Baguettes & Wine in Beantown

Ah, the couples weekend. More precisely, the blending of two friends, and the either blending or counter-blending, of their significant others. This is a sink or swim situation. A headfirst march into the battlefield, or the soothing feel of a summer’s breeze.

That is why one must pick the adjoining couple wisely, gravely, and thoughtfully. In fact, use every last “-ly” you can think of before penciling in this date and weighing your travel options.

Fortunately, I have been privy to this for some time. And fortunately, I gather friends, and keep friends close to me, based on the following unwavering criteria:
­- A love of cooking
- A love of baking
- A voracious appetite
- An admirably unquenchable thirst for any/all alcoholic beverages
* I must add that all of my friends hold at least one of the above attributes. I am not that picky. I can’t afford to be. I need somewhat to eat what I cook.

And so it was, that for my first couple’s weekend with Mike, we eagerly make a date with Becky and Matt. A bit of background, below.
Becky: Roommate and unfailing comrade through the dazing halls of college dorm existence, sorority sisters, and Chicago nightlife. Since then, she is a teacher to the Boston musical greats to-be and an excellent maker of barbecued ribs and blueberry pancakes.
Matt: A friend from college, as well as Becky’s longtime amour. Currently an architecture student, Matt is a Frank Lloyd Wright in the making (let it be known that I am the first to say so). Matt has an eager palate and a swift aesthetic skill for plating foods.

Now that the cast of characters for the weekend were in order, the setting was selected:
Becky and Matt’s eclectic and design magazine-worthy apartment in Cambridge. Aero mattress; Check. Champagne in the fridge; Check. Cheese platter; Check. Needless to say, Becky knows how to make me happy.

With Becky and me in the kitchen, Matt as DJ and master of décor, that left Mike as trusty bartender. And he did not miss a beat.

We all settled on a simple, appetizer-friendly menu so that we could nosh and chat, chat and nosh. Along with the usual suspects of cheeses, salami, and olives, we made a white pizza with truffle salt, parmesan, and lots of black pepper. Uncomplicated and tasty, leaving the apartment with the luxurious aroma of truffles.

Mike whipped up festive round(s) of Mortonis, courtesy of Danny Meyer. Crisp, brightly colored, and perfect for the holidays. The clean bite of Negroni paired nicely with the richness of the pizza. One slug in, and the staunch, troubling memory of the bus ride from Manhattan was forgotten.

Each of us had a role in this meal, made even more enjoyable by the company and by the creative and innovative décor in Becky and Matt's apartment. A few board games later, and I felt reminiscent of my college days. Only this time, dorm life in the waysides, my kitchen fever fit right in.

Couple's White Pizza with Truffle Salt (serves 4 hearty eaters)

1 (8 oz.) piece of store-bought dough (we bought ours from Whole Foods, but you can also usually purchase dough from any local pizzeria)
2 tablespoons truffle salt (expensive but worth it – try it on popcorn!)
4 tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil
handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
freshly-ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-If you don’t have a pizza stone, as we didn’t, take a medium-sized sheet pan with ¼ inch walls, and coat with olive oil.
-Drop dough on the pan and stretch with fingers until it fits the shape of the pan.
-Sprinkle with truffle salt, black pepper, and parmesan.
-Drizzle generously with olive oil.
-Bake in oven until browned and at desired doneness, about 12 minutes.
-Remove and sprinkle with parsley and more parmesan, if desired.
-Slice into wedges and serve.

Danny Meyer's Mortoni, makes 1 drink

Ice
1 oz. vodka of choice
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. tonic qater
1 lime wedge
1 orange wedge
2 lemon wedges

-Fill a rocks glass and a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add the vodka and Campari to the shaker and shake vigorously.
-Strain into the glass, top with the tonic water, and squeeze the juice from the lime and orange wedges and 1 of the lemon wedges into the drink.
-Garnish with the remaining lemon wedge and serve.

Just last weekend, our lovely Beantown host tried out making the entrée we enjoyed that evening, braciole, and it was a huge success! See below, from La Petite Chef's dear friend and sous chef, Becky Fisher:

Dear LPC,

I am a very lucky lady to have you in my life. Not only do I get a great friend, but I also get a myriad of recipes that even I can execute in my tiny kitchen here in Cambridge. Your recipes are two things that I love. Simple and delicious. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking simple as in throw some milk and cereal in a bowl and call it gourmet. I’m talking simple as in perfect for the non-chef who loves good food. Perfect for someone like me, who needs a little guidance in the kitchen, but is willing to experiment and try new things.

