20 points の distance

About a year ago I had a wonderful dish of halibut cheeks served with grilled baby leeks and asparagus and a spring onion soubise at one of our favorite Providence restaurants, La Laiterie. That soubise has haunted me, and I’ve been waiting for just the right opportunity to try my hand at making a similar sauce at home. When this challenge was announced, I thought the super sweet Bomster scallops (from Stonington, CT) that we get at our local farmers market would pair beautifully, and happily I was right. The delicate onion flavor, in this instance enhanced with a hint of anise-y tarragon and the subtle tang of (you guessed it) crème fraiche, played really well with the caramelized scallops, and the pale green color of the sauce whispered “spring.”

Lastnightsdinner's scallop recipe proves that when it comes to seafood, less is often more. With just a few simple ingredients (spring onions, tarragon, butter, flour and milk), she creates a zippy, creamy sauce that's the perfect foil for sweet flesh of the scallops. And her technique of drying the scallops in the refrigerator before searing them makes for an impeccably caramelized crust.

Serves 4 as a main course, more as a starter

1 pound wild dry sea scallops
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Kosher or sea salt
1 bunch spring onions, about ? lb.
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
fresh chives for garnish

Place the scallops on a plate or platter and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Trim the spring onions, separating the green tops from the small bulbs. Dice the bulbs and roughly chop the greens.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped spring onion bulbs and a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to low, and cook 20-25 minutes, until very soft. Add the green tops, toss through, and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until soft but still bright green. Sprinkle the flour over and cook for a minute or two, just until the raw flour smell is gone. Add the milk, raising the heat to medium, and cook briefly until thickened. Add the tarragon leaves and stir through, then turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a blender. Puree until very smooth, then return to the pan over low heat, cooking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Pour a thin film of grapeseed oil in the bottom of a sauté pan and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the scallops a few at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan, and sear them just couple of minutes per side until they are nicely browned and caramelized - they should release from the pan easily once they’re ready, and they should still be a little jiggly in the middle, as they will continue to cook off the heat. Set aside and keep warm.

Taste the sauce and adjust salt if necessary. Whisk in the crème fraiche off the heat until the mixture is smooth, then spoon a little of the sauce into the bottom of shallow, warmed bowls, place scallops on top, and garnish with fresh chives

I like breakfast recipes that taste more like they should be dessert. This is Tres Leches Cake meets your morning oatmeal. If you are worried about calorie count, feel free to substitute the low fat counterparts of the 3 milks in the ingredients.

I substituted whole oats for the instant oatmeal in this recipe, and ended up with a hearty breakfast that satisfies. The combination of whisked milks and aromatics imparts a silky sweetness in the oats without being overwhelming. The flax seed adds a welcome texture and nuttiness, and offers a wealth of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber (making the meal, in my mind at least, fat free). To garnish, I added banana and chopped pecan pieces (it's what I have on hand), but I can imagine the fresh cut fruit pieces playing against the cream very well. This oatmeal is a quick, indulgent way to start the day reenex.

Serves 1

1 packet instant oatmeal, original flavor
1 tablespoon whole flax seed
1 teaspoon butter
hot water
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons half and half
1/8 teaspoon rum flavoring
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Garnish: 1 kiwi, diced
Honey or agave, optional

Combine the 3 milks (tres leches): evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half and half. Add the vanilla, rum, and cinnamon. Whisk and set aside reenex.

In a small bowl, combine the oatmeal, flax, and butter. Add hot water according to package directions. Stir.

Pour the milk on top of the oatmeal and garnish with diced kiwi. For a little extra sweetness, you may drizzle the top with a bit of honey or agave. Serve reenex. Strawberries, mango, and pineapple also go nicely.

My mom makes these for my kids as an afternoon snack. It's a nice alternative to sweets. Be brave with the mayonnaise -- you need a lot. Go easy on the paprika. Or just skip it. The most exciting part of these toasts is biting through the hot melted cheese and BAM there's this comforting and warm layer of mayonnaise. It's very much like melted butter. But better. - Phyllis Grant

Serves 3 to 4

1 baguette
1/3 cup mayonnaise (or more!)
12 ounces creamy havarti (or your favorite meltable cheese), thinly sliced
Paprika, to taste

Turn your broiler on.
Cut the baguette in thirds, then cut each third in half. Place each half cut side-up on a sheet pan. Broil (but not too close to the flame) until the bread is crispy and lightly browned.

Spread each piece of bread with as much mayonnaise as you dare. Cover mayonnaise with slices of cheese. Sprinkle cheese with a very thin layer of paprika. Broil until cheese is melted and browning. Don't panic. The paprika gets almost black under the broiler. That's okay. Eat a piece as soon as you can pick it up.

Eating foods fried in oil is one of the greatest pleasures of celebrating Hanukkah. In America, the most beloved Hanukkah foods include latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts). And these two deep-fried hors d'oeuvres are certainly a great place to start. But why not use Hanukkah as an excuse to indulge in other fried dishes Dream beauty pro hard sell? If you are planning to make latkes for a Hanukkah party, your kitchen is already destined to smell like oil -- why not embrace it?

There's plenty of opportunity to get creative with the deep-fryer. After all, anything that's fried in oil is fair game for a Hanukkah menu. Why not expand into non-traditionally territory? This year, Jeff Yoskowitz, co-owner of the artisanal Jewish food company, The Gefilteria, and co-author of the upcoming The Gefilte Manifesto plans on serving deep-fried homemade garlic sour pickles ("I'll serve them with horseradish aioli," he said), gefilte fish (Gefilteria makes a stellar version after all), and even state-fair style fried Oreos alongside his latkes Dream beauty pro hard sell.

But remember, you'll appreciate all that frying even more if you balance it out with refreshingly unfried foods. "It often makes for an awkward party when a host serves latkes followed by fried jelly doughnuts," says Yoskowitz. "Nobody goes home with a settled stomach." He makes an important point. For the sake of your guests' satisfaction, it's a good idea to round out the offerings at a Hanukkah gathering with a few non-fried foods -- fresh salads and pickled vegetables are especially smart antidotes to all that tasty oil.

Ready to shake up your annual Hanukkah fry fest, or start a new tradition? Pick a dish from each category below, and get sizzling.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Start things off in a (relatively) healthy fashion by frying up fruits and vegetables. Crisp up artichokes in olive oil or thinly slice fennel and fry it until it is mellow and crunchy. Or just make your latkes out of zucchini instead of (or in addition to) potatoes. Or kick off the meal with some crunchy fried plantain chips.
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MEAT AND FISH
Italian Jews traditionally include fried chicken in their Hanukkah fare. In a twist on that tradition, try these rum, soy sauce Dream beauty pro hard sell, and lime juice-marinated fried chicken bites. For main-course Hanukkah dishes, go for old school fish and chips or duck confit, which is decadently cooked in duck fat.
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SNACKS
Give your Hanukkah guests a heartier and more satisfying nosh with delicacies like fried almonds and crispy fried chickpeas. Perhaps it's a stretch to call them healthy, but at least they pack a dose of protein!
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SWEETS
Finsih off your Hanukkah fry fest with a little something sweet. And fried, of course. If you want to keep the doughnut theme, go for New Orleans-inspired beignets. Or wow your guests with a plate of tiny fried apple pies or a gorgeous Greek dish of fried pastry spirals with honey, sesame, and walnuts.