Vegetable soup with applesauce and maple syrup.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was a machine in the kitchen.

The opportunity to stay at home and make three (or more) meals a day excites me: omelets and bacon for breakfast. I will put a bagel and smoked salmon at lunch with all the fixtures on it. Dinner usually includes three dishes: first a cooked plate, then lamb chops with roasted onions, sautéed broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. Add dessert.

I didn't do the same thing over and over again. There are many experiments and some failures. However, after a few weeks of lockdown, the freshness of spending all the time on the stove gradually disappeared. I hit the wall, so to speak. More than a year later, I am still in that headspace. (And I guess I'm not the only one.)

Bryan Noury, the executive chef of Madre Restaurant in Brooklyn, has created modern American cuisine,... [+] Focus on locally sourced ingredients, simple to make.

So what about a home cook who is "stuck" like me? Well, I contacted Bryan Noury, the executive chef of Brooklyn Madre, for some much-needed inspiration. And he agreed politely. In this restaurant, Noury ​​specializes in modern (unpretentious) American cuisine, highlighting locally sourced ingredients, and simple preparation-everything is just right.

This is something he made in the kitchen recently-you better believe that these dishes will soon become a staple in my house this winter.

“We use ricotta cheese throughout the restaurant. It’s ubiquitous and perfect for so many dishes. I’ve always been a lover of dairy products, but I didn’t really understand the difference until I traveled to Rome in 2016 . Purchasing the best milk and cream is the key to success. We only use Battenkill Valley milk and cream. And I have no doubt that your local market will have what you are looking for." — Bryan Noury, Executive Chef of Madre ( Brooklyn, New York)

30g lemon juice or white wine vinegar

Method: In a large thick-bottomed pot, heat the milk and cream to 170-180°F on medium high heat, then melt the butter. Add salt and acid and stir to allow the curd to separate from the whey. Remove the milk and cream mixture from the heat to allow the curds to form. Strain through a colander lined with 5 layers of cheesecloth. (The longer the tightening time, the harder the ricotta cheese.) For our pasta fillings, we are looking for a product that is less moist and firmer, so we will hang it overnight. For bruschetta or desserts, one hour is enough.

Serve: Cold cinnamon and honey; heated on toast with roasted mushrooms and fried herbs; served as ravioli with lemon filling.

Vegetable soup with applesauce and maple syrup.

"From New Hampshire, autumn has always held a special place in my heart. Leaf peeper, flannel, pumpkin spice and apples! Braeburns, Granny Smiths, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Red Delicious, McIntosh. There are no doubt about 20 different roasts The apple is one of the biggest smells you can smell in the kitchen, second only to the bones of veal. We add applesauce to our vegetable soup, but it is stored well. Easy to freeze, easy to make jam and Vinegar. The applesauce on the cinnamon toast is otherworldly. All of this is done with simple modifications to achieve dramatic results. The soup base is vegan and absolutely delicious. We use countless autumn vegetables, which are made every year This time is always rich. Kohlrabi is the secret here. The spicy nature shines in this recipe. The white miso is full of flavor, coconut milk and maple syrup. There is no doubt that this soup is larger than the sum of its parts. Use anything. Decorations that catch your eye: pomegranate arils, roasted pumpkin seeds, etc." — Bryan Noury, Executive Chef of Madre (Brooklyn, New York)

300 g Vidalia onions, peeled and shredded

Method: Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and season with salt. Sweat until opaque. Add kohlrabi, pumpkin, carrots and sweet potatoes. Season with salt. Make sure not to turn them brown under any circumstances. Add vegetable broth and white miso and simmer. Add half of coconut milk and green apple. Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked and tender. Add maple syrup and coconut milk. Small batches of puree: no more than one quart at a time. Filter through a mesh filter.

2 pounds of apples (Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Mcintosh, Fiji, Granny Smith, Red Delicious)

Apple cider vinegar, a few drops

Method: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the apple in a single layer on the tray. Bake for 2 hours until the apples are browned and caramelized. Mix apple puree in Vitamix until completely smooth. Baked apple puree is a secondary part of the soup-put it on the bottom of the bowl and pour the rest of the "soup" on top.

"It is not only one of my favorite things to eat, but also easily one of my favorite things to make. With some simple techniques and a little care, you can get incredibly juicy and A satisfying meal. We soak in salt water, air dry, smoke lightly, and use incredible techniques to produce the most amazing colors. It is always flattering, you can eat whatever you want, or simply Salt and toss in the open hearth furnace. Clean up easily." — Bryan Noury, Madre's Executive Chef (Brooklyn, New York)

*For 10% brine: mix 100 grams of salt with 1000 grams (1 liter) of water

Method: Marinate chicken for 12 hours. Remove the chicken from the brine. Let dry and place in the refrigerator without a lid for 24 hours to get a very crisp skin. Fill the bird with ½ lemon and thyme sprigs before roasting. Bake in an oven at 425°F for 15 minutes. Rotate at the 15-minute mark. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Let stand for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

"Half a pie, half a custard, all delicious. Don’t let the name scare you. I tasted French classics for the first time at Thomas Henkelman in Greenwich, Connecticut. It’s easier than making a pie, for nearly 20 years , I have always been attracted by its simplicity and deliciousness. In Madre, we use a variety of fruits. Cherries are traditional, but we eat strawberries and rhubarb or apricots in summer and pears and figs in autumn. It is also suitable for high-quality cans Canned and canned fruits such as peaches. We have omitted all the sugar and replaced the savory version with duck fat and duck legs. So hot! The world is yours. Use a spoonful of frozen fresh ricotta to heat or Heat it up!" — Bryan Noury, Madre's Executive Chef (Brooklyn, New York)

105 g powdered sugar, sifted

Method: In an electric mixer equipped with a whisk attachment, beat the butter until it is creamy. Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour into a bowl and stir until combined. Add the whole egg and mix well. The mixture was transferred and cooled overnight. In a heatproof bowl, beat egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, flour and a pinch of sugar until smooth. In a small saucepan, mix the milk and vanilla and simmer. While stirring, gradually add the milk to the whipped egg yolk mixture. Return the egg yolks to the pan and cook until the pastry cream on the instant thermometer reads 170°F. Transfer the pastry cream to the container and cool completely.

Production: Spray the mold with Pam. In a large bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix the pastry cream and almond batter until there are no streaks. Pour on the fruit until 2/3 full.

Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the clafoutis in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

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