Roasted Orange Cauliflower

Boy, oh boy has it been a busy week.

Whenever I come home from work exhausted or find that I haven't the time to plan (let alone execute) a well thought out meal, I turn to such simple cooking methods as roasting.  Roasting works well with almost all vegetables, but few better than cauliflower.

The result with cauliflower is a sweet and warming caramelized satisfaction that hardly resembles a vegetable.  It helps that orange cauliflower, which I used, is by nature already sweeter than its white counterpart.

Now I know that cauliflower isn't exactly in season anymore, and the truth is I made this dish quite a while ago, but maybe you can let this one slide, and save this recipe for future use.  If you happen to have any cauliflower leftovers, which is probably unlikely, but if you do, you could cut it up and throw it in a bowl with, say, some beans, onions, mushrooms, and basil.  Just a thought.

Roasted Orange Cauliflower

1 head orange (or white or green or purple) cauliflower, trimmed of any outer leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the cauliflower in half and then slice crosswise.  (You could also break the cauliflower into florets, but I prefer to cut it this way - I think it's easier to eat like this.)  In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with a few glugs of olive oil and season with salt.  Place in a single layer on a large cookie sheet or sheet pan and roast until crisp and caramelized, about 20 minutes, turning the slices once about halfway through.  Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Cauliflower and Bean Salad
I literally threw this salad together, so the measurements aren't exact.  Feel free to improvise and edit to suit your own taste!

leftover roasted cauliflower (at least half a head's worth), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
half a red onion, sliced or diced
a handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
a couple of mushrooms, washed, trimmed, and sliced
a spoonful of whole grain mustard
a splash of red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat.  When hot, add onions and mushrooms.  Saute until mushrooms are just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, beans, onion and mushroom mixture, and basil.  Toss with mustard, vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

A Couple of Things

First, I wanted to introduce you to my roommate.  Her name is Brianna.

photo by Jimmy

I figured it was about time for you to meet her, since I talk about her so much.  She is The Greatest Roommate in the World.  Not only does she act as my sous chef when I need her, she eats anything (vegan) I put in front of her.  And I mean anything.  She'll even take seconds and thirds and throw in some compliments to the chef.  If that doesn't make a girl happy, I don't know what will.  I feel so fortunate to have her.

I also wanted to give you a little glimpse into our lives.  First and foremost: the food we eat.  Since Brianna is a vegan, I often make vegan meals.  Not because I'm vegan, but because I like to eat with my roommate and I want her to be able to enjoy the things that I cook.  I do occasionally cook meat and there are usually eggs and cheese in our fridge, but our kitchen is pretty much vegan otherwise.  Brianna has her own reasons for being vegan, and you can ask her about them, but I think we each just do what we can to eat well, support our local farmers, and limit our environmental impact.  For Brianna, part of that means being a vegan.  For me, part of that means feeding a vegan.

Not only do Brianna and I eat together, we shop together, hang out together, and drink together, too.  She's there for me when I need her, and she always listens.  She's been known to give some great advice in the past, and she even taught me how to ride a bike.  Did I mention that she also eats my food?  What a girl.

Finally, I wanted to provide some recipes from Eat In Week.  I've already posted the photos and written about the event, but here's the official menu with recipes:

Butter Beans with Shallots in Olive Oil

1 28-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 shallot, minced
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Toss beans and shallot with lemon juice and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve with nice thick slices of baguette.

Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise

2 bunches asparagus
3 egg yolks
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted in a pan on the stove
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt

Wash the asparagus and trim about 1-2 inches off the bottom of the stalks.  Bring a bit of water to a boil in the bottom half of a steamer pot, place asparagus in the top half of the steamer, and steam until tender, about 10 minutes.  Alternately, bring a bit of water to boil in a large skillet (about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of water, depending on how much asparagus you have and how big your pan is), add asparagus, cook until tender, and drain.  Set aside.

To make the hollandaise, use a double boiler or a bowl over simmering water.  Use a stainless steal or glass bowl that is bigger than the mouth of the pan but that will sit comfortably in it.  In a medium sauce pan, bring a bit of water (fill the pot about a quarter of the way) to a simmer.  In a heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks and lemon until thickened and a light yellow color.  While continuously whisking, place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure that it does not actually touch the water and that it does not get too hot (the bowl should never be too hot to hold), and begin to incorporate the butter.  Stream in the butter slowly while whisking until all butter is incorporated and the mixture has thickened (this works best with two people).  Remove from heat and add cayenne and salt, to taste.  Serve immediately with steamed asparagus.

