Brian Nelson - Food And Recipe

November 21, 2022

53 Christmas Eve Dinner Recipes for a Festive Feast

Wondering what to cook for the most wonderful time of the year? TODAY Food has you covered with the best recipes to make for your Christmas Eve dinner.

Christmas Eve invites a wide range of traditions for those who celebrate, most of which involve gathering with friends, family and loved ones at some point in the evening. And planning a great meal is an important part of the holiday festivities, no matter how you enjoy gearing up for the big day on Dec. 25.

Caroling around the neighborhood? Fuel up with some light bites beforehand and enjoy a hearty dinner afterwards to soothe the cold. Staying in with the kids to decorate cookies for Santa? Make a big pot of Christmas pasta sauce that can simmer while Santa’s sweet snacks bake in the oven. Trying to stay up for midnight mass? Make a beautiful two-course meal with an earlier appetizer and serve the main course later to keep everyone tied over. Throwing a big Christmas Eve bash? Kick it off with festive finger foods and Christmas cocktails, followed by a fancy roast.

To make menu planning even easier, we divided the roundup into appetizers and entrées, each with something for everyone. There’s vegetarian options, hot soup for a sit-down starter and individually portioned hors d’oeuvres that can be easily passed around or set out on a decorated table. Savor seafood dishes and flavorful pastas for the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or cozy up with a holiday movie and a big portion of meatloaf. The most crucial part of preparing any of these recipes is that everyone enjoys who they’re with and savors a bit of Christmas magic!

Appetizers

Courtesy Ed Anderson

“There’s nothing like eating glazed nuts still warm from the oven, toasty and flavorful through and through. They’re perfect served with a cocktail for an easy appetizer and will elevate any cheese-and-fruit plate to new heights,” says Bobby Flay.

Anthony Michael Contrino

“When I think about how many baked clams we go through on Christmas Eve, it’s absurd — my brother can wipe out a couple dozen himself!” says Anthony Contrino. “We always make more than we need and whatever is leftover gets served on Christmas Day.”

Kelsey Nixon's Tear-and-Share Warm Cheesy Bread Wreath with Marinara

Zach Pagano / TODAY

Want to have the kids help out and eat a few shares of food? This is a great recipe to keep your kids busy as they help you with the holiday dinner.

TODAY

Potato pancakes are a favorite holiday dish of Ina Garten’s husband Jeffrey. Her secret for the crispiest and creamiest ones is to combine both grated and mashed potatoes.

Casey Barber

These crab-stuffed mushrooms may look totally decadent, but they’re actually light and airy, which means they’re an ideal way to start a holiday celebration. And don’t be shy about making a big batch — even if they’re just for you and your loved ones.

Getty Images/Cavan Images

Alex Guarnaschelli’s crab dip is such a great option for gatherings and get-togethers because it is so versatile. “I really like to maximize an expensive ingredient like crab and dip is a smart and tasty way to do just that,” she says. “Buy really great quality crabmeat so it is front and center in the dish. But, if you do not like crab, swap it for chicken! If spicy isn’t your thing, omit the cayenne pepper and Tabasco.”

Quentin Bacon

Whenever Ina Garten has leftover baguette, she likes to slice it diagonally and keep it in the freezer. “This way I can make these cheesy toasts in minutes,” she says. “Toast the bread slices, then add the garlic and goat cheese. They’re perfect to serve with drinks or as a crouton to float on top of a bowl of soup.”

Martha Stewart's Baked Brie with Boozy Fruit Compote

Konstantin Kopachinsky / Shutterstock

Martha Stewart’s show-stopping, gooey baked brie is perfect for cocktail hour. “Your goal is to welcome guests with nibbles, not fill them up too much before the main event,” she says. It’s a perfect board to adorn with red-colored fruits and green herbs to make it as festive as you want.

Nathan R. Congleton / TODAY

The layers of flavor from this caponata are simple but powerful, while the salty bacon, capers and sweet raisins provide a nice variety of textures.

Mini Meatballs with Sweet-and-Sour BBQ Glaze

Casey Barber

Packed with a little sweetness and a lot of punch, these adorable, bite-sized meatballs are fun to serve as a finger food (though some festive toothpicks might help cut back on saucy fingers).

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

These bite-sized, flavor-packed bites have the full experience of mouthwatering lasagna with some added crunch — plus, they’re portable.

Brandon Goodwin / TODAY

Flaky, crisp phyllo dough, tender asparagus with a cheesy, salty filling — this easy-to-make appetizer will definitely be a hit at any holiday dinner.

Daniel Krieger / The Laws of Cooking…and How to Break Them

Who knew that the humble new potato could be turned into shell casing for a bullet of flavor? These little bombs of cheesy, buttery flavor are a great way to fuel up for the holiday season.

Everything Pigs-in-a-Blanket with Cranberry Mustard

Courtesy Robin Ventress

This is a great recipe for family snacks any time of year but is especially fun for the holidays to counter the abundance of sweet snacks. The cranberry mustard is also great served with roasted turkey or pork and added to leftover sandwiches.

Sunny's Easy Holiday Brussels Sprout Salad

Rebekah Lowin / TODAY

Sunny Anderson’s Brussels sprout salad has the big flavors of the holidays — cranberries, pecans, rosemary, nutmeg — while still being fresh and light. It’s a refreshing reprieve from all the heavy eating of the rest of the meal.

