About jacky grace

I grew up in an Italian house with big meals, big flavors and big voices. My husband comes from an even bigger Greek and Armenian house with even bigger food and voices. Here in our tiny city kitchen, we adapt our family recipes for our small space without sacrificing any of the flavors, traditions or love.

The easiest scones ever. Period

Posted on May 20, 2013 by jacky grace

I know.

You saw the word scone and you thought, yea okay, Martha Stewart. I’m really going to make scones.

Well, really.

Yes.

You are.

Well, I am.

And then you’ll see how easy they are and then you will, too.

You’re thinking, scones? Why on earth will I ever want or need to make those? I can grab one in the morning at Starbucks if I really want one, but when in my life will there be an occasion where me making scones will be necessary or appropriate.

First, making these is cheaper than buying a breakfast pastry on your way to work.

Second, making scones is kind of impressive. I just made these for mother’s day and both my boyfriend’s mom (future mother-in-law ladies, pay attention here) and grandmother (who is the most amazing home cook) went nuts for these.

Third, when someone asks you what you’re up to and you say making scones, you just sound so domestic. You might not know how to do your laundry without shrinking your blouse or how to get rid of that weird ring around the bathroom sink, but you say you’re making scones and you are a domestic diva in the minds of all of your friends.

And fourth. One word. Brunch. Scones are always appropriate and necessary at brunch.

But what about all that kneading and rolling out the dough? I don’t have the space for that. You promised I could make all this in my tiny kitchen.

Guess what?

No rolling out dough.

Nope.

None.

This recipe is easy, almost foolproof. And you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen. And if you don’t, then once you buy these ingredients, you’ll have all the baking basics you will need to make many more wonderful sweets.

Preheat oven to 400.

Now I hate measuring and haven’t given you precise measurements until now. But baking is different than cooking. So here’s what you’ll need:

1.5 cups flour
2-3 tablespoons sugar (depends on how sweet you want them)
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
.5 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk

The buttermilk is the only non basic ingredient. It’s like 2 bucks though. And you can make pancakes with it. And who doesn’t like pancakes.

So those are the ingredients for the basic scone dough.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Now, here is the trick to this recipe. This is the only important step in making these.

The butter needs to be cold. Really cold. Take it out of the fridge right before you are going to add it to the flour mixture. Cube it and toss it into the dry ingredients. The butter being cold will make the scones flaky and will give you these little buttery pockets to bite into.

If you’re fancy, you can pull out your pastry cutter to combine the butter and flour mixture. If you’re lazy, you can use your food processor to blend it all. If you’re like me, you know that your hands are the best tool. I just stick my hands in and start breaking the butter up into the flour. You want to end up with pea-size bits of dough.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Grab a spoon and mix until just combined.

The dough will be tacky and have a thick paste-like thickness.

This is your basic dough.

Now, you can go wild.

I added a handful of dried cranberries because I had them on hand. But raisins, dried apples, dried peaches, chopped hazelnuts, some chocolate chips or even just a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar will work. If you want, you can bake em off plain and slather em with strawberry jam, piping hot out of the oven so the jam melts into the buttery bites.

Once you have your mix-in mixed into the dough, scoop relatively even-sized blobs of dough onto a cook sheet. I roughly form them into a football shape. These won’t spread much, so you can plop them down fairly close together. I usually get about 8 scones out of this recipe.

I don’t go nuts about them looking perfect or being exactly the same size or shape. They will cook more evenly if they’re about the same size is all.

They take about 15 minutes. I check at the 13 minute mark and turn the pan if I need to.

Your kitchen is going to smell amazing.

These are not going to last long.

Brew a pot of coffee or some tea.

Pick out a witty British novel.

And enjoy.

Summer, Tomato, Avocado: menage a trois!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by jacky grace

First, to quell your curiosity, no. He did not get home last night soon enough to get me a piece of cake. I had to untangle myself from the couch and cut a slice myself.

(Boo!)

He was late because the Rangers and Bruins went into overtime.

Then the Rangers lost.

(Double boo!)

But that was yesterday.

And this is about today. Today. The first morning this year where I woke up to a tinge of stickiness in the apartment.

