Chef Daniel Angerer's Blog

MILLENNIAL SANDWICH - the blog

Surely you known the classic sandwiches, e.g., PB&J, turkey sammy, grilled cheese, multiple layered club sandwich builds, and the like, which mostly come in a square format. Other sandwiches can be elongated concoctions, e.g., hero, lobster roll, or endless Bahn Mi sandwich invasion and there are wraps. In my humble opinion a wrap is the total opposite of an artfully constructed sandwich.

ciabatta bread

Choice of bread
You may ask yourself, what type of bread is best for my sandwich? Let me tell you, I'm a sucker for sourdough ciabatta rolls that tend to be soft with a mild tangy flavor. With any bread, it is important that it is strong enough to hold the ingredients together without falling apart in someone's hands. I prefer a whole-wheat version over a refined type, e.g., white bread or a butter laden brioche bun. I make a few exceptions though, for instance, when it comes to lobster rolls, I'm going classic and want the bun to be New England style and buttered.

Some types of breads, e.g., baguettes, have a hard crust that has the tendency to scratch the inside of your mouth. In such case, I opt-out from toasting at all. Freshness of the bread is the key, even if it is a hot dog bun. Toasted or simply touched by heat for a minute in the oven is often of benefit. Twice a day freshly baked baguette won't need any heat treatment because of its crunchy freshness. That said I enjoy when sandwich ingredients are at room temperature. At that temperature the flavors can be fully realized on the tongs pallet. A few minutes in the toaster or in the oven does often wonders to a sandwich.

Bite-sized
I prefer ingredients that are thinly shaved or cut into small chunks, including lettuce. In this way, the sandwich does not fall apart during eating

I'm a sucker for PB&J but any peanut butter puts a smile on my face that is smothered with a wholesome, natural sugar containing spread or jelly. In addition, this sandwich can be fixed quickly, with ingredients that most people keep on hand in the house. In my house, I make sure that the peanut butter is spread on both pieces of the bread because I don't enjoy when the bread gets sticky on the outside because of the jelly soaking through the bread. I often slice a ripe banana instead of jelly - truly awesome!

Down to business
Indeed, the subject of sandwich is quite endless and currently, I enjoy the following version of a warm peanut butter version. If you cannot eat peanut butter, for example due to allergies, substitute it with almond or cashew butter. This recipe combines my favorite sandwiches together. I believe that once you taste it, you'll be hooked! Let me know.

grilled cheese & apple sandwich

Baked Peanut Butter & Cheese
(makes 1 sandwich)

1 ciabatta roll
3 tablespoons peanut butter
6 slices, 1/16" thick of an acidic apple such as Granny Smith
4 slices muenster or cheddar cheese, 1/8 thick or 2 ounces

1) Slice the ciabatta roll horizontally. Toast the roll in the oven at 400F for 5 minutes.
2) Smear peanut butter on the cut side of the roll.
3) The apple should be sliced very thinly; I use my mandolin slicer for that. Lay apple slices evenly in a thin manner out over the peanut butter and then follow with the cheese.
4) Bake in the oven for 4 - 5 minutes. At this point, the cheese should be shinny and be very soft but not starting to melt.
5) Press the two sandwich pieces gently together.

Chefs Note: My 5 1/2 year old daughter loves it too. For her, I slice the sandwich into 1" thick pieces.

 

 

RIGHT NOW ASPARAGUS - THE BLOG

Asparagus is harvested for a six- to seven-week period from late April or early May through mid- to late June. It grows best in sandy, well-drained soil. Thanks to Long Island and New Jersey we have a plentiful supply in NYC.

white aspargus salad

Historically, asparagus has been used as a vegetable and medicine, with its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. The ancient Greek mentione asparagus as a beneficial herb during the second century A.D. Asparagus is also supposed to have aphrodisiacal power and counteracts fatigue. I bet that also has to do with the uplifting spring season.