Arugula, Fennel, and Chocolate Salad
Inspired by this salad from Molly Wizenberg of Orangette

2 bunches arugula (about 1/2 pound), washed, dried, and trimmed, if necessary
1 bulb fennel, washed and trimmed
1/2 cup chocolate, shaved or roughly chopped
juice of one orange
a drizzle or two of olive oil
salt and pepper

Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, thinly slice fennel.  Combine arugula, fennel, and chocolate in a large bowl.  Lightly toss with orange juice and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ratatouille

1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 red and/or green bell peppers, washed, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Italian eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 yellow squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 large tomatoes, cored and diced, about 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

I like to make each component of ratatouille separately, then combine it all at the end.  I think this allows each vegetable to develop its own distinct flavor; plus, not all the vegetables should be cooked for the same amount of time.  There are many ways to make ratatouille; feel free to improvise and add your own touches to this dish.

In a large skillet, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat.  When hot, add onion and garlic and cook until onion is just soft, about 5 minutes, then add bell peppers.  Cook under tender, about 7 more minutes.  Transfer to a large serving bowl.  In the same pan, heat a bit more olive oil and, when hot, add the eggplant.  Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 12 minutes.  Transfer eggplant to the same serving bowl.  Next, cook squash (zucchini and yellow together), again adding more oil to the pan if necessary.  Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to the same bowl.

Finally, throw the tomatoes into the pan with just a bit more oil and cook until just warmed up and softened.  Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme, and add to the ratatouille.  Mix everything together, seasoning with salt, pepper, and the rest of the thyme (if there's any left) to taste.  Garnish with parsley and serve.

Quinoa with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, Tofu, and Ramp Pesto
Beware: ramp pesto is garlicky and addictive!

2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound ramps, rinsed and bulb ends trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook the quinoa according to instructions on package, or by bringing quinoa and 4 cups of water to boil, reducing to a simmer, and cooking until all water is absorbed and the curlicue germs have separated from the quinoa.  Toss tomato halves with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place onto a baking sheet and bake until just starting to brown, about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, give the tofu a quick saute.  Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet and, when hot, add tofu.  Cook for about 15 minutes, making sure all sides of the tofu get a nice browning.  Combine quinoa, tofu, and tomatoes in a large serving bowl.

To make the pesto:  Give the ramps a rough chop and throw them in a food processor with about 1/4 cup olive oil.  Give it a whirl, add a bit more oil if necessary, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Process until just smooth.  Toss quinoa salad with pesto and serve.  (For a more mild pesto, blanch the ramps for a couple of minutes before making the pesto.)

Kale Panzanella
I recently posted a different recipe for panzanella here, so I might call this one Panzanella, Part Two.  This is the kind of dish that I'd like to serve in my restaurant someday, whenever that might be.  It's just that good.

1 loaf crusty bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices
1 large bunch kale, rinsed, dried, and trimmed, then cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
2 large tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
10 leaves basil, cut into a chiffonade or just roughly chopped (I forgot the basil on the night of the dinner party, and the dish turned out just fine)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve

In a large skillet, heat a bit of olive oil.  When hot, add a couple of slices of bread and fry until crisp and brown on each side.  Repeat with remaining slices of bread, then cut slices into thirds.  In the same pan, heat a bit more olive oil and add garlic.  When garlic is fragrant, add kale and cook until bright green and tender, about 7 minutes.  In a large serving bowl, combine kale, bread, tomatoes, and basil.  Toss with balsamic vinegar and a few drizzles of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and serve, with parmesan on the side.

Apple Cake
Inspired by this recipe from Vanessa of Coffee and Pie 


3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance), at room temperature
1/2 cup silken tofu, blended in a food processor until smooth and creamy
zest of 1 lemon and half of its juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch non-stick round cake pan with neutral cooking spray.  Combine tofu, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.  Add butter and stir with a wooden spoon until butter is all incorporated and mixture is smooth.  Add sugar and mix well.  Sift together flour and baking powder, then slowly begin to incorporate into the wet mixture.  Once everything has been well combined, pour into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown and crisp and center has set.  Let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a large serving platter.

(At the dinner party, I waited too long to do this last step and the cake had completely cooled when I went to turn it out.  Lo and behold, it had sealed itself to the pan.  But don't worry!  I did it right the night before - I waited only 10 minutes, then turned the cake out, and it came out perfect.)

