Summer Corn Carbonara

Summer Corn Carbonara, MZN

Put pasta water on to boil. Chop 6 slices of BACON in bite-sized pieces, saute until fat has been rendered and the pieces are slightly crispy. Add 1/2 an ONION, finely chop and cook in the bacon fat until golden. Turn the heat down to low.

Remove kernels from 3 ears of CORN with a sharp knife - by standing each ear on its tip and gliding your knife down, parallel to the ear of corn - essentially nicking the tops off of each kernel. Then with the edge of a spoon, scrape down the length of each ear of corn, gathering what I call 'corn mush.' This 'mush' contains the richest flavors of corn, so scrape away until the ears are dry. This can be messy, but being especially diligent has great rewards. Add the kernels and mush to the pan with bacon and onion and warm through, being sure to scrape up all the goodness that crisping bacon leaves behind, then turn off the heat.

In a bowl, beat together 2 EGGS, 1/4 cup of grated PARMESAN, 1/8 cup of HEAVY CREAM, and PEPPER.

Cook the SPAGHETTI in salted water, checking about 2 minutes before it's al dente and remove 1/4 cup of pasta water, before draining. Turn the pan with the bacon on high and add the pasta to the pan, tossing to coat, adding some pasta water if necessary to keep the pasta from sticking together. Once the pan is hot again, remove from heat and add the egg mixture, tossing everything until the spaghetti is evenly coated in the carbonara. Top with GROUND NUTMEG and GROUND BLACK PEPPER.




Serves Two.

Making up for lost time...

Year of the Alpenglow, MZN

This past holiday season, in a desperate flurry to provide my passionately supportive family and friends, I put together a Mozart's Nose cookbook. I crafted it into a book on a popular photo printing website, printed ten copies and had the perfect gift.

I see folks still occasionally visit this site, and for the foreseeable future, I'll be using this platform to jump off. I'll be busy posting the recipes from the photobook as well as to support my campaign to be a Umi homecook. To anyone that reads this and the following posts and feels so inspired, please comment - share your support. Any comments in support of my work I will use on my application to be a Umi homecook. They have a waitlist as of now, so anything that might set me above the rest, like actual comments from fans of my cooking, would be fireworks!

Self-Publishing a Mozart's Nose Cookbook - with New and Original Recipes

This past Christmas, I ordered several books from a popular photo book printing company. They looked great! I know want to look into publishing a cookbook including those and some new recipes I've come up with since then. Mozart's Nose will have some ISBNs under its belt! As of now, I chatting with some friends I have in the publishing industry and also looking into other self-publishing platforms.  If you happen to know someone who could help me in this endeavor, please speak up! As this progresses, I update this post. Onwards!

Who wouldn't want a Mozart's Nose Cookbook?

Hot or Cold Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil Zucchini

Purple Basil, MZN

Hot or Cold Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil Zucchini

2 zucchinis sliced into very thin rounds using a mandoline, or by hand (leave raw or gently saute)
8 sun-dried tomatoes soaked in hot water, until plumped and then chopped
julienned basil
pine nuts, toasted (optional)


Toss all together with a Balsamic Vinaigrette (if served cold) or with a Balsamic Butter (if served warm).

For the Balsamic Butter : Start with 2 T of butter and add vinegar slowly in - "wisk and taste, wisk and taste" to your liking.

Heat of the Day - Balsamic and Basil, Kale and Kholrabi Toss-Up Salad

Kohlrabi, MZN

"Heat of the Day" is the distinction I'm adding to recipes that are particularly picnic friendly. As mentioned in another post, this summer most of my recipes are developed to make the best use of the most of the summers produce while at the same time are easily toted about for picnics with friends in the park or garden. This is another great picnic dish as it holds up well with a bit of sweet and a crunchy tang that hold up in the heat.

Balsamic and Basil are best friends in my book. And this is a salad to love during the summer CSA season.

My friend Carol and I enjoyed this with some warmed focaccia and sliced heirloom tomatoes on the side.





Balsamic and Basil, Kale and Kholrabi Toss-Up Salad

One bunch of kale, rinsed, julienned and flash sauteed
One large kholrabi root, peeled and julienned
1/3 c Sunflower Seeds, raw
1 T of finely chopped basil
Dried Cranberries/Raisins or fresh blueberries, apple, pear, tomatoes (optional and depending on the season)


Make a basic vinaigrette -

Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
S&P

Toss and Enjoy!

Tuesday Teaser: "Tricorn Tomato Salad"

Since I'm due to taste test my zucchini recipe on a friend tomorrow (that's you, Lori!) and I'm super impatient to share my "summer salivations," here's a quickie:

No recipe, as such, is necessary for this dish. My summer days are lovely and long, so I've committed to making up a picnic dinner to take to our community garden once a week. This past week the night was coming and rainy clouds threatened, so we took our party to the roof in case we had to make a mad dash. Here's one of the "throw-together and throw downs" that I made for my sweetie.

