Play Me a Recipe

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Carla Lalli Music makes Sorry, I Love Celery May 11, 2023

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On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Emma starts listing them at 1:03) before starting the episode.

Sorry, I Love Celery

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
2 garlic cloves
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
10 Castelvetrano olives
6 Piparra peppers
1 bunch celery
2 ounces Parmigiano
1/2 cup parsley leaves and tender stems

In a mortar and pestle or mini chopper, combine the anchovies and garlic with a big pinch of salt and many grinds of black pepper. Pulverize until a paste forms. (Alternatively, you can finely chop the anchovies and garlic together on a cutting board, then season with salt and black pepper and use the flat edge of the knife blade to smash the ingredients into a paste.)
Scrape into a medium bowl and whisk in lemon juice, olive oil, and Aleppo pepper until combined. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed.
Use the flat side of a chef’s knife to smash the olives and loosen the pits, then tear the flesh into 2 or 3 pieces (discard pits). Cut peppers in half lengthwise, then halve crosswise. Place the olives and peppers in a salad bowl.
Trim the celery at both ends, then separate the bunch into individual stalks; wash and dry. Snap off the light green leaves from innermost stalks and set those aside. Cut the celery into very thin slices on a dramatic angle, then transfer to the bowl with the olives and peppers.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave half the Parmigiano over. Add most of the dressing and toss with your hands to coat.
Add the parsley and reserved celery leaves and toss gently to combine. Shave the other half of the Parm over, drizzle with dressing, and top with a few more grinds of black pepper.

Danielle Prewett makes Wild Mushrooms with Sweet Corn Grits May 09, 2023

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If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Danielle starts listing them at 2:08) before starting the episode.

Corn Grits with Wild Mushrooms & Jammy Eggs

Serves 4

4 to 8 large eggs, depending on how hungry you are
2 fresh corn cobs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup diced roasted hatch chiles
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cup medium-ground grits or polenta (not instant)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (loosely packed)
1 pound wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, lobster, or oyster, cleaned well and dried
1 tablespoon neutral oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of half a lime
1 handful chopped cilantro leaves or chives, to garnish

Soft Boil the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and carefully ladle in each egg. Set a timer for 6:45 seconds for the perfect, soft-boiled egg. As soon as the timer goes off, transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel each egg. Set aside. This step can be made up to two days in advance.
Make the grits: Use the larger holes on a box grater and grate the corn. Do this inside of a large bowl to catch all of the liquid juices that come out. Set aside.
Heat butter or oil in a medium sized saucepan. Once hot, sauté the yellow onion until soft and lightly golden in color, 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour in 3 cups of water and stir the pan to release any browned bits at the bottom. Stir in the diced hatch chiles, grated corn, sea salt, and grits. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest and cook until thickened about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to keep the grits smooth. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the feta cheese and season to taste.
Make the mushrooms: Brush the mushrooms clean or wipe with a slightly damp towel. Do not wash under running water unless the mushrooms are gritty. If they are wet, be sure to let them air dry for a couple hours before cooking.
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and once hot, spread the mushrooms across the pan. Once they’re down, leave them down and let them properly brown. After a few minutes, give the pan a hard shake to release them from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stir to combine, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. When the garlic is soft and golden, turn off the heat and squeeze half a lime into the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Spoon the sweet corn grits into a large bowl and top with the browned mushrooms. Top with a soft-boiled egg (or two!), plus a sprinkle of chives or fresh chopped cilantro.

Amy Chaplin makes Super Green Bars May 09, 2023

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If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Amy starts listing them at 1:09) before starting the episode.

Super Green Bars, a variation on Hazelnut Dukkah Bars
Makes 16 to 20 bars, depending on the pan you use (see below)

