By David Harbilas

Deconstructing or reinterpreting classic recipes is very much en vogue right now, and this recipe is a nod to that trend.

I am far from the ability of the great Ferran Adria, who to many is the world’s best chef and easily its most innovative.

But this preparation does take liberty with the namesake, in ways that are probably a little out of the reach of some home cooks.

Essentially, this can be done a number of different ways–by making a tomato consommé and adding the garnishes later, a roasted tomato “soup” with a similar assembly, or with a combination of preparations of tomato and garnishes, as I try to do here.

The tomato water, which I have featured in a past post, takes at least 24 hours to make, and the wait is well worth it. The other components are not difficult to make, though they do require a degree of care. Any way you look at it, this is a dish meant to impress.

Serves 2

3 large ripe red tomatoes
1 stalk of celery plus 2 leaves from the heart of the celery
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

A timbale is a custard-like dish usually served as an appetizer or small lunch entrée.

The word timbale itself refers to the shape of the mold, which is nothing more than a small dish–I use a pyrex dish, as it is oven safe and comes in many sizes.

While this dish may sound unappealing–the word custard unfortunately brings many bad attempts at pudding to mind–it is a wonderful mixture of savory and sweet, essentially a very rich sauce baked with an egg and cream mixture into a light, omelet-like creation.

The dish can, in fact, be made simply as a mixture of a thick sauce with the custard, but here I opt to blend the ingredients to make a smoother and more elegant appetizer.

Makes about 4 timabales

• 1 tomato
• 1 large eggplant
• 1 head of garlic Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

One of the challenges of writing a menu is in finding seemingly new ideas within old or familiar dishes.

I’m currently working for a friend who has decided to open a restaurant, and we will be serving brunch over the weekends.

It will be a Mediterranean theme, with an emphasis on Turkish food, which is far less “foreign” than some would think.

Many ingredients used in Greek cooking are used in Turkish cuisine, one of them being feta. Tomatoes are used widely, and here I’ve opted to use them in a simple omelet.

Makes enough filling for three omelets

• 3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 large zucchini, seeds scooped out and shredded
• 1 shallot, diced Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Braises and soups are my all-time favorite things to cook, along with stocks.

They are a measure of simplicity, technique, and complexity, as they combine flavors in a series of steps that creates a layered whole.

In a way, it’s hard to screw up a stew, since long, slow cooking is a very forgiving way of cooking.

Yet it seems to me that there are plenty of mediocre ones out there. This is one that I made a few weeks ago. When I came to the step when I usually add a little stock to the braising liquid I simply left it out, as there was a lot of juice from the tomatoes. What resulted was a very rich, deeply-flavored stew that tasted as though it had cooked all day, even though it only took about two hours.

Serves 4

• 1 boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into cubes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Unlike many of my tomato sauce recipes, this one makes use of canned tomatoes.

A few years ago I did a brief stint at a restaurant that made a sauce similar to this.

It lacked a degree of character (I don’t think we roasted the tomatoes long enough), but the aroma was unbelievable.

This is essentially a pureed stew, without any sort of meat to speak of, yet its depth of flavor is unmistakably stew-like. A great sauce for pasta, it also works well as a base for other braises, such as veal, pork, or chicken.

Makes about 6 cups of sauce

• 2 cans whole plum tomatoes
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Over the past month I’ve taken on the challenge of helping a friend open a restaurant as his chef.

It’s not the first time I’ve been part of an opening, and each time has its unique challenges.

This restaurant is largely based on Turkish cuisine, which immediately sounds exotic to many people.

The truth is that we have inherited many dishes from Turkish culture, much of it via Greek cooking, and while we may not share many daily rites or customs of religion, clothing, or art, we do share a love of the tomato.

What my boss, who is from Turkey, has taught me is that the Turks love tomato paste. They LOVE tomato paste!

Nearly every one of his family’s dishes, which are common throughout Turkey, features tomato paste in some fashion. It seems to be nearly as ubiquitous as yogurt, which is often homemade. That the two can be combined into a marinade for beef and chicken was eye-opening to say the least.

Here, in fact, is the basic method for a Turkish kebob marinade:

• 1 pound beef or chicken, cut into cubes
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste Read the rest of this entry »