Hey friends! Can you believe February is coming to a close already?
Itās been a strange winter here in New York City ā weāve barely had any accumulated snow, and itās been warm as winters go. Not that thatās stopped me from enjoying a good stew, but itās a weird feeling. Makes it feel like someone forgot to turn the key in winterās ignition. (Is this a good car metaphor? I donāt really drive much.)
Anyhow, itās February 27th, 2023. Hereās all the news thatās fit to email.
Catch me leveling up
If you haven't seen, I made the leap from Level 1 chef to Level 2 chef on Epicurious at the end of last month, via this boneless wings video. Woohoo!
You might be wondering, what does it mean to be promoted from amateur to home cook? To be honest, Iāve been asking myself the same question. I know it means Iām a better cook (my tastebuds can attest to that independently). But there was no formal test. I didnāt declare my own competency or spend 6 weeks making pasta in Italy (although, if anyone has the hookupā¦). It was more, [frustratingly], like so many things in life, a change that happened gradually, then all at once.
One minute youāre burning a hamburger, the next thing you know, itās three years later and youāre coming to making ravioli alā uovo from scratch (nothing else happened in that time, right?).
Regardless, I get to level up my recipes a little and show off a bit of what Iāve learned from watching, listening to, and hanging out with some of the coolest chefs in the biz, so, in short, Iām chuffed to bits (as they say).
Speaking of people I admire, some recommendations.
On the internet:
The lovely Rhoda Boone (formerly of BAās Test Kitchen and Epicurious) is now cooking on camera at Made In, hereās her skillet chicken pot pie.
On TV:
If you havenāt seen OWNās Great Soul Food Cook-off, itās now available in full on streaming in a few different places (HBO Max, definitely, but possibly also discovery+ and AppleTV?) and is totally wonderful.
Contestants Chef Dorian Hunter and Chef Chris Scott are both chefs Iāve been lucky enough to spend a little time with, and Iām glad to confirm that they are both wildly talented and kind (as is, from what I can tell, everyone else on the show).
And if youāre in New York:
Youāve just got to make a reservation at Chef Ayesha Nurdjajaās restaurant Shukette. Sheās the Level 3 chef you can see in the aforementioned (yeah, aforementioned) boneless wings episode on Epicurious and it is my personal opinion that everything at Shukette tastes like magic.
More vids and virtual events
This thing is getting long, so Iāll make it quick.
Catch up on your No Expert videos:
Spam Musubi and a shirt unboxing (sponsored by Summer Everest)
Kimchi sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew with pork belly) with Kate Moran
Upcoming livestreams:
TONIGHT! Iāll be appearing on Chef Katie Chinās Instagram Live show āSmall Bitesā at 7 pm Eastern/4 pm Pacific (I know itās short notice, donāt worry, youāll be able to watch it back on her Instagram too!)
My No Expert March livestream will be Tuesday, Mar. 7 at 7 pm Eastern
Date night tinned fish pantry pasta
I had the pleasure of co-hosting a tinned fish event at the lovely Mercado Central in Brooklyn earlier this month, and developed this recipe in conjunction.
Valentineās Day may be over, but that doesnāt mean you donāt deserve a little heat and romance in your life! (The same applies if youāre currently dating yourself, to be clear.) I call this āslutty fish pastaā to myself, since itās based on spaghetti alla puttanesca, but if that offends your sensibilities, please forget I said it.
Yield: 2-4 servings (how hungry are you?)
UPDATED Mar. 8th, 2023: Original version was missing a step and an ingredient! Thatās what I get for rushing.
Ingredients:
2-3 Tbsp panko crumbs
olive oil
lemon zest
6 anchovies, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
3 red Thai bird chilis, thinly sliced (can be subbed for red pepper flakes or 1-2 chopped Calabrian peppers, whatever you have or feel)
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
2 oz (or about 10) Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 Tbsp capers
1 can good tinned tuna (I like Fishwifeās canned tuna, very optional)
salt & pepper to taste
10 oz angel hair pasta (a little more than half a standard 16 oz box)
parsley for garnish, chopped (optional)
Equipment:
large frying pan
pot for pasta
Method:
Bring a large frying pan to medium heat, add 1-2 tsp olive oil, and fry your panko crumbs over medium heat with a little pepper, just for 2-3 minutes of until you see them start to noticeably change color, turning a golden brown. Add lemon zest, stir, then remove the crumbs to a bowl for sprinkling later.
Bring the same pan back up to medium heat and add another splash of olive oil. Add onion and cook until softened and just starting to brown, then add garlic and chilis and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is visibly no longer raw.
In the meantime, bring your pot of pasta-cooking water to a boil and salt.
Add anchovies to the pan and cook until they melt into the mixture, about 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, oregano, olives, and capers to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper (this is a pretty salty recipe already, so salt with caution, if at all!). Use spoon to crush and break up tomatoes, then let simmer for 7 minutes.
After 7 minutes, mix in your canned tuna, using a spoon to break it up into bite-sized chunks or smaller. Continue simmering.
Cook your pasta until just below al dente, then drain, reserving about a cup of pasta water.
Add the cooked pasta to your sauce, using the pasta water to loosen as needed and toss. Bring up to a medium heat and cook one minute, then turn off the heat, drizzle with a little olive oil, and cover and let sit 2 minutes.
Serve pasta in bowls with parsley and breadcrumbs to garnish, plus additional olive oil and pepper as desired.
I like this pasta with a nice glass of dry red wine, but you can follow your heart on that one.
The learning lounge
Do you know the difference between a black anchovy (the kind you typically see in tins in US grocery stores) and a boquerone, the tangy anchovy-ish fish snack ubiquitous in Spain? Let me tell you!
What we call an anchovy is an anchovy (the fish) preserved in salt and oil or brine. A boquerone is the same species of anchovy, but itās preserved in vinegar. Both are delicious. Deep fried boquerones with a little lemon changed my life slightly in Sevilla. And if you want to enjoy them together, you can make a matrimonio, a common Spanish tapa.
Matrimonios are made by putting one of each of an anchovy and a boquerone on top of a slice of baguette, and then adding good olive oil and some combo (dealerās choice) of piquillo peppers, garlic, parsley, and tomato.
And thatās the dispatch from my kitchen for the month of February! Hope youāre all just peachy keen and Iāll see you in March.
Emily xo