1 ½ cups (7 ½ ounces | 215 g) raw pumpkin seeds
1 ½ cups (7 ½ ounces| 215 g) Austrian pumpkin seeds
2 cups (3½ ounces | 100 g) unsweetened flaked dried coconut
1 teaspoon flakey sea salt
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 sheet toasted nori, crushed
2 tablespoons dried nettle
2 teaspoons ceremonial matcha tea powder
¹/₃ cup (80 ml) brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Choose your pan (see below) and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Put both types of pumpkin seeds in a large strainer and rinse well under cold running water, then drain and set over a bowl to drain thoroughly while the oven heats.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the seeds. Toast pumpkin seeds for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the coconut over top. Return to the oven for another 8 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly browning and the seeds are toasted. Transfer to a bowl, add the fine and flakey salt, and mix well. Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a food processor and process, scraping the sides as necessary, until the mixture is smooth and liquid; set aside.
Add hemp seeds, nori, nettle and matcha tea to the remaining toasted seed and coconut and toss well to combine; set aside.
Bring rice syrup to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat. Add the ground seed mixture to the syrup mixture and stir until smooth. Pour into the bowl with the remaining toasted seed and coconut mixture and stir until thoroughly combined; you may need to use your hands to do this. Using clean, damp hands, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the parchment-lined pan.
Put the bars in the fridge for 1 hour or in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until thoroughly chilled and set. Cut into wedges, slices, or squares, depending on the pan, and store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 4 weeks; in warmer weather, store in the fridge. The bars can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Choosing Your Pan
You can use almost any pan you have on hand for these bars. Here are the pans I like to use and the yields they will give you:

8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan: twenty 1-inch (2.5 cm) wedges
8-inch (20 cm) square cake pan: sixteen 1¾-inch (4.5 cm) squares
5 x 9½-inch (13 x 24 cm) loaf pan: eighteen ½-inch (1.25 cm) slices
13 x 4-inch (33 x 10 cm) rectangular tart pan: eighteen 1½-inch (3.75 cm) wedges

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Emily Oster makes Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto & Burrata May 04, 2023

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This episode of Play Me a Recipe is produced in collaboration with M.M.LaFleur.

This summer, M.M.LaFleur is tossing out the old rules of living, working, and dressing, and making sure you are feeling ready for the shifting demands of work/life balance as the world reopens. Read how economist and bestselling author Emily Oster is rewriting the rules on M Dash.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below before starting the episode.

Roasted Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto & Burrata

Serves 4 to 6

For the carrot top pesto:

4 cups lightly packed washed carrot tops, stems discarded and roughly chopped, a small handful reserved
Handful basil leaves
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium garlic clove, halved lengthwise
1 teaspoon Maldon or other flaky sea salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the carrots:

20 small carrots, scrubbed and tops trimmed but stems left on
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 teaspoon plus a few pinches flaky salt
1/2 pound burrata, drained and at room temperature
3 tablespoons carrot top pesto, plus more to taste
Small handful basil leaves
Half a lemon
Bread, for serving (optional)

Make the pesto: Combine the carrot tops and basil in a food processor, pulse, then add the nuts, cheese, garlic, and salt. Pulse again, and then with the machine continuously running, add the oil in a thin stream. (You'll have to stop to scrape down the sides a few times.) Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Make the carrots: Heat oven to 500° F with a rack in the center.
Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into an ovenproof pan large enough to hold the carrots in a single layer (or do this step in two pans). Let the oil come to barely smoking over high heat, then add the carrots and stir to coat them in the oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt.
Cook, turning occasionally, until the carrots are browning in spots—this should take 6 to 8 minutes, and the carrots won't yet be cooked through.
Once they're nicely browned in spots, place the whole pan in the hot oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender and cooked through, about 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Toss the cooked carrots very gently, as they'll be soft, with the prepared pesto, using more or less based on your taste. Transfer the coated carrots to a platter, and top with the burrata. (You may want to halve or quarter your burrata, depending on its size, but that part is up to you.)
Add a few more dollops of pesto to the carrots, here and there, and sprinkle each piece of burrata with a bit of flaky salt.
Dress the reserved handful of carrot top sprigs with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, and a small pinch of salt, then top the carrots and burrata with the greens. Serve with toast for mopping up the cheese and bread, if you like.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Meherwan Irani makes Akuri May 04, 2023

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If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Meherwan starts gathering his ingredients at 0:42) before starting the episode.