Despite the air conditioning cranking away, I could catch a hint of humidity in the air.

This is the first sign of summer in the city.

The first indication of those steamy nights to come when you leave the office and the heat the pavement absorbed all day is released and burns your ankles. Those nights when all you can do is sit on a roof with a drink in your hand as the condensation collects on the glass and slides onto your fingers.

It’s a sign of tomatoes and avocados.

I have a confession.

I love avocado.

It’s border-line obsession.

I cut it up in a salad, I add it to tacos, I throw some slices onto my tuna fish sandwich.

Avocado has like 20 essential vitamins and minerals, good fat and it has the all important ability to add richness to a dish without packing on the calories. It is high in calories, but not in the way that butter is- remember those 20 vitamins and minerals.

Okay. Enough nutrition.

When I padded into the kitchen this morning and felt cool rather than cold tiles on my feet, I knew a summer sandwich was the order of the day for my bring to work lunch. (I made him one too, of course. It was the least I could do after the Rangers lost game 1 of the series).

This is my favorite preparation of avocado.

And it combines two of my favorite things.

Right now, Greek yogurt is THE hot thing. Everyone’s making it, everyone’s eating it, everyone’s cooking with it.

My boyfriend’s Greek, so we’re not jumping on the bandwagon here.

Let me take a minute to extol the virtues of Greek yogurt. First, of course, it’s better for you than other yogurts because it provides more protein. Second, the taste is just incomparable to any other yogurts- the tangy quality cannot be found in your typical fruit on the bottom yogurt cup. Then there’s the thicker texture. It just feels more indulgent. And last and most important to the tiny kitchen is its versatility.

When fridge space is limited, this one container of Greek yogurt packs a lot of uses. Why buy mayo, sour cream and containers of yogurt when instead you can buy one big container of Greek yogurt? (Plus it’s better for the environment- one big plastic container instead of all those individual plastic yogurt containers). Save some valuable fridge real estate. Also, save some money! I don’t know about you, but I can never seem to finish the may or the sour cream before they expire. That’s just money in the garbage, and with the rent being so d*mn high, I just can’t afford to throw out some of my paycheck with spoiled food.

SO Greek yogurt. Save space, save money and save your waist line – it’s far better than mayo and sour cream.

Okay. Enough with nutrition.

Ready?

Greek yogurt and avocado. I use one avocado for two people. The yogurt ratio depends on how tangy you want it to be. I tend to two heaping teaspoons of yogurt to one avocado.

Split the avocado in half and remove the pit.

Holding the avocado half, slice through the flesh, stopping at the skin, longways. Turn ninety-degrees and cross hatch your slices. Like this.

You should be able to easily scoop or squeeze out the avocado into a bowl.

Add the yogurt.

Remember that potato masher?

Remember that senior partner that pulled an attitude with you today?

Channel him.

Start mashing!

The consistency is up to you. You can leave it a little chunky or go for all smooth. If you want it perfectly smooth, you can of course use a food processor. But who has room for one of those? And who has the patience to clean one of those?

So this is good to go. A squeeze of lemon or lime if you want to add some brightness.

How to use this wonderful creamy deliciousness?

In place of guacamole as a dip for chips or celery sticks

As a spread for taco night in place of sour cream

A sandwich spread instead of mayo

Possibilities are endless really.

How did I use it this time, you ask?

Much as I could just sit there with a spoon and eat it from the bowl, I restrained myself and used it for the best lunch to bring to work ever.

Toasted English muffin, slathered on both sides with avocado spread, slices of ripe, juicy tomatoes and crumbled feta.

The rich avocado coats your mouth. Bright, crisp, juicy tomatoes pop through. Feta adds the salty bite to break through the unctuousness. An English muffin gives the right amount of chew and the right amount of crunch.

A nice break in the work day.

Lazy eggs

Posted on May 17, 2013 by jacky grace

So I had one of those days.

I had to be at work at 7.30 this morning for an early morning seminar we were hosting.

Let me repeat that. At 7.30 this morning, I had to be dressed, wide-eyed and ready to perkily greet the insane early birds who signed up for a 7.30 am seminar.

