The Moderne Barn restaurant — the restaurant owned by the Livanos family of Oceana in Manhattan — opened yesterday in Armonk. Here’s a little video about it:

And the story, which appeared in today’s paper, is after the jump.

Liz Johnson
ewjohnson@lohud.com

To say the anticipation has been building would be a bit of an understatement.

For the past four years, people have been driving past the old Modern Furniture Barn location on Route 22 in Armonk, looking for signs that a new restaurant — owned by a family with years of experience in Manhattan and Westchester — would open in its place.

Would it be soon that the brown butcher paper would come down from the windows? How long until they could enjoy a casual meal in a cool setting?

Well, last night, the Moderne Barn, a New American restaurant owned by the Livanos family of Oceana and City Limits Diner fame, finally opened.

The name, taken from that former furniture store, is appropriate: the restaurant feels just like a barn, albeit an upscale one — something that fits perfectly in northern Westchester’s horse country.

The first thing you notice is a a stunning wood-and-glass wall of wine along a catwalk perched above a long bar.

Chandeliers with Edison bulbs hang from a vaulted, arched walnut ceiling.

And hand-stitched, wool horse-blankets, with bright, primary colors cover the banquettes.

With the fanciful décor, and a menu of delicious, homey dishes, such as grilled calamari —

— and a big, juicy burger, the restaurant strikes the right balance between casual and sophisticated. It’s the kind of place you might go for a celebration, but you wouldn’t be afraid to take the kids, either.

In other words, it looks like it was worth the wait.

The Livanos family is synonymous with the restaurant business. The family owns Abboccato and Molyvos in Manhattan, and they also owned Cafe in Meze in Hartsdale. But the reason for opening a restaurant in Armonk was simple, says Nick Livanos, who is partners with his father John, brother Bill and sister Corina. It’s in the family’s own backyard.

(From left, Nick, Corina, Bill and John.)

“I’ve been living in Armonk for 10 years … During this time we’ve seen the dining void that exists in this area,” he says. “So that was part of our inspiration to want to open a restaurant here. At the same time, we wanted not to do anything fancy or too formal; we wanted something with no pretension — that everyone will think of it as their restaurant.”

The relaxed atmosphere is dictated by the easygoing design, which Nick says his designer called “Urban Country Chic.”

There’s a communal table by the bar, and round booths on one side. And wood. Plenty of wood. A striking visual element is a big wall of black and white photographs by Roberto Dutesco of the wild horses of Sable Island.

“There is a little bit of a barn feel, this is horse country, Bedford and Greenwich, and we’ve already seen the reaction of some of the people walking in, they actually recognize his work right away,” says Nick. “They totally relate to it.”

As for the menu, chef Ethan Kostbar has created an appealing mix of American and Mediterranean dishes that fit any mood. There are comfort-food appetizers such as Nonna’s Meatballs —

— easy-on-the-waistline dishes such as the Moderne Barn Chopped Salad —

and creative entrees such as tortilla-crusted salmon:

“The philosophy behind the food here at Moderne Barn is approachable food, casual,” says Kostbar. “You can sit down, enjoy it, have a memorable meal and not feel put out.”

And you should be able to match it with just about any bottle of wine. The smart, diverse and interesting list was put together by wine director Christopher Gambelli, formerly of Blue Hill at Stone Barns. But even if you’re not imbibing, you’re certain to enjoy the wine — that storage wall and the catwalk in front of it is the centerpiece of the restaurant.

“Besides being a very practical part of the restaurant —storing 900-plus bottles up there in the temperature control — it’s a major visual detail of the restaurant,” says Nick. “I wonder how many times we’re going to catch people walking up there?”

Technically you’re not allowed up there. But?

“But we kid around,” says Nick. “If someone wants to attempt it, or go have a cocktail up there, why not?”

Why not indeed? After all, after four years of waiting, there’s something to celebrate.

The 411 is coming. Til then: Moderne Barn, 430 Bedford Road, Armonk. 914-730-0001. modernebarn.com

Most photos by Joe Larese/TJN.

A few weeks back, I profiled Mario LaPosta, the pizzaiolo of Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, as he was heading off to the World Pizza Championships in Italy. Here’s a link to the Mario story. Below, a video of Mario by Mark Vergari.

