Roasted Salmon, Beets, and Potatoes with Horseradish Cream

Salmon is on the menu in Bruce's Kitchen two, sometimes three, times a week. And to my mind, this dish makes a great Saturday or Sunday Brunch, which is exactly what Susan and I did this past weekend; serving it to her childhood friend, Cheryl. This recipe is based upon one from Food & Wine Quick From Scratch One-Dish Meals, which was a gift from another childhood friend. I love this cookbook!

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pounds beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 1 1/2  tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
5. Fresh-ground black pepper
6. 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes cut into 1/2-inch dice
7. 1 1/2 pounds salmon (King, Coho, or Sockeye), 
8. 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
9. 2 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450'. In a large roasting pan, toss the beets with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 tablespoon of the dill, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook in the upper third of the oven, stirring once, for about 20 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the oven and push the beets to one side. Add the potatoes to the pan, next to the beets, and toss them with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Stir the potatoes and beets, keeping them separate; return the pan to the oven.
3. Meanwhile, put the salmon (Slice three to four 1/2 slits crosswise in top of salmon) on another baking sheet (covered with aluminum foil) and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 tablespoon of the dill, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Put the pan in the oven with the vegetables (after you stir them at the end of Step 2). Cook until just done, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine yogurt, horseradish, and 1/2 tablespoon of the dill.
5. Stir the beets and the potatoes together. Serve the vegetables topped with the salmon and the horseradish sauce. 

Do you have a favorite way of cooking salmon? Share your recipe with me, please.

If you would like to fill your home with beautiful photographs, or need a portrait, a wedding photographed or if you are an interior designer and need photographs of your projects, contact me for a consultation.

Drawing on that degree in Art History, a passion for telling stories, and years working as a portrait and documentary photographer (And owning an Art Gallery) helps me bring a heightened sensitivity to my photography. Let's make the world a more beautiful place! 

Not Your Mom's Eggplant

Many people, it seems to me, either love or dislike eggplant, so perhaps this recipe isn't the best choice for a dinner party or backyard picnic, where you don't know your guests' taste too well--but, maybe it is.

If you are an eggplant person, like me, and my friends and family, you will love this simple and sublime meal. It cries out for a summer lunch or dinner out in the back yard at the picnic table with lots of friends and bottles of wine.

Elegant. Fragrant. Gorgeous. Delicious. This simple recipe combines the sweetness of vine ripened tomatoes, the intensity of eggplant, and the delicate flavor of plain yogurt.

People who you think might not like eggplant; people who say they don't like eggplant, will have a serving--or two--and then quickly will come into the kitchen and shout in disbelief, "What happened to all the eggplant!"

I based this meal (Turkish Eggplant) from a recipe in a great cookbook, Recipes from a Kitchen Garden. If you don't own a copy of this cookbook, I urge you to buy a copy ASAP!

Ingredients

1 good sized eggplant, peeled or unpeeled (I like it peeled)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons plain yogurt

Directions

1. Cut (peel before hand if you desire) the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Salt each side and place in colander for 1-2 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Brush both sides of eggplant with olive oil and broil them in oven on both sides until soft and browned. Watch closely!
3. Heat a saucepan and then add oil. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Turn heat off. Add tomatoes and basil. Once eggplant is browned and you are ready to serve, gently heat tomato sauce.
4. On each plate, lay a few slices of eggplant. Top with tomato sauce. Finish by adding a tablespoon (+) of yogurt in the center of each slice.

I served this with Quinoa cooked with Saffron and Golden Raisins. And a salad of lettuce, cucumber, radish, fresh basil and parsley.

Do you have a great eggplant recipe? I would love to hear about it.

If you would like to fill your home with beautiful photographs, or need a portrait, a wedding photographed or if you are an interior designer and need photographs of your projects, contact me for a consultation.

Drawing on that degree in Art History, a passion for telling stories, and years working as a portrait and documentary photographer (And owning an Art Gallery) helps me bring a heightened sensitivity to my photography. Let's make the world a more beautiful place!

Maple Glazed Salmon

The new issue of Cooking Light arrived one day last week. The issue is full of some great recipes. I made a variation of the cover story recipe the day the issue arrived. Normally, I would have grilled the salmon but our grill was broken so I cooked the salmon in the oven at 450 for about 10 minutes. I served the salmon with roasted asparagus and tomatoes from our garden.

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  paprika
• 1/2  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground ancho chile powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1 lb. Sockeye, Coho or King Salmon
• 2  tablespoons  maple syrup

Preparation

1. Preheat oven.
2. Spoon maple syrup over Salmon.
3. Combine first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over flesh side of fillets. Place fish on a shallow baking pan coated with covered with aluminum foil. Cook 8-12 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

Do you have a favorite way of cooking salmon? Share your recipe with me, please.

