1

ITS MONDAY! (or Tuesday, Wednesday,

or Thursday) WHATS FOR DINNER?
QUICK AND EASY MEALS TO MAKE
ON BUSY WEEKNIGHTS 5
BREAKFAST + DINNER = BRINNER! 65
SWEET TREATS FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK! 75
2
TGIF (and Saturday, Sunday, and
Other Good Times)
PIZZA NIGHT 91
FRIDAY NIGHT COCKTAIL PARTY 101
PARTY LIKE ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY! 125
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION BY GORDON ELLIOT 1
vii
PARTYING WITH THE KIDS 141
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS 157
DATE NIGHT! 185
SUNDAY SIT-DOWNS 191
INDEX TK
INTRODUCTION
If The Chew has done nothing else, I hope
its shown that home cooking shouldnt feel
like math, it should feel like nger paint-
ing. A splash of wine into this, a little extra
butter into that, a squeeze of lemon over
these . . . yeah, baby!
Every day I stand in front of the studio
monitors and watch The Chew as an excited
fan. I groove on the beautiful food and the
laughs as these easy friends pull a meal
together in a few minutes. They inspire me
by making it look fun. And useful.
As a below-average cook with above-
average ambition, I imagine myself making
whatever delicious dish theyre making that
weekend or, if its stunningly easy, that night.
Its a seduction of sorts, like this book.
Ever since we started the show we have
wanted people to swap the stressful idea of
making dinner for the fun of creating some-
thing new for themselves and their family.
If we did it right, this book should have
something for every possible kind of home
cook, every day of the week.
We also built this book around the
rhythm of peoples lives. Weekdays are often
rushed, but weekends shouldnt be. And if we
are cooking for special occasions, we want to
show love through care and time spent.
So we put a little fancy weekend stuff
like Lobster Thermidor (see page 191), some
simple midweek yummies like Chicken
Marsala (page 48), the perfect dish for date
night, and a recipe for Sunday dinner that
will stand the test of time.
As we say on the show, we hope our
recipes are just the start. Dont be afraid to
get nger painting and make them your own
work of delicious art.
Gordon Elliot
1
MEXICAN TORTA | BACON PANCAKES WITH MAPLE BOURBON BUTTER
| FRIED CORNISH HENS AND PAN DORO FRENCH TOAST | HEIRLOOM
TOMATO AND RICOTTA TART
BREAKFAST
+ DINNER =
BRINNER!
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12
5 pounds very ripe
heirloom tomatoes, cored
and cut into chunks
3 cups torn-up day-old
Italian or country bread
cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh
thyme leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons red
pepper akes
4 scallions (whites
and about 2 inches of
greens), thinly sliced
8 -inch-thick baguette
slices, toasted
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 1 HOUR TO OVERNIGHT COST:
Chilled Tomato and
Bread Soup
SERVES 8 PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES COOK TIME: 2 MINUTES
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 1 HOUR TO OVERNIGHT COST: $
Opera fans in Italy have been known to throw rotten tomatoes on-
stage when they are not pleased with the performance. Before you
aim a tomato because of a poorly sung aria, make sure you are not
heaving almost-rotten tomatoes, because super-ripe, over-the-hill to-
matoes are the basis of one of the favorite quick summertime meals
in my home. Toss them into a food processor with day-old bread, salt,
herbs, and olive oil, and you have a real Tuscan bread soup. Its avorful
and healthful, so we always keep a big container of it in the part of the
refrigerator where we store the stuf we call Kids Can Eat as Much as
They Want, Whenever They Want.
1. In a food processor or blender, blend the tomatoes
until smooth. Add the day-old bread, basil, and thyme,
and season with salt and pepper. Blend. If too thick,
thin with water. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill,
but its even better the next day.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, gently mix the olive oil,
lemon zest and juice, red pepper akes, and scallions
together. Season lightly with salt.
3. Divide the chilled tomato soup among eight bowls.
Float 1 slice of toast in the center of each bowl. Sprinkle
the scallion mixture on top of each toast, and serve.