Now, Mario is back. And, as he promised, he’s blogged about his experiences at the competition. Read his story, and see some of his photos, after the jump.

Let me start by saying Italy is the most amazing country.

The town of Salsomaggiore Terme, just outside of Parma, where the competition was held, was beautiful. It was a quiet little quaint Northern Italian town with all of the prosciutto di parma and parmiggiano reggiano one person could ask for, an absolute treat.

My adventure this time for the World Pizza Championships was more than I had hoped for. I began my trip shopping in some different markets throughout Rome. The following day I headed south to the Province of Caserta to stay with my mentor for 3 days.

During this time I made practice dough and played with the ingredients on the pizza I would be making. I also found time to visit Naples, which is beautiful.

However, I think I chose the wrong places to eat. Stay away from the tourist restaurants if you ever go. So the day before the competition finally arrived, and the plan was to make the dough that night and drive north throughout the night, therefore the dough would be as fresh as possible.

So we drove through the night Sunday into Monday morning and arrived at the competition around 9:30. I cannot tell you the nervousness and excitement and anxiety I was feeling, the pressure was one of the most intense feelings I have ever had. So you arrive at the competition and wait in line to get a number and find out when you are going.

I drew number 35. So i knew I would be going around 12 or 12 30 Monday. The way the competition is set up, there is a row of 4 wood burning ovens and then 4 electric, and each oven is set up with a work station. So 12 30 came around and they called my number, I was so nervous, I enetered the work station surrounded by some of the best pizzaiolos in the world, former world champions.

However they were not my competition, they were the jury of the ovens, a.k.a the pizza mafia as I called them. They gaurded the ovens making sure they were up to par, and watch closely how each pizzaiolo works, then give points.

Here I am getting ready, setting everything up, I immediately ask the judge to please put more wood in my oven to get it going. Then I asked him if I could make two focaccias.

I knew I could make one, but  asked him about two because I saw someone else do it and I had two doughs. He said yes, so I thought. So I went ahead and made two foccacias, and a minute later as I was cooking them he asked me what I was doing. He said “I never told you you could make two, throw them out immdiately!” Here I am thinking “uh-oh!”

I continued working and began making pizza, I took about 10 mintues to make the pizza, way too long I believe after seeing my point total.

Then I asked him to coninue putting more wood in the oven because I knew it was only at about 700 degrees, very cold for a wood-fired oven.

He told me he could not because it was going to be too hot for the next competitor and he had to regulate it, this I was not happy with it. So here is my pizza with stracchino, mozzarella di bufala, sausage, trumpet mushrooms, peperoncini, ramps, basil and parmiggiano going into the oven. As soon as i put it in I knew my oven was ice cold but there was nothing I could do, it was probably my fault considering I took ten mintues to make  one pizza.

I cooked it as fast as I could as the judge of the oven stood right next to me watching my every move and asking me questions about how i was cooking it. I was very disgruntled because the pizza just was not cooking, about 5 mintues later my pizza came out of the oven dry, and I was dissapointed, but the pizza in my opinion was absolutely beautiful anyways.

I finished it with some fresh wild arugula and then was escorted to the judges table about 100 feet away all the while being stopped 5 or 6 times to take pictures, this is normal.

Then I presented the pizza to a table of four judges where they asked me a series of question about my pizza such as the ingredients and the dough. Then I cut 4 slices at another table — making sure I picked the four best — and brought them to the judges. And then that’s it.

Uou walk away with a thousand different thoughts going on in your head about what just happened. Someone can spend a lifetime telling you about the competition and it wouldnt mean anything because when you experience it yourself its a whole different world.

So for any aspiring pizzaiolos I suggest once you feel you’re ready — go to this event at least once in your life. But like I said the most amazing and most difficult experience of my life, and I cant wait to go back.

My main goal in life right now is to win that thing some day and to make Tarry Lodge pizza better than it ever was, and to get better each and every day.

The winning pizzaiolo was from Padua, and he made  a pizza with cream of zucchine and salmon, shrimp, a cured salted fish from Venice, and a mousse of riccota di bufala. It sounds amazing. Seeing what the competitors do there is much more that goes into it than just making pizza, such as presentation. One competitor made a lifesize portrait of Elvis on a motorcylce out of bread dough — pretty amazing.

