Genoa "Porto Antico" Pesto

A few months ago I started working at a great small firm in Brooklyn working on three residential projects in New York, so sorry for not posting in a while. Luckily I am back in the world of employed architects and to further celebrate I just broke in my new food processor from my friends Dillon and Lindsey, and made this tasty pesto!

Pesto is a lovely sauce originally from Genoa, Italy, so I found this interesting terrarium on the waterfront Porto Antico in Genoa that architect Renzo Piano redeveloped. I thought of mentioning this terrarium after I was at an opening at  MoMA for the new terrarium pieces by Paula Hayes, which my friend Heidi Theunissen worked on the 3d design and fabrication, check it out!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/arts/design/03vogel.html?_r=1

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• fettuccine pasta, or whichever you would like

How to make it,

1. Put all ingredients except for the pasta into a food processor and blend until smooth, be sure to taste, so easy!
2. Boil water with a pinch  of salt and cook the pasta until al dente.
3. Mix in the pesto with the pasta, then garnish with a few basil leaves, enjoy!

"Studio Granada Architects" Pomegranate Chicken

After making this dish I learned that the "pomegranate" is derived from the Latin  pomum ("apple") and granatus ("seeded") and that the city of Granada may have been named after this fruit. So I chose to relate this dish to a beautiful sustainable home in Iceland by Studio Granada Architects. http://studiogranda.is/ Complete with passive solar design, geothermal heating and a lovely green roof, this home uses sustainable design while blending in with the surrounding beautiful landscape.

Ingredients:

•  a few tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 lbs. of chicken beasts cut into cubes
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 2 beets, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 half cup of walnuts, pulsed in a blender
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup of grenadine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of basmati rice
• seeds from 1 pomegranate

for the cucumber yogurt

• 2 cups of Greek yogurt
• 1/2 a cucumber peeled and shredded
• a bit of lemon juice
• salt and pepper

How to make it,

1. Brown the chicken in a bit of olive oil over high heat, then remove from the pan and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, saute the chopped onions in a bit of olive oil, then add the beets, garlic, walnuts, cinnamon and cayenne. stir for a few minutes
3. Add the grenadine and stock and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover and let it cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the chicken  and half the pomegranate seeds and simmer stirring now and then for a half hour or so, be sure to taste the sauce to see if it needs more salt and pepper.
5. For the basmati rice, boil 1 1/2 cups of water then simmer and add 1 cup of rice, simmer for 12-15 minutes.
6. For the yogurt add the shredded cucumber to the yogurt and season with salt and pepper.
7. When I plated this dish i filled a cup with the rice then flipped it over, then poured the chicken stew mixture on top, garnishing with the other half of pomegranate seeds and a bit of mint. Then put the yogurt on the side, enjoy!

"La Caixa" Stuffed Shells

This Catalan dish is so delicious don't be surprised if your guests find themselves licking the bechamel sauce off their plates. When thinking of what architectural moment to relate to this recipe, I stumbled onto this lovely metro stop at the La Caixa Center in Spain by Arata Isozaki. Just as this shell dish holds a lovely filling comprised of 4 meats, onion and leek, this sculptural canopy is made of tree like structures which hold a beautiful glass canopy above.
Just as an added Spanish twist after seeing this canopy I was consequently reminded of one of my favorite sculptural pieces Berlin, by Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida, enjoy!

Ingredients,

• 1 box of. large pasta shells
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 lb. of ground beef, veal, and pork
• 1 lb. of boneless chicken breast cut into small cubes
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 1 leek, cut into thin rings
• 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 4 tbsp of butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• ground nutmeg to taste
• 1 cup freshly grated Fontina Cheese

How to make it,

1. Preheat oven to 390 F. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and brown the meat, onion and leek.
2. Stir in the breadcrumbs and add salt and pepper.
3. Next is to make a rue, melt the butter in a pan and blend in the flour, cook until the mixture is a pale yellow viscous substance.
4. Add the stock and the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth.
5. Then bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.
6. Season this sauce with thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg, be sure to taste!
7. Boil the shells until al dente, then fill with the shells with the meat/onion/leek mixture on a metal pan or glass dish.
8. Pour the bechamel sauce ontop of the shells. then add the grated cheese.
9. Bake for 25 minutes, then serve hot.

"Savoye" Chicken Noodle Soup!

Since I made this soup from my last chicken recipe I thought I would stay with the same architect, Le Corbusier, just introducing another of his projects. Just as this soup illustrates the quintessential chicken noodle soup elements, chicken, noodles, carrots, celery, the Villa Savoye illustrates the quintessential "Five Points of Architecture" which were Le Corbusier's basic tenets of a new aesthetic of modernist architecture. These five points are...

