Whenever I buy a whole fish, I ask the fish monger to have it cleaned but I also ask to keep the fish head and the bones. If I’m lucky, Blue Moon Fish from Mattituck, Long Island at the Union Square farmers’ market gives them away for free. My dad especially likes using them for…

Adapted from asiarecipes.com Ingredients: 1 cinnamon stick 2 tbsps cumin seeds 2 tbsps ground coriander 1 tbsp cardamom pods, shelled 1 tbsp whole clove 1 tbsp black peppercorns 1 tbsp turmeric 1. Toast all of the spices in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. The whole process should take about 10 minutes. Let cool. Transfer…

Adapted from Emeril 2 bunches of ramps, trimmed and thoroughly washed 1 quart beef broth 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup heavy cream a handful of parsley, finely chopped salt and pepper 1. Make quasi-blond roux. Combine the vegetable oil and the flour in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook,…

I love making my own tomato sauce in the summer because the plump and juicy tomatoes are available in the market. Once transfered to a covered container, your tomato sauce keeps a week in the fridge. You can also store them in the freezer to make them last for several months. Just make sure that…

I got this recipe from Cameron who got it from epicurious.com. It’s one of our favorite cold-weather soups. I’ve done several versions of this, and actually like it better without the beans. Sometimes, I use orzo or leftover boiled white rice if I don’t have tortellini available. Because I usually make my own chicken stock,…

Adapted from a Gourmet Magazine recipe using kabocha squash Ingredients: 1 butternut squash, halved and seeded 1 cup vegetable oil 20 whole fresh sage leaves plus, 1 1/2 tsps chopped fresh sage 1/4 pound sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 1/2 cups chicken broth 3 1/2 cups water…