#daisymartinez

In this episode, Maria and June, two of the attendees from my first cooking class at Whitehead Light Station in Maine, join me in my kitchen for an afternoon of food, laughs and reconnecting.  

     Most of you know that I celebrated a birthday this past Monday May 6...and I thank you for all the messages, posts, graphics, well wishes, cards and gifts that I received! You all made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside with every little ping of my iPhone signaling another message! The highlight of my very special day however, was a dinner at Maialino, the Danny Meyer restaurant at the Gramercy Hotel , organized by my children, with special guests JD Urban and Jason Lawrence.

     It's no coincidence that my kids chose this particular restaurant, as my son Erik (Read More) is the bar manager here, and he was prepared to roll out the red carpet for my very special birthday dinner party! The boys started off with one of Erik's favorite cocktails, The American Trilogy, a whiskey based cocktail with bitters and orange twist, and we were informed by our waiter that we need not order, as the kitchen would be taking care of our table, and once assured that there were no food allergies, etc. he went off to start us on our into a Roman Trattoria!

     Our antipasto course was first, and our waiters brought out platters of Homemade Mortadella studded with pistachios, a home cured Breasola, a Shaved Raw Asparagus Salad, Beef Carpaccio, Grilled Octopus with Ramps, and a beautiful crock of Housemade Pate with grilled bread croutons, braised fennel, and maitsuke mushrooms. Be still my beating heart!! If this was any indication what the rest of the meal was going to be like, Maialino is my new favorite restaurant!

      Our pasta course was absolutely other-wordly! Six different pasta dishes to choose from, all the pasta made on the premises, each sauced and seasoned impeccably! Spaghetti Caccio e Pepi, Linguini Pesto, and Ravioloni al Uovo ( a giant ravioli stuffed with ricotta and a runny egg yolk that made the "sauce" when you cut into the pasta) all dazzled, but were soon joined by three more platters of deliciousness, Ravioletti stuffed with a smooth chicken liver paste, Cavatelli with pork sausage, and a Garganelli with Fava Beans. Each course was paired with its own wine, the conversation and the laughter flowing with every sip and bite! 

Welcome to my new website! I created it, because I want to be more accessible to my fans by making this site an interactive forum, where you can be confident that I am the one answering your questions and responding to your feedback.

In addition, I want to keep you abreast of all the new and exciting ventures I'm participating in, local appearances, new recipes and restaurant discoveries! I’m hoping to be posting regularly and look forward to hearing what you think!

We have an emotional connection to food.  It's the only thing in life that we all have in common - no matter our ethnicity, our heritage, or the culture in which we were raised.  Food shows us that the sameness that brings us together is far greater than the differences that divide us.  

Each of us can think of a certain meal, a flavor, or an aroma that immediately brings us peace, or reminds us of a loved one, or a beloved memory.  Our response to food was given to us by our ancestors, who melded their traditional recipes with the flavors and ingredients they found in the United States.  My parents were from Puerto Rico, so I have a passion for the cuisines of Latin America and the foods I remember from my childhood like mofongo, empanadas and pernil.  Food was a big part of how our parents showed us their love, and I've done the same for my kids.

As a chef, I've been exposed to people and foods from around the world, and each has influenced and inspired me.  But when times are tough, I always go back to the comfort foods.  And I've had a lot of tough times over the past year.  While continuing to cook, write and support the causes I love, I've been going through a divorce.   It's taught me a lot about myself and my love for cooking.  I'm starting fresh, with a renewed passion for life and what I do, and I want to share this adventure with you. 

That's why I'm in the process of creating a new web-series, simply called Daisy.  I'll be traveling and meeting up with friends, colleagues, farmers, restaurant owners and fans to teach you how to make delicious and healthy meals without breaking the bank.  And, along the way, we'll share the stories and experiences that unite us and reveal our emotional connection to food.

I look forward to starting this journey with you! Stay tuned for more details. OXO - Daisy

  If you've ever stood in front of the refrigerator and stared aimlessly inside without a clue as to what you want, then this post is for you. Those are the moments when, instead of eating endless sleeves of crackers and cheese, peanut butter cups, or chocolate candy, what you really want is a bowl of comfort straight from your mom. I've had the good fortune to experience this as a daughter and a mom, so let me share some dishes that I make for my children when they need a hug from home.

