RECIPE | roasted beet salad with pear, blood orange, walnuts, cocoa-coated goat cheese & cocoa-balsamic vinaigrette

This year I have been tasked with developing the Valentine's Day menu for my parents. I spent the week testing recipes for a menu that will feature Theobroma cacao in each course. This salad came about after reading through Niki Segnit's wonderful book, The Flavour Thesaurus. As its name suggests, this book lists flavour combinations that work well together and is an invaluable resource for inventive cooks looking for new ideas rather than step-by-step recipes.

Though these ingredients may appear disparate, they each complement each other (yes, even the goat cheese and cocoa powder, as long as you use a mild goat cheese). To simplify the recipe, you can omit the herbed cocoa coating on the goat cheese, and dress the salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead of the cocoa-balsamic vinaigrette. All components can be prepared up to two days in advance and combined just before serving, which also makes this an ideal dish to bring to the office for lunch.

ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH PEAR, BLOOD ORANGE, WALNUTS & GOAT CHEESE

TASTING NOTES:
Pomegranate seeds would make a nice addition to the salad /// Hazelnuts can be substituted for the walnuts /// Be sure to finely grind the spices for the goat cheese coating to avoid a grainy texture /// Using precooked beets reduces the "time to table" to 30 minutes /// Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch beets (about 4-5 small or 3 large beets)
1 blood orange or tangerine
1 pear, thinly sliced
1/3 cup walnuts
200 grams (7 ounces) wild arugula or mixed greens
100 grams (3.5 ounces) herbed cocoa-coated goat cheese (recipe follows)
cocoa-balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 205˚C (400˚F). Scrub the outside of the beets and remove the stems with leaves. Place the beets in a small roasting dish with a thin layer of water, sprinkle with salt, and cover the dish tightly with foil. Spread the walnuts on a small baking tray lined with foil. Transfer the walnuts and beets to the oven. Toast the walnuts for 7-10 minutes, until lightly browned and nutty-smelling. Remove from the oven, leaving the beets to continue roasting, and set aside to cool. Roast the beets for 45-75 minutes total (depending on size of beets), until you can pierce a beet with a knife all the way through. Set the beets aside to cool. Turn the broiler on or heat a grill. Broil or grill the pear slices for 5-6 minutes on each side, until lightly charred, then set aside to cool.

Peel the beets, slice in half vertically, then cut each half into quarters. Toss the beets with a spoonful of the dressing and a sprinkle of salt in a large bowl. Cut the top and bottom off of the blood orange, then carefully cut off the skin and white pith. Slice the orange horizontally and remove any seeds. (If using tangerine, peel and divide into segments.) Add the lettuce, citrus, and half of the walnuts to the beets, and add dressing to taste. Top the salad with slices of goat cheese, the remaining walnuts, a drizzle of dressing, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Serves: 2 as an appetizer or 1 as a main course
Time to table: 90 minutes (mainly waiting for the beets to cook)
Equipment: a small roasting dish, a small baking tray, a large bowl

HERBED COCOA-COATED GOAT CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 unwaxed tangerine or blood orange, zested
100 grams (3.5 ounces) mild soft goat cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the pink peppercorns, fennel seed, thyme, cocoa powder, black pepper and orange zest in a spice grinder and finely grind. (Alternatively, grind with a mortar and pestle.) Spread the powder on a plate and roll the goat cheese in the powder to coat fully.

Serves: 2
Time to table: 10 minutes
Equipment: spice grinder or mortar and pestle, Microplane or fine grater

COCOA-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder
small pinch cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves: 2
Time to table: 5 minutes
Equipment: small bowl

RECIPE | nopi's chocolate cardamom cake with spiced candied hazelnuts & orange crème fraîche

In the two years I have lived in London, I have tried an unbelievable amount of restaurants. London's crowded restaurant scene provides thousands of options to chose from for your next meal, with the effect that I rarely go back to a restaurant more than once. Extraordinary restaurants or places that fill a void (e.g. Chilango for Mission-style burritos) are the exception, and they receive my utmost support. The Clove Club, Story Deli, and Nopi all fall into this category of restaurants, and I frequent them as often as my wallet allows.

