Ratatouille – a Provençal Taste of Summer

By Sandy Hu

In the summer, I dream of Provence – the dry-hot heat, cicadas thrumming, fields of sunflowers and lavender, and farmers’ markets filled to bursting with fresh produce of the region. One day, I want to rent a little house in the country and spend a few weeks reading, puttering about, shopping with my straw basket on market days and cooking leisurely meals while I sip delicious Provençal rosés.

I was in a Provençal state of mind, when I invited my Twitter friend from Hawaii to dinner last Wednesday night. So I made a simple meal starting with tapenade and crostini. Steve grilled a butterflied leg of lamb marinated in olive oil and garlic. And to complete the menu, I roasted some new potatoes, made ratatouille and baked lemon tart for dessert.

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On Vacation!

By Sandy Hu

All this week, Special Fork bloggers will be sharing recipes for vacation cooking. And to celebrate summer vacations, Special Fork is giving away a beautiful, English-style picnic basket fitted with service for four by Picnic Time. It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes.

Does anyone REALLY like to cook on vacation? I do! I love to visit local farmers’ markets, meandering around stalls, sampling regional produce and buying fresh-from-the-farm ingredients to take back to a vacation home or condo.

Cooking on vacation isn’t the same as everyday, after-work cooking. You have more time and greater flexibility. No need to be on a schedule: dinner is ready when it’s ready. If anyone is hungry, pass the wine and cheese!

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Texas Toast with Italian Inspiration

By Katie Barreira

The other day I saw a commercial for Dunkin Donuts latest offering, the Big ‘N Toasty, a tower of fried eggs, bacon and cheese, sandwiched between slices of Texas Toast. “What’s Texas toast?” asked my mom, as the breakfast behemoth spun for the camera. Thick-cut bread was my best bet and hating to be at a loss in the face a culinary quandary, I went off in search of a more satisfactory answer.

As it turns out, Texas toast is, in large part, defined by the thickness of the slice. Manufacturer’s like Wonder Bread sell bags of the stuff in its unadorned state: honkin’ slabs of white loaf bread, cut about twice as thick as the standard sandwich variety.

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Almond Tabbouleh in Tomato Cups

By Allison Kociuruba

There’s nothing like tomato season in my kitchen. From caprese to BLTs and fresh pasta sauce, I am constantly searching for ways to serve tomatoes for dinner. This week I’m trying an easy, virtually no-cook recipe that can be served as a first course or a vegetarian supper.

Tomatoes, particularly the large heirlooms we find at the farmers’ market, are great for stuffing and you can find uses for the pulp after you hollow out the tomatoes, so there’s no waste! This tabbouleh, studded with roasted almonds and the vibrant flavors of fresh parsley and mint, comes together easily and makes the perfect filling for the tomatoes.

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Late Summer Gazpacho

By Andrew Hunter

One of the greatest gifts a chef can receive is when their guests come back, time and again, for the same dish. When I worked for Wolfgang Puck, there was an architect from Spain who lived down the street from one of the restaurants where I spent a lot of time. She would always order the summer gazpacho and tell me it was better than she got back home. A few kisses on both cheeks and she would be back the next day for another bowl.

Spaniards have debated gazpacho style for decades – maybe centuries. Smooth or chunky, white or red, simple or complex. Everyone agrees though, that it needs to be made with fresh summer tomatoes, and that it hits the spot on a hot summer day. Our boys turned up their noses at first, but learned to like gazpacho by dipping their bread into it like salsa; now they drink it like a veggie smoothie.

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