This is a seriously easy, fast project. Essentially, you are making tea, and then a simple syrup (adding sugar) with the tea. The resulting syrup is a thick, dark pink liquid which lasts, refrigerated, for thirty days. We found that the ideal ratio was about 1/8 of a cup of syrup to 1 cup of seltzer but we like it on the dry side.

Hibiscus Syrup for Soda

• two teaspoons dried Hibiscus flowers (c. 9 flowers)
• 1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 inch piece of vanilla bean, sliced and seeds scraped
• 2 cups granulated cane sugar

1. Bring two cups of water to a rolling boil and remove from heat. Add Hibiscus flowers, ginger, pepper, and vanilla. Allow mixture to steep for twenty minutes.
2. Strain mixture with a sieve, allowing the liquid to drain into a new, clean sauce pan. Bring the liquid to a boil and add sugar and stir until dissoved. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
3. Strain cooled Hibiscus syrup into a clean glass jar. Store in fridge for up to 30 days.

Greek Roast Leg of Lamb

• 1 bone-in leg of lamb (5-7 lbs)
• 14 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 Tablespoons dried rosemary
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup dry red wine
• The zest of two lemons
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Pat lamb dry.
2. Chop eight cloves of garlic and place in a large Ziploc-type bag or glass dish large enough to hold the lamb. Add 4 teaspoons each of oregano and rosemary, 1/4 cup of the oil, wine, lemon zest and juice.
3. Place lamb in the marinade, toss to coat. Leave in the fridge to marinate overnight.
4. When ready to cook crush six cloves of garlic and stir with 2 teaspoons each of oregano, rosemary. Stir in the mustard.
5. Remove lamb from refrigerator and let it sit one hour.
6. When ready to cook pre-heat oven to 375. Remove lamb from marinade and pierce in several places with a sharp knife and cover the whole thing in the herb-mustard-garlic mixture.
7. Coat with two tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Place on rack on roasting pan.
9. Roast uncovered in a 375 oven for 1 1/2 hours. Turn lamb over for another 45 minutes.

Greek Salad Dressing

I make this salad with chunky slices of tomatoes and cucumbers and some sliced shallot. You could happily add avocado, feta, and or/some chopped romaine lettuce.

• 1 garlic clove, minced finely
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1. Combine all ingredients and let sit at least half an hour before serving.

Potatoes with Fresh Mint

• 2 1/2 – 3 lbs of small potatoes
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small bunch fresh mint
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

1. Boil the potatoes until soft yet still firm, approximately twenty minutes.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, add the olive oil to a big bowl. Chop the mint and add the mint and garlic, salt and pepper to the oil. Stir.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, pour them into the bowl with the prepared mint and garlic mixture. Toss the potatoes to coat thoroughly.

But aside from those things, this is truly a simple recipe which produces such a good meatball. My secret ingredient is the ground cloves which give them an unexpected, deep flavor.

The Perfect Meatball

serves 6- 10 depending on degree of hunger

• 1 1/2 lb ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 lb ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small – medium yellow or white onion
• 2 eggs
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup warm water
• around 1/2 cup canola oil (to fry meatballs)
• homemade marinara sauce

1. Combine beef and pork. Add garlic, onions, eggs, cheese, oregano, salt & pepper. Use your hands to mix and really get things stirred up. Blend bread crumbs into the mixture.
2. Let sit at room temperature for 1/2 an hour.
3. Slowly add the warm water, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing it in thoroughly. The mixture should be very moist but hold its shape when rolled into meatballs.
4. Heat canola oil over medium-low and fry meatballs in batches.
5. At this point if you are going to freeze the meatballs let them come to room temperature, then seal in a container and freeze. If you are ready to eat simmer the meatballs in the marinara sauce for 15 minutes.

