Professional Bakist

if you ask me to

2012-01-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

Matty's been pressuring me to make brownies for a whole week. It started when I asked him to grab some flour at the store - I was all out. As we were unpacking groceries, he asked out of nowhere, "Is this flour for the brownies you're going to make me?" He asked me the same question when the peanut butter came out of the grocery bag a few seconds later.

Using my extremely powerful skills of deduction, I figured that he was looking for some peanut butter brownies to come his way. And when I found this recipe on Bake or Break, I knew it was fate - Jennifer posted the recipe on Matty's birthday back in 2008!

If you like chocolate and peanut butter, there is absolutely nothing to not love about these brownies. They're a cinch to make - all hail one-bowl brownies! I used bittersweet chocolate chips to give it a little more adult and less cloyingly sweet flavor. The additional chocolate chips and the peanut butter chips make these extra decadent, but it's really the extra dollop of peanut butter in the middle that puts these brownies over the top.

Oh, and happy National Peanut Butter Day!

Brownie Peanut Butter Cups
adapted from Bake or Break

3/4 c. sugar
2 T. butter
1 T. water
3/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut butter chips
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 12 muffin cups.

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar, butter and water. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 c. chocolate chips until melted. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour and baking soda, stirring until blended. Allow to cool to room temperature. Then, stir in 1/2 c. each peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. Spoon 2 heaping Tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup.

3. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly wet. Place pan on wire rack. Centers of brownies will fall upon cooling. If not, tap centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole.

4. Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, then stir. While brownies are still hot, spoon about a tablespoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely in pan.

tears and laughter

2012-01-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

I think I've given up on NFL football. I'm tired of getting excited about early Cowboys wins, and then 2 consecutive months of let-downs. And with all the love in my heart, all my closest friends like crappy teams, too. The only thing making these losses bearable is getting together over good food to make fun of them.

This week's pairing: Giants-Niners (you could see the apathy dripping off the walls) and a Black Bean + Jalapeno Soup, or as Matty calls it, Really Good Meatless Chili. It's nice to have a nice, hearty vegetarian option, especially with The Most Boring Game of the Season coming up in two weeks. It's kind of an unassuming soup, but once half of it gets pureed, the extra body really amps it up.

Black Bean + Jalapeno Soup
adapted from The Atlantic

6 jalapenos
1 poblano
olive oil
2 T. butter
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 c. dry red wine
16 oz. dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
5 c. vegetable broth
2 T. lime juice
salt and pepper
1/2 c. sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the jalapenos and poblano with olive oil and roast on a baking sheet for about 35 minutes, until the peppers are browned and softened. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the carrot, onion and garlic for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and let reduce for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and seed 4 of the jalapenos and the poblano. Roughly chop. Reserve the 2 whole jalapenos.

4. Reduce the heat on the saucepan to medium. Add the seeded jalapenos and poblano, beans and broth. Simmer for about an hour and a half, or until the beans are cooked through. Remove from heat and add lime juice, plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Remove half the mixture and puree in a blender, then return it to the pot and stir well.

5. Blend the remaining two jalapenos with the sour cream until smooth. Divide the soup among 4 bowls, garnishing each with the sour cream mixture. I recommend serving with cornbread croutons and shredded sharp Cheddar.

don't bother

2012-01-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

When I last left you all on Monday, I was telling you how I couldn't really get the flavors right in my meals lately, and needed to reset my palate to make better decisions the next time I went into the kitchen. Well, I'm glad we have dinner plans with friends tomorrow night because I definitely didn't have my mojo back tonight.

Matty liked the eggplant, but they were entirely too sweet for my taste. That sesame-peanut mixture would have been so savory and delicious without any sugar at all. I left it out of the recipe below. I had one for observation purposes, but my tastebuds wouldn't let another one past them. On a positive note, I think it would make an excellent crust for a coconut cream pie, cilantro and all - it's that sweet.

The noodles were okay, but living on the Eastside means I can spin in any direction, walk a couple blocks and find a better pad see-ew than I made. Some things should just be left to the experts. No need to make that mistake ever again.

Sesame-Peanut Masala Eggplant with Pad See-Ew Noodles
inspired by Andrea Nguyen and Serious Eats

For the eggplant
1/2 c. toasted white sesame seeds
1 c. lightly salted roasted peanuts
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. cayenne
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 T. water
1 1/2 lbs. Thai eggplant
3 to 4 T. olive oil
1/4 c. water

For the noodles
8 oz. rice noodles
2 large eggs, beaten
2 T. sweet dark soy sauce
2 T. hoisin or oyster sauce
2 t. soy sauce
2 t. rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sesame seeds, peanuts, turmeric, cayenne, garlic and cilantro, and process until crumbly. Add the Tablespoon of water and process until the mixture looks like wet sand. Set aside.

2. Slice off the top 1/2-inch of each eggplant. With a melon baller, scoop out about a teaspoon of the eggplant flesh and reserve. Fill each hollow eggplant with the sesame-peanut mixture.

3. In a skillet large enough enough to hold all the eggplant, heat the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant on its side and lightly brown on all sides. After about 3 minutes, set each on its bottom and add the 1/4 c. water. Lower the heat, cover the skillet and cook until eggplant is tender.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions. When done, drain and toss with a bit of oil so the noodles don't stick together.

5. Return the pot to the heat with a little bit of olive oil. Add the reserved eggplant flesh and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the egg and scramble into large curds. Add the noodles and the sweet dark soy sauce. Toss to break up the egg and combine the sauce. Cook undisturbed for about a minute until the noodles are browned. Add the hoisin, regular soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic and stir to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes, relatively undisturbed.

6. Portion the noodles onto serving plates and top with a few eggplant. Serve immediately.

separate ways

2012-01-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

I'm taking Matty out for dinner tomorrow. I think my ambition to cook more coupled with my need to keep my diet vegetarian is making me grasp desperately at recipes without really thinking about how they'll taste or how they'll go together. I need to reset my mental palate, and I think going out is the way to do it. Kinda shake myself from this little cobweb of overachievement.

The sum of tonight's meal was not greater than its parts. Which is a shame because all the parts were quite good on their own.

I started with the Falafel "Meatballs" - so delicious when everything minus the egg was in the blender. Great nuttiness, lightened by notes of lemon. Then I went to add the egg, and a) I immediately made it non-vegan, and b) I think it contributed a little mealiness to the overall texture of the finished meatball. Your ordinary falafel doesn't use an egg, rather flour, to bind it - I think that's the way I'll go next time.

The soup (pureed cauliflower and spinach) was amazing. I think I'll have to make it coming out of my next juice cleanse. It's creamy, rich and satisfying without any cream, and without even any potatoes. I forgot to get veggie broth, so I just used water, and it was still magnificent.

But I underestimated the thickness - I didn't think it would be substantial enough for dinner as just soup and meatballs, so I decided to make some parsley'ed pasta - just tossed with a little salter butter and the parsley suggested for the soup's garnish. The pasta didn't end up swimming in the soup as I had envisioned (although obviously I could have thinned the soup out with more water or broth), and then the whole thing took on a life of its own. A life that reminded me I don't really like parsley. I would have felt much better about cilantro in this dish.

So the leftovers all got refrigerated separately - pasta, falafel, soup. And that's how I'll eat them - separately.

Falafel "Meatball" Soup
adapted from Food52
Serves 4

For the falafel
1 small onion, diced
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
10-12 sage leaves, minced
1/2 c. walnut pieces
1/2 c. panko
one 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg (or to keep the recipe vegan, add a couple T. of flour to bind)
salt and pepper

For the soup
3 c. water
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 large handfuls of spinach
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
cilantro for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic, sage, walnut and panko and saute until the panko becomes golden.

3. Place the contents of the skillet into the bowl of a food processor. Add the garbanzo beans, lemon zest, and process until finely ground. Add the egg and process into a paste-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Form the paste into 16 equal meatballs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until firm and golden.

5. While the meatballs are baking, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower, cover and simmer until very tender. Add the spinach and stir through to wilt.

6. Pour the contents of the pot into the jar of a blender. Add the lemon juice, and taking extreme caution with the hot liquids, blend until smooth. Return to the pot and re-warm, if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. To serve, ladle a few spoonfuls of soup into a shallow bowl. Top with 4 meatballs and garnish with cilantro.

willpower changed my mind

2012-01-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

In the two weeks since I've been doing this vegetarian thing, I've never once wanted to cheat. I mean, when I was offered a mini pastrami sandwich at a shoot on Friday, I nearly forgot and accepted, but I pulled my hand back just in time. I mean, it was pastrami - I had to run clear to the other end of the room to say no.

However, when I was browning these steaks for Bisteces Rancheros for Matty's dinner tonight, it took everything I had to refrain. Use the drippings to make the tomato sauce, and add that cumin, and my willpower survived the greatest test it may have ever had.

This should have been a Sunday Suppers event, but we had folks over for the Broncos-Patriots game last night and were just a a little lazy and anti-social tonight. Unfortunately (or fortunately), that means we have tons of leftovers of that and the Tex-Mex Rice I made as a side for him, and a main for myself.

The rice was just okay. I almost preferred it as a rice salad with the cooled-down rice and the individual ingredients before the extra cooking time melted all the cheese and made it very risotto-like. Not that there's anything wrong with risotto, but I felt all those bright Tex-Mex flavors went away. I guess I better learn to like it, though - plenty of leftovers there. Hmm...maybe Tex-Mex arancini is in our future.

Bisteces Rancheros
adapted from Molly Stevens' All About Braising

2 medium poblano peppers
2 lbs. boneless chuck or shoulder steaks, cut into 8 or 10 individual 1/2-inch thick steaks
salt and pepper
4 T. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T. ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
one 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
1 lb. small red potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
2 T. red wine vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Set the poblano peppers directly on a gas burner and turn the flame to high. Roast, turning with tongs as each side chars, until all sides are blistered and charred. (If you don't have a gas burner, roast the peppers on a hot grill or under the broiler). Transfer the peppers to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

3. When the peppers are cool, slip off the charred skin with your fingers. Slice the peeled peppers open, cut away the stems and remove all the seeds. Cut the 1/4-inch-wide strips and set aside.

4. Season the steaks all over with salt and pepper. Heat 3 T. of the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half the steaks and cook, turning once with tongs, until they develop a ruddy brown exterior. Transfer the steaks to a large plate and brown the second batch.

5. In the same skillet, add the onions and garlic and saute until limp and beginning to brown in spots. Add the cumin and coriander, and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, smashing them against the side of the pan. Season with salt and pepper, stir and simmer the juices to thicken them a bit, about 4 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

6. Move the sauce to one half of the pan. On the "empty" side, layer half the beef, half the potatoes and half the pepper strips. Move the sauce over to cover that side, and on the other "empty" side, repeat the layers. Evenly spread the sauce over all. Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil and slide it into the middle oven rack. Braise until the steaks and potatoes are fork-tender, but not falling apart, about 1 hour.

7. After an hour, remove the foil and braise until the tomato sauce is brown and crusty around the edges, another 20 to 25 minutes.

Cheesy Tex-Mex Rice
adapted from The Kitchn

2 c. brown rice
4 c. water
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 green pepper, diced small
one 16-oz can diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen corn
one 4.25-oz can minched black olives
1-3 teaspoons chili powder, to taste
1-3 teaspoons salt, to taste

1. Bring 4 c. water to boil in a large nonstick pot. Lower the heat to a simmer, add the rice and cover. Cook until tender and the water is absorbed. When the rice is done, spread it out on a large baking sheet to cool to room temperature.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in the pot. When the rice is cool, add it and stir until everything is thoroughly combined. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring only every five minutes. The cheese will melt and start to form a burnt-looking crust on the bottom of the pan. Every time you stir, scrape up this crust and mix it back into the rice.

3. Let the rice cool a little before serving.

but not for me

2012-01-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

I can never remember that I don't like slow-cooked greens. Or any slow-cooked vegetables for that matter. Vegetables were meant to be eaten when bright and with crunch.

But maybe you like slow-cooked greens. If you do, here you go! :)

Collard Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits
adapted from The Yellow House

For the biscuits:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. honey
1/2 t. salt
5 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 c. buttermilk

For the collards:
12 oz. soy chorizo
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 c. vegetable broth
3 lbs. Trader Joe's Southern Greens Blend (collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens and spinach)
3/4 c. milk
2 T. cornstarch

1. Make the biscuit dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, honey, and butter until the butter is in pieces about the size of small peas. Add the buttermilk and pulse until it forms a mass. Turn out the dough onto a surface dusted with cornmeal and knead a few times until the dough completely coheres. Roll the dough out about 3/4 to 1 inch thickness. Cut into round biscuits. Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the refrigerator.

2. Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large ovenproof pot. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add the chorizo and stir to heat through. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the ribboned collards in batches, stirring after each addition.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Dissolve the cornstarch into the milk, and add to the collard mixture, allowing it to simmer a bit more, uncovered, until the mixture thickens up a bit. Remove from heat.

4. Remove the biscuits from the refrigerator, and lay them on top of the mixture. Bake the dish in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until biscuits are deep golden brown and collard mixture is bubbly. Let the cobbler rest for 10-20 minutes before serving

keen

2012-01-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

These Quinoa Patties deserve so much better than this photo. But I ran over my actual camera with an SUV (well, I dropped my purse in parking lot, and then Matty ran over the purse), and all I have is my phone camera now.

Anyway, make these quinoa patties immediately. But use a nonstick pan because otherwise, you'll have a delicious like biryani or something, and not actual patties. So these pretty ones were the ones I put on Matty's plate with some Flash Cooked Salmon, while the less cute ones were not photographed and placed between two wheat mini pitas and topped with a slice of Kumato tomato and a generous dollop of guacamole for the most amazing quinoa burgers ever. I think the key here is the different types of quinoa - lots of layers of nuttiness.

We only ate 5 of them, so I formed the other 7 into patties and froze them for another day. I'm not quite sure what to do with them - bake 'em from frozen, or thaw them out and try to pan-fry them again, but I can't wait to tuck back into them.

Quinoa Patties
adapted from Eating Well...Living Thin
Makes 12 patties

2 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1 c. mix of regular, red and black quinoa
3/4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1 small carrot, finely grated (about 1/4 c.)
3 eggs
3 T. flour
2 green onions (all of it)
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
olive oil for frying

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to boil. Add quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed, and the quinoa is tender. Spread on a baking sheet to cool.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. When the quinoa is cool, add it to the bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.

3. Heat a few T. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.

in your memory

2012-01-10T21:12:00.001-08:00

I don't even know how many years ago it was that my friend Jay Nash introduced me to the Los Angeles institution that is Angeli Caffe. I gasped aloud when Ms. Evan Kleiman Tweeted that she was closing the doors forever.

The Twitter tributes started pouring in, and then my Facebook news feed caught up with the news. My friend Scott noted that her Pasta Alla Fantasia was his go-to dish for unexpected company. Hmm...a job for the Google machine.

Spaghetti with peppers and onions. My heart fell a little. Confession: I'm not the hugest fan of peppers and onions. I mean, I'll eat it, but it's never going to be my first choice. But Matty loves it, and as I read further down the ingredients list and my eyes fell upon Gorgonzola, I decided to bite the bullet and try it.

I may have been converted. The peppers aren't cooked down to oblivion - 10 minutes still allows them to retain some freshness and crunch. And the orange is just so pretty! In another life, I would have stopped at adding the blue cheese to the hot pasta and called that dinner, but in tribute to Angeli, I continued with the recipe.

I added a handful or arugula to clean out the fridge, and next time I might add a little more - you could hardly taste the amount I had left. But the rest of the dish also deserves to shine on its own. You may have a different experience depending on the type of Gorgonzola/blue cheese you use, but the crumbled stuff from Trader Joe's I had provided just the perfect pungent contrast to the sweet peppers. The cheese and the olive oil from sauteing the vegetables were just the right amount of sauce - not heavy, but still rich.

Pasta Alla Fantasia
adapted from Viana La Place + Evan Kleiman's Pasta Fresca

1 lb. pasta
3 T. olive oil
2 small onions, thinly sliced
3 large orange bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
handful of arugula, roughly chopped
6 oz. Gorgonzola, crumbled

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown at the edges, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Put the arugula in a large bowl. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl with the arugula. Add the Gorgonzola and toss gently until it begins to melt. Add the vegetable mixture and toss again. Serve immediately.

all the ways to love

2012-01-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

I love this couscous dish. More than anything else I've eaten this year. It's healthy. It's easy. It's endlessly variable to use the veggies you have on hand. You can eat it warm right out of the pan, or you can carry it around the Rose Bowl Flea Market all day, eat pizza instead, put it back in the fridge when you get home, and then eat it cold for lunch in the office the next day.

I was concerned that the orange juice used in cooking the couscous and in soaking the cherries would make the dish too orange-y. I have a problem with orange in savory applications - I don't know why, but it turns my tastebuds off. Luckily, it only lent the slightest amount of sweetness, and wasn't necessarily a flavor that could really be picked out in the dish. I added a stalk of celery because I thought it could use a little more crunch, but here you go with the variations - pop in radishes, or cucumbers, or lovely fresh peas come springtime.

Only other change for next time? Double the recipe to have extra for lunches all week.

Pearl Couscous with Cherries + Arugula
adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 4

For the couscous
1 c. water
2/3 c. orange juice
8 oz. Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend

For the salad
3 oz. baby arugula, finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1/2 c. pinenuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar

1. Put the arugula, shallot, celery and pinenuts in a large serving bowl.

2. Put the water and the orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes. When the couscous is done (it will have absorbed all the liquid), add to the bowl.

3. Put the dried cherries in a microwaveable bowl and add the orange juice to cover. Microwave for 2 minutes, then drain and add to the couscous. Drizzle in the oil and vinegar, and toss thoroughly. Serve warm.

starting again

2012-01-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, Mushroom Lasagne is not really New Year's Resolution type of food. Well, it would be if this were 2011.

Last year, I resolved to start a Sunday Suppers thing where I would make some massive, warm, comforting dinner, inviting a few friends over and have a dinner party. I didn't do that. Not once. Ask me if I kept even one of my resolutions last year. Oops.

But 2011 would be very proud of me. Our friend Greg came by to help with this lasagna (impossibly creamy and worth the nearly two hours of prep for all the chopping and grating and bechamel making - next time might be a good time to buy the pre-sliced mushrooms and pre-grated cheese), and Dinner Party #1 is in the books. Who's up for DP2?

Mushroom Lasagne
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty

1 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 3/4 c. boiling water
10 T. butter, divided
1 T. thyme leaves
2 lbs. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 T. chopped tarragon
4 T. chopped parsley
salt and pepper
1 shallot, chopped
scant 1/2 c. flour
2 1/3 c. milk
13 oz. ricotta
1 large egg
5 oz. feta, crumbled
6 oz. Gruyere, grated
1 lb. no-boil lasagna noodles
5 oz. fontina or mozzarella, grated
1/2 c. grated Parmesan

1. Cover the porcini with the boiling water and let soak for 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the liquid.

