Challah Bread Pudding with Nutella from Dana Cowin

1 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb loaf of challah bread, crusts removed, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 pints vanilla ice cream (a brand with a high fat content), melted and divided
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup Nutella, divided

Butter an 8 x 11 1/2 inch baking dish and put the challah in it.
Pour 1 - 1/2 cups of the melted ice cream into a large bowl.
Whisk in the egss, milk and 1/4 cup of the Nutella.
Pour the mixture over the bread, stirring gently to saturate all the bread.
Place the dish in the oven and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Top should be golden brown and puffed, center should jiggle slightly
Heat the remaining Nutella in a saucepan until it just turns to liquid. Drizzle over the bread pudding. Serve a la mode if you wish.

Vinaigrettes from Tasting Table

Make it Simple

4 tbsp olive oil + 3 tsp red wine vinegar + thinly sliced shallots + 1 tsp Dijon mustard + ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
Consider this your basic dressing for pretty much any sort of green. Adjust the Dijon mustard to your level of spice preference, but be sure to use coarsely—never finely—ground pepper. If you have chives in the fridge, chop them up and add them in at the last minute for extra oniony flavor.

Make it Sweet

3 tbsp olive oil + 4 tbsp sherry vinegar + 1 garlic clove, smashed + 2 tbsp honey + ½ tsp orange zest + 2 tsp poppy seeds
Dice the garlic as finely as you can, or mash it in a mortar and pestle if you feel so inclined, so that it doesn't overpower. As for the orange zest, one swipe of the grater does the trick. The sweetness of the sherry works as a great balance to smokier flavors, so use this dressing on a chicory salad, grilled greens or bitter vegetables.


Make it Thick
4 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 2 tbsp tahini + 2 tsp water + 2 tbsp fresh dill + ¼ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
Tahini errs on the thicker side, so put a little muscle into mixing it before you add the rest of the ingredients. Try this version atop watercress or toss it with still-warm roasted vegetables, such as carrots and eggplant.

Make it Spicy

½ tsp sesame oil + 2 tbsp lime juice + 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar + 2 tbsp fish sauce + ¼ c cashews, toasted and chopped + 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
Chopped cashews lend texture to this Southeast Asian-flavored dressing, while the chile adds a kick at the end. We like to cut up a papaya or mango and toss it with this recipe before setting it atop an herb salad of mint and cilantro. It also works well as a dipping sauce for fried fish. TT tip: You can usually find cashews already toasted. If not, toast them at 350° for eight to 10 minutes.

Make it Complex

2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp white wine vinegar + ½ c Greek yogurt + 1 charred poblano
The most nuanced of them all involves just a little bit of heat and a blender. Char your poblano on all sides atop a gas stove or pop it into the broiler until it browns on all sides. Peel it, remove the stem and seeds, then blend it all together. A little more yogurt turns this dressing into the perfect dip for crudités.

Chimichurri Sauce

3/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery leaves, finely chopped
1 tbs minced peeled ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil

Serve over skirt steak

Jerk Sauce

1 large red onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapenos, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 tbs five-spice powder
1 tbs ground allspice
1 tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbs dried thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs canola oil

Marinate meat for 24 hours

Cooking temp notes

Roasted chicken needs to reach 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh

Pork shoulder roast needs to reach 170 degrees and hold for 1 hour during cooking to guarantee tender pork - the intramuscular fat and sinew will have broken down

Greek Chicken Salad

Ganked from Dana Cowin

1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt*
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cups diced cooked chicken meat
1 large cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup Kalamata olives pitted and roughly chopped
3 cups plain pita chips, lightly crushed

1. Put the feta, yogurt, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth
2. Combine the chicken with the cucumber, onion, olives and pita chips in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve.

*it is important to use whole milk yogurt, or else the sauce will be too thin.

Cooked vs Uncooked Pasta

Uncooked pasta of similar sizes and shapes may be
interchanged in recipes if it is measured by weight, not volume. Just follow this guide:

Linguine, Spaghetti, or Vermicelli:
4 ounces dry = 2 to 3 cups cooked
8 ounces dry = 4 to 5 cups cooked
16 ounces dry = 8 to 9 cups cooked

Macaroni, Penne, or Rotini:
4 ounces dry = 2 1/2 cups cooked
8 ounces dry = 4 1/2 cups cooked

Fine or Medium Egg Noodles:
4 ounces dry = 2 to 3 cups cooked
8 ounces dry = 4 to 5 cups cooked

Bloody Mary Salad

From Food & Wine's Dana Cowin
1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Tabasco sauce to taste
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
4 large celery stalks, thinly sliced on the bias
1/4 cup Spanish green olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients
2. Place tomatoes on platter, scatter celery and olives throughout. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

Sweet-Tart Dijon Dressing

From Food & Wine's Danah Cowin

1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk well.

Plank Dry Rub for Salmon

1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp paprika
1 tbs kosher salt
2 tsp light brown sugar

Mix well, sprinkle liberally on salmon and rub it in. Let it sit as long as practical before barbecueing - preferably on a cedar plank