Meherwan Irani's Akuri

1 cup finely diced white onion
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sea salt
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons diced serranos (or any green chili de-seeded)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or cayenne
1 cup chopped cilantro
8 eggs
2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream
2 tablespoons cold butter

In a large nonstick pan, sauté the onions in oil on medium-high heat with a generous pinch of salt, until the edges begin to brown.
Add tomatoes and chilies, and cook until the tomatoes have softened. Add turmeric and red chili powder.
Stir for a minute and add 2/3 of the cilantro.
Sauté for another minute and turn the heat off.
Whisk eggs and half-and-half to combine well (but don’t let the eggs gets frothy).
Return the pan with the eggs back to low heat and add the eggs. Cook the eggs gently, stirring frequently.
The eggs will start to form curds in 5-6 minutes. Add the butter in small chunks and stir them in.
In another 3-5 minutes, the eggs will be done. They should be soft and creamy.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Eden Grinshpan makes Poached Eggs with Freekeh Tabouleh, Harissa & Yogurt May 01, 2023

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Top Chef Canada host and Eating Out Loud author Eden Grinshpan dices, poaches, and swooshes her way through this Turkish-inspired poached eggs recipe with harissa and tabbouleh.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Eden starts listing them at 4:25) before starting the episode.

Poached Eggs with Freekeh Tabouleh, Harissa & Yogurt

Serves 2

Poached Eggs with Freekeh Tabbouleh

1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup plain yogurt with a large pinch of salt
2 tablespoons harissa, store-bought or homemade, plus more as needed
Freekeh-Celery Tabbouleh (below)
Aleppo pepper or red chile flakes
Flaky sea salt

Freekeh-Celery Tabbouleh

2 cups cooked cracked freekeh
2 cups chopped fresh parsley
2 cups chopped fresh dill
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Poached Eggs with Freekeh Tabbouleh

Fill a medium pot with about 5 inches of water and add the kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the vinegar and create a gentle vortex in the water by swirling it in a circle with a spoon. Reduce the heat to low and carefully crack the eggs into the water one at a time. Continue gently stirring in a circular motion to keep the egg whites from getting too wispy. Cook for 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Schmear the bottom of two bowls with the lemony yogurt (about a couple tablespoons each), then top with 2 poached eggs. Drizzle with the harissa (I like using the oil that settles on top—use more than you think you need). Mound the tabbouleh next to the eggs, sprinkle everything with Aleppo and sea salt, and serve

Freekeh-Celery Tabbouleh

In a large bowl, mix together the freekeh, parsley, dill, and celery. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and mix once more to combine.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kristen Miglore makes Tony Kim's "Cacio" e Pepe Apr 27, 2023

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If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Kristen starts listing them at 1:52) before starting the episode.

Tony Kim's "Cacio" e Pepe

Kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons white miso
1/2 cup chicken stock, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Sichuan pepper (or to taste), plus more for garnish**
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or to taste), plus more for garnish**
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste), plus more for garnish**
1 portion fresh ramen noodles (or dry ramen noodles in a pinch)

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together the butter and miso with a fork until smooth.
Melt the miso butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken stock, Sichuan pepper, white pepper, and black pepper, and bring to a boil.
Add the noodles into the boiling pot of water and cook until they are relaxed but still firmer than al dente, since they’ll continue cooking in the sauce, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Using chopsticks or tongs, lift the noodles out of the water and into the miso butter sauce. Stir and toss the noodles in the sauce until the noodles are cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 1–2 more minutes, adding a little bit more chicken stock if the sauce gets too thick. The noodles should be lightly coated in a buttery, peppery sheen. Taste, add a pinch of salt if needed, toss one more time, and heap onto a plate. Sprinkle lightly with each of the peppers, and serve immediately.
**Tony Kim's original recipe called for a teaspoon of each type of pepper, which I wimpily scaled back—because I know some of you will be as wimpy as me (though the Roman chef Marco Baccanelli does describe traditional cacio e pepe as "violent," so a tablespoon of pepper isn't out of place). Adjust the pepper amounts to your taste.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Dan Pelosi makes Mom's Portuguese Rice Apr 27, 2023

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If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below before starting the episode (Dan starts listing them at 0:39).

Mom's Portuguese Rice
Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 pound linguiça, cut into 1/8-inch thick coins on a diagonal
1 red pepper, chopped small
1 large white onion, chopped small
1 heaping tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
A handful of chopped parsley

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to a medium-sized oven safe pot or dutch oven. Over low heat, let olive oil heat up for about 5 minutes. Add linguiça coins to the pot and spread them out evenly. Cook linguiça until coins are brown and crispy on both sides, flipping the coins over half way through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove cooked linguiça from the pot and set aside on a plate.