Easy Jumbo Shrimp Wrapped in Pancetta and Sage

Quentin Bacon

The flavors for this dish come from traditional Roman saltimbocca: veal cutlets with sage and prosciutto. The tender prawns balance the meatiness and crispiness of the bacon, and the sage, tempered by the lemon, makes it all very fresh-tasting.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

It is so easy to enhance a traditional Pate a Choux recipe by simply adding grated cheese and pepper to the dough. It’s the perfect vehicle for an easy, elegant appetizer. Be sure to brush the tops of the puffs with egg wash before baking for a beautiful, glossy crust.

Pumpkin, Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Flatbreads

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

The opposing flavors and textures of the crispy, salty bacon and sweet, smooth pumpkin butter actually complement one another perfectly. The savory Brussels sprouts round out the autumnal flavor profile of this seasonal dish.

Alamy Stock

This creamy fall soup contains nutty chestnuts with sweet celery root and apples. It’ll set a smooth tone for the rest of the meal. Bonus: It can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen so it’s ready when you are.

Broccoli and Cheese Twice-Baked Potatoes

Helen Healey / TODAY

The potato is one of the humblest foods, but it has the ability to be a superstar — especially when you add cheese and broccoli. This dish is a winner for kids of all ages and is as welcome on a holiday table as it is for a quick, mid-week meal.

Nathan R. Congleton / TODAY

Most greens work well in this addictive dip recipe: Spinach, mustard greens, Swiss chard, collards, beet greens, and turnip greens each contribute their distinctive flavor, all with slightly different results.

Discovery+

These inventive bites turn a classic bloody mary cocktail into a delectable appetizer. They’re a refreshing departure from the usual party fare, are so fun to dip and they’re vegan-friendly, too!

Fried Squash Rings with Pear, Dried Cherries and Feta

TODAY

Delicata squash rings are roasted, tempura-dredged, fried, then stuffed with a simple salad of raw pear, dried cherries, feta cheese and a few sprigs of arugula. The result is a sweet yet savory wonder, perfect for a starter or perhaps a decadent side dish on a holiday table.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

These super sprouts are so cute, they’re irresistible. The recipe can be a side dish or an appetizer, and it’s a cinch to make — only three ingredients. The best way to get a picky eater to eat their vegetables? Wrap ’em in bacon!

Giadzy

Giada De Laurentiis likes to whip up these crostini when guests stop by. “The poached pears are especially comforting as the weather gets cooler,” she says. “They’re easy to make and always delight a crowd.”

Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay’s baked ricotta is a great easy-to-prepare and shareable starter for a crowd. “It works well as a center-of-the-table appetizer, served with grilled toast,” says Flay. “The fontina and cream cheese help solidify the creaminess of the ricotta and the sun-dried tomato sauce gives the flavors a well-deserved contrast of sweet acidity.”

Entrées

Anthony Michael Contrino

Make this gorgeous Christmas Eve dish by Anthony Contrino. A homemade, delicately spiced sauce of San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and calamari sticks to al dente linguine. The wonderful thing is, once you’ve stewed the calamari in the tomatoes, you can cool the sauce and reheat it later on.

Kardea Brown

Kardea Brown puts her own twist on her grandmother’s holiday ham with Cajun seasoning. Pro tip: She uses the leftovers to make biscuits and gravy the next day for an easy Christmas breakfast or brunch.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Chicken Parmigiana is the definition of classic Italian comfort food. The crispy breaded cutlets, bright tomato sauce and melty cheese make it irresistibly delicious, warming and satisfying. The leftovers also make some of the best sandwiches.

Roasted Turkey Breast with Apricot-Herb Butter

Courtesy Moriah Brooke

Celebrate Christmas Eve with a vibrant roast turkey breast that gets smothered in an herbacious apricot butter. Glazing it at the end provides a festive hue that looks gorgeous on a platter of citrus and pomegranate.

Curtis Stone's Pan-Fried Snapper with Fennel and Salsa Verde

Quentin Bacon

“I love this recipe because it’s so fresh and easy! I can prep my ingredients ahead of time and just put everything together in a matter of minutes right before serving,” Curtis Stone says about this ideal-for-entertaining dish.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Save time and brine and thaw at the same time! Take a frozen turkey and thaw in a brine solution and kill two birds with one stone (get it?). It will take about 12 hours or overnight. Leave a thermometer in to make sure water doesn’t get above 40 F.

Cider-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Plum Chutney

Quentin Bacon / Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten/Clarkson Potter/Publishers

This roast pork with hard apple cider will fill your home with a wonderful aroma. Your guests will thank you. A million times over.

Nathan Congleton/TODAY

These lobster meatballs are a decadent combination of upscale-meets-low-key. Whether you serve them a la carte or over your favorite pasta, everyone at the party will be impressed.

Easy Glazed Ham with Sriracha and Orange Marmalade

Grace Parisi / TODAY

Six ingredients combine to make a knockout roast in this holiday ham. The marmalade is citrus-y, sweet and a little bitter, the Sriracha is tangy and peppery, the ginger is sharp and spicy, and the lemon juice balances out the sweetness of brown sugar with just the right amount of sour.

Quentin Bacon

This hearty dish is a winter favorite that is perfect to serve as a vegetarian main. It’s filled with earthy sage flavors that pair beautifully with buttery squash.

Glazed Turkey Meatloaf with Sage-Cornbread Stuffing

Nathan Congleton / Nathan Congleton

This all-in-one dish is comforting, festive and fun for any holiday dinner. Turkey meatloaf gets seasoned with classic barbecue flavors and filled with a surprise center of cornbread stuffing.

Maggie Shi

This classic dish is surprisingly successful and easy to make in your slow cooker. So let your crockpot do the work if you’re having guests over.

