Bittman on Picnic Dishes

Bittman does it again with his list of 101 picnic dishes.

Bittman's Summer Meal Ideas

At the New York Times.

WTT: "Crash Hot Potatoes"

Wow. These potatoes look pretty good--and pretty easy, too. A cool twist on mashed and baked potatoes.

Better Method for Ribs on WSM?

Sounds like it could be a winner.

WTT: Bittman's Crustless Quiche

Crustless quiche in NYT.

Shopping list: Cream, eggs, butter, Gruyere, Parmesan plus fillings (bacon, ham, asparagus, etc).

WTT: Ultimate Appetizer List

For those times when you want a new appetizer idea: Mark Bittman's "101 Simple Appetizers in 20 Minutes or Less."

WTT: Waffles with Caramel

Want To Try: This Bon Appetit recipe for waffles with a caramel sauce looks worth trying. Recipe here at Epicurious.

Shopping list:
sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
unsalted butter
fleur de sel or kosher salt
AP flour
baking powder
1 3/4 cups whole milk
2 eggs
powdered sugar

Side Dish: Grilled Tomatoes

A delicious and simple side dish for the grill. We wondered why we hadn't tried it before. Adapted from Steven Raichlen's "How to Grill."

Shopping list:

6 tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (enough for a few grated tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme.

Mince garlic and saute in olive oil. Cut tomatoes in half. Oil the grill grate and grill tomatoes cut-side down first until browned, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating halfway through for grill marks. Turn over, spoon the garlic and oil over the cut sides and grill skin sides 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme and Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving.

Beef Tenderloin, Churrasco-Style

We had a craving for steak but wanted something a little different. This churrasco-style preparation was the answer--and turned out to be a big hit. It isn't cheap, since it uses the pricey tenderloin cut instead of more traditional churrasco portions, such as skirt steak. But the combination of tenderloin and marinate produces meat that's buttery, tender and flavorful. Everyone agreed we should make this more often. Adapted from Steven Raichlen's "How to Grill."

Shopping list (for 4):

meat:
1 piece center-cut beef tenderloin (5 to 6 inches long, about 2 pounds)

for chimichurri sauce:
3 bunches flat-leaf parsley (need about 2 1/2 cups of leaves)
6 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
salt/pepper/cayenne

Wash the parsley and remove stems to obtain about 2 1/2 cups leaves. Chop garlic. Combine parsley and garlic in food processor along with salt, pepper and dash of cayenne. Blend. Add 1 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup white vinegar and 1/3 cup cold water while continuing to process.

Prep the beef by cutting the center-cut tenderloin into four flat rectangular pieces (cutting lengthwise with knife parallel to cutting board). Pound pieces if needed to get them to 1/4-inch thickness.

Marinade the beef. Spread about 1/4 of the sauce on bottom of a baking dish and place the beef pieces on top. Pour another 1/4 of the sauce over the beef. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Save the rest of the sauce for serving.

Drain the beef slices and grill, about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare.