In anticipation of the various gatherings that occur around this time of year, we’ve pulled together five of our favorite cookbooks from recent months. Each day this week, CH will feature a different cookbook and a recipe, the sum of which will make up a complete holiday meal. Today’s dish: a side from “Dirt Candy: A Cookbook.”
Chef Amanda Cohen shares some of the secrets and recipes behind her successful vegetarian restaurant, Dirty Candy, in a recently released cookbook. Packed with informative recipes and cartoon illustrations, the guide offers a playful look at the a behind-the-scenes happenings in Cohen’s busy kitchen. We looked to Dirty Candy to find a recipe that will not only fit vegan and vegetarian diets but please any carnivore at the table as well.
As a riff on a traditional carpaccio of raw meat, Cohen’s raw broccoli and avocado combination introduces a new way to think of greens. The addition of Thai basil and a red bird’s eye chili gives the dish a heat to bring out the best of the broccoli. Best of all, the sophisticated update to the basic veggie belies a simple, straightforward recipe manageable for even the novice holiday cook.
“Dirty Candy: A Cookbook” is available for $20 through Amazon. Read the full recipe after the jump.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons minced Thai basil
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red-bird’s-eye chile
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large broccoli stalks
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 avocados
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
In a small bowl, mix the basil, ginger, garlic, chile and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt into a rough paste. Trim the tough outsides of the broccoli stalks, shaping them into long rectangles. Then slice them thinly with a mandolin. Put the broccoli slices in a bowl and add the lime juice and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat. Peel the avocado, then use a vegetable peeler to slice it into rectangles. On a plate, overlap the strips of broccoli and avocado and trim the edges so the sides match. To serve, drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil on the slices and add the basil paste on top.