mustard greens caesar with shrimp and anchovy croutons

some dinners take tons of recipe searching,

lots of cookbook reading,

and hours of thinking

just to get the food on the table.

and others?

so easy.

that's how it went

when i saw melissa clark's recipe

for raw mustard greens salad

with gruyere and anchovy croutons.

larry loves mustard greens,

(i'm a fan, too).

i love anything made with anchovy

(he handles them ok).

and, we both love gruyere and garlic.

i almost prepared

the salad as is,

but, last minute

made the decision

to add shrimp for a complete meal.

at home, i broke out a tube

of anchovy paste. you see,

i love anchovies

and i love the flavor

of the fillets, but i have

never been able to get past

the thin-as-can-be bones

that never quite melt with the

rest of the fish.

so, not always,

but often, i use anchovy paste, instead.

i usually use 1 teaspoon in

place of each fillet. this time i added

a bit more to really give this already

assertive salad some extra oomph.

i chopped garlic,

added it to the anchovy paste

and whisked in some olive oil,

which i'll admit i eyeballed.

(it was late.)

to make up for the olive oil

measuring laziness, i took the time

to remove the crusts from a lovely

loaf of bread before cutting into cubes.

(normally, i would convince myself

that the crusts wouldn't make a

difference. but, i guess i was not in

the mood for self-denial.)

i tossed the soon-to-be-croutons

with some of the garlicky anchovy-laced oil,

and half the gruyere that larry had grated while

i cubed the bread,

added a little salt and pepper and tossed

them onto a baking sheet. as they crisped,

i squeezed lemon juice and a little bit

more anchovy into the olive oil mixture,

then whisked in the rest of the gruyere.

i stemmed and tore up

8 cups of mustard greens.

and before we knew it,

the croutons were done,

the shrimp, tossed with the

faintest amount of olive oil,

salt and pepper, had been broiled

and i was mixing everything together

in a bowl.

we ate the first few bites silently,

pretty sure the dish would be

a hit, both quickly falling in love

with the not shy flavors.

and the next night,

even though i don't have

the tiniest clue what we ate for

dinner, i remember that i was

resentful that it wasn't this salad.

mustard greens caesar with shrimp and anchovy croutons

adapted from bon appetit

i think it's fair to say that there are a lot of ingredients that you have to really like to enjoy this salad: sharp and peppery mustard greens, in-your-face garlic, umami-rich anchovy and for our version, nutty aged gruyere. but, if you're not turned off yet, i think you'll love every bite. i will caution you that i used three large garlic cloves and next time, i will probably seek out more normal sized pieces.

2 tablespoons anchovy paste

3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely chopped

approximately 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1-2 teaspoons olive oil for shrimp, divided

1/2 loaf country bread, crusts removed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (3 cups)

4 ounces aged gruyere, grated (1 cup, packed)

1 pound large (20-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bunch (about 12 ounces) mustard greens, center ribs removed and torn into bite-size pieces (8 cups)

1 large juicy lemon, juiced

heat oven to 375˚f. in small bowl, whisk together anchovy paste and garlic; gradually whisk in olive oil. in medium bowl, combine bread cubes, about 2 tablespoons anchovy-garlic oil mixture, 1/2 cup grated gruyere, salt and pepper; toss to coat.

place cubes in single layer on an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. set aside.

change oven to broil.

in bowl, combine shrimp, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. place on aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. broil 2 minutes; flip and cook 1 minute more, or until firm and just opaque.

meanwhile, in large bowl, combine mustard greens, croutons and remaining cheese. whisk 5 tablespoons lemon juice into anchovy-garlic mixture; season with salt, pepper, more lemon juice and more anchovy paste, if desired.

when shrimp are ready, combine greens, shrimp and dressing mixture; tossing to coat. divide among plates.

the best thing i've made in 2010: onion panade

2010 has not been so hot,

food-wise.

we brought in the new year

with a dinner, that i've said,

was ok, i guess.

and then the next night,

after i spent hours saying,

i was going to make fresh pasta,

but instead watched a lot

of law and order: svu,

i boiled up a pot of dried spaghetti

and tossed it with sage and grated parm.