Therefore, I knew right away I did not win. I was disspointed because I would say that the pizza was about 65 percent out of a possible 100 percent. and the main reason for this was how long I took to make the pizza (way too long), my oven and all the little factors that someone cannot account for unless they have done the event previously. Experience is so important.

The winner scored a total of 824 points and i scored 578. The judges rank only the top 3, so i would guess that this was somewhere around 100th out of 250-300 pizzaiolos. Not where I wanted to be, but I could not be prouder of how I handled myself and the experience that I just went through because I know I gave it my all.

Like I said, I cannot put into words how difficult this competiton is. However, now that I have year one out of the way, I’m confident that next year I will be ready to compete at a much higher level.

I cannot wait until that day comes next April.

Here’s a video about the new Ethiopian restaurant that recently opened in Mount Kisco. It explains some of the unfamiliar aspects of the cuisine. (No cutlery; communal eating; different spices). Have a look:

Lalibela opened a little less than two weeks ago on South Moger Avenue in Mount Kisco. (If you’re familiar with the area, it’s next to the Jamaican restaurant and across from Okinawa.) Last week, I met with owner Selamawit Tesfaye to learn more about the cuisine, and why she decided to bring it to Westchester.

First up, a video, which explains some of the unfamiliar aspects of the cuisine. (No cutlery; communal eating; different spices). Have a look:

After the jump, a story about Selamawit —

— the cuisine —

— and why you either love it or you hate it.

All these lovely photos and the terrific video are by Tania Savayan.

The 411 on Lalibela is coming soon. Til then: Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant, 37 S. Moger Ave., Mount Kisco. 914-864-1343. lalibelamountkisco.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

Click on for the story:

Liz Johnson
ewjohnson@lohud.com

With spicy stews that tingle your tongue, tangy bread that tickles your taste buds, and refreshing salads and salsas that liven the plate with a big splash of color, a meal at the new Lalibela restaurant in Mount Kisco is a celebration of the senses.

It is the first Ethiopian restaurant in the region, and it opened on South Moger Avenue last week

Selamawit Tesfaye, the owner, says opening the restaurant is something she’s wanted to do for a long time.

“I got the chance to come here,” she says. “And where better than in America to make your dreams come true?”

She may well be right, but her first challenge will be getting Americans to understand a cuisine that’s little known in this region. There are a number of Ethiopian restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area, but in New York there are only a handful.

“(Ethiopian cuisine) hasn’t caught on (in New York) and I don’t see it as a great big trend,” says Bret Thorn, food editor of Nation’s Restaurant News, a trade publication. “But I think in general Americans are a lot more experimental now than they were 10 or 15 years ago. That means that different concepts have more of a chance than they would have earlier.”

The first custom: No cutlery. No forks, no knives, no spoons. Instead, food is served on top of a giant crepe-like, fermented bread called injera. You tear off small pieces of the bread, then use them to pick up your food.

The second custom: Communal eating. Like in Indian and Asian restaurants, you and your tablemates will choose a few dishes, then all of them will be served on one big platter.

The foods are familiar — beef, chicken, lamb and vegetables are on the menu — but some of the spices are indigenous to Africa. Ethiopian cuisine is known for two spice mixtures: berbere, which is made with ginger, garlic, cloves, coriander, allspice, rue berries, ajwain black peppercorns and salt; and mitmita, which is made with African birdseye chilis, garlic, cardamom, cloves and salt. Neither is burning hot — they just give you a sense of spice and depth.

It’s these spices — coupled with the sour flavor and spongy texture of the bread, and the sometimes unappealing color of the stews — that makes Ethiopian cuisine polarizing, says Thorn. You either love it or you hate it.

“They use clarified butter and make a lot of rich stews that are similar to the way curries are made,” he says. “But the tastes are even less familiar than Indian food. It doesn’t have that cumin-curry flavor.”

It may not be familiar, but — from the one meal I had there — it is very tasty. Nunu Wegbezaw, the chef, cooked at The Ethiopian Restaurant in Manhattan. On her menu are wats (pronounced wets), which are like stews, made of beef, lentils and peas. They are spiced with berbere. The signature dish is called Doro Wat, and it’s chicken legs cooked with onion, ginger, garlic, butter and berbere spice. It’s served with a hard-boiled egg.