green asparagus early in the morning

A Fine Vegetable
The finest texture and the strongest and yet most delicate taste is in the tips, which my Parisian chef colleagues referred to as delectable points d'amour ("love tips”). I grew up in Austria, not too far from many German cities that hold annual Spargelfest (asparagus festivals) this time of the year. There, the majority of asparagus is the white kind. They celebrate the harvest of asparagus like we do here in the U.S. with pumpkin festivals in the fall. The Bavarian town of Schwetzingen claims to be the "Asparagus Capital of the World,” and during its festival an asparagus queen is crowned. Further, there is a competition to find the fastest asparagus peeler in the region. Eating asparagus with lots of regional beer and local Riesling resembles an Oktoberfest-like atmosphere – it’s tons of fun!

green asparagus & tomato salad

Couscous & Asparagus Salad with Avocado, and Lemon
(recipe yields 4 entree-sized portions)
1 bunch/1 pound thin asparagus, a.k.a. pencil asparagus
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 grindings black pepper from the mill
8 oz whole wheat pearl couscous
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dried cherries soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
2 avocados 

1) With a knife, cut off about 2 inches of the tough bottom of the asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1/8" pieces on a diagonal, and toss with lemon juice and pepper.
2) In a gallon-sized pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and turmeric. Add couscous to the boiling water and cook for 11-15 minutes covered with a lid. Couscous should be soft at this point—if not, cook for 2 minutes longer.
Drain couscous through a colander and rinse with cold water under the faucet for 15 seconds. At this point, the couscous should still be warm.
3) Combine couscous with the marinated asparagus and add olive oil and cherries. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4) Halve the avocados, remove the pits and cut into quarter wedges. Remove avocado peel and throw out, then cut wedges into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss avocado gently into the asparagus/couscous mixture.

Chef's Tip: For a variation of the above recipe, cut one red onion into 1/2-inch thick circles, then toss with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Cook on a char grill for 4 minutes and toss into the couscous/asparagus mixture. Top salad with shaved Parmesan. You can do the same with ramps instead of the red onion. 

RAMPing up for Spring - THE BLOG

Spring season is among us and lots of people tend to be freaking out over the arrival of ramps.
Today, I received my first shipment of ramps of the year for a steep $20+ per pound. But, their price didn't damper my excitement at all—they're totally worth it.

Ramps have arrived!

Ramps what?
In the coming weeks, if you're strolling through a local farmer’s market in the Northeast you won't miss ramps because of the garlicky scent in the air. The pungent aroma of ramps is a true sign that spring has arrived in the plant world. Ramps are a perennial wild onion that has to be foraged. Therefore, it's in high demand—grab them as long as supply lasts. They'll be gone before you know it, since the season lasts for only about four weeks.

Ramps have a pearly white tuber, burgundy stem, and wide floppy green leaves, which all resemble a picturesque lily. Ramps can be used in a number of ways, similar to onions. Ramps are great made into a pesto, grilled, blanched, pickled, sautéed, and combined with just about everything. They make a statement in spring soups even if you don't see them—though their flavor is very much noticeable.

ramps in abundance

Indeed, I prefer to prepare them cooked all the time, since when they're raw their pungent aroma almost certainly will overpower other subtler flavors in a dish. Further, reeking of raw spring garlic does not make a good conversation partner.

To start off, I suggest a simple sautéed ramp dish that lets the garlicky flavor shine.


Sautéed Ramps
(recipe yields 4 portions)
3 bunches ramps
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as grape seed or sunflower seed oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
5 black pepper grindings from the mill

1) Cut roots off the ramps. Fill a large bowl with cold water, then place ramps in the water. Swish them around to remove as much dirt as possible, then remove them from the bowl and continue repeating the same process a second time.
2) Place the ramps on kitchen paper towel to dry them. If you have a salad spinner, dry the ramps with it.
3) Heat a deep gallon-sized pot on high heat, then add the ramps. The heat will dry off most of the excess water, and takes about 2 minutes. Now add the vegetable oil. Cook ramps for 4-5 minutes, stirring 3-4 times so as not to torch the ramps.
4) Season ramps with salt and pepper. Ramps are done when the bulbous, white part of the plant is soft—if not, cook for another minute.