The Christchurch

makes one generous serving

• 1/2 kiwi fruit, peeled
• 1 2 inch piece of peeled, seedless cucumber
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 2 ounces (or to taste) vodka (optional)
• ice
• seltzer water to fill

1. Mash kiwi in a glass with a fork; grate cucumber into kiwi pulp and stir.
2. Stir in lime juice and simple syrup and vodka (if using).
3. Add ice cubes and top off with seltzer.

Make ahead notes: So far this recipe seems to double, triple, quadruple etc really well. You can make the cucumber-kiwi mash about an hour ahead of time (step 1) and add the lime juice and simple syrup. When you’re ready to serve divide the pulp, add the vodka and top off with seltzer.

These cookies are a dinner party secret weapon because they are perfect even after a fancy meal. They are ideal after a heavy dinner or a light one; in summer with a little bit of vanilla ice cream and in winter with hot chocolate. They also accompany other deserts without overpowering them — the aforementioned ice cream, fruit salad, other cookies, even a cake or pie. They really go with everything. And when you don’t feel like making anything too serious, pulling out a plate of these at the end of dinner will make everyone smile.

The recipe is from David Lebovitz’s The Great Book of Chocolate. He explains that he got it from a now de-funkt, legendary San Francisco bakery called Blue Chip Cookies. The only thing I would add to the following is to be careful not to burn the pecans when you roast them –– about seven minutes at 350 does the trick in my oven.

Blue Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 8 tablespoons [1 stick] unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup lightly toasted pecans, chopped roughly

1. Adjust the rack to the top third of the oven and pre-heat to 300 (f). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat the sugars and butter together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
3. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches apart on each of the baking sheets.
5. Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven an cook on a wire rack.

Menu for an Impromptu Dinner Party

• Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt soup
• Sauteéd Broccoli Rabe
• Simple Roast Chicken
• Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt Soup

This cucumber soup is not of the minty-cool-you-down variety, but rather of the spicy-get-your-appetite going variety. For a great cooling-cucumber-yogurt soup check here. Serves 6.

• 32 ounces full fat yogurt
• 2 seedless cucumbers (“English” long-style), peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 scallions, white parts only
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
• 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Combine cucumber, scallion, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse into a purée.
2. Add cucumber purée to yogurt in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Stir in spices and salt.
3. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Simple Roast Chicken

This is the Ur roast chicken recipe, which Thomas Keller calls his favorite, and many other chefs list as theirs, too. For six people I would make two.

• 3-3 1/2 pound chicken
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• coarsely ground black pepper

1. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and pre-heat to 450 (f).
2. Dry the chicken with paper towels. Generously season with salt and pepper.
3. Place chicken in pre-heated oven. Check after 1 hour. The chicken juices should run clear when it’s cooked.

Borscht is a controversial soup – some people really dislike it while others adore it. When I was little I thought it was the most disgusting thing that could be put in front of me – I loathed it with an almost violent passion which is maybe why I’m so fascinated by it now. I really love Borscht, hot and cold versions, and have experimented with many, many recipes. Borscht began its existence from trimmings of cellared vegetables that were consumed throughout the winter in the Slavic countries. Most families in Eastern European countries had a container that they kept outside to store vegetable trimmings. After the first thaw the pot was placed on the fire and the contents cooked into a soup. One of the primary vegetables of the Slavic winter diet was beets. Hence the recipe morphed into a beet soup, Borscht.

In any case, I make a very simple Borscht that produces a beautiful, intense fuschia liquid and that alchemical earthy, almost mineral-tasting soup. It really needs 24 hours to chill and let the flavors deepen so it’s perfect for make-ahead dinner party purposes. This recipe produces a Vegan soup but it’s so crucial to serve it with a dollop of sour cream that if you are serving it to Vegans I highly recommend investing in some kind of non-dairy sour cream. Also, a Cuisinart-type of apparatus comes in very handy for grating the beets. If you don’t have one, a box-grater does the trick. You might want to put wax paper down because the beets stain wood.