There are also kitfo dishes, which are more like the Thai dish of larb: chopped meat sauteed with spices, usually the mitmita blend. The menu also has several salads: the avocado with onion and tomato is like a terrific Mexican salsa, all zippy and fresh with citrus.

Tesfaye came here when she was 15. She followed her sister, Yodit Tesfaye Walker, who came by herself at age 17.

“When they get a visa to go to America, it’s like, OK, we have to make it happen,” says Selamawit. So the Tesfaye family contacted a neighbor’s daughter who was a nanny for a family in Elmsford, and asked if Yodit could stay there while she got settled. The family generously agreed.

Yodit went on to become a graphic designer. Selamawit ended up working design, too, but at Kohl’s department store from 2006 to 2010. She did graphics and set up displays before she moved on to work in bookkeeping.

At the same time, she was also working at Crabtree’s Kittle House in Chappaqua. She was bartender, waitress,  hostess and then was promoted to maitre d’ for parties.

“She’s a lovely person, an elegant and wonderful lady,” says John Crabtree, the owner. “She really understands the principle of hospitality. It just comes naturally to her.”

Tesfaye has painted Lalibela a golden color, and set up simple wooden tables. She decorated the walls with a few photos of Ethiopia, including one of Lalibela, the holy city the restaurant is named for.

“I just like the name and the place,” she says. And the word is simple to say, she says, and easy to understand.

And, after one visit to the restaurant, the customs of Ethiopian cuisine will be, too.

I took my visit to Candlelight Inn last week and turned it into a story and a little video for the Super Bowl. As I mentioned in the other post, owner John “J” Tracy plans of serving 70,000 to 80,000 wings on Sunday alone, and he’s opening an entire building next door dedicated to take-out.

Previously:
Best of Small Bites: Chicken Wings.
Best of Hudson Valley MetroMix Chicken Wings.
Where to Watch the Game — And Eat Great Wings, Too
And Speaking of Wings …
Candlelight Inn to Expand; Adding Entire Building Just for Takeout.
Heading to the Candlelight Inn in Scarsdale…

Here’s a link to the story, but, because those links expire, after the jump, the print story on Candlelight.

The chicken wings at the Candlelight Inn in Greenburgh are so tempting, a vegetarian friend broke down on Monday and ate a dozen of them.

They’re so popular, owner John (“everyone calls me ‘J’ ”) Tracy ordered 16,000 pounds of them this week — that’s 160,000 wings — to cover the orders he’ll need through Sunday’s Super Bowl game.

And they’re so spicy — at least if you order the hottest on the menu — that a couple of guys once said they were causing “a meltdown” in their mouths, and nicknamed the sauce Chernobyl.

Wings and the Super Bowl go hand in hand, and there are few places in the Lower Hudson Valley better known for wings than Candlelight.

Tracy expects to serve 70,000 to 80,000 wings on Sunday alone, when the Indianapolis Colts meet the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV.

So what better weekend for Tracy to announce he’s expanding? Takeout is 60 percent of his business, and keeps customers at the dining room tables waiting for their orders, and customers waiting for those tables crowded in the bar. He’s adding an entire building right next door to accommodate the to-go orders. There will also be a prep kitchen. He hopes it will open in May.

“It’s been in the works for about five years,” says Tracy. “At least from the planning stage.” He wants the building to resemble a 100-year-old home, just like the restaurant across the driveway. There will be two porches, one in front that’s wheelchair-accessible and one in back.

You can enter from either side, and you’ll place your order at the counter, which will stretch from one side of the building to the other.

The Candlelight Inn in Scarsdale opened on Jan. 17, 1955. Tracy’s father, John Joseph Tracy Sr., lived in the building in his 20s.

“Then he married my mother, and she said, ‘I’m not living above a bar!’ ” laughs Tracy.

The building was built in 1892, says Tracy, and started out as a grocery store.

It turned into a restaurant sometime in the 1920s, and went under various names and served various styles of food. At one point, it was a steakhouse. Tracy has an old business card from when it was called The Night Spot. It was called the Candlelight Inn when Tracy Sr. bought it, and he kept the name.

Today, the restaurant is synonymous with wings, but it didn’t start that way. Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, the Candlelight was famous for its roast beef on rye and fries.

