Next to dressing, good eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Because a designer’s passion spans all art forms from haute couture to haute cuisine, we are taking a sneak peek inside the recipe books of Ulla Johnson, Joseph Altuzarra, JJ Martin and Nili Lotan.
Whether you love to cook or are oven-shy, here are three dishy numbers you will want to eat. Dress code: fabulous.
Bon Appetit!
His beautiful creations for women epitomise chic sophistication, but this recipe for granola demonstrates Joseph Altuzarra is also a domestic god. Crunchy with enough sweet and saltiness to satisfy the most stylish of taste buds, his nutty granola recipe is a much loved collab with his mother. "Both of us have been tinkering away at it for years," he says. "I hope you tweak it to your liking too!"
Nutty Granola
4 cups old-fashioned oats
4 large handfuls of mixed chopped nuts, such as any combination of pecans, walnuts, pistachios, and almonds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup safflower or other neutral oil
Scant 1/2 cup honey, pure maple syrup, or agave nectar
Sesame, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds
Ground ginger
Sea salt
Dried apricots, cranberries or raisins (optional)
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180ºC.
Butter a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper, so the granola won't stick.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, and cinnamon. Stir in the oil and honey. If desired, add the seeds, ginger, and salt.
When the mixture is well blended, spread it evenly on the baking sheet and press it down flat with the back of a metal spatula.
Bake for about 30 minutes, keeping a close eye on it and rotating the pan every 10 minutes. The granola is done when it's deeply golden and fragrant.
Remove from the oven and stir in the dried fruit if desired.
Cool in the pan, where it will become crisp, like a giant granola bar. Break the bar into pieces and store in a tightly sealed container.
Serves 8.
Start the day right wearing:
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"We've been going to Montauk for 13 years, and through that whole time, we've gone to Duryea's," Ulla told Priorworld.. "It was a beach lobster shack now transformed into something fancier, but the menu is similar. Duryea's lobster rolls are my go-to summer food. We eat there every single weekend. I don't know that you can see a better sunset on the Eastern seaboard."
Alongside Ulla's favourite roll, Duryea's Lobster Cobb Salad is Duryea's signature dish. One bite, and you'll understand why 150+ are sold every day. Think crunchy gem lettuce, fresh lobster, sharp cheddar, crisp bacon, avocado, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled farm eggs and house-made creamy tarragon dressing.
Duryea's Lobster Cobb Salad
Via Parade
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LOBSTER SALAD 8 oz freshly-picked steamed lobster meat, (claw knuckle and tail meat) 2 oz celery (only the inner leaves and stalk), finely minced Squeeze of lemon juice 1 Tbsp mayonnaise Salt, to taste Fresh-cracked white pepper, to taste 1 Tbsp bacon bits 1 Tbsp sharp cheddar shavings 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped Heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, diced |
TARRAGON DRESSING ¼ cup buttermilk ¼ cup light mayonnaise 1 Tbsp tarragon vinegar ½ Tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped ¼ tsp garlic cloves, finely minced ¼ tsp shallots, diced ⅛ tsp mustard powder ½ scallion, chopped 1 dash Tabasco ½ Tbsp chives, parsley, oregano, fresh chopped and mixed Salt and white pepper, to taste |
For the dressing, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Gently toss together the steamed lobster meat, celery, lemon juice, and mayonnaise; season with salt and fresh-cracked white pepper.
Toss the gem lettuce leaves with the dressing in a large salad bowl.
Finish up by "sprinkling" the toppings (bacon bits, avocado, cheddar, tomatoes).
Add a big scoop of lobster salad and serve with extra dressing on the side.
Serves 6-8.
Indulge wearing:
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"My girlfriends from fashion and I always have our reunion dinner at Bice," La DoubleJ's designer JJ told Citizen Citizen Femme.. "When I was working at Wallpaper* magazine, I was always interviewing the most important institutional people in Milan, and this included Roberta, who is the amazing maître d' at Bice. It's her family's establishment. We order insalata tropicale, pasta pappardelle, and pasta teléfono, which comes in a tomato sauce with mozzarella that is so juicy it stretches like a telephone cord."
Pappardelle al Telefono
Via tableforfive
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SAUCE 150g cherry tomatoes 150g fresh cream 100g Parmesan cheese 10g fresh basil 50g extra virgin olive oil 20g celery 30g carrots 30g red onion 500g peeled tomatoes Salt Pepper |
TOPPING 200g mozzarella cheese Fresh basil |
Chop and mix carrots, celery and onions and sauté in a large saucepan with the Evoo for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes ( I used canned) and fresh with salt, pepper and fresh basil.
Cook on medium to low heat for an hour.
Boil pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce with the cream and mix in the parmesan.
Top with mozzarella and basil.
Be bold and beautiful (and tuck in a giant serviette… slurp slurp!)
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"Growing up near the Mediterranean, fish has always been a staple in the meals I cook for my family," says Nili. "One of my favourite recipes is baked Mediterranean branzino because it's delicious, easy to make and perfect for a night at home with friends and family. I hope you enjoy it!"
Note: The branzino can be substituted with other fish. We love barramundi.
Baked Mediterranean Branzino
2 medium-size branzini (gutted and cleaned)
Olive oil
2 lemons
Rosemary
Parsley
Sea salt
Black pepper
6 Garlic cloves
6 red onions
4 red peppers
White wine
Preheat the oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chop the onions, peppers, and garlic and place in a large stainless steel roasting pan along with the bay leaves, parsley and lemon slices.
Separately, cut one of the lemons in half, juice it and pour over the branzini, then pour olive oil over the fish.
Place the branzini in the roasting pan with the other ingredients and sprinkle salt, pepper and some olive oil over the entire dish.
To finish, pour some white wine over the entire dish as well.
Place the roasting pan in the oven and let the fish bake for about 40 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
Buckle up and bon appetit wearing new season Nili Lotan:
