It's Greek to Me

Astoria will always have a place in my heart.

When Ryan and I first moved to New York, the Queens' neighborhood was our home. We lived in the same apartment for four years, all the while developing a deep love for Greek food. Apparently, Astoria has the largest population of Greeks outside Greece itself. Whether you turned left or right down our street, there was an amazing Greek restaurant.

We haven't found anything like it in Manhattan—and there are definitely days we miss it.

Yesterday was one of those. Instead of journeying to our old stomping grounds, I decided to give the cuisine a shot in my own kitchen. I landed on pastitsio, one of my husband's favorite Greek dishes. The recent issue of Bon Appetit gave me guidance with its mac 'n' cheese story (in it was a recipe for pastitsio with a Moroccan twist).

It turned out delicious, and I'm pretty confident the Greeks in Astoria would agree. I love that the recipe uses ground lamb, which isn't always the case with other online pastitsio recipes I've found. There are a lot of steps (and pans), but if you're looking for a stick-to-your-ribs meal, this is a good bet. Plus, it makes a ton, so you'll likely have leftovers.

Lamb and Feta Pastitsio (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Yield: 10 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 cups red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound ground lamb

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes in juice

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups whole milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

6 tablespoons AP flour

3 eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 pound penne or similar noodles

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is transluscent, about 5 minutes. Add ground lamb, break into small pieces and and cook until it browns, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes (with juice), herbs, 1 tablespoon cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture is thick, stirring often, about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, simmer 2 cups of milk in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and cover. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk roux until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Gradually add warm milk to roux, whisking until sauce is smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup of milk and 3 egg yolks, then whisk in sauce. Stir in feta, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking often, and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 14-cup baking dish. Cook pasta about 3/4 of the way (it will cook additionally in the oven). Drain noodles and return to pot, stirring in 2 tablespoons of butter, egg whites and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

4. Spread half of pasta in the dish. Add lamb mixture. Top with remaining pasta. Spoon feta sauce over the noodles. Bake until top starts to turn golden, about 40 minutes.

A lot of work, but it's a feast for the gods—and you.

Recipe for Success

Yesterday, I was celebrating celery. Today, I'm celebrating me.

Yes, you read that correctly.

If you know me well enough, you're probably surprised to hear this. It's not too often that I talk at length about my accomplishments; I'd much rather hear about others'. But today is different.

I landed a job!

I'll soon be a food editor for a national women's magazine, which means I'll finally have the opportunity to combine two of my passions: journalism and the culinary arts. It's what I hoped for all along.

My new gig starts Monday. I'll be developing recipes in the test kitchen, writing pieces for the magazine, editing monthly content (plus copy for special interest publications), contributing to its website, and attending culinary events around the city—possibly beyond. I'm pumped.

Let me be honest for a minute: When I quit my full-time job last July to enroll in culinary school, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. The plan was that it would provide me with the credentials for a food-related writing job, but with the state of the economy and the demand for such a position, I wasn't sure how long it would take.

Turns out, my decision was a recipe for success.

Cele-bratory

It's a good feeling when my friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances—even strangers—tell me how good something is that I just cooked. Making a belly happy makes me happy.

Yesterday, I acquired my newest fan: a 1 1/2-year-old. I have to say it was quite an accomplishment.

I headed to the Boston area this weekend to spend time with my best friend from college, mom to the aforementioned toddler. She and her husband (also a friend from college) are expecting their second baby in July, so I thought it would be the perfect time to visit before things got too crazy for them.

While my friend was tending to her son—keeping him entertained, putting him down for a nap, giving him a bath, etc.—I cooked. Before our excursion to Whole Foods, she told me that her son is generally a healthy eater. He loves fruit, hummus and eggs; however, he's recently backed away from meat and vegetables. It's not that he won't eat them, she said, it just has to be prepared a certain way.

Immediately thinking it might be a textural thing, I decided to make a pureed soup and load it with vegetables (celery, celery root, onion, garlic and potatoes). I even added some shredded chicken for protein, hoping he wouldn't notice. I'm happy to report the soup was a winner: The little guy woke up from his afternoon nap (and apparently the next morning as well) requesting a bowl of the pale green puree. "He had two bowls before 10 a.m.!" my friend texted me.

Celery gave us a reason to celebrate.

Celery Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large celery root (or two small roots), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 celery bunch, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine (This is certainly optional. I didn't use it when I was making it for my friend's son, but I add it at home for another depth of flavor.)

2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock (You can use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian; I just prefer the taste of chicken stock.)

1 large russet potato (or another starchy variety), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded with a fork (optional)

2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Parsley, chopped for garnish

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery root and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the celery stalks, onion and garlic and cook another 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Stir frequently.

3. If doing so, add wine to deglaze. Reduce by half.

4. Add stock and potato. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft enough to be pierced with a knife.

5. Turn off the heat and puree with an immersion blender in pot. You can also puree in a blender in batches; just be careful not to fill the jar too high because the heat could make the top explode. If using a blender, return to pot.

6. Add shredded chicken and rice, if desired.

7. Season with salt and pepper. Serve and garnish with parsley.

Yucky Yucca, Perfect Pork

It's true: I'm already missing Costa Rica. How can I not when the weather is at the freezing mark and there's dirty, slushy snow on the ground? Not to mention there's barely enough sunlight to get my daily dose of vitamin D. It's utterly depressing.

