PLASTIC LIDS
SLICE CHERRY TOMATOES
Instead of halving cherry tomatoes one at a time, here’s a superfast way to slice a bunch at once.
STEP 1 Place cherry tomatoes between two plastic takeout container lids.
STEP 2 Pressing down gently, cut the tomatoes in half with a sharp knife. You could use a serrated knife, but I prefer a chef’s knife.
STEP 3 Transfer your halved cherry tomatoes to a bowl.
Cherry Tomato and Piquillo Pepper Fattoush
Total
45 min;
Serves
4 to 6
3 pita breads, split and halved
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Ground sumac, for seasoning
Kosher salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Two 6- to 8-oz. romaine hearts, torn into bite-size pieces
8 jarred piquillo peppers, cut into bite-size pieces (¾ cup)
8 radishes, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup mint leaves
¾ cup snipped chives
½ cup snipped dill
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Arrange the pita on a large baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with sumac, salt and pepper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and crisp. Let cool, then break into bite-size pieces.
2. Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, whisk the vinegar the mustard and ¼ cup of olive oil until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Add the romaine, peppers, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, chives and dill; toss well. Add the pita chips, season with salt and pepper and toss again. Sprinkle with sumac and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The pita chips can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
PIT OLIVES
Let’s say you have a lot of olives to pit but don’t own an olive pitter. I have a simple solution: two plastic takeout lids. You’ll get the job done quickly in batches. This method is practically mess-free to boot—no pits or olive meat smushed all over your work surface.
Put olives on top of a plastic takeout lid and cover with another lid. Using your palm or a meat mallet, lightly crush the olives. Discard the pits. This trick works great with meaty olives like kalamatas or Castelvetranos.
Antipasto Salad Crostini
Total
30 min;
Makes
14
When I have an antipasto platter at an Italian restaurant, I wrap the vegetables and cheese in slices of salami in order to get the perfect bite. That gave me the idea to chop up typical antipasto ingredients (olives, mozzarella cheese, salami) to mound on crostini.
½ cup Castelvetrano olives
½ cup finely diced mozzarella or pecorino cheese (2 oz.)
2 oz. sliced Genoa salami, finely chopped
1½ Tbsp. red wine vinegar
⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. dried oregano
2½ Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt and black pepper
Fourteen ½-inch-thick diagonal slices of baguette
1 garlic clove
1. In batches, put the olives on the top of a plastic takeout lid and invert another lid on top. Using your palm or a meat mallet, lightly crush the olives. Discard the pits and finely chop the olives.
2. In a large bowl, toss the olives with the cheese, salami, vinegar, parsley, crushed red pepper, oregano and the 2½ tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and rub with the garlic clove. Spoon the antipasto salad on top of the crostini and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The antipasto salad can be refrigerated overnight.
SHAPE BURGER PATTIES
To form patties that cook evenly and look stellar on big brioche buns, I mound 6 ounces of ground meat on a plastic takeout lid, invert another lid on top, then press down to flatten.
Green Goddess Turkey Burgers
Total
30 min;
Serves
4
I love green goddess dip for vegetables. Inspired by those flavors, I mixed anchovy, scallions and lots of fresh herbs into my turkey burgers.
1½ lbs. ground turkey
⅓ cup finely chopped basil
⅓ cup finely chopped scallions
⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. minced anchovy
Kosher salt and pepper
⅓ cup mayonnaise, plus more for serving
4 large hamburger buns, such as brioche, split and toasted
Sliced red onion and baby greens, for serving
1. In a large bowl, using a fork, gently stir the turkey with the basil, scallions, parsley, anchovy, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and the ⅓ cup of mayonnaise. Using two 4-inch round plastic takeout lids, press the turkey mixture into 4 patties. Transfer to a plate.
2. Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Season the patties lightly with salt and pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the burgers to the buns, top with mayonnaise, onion and greens and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The patties can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours before grilling.
Bloody Mary Burgers
Total
30 min;
Serves
4
I season these juicy beef burgers with zippy ingredients you’d typically find in a Bloody Mary.
1½ lbs. ground sirloin
3 Tbsp. prepared horseradish, drained
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp. celery seeds
Kosher salt and pepper
4 large hamburger buns, such as brioche, split and toasted
Mayonnaise, red leaf lettuce, sliced tomato and American cheese, for serving
1. In a medium bowl, using a fork, gently stir the ground sirloin with the horseradish, tomato paste, hot sauce, Worcestershire, celery seeds and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Using two 4-inch round plastic takeout lids, press the beef mixture into 4 patties. Transfer to a plate.
2. Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Season the patties lightly with salt and pepper and grill over moderate heat, turning once, until medium-rare within, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the burgers to the buns, top with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and cheese and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The patties can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours before grilling.
Cheater Chorizo Burgers
Total
30 min;
Serves
4
To mimic the spicy, vibrant flavor of chorizo, I add chili powder, hot paprika, cumin and garlic to these pork burgers.
1½ lbs. ground pork
2½ Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp. hot paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt and pepper
4 large hamburger buns, such as brioche, split and toasted
Ketchup, Bibb lettuce and sliced yellow tomato, for serving
1. In a medium bowl, using a fork, gently stir the pork with the vinegar, paprika, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¾ teaspoon of pepper. Using two 4-inch round plastic takeout lids, press the pork mixture into 4 patties. Transfer to a plate.
2. Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Season the patties lightly with salt and pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the burgers to the buns, top with ketchup, lettuce and tomato and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The patties can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours before grilling.
CUT OUT LARGE COOKIES
I was planning to make sugar cookies at a friend’s house when I realized she didn’t have cookie cutters. That’s when I got the idea to use a plastic takeout lid. I immediately loved the dramatic proportions of these giant cookies! They’re fun to make for bake sales or to give as holiday gifts.
Cut out large cookies with a paring knife using a plastic take-out lid as a template. You can also use the lid to cut out pie dough or puff pastry, as in the Kiwi Tartlets .
Giant Sesame Cookies
Active
45 min;
Total
2 hr 15 min plus cooling;
Makes
8
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. hot water
Toasted white and black sesame seeds, for sprinkling
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1½ cups of flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients and beat at medium speed until the dough comes together. Pat the cookie dough into two ½-inch-thick disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough a scant ¼ inch thick. Using a 4-inch round plastic takeout lid, cut out the cookies as close together as possible. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Transfer the cookies to a large parchment paper–lined baking sheet and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
3. Bake the cookies until lightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to racks and let cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the honey with the hot water until dissolved. Lightly brush the cookies with the honey mixture and sprinkle with white and black sesame seeds. Let stand until dry before serving.
MAKE AHEAD The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
VARIATION For lemon–poppy seed cookies, in place of Step 4, whisk ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar with 1½ tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds. Brush the cooled cookies with the poppy seed glaze and let stand until set.