MANY THANKS TO
KATE HULING for love
CAROLINE FIDANZA for always knowing what to do
MARK FIRTH for making it fun
SEAN REMBOLD for making it the funniest
DAVE GOULD for being a classic
KEN WISS for all the cool
JASON SCHWARTZ for riding bikes
TOM BUDNY for making it elegant
JOHN CONNOLLY for making it happen
MARISA MARTHALLER for style and grace
RUSTUN & MICHELLE NICHOLS for leaving a lasting impression
AUSTIN HALL for waking up so early
SCARLETT LINDEMAN for knowing about everything
LEAH CAMPBELL for taking care of every single thing
JULIA GILLARD for the point of view
BECKY JOHNSON for your touch
LARS KARLSSON for all the solutions
NEALE HOLADAY for being sweet and savory
GUY GREENBERG for taking names
LEE CAMPBELL for her good taste
LEE DESROSIERS for always showing up
DEANNA BENOR for running numbers
MIKE FADEM for shepherding
SUSAN THOMPSON for heavy lifting
LISA KIM for friendship
JAMES OBOYLE for taking care of business
MARIE TRIBOUILLOY for talking cocktails
JOSH WILES for the music and the spirits in the night
RYAN SEATON for the daily
SHANE FEIRSTEIN for the head start
JIM MCHUGH & KATIE EASTBURN for changing the game
ANGELA SHERRY for pancakes
ALEKSEY & JULIET KRAVCHUK for the light
PETER LAWRENCE & JED WALENTAS for being my partners
MILLICENT SOURIS for telling all
SVEN DELVECCHIO for telling everyone
EVAN DUNN for doing what his sister tells him
PETER MILNE GREINER for always writing
EMMA MANNHEIMMER for helping in every way
ALEJANDRO CHAMPION for the mezcal
KATY PORTE for being built like light
ELIJAH for the magic, Ba for the social grace, Roman for positivity,
PALOMA for sheer will
Thank you to our Mothers and Fathers and Stepparents, Sisters and Brothers, In-laws and Outlaws
KATHERINE COWLES for the prompt
NIKOLE HERRIOTT for the comma
MICHAEL GRAYDON for the cinema
JENNY WAPNER & TEN SPEED PRESS for the freedom and the structure
AMY WILSON for making it look good
NINA LALLI for picking up all of the pieces we almost dropped
ANDREW KATZOWITZ for holding the light
CERISE MAYO for problem solving
EVERYONE at LDM
PATTY GENTRY for the love of vegetables
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI for the set
GUY JONES for wisdom and the Molson
HENRY & CASEY and the whole Amish crew for farming with mules
LEE & GEORGIA and the whole Kinderhook crew for growing the grass
RICHARD for being the lucky dog of the bunch
ALSO:
TJ BURNHAM
KEN AND JASMINE REYNOLDS
YESSENIA SANTIBANEZ
SERGIO GARCIA
SARAH GASKINS
TOM MYLAN & ANNALIESE GRIFFIN
BRENT YOUNG
MICHAEL MANGIERE
FRANK REED
ROSS GARCIA
BEN JACKSON
JUAN RODRIGUEZ
POLIN BAEZ
MICHAEL KALE
STEPHANIE REAGOR
ELIZABETH SCHULA
REBECCA COLLERTON
DERICK HOLT
KIRSTEN FAZZARI
JOHN HALE
AARON CROWDER
ERIN KANAGY-LOUX
CHRISTINA BARONE
SHANNON PRITCHETT
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
HERMS
Thank you BIRD
Thank you ANNA for the poetry
Thank you ANDREW for the magic
Thank you all the servers, all the bartenders, all the cooks, all the porters,
all the managers, all the guests, all the animals, all the vegetables, all the minerals, all the farmers, all the winemakers, all the writers, and all the artists. Thank you all the makers and doers. We could go on and on but we cant go on without you.
Thank you all.
COLD NIGHT CASSOULET
Dinner for 8 to 10
Cassoulet is named for its vessel, a large, pot with slanting sides made of earthenware or clay. Any oven-safe, heavy-bottomed ceramic or cast-iron pot that is at least 12 inches in diameter will stand in nicely. Ive never asked Caroline why she chose to make cassoulet for Diners opening night, but I cant imagine it any other way. Caroline and I were still practically strangers then, and as we walked the cassoulet up the hill in the snow, she told me where each ingredient came from. The duck legs for the confit were from Chinatown, and the bacon and sausage were from a butcher in Little Italy. The Tarbais beans were from Phipps Farm in Pescadero, California, a place Caroline liked to visit. This would be the first of countless conversations like it.
Duck Leg Confit
DUCK LEG CONFIT
Confit duck legs can be drawn from the snowcap of fat to use in cassoulets, stews, and salads and can be stored for several months in the refrigerator. Duck or goose fat will be readily available at your butcher shop.
6 duck legs
cup kosher salt
Several sprigs thyme
Several sprigs rosemary
1 handful cracked peppercorns
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
4 cups duck fat
Season the duck legs with the salt, sprigs of thyme, peppercorns, and garlic. Place in a shallow container and let cure covered overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, preheat the oven to 225F. In a saucepan, slowly warm the duck fat until it is liquid. Brush the cure off of the duck legs and place them in a pan thats small enough that the duck legs can fit snugly and will be completely submerged in the melted fat. Pour the fat over the duck legs and slide the pan into the oven. Bake until the duck legs are tender and the meat can easily be pulled from the bone, about 3 to 6 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let the duck legs cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator. The duck will be ready to use once the legs are completely chilled. Consider the duck preserved for days, weeks, months, or for the brave, perhaps a year.
Cassoulet
CASSOULET
Like many of the dinners in these pages, cassoulet should be started a few days before you plan to share it with your friends. Finding enough time to prepare it will always be your biggest challenge. Keep in mind that cassoulet is a very rich dish, so smaller portions per person will do.
1 pounds boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds dried Tarbais beans or cannellini beans
1 bunch sage
1 head garlic, halved lengthwise, unpeeled, plus 4 peeled cloves
cup duck fat
1 pound thick-cut bacon
1 (1-pound) ham hock
2 medium onions, chopped
3 small carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 quarts unsalted chicken stock
2 sprigs parsley
1 small bunch thyme
2 bay leaves
1 (6-inch) square uncured pork skin
1 stale baguette
Olive oil
1 small bunch parsley, leaves chopped
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