Nopi in particular serves one of my favorite desserts anywhere, a chocolate-cardamom cake with spiced hazelnuts and orange crème fraîche. A dessert that was essentially designed for me with this list of ingredients, I knew I had to attempt to recreate it at home. The recipe below comes close to the original, albeit in simplified form. (I do not recall what the "orange soil" in Nopi's dish is.) The intense chocolate cake topped with unsweetened crème fraîche and crunchy spiced hazelnuts makes a perfect celebratory dessert for a birthday or Valentine's Day. All of the prep-work can be done ahead of time, so all you need to do on the day of the meal is slide the cake into the oven and top it with the crème fraîche and hazelnuts once it is done.

Address Book:
Nopi | 21-22 Warwick Street | London W1B 5NE



WARM CHOCOLATE-CARDAMOM CAKE
Adapted from this recipe in Cooking Light

TASTING NOTES:
The recipe below is halved to serve 4, but can be doubled and baked in a larger square baking dish or 8 ramekins /// Each component of the dish can be prepared up to 2 days before /// Watch the cake carefully towards the end of the baking time to make sure it does not overbake - you want the center to be slightly molten

INGREDIENTS:
3/8 cup (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 cup unsalted butter
scant 1/3 cup demerara sugar
1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1.3 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and cardamom together in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugars together in a medium bowl until blended and slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract and the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg, until fully blended. Fold in the flour mixture gently, then the chopped dark chocolate. Transfer the batter to a greased 4 x 7 inch rectangular baking dish, or 4 (4-ounce) buttered ramekins. Refrigerate, covered in plastic wrap, for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Remove batter from the refrigerator 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 18-21 minutes (15-18 minutes in ramekins), until puffy and slightly crusty on the top, but still molten in the center. Serve warm with spiced candied hazelnuts and orange crème fraîche.

Serves: 4
Time to table: 60 minutes + minimum 4 hours in the refrigerator
Equipment: fine mesh sieve, small bowl, medium bowl, electric mixer or stand mixer, spatula, 4 x 7 rectangular baking dish or 4 (4-ounce) ramekins

SPICED CANDIED HAZELNUTS
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons water
small pinch of salt
small pinch of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 205ºC (400ºF) and roast the hazelnuts for 7-10 minutes. Cool slightly, then rub hazelnuts between paper towels to remove skins. Chop hazelnuts coarsely and set aside. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the color deepens to a light amber. (Reduce the heat if the mixture starts to boil and remove from heat if it darkens too quickly.) Add hazelnuts, salt, and cayenne pepper, and stir to coat. Taste (careful not to burn your tongue) and adjust salt and spice as necessary. Cook hazelnuts, stirring frequently, until the caramel darkens to a medium amber. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and spread hazelnuts out with a spoon or fork. Cool completely before serving.

Serves: 4
Time to table: 20 minutes
Equipment: medium saucepan

ORANGE CRÈME FRAÎCHE

INGREDIENTS:
200 grams crème fraîche
zest of 2 unwaxed tangerines or clementines, or 1 unwaxed orange
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1-2 teaspoons Grand Marnier (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and adjust flavoring to your liking.

Serves: 4-6
Time to table: 5 minutes
Equipment: Microplane or fine grater, small bowl

RECIPE | bittersweet chocolate hearts & hot dates

Valentine's Day is overrated, except as an excuse to eat chocolate (as if one needs an excuse). For Tastespotting's "Hot Date" celebration, I took a somewhat literal interpretation and made chocolate-coated dates topped with pink peppercorns. These four-bite hearts are a relatively healthy chocolate treat, especially when made with dark chocolate. Soaking the dates in hot water and double-dipping them in chocolate results in a smooth consistency that mimics that of a chocolate truffle. Pink peppercorns provide pleasant crunch (together with the interior toasted nuts), though the same beautiful colour contrast can be achieved with crumbled freeze-dried raspberries for a sweeter note.

Do not be put off by the 90 minute timeframe to make these - most of that time is dedicated to soaking the dates and chilling the chocolate. Just enough time to watch a bittersweet Audrey Hepburn film while you wait.



