Daniel Patterson
Chicken Liver Crostini with Pickled Eggs
The tanginess of the homemade pickled eggs (they're easy!) balances the richness of the chicken liver. Timing note: Begin making the eggs at least one day ahead.
Onion Soup with Sage Brown Butter, Croutons, and Grated Lemon Peel
Pureeing the caramelized onions gives this soup a thick, creamy texture.
Roasted Baby Carrots, with Chile, Mint and Orange Glaze
Dried crushed red pepper adds heat to the glazed carrots.
Kale and Pecorino Crostini
Just a couple of chopped anchovy fillets deepen the flavor of this simple starter.
Buttermilk Spice Cake with Pear Compote and Crème Fraîche
A light, tender cake thats perfectly spiced. Any leftovers would be delicious with coffee or tea the next day.
Vegetable Stock
Editor's note:The recipe and introductory text below are from
Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragranceby Mandy Aftel and Daniel Patterson. This is an incredibly useful and versatile stock. It has a sweet vegetal flavor that can be used in many different ways—as a base for sauces and soups, adding richness and depth without changing the essential flavor of what it is paired with. It keeps in the refrigerator for one week, or you can freeze it indefinitely.
Homemade Butter and Buttermilk
Chef Daniel Patterson of San Francisco's Coi shared this surprisingly easy recipe for making fresh butter and its delicious by-product—buttermilk—with Epicurious. The buttermilk can be used to make Patterson'sYuba "Pappardelle" with English Peas, Fava Leaves, and Basil.Test-Kitchen Tip:Making butter can be an extremely messy process—as the buttermilk begins to separate, it will splash out of the bowl with each turn of the beaters. Even if your mixer has a splash guard, be sure to wrap sheets of plastic wrap from the rim of the bowl right over the top of the mixer (splash guard and all) to seal off any open spaces.
Yuba Pappardelle with English Peas, Fava Leaves, and Basil
This light spring recipe, from chef Daniel Patterson of San Francisco's Coi, is a great way to use the buttermilk left over after making Patterson'shomemade butter. Strips of yuba are simmered in the buttermilk and then topped with a bright-green sauce of fresh peas, basil, and fava leaves. Yuba, also called tofu skin, is made by heating soy milk until a skin forms on the surface. Here, strips of tender, slightly chewy yuba stand in for pasta. (See the Test-Kitchen Tips, below, for more information on ingredients and substitutions.)