Needless to say, I wasn’t so perky when I got home.

By a gift from the gods, my boyfriend wasn’t coming home for dinner tonight.

Not that I don’t want to see him after a long day, and not that I don’t enjoy cooking to decompress after a long day.

But today was one of those days. When all I want to do is slather a hunk of crusty bread with butter and sit on the couch, bread in hand, with a glass of wine and then wash it all down with chocolate cake.

I already had the bread in the oven. Warm crust bread, butter melting into the air pockets, sips of red wine… I could taste it. The couch was calling me.

But no.

I can’t do that.

I’m an adult. And, as an adult, I know my body needs more than bread and wine.

Also as an adult I know that my body will be angry with me in the morning if I only feed it bread and wine.

So I opened the fridge and rummaged around.

Here’s what I make on the nights when I only want bread but know I need to feed myself more.

Drizzle some olive oil in a frying pan.

Take a handful or two of baby spinach, throw in the pan and turn the flame to medium.

Let the spinach wilt down and then push it to the side.

Crack two eggs in the space previously occupied by the spinach. The eggs will cook in the oil from the spinach and pick up a little bit of the fresh grassy flavor. Cooking eggs in olive oil also gives them these wonderful, brown crispy edged. The crunchy bits against the fluffy whites. Yum!

I sometimes throw in another handful of spinach as the eggs cook. I tell myself that it’s so I get a nice textural difference in the spinach with some sauteed down and some still a little crisp. It’s about the texture. It sounds cheffy.

But, that would be a lie.

In truth, I suck at judging spinach. A giant pile of leaves cooks down to nothing. How am I supposed to know how much to put in the pan?

So more spinach in the pan if you desire. Cook the eggs as you like. I do sunny side up because i love cracking the yellow yolk over the vibrant green spinach, the goopy eggs mixing with the spinach.

Some black pepper. Some parmesan cheese (I tend to use this in place of salt, but feel free to salt away.)

Scoop the spinach onto a plate and slide the eggs on top.

Crusty bread, hot from the oven, butter, and a glass of wine.

The perfect meal to curl up on the couch with.

Hopefully my boyfriend will be home by the time I finish my wine, so he can cut me a piece of cake.

Chicken with Tomato and Fennel, Stuffed Mushrooms

Posted on May 16, 2013 by jacky grace

This is a one pot meal.

Okay a one pot and one cookie sheet meal, but we’re going to cover that with foil, so no clean up there.

A one-pot-to-clean-up meal.

For this recipe you will need:

a container of white button mushrooms, washed
bread crumbs
olive oil
parmesan cheese
one fennel bulb
two tomatoes
two chicken breasts
white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Most of the recipes on here are for two but can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.

You don’t have to make the mushrooms with the chicken, but I bought two containers of mushrooms over the weekend when I really needed one, and so have some spare mushrooms laying around.

Let’s start with the mushrooms, because once they’re assembled and thrown into the oven, we’ll make the chicken and our timing will be so spot on that we’ll be turning the burner off on the chicken and pulling the mushroom out of the oven and putting everything on the table piping hot at the same time.

Note: this has never happened, but I tend to cook things that are forgiving when (every night) this doesn’t happen.

OK, mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 400.

Assembly line is the best way to go in a small kitchen.

Cleaned mushrooms, bowl, foil-lined cookie sheet (or pizza pan- whatever you have). Twist the stems from the caps so you have a mushroom cap turned bowl. Caps go on the baking sheet, cup side up, and stems go in the bowl.

Ready? Go!

Okay, when you have all the caps lined up on the sheet, get ready to get your hands dirty.

My mom pulls out a cutting board and chops up all of the mushroom stems, but I just don’t have the space for that. (I do. I have my over the sink cutting board. But after a hard day at work, mushing up the stems with your hands is so much more satisfying). Before you dig in to mash them up, be sure you have bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and olive oil handy. I’ve forgotten this step before. It results in bits of mushroom on cabinet pulls and refrigerator handles.