Casey Barber / TODAY

Cooking a prime rib roast — especially for company — can be intimidating. Impress without the stress with this no-fail guide to putting a perfect prime rib roast on the table.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

This dish combines everything Reed Alexander loves about Italy — pasta shells, fresh herbs, marinara, succulent shrimp and scallops — in one single dish that can easily and affordably feed a crowd.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

A little spice, a nice portion of protein and tender noodles make this easy dish a win for entertaining on Christmas Eve. It goes well with a range of wines and salads and won’t require too much cleanup.

Courtesy Skyler Bouchard

Make vegetarian potpie quick and easy with frozen veggies and store-bought puff pastry.

Aubrie Pick / Giada’s Italy: My Recipes for La Dolce Vita

Giada De Laurentiis has plenty of pasta dishes but there’s something incredibly comforting about this classic. Cacio e pepe gets a beautiful hit of additional saltiness from pancetta and more peppery bite from the leafy green arugula.

Pinot-Braised Beef Stew with Baby Potatoes and Pearl Onions

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Make a hearty pot of red wine-braised beef stew to make whomever you’re cooking for a happy camper. It’s also super simple to make ahead of time (it can be frozen, too) and warmed up when the festivities are about to commence.

Tagliatelle and Italian Sausage with Sage Cream Sauce

Nathan R. Congleton / TODAY

Creamy, rich and way easier than it looks, this fast pasta dinner idea comes from twin chefs Tony and John Alberti. Fresh sage makes the sauce especially fragrant. Serve the pasta topped with crispy fried sage leaves.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Two simple vegetarian additions turn simple one-pot pasta into a vibrant main dish. You can customize the ingredients to suit your taste. You can use any kind of noodle you prefer or switch up the greens with chopped kale, escarole or chard instead of spinach.

Simple Italian Vegetable and Chickpea Stew

Laura Vitale

Rich and savory, this simple-yet-elegant vegetarian stew will warm guests from the inside out. Serve it with crusty bread and a salad, and you’ve got Christmas Eve dinner all set!

Kelly Harrison

In this decadently creamy meatball dish flavored with allspice, Joy Bauer put her own loving spin on the Swedish meatballs from a world-famous furniture store (you know the one). It’s an absolute crowd pleaser that feels festive, too.

Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

A tangy, warm and slightly sweet glaze takes this baked him to the next level. It’s quick and simple to put together and looks beautiful as the centerpiece to a holiday feast.

Easy Steak with Herb Butter and Green Beans

Brandon Goodwin / TODAY

Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or a partner or friend on Christmas Eve, this steak feels glamorous, but uses simple ingredients to create a buttery, flavorful dish that’ll feel like you’re dining out.

Baccalà alla Livornese (Braised Salt Cod)

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

Prepare the fish a day or two in advance by soaking it in milk, which omits some of the fishy flavor and allows the bright, savory ingredients to pop. On Christmas Eve, just pop everything in one dish, bake for 40 minutes and you’re done!

Sheet Pan Flounder with Roasted Tomatoes and Black Olives

Gentl + Hyers / “Small Victories” by Julia Turshen

One of Julia Turshen’s go-to dishes when she has friends over for dinner, it’s the easiest and tastiest way to make fish for a group. Even if you double the recipe, you can cook all the pieces at the same time; there’s no splattering or mess whatsoever and there’s no chance of the fish sticking to the pan.

Nathan Congleton / TODAY

This produces a straightforward, classic, simple dish that is just so delicious. You just can’t beat a beautifully roasted chicken. It’s comforting, easy to prepare and perfect for entertaining or feeding the family.

November 20, 2022

This Pecan Pie Dessert Cups Recipe Is Even Better Than Pecan Pie (Seriously) | Pies

If you like pecan pie, then you will adore these uncomplicated and tasty pecan pie dessert cups. They’re like pecan pie, but superior. Here’s why:

Our relatives enjoys pecan pie. Every 12 months during Thanksgiving and Christmas, I make this delicious pecan pie recipe, created by my friend Donna’s grandma. It truly is so delicious! But I was hunting for a way to provide pecan pie in particular person parts, to make it simpler to serve and handier to give as items.

The result is this divine pecan pie cups dessert recipe, which my partner explained “is so significantly improved than pecan pie!” That is due to the fact whilst pecan pie’s ooey-gooey goodness will come from all that butter and brown sugar, there’s not substantially far more to it than that. This pecan pie cups recipe has flour and even some oats in it, which develop much more material while even now retaining that pecan pie character that we love.

I am whipping up batches of these delicious pecan pie desserts for Thanksgiving, and to ship residence with our attendees. Hope you get pleasure from them, too!

Delicacies: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook dinner Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Servings: Will make 24 muffin cups

Substances

1 cup flour (I used gluten-free of charge flour)
1/2 cup oats (I used gluten-no cost oats)
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups chopped pecans
4 eggs
1 and 1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla

Here’s how to make it:

Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and pecans in a huge bowl. Stir to merge.
In yet another bowl, whisk the eggs right up until foamy. Increase the butter and vanilla, and combine well.
Incorporate the soaked substances to the dry right up until just blended.
Pour the batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Fill each muffin tin pretty much complete with the batter.
Bake in a preheated 350-diploma F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or right until a toothpick comes out thoroughly clean.
Allow for to neat on a wire rack ahead of taking away cups from muffin tins. Serve with a dollop of whipped product, if desired.

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November 20, 2022

This Is How Often You Should Replace These 10 Common Kitchen Tools

Pinkyone/Shutterstock

A dwelling contains a variety of rooms occupied one particular way or one more, and house owners dedicate substantially time to building them appear their very best. When we think of which area is used the most, the residing home may possibly arrive to thoughts, but for every reworking company Kurtis, the kitchen acquires extra foot visitors than any other room. As a result, property owners target on the transformation of the room far more than their bedrooms considering that it really is noticed by numerous men and women, such as buddies, family members users, or other guests. Therefore, the kitchen must be thoroughly practical and glance beautiful as perfectly.

