Recipes By Brian Levy
4 recipes found
One-Bowl Lemon and Olive Oil Cake
This standalone lemon cake needs no adornment; no glaze or drizzle, no syrupy soak (just a light dusting of powdered sugar if you want it to be beauty contest-ready) – yet it practically oozes with glowing citrus flavor, thanks to the fruity olive oil, tangy yogurt and a dash of piney nutmeg that highlight the various facets of lemon’s character. White chocolate and almond flour add hints of the nutty richness and velvety crumb of an almond torte to what looks like a simple yellow cake. Always seek out organic lemons for zesting, as conventional lemons can be coated with a wax you shouldn’t eat.
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Pillowy Soft Challah
Ritual and muscle memory have carried this soft, rich Jewish bread through generations. My unique method for enriching the dough and in-depth guide for braiding a basic three-strand loaf make this challah easy enough for even the most novice bread bakers to perfect at home.
Farinata (Herbed Chickpea Flour and Onion Pancake)
Farinata is a popular street food from the Ligurian coast surrounding Genoa, Italy, to the French Côte d’Azur, where it’s called socca. Typically a humble pancake built on only chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt, it’s inexpensive, gluten-free and suitable for vegans. It can be very thin, highlighting its crispy, golden exterior, and is usually eaten plain or with a simple side of cured meats. This version is thicker, showcasing its creamy herbed interior, and topped with an array of garnishes for a more substantial dish and a plant-based alternative to a frittata. (For an even heartier meal, top with roasted vegetables, such as broccolini.) Thyme, sumac and sesame oil are not traditional seasonings — unlike rosemary, fennel seed or sage — but they recall za’atar and meld with the chickpea flour and olive oil.
Spiraled Spanakopita With Feta
The first thing you’ll notice about this savory Greek pie — called striftí spanakotyrópita in its homeland — is its alluring spiraled form. But the shape serves a purpose beyond aesthetics: It amplifies the irresistible contrast between the crunch of the crust and the tenderness of the filling by increasing the surface area of the flaky, golden, olive-oil-varnished phyllo that encases the herbaceous greens. A handful of dried currants balances the salty cheese, and fresh parsley helps bring it all to life. If you’re lucky enough to have a Greek grocery nearby, look for frozen “country-style” phyllo, which is thicker and more tender than the paper-thin variety found in most supermarkets, making it closer to the handmade dough preferred by Greek cooks.