Break up the stems into small pieces. You don’t have to go crazy, just break them up. Add some bread crumbs and some olive oil to get a wet sand consistency. There’s no real measurements here. It’s just by feel. Not too dry, not too wet. Like the perfect sandcastle building sand. Stir in some parmesan cheese. (you can leave the cheese out, or you can switch up the type. I’ve used feta, provolone diced up, or mozzarella. Use what you like, just don’t use too much. You just want a subtle little bit of cheesiness to break up the mushroom woodiness).

Using your hands or a spoon (I always go for hands), mound the mixture into the mushroom caps.

These are ready to go into a 400 degree oven for fifteen to twenty minutes.

I’m going to throw the bowl in the sink and move the cookie sheet to the side for now. I’ll put it in the oven when I put the chicken in the pan and cross my fingers everything gets done at the same time.

Two chicken breasts, washed and patted dry come out of the fridge along with two tomatoes and the fennel. I keep ingredients in the fridge or cabinet until I’m ready for them to be used to save space.

Chop up the fennel and tomatoes. I go for a fairly chunky chop because I like big pieces of each ingredient on the form. Up to you, though. As big or as a small as you like. If you’re in a pinch, you can replace the fresh tomatoes with a can of diced too. You can even mix it up with a can of diced tomatoes with basil or with garlic or with whatever. These aren’t recipes to follow precisely. Heck, I don’t even give you precise measurements! These are just ideas and what’s bubbling in my kitchen.

Drizzle some olive oil in your pan. You can use a frying pan that’s a little deeper if you want. Or a wide bottom pot on the shallow side. I use this aluminum one for like everything. Toss in the fennel and tomatoes and cook over medium heat. You want the fennel to start to soften and the juices from the tomatoes to start to run in the pan. Add a splash of white wine (You can leave out, of course).

While this is simmering, put the mushrooms in the oven. Season your chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pan, nesting in the tomatoes and fennel.

Cook through, flipping to cook both sides. About twenty minutes.

If you find the chicken isn’t cooking through in the center, don’t hesitate to throw it in the oven with the mushrooms. I do this sometimes when I have to do a million things and don’t have the time to babysit the chicken on the stove. This is why I go to this aluminum pot- it’s oven-safe.

The chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear. The tomatoes and oil and wine will make a wonderfully acidic and tangy sauce for the chicken that’s balanced by the anise fennel.

The mushrooms add a nice richness, a nice pop of almost butteryness and fattyness as a juxtaposition against the freshness of the chicken.

Add a side salad and a glass of wine and you’re in business. Crusty Italian bread to sop up the juices for those of you not counting carbs is also recommended.

One piece of chicken per person, fennel and tomatoes scooped on top.

Mushrooms on a plate in the center of the table for popping. A crisp romaine salad on the side.

The pot goes into the sink. The foil lining the sheet gets tossed.

And the day slips away in a haze of red wine.

The cost of living in a bitty kitchen

Posted on May 15, 2013 by jacky grace

So, if you have an itty bitty city kitchen, you probably have a not so itty bitty monthly rent due for the tiny apartment that houses your itty bitty kitchen.

And if that’s the case, you’re thinking pots, pans, lemon juicers, cheese graters, blenders, toasters, panini presses?

Where am I going to put all this stuff? And more importantly, how the heck am I going to pay for it all?

Michael Symon and Bobby Flay seem to have a tool for every task. A mango slicer? Really Chef Flay?

Let’s talk about the absolute basics. On a budget. Because yes, a cast iron skillet would be amazing to have, but do you realistically have the cash for it after security deposit, broker fee, and first and last month’s rent?

So here’s what I’ve found I use most often and need to get a great meal on the table.

A soild cast iron pot. Mine is enamel coated so it doesn’t require the same fuss as a non-coated cast iron skillet. I chose a pot over a skillet because I still get the benefits of cast iron, even heat distribution and a nice heavy bottom, but have the flexibility of browning, braising, frying or making soups. Enamel coating makes clean up a breeze. And also makes this pot pretty enough to go from stovetop to table for serving. Again, these can get pricey, but I scored this one at Home Goods for like $40.

I also like the purple pot a lot. It’s aluminum, so it’s lighter than the cast iron one. It’s also wider and a bit shallower, so I can use this in place of a frying pan. In fact, since getting this, I reach for it before my frying pan 9 times out of 10. Again, pretty enough to go from stove to table. And again, I scored this on a deal site for around $40.