Easy
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54
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Easy Easy
pound new potatoes,
sliced into -inch-thick coins
2 pounds skirt steak
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
cup olive oil, plus
more to brush the grill
2 tablespoons butter
onion, peeled and diced
head cauliower,
cut into orets
1 bunch kale, stemmed
and cut into ribbons
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon red chili akes
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
(leaves only), chopped
2 tablespoons parsley
(leaves only), chopped
3 tablespoons red
wine vinegar
Grilled Skirt Steak with
Cauliower Hash
SERVES 4 TO 6 COOK TIME: 1520 MINUTES COST: $
Hash is one of those things everyone likes the minute you say the word.
Hot Salad, which is what hash essentially is, doesnt sound as laid-
back and home-cooking-ish as hash. In the wintertime, when fresh veg-
etables are in short supply, some late-season cauliower, potatoes, and
kale, plus some take-no-prisoners seasoning, ts the bill for comfort
food that is nourishing but not super fattening. The full, funky avor
of skirt steak stands up well to the hearty vegetables, but lamb, pork,
salmon, or shrimp also t the bill. Its also good all on its own as a veg-
etarian meal. If you dont nish all that steak, make yourself a Grilled
Skirt Steak Sandwich with Charred Corn Mustard (57).
1. Blanch the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water
for 34 minutes. Strain and set aside.
2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
3. Season the steak generously with salt and
pepper. Brush the grill with olive oil. Grill the steak for
45 minutes per side, for medium rare, and set aside to
rest.
4. In a large skillet or saut pan, heat the
butter and 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil
over medium-high heat. Add the onion and potatoes
in a single even layer. Cook until the potatoes have
crisped, and then ip to crisp on other side, about 4
minutes per side.
5. Add the cauliower and cook, tossing to coat and
soften the cauliower. Add the kale and garlic, and
toss so the kale begins to wilt. Add the red chili akes,
rosemary, and parsley. Toss to combine, and nish the
dish with the red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil.
Transfer to a platter to serve alongside the steak.
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107
Easy
Ice
2 ounces rye whiskey
ounce sweet vermouth
ounce dry vermouth
4 dashes angostura bitters
1 brandy-soaked or
high-end Maraschino
cherry, to garnish
Perfect Manhattan
SERVES 1 COOK TIME: N/A COST: $
The rst time somebody asked me if I wanted a perfect Manhattan, I
answered, Of course. I mean, who doesnt want perfect? Little did I
know that the word perfect means that you use equal parts of sweet
and dry vermouth. The classic calls for rye, but the bourbon Manhattan
has made a run at the Manhattan mixologists manual. My advice is try
em both and decide. There aint no bad option.
1. Chill a martini glass in the freezer.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rye, ver-
mouths, and bitters. Stir vigorously for 1530 seconds.
3. Strain the liquid into the chilled glass and garnish
with the cherry.
Lara Spencer shakin it with Carla
during a commercial break.
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229
Scallion Chili Sweet Potato
Cake
SERVES 6 COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES COST: $
This is one of those dishes that I can eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or
even a snack. Alongside a turkey or a pork roast or a leg of lamb, its got
the avor oomph to stand up to those major pieces of meat, but it is all
light, vegetarian ingredients so it doesnt weigh you down. Take the time to
crisp the layers of sweet potato on the top and bottom so you get a rm,
crunchy golden-brown efect. Chili and scallions work so well in those scal-
lion pancakes that you get in Vietnamese restaurants, I thought, Hey, why
not with sweet potatoes? Take it from methere is no reason why not.
TO MAKE THE SWEET POTATO CAKE
1. Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange a rack 6 inches
away from the heating source.
2. Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes, and let them cool
before slicing them into -inch-thick slices.
3. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a 6- or
8-inch cast-iron pan over medium heat. Cook the Fresno
chilies and scallions for a few minutes, until softened.
Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
4. Add as many potato slices as can t in one layer
of the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until
lightly browned. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Arrange the remaining potatoes into even layers over
the crispy potatoes, seasoning with salt and pepper and
some of the Fresno chilies and scallions. Press each layer
down rmly with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon.