I needed a pick-me-up. What's more perfect than a reminder of where you just vacationed? That's why I turned to a coffee-crusted pork loin over pureed yucca. I threw in a bourbon cream sauce just for good measure. For the time it took Ryan and I to scarf down our food (which I have to say wasn't very long), we temporarily forgot about the miserableness outside. We were comforted with the tastiness inside.

Correction: Everything was tasty but the yucca. It was my first time pureeing the starchy vegetable (I'd previously fried it). Costa Ricans have perfected their cooking technique; mine needs work. The flavors were there, but the texture was not. It would have been a perfect adhesive for wallpaper. So I'm reaching out: If anyone has a recipe for yucca that doesn't involve frying, I'd love to hear from you.

Coffee-crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Cream Sauce (adapted from both Epicurious.com and Bfeedme.com)

Rub

3 tablespoons ground espresso or coffee

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 to 1 1/3 pound pork tenderloin (will likely need more than one)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1. Mix first 10 ingredients well; sprinkle on a large plate.

2. Dry tenderloin, then drizzle with canola oil. Make sure the oil lightly (but completely) covers the meat. Roll the tenderloin in the spice mixture to completely coat.

3. Place tenderloin on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, depending on the size of the tenderloins and desired doneness (I removed the tenderloin at 140 degrees and let it rest for about 10 minutes to let it reach 145).

Sauce

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup bourbon (brandy would also work)

1 cup beef or veal stock

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until translucent, then add garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Remove pan from heat and pour in the bourbon. Place pan back on heat and bring to a boil; reduce by half.

3. Add stock, cream and thyme. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Easy Does It

As excited as I am to be back in the kitchen, I find the first couple days are a little difficult. It's almost like I need to ease back into it. Soon enough, my knife skills pick up speed and my creative juices begin flowing.

For now, I just need a couple simple recipes to get me in the groove. My one restriction is that they aren't too unhealthy—after 10 days in Costa Rica and eating everything in sight, my body needs to recuperate. Between the salty food, cocktails and high humidity, my limbs are feeling as bulbous as Barney Rubble's.

So I popped open chef Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home cookbook hoping for some inspiration. Sure enough, his recipe for braised chicken thighs with olives, lemon and fennel drew me in. Added bonus: The meal only needs one pot, so cleanup is a cinch.

The recipe was a hit; it reminded me of a dish I had at Hearth, a modern Tuscan restaurant in my neighborhood. Chef Marco Canora uses rabbit instead of chicken, which I would like to try next time.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon and Fennel (adapted from Ad Hoc at Home)

Yield: 4 Servings

2 large fennel bulbs, sliced after removing stalks and cores

8 chicken pieces, bone in and skin on (I used 4 legs and four thighs, attached)

Kosher salt

Pepper

Canola oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup olives with pits (I used a mix of Spanish green olives and Nicoise olives)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 fresh bay leaves

4 strips lemon zest, removed with vegetable peeler

4 thyme sprigs

2 cups chicken broth, plus maybe a bit more

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a dutch oven (or heavy-bottom pan large enough to fit all pieces without overcrowding them) on high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken skin-side down to brown, about 5 minutes depending on the heat of oil in pan. Turn chicken over and brown for 2 minutes.

3. Remove chicken from pan and turn down heat to medium-low. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they're transluscent. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Turn up the heat to medium, add fennel, and cook about 10 minutes, or until its crisp-tender. Stir often.

4. Pour in wine and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest and thyme. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until fennel is tender.

5. Return chicken to the pan in a single layer, skin-side up. Make sure the liquid comes about halfway up the chicken; if not, add a bit more stock. Bring liquid to a simmer, then cover pot with lid and place in the oven. Transfer to the oven and cook 45 minutes-1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.

6. Serve two pieces (a drumstick and a thigh) with a serving of the olives and vegetables.

Return of the M.A.K.

Thought I wasn't coming back?

Just because I completed culinary school doesn't mean I'm calling it quits on The Chopping Block. Obviously the blog's format will be a bit different than the first six months, but the concept will remain the same. The way I see it, the culinary arts is a never-ending educational opportunity; there's always some new knowledge to acquire. I plan to continue learning through recipe testing, restaurant hopping, book reading—and then relaying it all to you.

One of my goals is to amp up the recipe coverage. I'm always experimenting with new techniques, ingredients and flavor combinations, so why keep it all to myself? If you trust my palate, you won't have to do the dirty work. Friends and followers are always asking me to share recipes, so it's about time I get to it.

My immediate mission, however, is to land a full-time job. That's where I've been directing most of my energy. But it hasn't been all work and no play—I returned yesterday from an amazing 10-day vacation in Costa Rica with Ryan. It was well needed (and deserved, I might add). We did a lot of hiking, sunning and, of course, eating.

Now I'm back in bitter cold Manhattan, but I can't complain. As nice as it's been to have someone serve me for a week straight, I'm ready to return to cooking. Plus, I could do with something other than arroz y frijoles. My shoebox-size kitchen and miniature stove await.

New York, I've bean missing you.