Simply because the kitchen is made use of everyday, a lot of parts inside of the room are generally employed, such as cooking utensils, cleaning items, and kitchenware, which need to be switched out above time. Of class, there are means to make your instruments last lengthier, but it can be uncomplicated to forget about when was the past time selected merchandise had been changed because there’s a plethora to retain keep track of of.

Not clearing out worn-out spatulas, sponges, cooking elements, etc., can increase micro organism which can unfold germs and harm your health. It may be time to go by means of your drawers and make a pile of kitchen equipment that have achieved their conclusion. We’ve gathered some tools you should really contemplate changing on your future deep cleansing working day.

1. Cutting boards

Image Supply/Getty Visuals

Slicing boards are inclined to improve microbes for the reason that they contact each individual food item, from meat to vegetables to fruits. Around time, the knives will generate grooves on the surface that can store foodstuff and sort bacteria. Every reducing board ought to be sanitized and dried right after just about every use, but if your boards have scratched surfaces, you really should change them.

2. Dish towels

Sergey Kirsanov/Getty Illustrations or photos

Dish towels are utilised usually to thoroughly clean the counters or dry the dishes since they are improved than throwing away paper towels. Nevertheless, given that the towels soak up spilled foodstuff or beverages, they should be washed often. Although washing them will never make them very last forever, after the fibers turn out to be frayed or smell, it can be time to replace them.

3. Vegetable peelers

Fotoforce/Getty Images

You may be wondering why a vegetable peeler would will need replacing, but when it stops operating as swiftly as it made use of to and the blade is uninteresting, it is time for a new a single.

4. Kitchen sponges

Pixelseffect/Getty Photos

Kitchen area sponges are the holy grail for microbes simply because they’re by no means sanitized. As a substitute, they maintain humidity. It is amusing to consider that a cleaning sponge would require cleansing, but cleansing them is very important to prevent wellbeing pitfalls. Switch them each and every few of weeks, but if they are not falling aside, then regular.

5. Refrigerator drinking water filters

Baloon111/Getty Illustrations or photos

Drinking water filters lessen contamination by removing impurities, creating h2o much healthier and taste much better. Owners should switch the refrigerator’s water filter every six months, or if your filter comes with a manual, it’ll advocate when the filter ought to be improved.

6. Plastic storage containers

Lithiumcloud/Getty Images

Storage containers are handy for packing your lunch or leftover supper, but working with them continuously can dress in them out, in particular if they’re place in the microwave. They can get stained immediately and will not past as lengthy if they are not cared for thoroughly. If they are in good situation, though, and managed, they’ll past up to a few several years.

7. Coffee maker

Liudmila Chernetska/Getty Illustrations or photos

Nothing at all can maintain you hotter than a warm cup of coffee on a wet day. While, if the espresso maker brews your joe slowly but surely, you might remain chilly a little more time. The tubes that filter the drinking water can calcify, so they should be decalcified month to month. Espresso makers will previous about 5 several years right before they have to have to be replaced.

8. Baking soda

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Illustrations or photos

It can be simple to ignore that baking soda has an expiration date due to the fact it really is applied when it truly is needed for baking or cleaning. The container holds so considerably that you could think you will be able to go as a result of it before you have to have a new 1. You’ll notice if baking soda has expired if it’s not active when you happen to be employing it.

9. Wood spoons

Debby Lewis-harrison/Getty Images

The far more wooden spoons are made use of for cooking, the easier they are to split and crack, so the moment they crack, change them. Like wood reducing boards, they can increase bacteria if wooden spoons aren’t cleaned or sanitized correctly. Only soaking them in drinking water for a couple of hours need to take away all the meals debris.

10. Can opener

Pictures Company/Getty Photographs

Can openers are solid, cutting right by means of steel, but their blade can halt functioning after just one also several cans. The moment the blade will not lower through cans any more, it is time to buy a new 1.

November 20, 2022

7 essential cocktail recipes, including martini, Manhattan and Negroni

Comment

Whenever I entertain friends at my place, I wonder if one of them might challenge me — or rather, challenge my booze collection — by asking for a drink they’ve never had before. Will someone give me a reason to use that bottle of crème de violette I bought a decade ago and have only used two ounces of, or ask me to make something with that weird amaro hidden on the lower shelf? Maybe they’ll want a missionary’s downfall or a flor de jerez or an alamagoozlum, a drink I have never made but really enjoy saying out loud.

It never happens. Even my fellow cocktail-geek friends don’t typically arrive with schemes to throw down the booze gauntlet. They come to hang out, talk, relax and have a good drink, often something comforting and familiar. They want a margarita. They want an old-fashioned. They want something they know and love.

They want something on this list. And if you know how to make these drinks, you’ll be a well-prepared cocktail host, and also well-prepared — if you want to be — to dive deeper down the cocktail rabbit hole.

These drinks are all essentials and all classics. It says something that after 20 years (give or take) of the cocktail renaissance and the explosion of bibulous invention and creativity it brought, the drinks many still regard as the most critical essentials have all been around for much longer. A few of them have been here for more than a century.

Which is not to say that many newer drinks aren’t excellent. But a lot of the best and most enduring newer tipples were built on the foundations these drinks laid, executing their proportions and principles — fresh juices, balanced flavors, quality spirits — in new ways.

