Erica De Mane

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 pound ground pork
1 chorizo sausage, finely diced
Salt
1 tablespoon wildflower honey
1 large onion, diced
1 cubanelle pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon each of dried ancho chili powder, sweet smoked Spanish paprika, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice
1 cup dark beer
1 14½-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped and lightly drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 1-pound bag Rancho Gordo Ayocote Negro beans, cooked until just tender and left sitting in their cooking liquid
About 8 sprigs of fresh Italian oregano, the leaves lightly chopped
The juice from about ½ a lime

Get out a big casserole-type pan fitted with a good lid. Set it over medium heat, and pour in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add all the beef, pork, and sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon so it covers the pan bottom. Season with a little salt, and drizzle in the honey. Let the meat brown a bit. Add the onion, all the peppers, the garlic, and the bay leaves. Cook down until everything is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add all the ancho, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and allspice, and cook another few minutes so their flavors can open up.

Add the beer, and let it bubble out. Add the tomatoes and the broth. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about an hour.

Add the beans with about ½ cup of their cooking liquid. Simmer for another half hour. If the chili looks very liquidy, cook it uncovered.

Taste for seasoning. You’ll probably need more salt, but also consider the spices. I often add a little extra cumin at the end. You might want to add more ancho or a little more fresh jalapeño. Add the chopped oregano and a squeeze of lime.

I like to serve my chili over rice, with a dollop of crema, a drizzle of hot sauce, and possibly some chopped scallion greens.

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
4 Red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 fresh bay leaf
A few thyme sprigs, the leaves chopped
A big pinch of allspice
A big pinch of cumin
A big pinch of hot smoked Spanish paprika
A drizzle of rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the Scotch bonnet and red bell peppers, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, allspice, cumin, and paprika. Cook until everything is fragrant and just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar, some salt, and a splash of water. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer until everything is very soft, about another 8 minutes. There should be some liquid left in the pan. If not, add more water. Purée in a food processor. Adjust the seasoning, and pour into a bowl. This should last about 2 weeks in the fridge.

2 pounds shell-on extra-large wild-caught shrimp
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
8 dill sprigs, lightly chopped, plus some sprigs for garnish
A big splash of dry vermouth
5 medium-size round end-of-summer tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
The grated zest from 1 lemon
A pinch of sugar
Aleppo pepper
2 medium shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
A big pinch of ground cinnamon (about ¼ teaspoon)
1 teaspoon runny wildflower honey
About 8 medium marjoram sprigs, chopped, plus a few whole sprigs for garnish
A 6-ounce chunk of Greek or French feta cheese (French is a bit milder)

First you’ll want to make a quick shrimp broth with the shrimp shells, so shell and devein the shrimp, putting all the shells in a medium saucepan. Add a big drizzle of olive oil, a little salt, and a big sprig of dill. Sauté the shells until they all turn pink, about a minute or so. This will intensify their flavor. Add the vermouth, and let it bubble away for a minute or so. Pour in about 1½ cups of water, and let everything simmer at a low bubble for about 15 minutes. By then the broth will have deepened in flavor and reduced. It should smell sweet and shrimpy. You’ll want about ¾ cup of nicely flavored broth, so let it cook a little longer if it still looks watery. Strain the broth into a small bowl, and set it aside.

While your broth is bubbling away, place your chopped tomatoes in a colander, sprinkle them with a little salt, and let them drain into a bowl for about 15 minutes. Summer tomatoes can be very juicy, and you may wind up with too much liquid in your finished dish if you don’t drain them. But keep the tomato water, just in case you find you need a little moisture later.

Put the shrimp in a bowl, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and season it with salt, the lemon zest, a pinch of sugar, and some Aleppo pepper to taste. Give it a good toss.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large, wide skillet (cast iron is a good choice), heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, and sauté until it’s soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and the cinnamon and a bit more Aleppo, and sauté a minute longer, just to release their flavors. Add the tomatoes, the honey, the chopped marjoram, the remaining dill, and a little salt, and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp broth, and continue cooking about 5 minutes longer. You don’t want it to go too long, as the sauce will continue cooking in the oven.

Arrange the shrimp on top of the sauce. Crumble the feta over the top, and give everything a good drizzle of olive oil.

