Nectarine & Tomato Salad with Fried Halloumi and Basil

I’m always looking for a new salad, and when it includes Tomato–and my favourite cheese, Halloumi–then I’m in. This one is based on nectarines, but they must be very ripe. The combination of sweet nectarines with juicy tomatoes, combined with the salty, squeaky pan-seared halloumi is remarkable to the taste buds. Be sure to have…

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Chicken, Perogies & Polenta (left over gourmet)

Even chefs have leftovers. In fact, Artichoke Hart virtually lives off them. Once Al and the team have finished for the evening, he’ll often skip down to the huge fridge and drag out anything in plastic containers, or covered in surface wrap. This one is made up of a few straggler perogies, a small baggie…

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Sausage in Red Wine

Once again, Artichoke Hart found himself with an excess of non-drinkable red wine. And so, searching for recipes that utilized other excess-purchased products–like sausage–he came across this simple dish that was perfect for a late afternoon barbeque on the terrace at the Complex in Oswego. (New York Fried, Sunao Publishing). Though simple, if patient with…

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Drunken Pasta

I can’t think of a better dish during self-isolation (Covid-19). With all that extra wine sitting around, and not wanting to drink all day, I came up with a plan for dinner: drunken pasta. Now, despite using 2 cups of wine, don’t be alarmed. You won’t get drunk off this dish. It is, however, decadent,…

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Orange Chicken

During the COVID crisis, takeout became the main source of income for the Artichoke Hart restaurant in Baltimore (other than Hart’s CIA income, of course).  Simple dishes were both popular, easy and quick to make, and were low cost: perfect for the situation where gourmet-style dishes were required but needed to be simple enough to…

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Balsamic Chicken with Figs and Onion with Mashed Cauliflower

One thing Young Oppenheimer had in ready supply at his Oswego Grocery Consortium was figs… lots of fresh figs. (New York Fried, Copyright 2019 Sunao Publishing). As a result, Artichoke Hart created several dishes using the sweet fruit. One hit was this one, especially when combined with cauliflower mashed. Cauliflower being the “hot” ingredient at…

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Rubbed Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Trout is a popular fish in Northern New York State area, including Oswego, where New York Fried (copyright 2019) takes place. Chef Artichoke Hart needed simplicity but elegance and this dish did the job. It has a similar taste and texture to Salmon but is not as dominant. This allows the rub flavouring to…

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Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes

When Artichoke Hart had to capture the attention of the British delegation, he knew he couldn’t stray far from basic meat and potatoes. But it had to be gourmet, so this is what he came up with, and it’s all about meticulous sauteeing and presentation. With strips of perfectly cooked steak atop a mound of…

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A little scampering

Looking for something exotic but simple to make? When Artichoke Hart had to come up with something quick for a lunchtime snack at Castillo’s warehouse, Shrimp Scampi Pasta is what he whipped up in about 20 minutes. (New York Fried, 2019, Sunao Publishing). INGREDIENTS 8 ounces linguine (or angel hair for a more delicate appearance)…

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Scallops on a bed of Cauliflower Rice in a Cucumber/Mint Sauce

Sounds fancy but it’s very simple really. Artichoke Hart was asked to come up with a low-calorie gourmet meal for the Scandinavians and this was the result. (New York Fried, Sunao Publishing 2019). Cauliflower Rice is simply finely chopped cauliflower (duh!). The sauce uses a simple yogurt base with chopped mint and cucumber added. And…

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