All of these essential cocktails are makeable with ingredients easily sourced at your neighborhood liquor and grocery stores, which is certainly part of what’s helped them spread around the world. In making these, you’ll learn a lot about cocktails as a whole. They’ll teach you techniques that apply across the category: how long to mix, how long and hard to shake, how to strain. You’ll learn about balance, you’ll (hopefully) learn not to be afraid of a little bitterness, you’ll learn how salt and sugar act as flavors and enhancers of other flavors, a cheer squad urging their fellow ingredients to greatness.

Make them repeatedly, and they’ll teach you one of the most important lessons for the home cocktailer — what you like. What is your preferred gin-to-vermouth ratio in a martini, a matter that has been opined upon by prime ministers and presidents? Do you agree the Negroni is best as an equal-parts drink, or do you like it better when you boost the gin a bit? Do you prefer to double-strain your daiquiri until it’s a silky froth, or do you kind of like the mouthfeel of the tiny ice chips a single strain delivers? What’s the effect of switching out the vermouths in your Manhattan, or bitters or whiskeys — or maybe an aged rum?

All these questions lead to more questions. See how deep the rabbit hole goes?

There are correct answers to historical questions about these drinks (and each of these drinks can provide a launchpad to explore those fascinating histories, should you be inclined). But there are no “correct” answers to matters of taste. There’s just learning how to make a drink that pleases, using a few ingredients and a few simple tools to mix yourself from here to there, and from there to … wherever next catches your fancy.

So the next time a friend asks you for a drink, you’ll be able to tell them: I got you.

Everyone agrees the martini is an essential drink: Heck, its glass has become the universal sign of the cocktail. Yet for such a canonical beast, the martini is perennially personalized, a drink everyone dials into their own tastes. Gin or vodka? Purists will argue for the former, but vodka has plenty of advocates. Vermouth-to-base-spirit ratio? Debated endlessly, but if you’re using good, well-cared-for vermouth, it’s not to be feared. Shaken or stirred? The latter is the rule, but shaking has advocates. (They’re outliers. Even Bond, James Bond.) Add bitters? Garnish with a lemon twist or an olive? Your call. Try this recipe, adjust to your liking, and then be prepared to adjust and argue about it with every new drinker you encounter for the rest of your life.

If you like it, try: Martinez, Bijou

From various recipes, adapted and tested by M. Carrie Allan.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Ice
2 1/2 ounces dry gin, such as Plymouth, Beefeater or the citrusy Tanqueray No. 10
1/2 ounce dry vermouth, such as Dolin
1 or 2 dashes orange bitters
Twist of lemon peel, for garnish

Chill a cocktail (martini) glass or coupe.

Fill a mixing glass with ice, then add the gin, vermouth and bitters (to taste). Stir gently for 20 seconds, then strain into the chilled glass.

Garnish with the twist of lemon peel.

A boozy, classic, deep dive into whiskey and sweet vermouth. These days, most craft-cocktail types opt for rye, which has a spicier profile than bourbon, but the main thing is to pick a whiskey you like and a vermouth that’s worthy of it. (Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino is terrific; Carpano Antica can be a little dominant, but if you like its heady vanilla-spice pow, it can also be delicious.) Small but interesting tweaks can happen via new types of bitters (chocolate or pimento makes for a nod toward autumn; Peychaud’s or cardamom will bring out other notes), but orange and Angostura are reliably on point.

From various recipes, adapted and tested by Allan.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Brandied cherry, for garnish, such as Luxardo or Amarena Fabbri brand
Ice
2 dashes Angostura and/or orange bitters
2 ounces rye or bourbon whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Twist of orange peel (for its oils; optional)

Chill a cocktail (martini) glass, adding the brandied cherry garnish.

Fill a mixing glass with ice, then add the bitters, whiskey and vermouth. Stir for 20 seconds, then strain into the chilled glass.

Twist the orange peel, if using, over the surface of the drink to express its oils, then discard it.

Dates to: 1919, most likely

Supposedly no one likes a Negroni the first time they taste one, and some drinkers never come around on this bright red flag of a drink. It’s an Italian liqueur that brings that fiery color and throws down the gauntlet: Campari, the deeply bittersweet, orangey and herbal aperitivo that complements equal portions of dry gin and sweet vermouth. It’s boozy, it’s strange, it’s a high-wire balancing act, and once your palate adjusts to the bitterness, you may come to crave it — and regard it as the gateway to drinks incorporating bitter flavors.

If you like it, try: ‘White’ Negroni, Boulevardier, Little Italy

From various recipes, adapted and tested by Allan.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Ice
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth, such as Cocchi or Dolin
1 ounce dry gin
Twist of orange peel, for garnish

Fill a mixing glass with ice, then add the Campari, sweet vermouth and gin. Stir for 20 seconds, then strain into the glass.

Twist the orange peel over the surface of the drink to express its oils, then drop it into the drink.

Perhaps the first and most genre-defining of cocktails, the old-fashioned has been carried back into heavy sipping rotation by the craft-cocktail renaissance and smart bartenders who stopped treating it as a vehicle for transporting bad fruit salad. Good bars opt to leave out the pile of pineapple and neon cherries that were once all too common. You may want a twist of citrus for its fragrant oils, but that’s all the embellishment you’ll need. A little sugar, good whiskey (it can be bourbon or rye-based, depending on your preference) and the spice of bitters to button up the whole thing nice and neat.

If you like it, try: Oaxaca Old Fashioned, Sazerac

From Jason Wilson; adapted by Allan. Tested by Michael Taylor and Allan.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

1 teaspoon granulated sugar (may substitute 1 small sugar cube)
1 teaspoon warm water
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Strip of orange or lemon peel
2 ounces bourbon or rye
1 large ice cube

In an old-fashioned glass, combine the sugar, warm water and bitters, then add the citrus peel and muddle.

