MAZA: 144 Recipes Later
This January marks the 16th issue of MAZA Cooking Journals – the first food magazine designed exclusively for the iPad and iPhone. Natalia has passionately developed and presented 144 delicious home-made recipes out of a small Soho kitchen to bring delight and nourishment to the busy urban foodies.
While the New York Times laments the end of the dinner party we’ve been busy bringing people back to the real essence of food: health, community and well-being. We’ve always enjoyed having friends over for dinner despite the modest size of our city apartment. There are the ‘welcome back to the city’ parties, farewell parties, ‘new significant other’ parties, and of course, Anthony Bourdain screening parties.
It was during one of those long dinner conversations when the idea of a cooking magazine came up. We looked around and all the food magazines we found were relics of the print era – enormous size, plastic-looking meals, banal and recycled recipes. They were completely unsuitable for the busy, iKitchen lifestyle of the New Yorkers. Print magazines wouldn’t fit in your small kitchen, you couldn’t email yourself the ingredients and finally the end result would look miles away from what appears as sterile-looking magazine food shot.
So we decided to create MAZA – a digital-only magazine app designed exclusively for the iPad. Each month we’ll publish 9 new recipes, beautiful food photography and celebrity chef interviews. Natalia set out to go through her treasured family recipes looking for inspirations and I sat down to design and develop the iPad software.
Today MAZA has been downloaded more than 15, 000 times and we’ve reached the number one spot on ‘What’s Hot‘ in the Food & Cooking Newsstand section on the iTunes Store. We’ve been overwhelmed with the level of interest and we’re committed to making MAZA Cooking Journals the best cooking magazine out there.
There’s lots of exciting news coming ahead. We’re releasing a free Bulgarian Home Cooking issue which features our favorite meals and desserts. We’re redesigning our website to make it easier to browse and search our free recipes. Last but not least we’re updating our app to improve Newsstand delivery and subscription management.
Also stay tuned for the upcoming February Issue to learn how to broil langoustines with fennel and cook the perfect chimichurri-sauce steak. Yummm!
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
Tapas Recipe: Mixed Olives
| Tapas Recipe: Mixed Olives |
- 2 lbs mix olives – Bella di Cerignola olives,
- black olives, kalamata, dry Turkish olive,
- picholine , nicoise olives
- 3 Orange peels
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1/3 hot red pepper, cut to thin circles
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Mix the olives with the orange peels, bay leaves and the thin red pepper sliced. Add olive oil enough to cover the olives. Transfer them to a jar with a lid.
- Leave the jar overnight in a refrigerator before serving.
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
Tapas Recipes: Chorizo & Fried Shishito Peppers
| Chorizo & Fried Shishito Peppers |
- 1/2 lbs spicy chorizo
- 1/2 lb sweet chorizo
- 1/2 lb shishito peppers
- Cut the chorizo to thin pieces and pan sauté them in a large pan over low to medium heat. Once the bottom side gets succulently brown texture turn individually each piece and add the shishito peppers.
- Cook for a minute, and then mix them so the peppers get coated with the reduced chorizo fat. Cook them for another 3 minutes.
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
January Issue is Out!
Tapas! Tapas! Tapas!
Roasted Bruschetta with Roasted Peppers and White Anchovies.
Anchovies make a great snack and are delicious once paired with Pimenetos del Piquillo.
Mussels Kaliakra Style
Served cold or warm, these pan-roasted mussels are the quintessence of summer. Cooked over very high heat without olive oil the mussels get delicious smoky flavor.
Mixed Olives
The jewels of the Alhambra – olives are marinated in a delicate blend of Spanish oil, orange peels and dark red hot peppers.
Find these and many more in the January Issue of MAZA Cooking Journals. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
Beets with Arugula, Spicy Hazelnuts and Smoked Ricotta
| Beets with Arugula, Spicy Hazelnuts and Smoked Ricotta |
- 4 red baby beets
- 4 golden yellow baby beets
- Baby Arugula
- Smoked ricotta
- Caramelized spiced hazelnuts
- FOR VINAIGRETTE
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- CARAMELIZED SPICED HAZELNUTS
- ½ cup raw hazelnuts
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed pomegranate juice
- Olive oil balsamic vinaigrette
- In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil with ¾ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground black peppercorn. Whisk until gets homogenous texture.
- To make the Caramelized spiced hazelnuts mix the sugar and the cayenne pepper. Over medium heat in a small skillet melt the sugar with the freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Once the sugar is turned into liquid add the hazelnuts, mix well so the pieces are well coated. Set it on a side to cool off.
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Individually wrap the beets in parchment paper. Place it in a roasting pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- While still hot but cool enough to handle, peel off the skin very carefully with dry bounty paper.
- Once cooled completely cut them in quarters.
- In a big serving plate or in an individual salad plates place the arugula arrange the beets, add aged ricotta cheese and caramelized spiced hazelnuts.
- Drizzle on top with olive oil- balsamic vinaigrette.
