Pine Nut and Orange Cookies

The addition of olive oil makes these tasty cookies moist and rich.

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar; more for rolling
• 3 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from 2 medium oranges)
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg, beaten

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.


Toast the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.


In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pine nuts. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and egg and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until the dough is evenly moist and holds together when squeezed, 1 to 2 minutes.


Fill a small bowl with about 1/4 cup sugar. Pinch off 1 rounded teaspoonful of dough (about 1/2 oz.). Shape it into a ball, coat it in the sugar, and set it in on a light-colored nonstick cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in the sugar and flatten the cookie to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Repeat to make 13 more cookies.


Bake until the tops are golden and the edges are brown, 9 to 13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for several minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. While the first batch of cookies bakes, shape the remaining dough into cookies and arrange on a second cookie sheet. When the first batch is done, bake the second batch.


The cookies will keep in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Green Olive Spread

What makes this spread such a marvel is its “milk mayonnaise” base, an eggless emulsion of milk and vegetable oil. It creates a luscious, neutral canvas, allowing the flavor of the olives to take center stage. You can make the base of the spread 3 days ahead and stir in the olives when ready to serve.

• 2/3 cup whole milk; more if needed
• 12 large oil-packed anchovy fillets
• 2 small cloves garlic, smashed
• 16 fresh cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1-1/3 cups pitted brined green olives, rinsed if particularly salty, coarsely chopped
• 1 baguette, sliced 1/2 inch thick and toasted

Purée the milk, anchovies, garlic, cilantro, and a pinch of pepper in a blender. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed hole in the blender cap.


Scoop the spread into a serving bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days. Just before serving, stir in the olives. The spread will thicken a bit more when the olives are added. If it thickens too much, thin it with a bit of milk.


Serve with the toasted baguette slices.

Warm Marinated Olives

Turkish bay leaves have a more complex, well-rounded flavor than the domestic variety. Here, they add a subtle, sweet astringency to a combination of green and black olives.

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 4 (3x1-inch) strips orange zest
• 3 (3x1-inch) strips lemon zest
• 1 Tbs. fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 large or 2 small dried Turkish bay leaves
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Generous pinch of ground allspice
• 1 cup pitted brined green olives, preferably picholine
• 1 cup pitted brined black olives, preferably Kalamata

Heat the oil and garlic in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat until the garlic turns golden, about 3 minutes. Add the orange and lemon zests, the rosemary, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and allspice and sizzle for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the olives and toss to coat. Transfer to a bowl to cool, then cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 days and up to 1 week.


Just before serving, gently reheat the olive mixture in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop the olives and aromatics into a serving bowl and pour a bit of the oil on top. Serve warm.

Potato Skin Curls with Fresh Herbs

These crisp shards of potato skin are cooked in oil infused with the season’s freshest herbs. The longer you leave the oil to infuse, the more intense the flavors. You’ll need only the potato skins for this recipe; save the flesh for Salt Cod and Crab Fritters, potato salad, or mashed potatoes (cover leftover peeled potatoes with water and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

• 3 cups canola oil
• 1-3/4 cups coarsely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as rosemary, parsley, cilantro, oregano, marjoram, and summer savory
• 5 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and dried well
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the oil and 3/4 cup of the herbs. Warm over low heat until the herbs begin to sizzle, 3 to 5 minutes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, then remove the pan from the heat and let the oil cool completely.


Heat the oven to 200°F.


Using a paring knife, peel the potato skins about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches long. (If working ahead, submerge the skins in water for up to 2 hours.)


Strain the herb oil through a fine sieve and discard the herbs. Return the oil to the pan, put a deep fat/candy thermometer in the oil, and set the pan over medium heat until it reaches 365°F. If the potato skins were soaked in water, drain and blot them dry. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, fry the peels until golden and puffed, 5 to 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the peels to a wire rack set on a large rimmed baking sheet; keep the curls warm in the oven. Repeat with the rest of the curls.