that was followed by huevos rancheros

that may have been ok,

if i didn't somehow overcook the eggs,

chickpea patties that were like

bland hockey pucks,

potatoes that i

smashed with the bottom

of a glass (on purpose)

and then kind of

burnt to a crisp (not on purpose),

a pasta, cauliflower and horseradish

dish that needed lots of hot sauce

to enjoy and a salad dressing that was

way too garlicky for the

perfectly good salad i carefully assembled.

when dinner goes wrong,

it's a bummer. but when dishes

are unsuccessful several days in

a row, you start to doubt yourself,

and seriously consider turning to

meals made outside the home.

but then, you find a recipe.

one recipe, that miraculously

goes according to plan,

doesn't surprise you along the way

and in the end, is exactly what

you were hoping for

and maybe, even more.

for our wedding anniversary,

larry put the

give-paper-for-one-year rule,

into brooke terms

and gave me a cookbook.

the art of simple food,

by alice waters, to be precise.

the thing is, i'm not that simple.

i can taste the difference

between an unbelievable tomato

and a good tomato.

and i can appreciate the brilliance

of someone taking that

amazing tomato and drizzling

it only with a few drops of olive oil

and a couple sprinklings of

really good salt.

but most likely - and maybe, sadly -

in my hands, it wouldn't stay that way.

i like what comes of mixing together

spices and herbs and vinegars.

and i like what happens when something

is sauteed or roasted or combined

with something a little wacky.

so, i glanced through the book

and saw, what i consider,

good basics. there was a list

of pantry essentials,

recipes for fruit salad and

different methods for preparing

rice, a garlic and olive oil sauce

and cheese omelets.

and yes, i know this is alice waters.

and i know and love a lot of what

she has done, what she is still on

a mission to do. i just like a little

more oomph.

but, for some reason,

page 262 stopped me. i had never

heard of a panade before - which,

now after conducting a ton of research,

seems ridiculous. but here, it was,

a panade, featuring very simply:

onions

thyme

stale bread

gruyere

parm

chicken broth.

simple. and sounding pretty much

like the ingredients for french onion soup.

i loved the idea of a panade:

you prepare all the ingredients

(saute the onions,

slice and toast the bread,

grate in the cheese),

and then you layer them all

together in a casserole dish

and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

when it's pulled from the oven,

it should be intensly flavored soup.

and to my delight - on another absolutely

frigid winter night - it was. after baking

for 45 minutes, i pulled the foil off and

cooked until the top was brown and bubbly.

when i first opened the oven,

i couldn't believe how much it all smelled

like bread pudding, or how beautifully

the top had puffed up. but, of course, unlike

bread pudding, this is an eggless recipe

and the soup deflated fast.

when i scooped into it,

the bread pudding wafts were a distant memory,

instead replaced clearly by

the scents of a very rich onion soup.

even the chicken broth - maybe not so optimal

for those of you who swear by beef broth to make

the heartiest, boldest variation - transformed

thanks to those golden onions

and thin layers of cheese,

that have been jumbled together, first in the oven,

and then in your bowl.

once scooped into individual dishes,

it's not gorgeous, but who needs gorgeous

when you've got delicious?

and yes, delicious is not a very

imaginitive word. but it's simple and fitting,

and maybe, sometimes, that's not so bad.

onion panade

adapted from the art of simple food

this is the perfect sunday night soup - it does not require a lot of attention, especially once the onions are out of the pan, but it does take time that you may not have on a weeknight.

i used a 2-quart dish instead of the 1 1/2 quart casserole indicated, so i upped the ingredient amounts just a bit - i've listed my changes below. i also realized later that i was meant to heat the chicken broth before adding it to dish - i didn't and i don't think the soup suffered (but, apparently, i am not doing so well in the basic reading department lately). also, when making this, i used my method of caramelizing onions, instead of the one in the book. it took about an hour (instead of the 45 minutes waters called for).

