main courses (les plats)

You do not have to turn on the red light, but you do have to stay inside. Recipe: Pantry Puttanesca

March 29th, 2020

Quarantine. Week two.

A government order to stay in for the common good is not bad when you have a roof over your head. That is what I thought as I watched the rain steadily fall. My thoughts soon spiraled into the global ramifications and the human and societal cost from COVID-19 and our measures to contain it. I thought about those who are ill, those in poverty, those who will be pushed into poverty, those with food insecurities, those who have lost their jobs, those living with depression or in isolation, those without homes, and those who are unsafe in their homes. Questions like this kept me awake for hours.

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grilled lamb chops with green Harissa

July 13th, 2015

chef morgan

grilled lamb chops with green Harissa

This recipe takes very little time to prepare. The green Harissa can be made in 10 minutes. The lamb cooks quickly on the grill (about 5 minutes). This green Harissa can be used on beef or chicken as well as vegetarian options such as couscous or a baked/roasted potatoes. For less of a kick, reduce the Harissa.

serves 4

16 New Zealand lamb chops

1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons Harissa
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup quality olive oil Read the rest of this entry »

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salmon with sorrel sauce (saumon à l’oiselle)

March 2nd, 2015

chef lisa baker morgan

garden invasion and my favorite cold weather herb

salmon with sorrel sauce

(saumon à l’oiselle)

It was me or them. I am speaking in terms of food terms, of course, not violence.

You see, there are a few things remaining in my winter vegetable and herb garden that not only have survived in the cold, but have thrived. Dark green, crinkly Tuscan kale, yellow and rainbow chard so beautiful that it is (almost) too gorgeous to eat, frisée to add some green to my breakfast, and wild arugula with the perfect amount of peppery spice to zip up any dish. My Italian parsley, chives, and cilantro, are struggling, but holding on. Read the rest of this entry »

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crispy duck breast with date and cherry chutney, mustard frisée salad and baked duck fat fries

February 13th, 2015

chef morgan a table

BISTRO CHEZ VOUS

the sweet smell of duck … it must be love

recipe: crispy duck breast with date and cherry chutney,
mustard frisée salad, and baked duck fat fries

This year I depart from my usual chocolate theme for Valentine’s Day. This year it is duck and duck fat.  Read the rest of this entry »

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stuffed and braised chicken breasts (a/k/a “proteinwich”)

December 9th, 2014

chef morgan a table

cold hands; hot pockets

stuffed and braised chicken breasts
(a/k/a “proteinwich”)

The holiday season. Everyone is busy, if not overwhelmed. Despite the holiday preparations, daily life still goes on; the children need to get to school, you have to work, and dinner still needs to be on the table. I can help with the dinner requirement.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Harira (hearty beef and lentil soup)

September 17th, 2014

chef morgan a table

Harira
(hearty beef and lentil soup)

This soup is a tradition in the Maghreb (North Africa). It was Ramadan when we were in Marrakech, a time when this soup is eaten not only to break the fast after the sun has set but also eaten in the morning before the sun rises. My daughters love lentils and this soup was their favorite. The soup is often thickened with flour or eggs as well as rice or vermicelli. I add none of these. Instead, the soup is thickened with the aide of crushed tomatoes (rather than puréed or strained), more beef, and more lentils. I also add fresh herbs (but we all know how I like my fresh herbs). This is a hearty, perfect soup for autumn and winter. It is wonderful because you can also freeze it for those rainy days when you are short on time.

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tuna and roasted beet tartare with lentils

August 29th, 2014

chef morgan a table

obsessions can be wonderful 

“I don’t just like food…I love it”

– Ratatouille 

Sometimes I become obsessed with certain combinations and particular ingredients. When the inspiration comes, I go with it. Sometimes the things you create become favorites that last long beyond the obsession. I think this week’s recipe, tuna and roasted beet tartare with lentils, is one of those recipes. Read the rest of this entry »

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summer caponata

July 17th, 2014
DSC01702

a successful vacation (by Oscar Wilde)

summer caponata

Vacation. Actually, it is more like this VACATION ! 

This year I thought I would try something new: take a vacation and NOT work. You know get out of the kitchen, enjoy the cooking of others (often), step out of my routine, and detach from my computer. So far so good. Oscar Wilde said that “moderation is a fatal thing [and] nothing succeeds like excess.” By Mr. Wilde’s standard, I have been highly successful in my vacation thus far. Read the rest of this entry »

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Salade Niçoise (à ma façon)

May 18th, 2014

nicoise 3
a dream kitchen, a village in Provence, and a favorite salad  

Salade Niçoise (à ma façon)
(salad Niçoise my may)

There was a photograph of a kitchen on Instagram which gathered several “likes” and one person commented, “my dream kitchen.” It made me think. What is my “dream” kitchen?” Do I have one? What would be in it?  The topic is hardly unique. Elizabeth David wrote an article about the same thing but I believe the discussion was prompted by magazine competitions, not an Instagram photo. Times are different but the question is still fun.

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stuffed zucchini blossoms

March 20th, 2014

chef morgan zucchini blossoms

spring has sprung
& 
“GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK”

zucchini blossom farce with veal, spring greens and herbs

I knew the question was coming. Then it came.

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