5 Foot Kitchen Catering!

5 Foot Kitchen had their first catering gig last week! Julie, Nastassia, and Forks and Figs blogger, Claire cooked a four course meal for a 12 person birthday party on the Lower East Side.

We only had time to photograph the first course (after that, things got busy in the kitchen). It was a Lobster Salad with a Wasabi Vinegarette.

Lobster Salad with Wasabi Vinegarette

Ingredients:
4 Lobsters (tail and claw meat cooked, deshelled, and cut)
Mesclun salad
Wasabi crunchies
Candied Walnuts
Japanese cucumber (sliced in strips long-wise)
Avocado (fanned)

Wasabi Vinegarette
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup sesema oil
1 tsp wasabi paste
dash brown sugar
dash salt

Mix mesclun alone in a large bowl with dressing. Plate salad. Add nuts, cucumber, wasabi peas. Fan 3 pieces of avocado on the side of each plate. Place lobster meat on top of each plate.

Rosie's Courgette, Chickpea & Mint Soup

So, we're into soups. Warming and healthy, and super easy to make a big batch for the freezer, homemade soup is 5-foot kitchen's January special. This one comes from our new favourite cook book, Spooning with Rosie. Rosie is a friend of a friend of a friend who lives in London - Brixton, to be exact - and owner of Rosie's Deli Café. We added the goat cheese and croutons for a rich little kick.

Rosie's Courgette, Chickpea & Mint Soup

Ingredients:

4 large fresh courgettes (zucchini), sliced lengthwise and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 litre vegetable stock
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
a handful of mint leaves
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon
2 slices of a baguette
garlic salt
goat cheese

Serves 4

Heat the olive oil into a large saucepan, on a medium flame, and add the courgettes. After they have been sweating for about five minutes, add the garlic and continue to cook for another few minutes. Pour over the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Rinse the chickpeas and add, along with the mint leaves (no need to chop the mint leaves). Simmer for half an hour. Remove from the heat to cool for a moment before blending to desired consistency. Rosie likes it not quite perfectly smooth, but with green flashes and a little nuttiness fromt he chickpeas. Season with coarsely ground pepper, and squeeze into the lemon juice.

If you want our goat cheese and crouton kick, cut the baguette slices into cubes, sprinkle on some garlic salt and olive oil, and broil for a few minutes, until crisp. Add a few croutons, along with a dollop of goat cheese to each serving.

All Winter Root Soup

Now that we're all back to the busy everyday of 2010, we thought it would be a good idea to stockpile some hearty winter meals to get us through the next few months. We started with a healthy root vegetable soup. This recipe makes heaps, so you can keep some in the freezer all winter long!

All Winter Root Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 parsnip, peeled, cubed
3 medium white potatoes, peeled cubed
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and whole
2 cubes of chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute onion, celery and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the potatoes, parsnip, garlic and stock cubes, then fill the pot with water, 2 inches above the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft. With a hand-held electric food processor, blend all ingredients together. (Or, you could transfer the contents of the pot into a regular food processor and blend.) Add the paprika, salt and pepper and continue to mix. Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley. Let the remaining soup cool and then transfer to freezer-safe containers and save for another chilly winter day!

Christmastime in 5 Foot Kitchen!

5 Foot Kitchen had their 2nd Annual Treelighting Ceremony last week! Friends from all over New York City brought homemade decorations for our 2 1/2 foot Charlie Brown sized tree. We were downtown at a local Christmas tree stand and asked to be shown the trees under $15.00. The Quebecois farmer told us that he only had this little guy that he would give us for $10. We were skeptical. It was barren and bedraggled. "I guess it needs a home," we said. We took out an equally bedraggled 10-spot and skipped off with the tree under our arm. What started off as a stick with a few branches, increased in size with decorations (and love!). Kristin made an entire popcorn chain that went around the tree twice! Our friends Pat and Justin gave us an inappropriate photo in a Christmas frame. Meagan cut out a photo of one of our good friends who has doubled in weight. French Christophe filled an empty box of Camembert cheese with coupons, a dollar, and a holiday note. We had a homemade paper crane, a grumpy talking snowman, and a piece of baguette on a paperclip. But the best ornament of all was the tree-topper from our neighbor Phil.
It was a cold night. We were all working late, so we made the party easier on everyone (or harder, depending on how you look at it) by making it a potluck. Our neighbors made egg nog and cider. Claire made appetizers and Christmas cookies. Grace made bruschetta. Nastassia made (real) circulated burgers. And the rest of the guests brought champagne and treats.
This Christmas, we're going to post our new favorite Christmas cookie recipe: Gingersnap Sandwiches with Blue Cheese filling. We learned this one at work. It's a traditional Swedish holiday treat. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Gingersnap Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Filling

Ingredients:
150 grams of butter
400 grams granulated sugar
2 eggs
160 milliliters molasses
20 milliliters vinegar
525 grams white bread flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cups quality blue cheese
1 cup sour cream

Procedure:
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the molasses and the vinegar slowly to avoid separating the mixture. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture and mix just to combine. Force the dough into a flat rectangle. Wrap and chill the dough until firm. Divide the dough into 50 small, equal portions. Roll the dough into balls. Dredge the balls in sugar. Place the cookies on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. They will spread, the sugar crust will begin to firm up in the middle.

For the blue cheese filling, blend blue cheese and sour cream until smooth and creamy. Spread the filling between two cookies, sandwich-style.