Add the bourbon or rye, and stir until all the sugar has dissolved.

Add a large ice cube, stir briefly to chill, and serve.

With two ingredients, plus a couple of slices of citrus, the gin and tonic seems so simple it barely warrants a recipe. It’s gin, it’s tonic: Where’s the complication? But the flavors of juniper mixed with the tongue-livening bitter bubble of tonic have made this drink the essential highball for centuries. Its simplicity makes the quality of the ingredients and the right proportions critical. Once you can make the classic, branch out into new gins, tonics and garnishes. (Look to Spain for inspiration; there, variations on the “gin-tonic” are infinite.)

If you like it, try: Tom Collins, Pimm’s Cup, Moscow Mule

From various recipes, adapted and tested by Allan.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Ice
A few lime wheels
2 ounces dry gin
3 or 4 ounces good tonic water, such as Fever-Tree

Fill a highball glass with ice, layering in a few lime wheels (to taste).

Add the gin and the tonic, then stir gently.

Crisp, tart and elegantly simple, a good daiquiri is a pale, delicious thing of beauty. The classic version is not frozen, but it is still perfect for drinking beachside or for bringing the beach to where it ain’t. Look for a good Cuban-style light rum (Havana Club, Banks 5 Island) to get you started, and then adjust as you get acquainted with the drink (aficionados sometimes graduate to older rums, but the light is classic). A simple sugar syrup balances out the tartness of the lime and keeps the drink from getting too watered down by its icy shake.

If you like it, try: Mojito, Last Word, Hemingway Daiquiri

From various recipes, including “Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki,” by Martin and Rebecca Cate (Ten Speed Press, 2016); adapted and tested by Allan.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Ice
2 ounces white rum, such as Caña Brava
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce rich demerara syrup (see NOTE)

Chill a cocktail (martini) glass.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the rum, lime juice and demerara syrup. Seal; shake vigorously for 15 seconds, then strain into the chilled glass; double-strain only if you want to remove the tiny ice shards from the drink. (Some tipplers enjoy them in a daiquiri.)

NOTE: To make the rich demerara syrup, combine 2 cups of demerara or turbinado sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a brief boil; once the sugar has dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat. Cool completely before using or storing (in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks).

Dates to: Unknown, but likely 1930s to ’40s

Like the daiquiri, the margarita is a classic from the cocktail family known as sours, a simple but delicious clan of drinks in which the DNA is made up of spirit, citrus and sweetener. You should taste the tequila (use a good blanco, which is unaged, or reposado, which is lightly aged), the lime and the sweetness from the orange liqueur; a touch of agave syrup boosts the sweetness and the flavor of the spirit’s origin plant. Salt is optional, but it functions the way it does in cooking, tying the whole package together.

If you like it, try: Mezcal Margarita, Paloma

Adapted from Julio Bermejo’s recipe for Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant, from Robert Simonson’s “A Proper Drink” (Ten Speed Press, 2016). Tested by Allan.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

Lime half (for rimming; optional), plus 1 ounce fresh lime juice
Large/coarse-grained salt (for rimming; optional)
Ice
1 3/4 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/4 ounce agave nectar

If you are serving the drink straight up, use a cocktail (martini) glass; if you are serving it on ice, a rocks glass will work. Either way: If you are rimming it with salt, make a small pile of salt on a plate. Rub the lime half around the outside rim of the glass, then roll that rim gently over the salt to create a salt edge.

Add ice to the glass, if using. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the lime juice, tequila, Cointreau and agave nectar. Seal and shake vigorously for 15 seconds, then strain into the glass.

correction

An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the margarita recipe source. This version has been updated.

November 20, 2022

KARE 11 Saturday cooking show tips and recipes

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Every year, the hosts of the KARE 11 Saturday show throw a big cooking party before Thanksgiving and share their recipes.

This year, the show turns 25.

Bel’s recipe: Sue Erickson’s Prosciutto Stuffing

1 Leek, halved, rinsed, and sliced

1 (6oz) package of sage and herb stuffing mix cubes

1 (14 ½ oz.) chicken broth

3 oz. pine nuts, toasted

1 pkg. proscuitto, sliced thin crosswise

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Saute leeks 4 to 5 minutes, set aside. In large mixing bowl, combine stuffing cubes, broth, pine nuts, cranberries, proscuitto, parmesan, and leeks. Spoon mixture into a well greased large muffin pan or 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cover and fluff to fork. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, uncovered. Serves 6.

Chris’ recipe: Gordon Ramsey mashed potatoes (3 variations)

1kg Yukon Gold or Désirée potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Variation 1: Mustard Mash

Variation 2: Truffle Mash

30g porcini and truffle paste

Variation 3: Garlic and Herb Mash

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 tbsp woody herbs, e.g. rosemary, thyme, sage, leaves finely chopped

2 tbsp soft herbs, e.g. parsley, chives, dill, finely chopped

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes with the lid on.

Meanwhile, if you’re making the regular, mustard or truffle mash, put the butter, milk and cream into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. For the mustard mash, add the mustards to the warm cream mixture. For the truffle mash, add the truffle paste and truffle oil to the pan instead.

For the garlic and herb mash, heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the garlic and woody herbs, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Pour in the milk and cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the soft herbs and cook for another 2–3 minutes.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander. Put them through a potato ricer as quickly as possible and return them to the saucepan.

Pour over the flavoured cream and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir again and serve.

Tips: The hotter the potato when you put it through the ricer, the fluffier the mash, so move fast once the potatoes have been drained.