6. Cook the sweet potato cake in the oven and brown
for about 3 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy.
TO MAKE THE SALAD
7. Toss the salad ingredients together and season with
salt and pepper.
8. Cut the potato cake into wedges and serve gar-
nished with the salad and remaining scallions.
Easy
FOR THE SWEET
POTATO CAKE
2-pounds large sweet
potatoes, peeled
cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Fresno chilies,
sliced into rounds
1 cup fresh scallions,
nely chopped
Salt
Pepper
FOR THE SALAD
cup scallions, sliced,
plus more for garnish
1 cup parsley, leaves picked
cup capers
2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly cracked
black pepper
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Nectarine Blackberry Buckle
SERVES 8 COOK TIME: 4045 MINUTES PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES COST: $
Okay, to answer the question that is probably on your mind, a buckle
is what you call a cross between a cake, a crumble, and a pie. Its fresh
fruit in a beautiful cake batter with a crumble top. If you want to do it
really old-timey (which is the best way to do anything, in my book), you
bake it in a parchment-lined cast-iron skillet, just like they did back in
the Little House on the Prairie days.
TO MAKE THE CAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 10-inch cast-iron
skillet with parchment and grease it with 1 tablespoon
of the butter.
2. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan over
medium-low heat until light brown. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the our, baking
powder, salt, and cinnamon.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together the cooled
browned butter and sugars. Then add the eggs, one at
a time. Stir in the buttermilk.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour the bat-
ter into the prepared pan.
6. In a large bowl, toss the nectarines and blackber-
ries with the lemon zest and arrange them in a single
layer on top of the batter.
TO MAKE THE STREUSEL
7. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for
the streusel. Mix together to form a crumb. Crumble
over the nectarines and blackberries. Place in the oven
and bake for 4045 minutes.
TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM
8. Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla, and beat
until peaks form. Fold in the cinnamon. Serve the
buckle topped with whipped cream.
Easy
FOR THE CAKE
1 sticks unsalted butter, plus
1 tablespoon for greasing
1 cups all-purpose our
2 teaspoons baking powder
teaspoon salt
teaspoon cinnamon
cup sugar
cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
cup buttermilk
5 nectarines, halved,
pitted, and sliced
1 pint blackberries
Zest of 1 lemon
FOR THE STREUSEL
1 stick butter
cup sugar
cup light brown sugar
cup all-purpose our
teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM
2 cups heavy cream
cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
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WHAT YOU NEED
Large, shallow bowls
Food coloring
Water
Spoons
Cofee lters
Paper towels
Straight pins
Foam ring or foam
piping (see Tip)
Ribbon
A wreath full of blessings
And now for one of the most beautiful crafty things I have ever run
across. It truly looks like a painstakingly made faux oral wreath, but its
only unused cofee lters, food coloring, and some inexpensive foam
piping. It takes a little time to make, but so did the needlepoint that
grandmas used to do, so it seems perfect for a Sunday supper like
Grandma would make. So start pinning your wreath together, and with
each lter, count one of your blessings.
HOW TO MAKE IT
1. In the bowls, add food coloring and water, and mix
with spoons. Experiment with different amounts of dye
to achieve the desired color.
2. Dip coffee lters into the food-coloring mixture
and lay them out to dry on paper towels.
3. Once the lters have dried, begin shaping them by
pinching the middle of the coffee lter and twisting to
make a ower. Put a straight pin through the base of
the ower and use it to attach the ower to the ring.
4. Continue creating owers and pinning around the
ring until all of the foam is covered. String a ribbon
around the wreath or add a bow for a nice accent.
Tip
If you cant get to a craft store to buy
a foam ring, you can make your own! Create a
ring out of pipe insulation tubing by taping the
two ends together. You can use something rm
like a marker to hold the tube in place while you
tape. In no time youve got a foam ring that cost
under a dollar!
CRAFT
CORNER
CLINTON'S