Stick the skillet in the hot oven, and roast, uncovered, until the shrimp is just cooked through and tender, about 7 or 8 minutes. Garnish with the marjoram and dill sprigs, and serve hot.  A side of orzo or couscous will be very nice with it.

1 pound good quality organic chicken livers
Salt
Black pepper
A big pinch of sugar
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, possibly a little more
1 large shallot, cut into small dice
1 small carrot, cut into small dice
¼ teaspoon allspice
4 or 5 small sprigs rosemary, the leaves well chopped
A splash of sweet vermouth
4 or 5 medium round summer tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into medium dice, and then drained for about 15 minutes (but save the tomato water)
1 pound penne
A splash of cognac or brandy
About 6 sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, plus a few nice-looking whole sprigs for garnish
A chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano or grana Padano cheese

Trim the chicken livers of any connecting sinewy tissue, and then cut them into approximately 1-inch chunks. Dry them well, and stick them in a bowl. Sprinkle on a little salt, black pepper, the sugar, and a drizzle of olive oil. Give them a toss.

Set up a pot of pasta cooking water, add salt, and bring it to boil.

While the water is coming to a boil, get out a large skillet, and set it over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and half of the butter. Add the shallot and carrot, and sauté them until softened, about 4 minutes or so. Add the allspice and the rosemary, season with a little salt and black pepper, and cook a minute longer, just to release their flavors. Add the splash of sweet vermouth, letting it bubble out. Add the tomatoes, and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. You really just want to heat them through, not cooking them much, to preserve their freshness. Turn off the heat.

Put the penne in the boiling water.

Get out another large skillet, and get it hot over high heat. Add the rest of the butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the chicken livers, spreading them out over the pan. Let them cook without moving them around at all until you can see them start to brown nicely, about 3 minutes or so. Using tongs, turn the livers, and brown the other side, about a minute or two longer. You want them to stay a touch pink at the center. They may sputter and pop a little while cooking. Don’t let that upset you. It’s normal. Just stand back a bit. Add the cognac, which will most likely flame up. I find it exciting. Shake the pan for a few seconds, just until the flames die down, and then add the livers to the tomato sauce.

Drain the penne, and pour it into a large serving bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the sage chiffonade, and give it a toss. Add the tomato liver sauce, and toss gently, adding some of the tomato water if it seems dry. You can also add a bit more butter, if you like (I usually like). Check for seasoning, and then garnish with the sage sprigs and serve right away, bringing the cheese to the table for grating.

For the crust:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and then cooled to room temperature, plus a little extra butter to grease the pan
⅓ cup sugar
1 tablespoon orzata syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
The grated zest from 1 small lemon
1½ cups regular flour
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely ground almonds

For the custard:

1 heaping tablespoon crème fraîche
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon regular flour
1 tablespoon orzata syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons runny wildflower honey
About 6 sprigs thyme, the leaves lightly chopped, plus of few nice looking sprigs for garnish

Plus:

About 1½ pounds ripe local apricots, pitted and halved (a bit sour is better than mealy), cut in half and pitted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put all the ingredients for the crust except for the ground almonds in a bowl, and mix them together until you have a crumbly, moist mass. Coat the tart pan with a little butter, and then dump the crust into the center of the pan, pressing it all around until you have a nice, relatively even crust all around. Build the sides up a touch to allow for shrinkage. Poke the bottom lightly with a fork in several places.

Stick the tart pan in the oven until the crust is very lightly golden at the edges and puffs a bit in the center, about 12 minutes or so.

Take the tart pan out of the oven and sprinkle the almonds more or less evenly over the floor of the crust.

Put all the ingredients for the custard in a bowl, and whisk until smooth.

Arrange the apricots, cut side up, in the tart pan. Pour the custard mix over them, being careful not to get any over the rim.