Tricorn Tomato Salad

Serves two, generously

1 ripe heirloom or other tasty red tomato (sans most seeds, as they are hard on the digestion)
2 ears of corn, raw
Basil
S&P

Chop the tomato. Toss with kernels removed from ears of corn. Chiffonade some basil (be generous - when all is said and done, you should clearly smell the basil over the tomato and corn - I used several small handfuls). Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Back for the summer sun (and tomatoes)!

Now that I have settled into my new life as New Yorker, Brooklynite, and Waldorf teacher - I would like to pick up my food boots and tamp out a new path. I don't yet have a clue as to what the path is or looks like, but I'm ready to tackle the experience of cooking again.

It's been so long since I've used the blogging platform, that I have to relearn some things, so please forgive my stumbling(s) in advance.

As a teacher, I have the summers off. For the next few years, I'll be spending some of the summer in teacher training, but as soon as I get home, I'll pick up where I left off. I intend to continue posting throughout the year, but can't promise much in the way of consistency.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, etc. at mozartsnose@me.com


I'll be posting a summer squash recipe soon.

Sweet Beef Stew-Rasta

I was inspired to go out on "the pigeon limb" by the pan-caribbean culture in my new Brooklyn neighborhood to make a beef stew that was warming on the inside and inspiring on the outside (I am thinking of the beach, right about now). The anchovy fillets are REQUIRED - and with the rest of the tin, make a Caesar Salad dressing for the next day! (Email me for a recipe). Because I used chicken stock instead of beef, the anchovy and worcestershire sauce add some body without making it overly heavy.

We steamed some kale and served it with a bit of butter and balsamic vinegar - it was the perfect accompaniment.

1 lb stew beef
olive oil or coconut oil to cover the bottom of the pan
S&P

1c chopped sweet onion
1 qt. chicken stock
4 anchovy fillets

dash of cinnamon
dash of cumin
approx 1 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed to bite-sized

Dry the beef with paper towels, coat with S&P
Brown the beef in olive/coconut oil

Add chicken stock and onion
Simmer, covered approximately two hours or until the beef is almost pulling apart, then add anchovy, spices, worcestershire and sweet potato, and stir
Continue to simmer until meat is tender and sweet potatoes are done - some should be breaking down to thicken the stew.  Add more broth or water if stew thickens too quickly and when you reheat the leftovers.

We also had apple pie, another nice accompaniment!

New Email

Hi All,

Just wanted to note a brief change. Lynn alerted me to the fact that my email address isn't working properly at times.  I've decided to change email providers to a service I know better.  If you have Mozart's Nose in your address book, please change it to -

mozartsnose@me.com

Thanks so much! Enjoy a breath of fresh air before winter pounds down one last time! ~ Kate

A Post for the Last Gasp of Winter

This post is appropriate because you know that winter isn't over yet. 


I used to write a monthly column for Waverly Fitzgerald's web magazine Living in Season - she has since wanted to go in a different direction and had to scale back her work with a monthly production.  So here is the one I did for January and its really lovely, so I'd love to share it with you.

It’s a season where we can be so distracted by responsibility that our life perspective shrinks to a pinpoint.  Remind yourself of what joy feels like, just take a moment to stop your worry and quiet that little voice inside. Retreat into your favorite place – I find myself visiting a place in my mind that is full of everything I need. What do you need, what do you find in this place?  Is it as soft as sinking into a pillow topped mattress with something fuzzy and warm by your side? Are you alone or with your favorite person in the whole world?

If you find your mind trapped inside, imagine what is outside. What or who is there to look to? Or maybe the cold outside challenges any warmth within. Inside my life is a heat that shatters any influence the cold outside might have on my aspirations for the next year.  No, it is not “all sunshine and lollipops,” but it is full of love, always full of the love and care found between my family, friends, and I. 

It is during this time of year where we can find sparkle in any type of light that might shine on our situation.  This tart little bread will perk up your holiday sparkle and new year shine.

Photo by Mozart's Nose

Almond Lime Bread

Makes One 9x5” loaf

Mix

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

Add

¾ cup slivered, sliced almonds

½ cup lime marmalade*

In a separate bowl - 1 egg, beaten with 1 cup whole milk

Stir in 4 T melted butter and 1 T lime juice

Add to flour mixture. Stir only until evenly moist.

Spoon into 9x5x3 loaf pan

Combine ¼ cup more almonds with 1 T melted butter and 2 T sugar

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 min approx.

Cool on rack for 1 min, then loosen edges and turn out onto rack. Drizzle the loaf with 1 T lime juice and sprinkle 1 T lime rind on top

Cool and then wrap in plastic wrap and store overnight to mellow the flavor.

*Lime Marmalade can be tricky to find.  If you search without success, substitute the lime marmalade for orange marmalade, the almonds for chopped pecans, the lime juice and zest for lemon juice and zest.

Photo by Mozart's Nose