2. Melt 5 T. of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. When foaming, add the thyme, porcini and fresh mushrooms. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened, and the liquid they exude has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the tarragon, parsley and some salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Use the same pan to make the bechamel. Put the remaining butter and shallot in the pan and cook on medium heat for about a minute. Add the flour and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes; the mix will turn into a paste but shouldn't color much. Gradually whisk in the milk, and porcini soaking liquid, leaving any grit in the bowl. Add 1/2 t. salt and continue whisking until boiling. Simmer on low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thickish. Remove from the heat.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta and egg, then fold in 3 T. of the bechamel and all of the feta. Add the Gruyere to the remaining bechamel in the pan and stir well to get your main sauce.

5. To assemble the lasagne, pour one-fifth of the sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof dish that is aout 10x14 inches. Cover with lasagne noodles. Spread one-quarter of the ricotta mix on top, scatter over one-quarter of the mushrooms and sprinkle with one-quarter of the fontina. Make three more layers in the same way, then finish with the bechamel.

6. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the sides. Lift off the foil and bake for a futher 10 minutes, or until the top turns golden. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

let's start the new year right

2012-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

I was stunned when I walked into Trader Joe's this morning. The rows of produce now face in the other direction! Where is everything?

I organize my grocery list according to the route I would have to take through TJ's, and unless I've forgotten something on the list, I usually make one lap, and am out of there. I circled about 3 times today. I guess it's been almost a month since I've been grocery shopping. That'll disorient you, for sure.

So here we are - first grocery trip and first meal cooked of 2012. And what a fantastic way to start the year (and the day). Really tender eggs, flavored fantastically with chiles and tomatoes. They're not spicy (Matty added Cholula), but there's a nice amount of smoky depth to them. I didn't have sour cream, so I subbed a dollop of ricotta for the garnish, and the extra creaminess really made the meal extra decadent.

I also didn't get a chance to get duck eggs, so I'll have to try that next time. I mean, if the superiority of duck over chicken is any indication, I'd be a fool not to get the right eggs next time.

Scrambled Smoky Eggs on Sourdough
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty
Serves 4, lightly

4 dried chipotle peppers
4 thick slices sourdough bread
butter
2 T. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 small shallot, sliced
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
6 eggs
1 t. salt
4 T. ricotta

1. Tear the dried peppers into large chunks, discarding the stem and seeds. Place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Then drain, chop into rough chunks and set aside.

2. Toast and butter the bread.

3. Heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and shallot and cook lightly on medium-high heat. When they begin to turn golden, add the tomatoes and peppers and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly with a fork, adding the salt. Pour the eggs into the frying pan and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly to create runny scrambled eggs.

5. Put the toasts on serving plates and spoon the eggs on top. Serve immediately, with a dollop of ricotta on top.

very good

2012-01-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Resolutions Day, everyone! Here are mine, disguised in a list of 3 Very Good Things.

1. Road Trips
With frequent stops at vista points like the above at Inspiration Point on our drive home from our NYE in Tahoe - i.e. I resolve to take time to enjoy my travel outside of my sweet La-La bubble.

2. Journey
Journey came up an awful lot on our shuffle on the drive home. Including "Be Good To Yourself" - i.e. I resolve to get into the best shape of my life, which will culminate in my doing a sprint triathlon this fall for my 30th birthday. Workout plan is already written out in my calendar, and starts tomorrow.

3. Very Good Things
I love lists. Including this weekly list of Very Good Things. More often than not, my lists are of the to-do variety, and while I may love those most of all (if only to be able to cross things off of them), I resolve to be better about keeping this VGT list a weekly activity. This resolution includes the extension of blogging (and obviously, cooking) more regularly.

What did you resolve to do this year?

making do

2011-12-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

Matty's mom is down for the count with a nasty stomach bug, so we had to improvise for dinner tonight.

Quiche - when we were making waffles the other day, we didn't see the dozen eggs at the back of the fridge, and ended up getting 18 more. We had to get rid of them. With the 4 eggs going in this one, we were finally able to consolidate down to one carton.

Filling - We were initially just going the caramelized onion route, but Matty found a pack of frozen broccoli that we couldn't resist throwing in.

Crust - We were too hungry to make and chill an actual pie crust, so we beat a package of crescent rolls into submission. Interestingly enough, the crust didn't end up as flaky as I expected, but it was still very rich and buttery.

The three of us scarfed it down in record time, leaving exactly one piece for Debbie. Feel better!

Broccoli Quiche

1 T. butter
3 small onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 package frozen broccoli, thawed and cut into florets
4 eggs
1 c. milk
salt and pepper
1 package crescent rolls
1 c. shredded Cheddar

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Whisk the eggs with the milk and add a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Form the crescent roll dough into a ball and roll out to fit a 10-inch pie pan. Pour in the broccoli-onion mixture and top with the shredded cheese. Pour the egg mixture evenly over top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the center of the quiche is mostly set. If the crust is browning too quickly, lower the temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking to set the custard. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

ah, sugar sugar

2011-12-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

I think I may have started a dangerous obsession. Waffles.

I forget how it came up (perhaps the Food Network?), but when Matty's parents were in town a couple weeks ago, we lighted on the subject of waffles de Liege - both the delicious, sugary waffles and the food truck from which I tasted them for the first time months ago. I made tentative plans to take them to the truck one day, but I got sent out of town, and they never went before they headed home.

This Christmas, we were given explicit instructions to not purchase any gifts. Never one to be terribly good at heeding parental instruction, I snuck a waffle maker into my checked luggage, had Amazon send the required Belgian pearl sugar to their house, and we woke up early this morning to cook them on the sly before everyone got up. It's only the 22nd - not technically a Christmas gift.

And these waffles were worth the Christmas gift admonitions, the hour-long rise time, everything. They were transcendent. So, so sweet, buttery, crisp, chewy. I mean, we should have made extra and froze them. They make a bit of a mess in the waffle maker - all that butter and caramelized sugar - so making extras for later would have better amortized the cleaning time. Next time.

Liege Sugar Waffles
adapted from Whipped

1/4 oz. package yeast
1/3 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 T. white sugar
1/8 t. salt
2 c. flour
3 eggs
8 oz. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 cup Belgian pearl sugar

1. Mix the yeast, water, sugar and salt in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes.

2. Place the flour in the bowl of a mixer. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the melted butter a bit at a time, and then the vanilla and cinnamon. The batter will be thick and very sticky.

3. Let the dough rest until it has doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Gently fold in the pearl sugar and let the dough rest for 15 more minutes. While the dough is resting, heat the waffle maker.

4. You'll have to play the rest of this by ear depending on what kind of waffle maker you have. If you have a Waring Pro Double Belgian Waffle Maker, set the level to 4 and fill each quadrant with a scant 1/4 cup of dough. Bake for 3-5 minutes, or until waffle is browned to your taste. Serve immediately.

christmas came early

2011-12-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

We're safely at the River, surviving even after the 4-hour LA > Chicago flight in which the first-year Bible-studies major and the middle-aged atheist behind us carried on a spirited debate that lasted the entire duration of the flight. Think Valley girl vs. "Da Bears." I could have given the guy next to them a medal for saying, "Are you serious? This is a four-hour flight. You have to keep it down."

But now we're snug, and full of mac and cheese. This is usually our Christmas Eve tradition, but when you get a request for mac and cheese, you make mac and cheese. Good thing - this batch of cheese was alarmingly spicy, and it was the consensus that it wouldn't have gone over well with the extended family's low spice tolerance. Absolutely perfect for tonight, though.

EDIT: Also fantastic under Deb's chili the next night. I haven't been that gluttonous while sober in a long time.

Ngoc + Matty's Spicy Mac + Cheese, 2011 Edition
2010 Edition here
2009 Edition here

1 lb. pasta
4 T. butter
1 c. milk
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed
1 lb. Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar
seasoned croutons, crushed to make 1 c. crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Set aside.

2. Brown the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Add the Velveeta and the Cheddar, and stir until melted.

3. Add pasta to saucepan and toss to coat. Pour into a large baking sheet.

4. In a small bowl, combine the crouton crumbs and both kinds of Parmesan. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta and bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes or until top is golden-brown.

everything looks better in gold and green

2011-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Do I even remember how to cook? I certainly can't remember how long it's been since I have cooked.

Finally home after an impromptu week-long NYC trip, I was greeted by rain and East Coast-style temperatures. I had designs on soup, but when I texted Matty to see what he wanted, he came back with "Fish. Pasta. Chicken. Steak. All of the above?" God, I missed him while I was gone!

So I picked up a couple rib-eyes, put him in charge of prepping them, and focused on the next best thing to soup in cold weather - a nice, cheesy gratin. Although, this was near brimming with health - a bechamel made from milk and enriched by just 2 oz. of Gorgonzola. When you consider all that next to a pound and a half of broccoli, it doesn't seem naughty at all.

I know this is supposed to be a side dish, but I could easily make the whole pan-ful my dinner. I could maybe use just a little more than 2 oz. of Gorgonzola - some bites were absolutely perfect, but some could have used an extra kick. I left the broccoli raw before mixing it with the sauce because the very thought of mushy broccoli that's lost all its green color absolutely turns my stomach. I certainly didn't expect it to turn out as crisp as my roasted broccoli, but leaving them raw really gave them great texture. And they all stayed green.

Leftovers - great on top of pasta, in scrambles - I'm beside myself with excitement of the possibilities!

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gratin
adapted from Leite's Culinaria

24 oz. broccoli florets
4 T. butter, divided
6 T. panko
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1/2 t. salt
1 /2 t. black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
2 oz. Gorgonzola

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Trim the florets to bite-sized chunks. Set aside.

3. In a small pan, melt 2 T. of the butter. Add the panko, stir until golden, and set aside.

4. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt 2 T. of the butter. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the flour until smooth. Return to heat, add the milk and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the blue cheese and cook, stirring, just until melted. Turn off the heat.

5. Add the broccoli to the sauce and toss to coat. Spoon the mixture into a gratin dish, smooth the surface, and top with the buttered bread crumbs. Bake until bubbling around the edges and golden on top, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

hey joe

2011-11-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

My first guest blogger! Meet Matty's dad, Joe:

---

It is an honor to be Ngoc's first guest blogger. After the week that Ngoc and Matt had I knew they needed some real comfort food. I decided to cook supper and use the best (and only) recipe I know by heart. This recipe was obtained during my younger and wilder days at the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, NY. Someone around the campsite offered to cook sloppy joes and said it was the easiest recipe in the world. Well it must have been because, that was over, um, well let's just say that was before most of you reading this were born. I have resisted revealing the ingredients to the world all this time, and if anyone opens a food truck using this recipe I want a cut! So, if you can remember the number 1, you too can make Joe's Sloppy Joes.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (I use ground sirloin now that I know about cholesterol)
1 green bell pepper
1 small onion
1 bottle of Heinz ketchup (there is no modern equivalent to the old glass bottle so use about 14 oz.)
1 jar of French's yellow mustard (again the modern equivalent of about 7 oz.)
1 c. sugar
1 t. salt

Chef Joe's note: I have used any brand of yellow mustard, but I have never used anything but Heinz ketchup (and never had any complaints).

1. Dice the pepper and onion, and sweat them in a large saucepan until soft. You may need a little pan spray or oil to keep them from burning or if you are using ground beef, sauté enough beef to get some fat out.

2. Add the beef, mix with onions and peppers and cook until beef is browned.

3. Turn down heat, add ketchup, mustard, sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly and let simmer about 15 minutes.

4. Serve in a plain white hamburger bun or on top of one open faced.

I told Ngoc I slaved over a hot stove all day to produce this culinary delight, but actually this would qualify as a Rachael Ray 30 minute meal. (Rachael, if you are reading this I would be happy to do a guest appearance, from one New Yorker to another).

I enjoyed giving Ngoc a break from cooking, but the best part of dinner was when Matt said "wow, this is good stuff" and the biggest honor was when Chef Ngoc, the "Professional Bakist," went back for seconds!

Guest Blogger
Joe DelVecchio

this is how it's supposed to be

2011-11-26T23:15:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, this has got to be the best mac + cheese I've ever made.

What I should really do is go back to all of the posts where I've made similar declarations and do a taste-off to decide once and for all. However, I would be hard-pressed to find one that rivals the flavor bomb of this one. The soubise is worth the extra time and blender cleaning. The caramelized onion flavor is as delicious as it is impossible to place, making you look like a culinary magician.

The sweetness of the onions really plays nicely against what are otherwise fairly earthy spices - cayenne, smoked paprika and that divine fish sauce. The extra oven time gets the pasta so nice and creamy, while the additional panko and Parmesan topping crisps up perfectly. This is everything mac + cheese is supposed to taste like.

Mac + Cheese with Soubise
adapted from Serious Eats

For the soubise:
4 T. butter, divided
1 medium onion, sliced
salt
3 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1 T. white wine vinegar
3 T. vermouth
1 T. fish sauce
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne
1/2 t. smoked paprika

12 oz. pasta
1 pound Comté, Gruyère, Emmenthaler, Cheddar, or a combination of these cheeses, grated
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
2 T. butter, melted

1. Make the soubise: Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the onions and a four-fingered pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until the onions are nicely caramelized.

2. Add the remaining butter and stir to melt. Add the flour, stir to mix, and cook until the mixture has taken on a toasted aroma, a few minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and stir with a flat-edged wood spoon or spatula, to make sure the flour doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, until the sauce comes up to a simmer and thickens, a few minutes more. Stir in a three-finger pinch of salt, the white wine vinegar, vermouth, fish sauce, black pepper, cayenne and smoked paprika. Transfer the sauce to a blender and process until puréed, or purée in the pan with a hand blender. Return the sauce to the pot and add the cheese gradually, stirring until melted.

3. Cook the pasta just until al dente, drain, the add it to the soubise. Toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 9x13 pan.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

5. Sprinkle the pasta with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. In a small bowl, toss the panko with the remaining melted butter and spread this over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes (longer if it has been chilled in the refrigerator). Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is nicely browned, or turn on the broiler/grill and broil/grill until the top is browned, 15 to 20 more minutes. Serve immediately.

i need more

2011-11-25T22:41:00.000-08:00

Last night, we went out for Thanksgiving dinner. Yes. Out. As in, I didn't cook. As in I nearly had an anxiety attack while watching football - absolutely twitching with inactivity. There was no turkey in the smoker, no sneaking slices of andouille away from the stuffing, no parade of pies going in and out of the oven. In other words, I was absolutely miserable.

It didn't take me too long to get over it once we arrived at Jose Andres' Tres for their Thanksgiving buffet (hello, caviar!), but the second I couldn't track down the pumpkin pie in their mini dessert spread, I started planning next year's Thanksgiving dinner. Starting with, of course, dessert.

This Apple Butter Pie was an experiment in finding an apple pie I'd like. I don't mind apple flavor - I'm just not a cooked apple person. Unfortunately, this didn't quite do the trick - it was barely identifiable as apple. I'm sure there are varying degrees of potency among different apple butter brands, but truly, there was no distinctive apple flavor.

But you truly can't complain about a pie that takes literally two minutes to whip together and stick in the oven. And I'm always a sucker for a baked custard pie, so I'm not really complaining. Perhaps next time, I'll put just slightly more effort in and boil down about twice as much of the apple butter as is called for to really dial up the flavor.

Apple Butter Pie
from Baking Bite

1 9-inch shortbread pie crust
1 16-oz. jar apple butter
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1/2 t. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until very smooth. Pour into pie crust.

3. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until center is mostly set (jiggles slightly when nudged) and a sharp knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.

4. Cool to room temperature before slicing and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before serving.

very good

2011-11-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

I'm such a bum. I started a weekly "3 Very Good Things" list at the end of October, and this is only my second list. What is this, my workout plan?

Let's get back to it.

1. Boa Steakhouse
Matty and I celebrated our 7th anniversary with dinner at Boa. I'm glad it's not closer to our house, or we may never find occasion to dine anywhere else. We had:

- tuna tartare
Perfect with capers. Wish there were more crisps to spread it on.

- table-side classic Caesar
Kicking myself for not noting what was going into it as it was being made table-side. Hands down, the best Caesar I've ever had.

- 21-day dry-aged bone-in rib-eye
Devastatingly good, melt-in-your mouth steak. I have no words. Stuck to a nice peppercorn sauce, but thought seriously of the foie gras butter. Would probably have never left if I had.

- bone-in Kansas City filet mignon
We were going to do a rib-eye taste-off with their American Kobe rib-eye, but they were out. Aww, poor us, we had to have filet mignon instead.

- crab + black truffle gnocchi
I'll have to get the mac and cheese next time, but there was no way to pass up crab. truffle. gnocchi.

- chipotle lime corn
To pretend we were eating vegetables. Surprisingly good, though. Sweet, sweet corn, just a hint of kick from the lime and chipotle.

2. Rocket Arugula Salad from Trump SoHo Hotel
I needed vitamins. Especially after two nights of staying up until past 6:00a, and a few too many bites of bacon-cheeseburgers, grilled cheese and lasagna ordered from room service to share (read: mostly eat on my own). When it arrived, it looked so gorgeous that I thought about taking a picture, but before I knew it, I was digging into and making a mess out of it. Slightly wilted arugula, the finest wisps of fennel and bite-sized pieces of asparagus tossed in balsamic, bordered on the bottom by curls of salty, savory prosciutto. It was really the perfect hangover food - full of salt, but also full of restorative greens.

3. In-flight Wi-Fi
Part of me wished I didn't have it so I could sleep, but the other part of me knew that if I didn't have access to my email, I would probably twitch and shake. Thanks, American Airlines.

a little something

2011-11-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

I had huge plans to prep and bake what sounds like could be the greatest mac and cheese recipe ever to welcome Matty's parents to LA, but last-minute travel plans and a last-minute gig meant we were going to miss each other for dinner on their first night here. I couldn't stand not having anything for them, so I baked some Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread while they were driving down from Matty's gig in Ventura.

I changed a few of the spices around (and may even add more ginger next time for a spicier bread), but kept it mostly as-written. And it was perfect. So soft and moist, but with a good enough crumb to stand up to walking around the house while eating. Gotta love that.

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread
adapted from Serious Eats
Makes 3 loaves

4 large eggs
1 cup delicately flavored olive oil (I used Trader Joe's Spanish Olive Oil)
2/3 cup water
2 cups pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
3 1/3 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground nutmeg
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
2 t. baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 1-pound loaf pans (8.5-by-4.25-by-2.75 inches) with olive oil or spray with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the olive oil, water, pumpkin purée, and sugar and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and baking soda and fold until no streaks of flour remain.