Chilled Borsht

• 5 beets, peeled and grated
• 2 quarts water
• 1 shallot, chopped
• salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• sour cream, to serve
• dill sprigs, to serve

1. Combine beets, water, shallot and salt in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, then cook for 30 minutes over a low heat.
2. Add sugar and lemon juice and cook for an additional ten minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let it come to room temperature then chill for around 24 hours.
3. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig or two of dill.

Chilled Asparagus Curry

Chilled Asparagus Curry soup is brilliant on a really hot day. Thick and creamy, with a subtle curry flavor this goes especially well before cold poached salmon for a simple, deep summer dinner. If you’re making this for kids, you can reduce the amount of curry powder by half a teaspoon.

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• two leeks, white and light green part only, halved and sliced
• two teaspoons curry powder
• 1 large baking potato, peeled and sliced
• five cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 12 ounces asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• generous 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche, plus more for serving
• pinch of curry powder (for serving)

1. Heat oil in a medium pot over low, stir in leeks and curry powder. Stir until leaks are soft but not browned. Add potato and stir. Add stock and bring to a boil. Boil five minutes.
2. Add asparagus. Bring back to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Stir in sour cream or creme fraiche
6. Let come to room temperature, then refrigerate for four hours (minimum) – 24 hours (ideal.)
7. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche and a dusting of curry powder.

I don’t know about its being the only cookbook a man will ever need but it is a wonderful one, heavy, as you would guess, on the meat recipes. Famous chefs – Mario Batalie, Wylie Dufresne, Daniel Boulud – and many not as famous ones, give recipes, tips and wry observations on life, eating, cooking, and often loving. That food evokes all kinds of feelings – nostalgia, lust, well-being – is not news but it’s imparted in a really nice, literary way in these pages. There are also mini-essays by Esquire writers scattered through the book about things like eating offal, mom’s who couldn’t cook, falling in love, going for a year without eating sandwiches, etc, that are for the most part, really great reads. The tips on how to grill and make a great pot of coffee are nice touches. One of my favorite sections in the book is Ted Allen’s “Things a Man Should Know About Entertaining” where the above quote comes from. It comes in the beginning and sets the tone  — funny, generous, and with a careful, almost meticulous approach to cooking and entertaining.

“Cooking for people,” Allen says, “is an enormously significant expression of generosity and soulfulness, and entertaining is a way to be both generous and creative. You’re sharing your life with people.” Amen.

Roast Chicken in a Skillet by Linton Hopkins from Eat Like a Man

• one 3 – 3 1/2 chicken
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• coarsely ground black pepper

1. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and pre-heat to 45o.
2. Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold running water. Using paper towels, dry the bird thoroughly inside and out. The chicken must be bone dry or it will steam rather than brown. Set it in a cast-iron skillet and generously season with the salt and pepper to taste. Place the skillet in the pre-heated oven and go about your business for about 45 minutes.
3. Slit the underside of a thigh — the juices should run clear. The high heat turns the chicken a golden brown, and its juicy as hell.

A Jamaican Dinner Party

• 1,2,3,4 Rum Punch
• Indian-Spiced Cauliflower
• Jamaican Curried Lamb
• Coconut Rice and Red Beans (aka “Jamaican Coat of Arms”)
• Coconut Cream Pie

1,2,3,4 Rum Punch

• 2 0unces fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 4 ounces simple syrup
• 6 ounces “silver” or “clear” rum
• crushed ice

The name comes from the proportions: one sour (lime juice), two sweet (simple syrup), three strong (rum), four weak (ice). Mix the first three ingredients together then pour over crushed ice. This amount makes one big drink or two medium sized.

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower

serves 6 (as a side dish)

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoons
• 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño, minced
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup water

1. Pre-heat oven to 475. Put rack in upper third of oven. Place a shallow baking pan on rack.
2. Toss cauliflower with 3 tablespoons canola oil and cumin seeds and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast for twenty minutes, until cauliflower is tender and just starting to turn brown.
3. Meanwhile, sautee onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in the rest of the canola oil in a large skillet over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant, soft and starting to turn golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the water, stirring, then stir in the roasted vegetables. Cook, covered for five minutes.

