DEB PERELMAN, author of “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook,” would make a good gardener—except there’s no room in her tiny New York City kitchen for another measuring cup, let alone flower pots. But she’s (self-admittedly) obsessive, and describes her mantra as “where there’s a will there’s a way,” and then there’s this: Her recipes read like love notes to suitors that include rhubarb (tenderly coaxed it into hamantaschen cookies); zucchini (formed into sensual ribbons, then tossed with almond pesto for a salad); and ‘Butternut’ squash (tucked into a comfy, ample gallette with carmelized onions). She loves the ingredients I love to grow, among many others, and I love this new book. Win it (and get a sample recipe now).
I first met Deb Perelman in my former life, when I worked for Martha Stewart. It was late 2007 or early 2008—a millennium ago in internet years—and we’d invited in a group of bloggers we admired to get better acquainted. Deb sat to my left (and beyond her was Heidi Swanson of 101Cookbooks.com, with the founders of Apartment Therapy and theKitchn.com across the table, and more). I think that gathering is what crystallized my intention to start a website: such an inspiring group.
But I digress. If you haven’t visited Smitten Kitchen, prepare to be entertained, educated, and called to action.
DEB PERELMAN is a self-taught home cook, and is funny in that self-deprecating way I love (often using the cross-out strikethrough key on her editing dashboard to good effect). On the blog, and in the new cookbook, Deb invites you into her kitchen, and family, teaching you (her Tips section online alone is worth a visit, let alone all her recipes) while tempting you. You always come away hungry…until you get out the ingredients yourself and make what’s cooking.
Like maybe Deb’s “desert island dish,” Roasted Tomatoes and Cipollini Onions with White Beans. Or Linguini with Cauliflower Pesto, or (if it’s breakfast time, perhaps) Baked Ranchero Eggs With Blistered Jack Cheese and Lime Crema, or Cinnamon Toast French Toast (smartly baked in a casserole, not one piece at a time in the fry-pan).
Or maybe, whatever time of day or night it is, you’ll make a latke.
“I maintain that if you are limiting your latke consumption to the eight nights of Hanukkah, you’re missing out,” she writes in the notes accompanying her Big Breakfast Latkes recipe. But some days, maybe a latke-avatar is more to the point.
Like, perhaps, a fritter?
“At some point in the last few years, fritters became my favorite things to cook,” Deb writes, “and by fritters I really just mean latkes but without potatoes. I’ve made them with everything from zucchini to apples, and I’m not even close to tiring of the format.”
One that caught my attention: her Leek Fritters with Garlic and Lemon. In another of those Smitten Kitchen veggie love notes, she says:
“I’m a little obsessed with leeks. First, they’re gorgeous. A cross section appears like the rings of a tree, with gradients from Shamrock Green to Unmellow Yellow (or so says my son’s box of crayons), and I want to wear it.”
The leek fritters can be made tiny, she advises, for a party snack, or full-sized (and even with a fried egg on top, as dinner). Deb says they freeze well, and are easily re-crisped in the oven, so plan to make plenty. The recipe follows.
leek fritters with garlic and lemon
yield: about ten 2½- inch fritters
- 2 pounds (905 grams) leeks (about 3 very large ones)
- ½ teaspoon table salt, plus more for pot
- 2 scallions, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all- purpose fl our
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 large egg
- Olive or vegetable oil, for frying
garlic lemon cream
- ½ cup (120 grams) sour cream
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
- lemon juice
- Few gratings of fresh lemon zest
- Pinches of salt
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or crushed
prepare the batter Trim the leeks, leaving only the white and pale- green parts. Halve them lengthwise, and if they look gritty or dirty, plunge them into cold water and fan the layers about to remove any dirt and grit. On a cutting board, slice the leeks crosswise into ¼- inch strips. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are slightly softened but not limp. Drain, and wring them out in a dish towel or a piece of cheesecloth.
Transfer the wrung-out leeks to a large bowl, and stir in the scallions. In a small dish, whisk together the fl our, salt, baking powder, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper, if you’re using it. Stir the dry ingredients into the leek mixture, then stir in the egg until the mixture is evenly coated.
cook the fritters Preheat your oven to 250 degrees, and place a baking sheet covered in foil inside. Stack a few paper towels on a large plate. In a large, heavy skillet— cast iron is dreamy here— heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Drop small bunches of the leek mixture onto the skillet—only a few at a time, so they don’t become crowded— and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook the fritters until they are golden underneath, about 3 minutes. If you find this is happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium- low; I find I have to jump the heat back and forth a lot to keep it even. Flip fritters, and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side.
Drain the fritters on paper towels, and transfer them to warm oven while you make the remaining fritters.
I like to let the fritters hang out in the oven for at least 10 minutes after the last one is cooked— they stay crisp, and this ensures that they’re cooked through, even if they finished quickly on the stove.
to serve Whisk together the garlic lemon cream ingredients until smooth. Dollop on each fritter before serving. These fritters are also delicious with a poached or fried egg on top. Trust me.
do ahead Fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week, or frozen in a well-sealed package for months. When you’re ready to use them, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325-degree oven and heat until they’re hot and crisp again.
more from smitten kitchen
how to win the cookbook
I’VE BOUGHT TWO EXTRA copies of “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Wisdom from an Obsessive Home Cook,” to share with you. All you have to do to enter to win is comment below, answering the question:
Do you have a “favorite thing to cook” the way Deb Perelman refers to those latke-lookalikes called fritters? For me, I guess it would be soup, or frittatas. Every ingredient here finds its way into one of those concoctions.
Feeling shy? No worry; just say “count me in,” and I will. But if you feel like sharing, all the better. Two winners will be chosen at random when entries close at midnight Friday, December 7. Good luck to all.