Bobby’s recipe: Lunds & Byerly’s Wild Rice Waldorf Salad

1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits in own juice

2 Granny Smith apples, diced (2 cups)

2 Red Delicious apples, diced (2 cups)

Drain pineapple, reserving 1 tablespoon of juice

Combine pineapple, wild rice, apples, celery and walnuts in a large bowl.

Stir reserved pineapple juice and remaining ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.

Fold dressing into salad. Refrigerate, covered, several hours.

KARE staff’s favorite Christmas cookies: Julie’s pick: Puff

Cream shortening and sugar until light.

Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with sour cream.

Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheets.

Bake at 325 for 8 minutes. Frost while hot.

Brown 1/4 cup butter. Remove from heat and beat in 3 cups *powdered sugar, 3/4 tsp. vanilla and about 3 Tbsp. hot water.

*Start out with half the powdered sugar. Not too thick.

Cookies are very soft. Can add sprinkles after frosting.

Nikki’s pick: The Spritz

John’s pick: Peanut Butter Blossom

48 HERSHEY’S KISSES Milk Chocolates

3/4 cup REESE’S Creamy Peanut Butter

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling (additional)

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in a large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into the center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet and onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Kent’s pick: White chocolate macadamia nut

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla and almond extracts.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Fold in macadamia nuts and white chocolate.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Ben’s pick: Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, such as

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room

temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room

3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 packed cup light brown sugar

1 egg, room temperature, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, and the light brown sugar together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until blended. With the machine running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until incorporated.

Put the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl.

Form the dough into 1/4 cup-size balls and roll in the sugar.

Arrange 5 balls of dough, evenly apart, on each baking sheet.

Using a round 1/4 teaspoon measure, or the thin end of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the center of each ball of dough, 1/2 to 3/4-inch deep.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam into each hole.

Bake until the dough has spread and the surface of the cookies are crackled, 11 to 14 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Arrange the cookies on a serving dish and serve.

Main Event: The Bird

We know some of you are cooking a turkey for the first time and might have some questions. Karl Benson, owner of Cooks of Crocus Hill, offers up some help. Here are the links:

Turkey Tips: https://blog.cooksofcrocushill.com/karls-turkey-tips/

Stuffing: https://blog.cooksofcrocushill.com/karls-stuffing-tips/

Brine: https://blog.cooksofcrocushill.com/karls-brining-tips/

Watch the latest coverage from KARE11 Saturday in our YouTube playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

November 19, 2022

Veggie side dishes to brighten up your Thanksgiving table from Smitten Kitchen : NPR

Deb Perelman in her small “smitten” kitchen in New York City’s East Village. “I make it work!” she says. “I like that there’s a lot of light coming in.”

Melissa Block/NPR

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Melissa Block/NPR

Deb Perelman in her small “smitten” kitchen in New York City’s East Village. “I make it work!” she says. “I like that there’s a lot of light coming in.”

Melissa Block/NPR

NEW YORK, N.Y. — When Deb Perelman started her blog “Smitten,” back in 2003, it was really just a lark: a platform where she could mouth off and vent her twentysomething angst.

“I was living in New York, and I was newly single and going on a lot of bad dates,” she recalls. “And I just liked to tell stories.”

But a month in, she started dating one of her blog readers, Alex Perelman. They got married two years later.

“So I couldn’t write about dating anymore,” she says with a chuckle. “That would have been very awkward for all of us involved.”

From that random beginning, Deb Perelman’s food fame was born.

In 2006, as she experimented more and more in the kitchen, the “Smitten” blog evolved into “Smitten Kitchen,” a blog (which evolved into a website) all about food. To Perelman’s shock, it took off.

“It’s just so crazy,” she says. “I’m really lucky.”

That success led to two best-selling cookbooks (The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and Smitten Kitchen Every Day), and Perelman has just published her third: Smitten Kitchen Keepers. As she writes in the introduction, these are 100 time-tested, obsessively-tweaked, fuss-free “recipes I hope you’ll keep around for good.”

“Smitten Kitchen Keepers” is Deb Perelman’s third cookbook: 100 recipes that, she writes, “I hope you’ll keep around for good.”

Deb Perelman

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Deb Perelman

With Thanksgiving just ahead, NPR asked Perelman to suggest ideas for veggie-centric side dishes that can feed a crowd and that are budget-conscious, since food prices are high. (You’ll find recipes for the two dishes she came up with at the bottom of this page.)

We meet on a brisk, sunny morning at the Union Square greenmarket in Manhattan. Perelman is on the hunt for inspiration in the farm stands.

“Did I make a grocery list?” she asks, rhetorically. “No. I’m going on vibes.”

Those vibes prompt her to zero in on baskets of cranberry beans with beautiful, speckled pods — magenta and a pale, creamy green.

She adds a bag of arugula (“should be really nice and spicy”) and some heavy, squat kabocha squash (“it’s a dark orange and it really roasts up nicely.”)

And then, more inspiration! She spies a mound of purple cauliflower and picks out a petite one.

“This one is so cute!” she exclaims. “Small and, like, low-commitment.”

Deb Perelman shops for seasonal veggies at the Union Square greenmarket in Manhattan.

Melissa Block/NPR

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Melissa Block/NPR

Back at the East Village apartment that Perelman shares with her husband and their two children, 13-year-old Jacob and 7-year-old Anna, she gets to work in their small, well-organized kitchen. There’s minimal counter space; no fancy appliances.

Despite her best-selling cookbooks and her wildly popular website, with its scads of fanatic Deb Perelman disciples, the kitchen is not much of an upgrade from the tiny, humble kitchen she had when she started blogging about food in 2006.