Jamaican Curried Lamb

serves 6 – 8

I have modified this recipe a little bit. You can also make it with goat, which I believe is more traditional.

• 4 large (Spanish) onions
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 teaspoons ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt to taste
• 2 pinches cayenne powder
• 2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 dashes Tabasco sauce

1. Slice or chop the onions (a Cusinart is very useful here). Cook them in canola oil until they are soft, but not brown.
2. Stir in the allspice and curry powder. Cook, stirring for two minutes. Then stir in the stock, vinegar, salt, cayenne and lamb.3. Simmer for two hours. Add the bay leaf 30 minutes before the end of cooking. Right before serving stir in the Tabasco sauce.

Coconut Rice and Red Beans aka Jamaican Coat of Arms

I modified this recipe quite a bit because I couldn’t get fresh coconut and I used canned kidney beans, not dried. So while I can’t guarantee authenticity here, it is really good — full of savory coconut and a subtle herb-y taste. Perfect with the Curried Lamb. Serves 6+

• 2 1/4 cups rice
• Few sprigs of thyme
• 2 14 oz cans of coconut milk
• a handful of dried, flaked coconut
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 2 scallions
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 20 oz can of red kidney beans

1. Place rice in sauce pan with coconut milk plus one can-full of water to cover, flaked coconut, thyme, scallions, garlic clove, pepper and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer with lid on for twenty minutes. Stir in rinsed, drained red beans and continue to cook until rice has absorbed all liquid. You may need to stir in another 1/2 cup water.

Coconut Cream Pie

Although it’s ideal to have grated fresh coconut for this pie, the flaked, packed sweet stuff is a very admirable substitute. This pie, believe it or not, tastes kind of light, a perfect ending after the curry. Serves 6+

• 1 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups hot milk
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated fresh coconut (or 1 cup flaked sweetened)
• 1 9″ baked pie shell
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• one-two handfulls flaked/grated coconut

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt, mix to get out lumps. Gradually, slowly add to milk in a medium sauce pan until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, boil for two minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Remove from heat. Stir a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then a little more, then combine with the rest in the saucepan. Cook, stirring over a low heat, until it boils and thickens — about five minutes. Take off heat. Stir in the extracts and the coconut. Turn into pie shell, cover with plastic wrap (so the wrap is touching the custard) and refrigerate for three hours.

3. To serve: Whip cream, add vanilla and sugar. Spread over the filling and top with coconut.

Gougeres

(recipe from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan)

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 Tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyere or Cheddar

1. Position the oven to divide the racks into thirds. pre-heat to 425.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone.
3. Bring milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy-bottomed medium sauce pan over high heat.
4. Add the flour all at once, lower heat to medium-low and immediately start stirring energetically with a wooden spoon or a whisk.
5. The dough will come together and a light crust will form on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring with vigor for another minute or two to dry the dough. The Dough should be very smooth.
6. Turn the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or into a bowl with a handmixer. Let the dough sit for a minute. Add the eggs one by one and beat, beat, beat until the dough is thick and shiny. Make sure each egg is incorporated before you add the next. Don’t be concerned if the dough separates — by the time the last egg goes in the dough will come together again. Beat in the grated cheese. Once the dough is made it should be spooned out immediately.
7. Using about one tablespoon of dough for each gougere drop the dough from a spoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about two inches for puff space between mounds. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 375.
8. Bake for twelve minutes then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougeres are golden, firm and puffed — another 12- 15 minutes. Serve warm or transfer pans to rack to cool.

You could serve the gougeres with a kir (royale or peasant), a cocktail, fruit spritzers for those who don’t drink alcohol. These little puffs will make you smile.