Ochazuke made with genmaicha, salted salmon, and furikake. Kabocha simmered in dashi with some mirin and soy. Quick, tasty, healthy.

Also, it’s funny that cooking dinner and taking a photo of it is a sign of mental health, for me.

The event kicked off shortly after noon, with Padma introducing a panel of judges from NYC’s food scene: Tom Colicchio, of course; Stephen Lewandowski, executive chef at Tribeca Grill; Tracy Nieporent, partner of the Myriad Restaurant Group; Floyd Cardoz, executive chef at Tabla; and David Burke, restaurateur and chef, of davidburke & donatella fame.

Sam and Ilan trooped out onto the stage to much cheering and a fair amount of shrieking. There was a large Sam fan contingent, although Ilan had his supporters, too. I was never one of the die-hard “Oh my god, Sam’s so hot!” fangirls, but I have to admit he looked pretty smokin’ with his new haircut and hip-hugging jeans. Speaking of hair, I’m happy to report that Ilan’s shaved off the skyline of NYC he’d etched into his hair. I don’t think I could deal with seeing the Brooklyn Bridge on his head again.

Each of the judges had come out onstage carrying a covered sauté pan. Sam and Ilan had to pick one of the pans, and use the mystery protein ingredient contained therein to create an entrée in 30 minutes. The winner’s dish was to be featured on a Restaurant Week menu.

Ilan got first pick. He walked up to the judges’ table where Tom Colicchio, not realizing that it was supposed to be a blind choice, had uncovered his pan. Ilan chose to go with Colicchio’s protein – soft shell crab. BTW, you could totally tell that Ilan enjoyed basking in the adulation of his fans. I mean, the guy’s obviously a talented chef, but he really gets off on the fame. Being in front of a crowd cheering for him, he was just beaming with good spirit and enthusiasm.

As Padma prompted Sam to make his pick, a lone voice shrieked from the audience, “Pick me, Sam, pick ME!” to much applause and laughter. Sam didn’t miss a beat, just picked a pan and ended up with quail. He’s quite a cool customer, that one.

The two chefs got started on their dishes, and Padma gave the audience some information about season 3 of Top Chef. Ted Allen will be a season 3 judge! He was great on Queer Eye, and it’s good to see him on a show where he won’t get trash-talked by Jeffrey Steingarten (well, not on screen, anyway). We were also introduced to some of the season 3 contestants, although not all of them. I wonder if that’s a potential spoiler.

After half an hour, Sam and Ilan served their dishes to the judges, who seemed to enjoy the food. Alas, I couldn’t get any photos of the food since the judges’ table was elevated above my line of sight. Ilan served a soft-shell crab salad, while Sam came up with grilled quail and potatoes. The judges munched, deliberated briefly, and decided on a winner. Ilan’s soft-shell crab salad won the day, alas for Sam, who was told (yet again!) to pack his knives and go.

Over the course of the event, Padma and Miguel distributed various giveaways and prizes – $100 gift certificates for NYC Restaurant Week, Top Chef goodie bags, chocolates with Top Chef printed on them, and gift-wrapped bonus prizes that turned out to be grilling tool sets from Red Envelope.

Overall, the Top Chef event was a blast! I always like seeing Sam and Ilan in action, and the event was a brief introduction to the season 3 contestants and a good way to get ready for tonight’s first episode. I’m looking forward to finding new contestants to love, and just as important, new contestants I’ll love to hate.

» See all photos from the event

PS. On a really cute note, Ilan’s father and grandmother were there to support him.

The best thing about summer is the way it makes me feel all happy and bright and sunny, just by virtue of it not being freezing out. The downside, of course, is that summer is also the busiest time at work, so I don’t often get out early enough on a weekday to enjoy the loveliness outside.

I made a conscious decision to leave work at a reasonable hour today, so I could come home, cook a nice summery dinner for Adan and myself, and just hang out and enjoy being together. I wanted something light and delicious and healthy (second best thing about summer – I want to eat healthy food) and settled on simply prepared fish with a delicious corn salsa and lemony potatoes. Yummy and easy – from putting the pot of water on the stove to sitting down to dinner took me about 45 minutes.

All three recipes below are adapted from bills open kitchen by Australian chef Bill Granger. I own all three of his cookbooks, and the man has a wonderfully light touch with fresh ingredients. Very Californian cuisine, even though he’s halfway around the world. He also has a talent for breakfast food, and there are a number of really excellent breakfast recipes in his cookbooks.

