages, casings removed
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 cup (250 ml) cooked or canned* white kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup (250 ml) frozen peas, thawed
2 eggs
2 flatbreads, to serve
½ cup (125 ml) crumbled feta, for garnish
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped dill, for garnish
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped mint, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Remove tough ribs and stems from kale and chard, if using, and slice leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- In a 10-in (25 cm) cast iron or ovenproof pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add chorizo, breaking apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks, and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cooked through. Add poblano pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, or until softened. Add greens, beans and peas and gently stir until greens have wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Using the back of a spoon, make two small wells in mixture and crack 1 egg into each. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 6 to 10 minutes, or until eggs are cooked as desired. Meanwhile, heat flatbread in oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove Shakshuka from oven and garnish with feta, dill and mint. Serve warm with flatbread.
- *If using canned beans, any extra can be reserved and frozen for later use, if desired.
Drink Pairings
Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 x 19-oz (540 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) tahini
1 lemon, zest and juice
¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
½ tsp (2.5 ml) paprika
½ tsp (2.5 ml) smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
2 stalks celery, diced
¼ red onion, diced
½ cup (125 ml) diced dill pickles
hot sauce, to taste
1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
8 slices rye bread, toasted and buttered
2 oz (60 g) alfalfa sprouts
1 avocado, quartered and sliced
sliced cucumber (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse half of the drained chickpeas along with garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, mayonnaise, cumin, paprika and smoked paprika until thick and smooth, like hummus, scraping down sides of food processor bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine celery, onion, pickles and remaining drained whole chickpeas. Mix in blended chickpea mixture. Season again with salt and pepper and hot sauce. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to thicken.
- To assemble sandwiches, spread mustard onto 4 slices bread. Layer sprouts, avocado, cucumber (if using) and a few spoonfuls of chickpea filling. Season again with salt and pepper to taste and top with remaining bread slices. Leftover chickpea mixture will keep in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.