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
Cornish Hen Stuffed with Mushrooms and Chestnut Sauce
Cornish Hen roulade with oven-roasted chestnuts over pan-sauté chanterelle mushrooms.
| Cornish Hen Stuffed with Mushrooms and Chestnut Sauce |
- 1 boneless and skinless Cornish hen, skin preserved
- ¼ lbs chanterelle mushrooms
- ¼ sweet onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 8 chestnuts
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup sherry
- Roast the chestnuts in the oven over 450F. Once ready take the out of the shell. Make sure you peel it well.
- Heat 1-tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in an ovenproof skillet. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, then add the crashed chestnut pieces. Cook for 3 minutes add the sherry and cook until almost all the liquid is evaporated. Pour the heavy cream over the chestnut and add ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
- Transfer the mixture to immersion blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If need it you may add more of the heavy cream.
- Heat 1-tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in an ovenproof skillet. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, then add the 1/3rd of the mushrooms and the fresh thyme. Season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Set it a side.
- Debone the Cornish hen and remove the skin or ask your butcher to prepare it for you.
- Cut the skin to 2 pieces, big enough to wrap each roulade.
- On your cutting board lay one half piece of the boneless Cornish hen and scoop in the middle of it 2 scoops of the mushroom mix. Roll it up. Once is one-piece roll it over the skin piece and tie it with kitchen twine. Repeat the same with the second one.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat 2-tablespoon over medium heat in an ovenproof skillet. Add the rolls and cook while turning for 7-10 minutes, until skin gets crispy brown color. Remove the pan from the heat and place it in the oven. Bake it for 10-15 minutes.
- Cut it into circles before serving.
- Serve it over lightly pan sauté Chanterelle mushrooms and chestnut sauce.
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
Caramelized Carrots
| Caramelized Carrots |
- 1 lb different color baby carrots
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Clean and peel the carrots.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat sauté the carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil until browns yell on all sides. Add ¼ cup water and let it simmer. Just before it evaporates add the honey and mix well. Make sure carrots are evenly coated. Cook them for another 2 minutes or until water is completely gone.
- Serve warm.
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
Enjoy the Holidays with MAZA
Get yourself in the holidays spirit with delicious holiday recipes.
Roasted feta with honey, grappa soaked golden raisins & paprika
4 Servings as appetizer
½ lbs Bulgarian white cheese
1 espresso cup golden raisins
1 espresso cup grappa (Bulgarian rakia)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sunflower oil or extra virgin olive oil
paprika for seasoning
Tuscan Style Bean Salad
Heirloom beans mixed with thin slices of fennel bulb, yellow and red peppers, tossed over with extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
8 Servings
1 cup heirloom beans – cannellini beans, borlotti beans, rossoni beans, red lentil, yellow lentil, lima beans, chick peas, cowpeas
½ sweet onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Beets with Arugula, Spicy Hazelnuts and Smoked Ricotta
8 Servings
4 red baby beets
4 golden yellow baby beets
Baby Arugula
Smoked ricotta
Caramelized spiced hazelnuts
FOR VINAIGRETTE
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
CARAMELIZED SPICED HAZELNUTS
½ cup raw hazelnuts
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed pomegranate juice
Olive oil balsamic vinaigrette
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
MAZA iPad App Updated!
We’re excited to announce that Apple just released our latest update of MAZA Cooking Journals for iPad. The new version includes a new column design for more great chef interviews and restaurant reviews. We have also worked hard to improve the Newsstand delivery of new issues. You can now refresh the app library manually in case you haven’t received a Newsstand updates from Apple.
MAZA Issues now include not only delicious recipes but also inside stories from the best restaurants around New York.
Our new column design adapts easily to any orientation to make reading more fun.
Get the app now and learn how to cook everything from decadent lobster rolls to mind-blowing paella.
MAZA is a monthly food and cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
Thanksgiving Recipe: Turkey Breast Roulade with Caponata
| Turkey Breast Roulade with Caponata |
- 1 boneless turkey breast
- 10 slices of Italian speck
- 1 cup caponata
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Cut the turkey breast in half, lengthwise, and thin it with a meat pounder or ask your butcher to prepare it for you.
- If you tinned by your self, season with salt and black pepper, brush over olive oil, cover it with wrapping plastic and beat it with a meat pounder each side for 2 min, until thin and tender.
- On your cutting board lay one piece of prosciutto. If the slice is not big enough to cover the length of the chicken breast, add another one. Place the thinned chicken breast on top and in the middle of it 4 scoops of the caponata. Roll and tie it up with kitchen twine. Repeat the same with the second one.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat 2-tablespoon over medium heat in an ovenproof skillet. Add the rolls and cook while turning for 7-10 minutes, until prosciutto gets crispy brown color. Remove the pan from the heat and place it in the oven. Bake it for 20 min.
- Cut it into circles before serving.
MAZA Cooking Journals is a monthly cooking journal. Download the magazine app for your iPhone and iPad from the iTunes Store.
