The Wood-Fired Blog
Roasted Mushrooms With Green Garlic
May 03, 2012Here’s another recipe to celebrate a couple of spring’s here-now-gone-tomorrow offerings. If there’s one thing to complain about spring’s bounty, it’s that nothing sticks around for very long. Oh well – enjoy it while it lasts. This recipe will make it even easier, because it will take you about 2 seconds to make – three ingredients, and that’s it. If you can find them, use morel mushrooms, spring’s fungal grand... Read More
Spicy Roasted Fennel With Basil and Pumpkin Seeds
Apr 10, 2012Let us all now take a moment to appreciate the humble but supremely versatile fennel plant. Its bulb can be shaved and eaten raw, or cooked in pretty much whatever manner you see fit. Its fronds are used as an herb, its seeds as a spice. Beat that, other vegetables. I like the combination of fennel and spicy flavors, so that’s what we have here, along with basil, whose anise... Read More
Kohlrabi Gratin
Mar 26, 2012Kohlrabi is a delicious vegetable that is woefully underused here in the United States. A member of the cabbage family, kohlrabi has a sweet, mild flavor that is hard to pin down, but if I had to try I’d say it’s like a cross between broccoli, rutabaga and potato. When I reread that description, it doesn’t sound very good, but please don’t let it scare you away. Give kohlrabi a... Read More
Oven-Roasted Whitefish With Braised Celery Root Remoulade
Mar 19, 2012Here’s another classic French dish reinterpreted for the wood oven. This is a great one for dining al fresco on the beautiful spring nights that are now upon us (at least in Chicago – go figure). Read More
Roasted Carrots With Bacon and Maple Syrup
Mar 15, 2012Here’s a recipe scientifically formulated to get even the most ardent meat-and-potatoes type to eat their veggies. It worked on my dad, an avowed hater of carrots. So try it yourself and see if you can’t produce some converts. Read More
Roasted Leeks in Mustard Vinaigrette
Mar 05, 2012Leeks in vinaigrette is a classic French dish that I’ve updated here to utilize our favorite cooking device, the wood-fired oven. Usually the leeks are slowly stewed directly in the vinaigrette, but here I first roast the leeks in the oven, in order to incorporate both sweet caramelized onion and smoky wood fire flavors into the finished dish. Read More
Cherry Clafoutis
Feb 17, 2012This is a recipe I adapted from the inimitable Julia Child. I honestly don’t know why people don’t make or serve clafoutis more often – it’s one of the easiest desserts imaginable, you can make one with pretty much any fruit you’d care to, and it’s absolutely delicious. Maybe it’s the scary-looking French name. Call it a deep-dish crepe for all I care, just make one for your next dinner... Read More
Pan-Roasted Pike With Sherry-Glazed Mushrooms and Polenta
Feb 06, 2012You really can’t go wrong here: great fish, deep roasty-toasty mushrooms, rich polenta. Still, I was happy with how this one turned out. Polenta takes on a wonderful smoky flavor when cooked in the oven. I think the walleye pike works well for this dish, but if you can’t find that where you are, substitute barramundi (Asian sea bass) or even halibut. Read More
Spinach, Scallion and Chevre Frittata with Roasted Pepper Mayo
Jan 23, 2012I love frittatas. They’re a lot like pizza, that other stalwart of the wood-fired oven: they’re quick, relatively easy, and the flavor combinations are practically endless. Frittatas work great as a simple weeknight meal, but they’re also a good party buffet food, since they’re often served at room temperature. This particular frittata turned out well, but feel free to use this recipe as a jumping-off point for any ingredient-mixing alchemy... Read More