“It’s real life here!” she says, as she labors to extract a sheet pan from a low shelf. “Everything’s a little crowded in the Smitten Kitchen. Gotta move one thing to move another.”

Before turning on the stove, she opens the oven door – a lesson learned from hard experience.

“I always check for toys in the oven, because it’s happened,” she says. “It’s definitely happened before with kids, where they’ve put a rubber ball in, or whatever. Like, literally the worst thing you could possibly smell.”

Today: No toys. All clear.

Vegetables ready for roasting: chopped cauliflower and wedges of kabocha squash. At Thanksgiving, Perelman says, “a recognizable vegetable is like an oasis on a plate.”

Melissa Block/NPR

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Melissa Block/NPR

One of the dishes Perelman has decided to make is braised winter squash wedges, a recipe from her new cookbook. She calls it a “fork and knife” vegetable dish, perfect for the Thanksgiving table.

“When you’re doing Thanksgiving,” she says, “so many things are like stuffings and gratins and shredded with cream and cheese. Sometimes a recognizable vegetable is like an oasis on a plate.”

Perelman arranges the kabocha squash, sliced into wedges, on a hot sheet pan sizzling with butter and olive oil. When the squash has a dark, crispy glaze, it’ll get a bath of broth and cider vinegar, and be scattered with garlic and herbs. Perelman likes her roasted vegetables with a bit of char.

“Do not skimp,” she advises. “Get the color you want.”

Later, when she takes the squash wedges from the oven, they’ve turned a fiery, deep orange.

“I love the way it looks like flames, almost,” she says.

She layers the wedges on top of tangy plain yogurt, scattered with arugula.

The finished plating of the warm cauliflower and cranberry bean salad and the braised winter squash.

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Melissa Block/NPR

Along with the braised kabocha squash, Perelman has decided to improvise a warm salad with that “cute” purple cauliflower. It gets chopped and roasted, then tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette with the boiled cranberry beans and some emerald green arugula.

Both dishes are a vibrant visual treat.

“I mean we eat with our eyes,” Perelman says. “Why shouldn’t our food look beautiful?”

Ideally, Perelman says, cooking should make you feel triumphant — like you want to do a victory lap.

“You know when you cook something and it’s really good, and you’re like, ‘I did that! I did that!’ ” she says. “I think you should feel that way about cooking.”

Braised Winter Squash Wedges

This is my favorite way to cook winter squash. It takes a cue from fondant, or melting, potatoes, a technique in which thick slices of potato are roasted on both sides before they finish cooking braised in a puddle of broth. From the oven, they’re crisp and somewhat glazed outside, creamy inside, and booming with more flavor than it seems possible to lock inside a potato. Clearly, I’m a fan — but I had no idea that when I applied this technique to big wedges of winter squash I’d never want to cook it another way again.

I add to the pan everything I like with winter squash — thyme, garlic, and cider vinegar, which gets sweet/tangy when cooked and really helps cut through the sweetness of squash — and then I put the whole thing on a plate of tart yogurt and peppery baby arugula. Any slightly syrupy broth left in the pan is poured over everything, and it’s all so good together, you might wonder why you’d ever consider squash a side dish again. This is centerpiece squash, and it wants you to know it.

Serves 4

2¼ to 2½ pounds (1 to 1.15 kilograms) winter squash (about ½ kabocha or red kuri squash)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil, divided

Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 garlic cloves, smashed

1 cup (235 grams) vegetable broth

¼ cup (60 grams) apple-cider vinegar

1 cup (230 grams) plain Greek- style yogurt

2 cups (55 grams) baby arugula leaves

Note: If you can find it — you can often buy squash in halves or quarters from a farmers’ market, which is great, because it runs large — kabocha is my favorite here, followed by red kuri squash. Butternut and acorn squash work, too. The peel of winter squash is fully edible, so no need to trim it away.

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp, then slice the halves into 1½-inch wedges. Add butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 10- by- 5-inch baking sheet, and place in the oven until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, and roll the butter around so that it evenly coats the pan. Arrange the squash wedges in one layer, and sprinkle with thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until deeply browned underneath. Flip the slices, and season the second side on top with another ½ teaspoon salt and more pepper. Scatter the garlic cloves in the pan, and return the pan to the oven to roast for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the wedges are browned on the second side. Don’t worry if the squash isn’t fully cooked yet. Carefully pour the broth and vinegar into the pan, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the squash is tender and the liquid is somewhat cooked off.

To serve the squash: Use the back of a spoon to swirl plain yogurt onto a serving platter into a thin layer. Toss the arugula with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and scatter over the yogurt. Arrange the squash wedges on top, scrape out every bit of pan juice that’s left, and pour it over the squash.

From Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files by Deb Perelman. Copyright © 2022 by Deb Perelman. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Warm Cauliflower and Cranberry Bean Salad

(Note: This was a recipe Perelman improvised on the spot. She used fresh cranberry beans, but says you could use any type of canned beans, instead.)

1 small-medium head cauliflower, chopped into 1-inch chunks

1 cup freshly shelled cranberry beans (from about 8 to 12 ounces in pods)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar and/or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon coarse (whole seed) Dijon mustard

Handful arugula, roughly chopped

Sharp cheese — like cheddar or pecorino — to finish (optional)

Heat oven to 450. Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and add cauliflower to it. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, turning over once for even color.

Meanwhile, cook your cranberry beans in simmering lightly-salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Drain, rinsing with water to cool slightly.

Whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, or a combination thereof, with Dijon, until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Scrape cauliflower into a serving bowl and add cranberry beans on top. Pour dressing over to taste and toss lightly to combine. Stir in the arugula. Shave — you can use a peeler — sharp cheese on top, if you wish. Season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.