Chocolate Cashew Milk

Growing up as army brats, my sister and I never really lived close to extended family, so our parents started a tradition of sending us off for the summers to spend a month with each set of grandparents while our parents set up house in whatever new place our Dad had been reassigned to. We'd start off either with our Mother's family in Georgia or our Dad's parents in Virginia and then switch midway through the summer. Conveniently, our great-grandparents lived in North Carolina, providing a halfway point where we would spend a few days while waiting to be picked up by whoever was hosting us for the last half of the summer. 

I have very vivid memories our time at that little house in North Carolina. We'd drive up around the back and run across the sandy yard to our great-grandmother opening the back door, then through to the living room where our great-grandfather could always be found listening to his police scanner. We'd go walking with our great-grandfather to the K Mart that sat right behind their house, where we would each pick out a toy and walk back home in time for dinner, to a table groaning with fresh biscuits, chicken dressing, ham, greens, and what always seemed like five kinds of beans. And no matter how much our great-grandmother had cooked, I remember our great-grandfather always went out for a bucket of KFC to supplement the meal, just in case. To wash it all down, we'd have giant goblets of insanely sweet tea, or best of all, our great-grandfather would go to the refrigerator and bring out the cartons of Nesquik he bought especially for my sister and I.  Chocolate milk was not something we were allowed at home, and I'm pretty sure we each put away about half a gallon during those visits.

These days, my milk consumption is limited to baking and ice cream, yet I sometimes really want a cold glass of chocolate milk. Unfortunately, as good as it tastes, it always leaves me with that heavy, regretful feeling from way too much sugar, so I decided I needed a lighter version to sate my cravings. Enter cashew milk, light, refreshing, and best of all , easy to make, requiring no special nut bags or equipment beyond a blender. Sarah Britton has a great all-purpose nut milk formula in her book, My New Roots, which I used as a base for my chocolate milk. The result is a creamy, chocolatey treat straight out of childhood, but perfect for adulthood and all it's pesky responsible eating habits.

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Chocolate Cashew Milk

Adapted from My New Roots

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
4 cups filtered water
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 medjool dates, pitted
pinch of salt

1. Soak cashews for at least 8 hours or overnight. 
2. When ready to use, drain cashews and place in a blender. Add water, cocoa powder, dates, and salt.
3. Blend on high speed to combine until completely smooth. This may take a few minutes in a regular blender, less time in a high-powered model like a ninja or Vitamix.
4. Divide among glasses and enjoy!

Roasted Chimichurri "Fries"

You know the movie version of Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley? There's a scene after Mr. Collins first arrives and the family is eating dinner, and he randomly says something like, "What excellent boiled potatoes!" The camera cuts across this beautiful tablescape to a giant bowl of peeled, boiled potatoes flecked with parsley and swimming in butter. The potatoes really do look delicious, and yet, just from the way he is complimenting them you also get the sense that they are probably the most boring dish on that table. I always kind of want to try making parsley potatoes after watching the movie, but just the fact that Mr. Collins finds them remarkable makes me think I'd be disappointed.

I was reminded of that scene after making these potatoes, mostly because for some reason it's one of those cinematic food scenes that is indelibly imprinted in my brain, but maybe also because these roasted beauties certainly owe a debt to parsley potatoes. Except instead of sprinkling the herbs over the potatoes as a dainty garnish, I rained down a confetti of flavor. I doubled (tripled? quadrupled?) down on the parsley and punched up the mix with the addition of cilantro, garlic, and chili flakes. It's like chimichurri deconstructed. 

As for the the potato part? Crispy perfection. A couple years ago, when I was making roasted potatoes as a brunch side dish and simultaneously attempting a fussy scrambled egg recipe, I learned just how easy and forgiving these potatoes can be. That day I figured out that you can basically leave them in the oven until everything else is done, because the longer they cook the more like french fries they become, with crispy outsides and soft insides.  And, c'mon, french fries with breakfast is completely allowed! These potatoes are also a blank canvas for almost anything you want. You can toss them in whole grain or dijon mustard before roasting. You can roast them plain and finish with a sprinkle of sumac or za'atar, or even curry powder. You can go with classic salt and pepper and serve with ketchup. The possibilities are endless, really.

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Roasted Chimichurri "Fries"

2-3 lb fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt
1 bunch parsley, chopped finely
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
dried chili flakes
red wine vinegar or fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with the olive oil and season generously with salt. Lay potatoes on two sheet pans in a single layer so potatoes don't crowd each other, at least 30 minutes, but they are even crispier after 45 minutes. Every once in a while, stir the potatoes a bit to help them crisp evenly. Some might stick a bit, but that's ok.
2. While potatoes are roasting, combine the parsley, cilantro, shallot, garlic, and chili flakes in a bowl and set aside. 
3. When potatoes are done roasting, remove from the oven and drizzle lightly with the vinegar or lime juice. Scatter the herb mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. The heat from the pan will wilt the herbs a bit and help them stick to the potatoes. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• These potatoes are a great way to use up leftover herbs if you, like me, usually have a bag of parsley or cilantro in your fridge getting more wilted by the day (because I know nothing about proper produce storage). Fresh oregano would be a great addition too.

Fromage Fort Grilled Cheese

Did you have a fancy Valentine's Day dinner with a cheese plate? Did you decide to ride out the weekend's sub-zero temperatures* with some comforting mac and cheese? Did your Mom come to visit and leave behind a half-empty bottle of Chardonnay? 

*For my East Coast friends, obviously, since here in SF El Nino has deserted us for summer again. 

If you said yes to any of the above, let me introduce you to your new best friend, a superhero that will swoop in and rid your fridge of any last scraps of cheese you don't know what do do with or that last pour of leftover white wine that's not quite enough for a glass. Fromage fort will take all of your sad, remaining knobs of brie or goat cheese or cheddar or parmesan, or really anything you have, and with a little bit of garlic and wine, turn it into the cheese spread of your dreams. You could stop there, but why would you, when you can then toast some bread, slather on the cheese, toast it again until gooey and golden with crispy frico edges, then slap two of those toasts together into the the meltiest and least boring grilled cheese sandwich of your life. 

You're welcome.

You might have some questions, like "Does it matter what kind of cheese  I use?" or, "Does it still go with tomato soup?" or, "What is leftover wine?"

The answers to those, in order, is no, as long as you have one good melter in there and no conflicting flavors; yes, it goes amazingly with tomato soup; and LOL I don't know either.

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Fromage Fort Grilled Cheese

Cheese spread adapted from Jacques Pepin. Makes enough for 3 or 4 sandwiches.

8 oz cheese (any kind you have leftover, preferably at least one that melts well)
1 clove garlic
1/2 shallot (or one small)
1/4 cup dry white wine
fresh ground black pepper
salt, if needed
slices of good bread
butter or olive oil

1. In a food processor, combine garlic and shallot and pulse to chop.  Add cheeses, wine, and black pepper and pulse to combine. Taste and add salt if necessary.
2. Take an even number of slices of good crusty bread and generously butter one side, or brush with olive oil. Toast under a broiler until golden. Flip slices over and spread a generous amount of fromage fort on each. Place back under the broiler and toast until golden and melting.
3. Remove from oven and sandwich the slices together. Serve immediately.