The best part of these two pots? They look great kept out on the stove. I don’t really have that much cabinet space to store pots and pans, so being able to leave these out as decorative accents is a real space saver. They also add a nice bit of color to the otherwise white and gray space.

Good knives. There’s no arguing here that knives are to the chef what the paintbrush is to the artist. Invest in a nice set that will last you a while (buy cheap buy twice and end up spending more any way) but don’t break the bank. I bought mine on Rue La La. You can get deals online.

Other random things every kitchen needs, a few wooden spoons (nobody likes stopping mid-cook-a-thon to wash the only wooden spoon in the house), a spatula, ladle, potato masher (you’re rolling your eyes and thinking you will never ever have a use for this but since I got mine, it’s made a lot more than a Thanksgiving starchy side dish), and serving spoon (I bought mine as a set- it’s WMF so amazing quality, but scored a deal on vente-privee.com), an immersion blender (totally obsessed), a pizza pan or a cookie sheet (something flat that you can bake things on), something to bake things in like a casserole dish or a pie pan (I have a 9 inch stoneware pie pan that I’ve used for everything from pies to quiches to brownies), and, probably the best small kitchen tool, a cutting board that can rest over your sink . This will save you so much space, you have no idea.

Spacing of space, where the heck does all this stuff go?

The two pots stay out on my stove. My kitchen has only two drawers (one holds silverware and the immersion blender and the other holds random things like kitchen towels, pot holders and bottle openers) so my wooden spoons live in a pretty pitcher within reach of the stove, and my WMF set came with this nifty container to neatly house everything on the counter. Baking dish, pie pan, cookie sheet and pizza pan ( I have all four but really you can choose two) are tucked in the drawer under the stove. And the cutting board leans on the counter between the refrigerator and the knife set, which comes with its own wood block home.

Are there other gadgets out there? You betchya! Do I have some of them? You betchya! Here’s some:

Toaster: throw bread under broiler to toast, you just have to watch it as it can burn quickly

Blender: nice for smoothies and mixed drinks, but if you have the immersion blender you can throw the ingredients in a bowl and blend away. Because you’re holding the blender, you can have more control over the thickness and/or chunkiness of what you’re blending

Stand mixer: I’m big on stirring cakes and batters by hand with a whisk or a wooden spoon.

Ice cream maker: Yup. I got one. My mom gave it to me for Christmas. I didn’t care if I had to throw out some shoes to make room for it, it was going to be in the apartment. I have clear priorities. Ice cream trumps fashion every time.

So there’s my list of needs for the kitchen. Did I miss anything?

Let me know yours!

My Kitchen

Posted on May 15, 2013 by jacky grace

So, I moved to the big beautiful city, with its bright lights and big dreams.

And I got ….

a tiny kitchen.

I’m luckier than most of my friends. I have a full-sized oven and refrigerator. And I have a dishwasher. Not my boyfriend, but an actual dishwasher!

But I’m lacking counter space- here’s my counter-

and the ever elusive storage.

I spend Saturday mornings with my coffee on the couch watching Ree Drummond and Paula Deen and Alex Guarnaschelli churn out mouth-watering meals, scrumptious snacks and tantalizing treats.

A sea of bowls and fresh produce and pans and fancy stand mixers and food processors line their counters and their granite islands.

I wrap my hands around my coffee, look at my kitchen and sigh.

No island. No room for a stand mixer. No room to roll out dough for dozens of cookies. No room to even put a bowl and a cookie sheet side-by-side.

Does this mean that sizzling casseroles of enchiladas, ooey gooey chocolate and caramel birthday cakes and simmering pots of stews filling the house with tantalizing smells will elude me until I can afford that upper west side brownstone or, worse, until I, gulp, succumb to the call of the suburbs where I could get more for my money?

My taste buds will not wait that long!

So, instead, I invite you into my tiny kitchen. It’s cozy. We’ll be fast friends.

Itty Bitty City Kitchen

tiny kitchen, BIG CULINARY ASPIRATIONS

Author Archives: jacky grace