Mustard Marsala Duck Legs

Ok, so maybe duck legs aren't so every day, but if you don't have the hook up like I do with the cutest old men butcher's down in the West Village, you can just use chicken legs. Or chicken breasts, or veal, or pork chops. In fact you can use just about any white meat or foul you want. Because the secret is in the sauce. And it's so easy, and yet so delicious.

A Spring Monday

And also my only night home this week. I've got to make it count but it's still a Monday. So I head to the fancy market after work, with no idea in my head other than I want lots of veggies, want to stay away from meats, want something light but also something filling. And so it begins. I spy fiddlehead ferns, a spring delicacy I thought my little sojourn in Texas had deprived me of this year, then some pretty little golden and forest colored patty pan squash and finally, giant blooms of hen of the woods, my favorite mushroom.

I would just saute it all and then toss with some spaghetti, right? But somehow not special enough, too Monday and not enough May. So I pass the pasta section and end up in dairy, where I pick up some of my favorite ricotta, locally made Salvatore. And then there it is. My Monday dinner amped up. Pre-made crepinis from The Crepe Team, something I wander past every time I'm in my fancy little market but always discard as a silly little indulgence. But perfect for tonight.

Voila. The month of May on a plate

Secret Weapon

Let's talk about men for a second. I may be generalizing here, or have maybe just dated a certain "type" of guy, but food has always been something that was most definitely, as they say, the way to their heart. Now as a very single girl that's writing this, you can take it with a grain of salt, but let me just set the record straight and say that never once since I learned to cook for realzies has a guy listed among my faults what I fed him. In fact this particular recipe was a special treat for he-who-shall-remain-nameless, and just the accolades I received from him on it may have been why I haven't blogged, or to be honest even made this, since that person has ceased to exist in my life. And the big secret recipe? Why, stuffed mushrooms of course.

For all you non-vegans that'd be some mushroom bases, chopped up and sauteed with minced garlic, herbs like oregano and rosemary, and of course the piece de resistance... bacon. Always a good secret weapon with carnivore significant others, but it especially works with the earthiness of the mushrooms.

Risotto Balls

Everything I've read about these makes it seem as though they're the Italian staple that holds the same importance as bread. Funny because I've only seen them at tapas places and that they are said to be a great accompaniment to pasta dishes just seems like carb overload to me. But to each his own.

Anyways. One of my favorite quickish meals that usually involves mostly staples and is perfect for a weeknight dinner, next day lunch is risotto. Seriously. It's arborio rice, possibly a veg or 2, possibly a protein if you are so inclined and lots of liquid. You can fancy it up and add wine or cheese or cream or even sear off some scallops and make it truly gourmet, but in truth you only need 3-4 things to make a tasty risotto. Which is what I did the other night with some leftover chicken breast, some mushrooms and manchego I'm trying to use up before veganism kicks in.

Rolling the risotto balls in breadcrumbs

Winter Grilling

Monday. It was definitely one of those days. Exhaustion from this fun-filled weekend piled onto a non-stop work day on top of just not knowing how to stand still anymore. I'm so looking forward to February vacation #1 this weekend, where it'll just be me, my laptop and some cable TV; a forced nothingness for a whole day or 2 with nothing to do except make a King Cake, prep some ceviche, and make sure my Whiskey Cake is well lubricated with... well whiskey (Bourbon to be technical... and yes I made it! Pictures to come once it's frosted and pretty).

Anyways, after leaving work way too late I stopped at the fancy market and grabbed the first 5 things I saw. Not really, but 5 easy, simple go-to ingredients to ensure that I'd have dinner on a plate in less than 30 minutes. Unpeeled shrimp, white trumpet mushrooms, brussel sprouts, basmati rice and a beautiful brand new olive oil... as I've been using my other one way too much as my winter skin secret weapon. And then broke out my stove top grill, which, yes I know it's not the same as a real grill... but a) it's NYC... who has a real grill?!? and b) it's early February! If you are outside grilling in this weather then I commend you.

A Mushroom Worth it's Weight in Gold: The Chanterelle

One of the best and most frustrating things about my neighborhood is my grocery store. I tend to refer to it as a fancy market... it's expensive, not very large, always full of the typical Park Slope parents and their overly large strollers or hyperactive toddlers wandering at random. But it's also full of some truly amazing things, cases of cheese, attentive butchers, every combination of spice and vinegar flavor you can imagine... and naturally it's pretty expensive ($30 olive oil anyone?). So for staples I go to my corner deli, for the ingredients that make a meal special I go to the fancy market.And one of those special ingredients I'm always willing to splurge on are mushrooms. They have your typical ones- button, portabella, crimini, but they also have those mushrooms you see only on shows like The Barefoot Contessa, or that really fancy restaurant. Maitake (hen of the woods), oyster, morel, lobster, chanterelle, etc. I like to try them all whenever I can afford them and this week it was chanterelles.

Chanterelle's are very high in Vitamin C and D as well as potassium. The golden chanterelles have a light apricot color. Meaty, chewy and eggy in texture, they work best sauteed, simply or with some cream, cooking alcohol, and chicken broth. Historically they were considered a culinary delicacy, typically served to nobility. They have also been called Queen of the Forest and Golden Chanterelle.