LPC, you have taken the guesswork out of yummy meals by creating perfect recipes! I wanted to share with you a recreation of your delicious flank steak recipe that you so graciously cooked for us in November! I mixed sun-dried tomatoes, oil (from the sun-dried tomato jar), sautéed spinach, basil, and breadcrumbs to create the delicious filling. I wrapped the steak up with the extra string have left over from our November feast, and seared all four sides in the cast-iron. After that I popped it in the oven and let it hang out there till it was ready to eat.

As a side, I made oven-roasted brussel sprouts just like you taught me! Olive oil, salt, and pepper. The secret to delicious veggies!

You are an amazing chef and teacher and I can’t wait to learn more recipes that I can cook here at home! You keep cookin, I’ll keep readin! Thanks LPC!

With Much Love, Your Original Sous

Naughty & Nice: Lasagna Rolls

It’s difficult to imagine lasagna as a more perfect synthesis of sauce, pasta, cheese, and filling. A steaming casserole of bubbling parmesan and bright tomato chunks feeds many a mouth, and only the very few can resist carving out a second gooey wedge.

This is a dish you want to serve to your family; for those who love you and who don’t judge your plating skills or your tendency to acquire a red perimeter around your mouth. But what if you could have it all and feel comfortable serving this dish for a crowd that extends beyond your forgiving kin? What if lasagna could go from homey to haute?

I am here to tell you that you can have it all. Next time you’re looking to impress, keep your cornish hens in the freezer, take that truffle oil out of your basket at the gourmet foods shop. Call the boss over for dinner, and get out a Pyrex, because lasagna rolls are lasagna’s trim and dapper cousin, flavor untarnished.

The idea of a lasagna roll is to boil your noodles, as usual. (I use the boiling water to first rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms for the filling. That way, the noodles take on a more intriguing flavor). Next, you stir together your filling of choice - get creative! And lastly, you whisk together that creamy nutmeg-flaked béchamel sauce, like old times. The rolling comes into play when the filling is spread in a generous layer over the noodles and then rolled up and placed in the casserole dish, seamside down, to bake into bubbly, elegantly-partitioned parcels. Once cooled a bit, the rolls can be easily plated as a main dish or as a side dish. No fuss, same flavor.

And let’s face it: Taking the naughty messiness out of lasagna, and cleaning them up for a first date dinner, or a classy lunch is ideal. The simplicity of this dish is hidden in the nice, gift-like parcels that will make your guests feel like an Italian emperor, and will let you keep your choicest napkins sauce-free.

Serves 8 (based on Giada De Laurentiis's recipe)

For the béchamel sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
pinch of ground nutmeg, or a few grates of fresh nutmeg
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

For the lasagna filling and assembly:
1 15 oz. container whole milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 10 oz. container whole leaf spinach, frozen and thawed out
¼ lb. prosciutto, thinly sliced
handful of dried porcini mushrooms
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 box lasagna noodles (about 12 pieces)
1 cup marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
½ cup shredded mozarella

-Grease a casserole dish (glass or ceramic), with a tablespoon of butter
-Set a large pot to boil with water and a pinch of salt. Set out a sheet pan, lined with parchment, for when the noodles are pre-boiled.
-In the meantime, add butter to a medium-sized saucepan. Once melted, add in flour and whisk until combined. Pour in milk, stir, and bring up to a boil, stirring frequently. The sauce will boil for about 10 minutes, or until thickened. Off the heat, add in nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
-Once the water is boiling, add in a handful of porcini mushrooms. Let cook for about 2 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Next add lasagna noodles, about 4 at a time. Cook for about 6 minutes per group, removing with a slotted spoon and laying out on sheet pan. The noodles cook until almost al dente to prepare for further cooking in the oven.
-While the noodles are boiling, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, add in the filling ingredients. Make sure that the spinach is well drained of water. And add in the mushrooms that were boiled, slicing thinly. Mix until well-combined.
-To assemble: Ladle béchamel sauce into a greased casserole pan. Spread until the base is covered in a thin layer. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the filling onto a lasagna noodle and roll up. Place in the pan, seamside down. Do the same with the rest of the noodles. Ladle sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
-Cook covered with foil for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.