DOUBLE-DIPPED BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE DATES WITH PINK PEPPERCORNS AND TOASTED NUTS

TASTING NOTES:
White chocolate is a pretty (non-vegan) substitute for dark chocolate (I used Green & Black's) /// Crushed freeze-dried raspberries make a sweet alternative topping that is equally pleasing to the eye /// A few tablespoons of orange liqueur, brandy, or orange blossom water can be added to the soaking water /// I like to toast extra nuts and toss them in the bowl of chocolate after all the dates are coated to make sure no chocolate is wasted. Sprinkled with pink peppercorns, the chocolate-coated nuts also become a tasty snack /// Dates can be kept, covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated, for up to a week

INGREDIENTS:
8 good-quality medjool dates
16 pecan or walnut halves
200 grams (7 ounces) dark chocolate
2 teaspoons pink peppercorns, crushed

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the dates in hot water (and optional flavouring) for 20 minutes, until soft. Toast the pecans (or walnuts) in a 375˚F (190˚C) oven for 7-10 minutes, until they are slightly browned. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water. Pat each date dry with a paper towel, then slice lengthwise from the wider part two-thirds down to the bottom. (Do not slice all the way down since you want to keep the point at the bottom of the "heart.") Pull open slightly to form a heart shape and remove the pit. Stuff each cavity with a nut half and continue with remaining dates. (The nuts should be securely pressed into the date so as not to dislodge in the dipping process.) Dip each date in the melted chocolate, carefully turning it to fully coat in chocolate. Transfer to a plate lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until chocolate is set. Remove dates from the refrigerator and repeat the process of dipping them in chocolate, using a rubber spatula to scrape chocolate off the sides of the bowl. (You may need to remelt the chocolate if it has cooled too much.) Transfer dates to the parchment paper-lined plate and sprinkle with crushed pink peppercorns immediately after dipping, while chocolate is still wet. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until chocolate is set. Remove from refrigerator at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the chocolate to soften.

Serves: 8
Time to table: 90 minutes
Equipment: double boiler or bowl that fits over a pot, rubber spatula

RECIPE | buttermilk fried chicken & kamut-cornmeal waffles for a super bowl sunday brunch

Despite being born on Super Bowl Sunday, the event has never held any interest for me. I barely know who the halftime performers are, let alone the teams involved. However, it does provide a wonderful excuse to fill up on American food and drink beer with friends and family.

While Londoners have an unabated love for American food in the form of burgers, pancakes, and pulled pork (seemingly regardless of how well-made the dish actually is), the uniquely American dish of chicken & waffles has not crossed the Atlantic yet, despite the ubiquity of fried chicken shops. My first taste of chicken & waffles was at SoMa-darling Little Skillet in San Francisco, on the first day of my first job out of university. Since then, I have become hooked on the odd pairing of sweet maple syrup and crispy spiced chicken skin, as long as it is properly executed. However, I waited until I moved to London until I first attempted to make my own fried chicken, likely because I did not need to augment the steady supply I consumed from Little Skillet. The Breaking Bad finale last year provided the perfect excuse to bring a taste of Los Pollos Hermanos to London, and since then I have been tinkering with the recipe to perfect it. Using lemon, fresh herbs, smoked paprika, and buttermilk creates a flavourful and juicy bird, but the real improvement since the first batch has been to finish cooking the chicken in the oven rather than in the fryer. This saves a lot of time when cooking large quantities of chicken, and results in a less greasy bird with equally crisp skin when cooked on a rack. Finishing the chicken in the oven also allows you to divert your attention elsewhere while the chicken bakes, such as on making kamut-cornmeal waffles and a spiced maple syrup to round off this Super Bowl Sunday brunch of champions. Even if you have no interest in the game itself, this meal will give you something to cheer about come February 2nd.

Address Book:
Little Skillet | 360 Ritch Street | San Francisco 94107

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA
Adapted from a recipe by Spit & Roast

