Jessica Conant-Park - Cook the Books

“If I’d known you were coming, I’d have been waiting for you with an armful of leis. But considering that’s all you’re wearing, I think you chose well. The colors look good on you.” He winked and moved closer, crawling across the bed until his chest was against mine and his hands cradled my head.

“I still don’t believe you showed up here,” Josh said. “When I said I’d move back to Boston to be together, you said no. Then I must have asked you thirty times to visit me on your break, and you said no every time.”

I brushed my hand against his cheek and kissed him softly. “I know that you don’t want to be in Boston. At least for now. And you know,” I said casually, “I couldn’t think of anything better to do over break.”

“Very funny. I’ll try to keep you entertained.” Josh kissed me. “I can’t wait to show you around. You’re going to love it here.”

“I think I just might.” I smiled at him. God, he was so much less stressed than I’d ever seen him. It felt wonderful to see how happy he was.

“Are Owen and Adrianna staying at your place?” Josh nuzzled my neck.

“Hmmm,” I said as a yes.

“I’m glad they’re watching the cats for you.”

“Uh-huh.” I was getting distracted.

I looked up at my gorgeous chef, the man I loved and who loved me back, and thought about everything that we’d been through in the past year. A Hawaiian escape with Josh had been a pretty good idea. Six weeks of bliss lay ahead of me. Maybe I could find a part-time job while I was here so I could continue paying off those damn bills.

I had one semester of school left and then graduation. Who knows? While I was here, maybe I’d talk to someone at the community center Josh had told me about. But I didn’t need to worry about planning too far ahead. I’d know what to do when the time came.

For now, the only thing I had to think about was what I was going to have Josh make me for dinner…

Grilled Ohio Lamb Steak with Cannellini Beans, Anchovy, and Parsley

Jonathon Sawyer, chef at the Greenhouse Tavern

Cleveland, OH

www.thegreenhousetavern.com

Serves 7-10

Lamb Steaks:

1 whole leg of lamb

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 bulb garlic, smashed with skin still on

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, bruised

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Have your local butcher or chef fabricate the leg of lamb into three sections: shoulder, shank, and steak (steak being the meat in between the shank and shoulder). Reserve the shank and shoulder for another preparation. The steaks should be cut across the leg, bone-in, and 1” to 2” thickness. This will yield 7 to 10 steaks.

Marinate the lamb steaks in the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary.

Season lamb steaks with salt and pepper and grill to desired doneness. Allow to rest for five minutes.

Cannellini Beans:

1 qt. dried cannellini beans

6 qt. water

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig fresh bay leaf

Salt to taste

Soak cannellini beans in 4 quarts of water for at least 24 hours. Strain and rinse beans.

In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, add beans and cover with water. On high heat, allow beans to come to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Let the beans cook until wholly cooked through without splitting. The tenderness of the bean is entirely up to you. Carefully remove the beans from the cooking liquid and place them in a sealable container with the olive oil, bay leaf, and a little salt. This will preserve the beans in the oil and allow them to absorb some of the oil. They will keep refrigerated for two weeks.

Salsa Verde:

1 bunch parsley, chopped

8 anchovy filets (salt-packed anchovies preferred), rinsed

and chopped

1 tbsp. capers (salt-packed capers preferred), rinsed and

chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. dried chili flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the salt and pepper and mix well. Mix the strained, cooked cannellini beans with an equal amount of salsa verde and allow to reach room temperature. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To plate:

Toasted bread heels or crostini

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, the highest quality you can

afford

Place some toasted bread heels or crostini on a plate. Place the sliced lamb steak on top (with any juices left over from the resting) and pour the salsa verde and beans over the top. Garnish with lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil.

Shrimp and Brie Purses with Apricot Vinaigrette

Bill Park, sous-chef at LTK Bar and Kitchen

Boston, MA

www.ltkbarandkitchen.com

Serves 4-6

Apricot Vinaigrette:

¼ cup jarred apricot chutney

8 dried cherries

½ cup apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients and set aside.

Salad (per person):

2 oz. arugula

3 apple slices

1 tsp. sliced almonds

5 dried cherries

Toss ingredients with as much vinaigrette as you like and set equal portions on individual plates.

For pastry assembly:

1 package frozen puff pastry squares, thawed

1 wedge Brie, approximately 6-9 oz.

12 shrimp, cooked and roughly chopped

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Gently roll out each square of puff pastry dough to stretch them a bit. Poke a few holes in each piece with a fork. Place roughly 1½ oz. of Brie in the center of each square and top with 1½ tbsp. of the shrimp. Brush the corners with the egg and then pull the corners to the center and tighten around the middle to form purses.

Set purses on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve with arugula salad.

Oysters with Asian Pear and Fennel

Bill Park

Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 bulb fennel, cored and finely diced

1 shallot, finely diced

1 Asian pear, peeled, cored, finely diced

¼ cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream

½ tsp. turmeric

Pinch of cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

12 Oysters in the shell

Chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the fennel and shallot until tender. Add the pear and wine and sauté for a couple minutes and then add the cream, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Set whole, unopened oysters on a baking sheet and bake until they pop open, approximately 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the top shells, and top each oyster with a hefty spoonful of the fennel-pear mixture. Garnish each oyster with a bit of parsley before serving.

Seared Scallops on Polenta with Red Pepper and Chive Jam

Bill Park

Serves 20 as passed appetizers

Red Pepper Jam:

2 red peppers, seeded and roughly chopped

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Place peppers in a blender and puree. Set the puree in a saucepan with the sugar, salt, and pepper, and cook over medium heat until almost dry. Cool and reserve.