If you would like to fill your home with beautiful photographs, or need a portrait, a wedding photographed or if you are an interior designer and need photographs of your projects, contact me for a consultation.

Drawing on that degree in Art History, a passion for telling stories, and years working as a portrait and documentary photographer (And owning an Art Gallery) helps me bring a heightened sensitivity to my photography. Let's make the world a more beautiful place!

Tomato Times Two

I love going out into my garden in the morning and picking the ripe tomatoes. It is, I believe, and I hope you do, too, one the great pleasures of summer.

And is there anything better than fresh tomato sauce? There might be, of course, but I can't think of anything better right now. In fact, fresh tomato sauce is so sinfully delicious, so sensually delightful, so, so, yes, poetic, that I made it twice this week.

The basic recipe follows, which I based upon a recipe from a wonderful cookbook: Italian Food Artisans, Traditions and Recipes by Pamela Sheldon Johns. Feel free to add more or less garlic. Add a tablespoon of capers. Don't be bashful. Be inspired! Be creative in your kitchen!

Ingredients

1/2 pound pasta (I cooked Bow Tie pasta)
3-5 ripe tomatoes, seeded and roughly diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup pitted and roughly chopped Mediterranean style oil-cured black olives
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Big pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir well, and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
2. While the pasta is cooking, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, parsley, olives, pepper flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl. Toss well. Serve with the cheese at once.

Do you have a favorite pasta recipe? Tell me about it, please.

If you would like to fill your home with beautiful photographs, or need a portrait, a wedding photographed or if you are an interior designer and need photographs of your projects, contact me for a consultation.

Drawing on that degree in Art History, a passion for telling stories, and years working as a portrait and documentary photographer (And owning an Art Gallery) helps me bring a heightened sensitivity to my photography. Let's make the world a more beautiful place! Buon Appetito!

Salmon, Corn, Rice Cake

Susan and I love salmon. We eat in at least once a week. I have dozens and dozens of recipes for Salmon Cakes. And, often, I simply use what I have available in Bruce's Kitchen.

Here is a Salmon, Corn, Rice Cake I made last week. Please note: I always purchase King, Coho, or Sockeye Salmon and I get enough for two meals, about 1 pound, sometimes a wee bit more; the first meal might be Grilled Maple-Glazed Salmon (I'll be posting that recipe in a few days)--we eat half and save half for salmon cakes.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound cooked salmon, flaked
1/2 cup cooked rice (This time I used Basmati)
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1 tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoons Dijon
1 tablespoon Frank's Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon minced Vidalia onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and Pepper

Combine all the ingredients. Form into 4 cakes. Cook in hot oil in a pan large enough to fit all 4 cakes. Cook till brown on both sides. About 4-6 minutes per side.

Do you love salmon? How do you like to prepare it?

If you would like to fill your home with beautiful photographs, or need a portrait, a wedding photographed or if you are an interior designer and need photographs of your projects, contact me for a consultation.

Drawing on that degree in Art History, a passion for telling stories, and years working as a portrait and documentary photographer (And owning an Art Gallery) helps me bring a heightened sensitivity to my photography. Let's make the world a more beautiful place!

Fig Pizza with Bacon, Mozarella, Mint, and Tomatoes

Savored by pharaohs, sultans, and ancient Romans, you should treat yourself and a friend to this very special, sinfully delicious pizza.

1 Moma Mary's Pizza Crust(also sold under the Stop & Shop brand)
8-10 strips bacon
16-24 whole fresh mint leaves
5 figs (I used Calimyrina Figs from Trader Joe's), remove stalks & cut each fig into 8 wedges
4 1/2 ounces mozzarella
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2-3 Garden Fresh Tomatoes (I used ones from my garden!)
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Cut the bacon strips in half. Lay one or two mint leaves on each strip and roll up neatly. In a skillet, cook bacon rolls, seam-side down, turning gently often, to brown on all sides. Remove and set aside on paper towel.
3. Cut the mozzarella into thin slices. Seed tomatoes and coarsely chop. Add both to a bowl with figs, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Lightly oil crust and cook on pizza stone for about 8-10 minutes till crust is lightly brown.
5. Remove pizza crust from oven. Arrange bacon rolls and mozzarella mixture on pizza crust. Put back in oven and cook till mozzarella is melted, about 5-8 minutes.
6. Cut into slices and enjoy!

What is your favorite pizza?

If you would like to fill your home with beautiful photographs, or need a portrait, a wedding photographed or if you are an interior designer and need photographs of your projects, contact me for a consultation.