TASTING NOTES:
Finishing the chicken in the oven on a rack results in less greasy chicken (since it spends less time in the fryer and some oil drips out while on the rack) with crisp skin on all sides /// This is also a fantastic way to make fried chicken when feeding a crowd, because the chicken can be fried in batches in advance, and then finished all together in the oven. (The first time I made this recipe I quadrupled it and fried it all the way through, which took nearly an hour of cooking time and left me with a hangry crowd to deal with) /// Cooked chicken can be reheated on a rack at 185ºC (365ºF) for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through, with little loss of juiciness /// The waffles are also wonderful topped with a fried egg and hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken legs with skin and bone, separated into drumsticks and thighs (alternatively use 8 thighs or 8 drumsticks)
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
4 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
400ml (1 2/3 cup) buttermilk
200 grams (1 1/2 cups) flour
100 grams (3/4 cup) cornflour (a.k.a. cornstarch)
1 lemon, sliced
8-10 fresh thyme or tarragon sprigs
3 bay leaves
1/2 to 3/4 liter vegetable oil
parsley or green onions, to garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Season the chicken on all sides with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, and 2 teaspoons smoked paprika. Arrange in a baking dish with the bay leaves, sliced lemon, and thyme or tarragon, and cover with buttermilk. Massage the chicken lightly to permeate with the seasoning, then cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 205ºC (400ºF) when you are ready to make the chicken. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and assemble your batter ingredients. (Now would also be a good time to take out the waffle ingredients and preheat the waffle iron if you are making waffles.) Mix together all of the flour and cornflour, and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a large shallow bowl or in a baking dish. Dip the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, turning to coat completely and gently pressing the flour onto the chicken. Shake off the excess flour over the bowl.

Fill a deep wide pan with 2.5cm (1 inch) of oil (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a liter, depending on the width of the pan) and turn the stove onto medium high heat. Heat the oil until a small piece of bread sizzles and browns upon contact but the oil is not smoking (you want the oil hot enough to brown the chicken quickly). Fry 3 or 4 pieces of chicken at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan so the oil does not cool down too much, for 2-3 minutes per side, until the outside is nicely browned. Transfer browned chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken pieces. Place the chicken on a rack over a foil-lined baking tray, then bake for 18-20 minutes until cooked through. (Make the waffles and spiced maple syrup while the chicken is in the oven, if serving.)

Serve one waffle on each plate, top with a thigh and a drumstick, drizzle with spiced maple syrup and/or hot sauce, and garnish with additional chopped green onion. (Alternatively, serve the fried chicken with blue cheese dip and hot sauce, new potato salad with mustard and scallions, and a brussels sprouts slaw.)

Serves: 4
Time to table: 50 minutes + overnight marinade
Equipment: large baking dish, deep wide pan, kitchen tongs, wire rack, baking tray

KAMUT-CORNMEAL WAFFLES WITH GREEN ONIONS

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/3 cups kamut flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup sliced green onions

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat a waffle iron. Mix dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, and egg yolks together, then gently stir into the flour mixture. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks in a separate bowl, then fold into the batter together with the green onions. Cook in the waffle iron until crispy and cooked through.

Serves: 4-6 (depending on size of waffle-maker)
Time to table: 30 minutes
Equipment: large mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl, wooden spoon or rubber spatula, electric beater or stand mixer, waffle iron

SPICED MAPLE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:
8 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients until no clumps remain, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves: 4-6

RECIPE | breakfast with the beckhams

Inspired by an image of Allie Lewis Clapp's breakfast on Instagram, I finally opened the box of chia seeds I purchased at Whole Foods a few months ago after trying a coworker's delicious-but-strange-looking almond milk chia pudding. Prior to that I only associated chia seeds with docile pets. Despite its gloopy appearance, chia pudding is a delicious, antioxidant-filled alternative to your morning cereal, especially with the crunchy additions of cacao nibs and walnuts (or other chopped nuts such as toasted almonds or hazelnuts). The key to making a good chia pudding is to shake or stir the seeds with the liquid vigorously, and to scrape off the seeds that inevitably cling to the bottom of the bowl before refrigerating it. This will ensure a thick, creamy consistency. I prefer to make the pudding in a lidded old jam jar to facilitate shaking and to create a portable breakfast for those rare mornings when I motivate myself enough to go to the gym before work.


CHIA SEED PUDDING WITH CARDAMOM, CACAO NIBS, WALNUTS, BERRIES & MAPLE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
1 scant cup almond, coconut, soya, or organic milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons cacao nibs
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh or frozen/defrosted berries (raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the chia seeds, shredded coconut, and milk in a jar or bowl with a lid. Shake vigorously for 2-3 minutes, then use a spoon or knife to scrape any seeds stuck to the bottom of the container off and shake for another minute. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Serve topped with cacao nibs, walnuts, berries, and drizzled with honey or maple syrup. (Becks & Posh reading material optional.)