3. Pour into prepared loaf pans, nudging batter into corners. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely. The bread will keep at room temperature for more than a week if tightly wrapped in plastic. It also freezes beautifully.

i hardly knew ye

2011-11-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

This photo is not cute. You should just go ahead over to Picky Palate and see what it could look like. I think my apples were way too big, so they didn't allow any room for you to see the contrast of the peanut butter and the crisp puff pastry.

I promise, though, that it tastes better than it looks. At least that's what I hear. I brought 2 of the 3 tarts to sectional with my wonderful sopranos, and left the last piece for our hostess since I knew the third tart was at home. Except that I got home, and somebody had eaten the whole thing! I mean!

Thankfully, this is one of the easiest dessert recipes on the planet, and I can't wait to make it again, considering the response from the girls (and boy). Might be fun to make 3 different ones for a small dinner party, and everyone gets a slice - I'm thinking apple + peanut butter, pear + almond butter, fig + cashew butter. And maybe cherry + pistachio butter. Dear Lord. I mean, a package of puff pastry could make 6 tarts...

Honeyed Apple Peanut Butter Tart
from Picky Palate
Makes 3 tarts

1 sheet puff pastry
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 T. honey
2 small Granny Smith apples, sliced thinly
2 T. granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate the puff pastry (along their folds) into 3 pieces and place onto a foil-lined baking sheet.

2. Warm peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute, until liquid-y. Drizzle in 2 T. of honey, stir then spread evenly over 3 pastry rectangles leaving 1/2 inch border around edges. Layer apple slices neatly over top of peanut butter, drizzle with extra honey, sprinkle with sugar bake for 30-35 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned and puffed around the edges.

3. Let cool completely then drizzle with additional honey, if desired.

warm it up

2011-11-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, it was so cold today! Clear and gorgeous, but I could never get warm. I mean, I'm talking Uggs in the house all day. We didn't help our cause by venturing out to the deep Valley for an estate sale at o'dark-thirty.

By about 3p, I gave up and went to the grocery store to get something to braise. The oven would help. I don't know what that says about the size of our house or the integrity of the oven, but all I know is I can't turn on the heat on account of the Leslie and a new-to-us Danish credenza in the way, so oven it was.

Julia Child's also helped, as she always does, in terms of hearty, warming dishes. I nearly picked a roasted poultry recipe since we just had a discussion this morning that we will be, at best, postponing our Thanksgiving, but the wound was still a little too fresh, so I steered clear. I narrowed it down to a couple, and Matty picked Boeuf A La Catalane.

It was near jambalaya-ish in consistency, so of course, it was everything we wanted and more. With a couple different aromatics, and a piece of andouille here and there, it may tide us over until summer and when our friend Ray Don can bring his massive cast-iron pot and propane tank out for a real Louisiana one.

I forgot to add the cheese at the end (I know - my brain must still not have thawed out), and I thought it was plenty hearty and rich without it, but I'm leaving the instruction in anyway.

Boeuf A La Catalane
adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Serves 6

1/4 lb. bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 T. olive oil
3 lbs. stewing beef pieces
2 small red onions, sliced
1 c. rice
1 c. dry vermouth
4 c. beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 t. dried thyme
pinch of saffron
1 crumbled bay leaf
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 c. grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, lightly brown the bacon. Remove to a fireproof casserole about 3 inches deep.

3. Dry the beef on paper towels. Add the olive oil to the rendered bacon fat until almost smoking, then brown the meat in batches. When browned, place in the casserole.

3. Lower the heat to medium and brown the onions lightly. Remove them to the casserole.

4. Still in the same fat, stir the rice over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it turns a milky color. Scrape into a bowl and set aside for layer.

5. Pour any remaining fat out of the skillet, add the vermouth, and stir for a moment over heat to dissolve coagulated cooking juices. Pour into the casserole.

6. Add the broth to the height of the meat. Salt and pepper lightly. Stir in the garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove, cover tightly and set in lower position of preheated oven to simmer slowly for 1 hour.

7. Remove casserole from oven. Stir in the tomatoes, and return to the oven for an additional hour or so of very slow simmering. When the meat is almost fork-tender, remove casserole from oven. Raise oven heat to 375 degrees.

8. Stir the rice into the casserole. Cover and set again in lower third of oven. Regulate heat to keep liquid at full simmer for 20 minutes so the rice will cook. Do not stir the rice. At the end of this time, it should be tender and have absorbed almost all the liquid. If it hasn't, return to the oven until the rice is tender. Remove from oven and correct seasoning.

9. Just before serving, delicately fold the cheese with a fork into the hot beef and rice. Serve from the casserole or on a hot platter.

might like you better

2011-11-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I have finally failed. This is the first dish Matty didn't go back for seconds for. I'm questioning my entire life's work.

He requested something light because he went and had diner food for lunch. So what do I do? I convince myself that something called Penne with Creamed Greens sounded light.

Hear me out. It's not like I was throwing in pasta with creamed spinach (although a) I probably should at some point - maybe pasta in a baked spinach-artichoke dip if I'm getting decadent, and b) Matty probably would have gone for seconds if I had). The creamed greens were a full bunch of kale and a full pound of rapini. And then I decided to forego the actual cooking with cream and just chop up the greens in the food processor with a couple eggs so that when I added it to the hot pasta, it would create a sauce carbonara style.

I personally loved it. But Matty thought it was entirely too bitter. I wonder if cooking it in the cream would have taken that extra edge off. I wouldn't change a thing, though, so next time, I'll save this for myself and plop creamed spinach on top of his.

Pasta with Kale-Rapini Pesto
adapted from Food52
Serves 4

1 lb. pasta
1 lb. rapini, chopped into 1-inch lengths
1 bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
3 eggs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.

2. Pile the still-wet-from-rinsing greens into a large pot. Pour the oil over the greens. Season with salt. Turn the heat to high and begin wilting the greens, moving the greens from the bottom of the pot to the top using tongs. When they are fully wilted, about 10 minutes, transfer them to the bowl of a food processor.

3. Puree the greens to the consistency of rough pesto. With the machine running, add the eggs one at at time, waiting about 10 seconds between each egg.

4. Pour the pesto over the hot pasta and stir quickly and thoroughly to combine. Serve immediately.

beautiful briny

2011-10-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, every holiday/special occasion called for egg rolls, and I never thought twice about not having them around. The day would start with packets upon packets of wrappers and a big bowl of ground pork (I'm not sure what else was in it - I think wood-ear mushrooms, maybe some glass noodles, too?). My aunt and great-aunts would start rolling, and I would occasionally be allowed to dip my finger into the egg wash and help seal them up. They'd make pallets worth and then move to the stove to deep-fry them all in (I think) a big wok. Piles and piles of golden perfection would come out of there, virtually nonstop.

I thought I'd give it a go - I got a craving for some hot crispy egg rolls dancing in a bowl of rice noodles with mint and sweet chile sauce... But not enough to make any more than 8. I managed to stuff about 12 rolls' worth, but couldn't stay in front of the fryer any longer. What a pain in the ass - I was getting splattered, and I was getting hungry. How the aunts made a whole day out of it, I will never know, but now deeply respect. Plus, I was in the middle of watching the embarrassment of a Cowboys game after an already rough USC loss, and I just couldn't take it anymore.

These egg rolls were pretty good, though. These were obviously not the ones I grew up with, but they were actually not that far off because my pork-oyster proportions were a bit off. I had a little more than 8 oz. of ground pork left in the freezer, and I bought an 8-oz. jar of oysters, but in retrospect should have gotten two since the drained weight was of course less. I think to call them Oyster Spring Rolls legitimately, I should have had much more briny flavor, like these Oyster Tortelli. Might consider saving a couple steps and try deep-frying the tortelli next time!

Oyster Spring Rolls
from Viet World Kitchen
Makes 12 to 14 large rolls

8 to 10 oz. drained fresh oysters
1 1/4 t. pepper, divided
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. fish sauce
1 T. plus 1 t. dry vermouth
6 oz. bean sprouts, washed and drained well
1/2 t. salt
1 t. sugar
2 t. sesame oil
2 T. cornstarch dissolved in 2 T. oyster liquor or water
1 T. canola oil
8 oz. ground pork
1 1/2 to 2 t. soy sauce
3/4 cup lightly packed finely chopped scallion, white and green parts
12 to 14 large Shanghai spring roll skins (also called lumpia wrappers)
1 egg, lightly beaten
canola oil, for deep-frying

1. Give the oysters a quick rinsing and drain well. Cut them into 3/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl. Add the 1 t. white pepper, 1 T. cornstarch, fish sauce, and 1 T. rice wine. Stir gently to combine. Set aside to marinate for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Using a mesh strainer, blanch the bean sprouts until they have just slightly softened, 30 to 45 seconds. Dump them into a colander and set aside to cool and drain.

3. Return the water to a boil, then blanch the oysters for 20 seconds. You can use the mesh strainer or not. Drain the oysters and transfer to a bowl; they will continue to release liquid after draining. Set the bean sprouts and oysters near the stove.

3. For the seasoning sauce, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 t. white pepper and 1 t. rice wine with the salt, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch slurry. Set aside near the stove.

4. Thoroughly dry the saucepan you used for the bean sprouts and oysters, and use it to heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork, stirring to break it into small pieces. When the pork is halfway cooked, about 1 minute, splash in the soy sauce. Keep cooking for another minute or so until the pork is cooked through. Add the scallion, and cook for about 30 seconds until they’ve lost their rawness. Then add the bean sprouts and oysters, give things a stir and cook for 30 to 45 seconds to heat through.

5. Give the seasoning sauce a stir then pour it into the skillet. Stir gently to combine and in about 30 seconds, the mixture should have thickened up. Transfer to a platter and spread it out. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. The mixture can be refrigerated overnight and return to room temperature before using. You should have 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

6. For each spring roll, place a skin, smooth side down, on your work surface. Place a generous 2-3 T. of filling slightly below the center of the skin. Fold and roll up the skin to create a cigar shape.

7. Before folding in the sides, brush some beaten egg on all of the exposed edges to ensure a good seal. Set the finished rolls, seam side down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Keep covered with a dishtowel to prevent drying.

8. Heat 1 to 1 1/4 inches of oil in a wok, saucepan, or deep skillet over medium-high heat to about 350ºF on a deep-fry thermometer. Slide in few spring rolls and fry for 2 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown and very crisp. Remove from the oil and drain. Return the oil to temperature before frying more.

9. Serve hot or warm with sweet chile sauce.

very good

2011-10-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

A new thing I'd like to start every weekend - a weekly round-up of Three Very Good Things, inspired by Clotilde from Chocolate & Zucchini. Sure, it's a little bit of a cop-out for me since I'm having such trouble finding time to properly blog about food, but I also love the idea of starting the week with a little positivity.

1. Friends who pose for your blog
Greg, posing mid-dip into my Herbed Ricotta Dip. Another case of will-there-be-enough-food syndrome at my birthday/Notre Dame gamewatch last weekend. Just something I threw together while we were waiting for jambalaya and smoked short ribs to be done - a tub of ricotta mixed with chives, mint, parsley and green onions until everything tasted right. And Very Good Thing #1A, those Flipsides Pretzel Crackers.

2. Lindy & Grundy
This is a their housemade bratwurst. Simmered in beer and onions for 20 minutes at home, then brought to our USC tailgate to be grilled to perfection. With champagne garlic mustard also purchased at L&G and a Clausen dill pickle spear.

3. Sunday Mornings
Sunday mornings are the goddamn best. Waking up to make a little breakfast and be ready to pop down on the couch by 10:00a and not move until 4:00p. And that's just to get up and shower and make sure everything's set for making dinner during halftime of the Sunday Night game. I'm not proud of it, but I used to spend the entire day at the now-defunct Hollywood Billiards and have all 3 of my meals there on Sundays. Now I don't need to with Andouille Hash in the repertoire.

Andouille Hash
Serves 2

1 T. olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 link andouille, diced
2 potatoes, shredded
4 eggs
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the andouille and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, letting it sit for a minute at a time so it has time to brown, for a total of about 5 minutes.

3. Give the potatoes one last stir and then pat it into an even layer. Crack 4 eggs over the potato "pancake" and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the eggs are set to your liking. Serve immediately.

duck, duck, chicken

2011-10-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

I had to work completely backwards for tonight's dinner. It's been frightfully cold (for tender California flowers like myself) in the evenings, so I knew I wanted to bake something and use some of that oven heat to warm up the house. And since it's getting really, terrifying close to Thanksgiving, I thought I'd work on my test recipe list and try out some Corn, Buttermilk + Chive Popovers.

They were fantastic. I think they're definitely going on the Thanksgiving menu. I basically overfilled 4 ramekins (because I was again, lazy, and didn't want to wash out an entire muffin pan), so I got more fluffy muffin than airy popover, but it was still delicious.

What to serve for the entree, then? I originally thought I wanted steak to go with the popovers, but I've got tailgating to do tomorrow, and figured I should maybe tone it down with the red meat. I was going to visit Lindy & Grundy for the tailgate sausage, so I planned on picking one of their daily specials for dinner.

Wings! Perfect. Sort of our own little pre-tailgate, but I would never dare to do hot wings when Hoagies & Wings does the job so well. I did come across this Chicken Wings with Mushrooms recipe, though, and it met my resident wing snob's approval, so there we were.

As I was starting to prep the popovers, I got a little lazy and didn't want to dirty up another bowl to melt the butter. So for the popovers, I just used olive oil. But then I started thinking about the various oils and fats I have in the kitchen, and suddenly recalled that Melissa Clark fried her chicken in duck fat. Well, damn it - I want to fry my wings in duck fat, too! So I did.

This house is going to smell good for a week. I mean, duck fat and garlic? Throw the white flag now - nothing better.

Chicken Wings with Mushrooms
adapted from Ferran Adria via Serious Eats
Serves 2 generously

3 lbs. chicken wings
salt and pepper
4 T. duck fat
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
10 garlic cloves, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme

1. Season the chicken wings with salt and black pepper. Melt the duck fat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium heat. Add the chicken wings. Cook, flipping occasionally, until the wings are well browned, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low if the wings brown too quickly.

2. If you haven't already reduced the heat to medium-low, do so now, and add the chopped garlic, mushrooms and thyme. Cook until mushrooms are golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with...

Corn, Buttermilk and Chive Popovers
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. corn kernels
3 large eggs
1 T. olive oil
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. granulated sugar
1/2 t. salt
black pepper
1 T. snipped fresh chives

1. Place buttermilk and corn in a blender together and blend for just 3 seconds. Add the eggs and olive oil, and blend for one second more. Add the flour, sugar, salt, black pepper and chives and blend again until barely combined, some lumps are fine.

2. Set the batter aside to rest while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees, about 15 minutes. Brush your popover, muffin or ramekin cups with melted butter. Fill each cup slightly more than halfway with batter.

3. Bake popovers 30 to 35 minutes. Try not to open the oven door! Crack it just 1-inch to take a peak if absolutely necessary towards the end. Popovers are done when they’re tall and bronzed. Flip popovers out onto cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes before tearing in.

get lighter

2011-10-27T21:36:00.001-07:00

Another for the list of amazing prep time to flavor ratio. I was stuck at the office late, had groceries to get, and dinner was still on the table for an impromptu dinner party with our friend Greg over the Miami football game. Obviously, that game was a fail, but luckily, dinner made up for it.

I served it with hashed Brussels sprouts sauteed in sesame oil with a dash of sweet chile sauce and Sriracha and brown rice. Everything came together quickly. While the soy sauce mixture was coming to a boil, I hashed the sprouts, and while the fish was poaching, I sauteed the sprouts and nuked the frozen rice. Done, plated within 20 minutes.

The only thing I would change next time is the sides. While the Brussels were kicky and great, and brown rice is almost always my rice of choice, both overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the fish. Sure, there was plenty of good soy saltiness, but the mahi-mahi was still so light. I found my favorite bites to be ones of just fish because it's flavor disappeared when paired with either the rice or veggies. I'm thinking next time, it's a cleaner plate of white rice and steamed snow peas.

Mahi-Mahi Poached in Soy Sauce
adapted from Mark Bittman
Serves 3-4

1/2 c. soy sauce
1 1/2 c. water
1 lb. mahi-mahi
1 bunch green onions, green and white parts only

1. Bring the soy sauce and water to a boil in a 10-inch pan. Add the fish and green onions, and lower the heat so the liquid is barely simmering.

2. Poach for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through. Serve immediately.

back to basics

2011-10-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

In a bit of rut. And super exhausted. Which all equals finding excuses to get take-out. Which means, bad blogger!

Here's something from a few weeks ago that I never wrote about. I don't know why - it was divine. Hard to believe something so vegetarian merits divine status, but it's true! The flatbreads were out of this world. Almost pancake-like, but with a very satisfying chew. Will probably need to make a big flatbread taco out of it sometime soon. My mouth's watering just thinking of it.

And the mushroom-barley stew? Roasting the mushrooms was definitely the way to go. They picked up lovely golden specks of deep, deep flavor. Combined with the al dente barley, it was just days of hearty, toothsome, good food.

Yogurt Flatbreads with Barley + Mushrooms
adapted from Yottam Ottolenghi's Plenty

For the flatbread
1 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. Greek yogurt
3 T. chopped fresh rosemary
4 T. olive oil

For the ragout
1/2 c. pearled barley
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme

1. To make the flatbreads: Combine all the ingredients, apart from the oil, in a bowl and use your hands to mix them together to a dry dough; add more flour if needed. Knead the dough for a minute or so, until it is smooth and uniform. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it at least an hour.

2. To make the mushroom ragout: Rinse the barley with cold water, then place in a medium saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. Toss the mushrooms and thyme with a bit of olive oil and roast in a 450-degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until well browned.

4. In the pasta pot, combine the mushrooms and barley with the butter. Add a little water if needed to make a thick stew. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into six pieces. Flatten them with your hand into basically round discs about 1/4-inch thick. Heat some olive oil in a nonstick pan and fry the flatbreads, one at a time, on a medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Add more butter as you need it, and keep the flatbreads warm as they are cooked.

6. To serve, divide warm flatbreads onto plates and top with warm ragout.

after all the stops and starts

2011-10-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy! That's all I ever say anymore. But I have been eating, that's for sure. I even manage to photograph most of my meals. But after dinner, I'm usually exhausted and asleep on the couch in front of some HGTV.

And if that wasn't embarrassing enough, the me of the last 5 years would be absolutely mortified that here it is October 20, and I have not yet made one Thanksgiving test recipe. I'm ashamed of myself.

