WINE BOTTLE
PIT CHERRIES
Who owns a cherry pitter? I don’t, and you don’t need to invest in one either. For my cherry-pitting hack, all you need is an empty wine bottle (we’ve all got those) and a chopstick. Get excited for all the cherry pies you can make!
Rest a cherry, stem side up, on the opening of an empty wine bottle. Using the thick end of a chopstick, push the pit into the bottle.
Bibb Salad with Fennel, Cherries and Walnuts
Total
40 min;
Serves
4 to 6
1 cup walnuts
2½ Tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp. minced shallots
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
Two 5-oz. heads of Bibb lettuce, cored and leaves torn
1 medium fennel bulb—halved, cored and very thinly sliced
1½ lbs. fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved or quartered
¼ cup snipped fennel fronds
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
2. Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, whisk the sherry vinegar with the shallots; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and olive oil until incorporated, then season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and fennel and toss well.Add the walnuts, cherries and fennel fronds, season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve right away.
How to Use Cherry Pits
INFUSED VODKA After you’ve collected a bunch of cherry pits in a wine bottle, add vodka along with a few whole cherries. Let infuse for at least one week. You can use the cherry vodka in my Mixed-Berry Martini .
CHERRY SELTZER Add sparkling water to some cherry pits in a wine bottle. Swirl, then strain into ice-filled glasses.
POUND MEAT
Place meat on a large piece of plastic wrap. Drizzle with a little water and spread out another piece of plastic on top. Holding a wine bottle by the neck, lightly pound the meat.
Spicy Chicken Milanese
Total
15 min;
Serves
2
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
1½ cups panko
Two 6-oz. chicken breast cutlets, lightly pounded ¼ inch thick
⅓ cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped parsley
Freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1. In a pie plate, beat the eggs with the mustard and cayenne; season with salt and black pepper. Spread the panko in another pie plate. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko; press to help it adhere.
2. In a large skillet, heat ⅓ cup of the oil until shimmering. Cook the chicken over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned outside and white throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to plates.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes, lemon juice and parsley with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomatoes over the chicken and garnish with cheese. Serve immediately.
Pounded Beef Tenderloin with Hearts of Palm Salad
Total
30 min;
Serves
4
1 lb. center-cut beef tenderloin, cut crosswise into 4 slices and lightly pounded ⅛ inch thick
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt and pepper
1½ Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
2 Tbsp. minced shallot
1½ tsp. Dijon mustard
4 oz. watercress, thick stems discarded (6 cups)
One 15-oz. can hearts of palm, drained and sliced ¼ inch thick on the diagonal
1 Hass avocado, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
⅓ cup snipped chives
1. Heat a large grill pan for 10 minutes. Brush the steaks with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until lightly charred, 45 seconds. Flip the steaks and grill until medium-rare, 30 seconds. Transfer to plates.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the 2 tablespoons of oil with the lemon juice, shallot and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Add the watercress, hearts of palm and avocado, season with salt and pepper and toss. Mound the salad beside the steaks, top with the chives and serve with lemon wedges.
ROLL OUT BREAD WRAPPERS
By rolling squishy white bread really thin, you can make wrappers for three kinds of fried hors d’oeuvres. Big thanks to Andrew Zimmern, host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, for this tip!
STEP 1 Cut the crusts off sliced white bread.
STEP 2 Roll each slice until extremely thin.
STEP 3 Spoon filling into each bread wrapper and seal with water.
Asian Shrimp Rolls
Total
45 min;
Makes
14
2 Tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying
½ cup minced cabbage
¼ cup minced carrot
1 Tbsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
¾ lb. shelled and deveined shrimp, minced
4 scallions, finely chopped, plus slices for garnish
2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1 large egg, beaten
14 slices of white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Sambal oelek and Kewpie mayonnaise , for serving
1. In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the cabbage, carrot and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until just white throughout, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped scallions, rice vinegar, cornstarch and sesame oil and cook for 1 minute. Scrape into a medium bowl and let cool. Season the filling with salt and pepper, then mix in the egg. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Using a rolling pin or wine bottle, flatten each slice of bread; arrange with the long sides facing you. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on the lower half of each slice. Brush the edges with water and roll up the bread around the filling; press the seams and open ends to seal the rolls.
3 . In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 350°. Fry the rolls in batches, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer the shrimp rolls to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve with sambal oelek and Kewpie mayonnaise.
Crispy Cheese Sticks
Total
45 min;
Makes
14
1½ cups shredded mozzarella
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. minced parsley
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
14 slices of white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Canola oil, for frying
Warm marinara sauce, for serving
1. In a medium bowl, mix both cheeses with the egg, parsley, crushed red pepper and ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper; refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Using a rolling pin or wine bottle, flatten each slice of bread; arrange with the long sides facing you. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese filling on the lower half of each slice. Brush the edges with water and roll up the bread around the filling; press the seams and open ends to seal the rolls.
3. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 350°. Fry the rolls in batches, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve with marinara.
Cuban Picadillo Rolls
Total
45 min;
Makes
14
2 Tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying
½ cup minced onion
½ cup minced red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cumin seeds
½ lb. lean ground sirloin
¼ cup minced pimiento-stuffed green olives
¼ cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
Kosher salt and pepper
1 large egg, beaten
14 slices of white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Lime wedges and hot sauce, for serving
1. In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and cumin and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, 5 minutes. Add the sirloin and cook, breaking up the meat, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the olives, raisins and tomato paste until combined. Scrape into a bowl and let cool. Season generously with salt and pepper, then mix in the egg. Refrigerate the filling for 15 minutes.
2. Using a rolling pin or wine bottle, flatten each slice of bread; arrange with the long sides facing you. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on the lower half of each slice. Brush the edges with water and roll up the bread around the filling; press the seams and open ends to seal the rolls.
3. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil to 350°. Fry the rolls in batches, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain the picadillo rolls on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce.
MAKE AHEAD The picadillo filling can be refrigerated overnight.
CRUSH SEEDS AND PEPPERCORNS
A wine bottle is just the right weight for pulverizing lots of seeds or peppercorns at once. The grooves at the bottom of the glass help, too. Just make sure to use a clean bottle!
Place seeds (or peppercorns) in a large resealable plastic bag. Holding a wine bottle by the neck, set it in the bag and lightly pound the seeds until crushed.
Pepita-Crusted Chicken Cutlets
Total
45 min;
Serves
4
1½ cups pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
1 tsp. ancho chile powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
Four 4-oz. chicken cutlets
Canola oil, for frying
Cilantro sprigs, lime wedges and sour cream, for serving
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the pepitas on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool, then transfer to a large resealable plastic bag. Hold the bag upright and set the bottom of a clean wine bottle in it. Holding the neck of the bottle, lightly pound the pepitas with the bottom of the bottle until they’re finely crushed. Mix in the chile powder, cumin, cayenne, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
2. Spread the flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and black pepper and dredge them in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the cutlets in the eggs, then coat thoroughly with the crushed pepitas, pressing to help them adhere.
3. In a large skillet, heat ¼ inch of canola oil until shimmering. Add half of the chicken and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest piece registers 160°. Serve the chicken with cilantro sprigs, lime wedges and sour cream.