Happy Christmas!

Wintry Eggplant Parmesan

It's cold out. And we're liking eggplant more and more. Especially Japenese eggplant because you don't get those gigantic seeds in the middle like you do with regular eggplant. My mom sent me Panko breadcrumbs, so we thought we'd combine our new favorite love, with some of these foreign flakes. This is the perfect remedy for chilly New York nights. Enjoy!

Wintry Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients
Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can San Marzano plum tomatoes and their juices
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Honey, to taste

Eggplant:
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Butter, for greasing the dish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons water
1-2 Japanese eggplants cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 mozarella ball, sliced in rounds
Fresh basil leaves, torn

For the Tomato Sauce:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Add the basil and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes longer and season with honey.

For the Eggplant:
Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, dip it in the egg, and dredge it in the Panko. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the egg plant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a saute pan over medium heat Working in small batches, fry a few of the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.

Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with some of the tomato sauce and arrange 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, and top with the fresh mozzarella and bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

THanKsgiving (A Hell's Kitchen Thanksgiving)

This is a year of traditions in the 5 Foot Kitchen! On Monday we celebrated the First Annual Hell's Kitchen THanKsgiving with an extraordinary pot-luck of sorts. Super-neighbor Phil played hooky from work and basted a 15 lb bird all day. Grace got home early and relished a cran-orange mash, while Meagan trekked from the UES with a piping hot bowl of sweet potatoes. Kristen and Luke brought gluten-free lasagna and gluten-free gravy, while the rest of the crew provided libations or treats. The entire apartment building smelled delicious. We managed to fit 14 loved ones comfortably into our place, to kick-off the first feast of two Thanksgiving meals many of us would enjoy this week.

Grace's Cranberry Orange Relish
Ingredients:
1 lb Cranberries, raw
3 oranges, unpeeled, without seeds
granulated sugar to taste
Preparation:
Coarsely grind the cranberries and oranges in meat grinder or food processor. Sweeten to taste with granulated sugar.

Meagan's Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Lime Salad

4 sweet potatoes peeled, and cut into small chunks
1 26 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
thinly sliced red onion

1. Roast sweet potatoes in cubes, in the oven until soft (can be penetrated by a fork)
2. Gently toss beans with cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and paprika. Add onions.
3. Fold in roasted cooled sweet potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste

Phil's Turkey and Carmelized Onion Gravy (borrowed from Epicurious.com)
Ingredients:

Southwestern-spiced salt:
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/3 cup mild oak-smoked sea salt (such as Halen Mõn)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika*
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder

Turkey:
1 14- to 16-pound turkey (neck, heart, and gizzard reserved)
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile powder

1 large onion, chopped
12 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups Golden Turkey Stock

Gravy:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds onions, chopped
4 cups (about) Golden Turkey Stock
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Rinse turkey inside and out (do not pat dry). Pull any fat pads from main cavity and neck cavity of turkey; wrap, chill, and reserve fat for roasting. Place turkey in roasting bag; sprinkle inside and out with southwestern-spiced salt. Close bag. Place on baking sheet; refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Mix honey and 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile in small bowl; reserve for glaze. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat very dry. Stir chopped onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile in medium bowl to blend. Divide mixture between main and neck cavities. Fold neck skin under and secure with skewer. Tuck wing tips under. Tie legs together loosely.

Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Spread butter all over turkey. Place reserved fat pads and reserved neck, heart, and gizzard in roasting pan; pour in 2 cups Golden Turkey Stock.

Roast turkey 45 minutes. Baste with pan juices. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, basting every 45 minutes, adding water to pan by cupfuls if dry, and tenting turkey loosely with foil if browning too quickly, 3 to 3 1/2 hours longer. Brush turkey with glaze twice during last 30 minutes. Transfer turkey to platter; tent very loosely with foil and let rest 30 to 45 minutes. Reserve roasting pan with juices for gravy.

For gravy:
Melt butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until onions are deep brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Set aside.

Remove turkey neck, heart, and gizzard from roasting pan. Pull meat off neck; chop neck meat, heart, and gizzard and reserve for gravy, if desired. Pour pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat from surface, reserving 1/2 cup fat. Add enough turkey stock to degreased pan juices to measure 5 1/2 cups total.

Place roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup reserved fat and 1/2 cup flour to pan. Whisk until roux is light brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in stock mixture. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits and whisking. Boil until gravy coats spoon, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chopped neck, heart, and gizzard, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve turkey with gravy.

The feast!

And the guests! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Grace!

We always seem to have burgers in the 5 Foot Kitchen when there's a birthday. This time, for Grace's birthday last week, we decided to try something new. Since we're constantly working with food science over at the French Culinary Institute, we decided to circulate our burgers, by placing the patties in a Ziplock bag with butter and bacon fat, and keeping the temperature of the water bath at 60 C for 1 hour.

Unfortunately, our burgers didn't taste as good as the top secret ones we've been making at the school (it's hard to keep a gas stove at the same temp for long periods of time), so we suggest you either buy a real circulator, or go by our tried and true Birthday Burgers recipe.

For dessert we made Grace a vanilla cake, topped with chocolate buttercream frosting that our friend Johnny from Jean-Georges loaded into a quart container for us!

All in all, the burgers were not as good as the ones we've been experimenting with at the school, and the cake was not as delicious as any pastry at JG, but it was a happy birthday (that, of course, ended at the Gaf) regardless!