This was a happy accident all the way around - a last-minute dinner guest, a near-crisis averted, and a definite yes on the Thanksgiving menu: Pasta Al Forno with Pumpkin + Pancetta, or Pumpkin Mac + Cheese. The near-disaster was that following the instructions had me removing pumpkin soup out of the oven after 10 minutes. Luckily, it was nothing about a cup and a half of extra cheese and another 20 minutes in the oven didn't fix. I might even throw in that pasta uncooked and see what happens. What I ended up doing is below in the instructions.

And after all the drama, this was stellar. Rich, but bright from the sweetness of the pumpkin. Not quite as sweet as kugel, but if kugel had a charming, plump cousin, this would be her. Can't wait for Thanksgiving!

Pasta Al Forno with Pumpkin + Pancetta
adapted from Food52
Serves 6 to 8

one 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
Salt and pepper
1/4 lb. pancetta, diced
1 lb. orecchiete
2 c. heavy cream
8 oz. shredded fresh mozzarella
6 oz. fontina, coarsely grated
1/2 c. grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola
2 T. ricotta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for exactly 5 minutes, drain and run cool water over it for about 10 seconds. Set aside in a colander.

2. In the meantime, crisp the pancetta in a medium saucepan over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels, discarding the fat.

3. Turn the oven to 500 degrees.

4. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, cheeses, and pancetta in a large bowl and stir gently to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta and fold together just until combined.

5. Spread the pasta evenly in a casserole or baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned, and the filling doesn't jiggle too much. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

keep it spicy

2011-10-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

Easily the winner in the Fast & Delicious category. I don't even remember the last time I managed to whip up dinner this quickly and with so little effort for such flavor pay-off.

The mayonnaise keeps the salmon perfectly rich and moist. I imagine it will be just as good with plain ol' mayo, or with a plain mayo + horseradish mixture, but Trader Joe's had wasabi mayo, so I bought it to skip a step. #lazy

Sides were simple - brown rice and a bag of stir-fry vegetables served raw as a salad. Dressing was a variation on this marinade (1 T. fish sauce, 2 T. sesame oil, 2 T. sweet chile sauce). Loved how the sweet heat of the dressing, the freshness and crunch of the salad, and the warm burn of the salmon all worked together.

Wasabi Salmon
adapted from The Unseasoned Wok
Serves 2

2 salmon fillets (3/4-1 lb.)
1/4 c. wasabi mayonnaise
furikake

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Pat the salmon dry and generously salt and pepper on both sides. Spread 2 T. of wasabi mayonnaise on each fillet, spreading to cover the top and sides.

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.

it all comes together

2011-10-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

It's been an extremely tense and stressful week. It resolved in the most satisfactory fashion possible at the end of the day today, but not with nearly enough time for me to do anything like think about what we were having for dinner tonight. What to do? Well, the entire way home, refresh What the Fuck Should I Make for Dinner?.

I know, I know. I shouldn't play on my phone while driving. And I shouldn't think excessive use of the f-word is funny. But I do, and I do. And every now and again, I find something fabulous to make, like this Flash-Fried Finger-Lickin' Chicken.

I wanted to find something decadent and celebratory, and I have a fantastic-looking mac and cheese recipe Pinned, but I was too drained to make anything that required quite so much effort. So for the main bits, I made some pasta Alfredo (the absolute easiest way to turn pasta, butter and cheese into a meal), and bought an arugula caprese salad to share.

And to put it completely over the top, just a little bit of fried chicken. But not just any fried chicken. Cooked chicken coated in buttermilk and seasoned flour, fried extremely quickly just for color and crunch. The seasonings were perfect - I think it's the celery salt that makes it extra memorable. Not worrying about actually cooking the chicken through is brilliant. Consider the possibilities - jazzing up leftovers, Chick-fil-A without the moral ambiguity (with those roasted chicken patties they have at TJ's).

Some things I would consider changing - instead of the double-dredge method, perhaps the wet and dry ingredients could be combined to form something like a tempura batter. Fewer bowls to dirty, less gross "batter-hands." And to blast the crunch factor out of the stratosphere, perhaps some panko after the "tempura" batter is on.

Flash-Fried Finger-Lickin' Chicken
adapted from Rocco Dispirito via Cookstr
Serves 4-6

1½ c. flour
1 T. sweet paprika
1 1/2 t. celery salt
1 T. black pepper
1 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 c. buttermilk
vegetable oil
1 lb. Trader Joe's Just Chicken (or any other cooked chicken)

1. Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil into a large pot with high sides, and bring it to 400 degrees over high heat. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet or over several layers of paper towels (for draining the chicken).

2. In a shallow dish, combine the flour with the paprika, celery salt, black pepper, salt and cayenne. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients.

3. Combine the chicken pieces with the buttermilk in a large bowl, coating them completely. Dredge the pieces in the seasoned flour. Then dip the pieces in the buttermilk and dredge them in the seasoned flour once more, to double-coat the chicken.

4. Fry the chicken, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil until deep golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate and serve immediately.

And in case you missed it the last time I made this:

Pappardelle Alfredo
adapted fromSaveur
Serves 2

8 oz. pappardelle
1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 1/2 c. grated Parmesan
8 oz. steamed broccoli

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pappardelle and cook according to package instructions.

2. In a large bowl, combine the butter and Parmesan.

3. When the pasta is done, drain, reserving about 3/4 c. pasta water. Add the pasta to the bowl of butter and cheese and toss until thoroughly combined. Add the broccoli and toss again to combine. Serve immediately.

if the rain comes

2011-10-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ah, fall. Thanks for coming to us. It's actually supposed to rain three days this week! "Day" 1 was last night - it was lovely to wake up to sprinkles on the lawn.

By the time I got home from work, there was a definite chill in the air - soup was in order. I was afraid going with this Tomato Egg Drop Soup was Asian overkill - third meal this week - but even with the addition of fish sauce, it wasn't specifically Asian to me. And pairing it with Duck Fat Grilled Cheese Sandwiches moved it even further away from that territory.

That's right. I said Duck Fat Grilled Cheese. And I nearly died on first bite. And to think I would never have experienced such transcendant flavor had I not simply run out of butter. It's not even a recipe - melt duck fat, rub some bread in it, top bread with grated baby Swiss, then grill as you would normally. Matty went in for seconds. I nearly joined him, but had already had way too much soup.

Oh yeah, the soup. That's what we were talking about here, wasn't it? It's really delicious, and the perfect way to transition from summer to fall - the tomatoes were still sweet and good, but turned creamy and comforting with a whirl in the blender (I didn't feel like struggling with random bits of tomato peel so I pureed everything) and the addition of 4 eggs (as opposed to 2 in the original recipe). I kind of wish the eggs were more ribbon-like, but they also fulfilled their purpose of thickening and enriching the broth. I think next time, I'll use two to thicken the broth, and the other two to make really thin omelettes (crepes if you will), and cut those into ribbons to swirl into the soup. Hm, I do have leftovers. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow - it's supposed to still be raining.

Tomato Egg Drop Soup
adapted from Andrea Nguyen's Into the Vietnamese Kitchen via Serious Eats
Serves 4

2 T. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 lb. ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 T. fish sauce
1/2 lb. ground pork
5 1/2 c. water
4 eggs, lightly beaten
cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. When shimmering, add the onion and cook until golden and soft, about four minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir well, then cover the saucepan and cook until the tomatoes have broken down, about five minutes. Stir occasionally, and turn down the heat to prevent the tomatoes from sticking.

2. Transfer the tomato-onion mixture to the jar of a blender, and puree until smooth. Return to the saucepan, and add the fish sauce and pork. Stir well with a wooden spoon to break the ground pork up into little pieces. Pour in the water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. While soup is simmering skim off any scum that rises to the surface with a spoon.

3. Turn off the heat, and then pour the lightly beaten eggs into to saucepan in a wide circle. Then stir gently with a wooden spoon to break the egg up into chiffon-like pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro.

there's no limit

2011-10-03T22:32:00.001-07:00

I've gotten into a real Chinese fast food kick. The sauce for this Five-Spice Broccoli could be any dark brown gravy that Chinese food generally swims in, but then you get into the kick of the five-spice, and the sweet earthiness really makes it special.

I can't really wax poetic about broccoli and mushrooms over rice, but I'm definitely glad to have this sauce in my repertoire. It would be great with tofu, chicken, any of a variety of vegetables - the possibilities are limitless!

Five-Spice Broccoli
adapted from Le Sauce
Serves 2

12 oz. broccoli florets
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, halved
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/4 c. water
1 t. corn starch
4 T. soy sauce
2 T. oyster sauce
2 t. Sriracha
2 t. sesame oil
1 t. five-spice powder

1. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat, then add mushrooms. Cook undisturbed on their cut side for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add all of the broccoli, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until the broccoli starts to turn a bright green. Add a little water, less than 1/4 cup, cover the broccoli with a lid and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. In a small measuring cup, mix the water and corn starch. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil and five-spice powder, and mix well to combine.

3. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan and add the sauce to the middle of the pan. Allow it to cook and thicken slightly, stirring, for 15-20 seconds. Mix the vegetables into the sauce, and cook for another minute. Serve over fresh, hot rice.

two different directions

2011-09-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

Today's challenge: take advantage of the amazing weather and fully grill tonight's dinner. But not the traditional all-American barbecue - we're all still burned out on ribs, steaks and burgers from Labor Day.

It was a lot more difficult to find something in my vast reserves of recipe bookmarks than I thought it would be. We rarely grill (we use the smoker much more often), and if we do grill, I leave it up to Matty to take care of. I was at a complete loss. But luckily, I have a lot of favorite blogs, and with the suggestion to go satay or teriyaki, I went Asian with Char Siu.

I mean, Chinese BBQ pork. Back when I did things like go to Panda Express, a two-item combo always meant BBQ pork and orange chicken. Damn it. Now I want orange chicken.

Anyway, this pork was genius. Pure meat candy. The four of us more or less plowed through all 3 lbs. of the stuff. Going with pork butt (rather than pork loin) was the way to go - it was gorgeous and fatty and so perfectly marbled that I'm almost tempted to post a photo of the pieces pre-marinade. I can only imagine the decadence of using pork belly. I'll definitely be trying it as ribs for our next barbecue - just better portability.

I served it with grilled asparagus and Grilled Cilantro Mint Naan, but it was almost a complete disaster. Next time, I'll just serve it with rice. I could see no way of filling a 6-inch round of dough with basically a cilantro-mint pesto, gathering it up, and then rolling the ball back out to a 7-inch round. Pesto went everywhere, no matter how gently I rolled. They became more like dough-y empanadas, which was fine, but wasn't really the point. If you're interested in the recipe, click on the link above, but here's the real deliciousness.

Char Siu Pork
adapted from Serious Eats

1/2 c. hoisin sauce
1/4 c. dry vermouth
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 c. honey
3 lbs. pork butt
1 T.Chinese five-spice powder

1. Combine hoisin sauce, vermouth, soy sauce, and honey in a gallon-sized zipper lock bag.

2. Cut the pork butt into 1/4-lb. pieces (into 12 if you're using 3 lbs.). Sprinkle five-spice powder evenly over each piece. Add pork to bag and mix until evenly coated. Seal bag, transfer to refrigerator, and let ribs marinate at least overnight and up to three nights.

3. Grill on a hot grill for about 15-20 minutes to your desired doneness.

a reason to celebrate

2011-09-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

Fall is finally here, and Matty is home from a short East Coast tour. What better way to celebrate than with Braised Short Ribs and Red Wine Chocolate Cake. Right. I can't think of anything else either.

I must apologize for the terrible photos in this post. All the food came out so dark, our lighting is "romantic," and to be completely honest, I'm a bad photographer. But don't let any of that sway you from making either of these immediately.

One of our favorite dishes at Amalfi is their short rib + butternut squash ravioli. I mimicked them by using tiny dried butternut squash ravioli that I had in the pantry, and of course, they didn't nearly replicate the huge squash to pasta ratio of Amalfi's ravioli, they did the trick in bringing out a little extra sweetness in the dish.

The short ribs were the star. I didn't deviate much from Molly Stevens' recipe except to use a hazelnut brown ale rather than a porter. Braised for about 2 1/2 hours this morning, refrigerated and then reheated at 350 degrees for another half hour before dinner, they were near melting point. I loved the maple-rosemary-horseradish glaze - not overwhelmingly sweet, but a pleasant burst when you got a bite. I would have actually preferred more spice from the horseradish - perhaps that spice was removed when I was directed to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the prepared horseradish?

Short Ribs Braised in Hazelnut Ale with Maple-Rosemary Glaze
adapted from Molly Stevens' All About Braising
Serves 4-6

3 1/2 to 4 lbs. meaty bone-in short ribs
salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. shallots, quartered
1 carrot, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 c. hazelnut ale, or more if neede
1 c. beef stock
one rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves

For the glaze
1/4 c. maple syrup
2 rosemary sprigs
1 T. prepared horseradish

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a heavy braising pot and add the ribs in a single layer without touching to brown on both sides. Do this in batches, if necessary. Transfer the seared ribs to a platter.

3. Add the onions and carrot to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown and soften.

4. Add 1 1/2 c. of ale and bring to a full boil. Boil for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge and dissolve any taste bits cooked onto it. Pour in the stock, bring again to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Return the ribs to the pot, along with any juices released as they sat. Tuck the rosemary sprig and bay leaves in between the ribs. The ribs should be partially submerged in the liquid. (I ended up adding another cup of ale).

5. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper, pressing down so that it nearly touches the ribs and hangs over the edges of the pot by about an inch. Set the lid securely in place. Slide the pot into the oven and braise at a gentle simmer, turning the ribs every 40 to 45 minutes until fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

6. While the ribs are braising, make the glaze. Combine the maple syrup with the rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Heat to a gentle boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover and set aside to infuse for 1 hour. The glaze can be made up to a few days ahead and refrigerated.

7. When the ribs are tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone, you can cool and refrigerate to serve later (just reheat at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes), or if serving immediately, transfer them to a flame-proof baking dish large enough to accommodate them in a single layer. Scoop out the vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange them around the ribs. Cover to keep warm.

8. Tilt the braising pot to collect the juices in one end and skim off as much surface fat as you can with a large spoon. If the remaining braising liquid exceeds 1/2 c., bring it to a vigorous simmer over medium-high heat and cook it down, about 10-15 minutes. It should have a syrupy consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

9. Heat the broiler on high. If the glaze has been refrigerated, warm it slightly so that it's pourable. Remove the rosemary sprigs, lightly running your fingers down the length of the sprigs to save every drop of glaze. Remove as much liquid from the horseradish as possible, then stir into the glaze. Brush the glaze on the tops of the short ribs. Pour the reduced braising liquid around (not over) the ribs. Slide the ribs under the broiled and broil until the surface of the ribs develops a shiny, almost caramelized glaze and you can hear them sizzle, about 4 minutes.

10. Transfer the ribs to serving plates. Toss the ravioli in the pan juices and arrange around the ribs. Serve immediately.

And for dessert, what may be my new favorite chocolate cake. I'm generally wary of cocoa cakes - I never find that there is quite enough chocolate flavor, but there was nothing lacking from this one. It was incredibly rich and completely swoon-worthy. Interestingly enough, the wine I used (Newton Claret 2007) made the cake taste like a giant cherry cordial. Of course, that depends on the fruitiness of the wine you use, and I'm excited to try with other red wines to see how they all combine with the chocolate. Coming to mind immediately is the latest syrah from our friend Chris Pierce's Ledbetter Wines - we had the pleasure of tasting it a couple weeks ago, and the chocolate-y notes were divine and would probably push this cake right over the edge.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake
from Smitten Kitchen

6 T. butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. white granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 c. red wine
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. + 1 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. Dutch cocoa powder
1/8 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t.salt
1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment, and spray the interior with a nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and yolk and beat well, then the red wine and vanilla. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little uneven.

3. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together, right over your wet ingredients. Mix until 3/4 combined, then fold the rest together with a rubber spatula. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The top of the cake should be shiny and smooth, like a puddle of chocolate.

4. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 minutes, then flip out of pan and cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack. This cake keeps well at room temperature or in the fridge. It looks pretty dusted with powdered sugar.

is this all there is

2011-09-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

Four games into the season, and the chant of "Well, at least the food was good" has already begun. USC imploded against Arizona State last night, and I left a game watch before the game was over for the first time in, maybe ever.

But damn, the food was really good. We started with Hoagies & Wings wings (as always), Marc's ceviche, Christina's mini eclairs and Elmon's s'mores bars. Well, maybe I was the only one tucking into dessert first, but maybe my belly knew before watching the same that I was going to need to stress-eat in advance of this debacle.

Our entree came in the form of Edna Lewis' Oven Brisket, a recipe I found and shared with my buddy Paul (he says "tempted with") almost 6 months ago. We were on a barbeque kick at the time and were arguing about Dr. Hogly Wogly's vs. any other BBQ joint in LA. Well, actually, Paul was defending Hogly Wogly's briskey against Matty who wasn't a fan of the ribs there - I haven't been to Dr. Hogly Wogly's in years, and the last time I was there, Matty and I were in the early stages of our courtship, so I frankly could have been eating paper as long as it was with him.

Anyway, this is obviously not BBQ brisket. And I wasn't about to drag the smoker over to Paul's house for the game to repeat the to-die-for bourbon salt rubbed, smoked brisket Matty did for our Labor Day barbecue. To be honest, given a 3-4 lb. piece of brisket, I wouldn't rush to bake it in the oven again, but for the complete lack of effort the prep involved and the delicious result it yielded, it's not a bad fall-back. The pan juices were fantastically flavorful - I thickened them with a Tablespoon of flour to get a gravy that went perfectly with Paul's horseradish mashed potatoes. I then proceeded to more or less bury my face in my plate since I had already decided I couldn't watch this game any longer.

Wish I could be at next week's tailgate! Hope the food isn't the best thing about the day. :\

Edna Lewis' Oven Brisket
via Leite's Culinaria

3 lbs. brisket
salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. onions, peeled and sliced
3 or 4 whole allspice berries
1 bay leaf

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degres.

2. Pat the meat dry and season it with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the brisket. Sear it well on all sides until well-browned. Place the seared brisket in a heavy ovenproof pot or pan.

3. Add oil and onions and return to medium-highish heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden. Sprinkle the meat with pepper then add the browned onions, allspice, and bay. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 225 degrees and let cook undisturbed for 2 1/2 hours.

4. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board to rest. Spoon off any visible fat from surface of the pan juices and discard the bay leaf. Reduce over medium heat for a few minutes. Taste and season the pan juices with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Slice the brisket and serve with the pan juices.

you inspire me

2011-09-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

I've been chasing the Jogasaki Burrito truck for months. Always, it's been just out of convenience's reach. Tonight, it was more or less on my way home, and I was so excited to finally track it down. But then, just as I was leaving the office, I got into a very spirited food conversation with our IT guy (6 years, and I'm only finding out he's a foodie now), and I just had to get home and cook.

