My Latest Obsession: Sunday Suppers

Ok...this is not a new obsession, I have been reading the blog, the recipes and drooling over the photos for some time. I love SUNDAY SUPPERS and am dying to take one of their classes. The classes are held in a waterfront loft in Brooklyn and are a class-cooking-dining experience that pairs friends and food.  

If you can't make it to NYC, then check out their blog for inspiration for table settings and flowers. Their photography is stellar! 

And the blog is a great source for recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:

Homemade Focaccia

1 cup warm water
1 ¼ tsp yeast
1 tsp honey
1 ¾ cup flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla salt
olive oil

-dissolve yeast and honey in water.
-add flour and 2 tsp of salt.
-mix with a dough hook on medium speed for 10 minutes.
-transfer into an oiled bowl, cover and rest 1 ½ hours in a warm spot of your kitchen
-spread onto an oiled sheet pan
-rest for 30 minutes.
-spread dough to ends of sheet pan, drizzle with oil and cover loosely, rest for 1 ½ hours.
-preheat oven to 400 degrees
-sprinkle vanilla salt
-bake for 15 minutes, top shouldn’t have much color and bottom should be lightly golden

Recipe :: Roasted Asparagus with Capers and Lemon
Serves 10 to 12

*2 bunches asparagus, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
*1/4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed well, soaked, and drained
*2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
*Sea salt
*1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
*Garnish: lemon wedges

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange asparagus and capers evenly on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with oil, turning asparagus to coat. Season with salt, and sprinkle with red-pepper flakes. Roast, shaking sheets once, until asparagus is crisp-tender and golden at the tips, 12 to 16 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

Chilled Corn Soup
Serves 7

3 1/2 cups whole milk
8 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from cobs, cobs broken in half and reserved
1 pound piece of smoked ham shanks or ham hocks
4 1/2 cups water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
4 bay leafs
1/2 cup smoked ham, diced
fried corn and ham for garnish
ice
salt / pepper to taste

Bring milk, corncob halves and ham shank just to boil in large stock pot. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep while sautéing vegetables.
Melt butter in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with salt and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add corn kernels, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add water, thyme, bay leaf, and milk mixture with corncobs and ham shank.  Increase heat and bring to boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors. 

Cool soup slightly. Discard corncobs, herb sprigs, bay leaf and ham shank. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain soup into large bowl, pressing on solids. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cool over ice water bath. Cover and chill.