I decided that $11 was still a perfectly respectable total. (And I included the price of the whole bird.)
After settling the bill, we met back at his house to cook. I had offered the use of my kitchen, but Pastan said he'd rather use his own stove. His wife told me a couple had visited recently to see what a professional chef's kitchen looked like, as they were renovating their own. "This is it?" they had asked, disappointed.
There is a pleasant lack of professional stainless steel in Pastan's home kitchen. Soapstone counters rest atop wooden cupboards. An antique coffee grinder sits at one side. A refurbished Round Oak gas stove from the 1930s stands at one end of the slender room. Beneath the stove a stack of copper pots sat unpolished, relics from Pastan's previous life as a pot salesman in Boston. It was a beautiful day, so Pastan opened the door onto his garden while he unloaded the groceries and set to work.
Pastan was always doing several things at once: the water for the asparagus heated alongside the onion water. While he waited for both pots of water to boil, he prepared his carrots and chicken marinade. He cooked the eggs after the asparagus and before the onions.
"We usually have one hot thing and then cold stuff for dinner. That way you don't have to spend all your time in the kitchen," Pastan explained. With the cold stuff prepared ahead of time, once the pasta is ready, the cook's work is done.
The recipes are listed in roughly the order Pastan prepared them.
Poached Asparagus
(4 servings)
About 1/4 cup kosher salt
One bunch asparagus
About 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a wide saucepan, bring about 8 cups of water to a boil and add a good handful -- about 1/4 cup -- of kosher salt. Have ready a large bowl of ice water.
Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus stalks by holding each spear at both ends and bending it. Peel the spears up to 1 inch from their tips. Rinse and set aside.
Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook just until tender, 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Using tongs immediately transfer the spears to the ice bath to stop their cooking. Transfer the asparagus to a clean towel to dry, then to a serving dish. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Per serving: 46 calories, 3 gm protein, 2 gm carbohydrates, 3 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 119 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber
Pickled Onions
(4 servings)
About 2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 large onion (red, white or yellow)
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground in a mortar and pestle (may substitute a pinch of ground cumin)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the salt.
Peel the onion. Slice off and discard the root and tip ends. Thinly slice the onion lengthwise along the root-to-tip axis (the opposite direction from which you'd be slicing it if you were making onion rings). Set aside a few slices for the chicken marinade (recipe follows).
Add the onion to the boiling water and cook until softened somewhat but still slightly crunchy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the onions to a colander set in the sink and rinse under cold running water just until warm but not cold.
Transfer the onions to a serving bowl, drizzle with vinegar and sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to coat the onions. Set aside, stirring occasionally to coat well with the vinegar, which is the pickling agent. Serve at room temperature.
Per serving: 15 calories, trace protein, 3 gm carbohydrates, trace fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 106 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber
Carrot Salad
(4 servings)
3 large carrots
1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Peel and grate the carrots. Set aside.
In a serving bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Taste and season accordingly.
Per serving: 82 calories, 1 gm protein, 6 gm carbohydrates, 7 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 121 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber
Grilled Marinated
Chicken Breasts
(4 servings)
Pastan had originally planned to poach the chicken breasts, but since it was so nice outside he decided to grill. For this recipe, the "marinade" comes after the grilling.
1 tablespoon julienned lemon zest
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and julienned
2 tablespoons thinly sliced onion (red, white or yellow)
6 to 12 celery leaves (optional)
1 to 2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise into thin strips (optional)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Prepare the grill.
While the grill is heating, prepare the marinade. In a shallow dish just large enough to hold the chicken, combine the lemon zest, jalapeno, onion and celery leaves and celery strips, if using. Drizzle the lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of the oil evenly over the top. Set aside.
Lightly rub both sides of the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
When the grill is ready, place the chicken on the grill rack. Grill, without moving, until rack marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, turn the chicken 90 degrees (this ensures grill marks) and cook another few minutes before flipping them. Cover the grill and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes, turn 90 degrees again, cover and continue to cook until the breasts are done, another 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the strength of your fire. (Pastan tested for doneness by poking the chicken with his finger. The chicken should feel like the pad under your thumb nearest to your wrist: stiff but still a little bouncy. If you'd rather use a thermometer, the internal temperature should read 170 degrees. Alternatively, you may slice into the chicken; it is done when no trace of pink remains.
Transfer the chicken to the dish containing the marinade and spoon the marinade over the top. Set aside until ready to serve but for no longer than about 30 minutes, spooning the marinade over the chicken periodically.
Per serving: 212 calories, 18 gm protein, 2 gm carbohydrates, 14 gm fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 2 gm saturated fat, 183 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber
Grapefruit Salad
(4 servings)
2 pink grapefruit
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
A few tablespoons sweet dessert wine, such as a Dindorello (optional)
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from half of 1 grapefruit. To do this, slice off several strips of zest. If some of the bitter white pith clings to the zest, place the zest pith-side up on a cutting board and use a paring knife to gently remove the pith from the zest. Cut the strips into thin ribbons then transfer them to a large serving bowl.
Using a large chef's knife, peel both grapefruit: Working with 1 at a time, slice off both ends. Stand the grapefruit on 1 end, then slice downward, cutting away both the skin and pith but leaving as much of the fruit as possible. Segment the peeled fruits. Using a paring knife, cut between the sections to detach each section from its surrounding membrane. Let the segments fall into the serving bowl. Squeeze the empty membrane so any juice falls into the bowl.
Sprinkle the segments and zest with the sugar and toss to coat. Stir in the dessert wine if desired. Taste and, if desired, add additional sugar. Set aside until ready to eat.
Per serving: 69 calories, 1 gm protein, 18 gm carbohydrates, trace fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 1 mg sodium, 2 gm dietary fiber
Rigatoni With Zucchini
(4 servings)
This is the only item that should be prepared at the last minute, just before serving. If it is allowed to sit around for too long, the pasta will become rather rubbery and lose much of its flavor. For budgetary reasons, two flavorful elements of this dish were made optional; however, they are highly recommended.
1/2 cup kosher salt
3 small zucchini
About 4 tablespoons olive oil
About 1 ounce pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (optional)
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16-ounce package rigatoni (or other similarly shaped pasta)
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped (optional)
In a large pot, bring about 1 gallon (16 cups) of water to a boil and add a good 2 handfuls -- about 1/2 cup -- of kosher salt.
Meanwhile, core the zucchini. Pastan did this by slicing off the peel with some of the inner flesh in four sections, leaving a square core of seeds behind. Discard the seed portion. Slice the reserved peel crosswise into thin strips; you may cut them at an angle if you like, for style and added length.
In a skillet over medium heat, heat about 3 tablespoons of oil. If using the pancetta, add it to the skillet to let the fat render. When the oil is warm (and the fat translucent), add the sliced zucchini strips. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened to the desired texture. Add the pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to your liking or the timing recommended by the manufacturer. Transfer to a colander to drain and then quickly transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, add the zucchini mixture (including the fat from the skillet) and the parsley, if using. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 543 calories, 18 gm protein, 89 gm carbohydrates, 12 gm fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 2 gm saturated fat, 125 mg sodium, 5 gm dietary fiber
Emily Kaiser is a Washington writer and a part-time cook at Obelisk, Peter Pastan's restaurant.