With my apologies and all due respect to Mr. Ottolenghi, I un-vegetarianized this dish of Brussels Sprouts + Tofu. As I was scanning my spice rack, my eye hit upon my bottle of fish sauce before it got to soy sauce, and I just had to have it instead. I'm sure the soy sauce version tastes just as good, but I was hit with a craving for the saltiness that can only come from fish sauce, and was too weak to stay true to the original recipe.

And because Steve and I were talking about roasting vegetables, I decided to give everything a turn in a very hot oven rather than pan-frying each element. I am trying to be better about falling back on to pasta at each meal, so instead of putting everything on top of soba noodles as I'm wont to do with Brussels sprouts and tofu dishes, I turned them into filling for lettuce wraps. And when I ran out of the right size lettuce to make proper wraps, I shredded up the rest of the lettuce and turned it into a big salad with the tofu marinade as dressing.

That marinade is something else. I could have put the sweet chile sauce on crackers and called it dinner, but the addition of sesame oil and fish sauce really put it over the top. It's a bright, sweet contrast to the earthy flavors of the roasted broccoli and mushrooms. I can't wait to put into rotation as a salad dressing in the not-too-distant future.

Brussels Sprouts + Tofu
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty

14 oz. tofu
1 lb. Brussels sprouts
1/2 lb. oyster mushrooms
2 1/2 T. fish sauce, divided
5 T. sesame oil, divided
2 T. sweet chile sauce
1 t. rice vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Dice the tofu into 1-inch cubes and press between two layers of paper towels to extract liquid while you prep the Brussels sprouts and tofu.

2. Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts, and slice the mushrooms into 1-inch pieces. Toss them in a medium bowl with 2 T. fish sauce and 2 T. sesame oil. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and set aside.

3. In the same bowl, whisk together the remaining fish sauce and sesame oil, the sweet chile sauce and the rice vinegar. Add the tofu cubes and gently toss to coat. Marinate for about 10 minutes and then turn the mixture on to another foil-lined baking sheet.

4. Bake both baking sheets for 20-30 minutes until golden-brown, turning everything once or twice. Serve in lettuce wraps, over soba noodles, or as is.

on a wednesday

2011-09-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

I have no brain space for an interesting post, but I do have delicious cake to share with you - Walnut Cake to be exact. It's a good, sturdy cake, and while you wouldn't think sturdy to be the best adjective for cake, it's actually quite the compliment. It's rich from the walnuts, but not so decadent you couldn't have it for breakfast.

I baked it in an 8x8 pan so that I could slice it appropriately to share at Metropolitan Master Chorale rehearsal - I was on snack duty tonight. It's always hard to find sharable treats - I didn't feel like brownies, and the right number of cookies would be too time-consuming. As soon as I read that Deb called this cake "Just Because It's Wednesday Night dessert," I felt like this cake chose me.

Rather than a jammy, whipped cream topping that wouldn't travel very well, I speared a raspberry to the top of each square of cake for a little sweetness. Will definitely be trying this again with full jam and cream when the cake only has to travel from stove to table. Also thinking of subbing in cashews for some sweeter richness.

Walnut Cake
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

4 1/2 oz. walnuts
2/3 c. sugar
8 T. butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Toast the walnuts in a shallow pan for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

2. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

3. Pulse cooled walnuts and sugar in a food processor until finely chopped. Add butter and process until combined, then add eggs and vanilla and process until combined. Add flour, baking powder and salt and pulse just until incorporated. Spread batter in cake pan.

4. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

one meat ball

2011-09-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Because one cannot live on Hoagies & Wings alone (though one can sure try), I brought Pizza Meatballs to today's USC v. Syracuse tailgate. They were inspired by a contribution to last week's tailgate - pizza-flavored Pringles. And in keeping with that theme, these meatballs don't really taste anything like pizza either, but of course, that's not really the point.

That's not to say they weren't good. They were a bit dense - perhaps that's due to the lack of breadcrumbs? The fact that I took out the shredded mozzarella in the original recipe (but kept the smoked in half the batch) to respect a couple cheese-haters? In any case, I'd try a couple different proportions to get a lighter meatball, but the one that is a keeper is the sun-dried tomato-basil-shallot paste. The perfect flavoring. I'd love to turn into a sauce when I have more time - this time it was jarred marinara.

Pizza Meatballs
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

8 oz smoked mozzarella cheese
2 large shallots, chopped
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/3 c. packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 T. tomato paste
3/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
Marinara sauce, warmed, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dice the smoked mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse the shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the beef and pork and, using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until combined. Form into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs. Insert 1 cube smoked mozzarella into the center of each meatball and form the meat around it, enclosing the cheese.

3. Place the fried meatballs on a baking sheet. Put in the oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve immediately with marinara sauce, if desired.

i'm going faster

2011-09-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind on posts! This is dinner all the way from September 2. I prefer posting after each meal, but time's gotten the best of me. And sure, I could pretend I had this tonight, but I mean, I don't want to base our relationship on such untruths.

Anyway (and by the way, can I mention how much I hate it when people an "s" to "anyway"), this was the perfect meal for a girl with no time. Everything comes together in about a half hour - and that's only if you want to roast your veggies (saffron cauliflower, in my case). Otherwise, it's more like 5 minutes - nuke the frozen saag paneer (thanks, Trader Joe's), toast the naan (thanks again, Trader Joe's) while you're prepping the salmon, and while the other items cool enough to eat, your salmon is done.

The seasoning is mostly light, even for Indian-inspired cuisine, and all so tasty that you can slam down your meal in mere minutes and there you are, back to work!

Flash-Cooked Curried Salmon
adapted from Mark Bittman
Serves 2-4

two 1/2 lb. salmon fillets
2 T. curry powder
salt

1. Cut the salmon fillets in half horizontally to make 4 thinner pieces. Dust each piece with the curry powder and salt on both sides.

2. Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add the fillet halves. Cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side. You'll see the opaque pink color salmon turns as it cooks climbing up the sides of the fillets almost as soon as it hits the pan, and the idea is to serve it just a touch rare in the middle. You'll need to cook the fish in batches, but as each will take only 1 to 2 minutes, that shouldn't be much of a problem.

3. Serve immediately, with saffron-roasted cauliflower, sag paneer and garlic naan.

steady on the grind

2011-09-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Pesto is simply the greatest. I'm fully obsessed with it right now.

It's my favorite way to use up the various herbs and bags of nuts that I have lying about the house. And when I'm fried, like I was last week, buying a jarful from just about anywhere and throwing it with pasta is just about the easiest thing you can do for dinner.

I made this extra special with a little cream and butter and some deliciously fresh heirloom tomatoes. The brightness of the tomatoes cut the richness of the sauce, but it was still quite decadent.

Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 3-4

12 oz. pasta
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. butter
7 oz. prepared pesto
1/4 lb. heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain to a colander.

2. In the same pasta pot, melt the butter, then add the cream and pesto. Stir to combine.

3. Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly. Add the tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

And then there are days when I try to get a little more creative. I had a bit of lobster and scallop left over from my cousin's wedding last weekend, so I went with a slightly more Asian bent to tonight's dinner. I liked the idea of a peanut sauce, but didn't want that aggressive of a flavor, so I chose cashews. I was out of basil, so went with cilantro.

It didn't come out quite as I expected - not bad by any stretch of the imagination, actually quite good - but it wasn't what I had quite envisioned. I expected the cashews to come out much creamier, but that may require an overnight soak. I think if I try this next time, I'd go for a cashew cream consistency barely flecked with cilantro, but then if I had done that tonight, it wouldn't really have fit in this pesto-themed post. :)

Cilantro-Cashew Pesto Pasta
Serves 2

8 oz. linguine
2 c. packed cilantro leaves
2/3 c. raw cashews
2/3 c. olive oil
8 oz. assorted cooked seafood

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cilantro and cashews and process into a paste. With the machine running, add the olive oil and process until combined.

3. Add the pesto and seafood to the drained pasta. Toss thoroughly to coat. Serve immediately.

one trick pony but he turns that trick with pride

2011-09-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

How is it Labor Day? Where did summer go? I think most of it happened while I was answering emails, but knowing that doesn't ease the shock of the fact that it's September, and this was only our second barbecue of the summer (the first being way back on Memorial Day).

It's certainly not going to feel like summer's over weather-wise, though. Triple digits, thank you very much. I may die.

There was no way in hell I was going to add any heat to the un-air-conditioned house, so I resolved to not turn on the oven for my desserts. That proved to be easy because I got on a real popsicle bender, bought a mold on Amazon and paid more in shipping than the mold itself cost to get it here in time for the weekend.

I decided to make it slightly difficult by ruling out any recipes that required the stovetop as well - that meant simple syrups were out. Anything that required me to cook down fruit before pureeing was also out. I think that ended up being for the best - nothing but the freshest summer fruit sweetened gently, and not cloyingly with syrup.

So basically: Add all ingredients in the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Pour in the popsicle molds and freeze until solid. All these make 10-15 popsicles depending on the size of your molds and how full you fill them.

The variations:

Watermelon Limeade Popsicles
1 lb. watermelon chunks
1/2 c. sparking limeade
2 large mint leaves

Classic, icy popsicle. Super refreshing. Froze in such a pretty pattern, although I'm not sure why the heavy watermelon solids didn't freeze at the bottom of the mold (i.e. top of the pop), but hey, whatever.

Raspberry Yogurt Popsicles
adapted from Orangette
2 c. Greek yogurt
2 c. raspberries
1/2 c. sugar

I imagine these to be equally good with any type of berry substituted in for the raspberries. I imagine Rainier cherries (if I ever have the patience to pit them first) would be delicious as well as gorgeous.

Peach Longan Popsicles
adapted from Canelle et Vanille
2 white peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
15 fresh longans, peeled and pitted
2 c. Greek yogurt
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. almond extract

And of course, the ones that made my eyes roll back into my head weren't visually stunning - nothing beige photographs well, plus there were melting issues so the popsicles didn't come out of their molds with patterns as well-defined as the two above. Plus, I was too busy eating them to photograph them.

The longans add a barely perceptible depth to the popsicles - if you can't find them (or fresh lychees), just skip. The brown sugar and almond extract do the same trick. Would probably also be good with maple or agave syrup as the sweetener.

I'll be eating the leftover popsicles all week pretending it's still summer.

melt me slowly down

2011-08-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when my friend Mandi and I worked together, we spent almost an entire day discussing the chocolate cream pie she grew up with and the one she makes every Christmas.

I must admit, I'm a sucker for pudding. I mean, custards in general (pudding, ice cream, creme brulee, etc.), but pudding especially. There's that bit of nostalgic charm of childhood that can be made instantly grown up with the substitution of more gourmet ingredients - in this instance, 70% cacao Ghirardelli chocolate. And there were so many recipes to choose from. Had I not been out of town the week prior to this party, I would have obsessively tested out every one - varying egg yolk quantity, cooking vs. not cooking the egg yolks, folding either version of the pudding into whipped cream, etc. Luckily for my waistline, I didn't have that kind of time so ended up picking the America's Test Kitchen one - if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

Frankly, I can't tell you how the pie tasted as a whole - I only saved myself a couple spoonfuls of the pudding refrigerated separately for QA purposes. I suppose I could have spread it an Oreo, but I was too lazy. And speaking of Oreos, are there enough varieties out there? I nearly had a panic attack in the snack aisle - do I get the original? They have double-stuffed, but the recipe said the ratio of cream to wafer would screw up the crust. Ooh, peanut butter Oreos? Maybe those would be good!

The pudding though, was magnificent. Smooth and rich, but not too sweet. I might actually back up on the cacao content next time and just use the 60% - that 1 oz. of unsweetened chocolate goes a long way.

Chocolate Cream Pie
from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook via Leite's Culinaria

For the crust
16 Oreo cookies
2 T. butter, melted

For the filling
2 1/2 c. half-and-half
1/3 c. sugar
pinch salt
6 large egg yolks
2 T. cornstarch
6 T. butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 oz. 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 t. vanilla extract

For the topping
1 1/2 c. heavy cream, chilled
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until coarsely ground, about 15 short pulses. Then let the machine run until the crumbs are uniformly fine, about 15 seconds. With the machine running, pour the butter through the feed tube and process until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to the pie plate.

2. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Bake until the crust is fragrant and looks set, about 15 minutes. Transfer the crust to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes. The baked crust can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.

3. Bring the half-and-half, half of the sugar, and the salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

4. As the half-and-half mixture begins to simmer, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, and cornstarch together until smooth.

5. Slowly whisk about 1 c. of the simmering half-and-half mixture into the yolks to temper. Then slowly whisk the tempered yolks into the simmering half-and-half mixture and reduce the heat to medium. Whisking constantly, return the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened and a few bubbles burst on the surface, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, then the chocolates, and finally the vanilla until completely smooth.

6. Pour the warm filling into the baked, cooled pie crust. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap flush to the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until the filling is cold and firm, at least 3 hours.

7. Just before serving, whip together the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream attractively over the top of the pie. The pie, without the topping, can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 1 day. The cream can be whipped and refrigerated separately from the pie, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 hours.

after the heat

2011-08-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

It's too hot to think. And that's probably why I decided to turn on the oven to roast the corn for this salad. Which didn't really do much to the corn - the husks barely even browned at all. Next time, raw kernels are going straight into the brown butter.

For visual effect, I topped the arugula with the corn-crab mixture, but for the rest of corn season, I'll just be tossing the greens in with everything else and eating it straight from the mixing bowl. So, so good.

Roasted Corn + Crab Salad
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

2 ears of corn in husk
4 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 large shallot, diced
4 oz. crab meat
2 T. butter
1/2 lime
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
3 oz. arugula

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast both ears, still in husk, for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Set aside to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, shallot and crab meat.

3. Heat the butter over low heat in a 10" skillet and let brown slightly. When the corn is cool enough to handle, discard the husks and cut the kernels from the cob. Add the kernels to the skillet and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes, undisturbed.

4. Scrape the skillet into the crab mixture and squeeze the juice of 1/4 a lime over it. Toss thoroughly. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.

5. In another medium bowl, toss the arugula with the remaining lime juice. Divide the arugula among plates and top with the crab-corn mixture. Serve immediately.

all i can manage

2011-08-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm hoooome!

I promise I'm not trying to average a week between posts. It hurts me more than it hurts you. But a last-minute trip meant 7 days away from my kitchen, and while it was an awesome, super productive trip, I was jonesing for my stove. My hotel room in Chicago came with two burners and a dishwasher. Had it included a stocked fridge, I might have whipped up an omelette or something just to get rid of the itch. I'm surprised I haven't popped into catering to see if they need any help in the back.

But tonight, after having landed at 3:30a in the morning and spent truly the most surreal day of my life in the office, I could barely see straight at Trader Joe's. I knew I wasn't going to be able to do much more than boil water to make dinner, but I wanted more than a sandwich, so I put together a BLT Pasta that combined the best parts of my tired little world.

The B was applewood-smoked bacon, the L some wild arugula, and the T fresh sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes. The original recipe called for roasted tomatoes, but it's too hot to live, much less turn on the oven, so this fresher version was the way to go tonight. It definitely didn't lose any richness for it - the sauce was carbonara-influenced: eggs and plenty of ground pepper. I used 4 whole eggs, but it made the dish a little soupy, so for a thicker sauce and more concentrated flavor, I'll use only yolks next time - the recipe below reflects that.

BLT Pasta
Adapted from Serious Eats
Serves 3-4

8 oz. orecchiete
4 slices bacon, diced
4 egg yolks
1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
4 oz. arugula
4 T. grated Parmesan plus more for serving
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

2. Brown the bacon in a small skillet. When done, set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

3. In a large bowl, beat the yolks. Add tomatoes, arugula and Parmesan and stir to combine.

4. When the pasta is done, drain and immediately add to the egg mixture, stirring quickly to cook the eggs and wilt the arugula. Season to taste and serve immediately with additional Parmesan on the side.

on your birthday

2011-08-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy belated birthday, Julia Child!

Now, Mondays are usually reserved for Los Feliz Din Din A Go Go, but when I heard it was Julia's birthday, I had to celebrate. And how to ease the pain of missing out on the Lobsta Truck? Why, make Lobster Americaine, of course.

I didn't think Julia would steer me wrong, but I have to be honest, I was terrified about a couple things.

1. Would the lobster overcook in the oven?
Well, I solved that problem by deciding that it was entirely too hot to turn on the oven, much less for the 20 minutes that I was sure was going to turn my lobster into rubber. For the number of tails I was cooking (2), 5 minutes on the stovetop at very low heat seemed to do the trick.

2. Would I singe my eyebrows off lighting the lobsters on fire?
Luckily, I would never find out. There was no cognac to be had, so I subbed in brandy. I tried lighting it, and it did ignite a very low flame for about 5 seconds, but that was it. Which led me to the next fear:

3. Since the brandy didn't really burn off, would the sauce be off?
I mean, I was already adding vermouth to the sauce. Was it going to be too unpleasantly alcoholic (yes, there is such a thing)? Turns out the tomato was a great balance, and while the sauce did smell powerfully strong while simmering, the taste was completely mellowed out by the time the last tab of butter was added.

The finished dish was a great balance of flavors and textures. The lobster came out perfectly (although a bit of a bear to wrestle with served in-shell). The sauce was both sweetly fresh as well as creamy - what a difference a little butter makes. Served with plain rice swirled with leftover shiso pesto, and a side of steamed green beans - what food trucks? In Julia, I trust.

Homard A L'Americaine
adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Serves 2

2 lobster tails
1 T. olive oil
2 small shallots
1 T. cognac
2 small tomatoes, seeded, juiced and chopped
2 t. tomato paste
1/3 c. bottled clam juice
1/3 c. dry vermouth
2 t. dried fines herbes
2 T. butter

1. Split each lobster tail in half lengthwise.

2. Heat the oil in the skillet until it is very hot but not smoking. Add the lobster tails, meat-side down, and saute for several minutes, until the shells are bright red. Remove lobster to a side dish.

3. Stir in the shallots and cook slowly for 2-3 minutes until almost translucent.

4. Season the lobster and return it to the skillet. With the skillet over medium heat, pour in the cognac. Avert your face and ignite the cognac with a lighted match and shake the skillet until the flames have subsided. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, clam juice and vermouth. Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover and simmer quietly for about 5 minutes or more, depending on the size of your lobster tail.

5. When the lobster is done, remove it to a side dish. Set skillet with it cooking liquids over high heat and boil down rapidly util sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Add fines herbes and taste carefully for seasoning. Add the butter, stirring to melt.