Pan-seared Cod with Cumin and Paprika
Serves four

4 fillets (5-7 oz.) cod
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Lightly oil the fillets with olive oil on both sides. Season cod fillets with salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. Rub the spices and salt into the fillets gently.

2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet until shimmery. Lay the cod fillets in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Gently turn the fillets with a large spatula (try not to let them fall apart), and cook for another 3 minutes or until fillets are just done and flake easily.

Lemon Potatoes
Serves four

1 1/2 lb. red new potatoes
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sumac berries (optional)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

1. Boil potatoes until tender. While potatoes are boiling, combine lemon juice, olive oil, sumac berries (if using), salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Drain and slice the potatoes in half. While potatoes are still hot, add about half the dressing and toss to combine.

2. Let potatoes cool for a bit, then add the scallions, the rest of the dressing, and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Corn and Cherry Tomato Salsa
Serves four

Kernels cut from 2 ears of fresh corn
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Juice from 1 lime
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
salt and pepper

1. Spray olive oil or Pam into a nonstick pan. Cook the corn kernels over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then add the tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, diced onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix thoroughly, and season to taste.

I’ve never been a big fan of Gordon Ramsey. He just comes across as one of those TV personalities that’s a little too overbearing and full of himself. That said, having tried these scrambled eggs, it’s entirely possible that his overweening ego is justified. (dammit.)

The recipe (if you can call it that – it’s more a method of making the eggs) takes the form of a YouTube video. Seriously, these are the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had in my life. Don’t change a thing about it. Get good sourdough bread, get some creme fraiche, chives, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Oh, and the eggs, of course. All the flavors and textures work so perfectly together – crunchy and sour bread, creamy savory eggs, slightly smoky sweet cherry tomatoes, and delicious mushrooms. I could eat this every night.

The best thing about this recipe is how easy it is to whip up for a group. I made this recipe for 6 people one Sunday, and it took me only 15 minutes from start to finish!

At work, we celebrate birthdays on a monthly basis. With twenty people in our department, this means I have a monthly excuse to try out new cake recipes. This month’s cake was a definite keeper. Moist chocolate layer cake with chocolate pudding between layers, and a fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting all around. I’m also having a lot of fun working on my cake decorating skills!

This blackout cake recipe comes from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle, which is turning out to be a great source for delicious, reliable cake recipes. I made this extra decadent by using Ghirardelli cocoa powder for the cake, Callebaut bittersweet chocolate for the pudding, and Callebaut unsweetened chocolate for the frosting.

Another Sunday gaming session, another delicious brunch experiment. Today, I made Maple Sage Sausage at home, with a recipe from the Chicago Tribune. The sausage was totally delicious and received rave reviews from all present. Even Adan, who usually abhors sausage, consumed a great deal of it. I will definitely be cooking homemade sausage again.

To go with the sausage, I also made Oatmeal Pancakes from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham.

Oatmeal Pancakes
Serves four

2 cups buttermilk
2/3 cup oatmeal
1 egg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

The night before you plan on making these pancakes, combine the buttermilk and oats, and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, beat the egg and the brown sugar until well combined. Add the flours, baking soda, salt, vegetable oil, and the oatmeal buttermilk mixture, then stir well until combined thoroughly.

Cook on a lightly-oiled griddle or skillet until lightly browned on each side. Enjoy!

So I recently purchased Waffles: From Morning to Midnight, and couldn’t resist making some unusual waffles for Sunday brunch, possibly my favorite meal of the week. These french toast waffles come out deliciously eggy (like french toast) and slightly crisp around the edges (like waffles!). They were easy to make and thoroughly delicious!

For best results, use a waffle iron that makes square waffles, although I’m sure you could arrange bread slices in other waffle iron shapes, too.

French Toast Waffles
Serves two

3 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons orange zest, finely grated
4 slices brioche or challah pullman*

1. Lightly beat the eggs, then add all other ingredients, except the bread, and beat until well combined.

2. Soak two slices of bread in the egg mixture for about 1 minute, then turn over and soak the other side of each slice for another minute. Move the slices of bread to the waffle iron, and arrange them to fit.

3. Press down the waffle iron to make those waffle-grids on the french toast. As the waffles cook, they’ll rise and get all puffy, then start to deflate again. Take the waffles out just after they’ve started on their deflating stage. This ensures that you get a little of the crispy, and a little of the eggy insides.

4. Repeat with the other two slices. Serve with confectioner’s sugar and/or maple syrup.

*This just means brioche or challah bread in the usual white bread loaf shape Not the large mushroom-shaped brioches or the braided challah. Square slices basically fit better into a waffle iron.

