Vegetable Enchiladas in Tomatillo Salsa Verde | On the menu for the Auto Club Group

Auto Club visit to the Little Kitchen

Occasionally the phone rings and a completely unexpected and welcome request comes through. On Friday, a man named Matt called, he was planning an outing for his auto club and had heard that The Little Kitchen served a good breakfast. Breakfast reservations are a challenge but when he told me that they would be arriving at 8am it was easy, plenty of room in the parking lot for 30 cars and seats in the dining room for what turned out to be 30 hungry men.

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Blackfish Veracruzana with beans

Blackfish Veracruzana

It was Mansell’s 12 th birthday yesterday. We partied at the beach and it was a blast. Her requested menu started with Grilled sushi tuna served rare, sliced thin and plated along side pickled ginger, wasabi and soy, Asa Gosman sent us the nicest piece of Tuna I’ve ever seen. She also wanted steamed mussels and marinara sauce, hot dogs, burgers and tomato mozzarella and olive oil (fresh from the airport in Rome.) Our good pal Michael Cinque arrived just in time with Fudgie the Whale from Carvel and we all sang for the birthday girl. Read More »

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Clams Casino

Summer is upon us. Crossing the road requires advanced planning ( if I can take a right & then a left). People are settling in for the summer, my children seem to be very happy …Jess, too. We dined in the “Tavern room” at the 1770 house on Thursday, no kids just us. Read More »

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More of Colin’s Kitchen Chronicles

This morning was harvest day at The Little Kitchen. First a 1/6 pan of blueberries followed by garlic scapes. The garlic topset flowers are ready for Scampi. Trying to separate the tiny cloves with your fingers is futile. Best to peel the outer cover that remains away and then place your palm on top of the bulb over a counter top and press down with a twist. These little cloves replace pre-chopped garlic for about a week. Combine in the pan with butter, opal and Genovese basil as the content begins to spit throw in 5 shrimp, a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt. Raul’s serving them with a bed of Jasmine rice and yellow zucchini cut into bite size pieces sautéed with butter and young onions. Read More »

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Pan Roasted Striped Bass

It’s getting hot in the kitchen. Last night we must have seen the temperature on the line exceed 120. Standing in front of the broiler, moving steaks from left to right, adding cheese to burgers, thumping the meat to test for done-ness, no experience in cooking that I’ve ever had has been quite so extreme. The fish station is not quite as hot, however it seems to get the lions share of our business. Striped bass is extremely popular, we’ve been serving it with asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, and grilled orange slices topped with citrus beuree blanc.

The same dish is finding success at The Little Kitchen. Just outside the back door my garlic has matured. Yesterday the buds popped open and their light purple seeds are now exposed. Ancient looking plants in the last phase of summer life, hard to believe we’re already ½ way through the season. Read More »

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Pan Roasted Monkfish with Orzo, spring vegetable & pan gravy

The Lodge sold out of Monkfish last night, Saturday is fish night. Sunday no monk sold, stuck holding 10 lbs. The dish was to be sold as local Montauk Monkfish, pea pods from East Hampton, yellow wax beans from Sag Harbor, garlic & basil from our garden. The garlic buds were tossed with all else in the pan and they held shape, curly and bright green. The staff was thin this evening, 2 waiters, one hit. No specials sold.

At the Little Kitchen garlic buds are reaching for the sky, the base of each plant almost as thick as my “pinky finger”. Behind The Lodge my plants are smaller and more plentiful. This recipe represents the seasons’ first garlic bulb harvest. Read More »

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BBQ Ribs

Ingredients:

Pork Ribs 9 sides
Mirpoix 1 quart (carrot, celery & onion rough chop)
Brown sugar 1 box
Chicken stock 2 gallons
White wine 1 quart
Salt pepper
Jalipeno 8 pc

The first step in preparing these ribs for service involves a braise. Start with a large braising pan over high heat with a few cups of vegetable oil, add the ribs one at a time rolling them as you add them, when browned add the mirpoix. Now add the brown sugar and then the rest of the ingredients. When the liquid begins to simmer place the braising pan in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Cook for 1.5 hours. The pork should be softening so the bones can be pulled from the flesh. Read More »