6. Return the lobster to the sauce and bring to the simmer to reheat the lobster. Serve immediately.

even brighter than the moon

2011-08-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last fall, I had the absolute pleasure of spending a week and a half in Eastern Europe. By far, the highlight was the gorgeous city of Budapest.

Okay, so I never saw anything other than the inside of my hotel room when the sun was out - thank you, night shoots. But my schedule meant I had an empty gym any time I wanted to work out to keep up with my half marathon training. And I never found the time to research, much less visit, any hole-in-the-wall local restaurants as I had intended to do. But I can't forget the gorgeous Chicken Paprika I ordered via room service.

I mean, I have no idea why it tasted so good. That crazy electric-hued sauce that's both creamy and fresh. Chicken breast that I wouldn't eat under any other circumstances. Spaetzle! What is that stuff? Just little niblets of dough, but they're the perfect vehicle to carry the sauce in perfect proportion.

After romanticizing all this, the Chicken Paprika recipe I found online was never going to be able to live up to my memory, but it was quite good. I more or less followed the recipe (and that's what's typed out below), but here are some additional changes I'd make the next time I wax nostalgic for Budapest:

- Use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs.
- Instead of browning the chicken first, I'd just make the sauce and simmer the chicken in it until done. I think this would make for less well-done chicken, and even better color.
- Invest in an immersion blender. I nearly colored my entire kitchen a gorgeous shade of burnt sienna when my blender exploded.
- Add a little more cornstarch to thicken up the sauce, although if I'm simmering the sauce long enough to cook the chicken, I may not need to. I definitely wanted it more gravy than sauce.

Chicken Paprika
adapted from The Epoch Times
Serves 4

2 T. duck fat
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, cut into small cubes
1 heaping T. paprika powder
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. smoked paprika
2 c. chicken stock
salt and pepper

1. Heat the duck fat in large skillet and brown the chicken thighs. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

2. In the same pan, saute the onions and garlic until transparent. Add the paprika, bell pepper, tomato, stir and add the chicken thighs. Add the chicken stock to barely cover and cook on low heat until tender.

3. Remove chicken from pot and add the sour cream to the sauce. Blend together either with an immersion blender or blender. Return to the pot and season to taste. Put chicken back into the sauce and bring slowly to a boil.

4. Serve with spaetzle, preferably, or your carb of choice.

mint condition

2011-07-30T18:26:00.001-07:00

The Internets have been a-buzzing with talk about shiso leaf lately. It's the delicious stuff that our favorite sushi chef pairs with Spanish mackerel and snapper. We know it's coming every time we order it, but every time, it draws a happy sigh, and the question about why we don't use it more often in non-sushi applications. It's like mint and lemon got together to make a perfect baby.

Clotilde from Chocolate & Zucchini recently called out on Twitter for suggestions on what to do with shiso leaf, and it reminded me of this Shiso Pesto Pasta from No Recipes. You know, the one I bookmarked the minute it was posted, and then managed to not make for 10 months.

I am so bummed I waited so long to make this. I mean, I could have been eating this dozens of times since then! It is truly that good. I wanted to bulk it up to a more traditional pesto, so I added one T. pine nuts and 1 small shallot to the mix, but I imagine the original recipe is incredibly refreshing. I'd like to try the original as a dressing of sorts (as I imagine it's a bit looser than my pesto) for cold noodles, maybe soba.

Matty's not a big fan of uni, and I've actually never had it (shocker!), so we decided to stick to a tried-and-trued favorite - seared scallops. This particular specimen of Gelson's scallop was so massive that I got distracted and forgot to salt and pepper them, but obviously, you won't be as much of a space cadet. Had I finished reading Clotilde's post before getting excited and leaving the house to buy shiso, I would also have garnished this pasta with tempura-battered leaves, but that's what next time is for.

Shiso Pesto Pasta
adapted from No Recipes

8 oz. linguine
2 oz. green shiso leaves
1 oz. grated Parmesan
1 small shallot
1 T. pine nuts
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. olive oil
1 T. lime juice

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the linguine and cook to al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pesto to the pasta a bit of a time until it reaches your desired level of flavor.

3. Serve immediately with the sea protein of your choice.

the land of plenty

2011-07-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a 5-course Yotam Ottolenghi dinner at Animal. My takeaways: the inability to ever look at another glass of rosé again (4 out of 5 glasses of the wine pairing were rosés), but more importantly, an autographed copy of his gorgeous (and squishy) cookbook, Plenty.

Post-It's went on must-make recipes immediately - Royal potato salad, yes. Mushroom lasagne - after I'm skinny. Scrambled smoky duck eggs on sourdough - my mind just exploded. Brussels sprouts and tofu - Matty's on the road in September, I can make this for myself then. You get the picture. I had a plan for nearly every recipe.

I went with the Eggplant Tricolore first to take advantage of the bounty of summer vegetables being celebrated in the dish - eggplant, bell pepper, tomato. Everything was so clean and simple, but the flavor explosion that occurred when everything was assembled was remarkable. The sweet, caramelized, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant. The crunch and slight lip-pucker of the "salsa." I added some tortellini, spinach and a little cheese (okay, a lot of cheese) just to round it out a little, and it was the perfect summer dinner.

Eggplant Tricolore
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty
Serves 2

1 large eggplant
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. capers, plus 1 T. caper brine
2 balls burrata (about 8 oz.)
a handful of cilantro, chopped
8 oz. tortellini
2 handfuls of spinach

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the eggplants into 3/4-inch thickk rounds. Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them generously on both sides with plenty of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they are soft and golden brown. Set aside.

2. Mix together the bell pepper, tomatoes, vinegar, capers, brine and 2 T. olive oil. Set aside while eggplant roasts.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook the tortellini to al dente.

4. To serve, divide the tortellini between two plates. Top each plate with a handful of spinach. Divide the eggplant between the plates. Top the eggplant with some of the bell pepper mixture (you'll likely have plenty leftover). Top with the burrata and garnish with cilantro.

we'll all stay skinny

2011-07-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Today it begins. For real. After designating Monday my "cheat day" (due solely to the fact that Los Feliz Din Din A Go Go falls on a Monday), I am on the path to Skinny Mini-land. The last straw was a pair of jeans that would not fit last week, no matter how much frantic jumping I did. Not cute.

I had a salad for lunch today. A half a salad. It nearly killed me. God, I hate salad.

I guess dinner was kind of a salad, too. But I had these delightful Wild Mushroom Cakes to go on top, and they made it all better.

Things weren't always peachy throughout the process, though. I was definitely concerned when making the patties - they were very delicate. I was afraid they would fall apart upon frying, but I didn't want to add any more bread crumbs (made fresh from a couple slices of Silver Hills Hemptation my friend Lynn had brought me) because I thought that might make them too dense, so I carried on. At worst, I could just pretend I intended to make a mushroom ragu, and just cook up some pasta to serve under it.

Luckily, they all held, and what I got was 8 stunningly light-textured, but intensely flavored mushroom cakes. There was barely any seasoning in there (and I forgot the garlic), and still...I guess there is something to be said for the umami of mushrooms.

Wild Mushroom Cakes
adapted from Epicurious

1/2 c. olive oil, divided
16 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 large portobello mushrooms, diced
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs
2 T. grated Parmesan
3 T. chopped parsley
salt and pepper
1/2 c. bread crumbs plus more for dredging

1. Heat 1/4 c. olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Add all the mushrooms and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and are golden brown.

2. Put mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor. Add the eggs, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper and chop. Add 1/2 c. bread crumbs and pulse to combine.

3. Divide into 8 portions, and form into patties. Coat cakes with additional bread crumbs, and set on a cooling rack to dry a bit.

4. In the same skillet you used to cook the mushrooms, heat another 1/4 c. of olive oil. Add the patties. Cook for 5 minutes per side. Serve over dressed salad greens of your choice.

i'll make you see

2011-07-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never blogged about our last Cooking Club meeting. In fact, I can't even remember when it was, or what I made for it. I do remember it was a Farmers Market Fresh theme, and all of our ingredients came from the Larchmont Farmers Market. I also remember that it was a great time. I always have a great time with these girls.

So before my brain really turns into mush, and I space on blogging about today's gathering, here you are! Theme: Appetizers. Reason: we never know what to make when appetizers are called for, so we thought we'd challenge ourselves to come up with a full menu of them. We didn't have the luxury of the time to put into planning like we normally do - instead of having one person plan the menu and do all the grocery shopping, we all shopped for ourselves and surprised each other with our choices.

I went the liver route, even though I may have been the only one with strong positive feelings about it. In the end, though, we all went home with leftovers. I think the clincher was that reduced port wine - not only did it smell fabulous cooking down, it gave the pate a very sweet and smooth after-taste. Is there a better word than after-taste? Because that sounds gross.

Anyway. Next time, I'd get some delicious bread to toast and serve the pate on. The crackers I got were fine, but I think something a little more delicate and neutral so the great flavors have an even better chance to shine.

Chicken Liver Pate
from Barbara Lynch's Stir
Serves 12 as an appetizer

2 T. grapeseed or canola oil
2 shallots, sliced
1 lb. chicken livers, trimmed and patted dry
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. port
2 T. cream cheese

Accompaniments: toasted country bread, Dijon mustard, cornichons, fleur de sel

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the livers, season with salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed on one side for about 1 minute. Turn the livers over and cook the other side for about 1 minute, too. The idea is to get a little color on each side but keep the livers rare to medium-rare. Transfer the livers to a plate. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, pour it off. Add the port to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to about 4 Tablespoons.

2. Combine the livers and port reduction in a blender or food processor and pulse to puree. Add the cream cheese and pulse. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (this is easier than it sounds) to make it very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Put the pate in a serving crock and chill it for an hour before serving. Serve with toasted country bread, mustard, cornichons and fleur de sel.

a little too good

2011-07-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

I didn't think there would be anything to complain about with this Mushroom Pie. I expected to gush and urge you to make immediately. All of these ingredients are my very favorite things in the whole world, and yet, there are still a few things I would change for the next go-around:

- Brie: The original recipe calls for just regular cream cheese, but I can't resist a triple-creme Brie, so I thought I could substitute equal parts. Unfortunately, I think it contributed to making the pie a little extra greasy. Great flavor, though, obviously.

- Puff pastry: As nice as it was bite into an end piece and feel like I was straight biting into a croissant, I think next time, I'll be less lazy and just make a regular pie crust for this pie. The mushrooms should be the star here. And less butter in the crust would help with the grease factor.

Still pretty delicious, though. I mean, if the biggest problem was the grease, I'm not too worried.

Mushroom Pie
adapted from KCRW's Good Food

8 oz. Brie
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. mixed mushrooms (I used cremini and shiitake), sliced
1 T. chopped rosemary
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the Brie into small cubes and let it come to room temperature.

3. Over low heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onion until lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the mushrooms and rosemary. After a minute or two they will start to release juice, which will then begin to evaporate. The mushrooms are done when most of the liquid is gone and they’ve browned a bit, about five minutes.

4. Roll out about 2/3rds of the puff pastry and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle in half of the Brie, half of the mushrooms and repeat. Roll out the remaining third and cut into 10 strips to form a lattice crust. Weave the lattice.

5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let the pie cool for ten minutes before cutting.

time, where did you go

2011-07-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

My work schedule this week has been such that I have 40 minutes between 7:30p and 8:10p to make and eat dinner. I've been failing quite miserably at that. You know, I never thought about how much time I actually take to make dinner. It's like the grocery bill - well, this is what I want to make, so this is what I need to buy, and this is what I have to spend. Similarly with time, it's been, well, this is what I want to make, and this is how long it takes to make it, and if you're hungry, you should just snack on the Sour Cream + Onion Ruffles you just impulse-bought while getting the ingredients for actual dinner. That's just how it is.

These Shrimp Sliders don't actually take that long to make, but my downfall was that I needed to get groceries in those 40 minutes as well. And the grocery store didn't have already-peeled shrimp, so much of my prep time was devoted to shelling. I made up a little time by deciding to fully process instead of hand-chop the shrimp. I was afraid the patties would fall apart if I chopped them too roughly - very possible since I was in such a hurry.

They were worth the wait and hassle, though. I'd up the fennel next time, but these light, fluffy patties were pretty close to perfect. I was afraid the sweetness of the Hawaiian rolls Matty wanted to use for buns would overwhelm when coupled with the sweetness of the shrimp, but they actually worked quite well together. Dressed to the nines with avocado, butter lettuce, heirloom tomato, and just the tiniest smear of a cilantro dressing I had in the fridge. I just couldn't bring myself to add the stress of making homemade aioli like the original recipe, but if you have more than 40 minutes, I'm sure it's delicious.

Shrimp Sliders
adapted from Food52

5 T. olive oil
1/4 c. chopped fennel
1/4 c. chopped red onion
1/4 c. chopped orange bell pepper
1 T. chopped fennel fronds
1 T. chopped chives
1 1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
Hawaiian rolls for serving

1. In a 12-inch cast-iron pan, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the fennel and onion and cook until they start to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook about 3 minutes longer.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the shrimp with the sautéed vegetable mixture, fennel fronds, chives and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until shrimp is well-chopped and vegetables are well-distributed. Add the egg and process until it is no longer visible. Remove the blade from the processor and form the mixture into 8 even patties. Refrigerate briefly.

3. Wipe out the cast-iron pan and heat the remaining 3 T. olive oil. Fry the patties until golden, about 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

4. Serve on Hawaiian rolls with your choice of accoutrements.

good sauce

2011-07-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of those recipes that makes you shake your head when you survey the mess you've made in the kitchen. The two things I hate to wash the most in the world are involved - a sieve and the blender. Thats 1, 2, 3 pots you need - the one for the pasta, the one to steam and corn and mussels, the bigger one to heat the sauce and toss everything in.

But you sit down with this pretty bowl of pasta, and you forget there's clean-up afterwards. It's very interesting (in a good way) - the pepper and cumin provide spice, but not too much heat. The sweet farmers market-fresh corn and the raw onion (the bit that gets added to the corn, and not pureed in the sauce) add a great texture contrast to the melty, sauced pasta. It's the kind of dish you'll kick yourself for forgetting to pack for lunch the next day - knowing me, that's exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Poblano Spaghetti with Mussels + Corn
adapted from The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook and Serious Eats

4 large poblano chiles
1 lb. spaghetti
5 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked
24 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3 cloves garlic
1 red onion, diced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
2 T. fresh oregano (do not substitute dried)
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
2 T. butter
1 c. heavy cream
Manchego cheese, shredded for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

1. Turn the broiler to high. Brush poblano chiles with olive oil and broil on a baking sheet covered in foil until until blackened on all sides, turning as necessary. Turn off the broiler, and transfer chiles to a plastic bag. Let steam for five to ten minutes. Peel the blackened skins off the chiles, and then remove stems and seeds. Puree them in a blender with the garlic, half the cilantro, half the onion, half the cream, and all the oregano until smooth.

2. While the chiles are broiling, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, steam the corn and the mussels. Scatter the mussels over the corn on a steamer in a large pot containing an inch of hot water. Put the pot on a high flame and cover it. After 5 minutes, remove the corn and any mussels whose shells have opened. Cover the pot again, and after another 5 minutes remove the remaining mussels. Discard any mussels that are not open or do not open easily.

3. If using fresh corn, cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Place corn kernels in a large bowl. Add the cumin, remaining onion and cilantro. Shuck the mussels and add to the bowl. Toss gently and set aside.

4. Add butter to a large saucepan set over medium heat. When it foams, pour in the chile mixture. Cook, partially covered, for about 10 minutes. Stir it occasionally. Add the remaining cream and salt to taste.

5. Add the corn mixture to the sauce and stir to distribute evenly. Add the pasta to the saucepan and toss well. Divide the pasta between four plates. Garnish with cilantro and Manchego.

just that good

2011-07-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

You know those crazy product recipe contests? Like use a specific brand-name item to create something (inevitably) wacky and win a lifetime supply of that product? Well, is there one for Snyder's of Hanover, because I mean, I might win with this one.

This originally was going to be just pretzel baked chicken - one of those low(er)-calorie alternatives to fried chicken, a food I crave at least a couple times a week (cravings I don't actually act on - remember, I'm being "good"). I was originally going to experiment with the peanut-butter filled pretzel nuggets I have in the pantry. What - it's not that weird. You can put peanut sauce over chicken - why not bake it on the outside?

But then, as I was going through the snack basket at work, I came across two abandoned bags of jalapeno pretzel pieces, and I decided that I had to use them. They're a little too intense for me to fully enjoy as a snack, but when coating chicken, there's just enough kick and flavor without being overtly spicy. The chicken came out perfectly crisp on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. If all baked chicken came out this good, I wouldn't miss the fried stuff.

Jalapeno Pretzel Chicken
adapted from Self Magazine
Serves 2-3

4.5 oz. Snyder's of Hanover Jalapeno Pretzel Pieces
1 oz. Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Sticks
6 drumsticks, skin on
2 c. buttermilk, or enough to cover chicken

1. Place drumsticks in a large bowl and pour over enough buttermilk to just about cover.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack on top.

3. Pulse pretzels in a food processor until they become coarse crumbs. Transfer to a large plate. One drumstick at a time, tap to remove excess buttermilk and dredge chicken in the crumbs. Place on the prepared rack and set aside for 10 minutes.

4. Bake until juices run clear when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

And on the side, the perfect fresh accompaniment to the spice and crunch, my favorite new tomatoes:

Tomatoes + Ricotta in Arugula Pesto
6 black tomatoes
2.5 oz. arugula
4 T. pine nuts
3 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 c. ricotta

1. Combine the arugula and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Slice each tomato into eighths. Toss with the pesto. Serve over generous scoops of ricotta.

wish i was skinny

2011-07-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time I stop to talk to you, I'm telling you about how disgusted I am about my eating habits. And how I swear I'm going to quit them, start going to the gym again and get back down to my 18-year-old driver's license weight by ~~summer~~ fall. But then I have too many emails to go to the gym, someone makes me cranky, and I eat like Carmageddon really is going to be the end of the world.

This salad is the start to my renewed efforts at a healthier lifestyle. I can't promise how long it'll last (I mean, I just found a recipe for smoked char siu pork belly, and we haven't had a barbecue since Memorial Day), but this is pretty good for you. It's like a dolled-up, way tastier Nicoise salad - the shrimp stands in for the tuna, the potatoes are roasted because I can't get Cafe Gratitude's I Am Grounded out of my head, and the snap peas stand in for pedestrian green beans. Add a little arugula and a mustard vinaigrette for kick, and even I can momentarily forget I hate salad.