(Recipe and photograph excerpted from THE SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK by Deb Perelman. Copyright © 2012 by Deb Perelman. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Deb Perelman photo by Elizabeth Bick.)
(Disclaimer: Books purchased from any Amazon links in this story yield a small commission that I use to buy books for more giveaways.)
I love making curry. I make one chicken potato curry from a box. And I love the chana masala recipe from Smitten Kitchen…I make it several times a year along with her Indian spiced potatoes and cauliflower. :) It’s always a hit with friends and family. And makes great leftovers.
Count me in!
I love soup, so so much.
I love “The Smitten Kitchen” name!!
Very clever!
anything with eggplant. find it both challenging and incredibly rewarding to both grow and cook with. thanks for the giveaway!
love to make smoothies with fresh hawaiian fruit!
I love the Smitten Kitchen and visit Deb’s site fairly frequently. My favorite thing lately is baking breads. I’ve incorporated a lot of the fresh herbs and vegetables I grow into the breads. Sometimes the result is really quite good….and then I realize I didn’t keep track of the ingredient ratios. Don’t look for a cookbook from me anytime soon. :) I would love a chance at Deb’s book, though.
This summer I loved making roasted tomato soup…I froze quite a bit of soup too for those cold winter days.
I love her Grilled Eggplant with Caponata Salsa. Amazing!
Count me in!
Can’t wait to cook along with you.
Simply smitten with your blog. Would love, LOVE a copy of the cookbook.
Count me in, too.
I always enjoy classic cookies.
i can’t pick a favorite–but i love to bake (everything from bread to pies to cakes to cookies…)
Count me in.
I loved her Apple Tart – tried it last week ! I’d love the cookbook too ……
Oh my goodness- what a treat it would be to win her cookbook. I love her blog, and the book is on my Christmas wish list.
Favorite thing to cook — I suppose for me that would be like picking a favorite kid. Enjoying cooking and baking is something very new to me over the last few years, and I’m still a work in progress for sure! I probably enjoy desserts the most, or creating something beautiful from whatever is in season in our garden or at the city market.
I love to cook rich, meaty pasta sauce.
I am hungry already. I would love the cookbook.
I love to cook soups, especially when my son is home. Vegetarian ones are my favorite.
I love making oven fries, partly because they are so easy, and partly because I love eating them. My favourite version is cajun spiced with home made honey mustard. Otherwise I’m a big fan of large pots of soup or pasta sauce. Thanks!
Just coming off the Thanksgiving holiday, I will say a traditional French Canadian meat pie called Tourtierre. (Yes, its more a Christmas pie, but my family likes it w/turkey). I like passing on tradition to my children and grandchildren. And food is the perfect way…complex memories of family gatherings, tastes and aromas.
Count me in! I love making soup.
I love reading Deb’s posts and have enjoyed trying many of her recipes.
My dish is quiche, since we now have chickens and plenty of eggs, and because you can put many different combos of veggies (and even fruit) in them. Our favorite it still swiss chard, sweet onion & apple with a dash of nutmeg :)
Great book, love her voice!
Labour-intensive but long-lasting membrillo. What’s better than quince: elegant small tree and big blossoms; beautifully grotesque fruit; aphrodisiac rose/fruit smell when cooking; magical colour change when cooked; a flavour like nothing else.
I love cooking! Especially anything Italian. And especially from my garden. Already planning my midwinter sowing of seeds!
My favorite thing to cook is “Aunt Ruth’s cheesy baked eggs. ” I do have an Aunt Ruth, but I got the recipe from a cookbook. It is so decadent that I have to divide it into 12 portions instead of 8 to make it somewhat reasonable. (Then I eat two. Oh well.)
Love cooking any kind if salsa or sauce!
Deb makes me laugh.(..a good recipe) ..would love to win her cookbook.
I’m a roaster. I love to roast anything. last night it was roast lemon chicken and roast delicata squash. Yum!!
I love making falafels! And homemade bean burgers with roasted red pepper aioli.
The smitten kitchen raspberry buttermilk cake is my go to cake.
Fresh tomato basil soup, so summery
I really love to bake, but you can’t live off baked goods. Otherwise it’s comfort food.
—right this moment, my favorite is pasta with pesto and strips of grilled chicken breat.
braised meats, especially this time of year
I love Smitten Kitchen! Please count me in.
I love to cook dishes like Krautfleckerl and Gulasch…and other food that reminds me of home! :)
Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite blogs. Love to cook comfort food especially at this time of year. Italian favorites from my mom and grandmom’s kitchens like cioppino and eggplant parmigiano.
I love soup any time of the year.
Love to cook anything with pasta.
Count me in! I love the smitten kitchen and I am so excited for Deb that she has released a cookbook. Congratulations. Currently, as the temperature drops, soup seems to be making its way back into my weekly repertoire of favorites, nothing better on a chilly evening, in front of the fire, than a bowl of delicious soup.
I love to cook anything with eggs, or rice, or eggs and rice! Both are blank canvases for whatever you are in the mood for, and eggs have the extra element of interesting physical properties (I am thinking of meringue, for example). Yum.
Muffins! I make muffins. What kind do you want?
count me in…soups, beans
I love to cook my Lasagna – total comfort food for a cold day. Made with fresh pasta – it’s a family favorite. Love Smitten Kitchen too!
Pasta is so deeply satisfying to make and eat. A pot of boiling water for pasta on the left burner, a large skillet on the right burner, olive oil, garlic, anything from frig or garden, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a dusting of cheese. Happiness in 15 minutes.
I love cooking soup, beans and pizza!!!