1. "pilotie" or ground-level supporting columns, which elevate the building from the earth allowing the garden to flow beneath.
2.  A "flat roof terrace" reclaims the area of the building site for domestic purposes, including a garden space.
3. The "free plan" made possible by the elimination of load-bearing walls consists of partitions placed where they are needed without regard for those on adjoining levels.
4. Horizontal "ribbon windows" which provided even illumination and ventilation
5. The "free facade", unconstrained by load-bearing considerations, consists of a thin skin of wall and windows.

Ingredients:

• leftover chicken bones (if you want to make your own broth otherwise just use ready made chicken stock
• 2 quarts of water
• 2 cups of leftover chicken
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium spanish onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch thick circles
• 3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces
• 1 1/2 cups of yellow squash, cut into slices and quartered
• 1 potato cut into small pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• tablespoon of thyme
• 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon of paprika

How to make it,

1. Saute the chopped onion in a bit of olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add the water and chicken bones and boil for 20 minutes then reduce to medium heat, continue to cook for an hour, skim the scum off the top of the stock, then remove the bones from the stock.
3. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, potato, squash, chicken, thyme and bay leaf. cook for about 20 minutes until potatoes and veggies are just about soft, if not allow more time to cook.
4. Add the noodles to the soup and cook for an additional 7 minutes or so until the noodles are tender.
5. season with salt and pepper and paprika to taste, then serve hot, five points of architecture in 5 steps!

"Unité" Braised Chicken (Poulet Provençal)

This housing complex, the Unite de Habitation in Marseilles, France by architect Le Corbusier marks one of his large housing projects that was quite different from typical housing projects of the time. Inside, corridors run through the center of the long axis of every third floor of the building, with each apartment lying on two levels, generous sized spaces, communal facilities, a beautiful rooftop terrace, and a parkland setting. The Unité remains popular with its residents and is now mainly occupied by middle-class professionals, who I could see making this regional French chicken dish.

Ingredients,

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons of herbs de Provence
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves; 2 sliced and 2 minced
• 4 tomatoes cut into wedges
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup of pitted olives
• salt and pepper

How you make it,

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Combine tomatoes, onions, olives, sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence, fennel seeds, salt and pepper in a large glass baking dish.
3. Combine minced garlic, salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, this is what you will rub the inside and outside of the chicken.
4. Rub inside and outside of chicken including under the skin with this olive oil based rub then place the chicken amongst the vegetables.
5. Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and fully cooked.

"Shell House" Clams with Baked Yam Fries

Here is my take on another way to do the traditional  French/Belgian "Moules F rites" better known as mussels and fries" (which I realize I will have to add to my recipes as well).

 

 

I stumbled onto this shell inspired house by artechnic while looking for a building to relate to my clams and yams.  Its sinuous surfaces bend and wrap the shape of the house while standing out from the landscape, quite lovely.

Ingredients,

• 1 large yam
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Cajun seasoning (optional, I like to spice them up a bit)
• package of clams about 12 clams total
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 piece of celery cut into thin 2" strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup white wine ( I use chardonnay)
• dash of salt and pepper
• fresh cut Italian parsley

How to make it,

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Scrub yam then chop into thin slices keeping the skins and put onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Cajun spices, then bake for 25 minutes, flipping them every so often.
3. Clean clams under water discard any clams that are open!
4. In a medium pot saute the chopped onion and celery in a bit of olive oil.
5. Add the garlic, the clams, then add the wine.
6. Cover over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until you see they have opened.
7. I use the sauteed onion and celery as a bed for the clams to lay on top of, the add a bit of the juice from the pot. (do not eat any clams that do not open!)
8. Remove the yams from the oven, plate with the clams and enjoy, I ate the whole package of these myself so don't let the photo of  4 clams fool you, these are addictive!

"Dutch Pavillion" Zucchini and Mushroom Lasagna

When I was studying in Bonn, I went back to Hannover where I had lived a few years earlier, to attend the World's Fair 2000, where many different countries build pavilions to represent their country. This amazing pavillion by MVRDV was one of my favorites, so it came to mind when I thought of the layers in this lasagna.

Ingredients,

• lasagna (I use the Barilla flat no boil variety)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped basil
• 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• mushrooms cut into slices
• zuchinni cut into slices

How to make it,

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Mix together ricotta, eggs, milk, cheese, basil, and a bit of salt and pepper in a bowl.
3. In another bowl mix the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper (you can also just use pasta sauce from your grocery store.
4. In a glass dish spread a bit of the tomato mixture in the dish.
5. Cover that with a layer of lasagna, then a layer of the cheese mixture, then a layer of mushrooms.
6. Repeat layering with one layer of zucchini as well. 
7. When you get to the top put a few zucchini slices coverd in a bit of the cheese mixture.
8. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan on and bake for 50-60 minutes.