I love Alice Medrich’s recipes. She has a real passion for chocolate, and you can tell her love of the ingredient by the many ways she finds to use chocolate, and her deftness at emphasizing the flavor of the chocolate in her recipes. Any woman that dedicated to chocolate scores high in my book!

This particular recipe is adapted from Bittersweet. Pistachios are my favorite nut, and their subtly sweet flavor comes through nicely in this cookie. The cocoa nibs add another dimension of nuttiness to the cookie, and a faint perfume of the essence of chocolate. All in all, this is a delicately flavored cookie that tastes, as my friend Suyin put it, very expensive.

Pistachio and Cocoa Nib Cookies
About 4 dozen cookies

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon bourbon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachio pieces
1/3 cup cocoa nibs
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1. In a stand mixer (or by hand), cream together the butter, sugar, salt, bourbon, and vanilla extract until smooth, but not fluffy. Stir in the pistachios and cocoa nibs. Turn off the mixer and add all the flour at once, then mix on low just until flour is fully incorporated.

2. Form the dough into 2 logs, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until very firm.

3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a very thin, sharp knife, slice each log into 1/4-inch slices. Place the cookies about an inch apart on baking sheets, and bake for about 12 to 14 minutes until just light brown on the edges. After removing from the oven, let the cookies cool on the sheets for a minute or two, then gently move them onto a rack. Once they have cooled completely, store in an airtight container.

These cookies taste best if they’re given a little time (about 24 hours or so) for the cocoa nibs flavor to permeate the entire cookie after baking, so plan ahead. Also, the dough logs can be frozen for up to 3 months, so you could have cookies at a moment’s notice!

This post is infraredherring.com’s entry into Sugar High Friday #29, generously hosted by Chocolate in Context.

As the winter winds to a close (it’s still plenty cold in New York, despite today being the first official day of spring), we’ve started planning a HotChA at home event, with homemade marshmallows, homemade hot chocolate, and special guest appearances from hot chocolates around the world. Here are the current fruit of my Internet research:

• Valor Chocolate a la Taza — Thick Spanish (from Spain) hot chocolate, suitable for dipping churros. [via 101cookbooks]
• Mayordomo — Oaxacan hot chocolate. Apparently the best commonly available Mexican hot chocolate tablets. Comes in three flavors: original, cinnamon, and almond. [via Chowhound]
• Susan Trilling’s Oaxacan Hot Chocolate — A small-batch manufacturer of Oaxacan drinking chocolate. Many egullet and chowhound folk swear by it.
• dark spanish drinking chocolate from enrico rovira — Found this one just by poking around the Zingerman’s web site. Looks really intriguing, but a little pricey for an unproved quantity.
• Filipino Tsokolate — Sounds similar to Mexican hot chocolate, even with the wooden aerator and all. I can’t seem to find any stores online that sell Tsokolate tableas, but there are apparently a couple of Filipino grocery stores in Jackson Heights. I will do some on-the-street research!

As a special bonus, I also found antique chocolate truffles on Zingerman’s. Claims to have large crunchy crystals of sugar in the truffles, and I’m always all over the large crunchy crystals. I love the textural difference.

The up-side to making 5 pounds of corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day is that I got to make corned beef hash with the 1/2 pound leftover after the voracious hordes devoured the rest. I’d never made corned beef hash before (heck, before last week, the only “corned beef” I’d tasted was the kind that comes in a red can), but how can you go wrong with potatoes, meat, and onions?

Poached Egg and Corned Beef Hash
2 generous servings; 3 normal-sized servings

1/2 lb. corned beef, cut into small dice
2 large or 3 medium potatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 or 3 eggs (depending on how many servings you’re making)
Salt and pepper

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until you can stick in a fork in them with only slight resistance. Let cool. Peel and cut into small dice.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and sweat the onions on a gentle heat until translucent and soft. move the cooked onions to a medium bowl.

3. To the onions, add the diced corned beef and potatoes. Add a dash of salt (not too much – the corned beef is likely to already be quite salty) and a few turns of freshly ground pepper. Add the chicken stock and toss to combine.

4. Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet over medium heat. Spread the corned beef mixture in the skillet, pressing down to ensure an even layer. Cook undisturbed for about 10 minutes, until a well-browned crust forms on the bottom of the hash.

5. Turn the hash over with a large spatula, and cook the other side for another 10 minutes. During these last 10 minutes of cooking, poach your eggs using the method you like best (I have these nifty silicone egg poachers).

6. Transfer your hash to plates, top with one poached egg per serving, and dig in!