2 large baking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup vegan butter

Meanwhile, place sliced apples and 1/4 cup butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Add 1/4 cup sugar and combine.  Cook until apples are soft, but not falling apart, and syrup has thickened, about 15 minutes.  Arrange apples nicely on the cake, or just pour the whole mess on top, and serve.  Either way, it will be delicious.  I promise.

What apple cake is supposed to look like!

Eat In Week: Vegan/Vegetarian Night

I would like to begin this post with a little story:

This year, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day fell on the same day.  My roommate, my cousin, and I, decidedly NOT celebrating Valentine's Day, went to Congee Village to celebrate the New Year.  Well, it turns out that lots of people had the same idea.  While we were waiting for a table (it would be a long wait, we were told), we started chatting with some fellow diners, Mark and Jimmy.  When our names were called, so were theirs, and we ended up sitting at adjacent tables.  We chatted all through dinner about dumplings, congee, restaurants, and food in general, and exchanged information at the end of the night in the hopes of future joint adventures of the culinary persuasion.

Little did I know what kind of adventure this chance meeting would lead us to.

Mark emailed me a couple of days later to tell me about his weekly dinner parties at his apartment in Williamsburg.  Dinner party?  Williamsburg?  I wondered.  What kind of hipster gatherings were we talking about here?  I was skeptical, but intrigued, to say the least.

Several exchanges and scheduling conflicts later, I received a Facebook invitation to Eat In Week, hosted by Mark at his apartment.  Interest piqued, I quickly scanned the description.  Mark would be hosting a week-long series of dinner parties for friends and food lovers, a sort of counter to dining out for Restaurant Week, given these fickle financial times.  Each night would have a different theme and a different cook.

I was sold.  There was a website, a google spreadsheet, a guest list....  And the clincher?  He needed a cook for Vegan/Vegetarian night.  I signed us up (myself and my unsuspecting roommate) to cook and began to plan my menu.

And so, Eat In Week: Vegan/Vegetarian Night.

My goal for the dinner was simple: to make a delicious meal where diners would be unconcerned or even unaware that they were not eating meat or dairy.  To make sure that no one would feel as though they were missing out, because of the lack of meat.  To feed these people something tasty.

It turned out to be a wonderful dinner party.  Mark has a beautiful apartment with an unbelievable view, and he was the most gracious host.  He let me take over his kitchen and didn't even blink when I pulled out almost every kitchen utensil and appliance he had and made a mess.  In fact, he welcomed it, and even thanked me!

Our dining companions were equally sweet, heaping large portions of every dish onto their plates and mmm-ing as they ate (probably due to the fact that dinner was not served in the most timely fashion, but I'll take it!).  Even when dessert didn't come out quite right, everyone happily ate it up and even scraped their bowls.  I ask you, what more could a girl want?

First photo and photos below taken by Jimmy - check out his website here

working together in the kitchen

the beginnings of ratatouille and apple cake

bread, cheese, and beans to start

butter beans in olive oil with shallots

the beginnings of a kale panzanella

arugula, fennel, and chocolate salad

quinoa with oven-roasted tomatoes, tofu, and ramp pesto

ratatouille and kale panzanella

the spread

mangled apple cake - still delicious!

Potato Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise

I am a firm believer in homemade-ness.  Everything (well, almost everything) tastes better homemade: chocolate chip cookies, brownies, hummus, salad dressing, ice cream, ramen, bread, tomato sauce -- the list goes on.  Mayonnaise is most definitely one of those things.

Now, if you are one of those people, dear reader, that HATES, absolutely DETESTS mayonnaise, I urge you to keep reading.  Homemade mayonnaise just might make you see things a little bit differently.  I myself am not a mayo-hater, but I do know quite a few of them.  My good friend Heather usually hates mayonnaise, but even she admitted that she liked the mayonnaise that she had made herself.  Sometimes, you just need a little homemade love, care, and attention to change your mind.

And sometimes, you just need a little bit of potato salad.  Homemade potato salad, that is.  Do you ever just crave potato salad?  I certainly do.  Something about summer and picnics and barbecues just begs for a little potato salad.  Of the gluey gooey yellow kind from the deli I speak not.  I'm talking about the kind of potato salad that's only as good as the homemade mayonnaise that it's dressed with.

Like this one, accompanied only by a few eggs and some slivers of radish -- simple, slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and just plain satisfying.

