The Recipes Gayle King's Raving About
From decadent biscuits to salads that redefine the genre, here are the foods that O's intrepid editor at large has totally fallen for.
By Lynn Andriani
Photo: Courtesy of Gayle King
Caramelized Cauliflower Wrap
If you want Gayle King to eat something she normally wouldn't, make sure it's caramelized. That's how the Hearst cafeteria persuaded her to try its spinach wrap: creamy feta, cherry pepper relish, romaine lettuce, and—wait for it—caramelized cauliflower. Her verdict: fantastic! The one downside is that the scrumptious wrap, expertly made by Betty Reyes, is available only every other Thursday. But if you follow this recipe, you can enjoy it whenever you like. Thanks, Betty!
Get the Recipe: Caramelized Cauliflower Wrap
Butternut Squash Crostone with Ricotta and Mostarda
During a visit with her daughter, Kirby, Gayle visited
Fiola Mare and ordered this crostone. Though she didn't expect the combination of ricotta, roasted butternut squash and truffles to make sense, "the combo equaled deliciousness."
Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash Crostone with Ricotta and Mostarda
An Indulgent Bread Pudding with A Twist
Gayle is always looking for a good restaurant tip, and the best she received recently was
Myrtle + Gold in Brooklyn. The neighborhood joint serves comfort food with flair—mac and cheese with parsley Parmesan bread crumbs; the world's crispiest roast chicken; bread pudding laced with bourbon caramel, apricots, almonds and white chocolate. If you can't get there, try making this delicious bread pudding recipe at home!
Get the Recipe: Apricot Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce Recipe
Photo: Courtesy of Nick Brown/PDT
A Hot Dog that Packs a Punch
Crif Dogs, a hot doggery in Manhattan's East Village, has a secret. Go to the phone booth, dial 1, and you'll be ushered into a mysterious speakeasy called
Please Don't Tell (PDT). Gayle feasted on the Philly Tubesteak dog as well as the Chang Dog (exclusive to PDT), which was wrapped in bacon, deep fried and smothered in chef David Chang's Napa cabbage kimchi.
Get the recipes: Chang Dog and Philly Tubesteak Dog
A Kale Salad That Explains What All the Fuss Is About
Just like the rest of us, Gayle was taught to eat her veggies as a kid—but kale was never on the menu. Now that the leafy green is in everything from juice to chips, a salad may seem cliché. Yet this tangy, lightly spiced dish from the Manhattan restaurant
Beauty & Essex is so addictively delicious, it reminds us why kale salads are one trend we're happy to see stick around.
Get the recipe: Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Spiced Pecans
Photo: Courtesy of Lincoln
The Biscuits You Have to Taste to Believe
When Gayle and her daughter recently ate at
Lincoln, a charming Washington, D.C. restaurant, they shared barbecued pork with a most indulgent accompaniment: duck-fat biscuits. The outrageous treats were served on a wooden board, with tender pulled pork in a Mason jar and pickles on the side; so, everyone could build their own sliders just to their liking. The biscuits are great with almost anything, though, and if you're concerned the duck fat will make them taste too heavy, don't worry—the biscuits are surprisingly light and fluffy.
Get the recipe: Duck Fat Biscuit Sandwiches with Oven-Roasted Barbecue Pork
The Spiced Nuts with a "Whoa!" Addition
Gayle loves the smell of lavender and the taste of almonds. She never thought to put them together, though, until she had lunch at
Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, California, a small plates/wine bar that offers almonds with lavender sugar and sea salt. They're sweet, slightly salty, very crunchy and highly addictive.
Get the recipe: Rustic Canyon Lavender Almonds
Photo: Copyright © Laura Padgett 2013
The Beet Salad That Sings with Flavors
With what Gayle refers to as "a meat-and-potatoes mind trapped in a high-cholesterol body," she has been known to skip the burger and go green. The beet salad she found at
Ris, in Washington, D.C., didn't make her feel like she was missing out on anything, though. Its symphony of tastes comes from a couple of amazing components (most of which, happily, can be made ahead of time), including a Green Goddess dressing, a port vinaigrette and candied hazelnuts.
Get the recipe: Spinach and Beet Salad with Green Goddess Dressing and Port Vinaigrette
Photo: Courtesy of Canyon Ranch
The Trail Mix with No Duds
Gayle admits that her snacks usually involve icing. However, a trip to
Canyon Ranch in Massachusetts changed that. After Gayle returned from a four-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail, the staff at the ranch treated her to its Pumpkin Crunch trail mix. With its salty pumpkin seeds and sweet cranberries, she was instantly hooked.
Get the recipe: Canyon Ranch's Pumpkin Crunch
Published 05/02/2017
