If the lines at bodegas and grocery stores across the city on Sunday and Monday were any indication, the Big Apple is filled with former Girl and Boy Scouts.
Heeding the Boy Scouts’ motto to “Be prepared” — and abiding by the mayor’s draconian dictum that “The food delivery bicycle is not an emergency vehicle” — New Yorkers prepared to attempt cooking at home and stocked up on staples like milk, eggs, chicken and, of course, organic kale. (Brooklynites took to Twitter to bemoan empty shelves at the Gowanus Whole Foods, where bags of the cruciferous vegetable had once been stocked.)
Supplies didn’t run low only in Kings County. At the Harlem Fairway, general manager Michael O’Donnell reported a surge in demand for basics.
“Anytime you get any kind of event like this, you’re going to get a run on staples — milk, bread, canned goods, pastas,” says O’Donnell. They were saying “it’s the worst storm on record. They made it seem like Armageddon.”
But on Tuesday, New Yorkers awoke to just a mild sprinkling of snow, a subway system resuming service, a flimsy excuse not to go into the office and cramped kitchens crowded with three-months-of-cheat-days worth of dairy and carbohydrates.
What to do?
Fear not. Epicurious, the website and app for home cooks, is set to relaunch Feb. 3, and it’s got plenty of recipes for getting through all of your panic groceries.
Here are six.
The panic buy: bread
At the Harlem Fairway, the fancy bakery loaf — no presliced stuff, of course — was the best-selling storm panic item. No matter which neighborhood you live in, chances are you’ve got some of the crusty stuff lying around. Here’s how to turn it into a surprisingly elegant appetizer.
The solution: Bite-size garlic bread with fresh herbs
Meanwhile, simmer 3 tablespoons white wine and 4 garlic cloves, minced very finely, in a small pot until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes.
Scrape wine-garlic mixture into a medium bowl. Add 12 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and mix together.
Spread a generous amount of the flavored butter onto one side of each toast cube. Arrange toast cubes butter side up on a baking sheet and return to oven until butter is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
Arrange the cubes on a serving platter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley and 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Serve.
For Valentine’s Day!
The panic buy: yogurt and tomatoes
The solution: Lamb Chops with Yogurt and Chickpeas
One Gristedes customer reported having cartons of Chobani stolen out of his basket. If you were lucky enough to score some Greek yogurt of your own, hold onto it — and that can of tomatoes in your cupboard — until the 14th to whip up a romantic meal.
In a small skillet, warm 6 tablespoons olive oil, 2½ teaspoons poppy seeds, 2½ teaspoons sesame seeds, 2 teaspoons dried garlic, 2 teaspoons dried onion and 1 teaspoon coarse salt over medium-low heat until the spices turn very light brown, about 2 minutes. Cool completely.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add ½ cup chopped onions and sauté until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ½ pound sliced carrots and sauté until softened. Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons harissa, 1 teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika and cook until fragrant. Add ¹/₃ cup chicken broth, scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan.
Stir in one 15-ounce can chickpeas, one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
Season eight 1-inch-thick lamb chops (about 1½ pounds) with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over high heat, heat vegetable oil. Sear chops, working in batches, 3 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees.
Mix ¾ cup Greek yogurt with 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil mixture.
To serve, spoon the chickpea mixture onto the plate. Top each chop with a dollop of yogurt. Finish with an additional drizzle of the spiced oil. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
For brunch!
The panic buy: eggs, kale and sausage
The solution: Baked Eggs with Merguez Sausage, Tomatoes and Smoky Paprika
Pop some bubbly, invite the neighbors over Sunday morning for a meal and celebrate making it through Juno unscathed — all the while offloading various protein items purchased in a panic. “This is really easy, but also really impressive,” says Rhoda Boone, Epicurious food editor.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 onion, diced, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove to a bowl and cook 1 pound fresh merguez or any other sausage you have around, casings removed and meat crumbled, until brown, about 7 minutes. Pour off excess fat and return onions and garlic to the pan.
Add one 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes, 1½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until mixture has warmed through, about 2 minutes.
Brush eight small oven-proof bowls with olive oil and divide the sausage mixture among them. With the back of a spoon, gently press into mixture to create a well. Top each with an egg.
Bake until egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, 12 to 15 minutes. Top with cilantro. Serve with bread.
For the Super Bowl!
It just so happens that many of the hearty foods perfect for braving a storm also make great game-watching munchies.
The panic buy: macaroni
The solution: Our Favorite Macaroni and Cheese
This recipe uses both Cheddar and Parmesan cheese — “two total winners when they’re combined together,” enthuses Boone. Who cares who wins on the field? This is victory on the buffet table.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in the middle of oven. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set a large, covered pot of salted water over high heat to boil.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil until butter foam subsides. Add 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and 2 large garlic cloves, minced; cook, stirring, until crumbs are golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl, stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan and salt, and set aside.
Add 1 pound dried elbow macaroni to boiling salted water and cook until al dente. Drain macaroni and set aside.
In a large wide pot over medium-low heat, melt ½ cup butter. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour over butter, whisking to incorporate and make a roux. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until roux is light golden, about 4 minutes.
Gradually pour in 4 cups whole milk and ¾ cup heavy cream, whisking constantly to incorporate and make a béchamel sauce. Raise heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a low boil, whisking constantly.
Reduce to a simmer, whisking occasionally, and cook until béchamel sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes more.
Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper, and 1½ tablespoons mustard powder. Add 6 cups extra sharp grated Cheddar and ½ cup grated Parmesan in three batches, whisking until each addition is completely melted before adding more. Remove from heat.
Add the drained macaroni to the pot with the cheese sauce and stir well to coat. Transfer macaroni mixture to the buttered baking dish and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and bake until golden and bubbling, 18 to 23 minutes.
Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
The panic buy: chicken & beer
The solution: Beer-Brined Chicken with Thyme
Get carried away with your blizzard booze buy? Wondering what you’re going to do with the raw chicken parts in your fridge? This recipe, from Marta chef and Epicurious contributor Nick Anderer, is sure to score.
In a large pot, combine 48 ounces beer, 1 cup salt, ¾ cup light-brown sugar, a handful of thyme sprigs, 5 bay leaves and 1 tablespoon black pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar, remove from heat.
Transfer brine to a large bowl and stir in 6 cups ice. Immerse a 3-pound chicken, separated into legs, breast and wings (all on the bone), cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and grill chicken until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Transfer to oven to finish cooking until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 20 minutes more.
Cut the breast in half, separate the leg from the thigh, and serve.
The panic buy: chips & beans
The solution: Ultimate Nachos
In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1½ teaspoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper together.
Place 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1-inch thickness, in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.
Toss to coat and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat a lightly oiled grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken, turning once until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Allow to cool, then cut chicken in ½-inch cubes.
Make the bean dip. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add ¹/₃ cup chopped red onion and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves garlic, chopped, and 3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Stir in ¾ teaspoon chili powder and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
To the bowl of a food processor, add one 15-ounce can low-sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained, ½ tablespoon red-wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ cup water and pulse to combine.
Add the onion mixture and pulse to combine. If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide a 13-ounce bag of tortilla chips across two rimmed baking sheets. Add a small dollop of bean dip to the center of each chip. Sprinkle evenly with thinly sliced jalapeños and 2 cups of Monterey Jack and 2 cups of sharp Cheddar cheese.
Bake until cheese is bubbling and melted and the edges of chips are just starting to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Top with chopped tomato, sliced onion, sour cream, grilled chicken and cilantro. Serve immediately.