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 or 3 thyme sprigs (or 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

kosher salt

1/2 day-old italian or country-style loaf

1/2 cup grated parm

3/4 cup grated gruyere (i used aged)

3-5 cups chicken or beef broth (i used chicken)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

in large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. when hot, add onions and thyme; cook 5 minutes, stirring often. reduce heat to medium low and cook 30-35 minutes, or until very soft. increase heat to medium and cook 15-20 minutes, or until onions are a medium golden brown, stirring often.

meanwhile, heat oven to 350˚f. thinly slice bread; place slices on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes, turning once, or until dry, but not brown.

in bowl, mix together grated parm and grated gruyere.

in 2-quart baking dish, place single layer of bread (the recipe did not indicate, but i did cut bread to make sure the bottom was completely covered). top bread with half the onions, spreading evenly; sprinkle with half the cheese mixture. top with second layer of bread, remaining onions and another third of cheese. top with remaining bread and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

place baking dish on baking pan. carefully pour broth down the side into the dish, taking care not to disrupt the layers, until the top layer of bread begins to float. dot with butter.

cover; carefully transfer baking pan to oven. bake 45 minutes. uncover dish and bake 20-30 minutes more, or until the top layer is golden brown and crisp. (after 30 minutes, i put the broiler on for a couple more, just until the top had a few golden spots.)

sauteed onion, poppy seed and gruyere bread

our first stop in maine

was portland.

we had plotted out the trip

for months, finally settling

on a bed and breakfast -

i'm a hotel girl, usually -

just outside the port.

at first i was bummed.

i like the idea of car-free

vacations, of walking everywhere

and never worrying about parking.

i also like the idea of hotels.

to me, they provide anonymity

and

don't coerce you into sharing your life story

with strangers while eating

a (seemingly mandatory)

breakfast that required

you to set your alarm

because meals are served

promptly at 9 am.

(can you tell that we've stayed at

bed and breakfasts before?)

but, for many reasons,

we decided to stay at the

morrill mansion and i must say

that as soon as we were there,

i was happy. on the first day,

it poured. not just poured.

think - a hurricane in the islands

making its way north kind of rain.

it was freezing cold, too.

as we stepped from the plane,

into the cold watery onslaught,

i re-evaluated every piece of

clothing i brought,

kicking myself for

the sundresses and tank tops

and wondering where i

could buy a parka if

this kept up all week.

(i think i forgot where i was...hello.)

we rented a car and as we drove

the short drive, i freaked out

about anything i could possibly

think to freak out about:

this is our vacation and its raining hard

(not unlike our honeymoon),

larry is behind the wheel of a

car he is not familiar with,

does anyone in front of us

actually know how to drive in the rain?

and what was i thinking?

two pairs of flip-flops does not

a well-rounded shoe selection make.

when we finally got to the b&b,

my mind

was ready for a rest.

the innkeeper brought us upstairs,

handing us warm chocolate chip cookies

along the way, settled us into our

room with comfy chairs and a bed

with tons of pillows.

this could work, i thought.

then, i turned around, noticing

the stack of home and food magazines

and thought, scratch that,

this is nice.

they never give you the current

issue of food & wine in a hotel room.

it was still pouring.

we weren't really ready to

take portland by storm

when it was in the midst of one.

so instead, i grabbed the f&w,

and began to chill out,

starting with a story about

amazing cottages

that i had never heard of,

located about 30 minutes away

from where we were staying.

humph.

and then, i turned to

the recipe for

pull-apart cheesy bread.

i probably would have read

it and continued on if not

for two things:

1) by far the biggest influencer -

they mentioned monkey bread.

my family? we're big fans of

monkey bread.

2) while i'm not so crazy

about poppy seeds, something

about my childhood made me

a sucker for bialys, with which

the poppy seed mixture shared

an obvious resemblance.

so i read the recipe once each day

(even though we woke up sunday,

and every day that followed to

gorgeous weather)

until we left for ogunquit,

willing myself to remember

to look up the bread when we got

home. a teeny tiny part of me toyed

with ripping it out of the magazine,

but then i flashbacked to every single

time that i read an article in a doctor's

office and the one page i've needed to finish

the story is half torn. so i left it there

for the next people visiting the mcguire room.

it took a few weeks and someone

mentioning to me

that they found a place where

poppy seeds are dirt cheap

(to which i thought,

i've never had a reason

to buy poppy seeds) before

the light went off in my head.

so, i found the recipe,

gathered the ingredients -

purchased my first poppy seeds ever -

and thought, this shouldn't

be too bad.