...now that you have the basic sautéing technique mastered, dive into the following preparation suggestions and enjoy them so long the ramp season lasts.
-  Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the cooked ramps and sprinkle with 1 oz of shaved Parmesan cheese
- swap out ramps for garlic in recipes (e.g., asparagus soup, spring pea soup)—it will add an uplifting spring scent to your soup recipes
- work the sautéed ramps (above recipe) into your sandwich creations (e.g., grilled sourdough with goat cheese, tomatoes and ramps, toasted multigrain roll with avocado, grilled red peppers and ramps)
- serve along grilled, fattier cuts of steak (e.g. flank steak or rib eye)—you can't go wrong with the garlicky fragrance of the ramps here
- serve sautéed ramps along with char-flamed fish such as salmon or swordfish with grilled lemon
- sauté ramps with string beans, curly Savoy cabbage, or kale instead of garlic

If you're a person who enjoys pickling, it’s a great way to extend the ramp season for. I suggest going with a basic pickling recipe without fancy fanfare. The ramps will bring along all the flavor you need.

VEGETABLE MORSELS - the blog

roasted asparagus, fennel and spring onions

I have been eating lots of roasted vegetables over the past two weeks. As spring temperatures are kicking in and the daylight hours are getting longer, naturally my diet changes too. Hence, I have been enjoying roasted vegetables cooled instead of hot.

roasted rainbow carrots

It all started out by repurposing leftover vegetables from the day before dinner in a sort of roasted veggie salad. I have been reinventing a number of my warm vegetable dishes (e.g., roasted fennel, skillet-roasted carrots, three-color cauliflower, sautéed kale & garlic, etc.) to delicious vegetable delights for consumption for the next day. A squeeze of lemon, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs adding vitality is often enough to give it enough flavor. The basic idea remains the same--a rainbow veggie salad with focus on gently roasted veggies, omitting salad greens. I love tender lettuce greens with different flavor profiles, such as peppery arugula or bitter greens like endive and radicchio, but I also enjoy the roasted and chilled vegetable medley eating experience that does not require any leafy greens. It lends more bite and substance, and another plus is that it can be prepared ahead of time. If the next day does not provide enough time for cooking, simply roast your veggies the night before and chill them in the fridge overnight. Also, if you work in an office job, bring it for lunch and munch away.



I brought roasted green asparagus to my family gathering over the weekend. It was garnished with shaved Parmesan and chive blossoms--a winner.

Roasted Vegetable Cooking
Vegetable-wise, we have the most exiting vegetable spring season ahead of us:
different colored carrots, spring onions, slender scallions, juicy fennel bulbs, bunch beets, ramps (a.k.a. spring garlic with a tense aroma), exotic mushrooms (such as morels, or cultivated cousins such as shiitake, portabella or button mushrooms), skin-on new potatoes, and beautiful rainbow chard are all to be found in the next weeks to come. Roasting such veggies to the point of softness with black-charred edges, caramelized to perfection makes a dish a success--chilled roasted veggies are back on my menu!

Roasted Vegetable Salad
(recipe makes 4 portions)
2 pounds mixed vegetables (see above for vegetables)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and more to taste
5 turns black pepper grindings from a mill
1 tablespoon fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme, chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prep veggies by chopping off the stems and slicing into bite-sized pieces.
3. Add all your veggies in a large mixing bowl and toss with the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and herbs.
4. Transfer veggies to an oiled baking sheet.
5. Roast vegetables for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. I suggest broiling the vegetables for about 1-2 minutes before removing them from the oven. It will char the edges of your vegetables and make them super flavorful.
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. You could serve these veggies warm, but for the sake of our salad, we will chill them in the refrigerator overnight.
6. Assembly the roasted vegetables in serving bowls. No additional dressing is needed since the veggies are so full of flavor from the oil and acids.

Chef’s tip: If you prefer more flavor, mix a drizzle of extra virgin oil with grainy Dijon mustard and spoon over your chilled vegetables. I love eating vegetables prepared this way with grilled sourdough bread.