“My mother used to cook them at home,” says Tracy. “And Friday nights she’d pile us all in the car and we’d come in through the back door carrying the roast beefs.” The sandwiches are still on the menu.

The wings came about 1983 or 1984, he says. And they almost didn’t make it onto the menu.

A guy in the kitchen fried a batch and Tracy tasted them.

“Bleech,” he laughs. “They were awful!” He wouldn’t serve them.

Not long after, Tracy was visiting Lou Bellantoni, a good friend in Florida, and June, Lou’s wife, served wings for dinner. Tracy was apprehensive, but not wanting to be disrespectful, he tried them. They were delicious.

He asked June about her recipe and set about tweaking and developing it for his menu.

His secret? Always fresh — never frozen — wings. If the restaurant is super-busy, he’ll double fry them (but not very long in advance) so he can get the orders to the tables faster. Otherwise, they’re cooked just once. No spice rub. No secret ingredient. Just wings, into the fryer, then tossed with sauce.

The wings are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. And here, the wings are served still attached, rather than separated into a drumstick and a wing. They sell so many orders, it’s just easier for the cooks to count them that way.

There are six sauces to choose among: mild, hot, extra hot, barbecue, teriyaki and Chernobyl. Hot is really medium; if you like it spicy, get extra hot. The barbecue is a little too ketchup-y and sweet for me; but the teriyaki has a nice flavor. Also popular is teriyaki mixed with hot.

The “Chernobyl” name came around the time of the nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union. Tracy gave a couple of guys at the bar a screaming-hot batch of wings. One of them kept saying, “My mouth is melting! It’s a meltdown!” and the other said: “It’s another Chernobyl!” (Today the Chernobyl sauce is kept in its own separate plastic blue bottle in the kitchen so there’ll be no mistaking it.)

On Sunday, Tracy expects to serve between 7,000 and 8,000 pounds of those wings for the Super Bowl. Normally, they’re cooked to order, but he’ll start cooking today to keep up with the demand.

“There are endless stories about this place,” says Tracy. “And our customers help us make our business what it is. We listen to what the customers want.”

“My mother used to say, ‘Feed and tend to people like they’re family,’ ” he says. “And luckily , we always feed our family well.”

And now, with the expansion, he’ll feed them faster, too.

I’ve found 12 great local drinks to help make the holidays festive. And I did (that is, sang) a little, um, video (it’s actuall a carol) about it.

To see — and print — recipes of all the drinks, visit this cool page we designed just for the series: lohud.com/12drinks. The video is over there, too….

A story about Kara and her cocktails will appear in tomorrow’s Journal News.  Here’s a sneak peek at the video, though. Be sure to watch til the end for an especially hilarious blooper by yours truly.

I do this occasional series where I focus on ‘one great dish’ from a chef’s menu and ask him to explain how he makes it. Today, Andy Nusser of Tarry Lodge in Port Chester goes over the (very simple) steps for making his beet and goat cheese “caprese” salad.

Here’s the story that appeared in today’s paper, too.

The 411 on Tarry Lodge.

My husband and I have become pretty famous among our friends for our sour cherry pie. (And jam, but that’s a story for another time.) I love this pie, and I love to serve it on Fourth of July weekend. It’s so darn American, isn’t it?

Here’s a video where I show you my no-fail pie crust recipe, and my very special method of pitting cherries. Oh, and the oven almost explodes, too. Good times.

Hope you enjoy the video, and please — if you make the pie, comment here and let me know how it turned out! I’ll be watching the blog all weekend, so if you have questions, post them here. Happy Fourth!

After the jump, the recipes for No-Fail Pie Crust and Sour Cherry Pie.