     Nothing says love to me like a bowl of soup, and I don't know a single kid who doesn't love meatballs, so I came up with this recipe for Chicken Albondiga Soup, perfect for lunch, or as part of a hearty dinner. I season the tender ground chicken with a little freshly grated ginger, garlic and cilantro and I poach the meatballs directly in some of that great Basic Chicken Broth that I have handily pulled from my freezer! I've added carrots and celery, but you could also add parsnips, or cubed potatoes or even some yuca! I can tell you that it smells great, but tastes ten times better! Ingredients (serves 6)

2 quarts Basic Chicken Broth

1 pound ground chicken*

½ cup grated Spanish onion

¼ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

4 large carrots, sliced on the bias ¼ inch ~3 1/2 cups

5 stalks celery, sliced on bias ¼ inch ~3 cups

½ cup sliced scallions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg, beaten

½ cup breadcrumbs

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper

*makes about 25 1 Tablespoon sized meatballs

Directions

1. Heat the broth to a simmer. Place the ground chicken, onion, ginger,

garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, cilantro salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl,

and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Form into 1 Tablespoon sized

meatballs (wet your hands to prevent sticking), and when finished forming,

gently drop onto the simmering broth.

2. When the meatballs start to float, add the carrots and celery, and skim

any foam that rises to the top until the vegetables are tender, about 10

minutes. Garnish with sliced scallions.

     Another "go to" comfort food is macaroni and cheese. The start of any good mac and cheese is a good bechamel sauce, and anyone that has ever put a gooey floury glop of bad mac and cheese knows how important a satiny, silky bechamel is. There is no rushing it...you will spend a good 30 minutes stirring it, cooking out that raw flour taste, and working the texture of that sauce into something that looks like Jesus at the Rapture! Putting my spin on it, I'm adding rendered bacon lardons, and using a drop of the bacon fat in the roux (i know, i KNOW, but I don't eat this everyday!), some jalapeño Cabot cheese, and adding some pickled jalapeños to punch up the acid contrast. The result is so good, you'll be stabbing yourself in the neck with your fork (I don't advise doing this!).  Ingredients

1 pound of slab bacon, cut into ½ inch dice

4 tablespoons of sweet butter + more for pan prep

1/4 cup AP flour

2 cups whole milk

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground nutmeg

sea salt and a pinch of ground red pepper

8 ounces Jalapeño Colby cheese, grated

1 cup pickled jalapeños, drained

1 pound rotini

Directions

1. Place the bacon in a large skillet with ¾ cups of water over medium high heat. When the water evaporates completely, lower the heat and render the bacon until crispy and browned. Set to drain on paper towels, and set aside.

2. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to direction less 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside. Prepare a baking dish with butter and set aside. In the meantime make your béchamel. In another medium saucepan, melt the butter, over medium low heat, and whisk in the flour when the butter is completely melted. Lower the heat to low, whisking the flour mixture for 2-3 minutes to dissolve any lumps.

3. Add the milk to the roux slowly, whisking the entire time, until all the milk is incorporated. Adjust the heat to medium low, stirring constantly,paying special attention to the corners of the saucepan to avoid scorching. Add the bay leaf and the seasonings to the milk. You cannot rush a good béchamel, so plan on being there for about 30 minutes. Once the sauce starts to thicken, lower the heat to very low, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until you can no longer can taste raw flour in the sauce. The finish should be satiny and silky, glossy and beautiful.

4. Add the cheese to the hot sauce, remove from heat, and whisk until cheese is completely incorporated. Add half of the bacon and the jalapeños into the sauce, and pour the sauce over the rotini, stirring to coat completely. Pour pasta into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle remaining bacon and jalapeños over the top. Cover with parchment lined foil paper, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot!

     Finally, you guys all know how I'm the girl that will eat another pork chop instead of having dessert, but that being said, nothing puts a smile on my kids' faces more than a chocolate cake, so I roll up my sleeves and put it together. I'm fond of saying that I don't bake (culinary and pastry are two very different languages!), but I do incorporate a couple recipes into my repetoire, and this Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Filling and Chocolate Ganache Frosting is a sure fire hit. The only thing missing is an ice cold glass of milk!