This one comes straight from Ace—our neighbor, resident photographer, and in-house LCD Soundsystem expert. This recipe works on your stovetop, on the grill, or around a campfire. No frills. Just heat, peppers, oil and salt. NB: About 1 in 4 shishitos has a little kick. The rest are sweet and mild. Pepper roulette. Ingredients: A bunch of shishitos peppers. 1–1½ tablespoons avocado or grapeseed oil (If you’re watching carefully and feeling brave, olive oil is fine too—just don’t walk away.) Flaky sea salt or kosher salt On Cast-Iron Pan/Skillet Dry ’Em, Oil ’Em: Rinse your shishitos, then dry them really well. Toss with about 1–1½ tablespoons oil—just enough to give them a light shine. No salt yet. Salt comes later. Get That Pan Angry: Put your cast-iron pan on high heat and let it go for 2–3 minutes. You want it hot. Drop the Peppers Throw in your shishitos in a single layer. Don’t crowd them. Hands off for about 60–90 seconds. Let them sit. Let them blister and char. When you see big black bubbles? Flip or toss. Repeat. Keep turning every 30–60 seconds until most sides are blistered and charred. Total cook time: about 4–6 minutes. Salt Them Pull them off the heat, pile them up, salt immediately and serve.
(Adapted from Martin Picard’s traditional version. We have made this recipe at the farm. The first time we had it was at Martin's Pied au Cochon when we lived in Montreal.) Ingredients For the pudding batter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt ½ cup sugar ½ cup milk ¼ cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the sauce 1 ½ cups maple syrup 1 ½ cups heavy cream 2 tablespoons butter Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8x8 baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to form a smooth batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared dish. In a saucepan, combine maple syrup, cream, and butter. Heat gently until warm and smooth. Pour the hot maple mixture carefully over the batter. Do not stir. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, with a spoonful of the rich maple sauce from the bottom of the pan.
A simple, bright bite that balances rich butter with crisp, peppery radishes. Ingredients (serves 2–4) 4 slices dark rye bread Unsalted butter, softened French Breakfast radishes or classic red radishes, very thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Microgreens (optional, for garnish) Instructions Lightly toast the rye, if you like (this is optional but adds great texture). Spread a generous layer of butter over each slice while the bread is still warm. Arrange the radish slices in a single layer on top of the butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a small handful of microgreens, if you have some. Serve immediately — perfect as a snack, starter, or alongside soup or salad.