No-Fail Pie Crust
Adapted from Saveur magazine, which said it was their adaptation of a pie from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s “The Pie and Pastry Bible” (Scribner, 1998).
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
9 tablespoons cold cream cheese
12 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ice water
1 egg
Splash of milk
Sugar for sprinkling

Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces and put on a plate. Put the plate in the fridge. Place flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Use your fingers to pull chunks of cream cheese from the bar and throw into flour mixture. Pulse a couple of times until the mixture begins to resemble coarse meal. Add the cold butter to the bowl of the processor. Pulse until mixture is flecked with pea-sized pieces of butter. Sprinkle in vinegar and ice water, pulse a couple of more times. Pinch the mixture to see that it holds together. Dump the mixture onto a lightly floured surface. It will not have come completely together yet. Quickly knead dough until smooth. Divide dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, flatten each into a disk and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Roll larger dish onto a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch round, then ease into a 9-inch pie pan. Stir filling, then transfer to pastry. Roll remaining dough out into a 10-inch round. You may either cut into lattice or bake as a top crust. Beat egg with milk and brush over the top crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Sour Cherry Pie

1 recipe pie crust
4 cups sour cherries, washed, stemmed and pitted
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter, optional

Make the pie crust. Line a 9-inch pie pan with it.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine cherries, sugar, flour, almond extract, vanilla extract and vinegar in a bowl. Dot with butter, if you like. (I never do.)
Cover with a top crust and seal edges. Cut slits in the center to allow steam to escape. Brush it with the egg-milk mixture, if you like.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until pie filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.
Yield: 1 pie.

Heather Salerno has written a terrific profile of Brett August of Doral Arrowwood in Rye Brook and Michael Prioetti of the Radission in New Rochelle, both of whom are finalists in the TV show “The Next Food Network Star:” All-American or ‘Global a Go-Go’: Is One of These Local Chefs the Next Food Network Star?

I don’t know who I’m rooting for more…. they’re both talented and both hilarious. You can really tell from this video Heather and I put together to accompany this story, too. Kudos to videographer and editor Tania Savayan, too. Of course, the real stars are Michael and Brett. Take a look:

Also in the food section today:
Cool wines for a hot summer.
BBQ books to fire up the grill.
How to improvise a vinaigrette.

I went to Fairway in Paramus recently to talk to Ray Venezia, a third generation butcher, about what cuts of meat are economical and still tasty enough to serve to friends and family this Memorial Day weekend. Here’s what he told me: skirt steak, hanger steak, boneless sirloin and London Broil. Check out the video.

Also check out our video player on LoHud.com/food. I teamed up with other newspapers to put together a nice package of Great Grilling Ideas, including quick tips, recipes and more. Just hit the thumbnails under the player to browse. Enjoy!

Here’s a little profile that was meant to go with last week’s story of Table Local Market in Bedford Hills. I produced this video all by myself … writing, editing and shooting, well, almost! ... You’ll have to watch till the end to see what I mean!

Here’s the video I produced on Union in Haverstraw. I also hear from Paulo that the restaurant will extend Hudson Valley Restaurant Week two days, and offer the menu on Saturday April 3 and Sunday April 4.

Here are video reports from the first two restaurants of HVRW. I’ve also added these to the original blog posts.

Woody’s:

Tavern:

My friend and colleague Karen Croke and I hit Lubins n Links last week. Here’s the video:

Earlier: Lubins n Links.

Have you seen our new Inside the Newsroom live broadcasts at 12:30 and 4:30 each day? On Wednesdays at 12:30, I contribute a food segment. Today, I recap our Fine dining for $20 story. Here’s a look:

Josh Lawler, chef de cuisine at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, shows me the secret of the deliciousness of the soft-cooked egg at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. So happy.

Recipe, after the jump.

Crusted Farm Egg with a Stew of Beans and Pancetta

There are a number of ways to make this dish easier for the home cook; just remember it won’t be as tasty! You can certainly buy pesto (though it won’t likely be arugula pesto) and you can use easy-to-find dried beans like Great Northern, pinto or black eyed peas. Or go for canned beans (though they won’t be as toothy). If you are going to tackle the whole dish, make the pesto first. It can rest, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Then make the beans. They too, can be made ahead and gently reheated. Make the egg just before serving.

For the pesto

4 cornichons

2 tablespoons capers

3/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 soft cooked egg (about 5 to 6 minutes)

1 anchovy filet

2 cups arugula leaves, rough chopped

2 cups spinach leaves, rough chopped

1 cup chervil, rough chopped

1/2 cup tarragon leaves, rough chopped

1 cup grapeseed oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In the bowl of a blender, place cornichons, capers, mustard, egg, garlic and anchovy. With the motor running, add oil to form an emulsion. Add arugula, spinach, chervil and tarragon to the blender. Puree until everything is well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

For the beans

2 cups heirloom beans such as Marrow, Yellow Eye or Vaqueras (order from ranchogordo.com)

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/2 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 celery stalk, roughly chopped

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1/4 head fennel, roughly chopped

3-inch chunk of pancetta

A small bouquet of 2 sprigs thyme, 2 parsley stalk and 1 small bay leaf

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups water

Salt and pepper

Rinse beans and soak overnight in a generous amount of cold water. Drain beans and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium shallow pot over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, fennel and pancetta and cook for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften and caramelize.

