Inside New York’s Most Stylish Easter Lunch

Caesar alla ZZ

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

For roasted garlic puree

Makes approximately 1/2 cup

• 1 1/2 cups peeled whole garlic cloves
• 1 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

For croutons

• 8 ounces semolina or brioche bread, cut into 2-inch-long, 1-inch-wide rectangles
• 1 tsp crushed dried Calabrian chili flakes
• 1 tsp tomato powder
• 3 tbsp Roasted Garlic Puree
• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp dried oregano, preferably Sicilian

For Caesar dressing

• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, pasteurized
• 1/2 cup smooth Dijon mustard
• 12 brown anchovy fillets in oil, drained
• 8 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp nonpareil capers in brine, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp Roasted Garlic Puree
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup 120-day-aged pecorino toscano, finely grated
• 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (about 52 turns from a pepper mill)

For Serving

• 1 1/2 pounds little gem lettuces, washed and dried and leaves picked
• 12 white anchovy (boquerones) fillets
• Freshly grated ricotta salata to finish

Preparation

For roasted garlic puree

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the garlic cloves and olive oil in a small baking dish or sauce pot. Cover with a lid or foil, then place in the oven. Cook until the garlic is golden brown and soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the warm garlic cloves to a small food processor or blender; process until smooth. Let cool completely before using.

Can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container with plastic wrap touching the surface of the puree for up to 3 days.

For croutons

Spread the cut bread on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F, flipping halfway through, until light golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the chili flakes and tomato powder in a blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Melt the spiced butter in a small saucepan, and place into a large bowl.

Toss the toasted croutons with the melted spiced garlic butter until fully coated; let stand for 5 minutes, then toss again to ensure the butter is evenly absorbed and distributed. Return the croutons to the baking sheet and bake at 400°F until deep golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the croutons cool fully before using.

The croutons can be made a day in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

For Caesar dressing

In a blender, place all the ingredients except the oil; blend until smooth. Slowly stream in the olive oil until it emulsifies into a smooth dressing.

Caesar Dressing can be finished and made in advance, stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To Serve

In a large mixing bowl, add the lettuce leaves and toss them in the Caesar Dressing until evenly coated. Transfer the salad to individual serving bowls. If you like, broil the croutons for a few seconds to rewarm. Place 5 croutons and 2 white anchovies over each salad. Generously grate the ricotta salata over the top to serve. Alternatively, the salad can be plated on a platter.

Mario's Meatballs

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

For meatballs

• 2 1/4 cups day-old or stale white bread, crust removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup plus 3 tbsp whole milk
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
• 12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably 80/20
• 12 ounces ground veal
• 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup finely grated 24-month-aged Parmigiano-Reggiano

For tomato sauce

• 5 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 3 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

For meatballs

Place the bread and milk in a small bowl and let soak together.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and scrape everything into a large bowl. Stir in the parsley and salt and cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, add the ground meats, egg, and Parmigiano-Reggiano to the bowl. Gently combine until evenly mixed. Add the soaked bread last, discarding any milk that was not soaked up, and continue to mix gently, making sure not to overmix. Form into 2 1/4-inch balls; you should get about 22 meatballs. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate while you make the Tomato Sauce.

For tomato sauce

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the sauce comes to a simmer, remove the pan from the heat.

To Serve

Ladle about 1 heaping cup of the tomato sauce into a large roasting pan or ceramic baking dish and spread over the bottom; keep the remaining sauce nearby while you cook the meatballs.

Heat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat, and coat the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Working in batches, add just enough meatballs to fit loosely in the pan and cook, turning as needed until lightly browned all over, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Add the cooked meatballs to the roasting pan with tomato sauce, nestling them into a single layer.

Once all done, top the meatballs with 3/4 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Heat the oven to 325°F. Cover the pan of meatballs tightly with foil, and bake until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, rewarm the Tomato Sauce over low heat. Once the meatballs come out of the oven, uncover the pan and gently transfer each meatball to the pot of sauce, turning each to ensure they’re coated in sauce.

Finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce until their internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

To serve, spoon the meatballs onto a large serving platter or individual dishes and top with spoonfuls of sauce. Freshly grate Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top and drizzle with the finishing olive oil. Top each meatball with a fried basil leaf to serve.

Rainbow Cookies

(Makes about 225 cookies)

Ingredients

For cake

• 9 large eggs
• 2 pounds almond paste (not marzipan), roughly chopped
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 6 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp green gel food coloring or liquid food coloring
• 1 1/2 tsp red gel food coloring or liquid food coloring

For assembling

• 1 1/3 cups orange marmalade, divided in half
• 1 3/4 cup 70 percent bittersweet chocolate

Preparation

Heat the oven to 325°F. Spray three 13-x-18-inch half-sheet trays with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Spray again with non-stick cooking spray.

Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the almond paste, sugar, and salt, and beat on medium-low speed until evenly combined and sandy. Add the butter, increase the speed to medium, and continue mixing until fluffy and pale, about 3 minutes.

One at a time, add the egg yolks to the bowl, letting each one disappear in the batter before adding the next. Reduce the mixer speed to the lowest setting, then add the flour, mixing just until the last patch of flour disappears. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed to ensure the batter is mixed evenly. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.

In a clean bowl, add the reserved egg whites and beat with a whisk attachment on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gently transfer half the whipped egg whites to the almond mix to lighten, then fold in the remaining egg whites, gently but thoroughly until combined.

Portion the batter into 3 even parts, using a food scale to make sure the batters are even. Place one portion directly into a prepared half-sheet tray, and the other two in mixing bowls. Color one portion of the batter in a bowl green, and the second red. Fold in the food coloring, making sure the color is evenly distributed.

Place the colored batters into the separate prepared half-sheet trays. If you only have one sheet tray to work with, reserve any remaining batter in the fridge, letting it come to room temperature 30 minutes before ready to use.

Using a spatula, spread out the batter in the sheet trays, smoothing the top as it will not even itself out. Bake until barely light golden on top and the cake is just dry to the touch in the center, 16 to 18 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and let each cake cool completely.

To Serve

Invert the green baked cake on a parchment paper-lined cutting board, preferably one larger than the cake. Alternatively, an inverted half-sheet tray can be used as well. Peel off and discard the parchment paper the cake was baked with.

Gently spread half of the orange marmalade on the green cake. Invert the plain-white baked cake on top, peeling off and discarding the parchment paper. Repeat by spreading the remaining marmalade, topping it with the red baked cake.

Place a clean sheet of parchment paper on top of the red cake layer, then a second cutting board or inverted baking sheet on top. Place two 28-ounce cans, or similar weight, on the board to weigh it down slightly. Place the built cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to set the cake sheets.

Remove the weights and put away. Remove the board or inverted baking sheet, and the top piece of parchment paper, and set aside. Melt the chocolate and pour half onto the red cake layer, spreading it evenly over the top. Refrigerate the cake layers until the chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.

Once the chocolate is set, place the reserved piece of parchment paper and board back on the cake over the set chocolate, then flip the entire cake upside down so that the green layer is now on top. Remove the cutting board or baking sheet and parchment paper covering it and spread the remaining melted chocolate over the green layer. Return the cake layers to the refrigerator one final time to set the chocolate, 20 minutes.

Once set, remove the built cake from the refrigerator, and trim the edges flat. Cut the cake layers into 1 1/4-inch rows, then cut each row into 1/2-inch-thick tiles. Serve the cookies chilled.