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Miso Grilled Salmon Salad

For Miso dressing:

1.5 cups red miso paste
6 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup OJ
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup blended oil
1 box soft tofu
1 tablespoon garlic powder (course)
1 tablespoon ginger powder

Blend all until smooth Read More »

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Shepherds Pie

The swans have settled in completely, May 1, 2007 And she spends hours on the nest, photo session at 7:30 pm, just after the magic light had faded. The lady kept her head under wing until I reached the 20 feet zone. As she looked at me the mark was set, doubtful I’ll ever get any closer while she tends the eggs. Read More »

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Salami crusted Pork Loin

Ingredients:

3 lb or 6 inches of American pork loin
1 large red tomato sliced
1 large yellow tomato diced
8 slices salami
2 cups fennel tops, whole

On a roasting pan arrange a bed of fennel tops then the pork loin, season with salt and pepper now top with tomato slices, follow with salami slices fanned out over the top. Place in a 350 hot oven and roast for 45 min.- 1 hour.

Remove and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve with 2 slices of roasted salami topped with diced yellow tomato. A scatter of fennel fronds about the plates rim make a nice garnish.

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Southern Fried Catfish with red slaw & sweet potato fries

Ingredients:

4 cat fish fillets
1 cup AP flour
½ cup polenta
1/2 cup panko
4 tablespoons Cajun spices
2 cups egg whites
2 cups of blended oil

Combine all dry ingredients and set up the egg whites in a dredging tray then dip the fillets in the egg whites. Follow by coating with the breading (dry ingredients) and set in the largest frying pan you have coated with the oil, over high heat. As soon as the fillets begin to brown turn them over and then remove to a sheet pan, place in a 375 oven for 10 minutes. Read More »

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Linguini and Tomato with Sweet Sausage and Shiitake

This spring shows signs of new growth already, the garlic sprouts in my kitchen garden have been up for some time, with cold weather and North Easter storms in the norm those shoots are slow to develop. As I walked a golf course on the edge of the Atlantic this morning a swans nest caught my eye. Male and female moved about nervously keeping an eye on the mound that they had just built. As the season comes into focus, recipes will evolve with each new harvest. I’ll keep my recipes in order as they come to me. With the days progression photos will keep track of the season with an eye on the garlic and the signets. Read More »

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Colin’s Kitchen Chronicles

The kitchen is a comfort zone that I find myself in daily, regardless of the place or time. For example, last night I visited the home of a neighbor— the house is historic— on a bluff over looking the ocean. The guests were all attractive and interesting people to be with.

I went to the kitchen as soon as the introductions were completed. It’s a truly spectacular wing of the house with large cabinets fronted in glass, filled with plates and glasses of every shape, color and size dating back to a time when this house may have been built (early 20th century). The house has at least 8 bedrooms by my count. As I walked through the pantry/ staging room it brought images of ocean front parties for 20 or 30 people with five and six course dinners to the front of my imagination. The chef was busy and paid little attention to my interest, a staff of four stood to his side preparing sushi rolls and wonton’s for passing on the patio outside. I continued to paint the picture in my minds eye of the meal that I would like to orchestrate in this room with the talented people who surrounded me. Those brief moments will be my favorite memory of a night that may otherwise have been a fog of quick conversation and little more. Read More »

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Bone Sucking Pulled Pork

In the early days of my Estia Amagansett reincarnation to Mexican “Cantina” cooking I developed this recipe to fill the need for an authentic taco. Having just spent a day in the kitchen at Gerry Hayden’s Amuse, on 18th street in Manhattan’s Chelsea, I had seen a similar preparation for his menu. This Version has removed a call for garlic cloves, jalapeños and tomato paste and replaced them with two of Le Gourmet Chef’s staples, Bone Sucking sauce (thicker style) and Chef Tom Douglas’s “steak rub” from his Rub With Love line. Read More »

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