Potato Salad with Homemade Garlicky Mayonnaise


For the mayonnaise:
2 cloves garlic, minced, then smashed and smushed with the flat side of your knife
1 egg yolk
juice of half a lemon
1 cup vegetable oil
salt

For the potato salad:
1 pound red or white potatoes
3 eggs, hard boiled
6 radishes, trimmed and cut into half moon slivers
salt and pepper
mayonnaise (I will leave the amount up to you!)

To make the mayo:  Whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, and lemon juice.  While continuously whisking, slowly begin to incorporate the oil by first drizzling it in thinly.  Once the mixture has emulsified a bit, you can begin to incorporate the oil a little more quickly.  Whisk until all oil is incorporated.  Add salt to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salty water to boil.  Add the potatoes and boil until just fork-tender.  Drain the potatoes and rinse under cold water, then cut into 1-inch cubes.  Halve the eggs and slice the halves into thirds.  Once the potatoes have fully cooled (that's important), combine potatoes, eggs, and radishes.  Add a dollop or three of mayonnaise (like I said, the amount is up to you!) and season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Daikon Salad with Tofu and Avocado

Sometimes, I just don't feel like cooking.  Especially when it's unseasonably hot out.  Especially when I just want to ride a bike through the park.  Especially when I'm lazy.

For hot, bike-riding, lazy days: daikon salad.

When we received this long white vegetable in our CSA, I was unsure just quite what to do with it.  Confusing it for a turnip, then a parsnip, then realizing that it was the vegetable that stank up my house growing up when my aunt would make daikon soup, I mulled over ways to cook it.  Stir fry it?  Make soup?  Turn it into luo bo gao?  These did not appeal to me.  Like I said, it was h-o-t.  Turning on the stove or oven and making our tiny apartment hotter -- definitely not an option.

So.  I took the daikon.  I lopped off its head.

I peeled it, then thinly sliced it, using a vegetable peeler.  I added some fresh tofu.  I dressed it up with some miso ginger dressing.

Fresh tofu.  So important.  No weird boxy plastic package.  No tofu juice.  Fresh.  From my corner bodega.  I know.  Incredibly lucky, I am.

I happened to have an avocado.  I sliced it and scooped it out of its shell.  I threw it on top.

Sriracha?  Always.  Something about sriracha... it tends to make food disappear.

And there it goes.

Daikon Salad with Tofu and Avocado

1 medium daikon, peeled and trimmed
1 pound fresh tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, scored into cubes, and scooped out

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger

In a large measuring cup, combine miso paste, soy sauce, and vinegar.  Add sesame oil and mix well, then add the ginger.

To prepare the daikon: using a vegetable peeler, begin to slice the daikon, moving circularly, from outside in, as if you are continuing to peel the daikon.  You can make the daikon slices as long as the length of the daikon if you want; my slices were about half the length of the daikon.  Alternately, using a sharp knife, slice the daikon into thin slices.

In a large bowl, carefully combine daikon, tofu cubes, and avocado.  Dress the salad and plate, adding a drizzle of sriracha to finish, if desired.

New Banner

I just realized the other day that I started this blog over a year ago.  Though there were some very long gaps in between posts in the beginning, I am now posting regularly, and I can actually say that I am proud of the work that I have done here.

These days, it seems everyone has an opinion on food blogs and their bloggers.  A couple of weeks ago, my boss, knowing full well that I have a blog of my own, went off on a rant about how all these silly bloggers are writing about the tacos in Red Hook; meanwhile, she had been going to Red Hook for years for the tacos.  Now, she claims, she has to wait forever for tacos, and they aren't even that good anymore.  Of course, she wasn't attacking me specifically.  But her rant did have an all-too-familiar ring to it.

Nowadays, being a "foodie" is nothing special.  I myself am generally more shocked to encounter someone who isn't at all into food.  That said, as a relative newcomer to the food blogging world, I am constantly amazed by the number of food blogs out there.  And that number is still growing.  The other day, the New York Times came out with an article describing this very phenomenon.  I have to admit, I am one of those people that likes to take pictures of the food I'm eating - at restaurants or at home.  So, Why do I do it?

Well, first of all, any food that I take a picture of is probably going to end up here, on my blog.  So that's the main purpose.  But I also want to share my experiences and recipes with my readers, mainly my family and friends.  If I come up with something delicious that I know my cousin will love, I want her to see it, and I want her to be able to make it, or I want to make it for her.  I also share my recipes because I believe they cater to a wide variety of eaters, and I know that vegans and carnivores and locavores alike can all enjoy the food.  (And if I go to Baconfest, I want to brag about it.  What can I say?)  At this point in my life, my blog is my culinary creative outlet.  With a full time job and, well, just living life in general, I don't necessarily have room to pursue my culinary career in the way that I want to.  So I blog.