as the onions sauteed,

i grated the cheese and measured

out the poppy seeds.

when the onion was

sweet

and tender,

i stirred in the poppy seeds,

transferred the lot to a plate

and waited patiently for

five minutes until i could

stir the cheese in.

so far, so good.

the dough was simple, too.

flour

butter

baking soda and powder

salt

buttermilk.

i couldn't go wrong.

but when it was time to

dump the dough out on the counter,

i knew that i couldn't.

yes, the recipe said, soft dough,

but this? this would slide across

the counter, probably too liquidy

to be too sticky.

i added 1/2 cup more flour

to the mixture and it seemed firmer,

so i took a chance.

unfortunately, what was in front of me

was still not very close to dough.

i'm not sure how much flour

i kneaded in,

but it was a lot - i'd dare to say

almost a cup more until

i could get it to work with me.

realizing that i would never

be able to roll the dough out,

let alone, cover it with

the poppy seeds and onions,

cut the whole thing into strips

and layer them,

i went to plan B:

praying, pleading and plotting.

i quartered the dough,

pressing the first piece into

the bottom of the loaf pan to

completely cover. i spread

one-third of the onion mixture

over that, and then cobbled together

pieces of dough from the second section

to make a cohesive layer.

each time i worried that i would not have

enough dough to make it, but somehow,

i was cut a break - it worked.

i baked the bread,

keeping a close eye, not sure how

the four layers would cook,

opposed to the ten i was supposed

to have (where did i go wrong?)

and was relieved when it was out

of the oven in pretty much

the same amount of time.

however, this version?

not a looker.

for me,

it baked up almost

biscuit-like,

very tastily dotted with

cheesy sweet onions.

the poppy seeds? i guess

i can understand why

they are there.

in its original form

and what i turned it into,

the bread is absolutely

an interesting alternative

to a loaf of crusty bread

or even a dinner-appropriate

quick-bread.

it is not monkey bread-like, in

my opinion. it is not in ball

form and you still have to cut

the bread - once the slices

are on the diner's plate they

can be pulled apart to

play with and enjoy.

however, this recipe gave

me a great idea and i hope

that you'll see a savory

monkey bread from me

sometime in the future.

but, the inspiration for

something new we can

play with

and

maybe one day, fall in love with?

looking back, its

probably worth a rainy

afternoon in maine.

sauteed onion, poppy seed and gruyere bread

adapted from food & wine magazine

i was very torn - should i give you my cobbled together version or the original from the magazine? i think, that as long as i already gave you the wet-dough disclaimer, i should give you a chance to make good on my semi-disaster by posting the recipe as it was intended. just remember that if you have trouble, more flour will help and you can always make a patchwork version. the flavor is worth it, i think.

1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, divided

1 large sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

kosher salt and ground pepper

1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (3 ounces)

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

heat the oven to 425˚f. grease 9 x 4 1/2" metal loaf pan (mine is 5 1/2" wide).

cube butter; place one stick back in fridge until ready to make the dough.

in large skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 1/2 stick butter. remove 2 tablespoons of butter to small bowl; cover and set aside. add onions to skillet and cook 8 minutes, or until onions are softened, but not browned. stir in poppy seeds and season with salt and pepper. transfer onion mixture to plate; chill 5 minutes, or until cooled slightly. stir in gruyere; set aside.

meanwhile, in food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. add reserved chilled butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. add the buttermilk and pulse 5 or 6 times, or until a soft dough forms.

turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. pat or roll the dough into a 2 x 24 inch rectangle. spread the onion mixture on top. cut the dough crosswise into 10 pieces. stack 9 pieces onion side up. top stack with remaining slice, onion side down. carefully place the stack in the prepared loaf pan. (as i mentioned above, i had to pat the dough into place inside the loaf pan, which worked, but it's clearly not the best method - the first layer is stress-free. the next ones though, you have to worry that you're going to get the onion mixture caught in the dough as you're trying to spread it.) either way, brush top dough layer with remaining butter.

bake on the center rack, 30 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and has risen. let the dough cool for at least 15 minutes, before unmolding and serving.

you can also make it ahead of time - it was just as good the second day. i wrapped it up in foil and reheated in a 350˚f oven.