Shrimp + Snap Pea Salad
adapted from A Good Appetite
Serves 4

1 lb. red new potatoes, quartered
4 T. olive oil, divided
1/2 packet Lipton onion soup mix
3/4 lb. sugar-snap peas
2 T. Dijon mustard
3 T. red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 c. loosely-packed arugula

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix 2 T. olive oil with the onion soup mix. Add the potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Turn the potatoes out onto a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning once or twice to evenly brown.

2. Trim and string the peas, then quarter crosswise. Place them in a large colander. In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and olive oil.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp to the pot and cook until opaque, 2 minutes. Drain into the colander of peas to just slightly blanch the peas. Turn the shrimp and peas out onto a towel-lined baking sheet to cool. When cool, transfer to the bowl with the mustard vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly.

3. Divide the arugula between 4 plates. Top with the potatoes, then the dressed shrimp and snap pea mixture.

java jive

2011-07-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

That's it. This is the last time I try to make coffee-anything for breakfast.

The last time I tried, I got no coffee flavor at all. Thinking it was a matter of my improvising when I was out of instant coffee, I followed the instructions for these Coffee Pancakes to the letter. The batter smelled deliciously of coffee, and I thought I had found my goldmine. Unfortunately, the finished pancakes carried none of that flavor, and in addition, didn't have the right amount of sweetening.

That's not to say the pancakes were inedible. Don't get me wrong - they were still delightfully fluffy buttermilk pancakes, made even more delightful by drowning in maple syrup, but I was sorely disappointed in the flavor. I guess I'll just stick to my coffee served in a mug.

Coffee Pancakes
from A Cozy Kitchen

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. sugar
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1 T. instant coffee granules
butter

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

2. In a large measuring cup, beat together the egg and buttermilk. Whisk in the instant coffee until completely blended.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

4. Heat up a griddle over medium low-heat and brush with 1 T. butter. Using a 1/4-cup measure, add the batter to the warm skillet and cook until bubbles form along the sides and in the center. Flip. And cook on opposite side until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup.

back home again

2011-07-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

Sweet kitchen, how I've missed you. I was on the road for a week, and before that, I squeezed in a few catch-up dinners while Matty was out of town, so I've spent 10 whole days without nary switching on a burner. But tonight, one of the cooler evenings in recent summer memory, I did it all - pre-baking puff pastry while caramelizing garlic on the stove, then watching House Hunters to escape the heat while the tart baked. It's good to be home.

I wanted something fairly light (and paired with a large salad). We've been eating entirely too well (must-try barbecue joints, birthday celebrations, my Cleveland highlight: Lola), and entirely too poorly (must-try barbecue joints, birthday celebrations, tour catering). Trying to stay as vegetarian as possible to detox while we're both home is a must.

And as far as vegetarian recipes go, I'm a huge fan of Yotam Ottolenghi. Plenty is on my Amazon Wish List. But I won't need it because I get my own signed copy when I attend his dinner at Animal next week. (Yes, I love irony).

Matty's not a fan of goat cheese, though, so when I came across an Onion Tart recipe from The Kitchn that simply called for ricotta and an egg for the filling, I knew I could happily combine the two recipes for a fabulous welcome-home dinner. I very nearly bailed out on the caramelized garlic topping when I saw I could just caramelize onions. I was afraid the garlic would be too strong (no worries - blanching took care of that) and that the balsamic and sugar would combine for something too cloying. Luckily, all my fears were for naught - the garlic actually turned out to be quite similar in taste to regular caramelized onions. But hey, maybe there are still some cold-busting properties of garlic left after all the cooking it underwent. These two just-off-the-road-likely-to-get-sick-now-that-we're-home kids will take them.

There is no quick way to peel 3 heads of garlic. Yes, heads. Not cloves. This is where those jars of pre-peeled garlic would really come in handy. But the other elements of the tart come together so easily that it's quite worth the effort if you must hand-peel.

Caramelized Garlic Tart
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi via Good Food and The Kitchn

one 9"x9" sheet puff pastry (half of a standard package)
3 medium heads of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 T. olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
1 c. water
2 t. sugar
1 t. chopped rosemary
1 t. chopped thyme
salt and pepper
1 c. whole-milk ricotta
1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry into a circle that will line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, plus a little extra. Line the pan with the pastry. Place a large circle of waxed paper on the bottom and fill up with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and paper, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the pastry is golden. Set aside.

3. While the tart shell is baking, make the caramelized garlic. Put the cloves in a small saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a simmer and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain well. Dry the saucepan, return the cloves to it and add the olive oil. Fry the garlic cloves on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and water and bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, rosemary, thyme and 1/4 t. salt. Continue simmering on a medium flame for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the garlic cloves are coated in a dark caramel syrup. Set aside.

4. Whisk the ricotta and the egg together in a small bowl. Use a spatula to spread the ricotta mixture evenly across the puff pastry. Arrange the garlic on top. Increase the oven heat to 400 degrees, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the ricotta filling is firm and the crust is golden.

why can't it wait till morning

2011-06-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

In almost all aspects of my life, I like, no love, planning ahead. Like way ahead. Like I have a calendar that books gym time through the end of the year.

But when I bake, I somehow like the thrill of doing things at the last minute. Why bake a pan of brownies Tuesday night when you can wake up at 6a to do it Wednesday morning? I mean, there are episodes of Property Virgins to watch! (Did I just sign up for spam by using the v-word?)

Anyway, for some reason, I like the small freak-out I can have worrying about whether the brownies will finish baking by the time I have to leave for a breakfast meeting. I mean, the recipe says 30 minutes, but my ancient oven sometimes says otherwise. It's a sick thrill.

But these brownies were worth any stress, self-imposed or otherwise. I love this book - frankly I was surprised these brownies weren't the first thing I made from it. I mean, I watched that episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Salty Goodness. They were worth the wait.

Except when you're bleary-eyed at 6:00a, sometimes you forget key ingredients. Like the salt. In the salted caramel. I mean...

Frankly, I was so tired this morning, I'm surprised I didn't burn the house down making the caramel, and that the batter made it into the pan. But despite all of that, these turned out great. They're very sweet, so the salt would cut it well. I definitely won't forget next time.

Sweet + Salty Brownie
adapted from Baked Explorations
Makes one 9x13 pan of brownies

For the filling:
1 c. sugar
2 T. light corn syrup
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 t. fleur de sel
1/4 c. creme fraiche

For the brownie:
1 1/4 c. flour
11 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 c. (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
5 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract

1. Make the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 c. water, stirring them together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees, or until the mixture is dark amber in color, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, and slowly add the creme and then the fleur de sel. Whisk in the creme fraiche. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.

4. Place the chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring after each minute, until they are completely melted. Add both sugars and whisk until completely combined.

5. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until thoroughly combined.

6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there is no trace of flour visible.

7. Pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Drizzle about 3/4 c. of the caramel sauce over the brownie layer in a zig zag pattern, taking care to make sure the caramel does not come in contact with the edges of the pan or it will burn. Spread the caramel evenly over the brownie layer. In heaping spoonfuls, scoop the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel layer. Smooth the brownie batter gently to cover the caramel layer.

8. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.

fill me up

2011-06-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

I nearly destroyed myself today.

I guess I should back up a little. So my quest for Bangin' Bikini Bod 2011 lasted all of the weekend, and then I came to the realization that nothing significant was going to happen in a week, for better or for worse. So when the other enabling co-worker (there are 2 in case you're keeping track) suggested we try Coney Dog, which just opened near my office, I was in. Coney Combo and chili cheese fries, I love you forever.

And then there was Los Feliz DinDInAGoGo. The moment I saw the line-up yesterday was the moment my resolve officially dissolved. I needed sandwiches from every single one of them. And I can't even bring myself to think of the specials.

I went in with a mission. To get banh mi from Mandoline Grill, a BLT from Lardon, a Cubano from No Jodas, a paneer naanwich from Naan Stop, and close it with an ice cream sandwich from CoolHaus.

No, I wasn't going to eat them all in one sitting. Thank you for thinking I could though - I'm flattered. The plan was to portion out the sandwiches to last the rest of the week - sample bites of each for dinner next to a big Kale Salad (from the pile of produce I had stockpiled when I was going to be healthy this week). I think everything worked out really nicely - it was certainly a better-balanced meal than lunch. I did have to eat the ice cream sandwich there, though. I mean, it was going to melt!

Food trucks, I love you forever.

Kale Salad

1 bunch lacinato kale, sliced into 1-inch ribbons
2-3 T. olive oil
1 14-oz. can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. roasted pistachios
1 large peach, diced
2-3 T. balsamic vinegar

1. In a large bowl, massage the olive oil into the kale ribbons. Add more olive oil to your taste.

2. Add the beans, pistachios and peach pieces and gently toss. Drizzle on balsamic to taste and toss again to distribute. Serve immediately.

not worth the wait

2011-06-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

I waited so long to make this Lomi Lomi Salmon in an Avocado Half. First it appeared in my Facebook feed on Thursday. I was so anxious to make it for dinner on Friday, but hadn't looked far enough past the photo to see that it needed a 24-hour curing period. So when I finally got around to salting it Friday evening, it was all I could do to wait until exactly 7:30p today to pull it out of the fridge.

Unfortunately, it was devastatingly salty, even after the 30-minute cold-water soak, and I ended eating just one avocado half and tossing the rest of the salmon. It definitely could have used some citrusy/acidic help. I suppose the tomatoes I omitted could have played a factor, but I think some lemon or lime was definitely necessary. I've also seen lomi lomi recipes that involve pineapple, and I think that may be the perfect fix - both tart and sweet to balance all that salt.

Next time, I'd also leave out the ricotta I added. I had the strangest craving for ricotta, and I wanted something to bind the salmon mixture together, but you couldn't really taste it, and it definitely didn't look cute. But silver lining, the craving led me to put another Tablespoonful in the other avocado half, and I have just found my new favorite snack.

Lomi Lomi Salmon in an Avocado Half
adapted from The California Avocado Commission
Serves 1

2 T. coarse sea salt
4 oz. salmon fillet, skin removed
1/4 medium red onion, diced
1 T. ricotta
1 large avocado, 8 oz. or more

1. Place salmon in a plastic or glass container and rub both sides with the salt. Cover the container and chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2. Rinse salmon thoroughly and soak in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, changing the water once, after 15 minutes. Remove fish from bowl and pat fish dry with paper towels.

3. Dice fish and place in a mixing bowl. Add onion and ricotta; toss gently to combine.

4. Mound salmon mixture onto each avocado half. Serve immediately.

life gets kind of boring

2011-06-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

This post going to be a dull one - I promise you. But I'm trying to do the eat-smaller-meals-more-often, healthy thing, and until I get back from the Fourth happy with how I look in a bikini, that's how it'll be. The dinner wasn't too dull, though. I was shockingly surprised about how much I enjoyed the butter beans. I expected to be bored, but they're so creamy and meaty - cannellini beans, consider yourselves replaced.

The heart of this salad is the tuna, butter beans and red onion. Anything else you toss in is just a way to liven it up / clean out your pantry. I'll leave you just the basics below, but the photo above also includes a 14-oz. can of hearts of palm and a 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained. I can imagine this would be amazing (and more visually appealing) with artichoke hearts and olives as well, maybe with some rosemary or thyme tossed in.

I served them rolled up in butter lettuce leaves - there's something about finger food that makes you feel like you're splurging calorically, even when you're healthy as can be. Once I go back to being more carb-y, I think I would really like this as a tartine on some great bread, perhaps even with a slice of cheese toasted on top.

Tuna + Butter Bean Salad
Serves 2-4 depending on your mix-ins

one 5-oz. can of tuna packed in oil
1/4 red onion, diced
one 14-oz. can of butter beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
butter lettuce leaves

1. Pour the contents of the tuna can in a large bowl (oil included) and mix thoroughly with the diced onions. If you're adding anything else, now is the time to do it.

2. Add the butter beans last and stir gently to distribute evenly, but not break up, the beans.

3. Serve immediately or chill before serving, alongside butter lettuce leaves for wrapping.

this is the last time, you say

2011-06-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'd be so much skinnier if I was less cranky all the time. Every little annoyance is an excuse for cheese and carbs, and sadly, these are becoming everyday meals rather than an occasional splurge. I feel my lunch of lasagna, Parmesan-crusted chicken skewers and cheesy garlic bread (equally split with my sweet, enabling co-worker) helped ease the sting of the texting-while-driving ticket I got on my way to work this morning (sorry I have to multi-task - is there something else I should be doing at a red light?). But, it needs to stop.

And while I constantly strive to not let every little thing rile me up so much, I am getting some pretty good meals out of it. Tonight's dinner was a final get-it-out-of-your-system, delicious carbonara dish. Made slightly healthier with delicious smoked tofu instead of bacon and would have been even more virtuous had I not forgotten the broccoli I was going to toss in with it.

I have to keep reminding myself that my annual Fourth of July vacation (aka spend-all-weekend-in-a-bikini vacation) is (ah!!!) next week, and I have to pull it together. Call this a last hurrah.

Smoked Tofu Carbonara
adapted from Stonesoup
Serves 2 (if you remember a side salad)

4 oz. tortellini
5.5 oz. smoked tofu
1 T. olive oil
2 egg yolks
salt and plenty of pepper

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, cube the tofu into 1/2-inch chunks and brown in olive oil - about as long as the pasta takes to cook.

3. Beat the two egg yolks in a large bowl. When the pasta is done, drain and add it, along with the tofu, to the bowl of yolks. Stir quickly to incorporate. Serve immediately.

twice as nice

2011-06-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

This Blueberry Mascarpone Tart was originally going to be just one pie, but when I saw the inordinate amount of crumbs that 9 oz. of cookie thins made, it had to be divided into two tart pans. I would likely double the amount of butter just to keep everything together if I make this again with a crumb crust, but I think I would prefer just a regular butter pie crust next time. Perhaps keeping the original amount of mascarpone and blueberries for a more substantial pie. Luckily, I did have two occasions for the pie - a visit from NYC friends, and then a dinner I ended sending Matty to with the pie as his date because I was called out of town for work.

They turned out so well - I'm a sucker for blueberries, and it's so hard to resist market-fresh berries (of any sort) at this time of year. We can save all the chocolate and caramel for the fall/winter. But it's nice to have the extra decadence from the mascarpone - it's always the right season for mascarpone. I can't wait to try this with cherries (and amaretto!) as in the original recipe, and perhaps rotate in a variety of fruits throughout the year.

Blueberry Mascarpone Tart
adapted from Serious Eats
Makes two 9-inch tarts

9-oz. box of Trader Joe's Meyer Lemon Cookie Thins, processed into crumbs
6 T. light brown sugar, divided
1/2 c. almond meal
3 T. butter, melted
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 lbs. blueberries
1/4 c. sugar
2 c. mascarpone
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In medium bowl, combine shortbread crumbs, 1/4 c. brown sugar, almond meal, butter and 1/4 t. salt. Evenly press into bottom and up sides of tart pans. Bake until light golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring 3/4 c. blueberries, 1/2 c. water, sugar, and 1/8 t. salt to boil in small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining fresh blueberries and toss to coat. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

4. In medium bowl, whisk together mascarpone, remaining 2 T. brown sugar, vanilla and remaining 1/8 t. of salt until smooth.

5. Spread mascarpone mixture in cooled tart shell and top with blueberry mixture. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

food for thought

2011-06-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

I've been in a little bit of blog rut lately. I cook, and I want to share it with you, but my brain space is too full to come up with interesting stories to tie these dishes in to, and it's become virtually impossible to think of appropriate song lyrics for these titles. I hope you'll bear with me as this blog becomes slightly less about me than about the food, at least until I can unplug my brain for a bit.

We've been trying to eat healthy, especially since I've fallen off the gym wagon yet again due to time limitations (no matter how hard you try, they won't give you more than 24 hours in a day). I'm not saying pouring browned butter over fish is healthy, but it is certainly the most interesting thing you can do to simple white fillets. Eaten in front of the TV, watching the Heats lose, I couldn't be happier. Somehow it's always better if your team loses to the eventual champions.

Sole Meuniere
Serves 2

1 lb. Dover sole fillets
1 c. almond meal
salt and pepper
8 T. butter, divided
1 T. chopped parsley
1 lemon wedge

1. Dry the sole thoroughly and lightly salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge in the almond meal, and set on a baking rack to dry further.

2. In a small saucepan, melt and brown 4 T. of butter. Set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. You'll likely need to fry the fish in two batches, so portion the remaining butter accordingly. My fillets were thin, so they only took about a minute per side.

4. Just before serving. warm up the browned butter and add parsley and squeeze of lemon. Pour over the fish, and serve immediately.

On the side was steamed artichokes and leftover quinoa from a particularly virtuous dinner last week. It was entirely too boring (although good and healthy) for its own post, but it's worthy of at least a mention as a side dish. Good warm or cold, reports the boyfriend whose been eating leftovers all week.

Kale Quinoa with Avocado Spread
adapted from Food52 and Culinary Competitor
Serves 4

4 c. salted water
2 c. quinoa
10 oz. kale, cut into 1" lengths
10 oz. peas
6 oz. mix of spinach and arugula
1 avocado
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then add the kale and cover again. Let simmer until water is evaporated and quinoa and kale are done. Add the peas and stir just to heat through.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, wilt the spinach either in a small pan or in the microwave. Add to the bowl of a food processor along with the avocado and garlic. Process until smooth, adding olive oil as necessary to keep things moving and to achieve your desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve the quinoa with the spread dolloped on top or swirled in, according to your preference.

too much is not enough

2011-06-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

You know, if you call "bread pudding" "French toast," you can have it for breakfast. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with this Thai Coffee Bread Pudding, I mean French toast. I think I might have set myself up with entirely too high expectations.

- It wasn't coffee-tasting enough for me. I didn't have espresso powder so I ground the same amount of espresso beans and French pressed them in hot milk. Apparently, that's not the same. Boo.

- It was entirely too cardamom-y. I didn't have ground cardamom, only seeds, so I cracked them open and ground them myself. Apparently, that's not the same - the stuff in the pods are supposedly more potent than the pre-ground stuff.

That being said, the original recipe is below, and if you don't screw with the important elements like I did, you might not be quite as upset.

Thai Coffee Bread Pudding
from Serious Eats

3 T. butter
1 loaf challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 c. milk
6 T. espresso powder
6 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t. ground cardamom
3/4 t. salt
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 t. almond extract

1. Grease 13x9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.

3. Place 1 c. milk in small microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup and microwave 1 minute. Add espresso powder and stir until dissolved.

4. In large bowl, whisk egg yolks, eggs, light brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until smooth. Whisk in condensed milk, espresso-milk mixture, remaining 2 c. milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract; whisk until thoroughly combined.

5. Add bread to mixture and gently fold in with rubber spatula until cubes are saturated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and let stand to fully absorb liquid, about 20 minutes.