Serves: 1
Active time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 5 minutes + at least 2 hours soaking

RECIPE | new potato salad + lemon rosemary pine nut pesto

I am unable to follow recipes. I have an uncontrollable urge to try to improve any recipe I come across, even if it is my first time making something. Sometimes that gets me in trouble (most often in baking where ratios need to be adhered to), but other times it results in developing something that becomes a kitchen staple, like my chocolate peanut butter muffins or this lemon rosemary pine nut pesto. I first made this for my cooking club as part of the grilled pear and goat cheese crostini recipe in Ottolenghi's Plenty, but immediately felt the need to augment the plain pine nut, olive oil and garlic spread with lemon and rosemary. (A combination I have written about before.) The resulting pesto has so much more use than as just a simple crostini spread, pairing well with mushrooms, potatoes, pasta, and just about anything else that rosemary and lemon complement. Even better, this spread takes less than ten minutes to make, is comprised of kitchen pantry staples, and keeps in the refrigerator for a week.

Pesto or James Turrell installation?

LEMON ROSEMARY PINE NUT PESTO
Adapted from a recipe in Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

TASTING NOTES:
The pesto is also excellent as a spread for sandwiches, tossed with whole wheat pasta and brussels sprouts, or spooned over sautéed mushrooms /// You can substitute sage and other herbs for the rosemary.

INGREDIENTS:
70 grams (1/2 cup) pine nuts
1 garlic clove, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons olive oil
zest of 1 organic, unwaxed lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (or fresh sage)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serves: 12 one tablespoon servings
Time to table: 10 minutes
Equipment: food processor, Microplane or other fine grater

NEW POTATO & PEA SALAD WITH LEMON ROSEMARY PINE NUT PESTO

INGREDIENTS:
750 grams (about 1 lb 10 ounces) new potatoes, washed and gently scrubbed
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
juice of one lemon (optional)
200 grams (7 ounces) baby spinach (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the whole potatoes. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until almost tender. (Make the pesto while the potatoes are boiling.) Add the green peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the potatoes and peas are fully cooked. (You should be able to pierce a potato with a knife.) Drain the peas and potatoes and set aside. Quarter the potatoes and place in a large bowl with the peas and parsley. Toss the potatoes (and optional spinach) with half of the pine nut pesto, and season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Squeeze over the remaining juice of the lemon used to make the pesto (optional) and serve warm or cold.

Serves: 4 as a side dish or as a salad with greens
Time to table: 45 minutes
Equipment: large pot, large bowl, sieve

CHIC EATS | the recipe index #1

This year I only made two resolutions: to start a cooking club, and to actually post to this blog. On Sunday I accomplished the first resolution when my boyfriend and I hosted the first edition of The Recipe Index. The idea behind the cooking club is that everyone cooks one dish from the same cookbook. We all have cookbooks lying around that we have never cooked out of, or from which we have only tried one or two recipes. This cooking club provides participants with the chance to taste a variety of recipes from one cookbook and an opportunity to experiment with cooking a new dish that they might not have tried on their own. It is also a good way to test out a cookbook before purchasing it.

Since it is January and most people are still clinging to more health-oriented resolutions, the first book selected was the vegetarian cookbook Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi. If anybody knows how to make vegetables exciting, it's Ottolenghi, and the recipes selected did not disappoint. Accompanied by sparkling water (and a little bit of white wine for those of us with less resolve) and a soundtrack provided by Blood Orange, the meal was a resounding success. No clear favourite recipe emerged, partially because the complementary nature of each dish (a benefit of cooking from the same cookbook) elevated the entire meal to more than the sum of its parts. No one at the table of dedicated omnivores noticed the lack of meat either, which is a testament to Ottolenghi's way with the vegetable. I am pretty sure Amazon already carries fewer copies of Plenty as a result of this dinner...

So if you are in your second week of a January detox and already regret the impact it has on your social life, consider taking a page from Ottolenghi's (cook)book and host a healthy dinner with friends. It is much more enjoyable than gulping down a green juice by yourself, guaranteed.

The Recipe Index Menu #1: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Aubergine with Buttermilk Sauce & Pomegranate Seeds
Surprise (Potato) Tatin
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Melted Taleggio
Lettuce Salad with Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Capers & Radishes
Grilled Pear Crostini with Pine Nut Spread & Goat Cheese