The Wood-Fired Blog
Red Kuri Squash-Brown Butter Puree
Jan 07, 2013Here’s a quick, easy recipe that’s a perfect addition to any festive holiday meal spread. Feel free to substitute pretty much any winter squash you can get your hands on – butternut, acorn, buttercup, hubbard, sweet dumpling, pumpkin. They’re all complemented wonderfully by the nutty flavor of brown butter. The only variety I would avoid is spaghetti; the texture just won’t be what you’re looking for here. Read More
Mussels With Chorizo and Beer
Nov 26, 2012Your first instinct might be to disagree, but mussels are actually a great food for entertaining: They’re cheap, they’re quick and easy to cook, and they give your guests a tactile connection to the communal aspect of sharing a meal as everyone dives in to a steaming pile of mussels to unearth the tender treasures hidden inside. What more could you need? Pairing mussels with chorizo is a classic combination,... Read More
Ricotta Gnudi With Roasted Cabbage and Marconi Peppers
Nov 05, 2012This recipe requires some patience and planning, because the gnudi take three days to make. Before you run for the hills, I should clarify: The gnudi take about 10 minutes to make – they’re really easy – but three days before they’re ready to use. So plan ahead, and your foresightedness will be rewarded. In case you’re asking yourself what in the world a gnudi is, a quick explanation... Read More
Stuffed Peppers With Feta, Pecans and Cherry Tomatoes
Oct 08, 2012Our dry, hot summer here in the Midwest produced a bumper crop of peppers of all shapes and sizes. You couldn’t swing Wilbur Scoville around at my farmers market without knocking over an overflowing bin of banana peppers or scattering a pile melrose peppers across the grass. This recipe is a simple late-summer side dish I concocted to make use of the bounty. I used round of Hungary peppers here,... Read More
Pizza With Roasted Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion and Basil
Aug 27, 2012If some evil, freedom-hating pizza dictator locked me in a cage and told me I could only have one topping on my pizza for the rest of my life, I would probably go with mushrooms. So here’s a recipe for a simple, more “traditional” pizza sporting some flavors that play well together, while still highlighting my personal desert-island topping. You will notice that I roast my mushrooms before I put... Read More
Curried Cauliflower With Chickpeas and Golden Raisins
Aug 14, 2012This dish is actually one of my wife’s specialties. As a cook, I work in the evenings and thus miss out on dinner at a normal time, so it is a comforting feeling when I walk in the door and can tell just by the aroma of curry in the air that my late-night meal on the couch is going to be delicious and satisfying. I’ve done a little tweaking... Read More
Pesto, Asparagus and Egg Pizza
Jul 16, 2012I’ve been posting recipes here in the Forno Bravo cookbook for months, but oddly enough I have yet to tackle pizza, one of the cornerstone outputs of our wood-fired beauties. Perhaps it was a subconscious reticence to test my mettle against seasoned pros – like telling Mario Batali how to make pasta. But here we are: I’m posting a pizza recipe, and will be doing so for the next few... Read More
Roasted Beets With Greek Yogurt and Almonds
Jun 28, 2012Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you – this easy recipe packs a ton of flavor. This is a wonderful way to prepare beets when the weather is warm; light and refreshing, this dish would be the perfect start to a simple summertime meal. I use red beets here, but feel free to substitute any that you find – golden or chioggia beets would be delicious as well. Read More
Roasted Asparagus With Romesco Sauce
May 11, 2012This is the last time I’ll say it: Hurray for spring! Without a doubt, asparagus is one of the finest gifts spring has to offer, made all the more sweet by the relatively short time we have with it each year. I know, I know, your supermarket has asparagus all the time. Do me a favor – don’t eat it when it’s not springtime. Asparagus is just one of those... Read More