Bake until the crust is golden and the custard looks set, about 35 minutes. Garnish with the thyme sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

4 large bone-in pork loin chops

For the marinade:

2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce or Italian colatura
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 summer garlic cloves, crushed
Black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet vermouth
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
A little salt

For the salsa (makes about 1 ½ cups, probably a bit more than you’ll need, but it’ll keep for a day or two without losing too much flavor):

¾ cup fresh sage leaves
½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup Sicilian capers, soaked for about 20 minutes, rinsed, and drained
½ cup really good extra-virgin olive oil (I used Olio Verde, a Sicilian brand)
A palmful of pine nuts (about 1½ tablespoons)
1 small fresh, summer garlic clove, lightly crushed
The grated zest from 1 small lemon, plus a squeeze of its juice
Salt
Black pepper

Dry off the pork chops and lay them out in a shallow pan. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and pour it over the meat, turning them over a few times so everything is nicely distributed. Let marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

To make the salsa: Set up a small pot of water and bring it to a boil. Add the sage and parsley leaves. Blanch them for a minute, and then pour them into a colander and let cold water run over them to set their good green color. Squeeze out as much water as possible.

Put the blanched herbs and all the other salsa ingredients in a food processor, and pulse about 6 times or so, until the mix has a loose but rough green pesto-like consistency. Don’t let it pulse so much that you wind up with a smooth purée. Scrape the salsa out into a small bowl.

Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator about a half hour before you want to cook them. While they’re coming to room temperature, set up your charcoal grill and let it burn down to orange coals (not my father’s impatient flame fire).

Rub oil on the grill surface. Take the pork chops from the marinade, letting excess marinade drip off, and place them on the grill. If it starts to flame up, lower its cover. Let the meat cook until you’ve got good grill marks and the chops move easily when you give them a nudge, about 4 minutes. Flip them, and grill their other side. If your fire is really hot you might want to move them slightly off to the side so they can cook without browning too much. Another 4 minutes is about right for cooked but with a touch of pink at the bone, but that really depends on your fire and the thickness of the meat, so it’s a personal judgment call.

When your chops are done, give them a final sprinkling of salt, and plate them. Top each serving with a big dollop of the salsa, and serve right away.

If find that these chops go really well with ratatouille and grilled country bread rubbed with summer garlic and brushed with good olive oil.

For the pastry:

2 1/4 cups regular flour
1 tablespoon sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling on the crust
A pinch of salt
2 small sprigs rosemary, the leaves well chopped (about 1 teaspoon chopped)
1½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice, plus a little more for greasing the sheet pan
¼ cup cold white wine
1 egg yolk, for brushing on the crust

For the filling:

4 large or 5 medium-size summer peaches, unpeeled and sliced
¼ cup sugar
2 small sprigs rosemary, the leaves well chopped (about 1 teaspoon chopped)
A tiny pinch of salt
A pinch of ground allspice
A tiny splash of Kirsch or grappa (about 1 teaspoon)
A big squeeze of fresh lemon juice

To make the pastry, put the flour in a food processor. Add the sugar, salt, and rosemary, and give it a few pulses to blend everything. Add the butter, and give it a few quick pulses to break up the butter into tiny bits. Add the white wine, and pulse a few more times, just until you have a crumbly, moist mass. Don’t pulse so much that it works into a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, and press it into a ball. Cover it with plastic, and stick it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (you can also leave it overnight, if you like).

About a half hour before you plan on cooking the crostata, put the sliced peaches in a large bowl. Add the sugar, rosemary, salt, and allspice. Add the Kirsch and the lemon juice, and give everything a toss.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and rub a large sheet pan with butter.

Take the pastry from the refrigerator, and let it warm up for about 15 minutes.

Flour a work surface, and roll the pastry out into a 12- or 13-inch round, trimming the edges to make it even. Place it on a large, standard-size sheet pan, which is 13 inches wide, so it should fit perfectly.

Lift the peaches out of the bowl with a slotted spoon so most of the liquid gets left behind (you don’t want the crostata to get too soggy), and place them in the center of the pastry, pressing them down a bit so the fruit comes to about 1½ inches from the rim. Pull up the edge of the pastry, and fold it back toward the center, pressing it all around so it makes a pretty tight package (see my photo above for what it should look like).

Put the egg yolk in a glass with a splash of water, and whisk it around. Brush the crust with the egg wash, and then sprinkle it with a little sugar.

Bake the crostata until it’s golden and fragrant, about 30 to 35 minutes. Then let it rest for about ½ hour before cutting.

I like to serve it with sweetened ricotta or crème fraîche or whipped cream—or with nothing. A glass of Beaujolais is a wonderful accompaniment, reminding me of the bowls of peaches in red wine my father used to bring out for summer cookouts.