Add beans, bouquet, stock and water and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook uncovered until the beans are just tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a shallow dish or pan to cool in their cooking liquid. Remove vegetables and bouquet and discard. Dice the pancetta into a small dice and set aside.

For the egg

4 eggs plus 1 egg beaten

2 tablespoons ground toasted almonds

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons ground panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup flour

Oil for frying

Salt and pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl with ice water. Carefully drop the 4 eggs into the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to retrieve them and immediately plunge into the ice water. Once the eggs have cooled, peel them and set them aside.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pan of vegetable, peanut or canola oil to 370 degrees over medium-high heat. Mix almonds, cheese and panko in small bowl. Place flour in another bowl and beaten egg in a third bowl.

Dip each egg first into the flour, then the egg, then the breading. Fry eggs for about 30 seconds, until light golden. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the dish

Cooked heirloom beans plus reserved diced pancetta

1 cup arugula pesto

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Transfer the cooked beans with about a cup of their cooking liquid to a medium sauce pot. Add the reserved pancetta dice. Heat gently over a medium flame.

Add about a cup of the pesto and stir to incorporate, making sure not to let the liquid boil.

Check seasoning and finished with chopped herbs.

Divide the beans among four bowls or plates and top with the whole crispy fried egg.

For this week’s holiday countdown recipe, Jill Rose, pastry chef and owner of Chiboust in Tarrytown, shows me her amazing French Toast with Apples. What a great holiday brekky.

The French Toast recipe, after the jump.

Brioche French Toast

Make the apple compote first, then reheat it to top the French toast.

8 eggs

1 quart milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 loaf of Chiboust brioche, sliced 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick

Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Soak brioche in custard mixture about five minutes.

Sauté in butter until golden brown on both sides.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serve warm with apple compote.

Apple Compote

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

3 tablespoons apple brandy (calvados)

1/4 cup half and half

In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat, bring sugar, water and spices to a light caramel, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced apples and sauté until slightly tender and golden, Deglaze with the calvados, add the half and half and reduce until thickened, about three minutes.

In today’s edition, chef Dave DiBari shows me how hot make baccala gratin, a dish Italian grandmothers all over the world are planning to serve as part of Christmas Eve supper.

The recipe, after the jump.

Baccala Gratinato

Serves 4

3/4 pound soaked baccala (salt cod)

2 Yukon Gold potatoes

2 eggs

2 cups thick béchamel sauce (see related recipe)

2 tablespoons jarred roasted peppers, chopped

1 pinch kosher salt

1 pinch cracked black pepper

1 pinch ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons toasted bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Be sure to have your béchamel sauce ready. You can make it one to three days ahead and keep it, covered, in the refrigerator.

Place potatoes in a large pot of water and set on a high burner. Set a bowl with ice water on the counter. Once the water begins to boil, set the timer to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the eggs and cook them together with the potatoes for another 10 minutes. Remove eggs and potatoes from water and place eggs in the ice water. Let potatoes cool, peel, and roughly chop.

Meanwhile, boil the baccala for about 5 minutes, until the meat flakes apart. Chop the baccala into 1-inch thick pieces.

Mix the baccala with 2 cups of béchamel (recipe below), potatoes, roasted red peppers, chopped parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Place the mixture into your favorite casserole. Top it with the breadcrumbs and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Peel the hard-boiled eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Press them separately through a fine-mesh strainer so they’re crumbled finely.

When the casserole is finished, top it with the eggs and parsley.

Thick Béchamel Sauce

1 quart milk

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter

1 tablespoon minced, peeled garlic

4 tablespoons diced Spanish onions

10 tablespoons flour

1 whole clove

1 bay leaf

Ground white pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Place a medium saucepan over low heat and warm the milk. Do not allow to boil.