3. Your pot will have a gorgeous orange oil left in from the fried linguiça. Add the chopped pepper, chopped onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring until browned, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Add 1 heaping tablespoon smoked paprika and stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the entire can of tomato paste and stir until everything is combined and the paste starts to caramelize, about 2-3 minutes.

6. Add 2 1/2 cups chicken stock and deglaze pan, stirring until all the crispy bits come off the pot into the mix.

7. Add 1 cup rice, 2 bay leaves and the linguiça (scrape any oil off the plate into the pan!) and stir until everything comes to a boil.

8. Place the cover on to your pot and place your pot into a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until rice is cooked through. If you check your rice needs more liquid as it cooks, add the extra ½ cup of chicken stock to pot, stir, and place back in to oven.

9. When rice is fully cooked, remove pot from oven and keep it covered, off-heat, for 5-10 minutes. This will make the rice extra creamy.

10. Served topped with chopped parsley and enjoy!

Bonus: If you wanted to add crispy chicken thighs to this dish, it really makes a great addition. Just start off with your chicken thighs skin down in your pot and cook them over medium until the skin releases from the pot, maybe 8-10 minutes. Flip over and cook about 5 minutes on the other side. Set thighs aside, and start your recipe at step 1, using the grease from the chicken instead of the ¼ cup of olive oil. Place the chicken thighs skin side up on top of rice before you place pot in oven and they will cook along with the rice!

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com.

Jenny Dorsey makes Barley Tofu With Chili Oil Apr 24, 2023

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If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Jenny starts listing them at 3:02) before starting the episode.

Barley Tofu
Serves 2
Barley "tofu"

3/4 cup (100 grams) barley flour
1 3/4 cups (375 grams). water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Neutral oil, for frying

Chili oil

8 dried red chili peppers
1 tablespoon whole red Sichuan peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns
2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced
3 stalks scallion, stemmed and minced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup neutral oil
Kosher salt, to taste
White sugar, to taste
White vinegar, to taste

Barley "tofu"

Whisk together barley flour, water, and salt until smooth in a medium pot.
Heat mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously for at least 10 minutes, until it thickens considerably and the raw flour taste is gone.
Quickly transfer barley mixture to a small nonstick loaf pan or brownie pan, and place plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture.
Place a flat, heavy item directly on top of the plastic wrap to flatten the mixture until it’s smooth at top. Ideally, the mixture has now been pressed into a rectangular shape that meets the edges of the pan you are using.
Let rest 4 hours or more before unmolding and slicing.
Remove barley tofu from pan, and slice into rectangles or squares of your choosing.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until slick and shiny.
Add barley tofu and pan fry on all sides until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels, and serve with sauce(s) or garnish of your choice.

Chili oil

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toast chiles on a sheet tray, 1-2 minutes, until darkened but not black.
Remove and let cool completely. Pulverize into powder with a spice grinder.
Dry toast Sichuan peppercorn and white pepper in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly fragrant, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Let cool completely, and grind coarsely with a spice grinder.
Combine chilies with spices, ginger, scallion, garlic in a heat-proof container.
Heat oil in a small pot until it reaches 300°F.
Carefully pour oil over chili mixture. It will bubble and steam immensely. Stir to combine, and let cool completely.
Season with salt, sugar, and vinegar to taste.
Let chili oil infuse in refrigerator overnight before serving.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Zoe Francois makes Candied Carrot Peel Apr 24, 2023

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When life gives 'Zoë Bakes Cakes' author Zoë François veggie scraps, she makes this stunning cake decoration: spiced, candied carrot peel.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Zoë starts listing them at 1:03) before starting the episode.

Carrot Peel Candy

1 cup (240 milliliters) simple syrup
1 tablespoon orange blossom water, or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 pinch kosher salt
Peels from 2 pounds (900 grams) organic carrots, washed

Preheat the oven to 200°F / 95°C. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the simple syrup, orange blossom water, and salt and warm to a gentle simmer. Add the carrot peels and cook just until the peels are turning translucent.
Strain the peels in a fine-mesh sieve and then lay them out on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake until the carrot peels start to curl up, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their thickness. Then turn the oven temperature to 100°F / 40°C and bake until completely dry; this can take several hours.
Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 48 hours.

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