Carefully add the remaining 1 cup of herbs to the oil (the oil will splatter). Fry until crisp, 20 to 30 seconds. Drain the herbs, using either a wire mesh skimmer or a fine sieve set over a heatproof bowl and then transfer to the rack with the curls. (Discard the oil once cool.) Toss the herbs and potato curls and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Sweet Red Pepper Paste

This paste of salt-cured peppers is a classic Portuguese seasoning for poultry, sausages, and meats, such as Roast Pork with Red Pepper Paste. It’s traditional to use a meat grinder to make this paste (massa de pimentão in Portuguese), but a food processor or blender will do.

• 3 large red bell peppers
• 6 lb. kosher salt (about 2 boxes), or as needed
• 2 Tbs. good-quality olive oil, or as needed

Core, seed, and quarter the peppers. Trim away the ribs and any top and bottom ends that are extremely curvy.

Set a large freestanding stainless-steel or plastic sieve or footed colander in a large nonreactive pan or dish with sides. Line the sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and pour a 1-inch layer of salt into the sieve to form a base (some will seep out). Lay a single layer of pepper quarters, skin side up, on the salt. Press the peppers into the salt, making sure that any curvy parts are coated with salt or mold may form. Cover with a 1/2-inch layer of salt and another layer of peppers. Repeat with as many layers as needed, ending with a layer of salt. Set a heavy dish on top to weight it down. Let stand at room temperature for up to five days to remove the moisture from the peppers. By the fourth or fifth day, the peppers should be about 1/4 inch thick or less, which means they’re done.

Brush the excess salt off the peppers. Pass the peppers through a meat grinder or process them briefly in a food processor or blender; the texture should be somewhat coarse. Pack the paste in a sterilized glass jar, leaving about 1 inch at the top. Cover the paste with about 1/2 inch of olive oil, seal the jar, and refrigerate. Discard the salt.

Pine Nut and Orange Cookies

The addition of olive oil makes these tasty cookies moist and rich.

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar; more for rolling
• 3 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from 2 medium oranges)
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg, beaten

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.


Toast the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.


In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pine nuts. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and egg and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with your hands until the dough is evenly moist and holds together when squeezed, 1 to 2 minutes.


Fill a small bowl with about 1/4 cup sugar. Pinch off 1 rounded teaspoonful of dough (about 1/2 oz.). Shape it into a ball, coat it in the sugar, and set it in on a light-colored nonstick cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in the sugar and flatten the cookie to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Repeat to make 13 more cookies.


Bake until the tops are golden and the edges are brown, 9 to 13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for several minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. While the first batch of cookies bakes, shape the remaining dough into cookies and arrange on a second cookie sheet. When the first batch is done, bake the second batch.


The cookies will keep in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Salt Cod and Crab Fritters

You can prepare the fritters ahead and then fry them when you’re ready to eat. Save the potato skins for Potato Skin Curls with Fresh Herbs.

• 8 oz. dried salt cod
• 1 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes (3 or 4), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce; more to taste
• 1 large egg, separated
• 8 oz. jumbo lump crabmeat, drained well and picked over
• Vegetable oil, for frying

The day before you plan to serve the fritters, rinse the salt cod well under cool running water to remove any surface salt. Put it in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water several times.


Bring a 4-quart saucepan filled with enough water to accommodate the cod (about 3 quarts) to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the soaked cod, and simmer gently until it flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain well and let cool. Remove and discard any bits of skin, bone, or spongy ends.


Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a 4-quart saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Add 1 Tbs. salt, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and mash well. Set aside.


In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add to the mashed potatoes.


Pulse the cooked cod in a food processor until finely shredded. Add the cod to the potatoes, along with the cilantro and hot sauce. Mix well and season to taste with salt and more hot pepper sauce. Stir in the egg yolk and then gently fold in the crab. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white to soft peaks and gently fold it into the cod mixture.


Pinch off walnut-size pieces of the cod mixture, roll them into balls, and set aside on a tray. (The recipe may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead; keep refrigerated.)


Heat 1-1/2 inches of vegetable oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until it reaches 360°F on a deep fat/candy thermometer. Fry the fritters in batches of 4 or 5 until golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt while still sizzling. Serve warm or at room temperature.