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Sweat the garlic and onions until they are translucent. Stir in the flour.

Cook over very low heat, being careful not to allow the flour to take on any color.

After the flour mixture has cooked for 10 minutes, gradually pour in the warm milk, whisking continuously, until all of the milk has been added. Add the clove and bay leaf.

Continue to stir until the sauce comes to a boil.

Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until the raw taste of the flour is cooked out.

Pass the sauce through a fine sieve and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Chef Peter Kelly shows us a great centerpiece for a holiday meal.

The recipe, after the jump.

Roast Rack of Pork

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

For the brine:
1 gallon water
1 1/3 cups kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6-8 tablespoons black peppercorns
2-inch piece peeled ginger
8 pieces star anise
6 pieces bay leaf

For the pork:

1 (8-chop) rack of pork, trimmed and frenched
Olive oil
Thyme
Sage

In a large non-reactive bowl place all brine ingredients and stir till sugar and salt dissolve. Submerge pork in brine and leave in refrigerator for 6-8 hours (no more).

Remove pork from brine and let dry and come to room temperature for at least an hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the pork, heat 1 tablespoon oil to very hot. Super hot. Really really hot.

Carefully place pork in skillet and sear on all sides. You want a nice color. Place skillet in oven, pork bones facing up. Roast for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on size) or until juices run clear. We cook til 135 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest 15 to 20 minutes.

Slice roast into chops and serve.

Larchmont author Colleen Mullaney shows me how to mix some festive cocktails for a party.

Recipes in the story here.

Here’s the first of six cooking videos we’re doing this holiday season to make cooking and entertaining easy — but fun! I have asked chefs to share their favorite dishes – but also asked them to simplify the recipes so you and I can make them in our own kitchens.

And just to be sure – the chefs did just that: they came to my tiny kitchen in Nyack and we cooked together.

Here. chef Jon Pratt of Peter Pratt’s Inn in Yorktown and Umami Cafe in Croton shows me how he makes his chestnut-squash soup. The recipe, after the jump.

Chestnut-Squash Soup

In the video, chef Jon Pratt and food editor Liz Johnson garnished this dish with some duck confit, which you can order from Hudson Valley Foie Gras (hudsonvalleyfoiegras.com) or D’Artagnan (dartagnan.com). The duck is not necessary; this soup tastes just as good ungarnished, or with a dollop of whipped cream.

2 medium Kabocha squash

1 large sweet onion, rough chopped

4 ounces unsalted butter

3 big sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in a bundle with string

1 quart chicken stock, plus extra for adjustments

1 cup cooked chestnuts from a jar, rough chopped

Maple syrup to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut squash in half. Roast squash with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour until you can pierce the skin with a fork. Let cool and remove from skin. You should have 1 packed quart of squash.

In a large pot over medium heat, heat butter until melted, add onion and tied thyme. Stir and simmer until onions are translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 6 minutes.

Add stock, chestnuts and squash, bring back to simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, remove thyme and puree soup with stick blender until smooth. (If it’s too thick add more stock or water until desired consistency.)

Add pinch black pepper. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon maple then salt and maple syrup to taste.

Garnish with shreds of duck confit and a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 6 to 8.

Jimmy Fink, radio host extraordinaire, mentioned our show on his show on 107.1 The Peak radio yesterday and today. Check out the sound bite:

MP3 LOADING….

(Photo by Steve Schmitt/TJN)

Watch all the webisodes in one video here:

The judges rate the Locally Grown recipes and we reveal the winner of the Locally Grown Recipe Contest.

The contestants finish their dishes.

Here’s the second part of the Locally Grown show, where chef Anthony Badagliacca critiques the contestants techniques. (Watch the first part here.)

Meet Suzie Fromer of Tarrytown, Bob Madigan of Purdys, Jeanne Geraci of Mount Vernon and Vivian Utko of Armonk, and watch as they start the Locally Grown cook-off at the Blue Hill Kitchen at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture.

(Watch it on full screen if you can. Joe Larese did an amazing job editing.)

We’ll be annoucing the winner of our Locally Grown recipe contest at Harvest Fest at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture on Saturday. (And it will be in the paper and here on the blog after that.) Here’s a little bit about the festival.

Forgot to post this earlier. My apologies.