Drawing on that degree in Art History, a passion for telling stories, and years working as a portrait and documentary photographer (And owning an Art Gallery) helps me bring a heightened sensitivity to my photography. Let's make the world a more beautiful place! Buon Appetito!

Pollo Alla Cacciatora

My Father loved Arthur Schwartz, the longtime food editor of the New York Daily News, author of many cookbooks, radio host, and called by The New York Times Magazine "a walking Google for food and restaurant knowledge."

And my Father would often share Mr. Schwartz's recipes with me--in person and over the phone: Orecchiette Con Broccoli di Rapa; Pasta e Piselli; Cozze Arriganate; Frittita di Spaghetti; Pasta e Lenticchie e Scarola; Pesce con Olive, Capperi, e Limone; Costole di Maiale Beneventana; and many more.

When my Father passed away a few years ago (May he rest in peace.), I was given his copy of Arthur Schwartz's Naples at Table. It is a great cookbook, chock-full of hundreds of delicious recipes. It is not a book with photographs but it is so well designed and written; who needs photographs? And I am a photographer!

Pollla All Cacciatora (Chicken Hunter-Style) writes Mr. Schwartz:

"Cacciatora, which in Compania is a strikingly simple dish of chicken braised in tomato sauce, is the most popular way of cooking chicken in the region and, strangely, in a place where no one agrees on anything, everyone uses rosemary as the herb and onion, not garlic, in the sauce."

Before we begin cooking, let me get one thing out and in the open: I used Garden Fresh Tomatoes from my garden, Rosemary from my garden, and both onion and garlic!

Serves 2 (Based on a recipe by Arthur Schwartz)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless chicken breasts (skinless)
1/2 onion, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a Vidalia)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 4-5 inch sprigs of rosemary
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and Pepper
Big pinch of hot red pepper flakes
3 Garden Fresh Tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped

1. In a pan large enough to hold the 2 chicken breasts, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and once it is hot, brown the chicken on each side.
2. When the chicken is almost browned on both sides and still in the pan, add the onion, garlic and rosemary and saute till the onion is tender, a few more minutes.
3. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and the hot pepper flakes. Then add the white wine and cook until it has almost entirely evaporated, just a few minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and let cook at a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Remove chicken to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Increase heat to high and let the sauce reduce for about 2 minutes.
6. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

We served this with "Susan's Waldorf Salad" which was a perfect and cooling compliment to the spicy and sweet chicken.

Sounds delicious, doesn't it? What do you think?

If you would like to fill your home with beautiful photographs, or need a portrait, a wedding photographed or if you are an interior designer and need photographs of your projects, contact me for a consultation.

Drawing on that degree in Art History, a passion for telling stories, and years working as a portrait and documentary photographer (And owning an Art Gallery) helps me bring a heightened sensitivity to my photography. Let's make the world a more beautiful place! Buon Appetito!

Salmon with Tomato-Orange Salsa

Tomato-Orange Salsa (Based on a recipe from Moosewood)
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1 green jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 orange sectioned and seeded, each section cut in quarters
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Covered and refrigerated, this salsa will keep 2-3 days.

Green Pigeon Peas and Rice Salad (Based on a recipe from Moosewood)
1 can Goya Green Pigeon Peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked Basmati rice
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced Spanish olives
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

In a mixing bowl, combine the beans with the rice, celery, and Spanish olives. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the beans and rice mixture, and stir thoroughly.

1 1/2 pounds Salmon (Coho, King or Sockeye) Grilled or Baked at 450 for 8--12 minutes. When I grill salmon, I put it on aluminum foil, close grill, and I do not turn salmon over. I used the leftover salmon for salmon cakes (recipe to follow).

I also served the salmon with braised and barely blackened carrots with fresh rosemary, based on a recipe from Patricia Wells.

Welcome to My Kitchen!

It seems somehow appropriate that I give birth to this Blog, Bruce's Kitchen, today, August 12th, the birthday of one of my biggest fans, my daughter, Danielle.

I can still see her sitting in her baby high chair years ago in our brownstone in Weehawken, New Jersey, eating meatballs, her face covered in tomato sauce, giggling "More. More"

I have always loved cooking and I can remember I would help my father and mother prepare meals when I was a child; dicing the pepperoni for the lasagna, cutting potatoes for the frittata, slowly and gently stirring the ravioli.

Maybe the love of preparing and serving food is simply in my genes. My mother's parents owned a small diner called Lawson's Little Diner which was near the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California.

Cooking for me is all about love. Love for friends and family. Healthy, simple, inspired recipes for everyday celebrations.

May you find inspiration here.