Now I know that my blog is young and I have quite a way to go before I reach, say, Smitten Kitchen status.  But for me, blogging is fun, and messing around in the kitchen is even more fun.  So, to take things to the next level and "get real," as the roommate would say, I've created a new banner for my blog (with the roommate's help, of course -- well, actually, she did most of the work and I just pointed and nodded).  Like it?

Anyhow.  Thanks again for reading!  And please keep commenting so I know that you guys are actually out there (she said with a hint of desperation in her voice)!

Sausage and Fennel

Some foods are just meant to be eaten together.  Peanut butter and jelly, for instance.  Spaghetti and meatballs.  Tomato and basil.

If you're Alton Brown, avocados and sardines.

If you're Paula Deen, butter and... anything.

If you're Julia Child, red meat and gin.

I could go on forever.

This is one of those dishes that just tastes like it was meant to be.  The sweet, spicy sausage and licorice-y fennel are a match surely made in heaven.  And the greatest thing about this dish is that it needs nothing more than a bit of salt and pepper to complete it.

Eat it over pasta, or, if you're like me and get too excited and impatient, standing over the stove, straight out of the pan.

Sausage and Fennel

1/2 pound Italian sausage (about 3 small sausages)
1 bulb fennel
olive oil
salt
pepper

Prepare the fennel by first trimming the fronds and their stalks.  The fronds can be set aside for garnish.  Clean by rinsing under cool water, then trimming away any unsightly brown spots.  Cut the bulb in half through the root, trim away the root end, and slice.

Heat a large skillet over medium low heat.  When hot, add just a bit of olive oil.  Add whole sausages and let brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Remove sausage from pan, slice into thirds, and set aside.  Add fennel to pan and saute until just tender, but still crisp, and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Add sausage back to pan and toss with fennel; let cook for about 2 minutes more.  Check for seasoning.  Garnish with fennel fronds and serve.

Serves 2.

Collard Greens Panzanella

A couple of weeks ago, I learned how to ride a bike.  No joke.  Before this year, I had never ridden a bike.  Never, in my 22 23 years of existence.  I've been told that I missed out on childhood.  I've been pitied.

So a couple of weeks ago, my roommate and I went over to the East River Park, I got on a bike, and I experienced my childhood.  Sun in face.  Wind in hair.  People pointing and laughing.  Man, did it feel good.  So good that I did it again at Tompkins Square park last week.

In conclusion, Things You Should Not Pity Me For (Anymore):

- not being able to ride a bike, because I can now ride a bike and experience childhood in my twenties

- the delicious collard greens panzanella that I made after an afternoon of bike riding, which inevitably made my tummy grumble with hunger

Oops, went a little cheese happy here...

I'm currently obsessed with panzanella.  Bread salad?  With fresh veggies?  And lots of olive oil and salt?  And cheese?  Sign me up.  My version doesn't include the common cukes, but the collard greens give the panzanella a great crunch and oh so satisfying green-leafyness.  I didn't have any crusty bread handy, but I did have some good old fashioned sliced whole wheat bread, so I subbed that, which actually didn't turn out so bad.  Whatever was lost with the sliced bread was definitely made up for by the fresh basil and pecorino romano.  Can you say omnomnom?

Collard Greens Panzanella for a Beginning Bike Rider

1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and discarded, then rinsed, thoroughly dried, and roughly chopped or torn
4 slices whole wheat bread
3 tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
10 leaves basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
pecorino romano, to serve

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add a bit of olive oil.  Place bread in pan (in batches, probably) and fry until crisp and brown, turning once, about 2 minutes each side.  Remove from pan and cut into quarters, diagonally.  Set aside.

Add a bit more olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and add minced garlic.  When garlic is fragrant, add greens, in batches.  Season with salt to taste.  Don't cook the greens for more than 2 minutes -- you want them to be bright green but not browned at all, just slightly wilted.

In a large bowl, combine toasted bread, greens, and tomatoes. Toss with vinegar, adding more olive oil as you see fit.  Season with salt and pepper.

To cut the basil, rinse the leaves, stack them up, roll them up like a cigar, and thinly slice.  Serve the panzanella, garnished with basil and grated pecorino romano.