6. Bake on middle rack until custard has set and releases no liquid when pressed, about 45 minutes. Cool about 20 minutes before serving.

the last time again

2011-06-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

In all the hustle and bustle of last week's Memorial Day festivities and getting Matty buttoned up to get out of here for a week, I forgot to post our Last Supper. You know, the one I make before any of his extended trips out of town.

This one was a real doozy. All of our favorite things - perfect grilled (on a grill pan - it was too much to deal with the grill with Memorial Day happening) nat cab rib-eye from our friends at McCall's, butter poached asparagus from my new obsession, Gilt Taste, roasted mushrooms and onions...

And the very best part? The cheese sauce. It's like a classy Velveeta. It's way more expensive, and you do need to refrigerate it, but all that impossibly smooth and rich mouthfeel? This has. And I just realized that I have a little leftover cheese sauce in the fridge. I'm pretty sure that's what I'll be eating for breakfast Tuesday when I'm off my juice cleanse.

Seared Steaks with Cheese Sauce + Roasted Onions
adapted from Barbara Lynch's Stir
Serves 2

3 T. butter, divided
2 small sweet onions, trimmed and halved
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lb. cremini mushrooms
salt and pepper
2 large rib-eye steaks, as big as you're hungry
1 c. heavy cream
8 oz. Mimolette cheese, finely grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt 2 T. butter n a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Add the mushrooms and onions, cut-side down, and cook them undisturbed until well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the onions over, give the mushrooms a stir, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add two sprigs of thyme and transfer the pan to the oven, roasting for 20 minutes.

3. Heat a grill pan large enough to hold the steaks over high heat until smoking. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill undisturbed until well-browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the steaks over to sear the other side. After the other side has been searing for 1 minute, add the remaining T. of butter and the remaining thyme to the pan. Once the butter has melted, til the pan so you can spoon up some of the butter and baste the meat with the butter during the last few minutes of cooking. Cook to your desired doneness. Transfer the steaks to a plate, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

4. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cheese and stir until all the cheese has melted into the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Magically, everything is now ready at the same time. Serve immediately.

Salt- and Sugar-Cured Asparagus, Poached in Butter
adapted from Gilt Taste
Serves 2

1 lb. green asparagus
3 T. salt
3 T. sugar
1 c. butter, melted
1 c. olive oil

1. Trim the dry ends of all the asparagus. Toss the asparagus with the sugar and salt, and place on a baking rack set over a baking sheet. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then brush off the salt and sugar off using a damp paper towel or a cloth. Place the asparagus in a large skillet in one layer and add the butter and oil to cover the asparagus completely. If the above amounts are not enough to cover, add more equal parts of melted butter and oil.

2. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to barely a simmer, then immediately reduce heat to low and braise for 10-15 minutes, until the asparagus is tender when pierced with a fork.

3. Remove asparagus from the poaching liquid and serve.

cool change

2011-06-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to House Hunters. Don't get me started on the International version. I mean, honestly, I don't know what I did without a TV for so long.

I think I just like to be able to yell at something on the TV while football's not on. "Stop complaining about there not being a closet in the third bedroom of the house you are somehow able to afford as a recent college graduate." "Oh, really? Is this beach-front mansion you're purchasing for your surf-yoga retreat just a little too far from town?"

I never thought I'd get dinner inspiration from the show, though. At the end of one of the episodes of this afternoon's marathon, when they were showing off how many of their family they can fit into their kitchen and dining area, there was a gorgeous dish of gnocchi - half tomato sauce, half pesto sauce. Hm, pesto. I haven't had good pesto in a long time.

Of course, as I started thumbing through my pesto bookmarks, I got distracted from the standard basil-pine nut situation, and ended up this with Tomato-Almond Pesto. Besides being delicious, it was a great way to get rid of a bit of odds and ends around the house - the almost-used bag of almonds, the tomatoes-on-the-vine that I don't remember why I bought, half a pack each of mint and cilantro. I actually loved the way the herbs worked - together, they create a flavor that's not too far from basil. You can tell it's a bit different, but not in a what-is-in-my-pesto sort of way.

I think it's meant to be a similar consistency to the standard pesto, but once I started tasting while the tomato pesto was in a more rustic stage, I decided I couldn't keep going. It was way too good to further process. It was like bruschetta with pasta in place of the bread. I thought about swirling in a bit of ricotta for some extra richness, but decided to keep it light tonight. This recipe does make plenty of pesto, though, and I'm really looking forward to playing with different additions and different filled pasta.

Tomato-Almond Pesto Pasta
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3/4 c. roasted, salted almonds
1/4 c. loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/4 c. loosely packed mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
5 on-the-vine tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 c. olive oil
your pasta of choice

1. Place the almonds, cilantro, mint, garlic and tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor and process until just shy of your desired consistency. Stir in the cheese, and with the processor on, drizzle in the olive oil - stop when it's the texture you like.

2. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the al dente pasta of your choice.

epic

2011-05-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Another epic barbecue in the books, with an epic post to match. We had to kick people out early because Matty's leaving for tour tomorrow, but we still managed to eat all of this:

Roasted Chile Ricotta
adapted from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors

4 poblano chiles
olive oil
6 green onions, thinly sliced
3 T. chopped cilantro
3 T. chopped mint
15 oz. ricotta
4 oz. canned green chiles, optional

1. Brush the poblanos with olive oil to coat. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil for 30 minutes, turning occasionally so that all sides blister and char. Remove the poblanos to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for about 15 minutes.

2. After 15 minutes, peel and seed the poblanos. Dice finely, and toss in a medium bowl with the green onions, cilantro, mint and ricotta. Salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a little more pepper flavor, add the canned chiles to taste. I used the entire 4 oz. can. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

NOTES:
- Absolutely delicious. I'd cut down on the green onions or dice them finer next time - I felt they stuck out just a little bit.
- I intended to warm up small tortillas to serve this on, but keeping them warm all day would have been a challenge, so I just left this out as a dip bowl for people to pick among the crackers and tortilla chips that were around.

Bacon-Artichoke Crostini
inspired by The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook
Makes about 30 crostini

1 lb. bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
three 15-oz. cans artichoke hearts, drained
salt and pepper
1/4 c. grated Gruyere
1 baguette

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. While the bacon is cooking, roughly chop the artichoke hearts.

2. When the bacon is done, drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out the pan. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to heat through. Add the bacon and stir to combine. Turn off the heat.

3. Slice the baguette into thin slices. Top with about one T. of the bacon-artichoke mixture and sprinkle on a few shards of Gruyere. Bake in a 350-degree oven until cheese is melted.

NOTES:
- This came about because I love carbs, and was too lazy to make dressing. I took the idea behind a warm bacon-artichoke salad and put it on bread. Delicious.
- There's a bit of bacon-artichoke mixture left, and it's going straight into some pasta tomorrow.

Bacon Chipotle Slather Sauce
from Serious Eats
Makes 4 cups

2 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 large shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. tomato paste
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. water
2 T. molasses
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 canned chipotle in adobo
salt and pepper

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Add the shallots and garlic, and for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

2. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Store in the refrigerator or freeze to use later.

NOTES:
- We painted the ribs with this sauce with about 5 minutes left in the smoker. Another coat went on when the ribs came off and got a 15-minute rest. More sauce on the side just because it's that good. Rumor has it, folks were dipping chips in the sauce by the time the afternoon was out.
- Note to self: buy small Mason jars and plan on making this sauce for Christmas presents this year.

Blackberry Pie
adapted from Baked Explorations

For the crust
3 c. flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
8 oz. butter
3/4 c. ice water

For the filling
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
7 c. blackberries
1 1/2 T. butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 large egg, beaten

1. Make the crust: Combine all ingredients except the water in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Slowly add water and process until dough comes together in a ball. Divide into two disks, wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine lemon juice, zest, sugar and flour in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the blackberries, and gently toss everything together with your hands. Set aside.

3. Roll out one disk to a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Fill the plate with the blackberry mixture and top with butter pieces. Roll the second disk to a 12-inch circle and fit over top of the blackberries. Crimp the edges to seal, and brush with the beaten egg. Cut 6 long steam vents into the top crust. Bake the pie until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden, about 1 hour. COol the pie on a rack for at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES:
- Delicious, but super soupy. Literally cut into it, and juice went sloshing over the side of the pan. Good thing we have hardwood floors. That would not have come out of carpet.

Creamiest Lime Cream Pie
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 c. sugar
grated zest of 3 limes
4 large eggs
3/4 c. lime juice (from about 6 limes)
1-inch chunk of ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 t. cornstarch
10 oz. unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces, at room temperature
1 9-inch graham cracker crust

1. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

2. Put the sugar and zest into a heatproof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest between your fingertips for a few minutes, until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lime is strong. Whisk in the eggs, then whisk in the juice, ginger and cornstarch.

3. Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch. Cook the lime cream until it reaches 180 degrees. As your whisk - you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling - you'll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180 degrees, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point - the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience - depending on how much heat your'e giving the cream, getting to temp can take as long as 10 minutes.

4. As soon as it reaches 180 degrees, remove the cream from the heat and pour the cream into the container of a blender. Let it cool until it reaches 140 degrees, about 10 minutes.

5. Turn the blender to high speed and add the butter a few pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed as you incorporate the butter. After all the butter is in, continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes. If you find the machine is getting really hot, work in 1-minute increments, giving the machine a little rest betewen beats.

6. Pour the cream into the graham cracker crust and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

NOTES:
- I knew this was going to be amazing because it uses the same technique as Dorie's Lemon Cream Tart. I was hoping for a little more ginger flavor, though - will have to increase next time.
- Grating tip: don't cut off the 1-inch piece of ginger you need. Just peel that much off the root, and use the rest of it is a handle as you grate.
- I didn't feel like a meringue topping, so I just topped it with slices of mango.

Coconut Passion Fruit Creme Caramel
adapted from Technicolor Kitchen

10 medium passion fruit
2 c. sugar, divided
1 1/2 c. coconut milk
2/3 c. heavy cream
4 eggs
4 egg yolks

1. Halve the passion fruit and scoop the pulp out into a blender. Puree to break up the seeds, and strain the juice into a measuring cup - you'll need 2/3 c. of juice.

2. Combine 1 c. sugar and1 cup water in a small saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes or until caramelized. Remove from heat and pour into a bundt pan. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine remaining cup of sugar, coconut milk and cream in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, yolks and passion fruit juice to combine. Slowly pour the cream over the egg mixture, whisking to combine, then strain into the bundt pan.

4. Place the bundt pan in a roasting pan. Fill pan halfway up sides of the bundt pan with boiling water, cover pan with foil and bake for one hour or until just set. Remove the bundt pan from the water and refrigerate until cold. To serve, dip the bundt pan in boiling water and invert onto a serving plate.

NOTES:
- Have to tell you a secret - this creme caramel actually got turned into "pudding," and is what you see in the long serving bowl in the photo above. I meant to make it to supplement the BFF's birthday, but after hours in the oven, it was still impossibly jiggly. Could have been that in the hurry of Saturday morning, I whisked all the ingredients together instead of boiling the cream and coconut milk separately. Turns out, it's not the same if you just try to heat the whole mixture before baking. Oops.
- That being said, the pudding was delicious. You could hardly taste the passionfruit - it was all coconut. But what do I know, maybe if I had followed instructions, it would have tasted right.

tropical remix

2011-05-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

In the last year or so, my obsessive compulsive tendencies have really reached new heights. On a resume, it's one of those things that translates into "eye for detail" or something equally positive, but these days, I feel straight crazy with it.

Take this birthday cake, for example. Sure, it was for the BFF, so I took a little more care than usual in selecting just the right one. But once I got the direction to go "tropical," I couldn't help but go on a complete Internet rampage finding just the right one. Coconut cake, obvious. Add pineapple, and it's a pina colada cake. What about guava and passionfruit? Is grapefruit tropical? Strawberries aren't really, but am I supposed to resist those little springtime jewels?

Last week, I tested two coconut cakes. I filled them with the strawberry whipped cream in Deborah Madison's Strawberry-Passion Fruit Cream Cake (except I couldn't find passionfruit, so I used dragonfruit, which in case you were wondering, tastes as close to nothing as anything could possibly taste). The coconut cakes were good - interestingly enough, the one that tasted most coconut-y in its batter state was not the most coconut-y when baked. But once the coconut cakes combined with the strawberry whip filling, most of the coconut flavor was hidden. You still had wonderfully moist, buttery cakes, but I felt I would be setting her up for a coconut let-down.

I revisited Local Flavors, and instead of focusing on the filling, I made the cake - an ethereal, orange-scented cake that was very much like angel food when I tested it on my Chorale as mini cupcakes. This was it, I thought.

But what to fill it with? Surely if the strawberry whip was going to overwhelm the much more substantial coconut cakes, I shouldn't expect a different result with this sponge-like orange cake. In keeping with the tropical theme, I pulled a pineapple curd from the archives, the filling from what is still one of my favorite pies to date.

And what of the frosting? I am historically (hysterically?) bad at cake-decorating. I have not the patience nor the gentle hand that is required. So Zoe's toasted meringue frosting (from one of the coconut cakes I tested) held huge appeal. You just glop the stuff on, torch it, and it's beautiful! I'm in. I did have a little difficulty in making the curls - the meringue is very sticky! But the more frosting you slather, the the more dramatic the cake. I couldn't bring myself to make that thick of a layer of frosting, and with the sweetness of the pineapple curd, I'm glad I sacrificed the height of the curls.

So to recap, three cakes later, I couldn't be happier with the final product:

Orange Cake with Pineapple Curd + Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
cobbled together from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors, Foodess and Zoe Bakes
Makes one 9-inch cake

For the cake
8 T. butter, melted
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
12 eggs, separated
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. vanilla extract
grated zest of 2 oranges
1/2 c. orange juice

For the filling
1 1/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. cornstarch
4 cups canned pineapple with juice, pureed
10 egg yolks
1 t. vanilla

For the frosting
1 c. egg whites (from about 8 large eggs)
2 c. sugar
pinch of salt

1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the 8 T. of butter in a medium microwavable bowl, and set aside to cool. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the pan and paper.

2. Beat 12 egg whites on high until they're foamy, then gradually add 1 3/4 c. sugar and 1 t. salt. Continue beating until the whites form moist, stiff peaks. Add 2 t. vanilla.

3. Add the zest to the butter. Beat in the 12 egg yolks, and then fold the mixture in with the egg whites. Fold in the flour and baking soda a half-cup at a time, then fold in the juice. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

4. Make the filling: Whisk together 1 1/3 c. sugar and 2/3 c. cornstarch in a large saucepan. Add the 10 yolks and pineapple puree, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla, and set aside.

5. Make the frosting: Whisk together 1 c. egg whites, 2 c. sugar and pinch of salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Place it over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar has melted and doesn't feel grainy to the touch, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place the bowl onto the mixer and whisk on high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

6. Assemble the cake: Carefully slice each cake crosswise to form 4 total layers. Set the first half on your cake stand and top with a third of the pineapple curd, spreading to within a half inch of the edges. Repeat with remaining cake layers and pineapple curd, ending with cake.

7. Thickly cover the cake with meringue. Glob on the remaining meringue with your hands, pulling away to form the curls. When you're satisfied, use a blowtorch to toast the meringue. A few of the tips may catch fire - just blow them out as you go.

you know i like my chicken fried

2011-05-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

I made a big mistake Monday night. I watched "The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Fried Chicken."

I'm surprised I didn't dream about chicken that night, but all day Tuesday, I was jonesing. I discovered that Koo Koo Roo has chicken strips on their menu, and even had someone willing to lie that they were picking up for a kid. Unfortunately, they needed a 20-minute heads-up on the order - I mean what if I was an obnoxious kid who didn't want to wait for 20 minutes for chicken strips? Luckily for everyone involved, I am an adult and consoled myself with some rotisserie and mac and cheese.

However, I did spend a little time on Chowhound researching LA fried chicken. Despite my misgivings, I decided to go with the handful of people who contributed a very surprising suggestion - Albertson's.

Well, I did it, and I regret it. And now it's two days later, and I've still not gotten a real fried chicken fix. This Olympic Seoul Kitchen was on the menu tonight, and I almost skipped it because I knew I was going to be disappointed that it wasn't fried chicken. Not to say it wasn't good - it was lovely. All very mild - not particularly gingery or garlicky or vinegary. In fact, I didn't think it was particularly "Asian" tasting, either, despite the ingredient list. But Matty did such a beautiful job plating it, and it was actually a very comforting dish, so I couldn't hold my fixation against it.

Olympic Seoul Chicken
adapted from David Lebovitz
Serves 4

8 skinless chicken thighs
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 t. chili powder
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce

1. Heat enough oil in a large skillet until it just covers the bottom. When it’s hot and shimmering, sauté the chicken thighs until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the ginger, garlic and chili powder and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.

3. Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until done. While the thighs are cooking, turn them a couple of times in the marinade.

4. Once they’re done, remove the cover, add the green onions, and cook for another minute or so, until the sauce is slightly thickened.

the good stuff

2011-05-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

You all know I hate salad. This Green Bean + Seared Shrimp Salad with Spicy Curry Vinaigrette is not salad. It's all the good stuff without that crazy filler known as lettuce. Tossed in a lovely, bright curry sauce. I mean, I more than doubled the amount of curry paste called for in the original recipe to taste the curry at all, but I'm sure if you had real curry paste and not Asian-aisle-of-Gelson's curry paste you might need to watch yourself a little more carefully and not go willy-nilly on adding it into the dressing. Was that a run-on sentence? I feel a little loopy. I'm sorry.

I sliced the shrimp in half lengthwise. Is that the right word - lengthwise? I halved them along the deveining line so that it looked like I had two thin shrimp out of the one. Laterally? See, I told you I was loopy. I can't even use my words.

Anyway, I just thought it would make for a prettier presentation than little nubbins of shrimp. Another change: cashews instead of hazelnuts. I thought the richness of cashews would go better with the otherwise light components of the salad. And I was out of hazelnuts. I'm also sure this would taste equally good with scallops, all my worms-of-the-sea-haters out there.

And because I never think we have enough food (even though the salad easily serves 4), I made 4 quick BLT Spring Rolls, lifted straight from White on Rice. You heard me. B. L. T. Spring rolls. It's exactly what you think - bacon, lettuce and tomato in rice paper. File that one under "Why Didn't I Think of That?"

Green Bean + Seared Shrimp Salad with Spicy Curry Vinaigrette
adapted from Barbara Lynch's Stir
Serves 4

1 1/2 T. finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 T. white wine vinegar
1 1/2 T. Thai red curry paste
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. creme fraiche
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1/2 c. cashews
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in half lengthwise
salt and pepper

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar and curry paste. Slowly whisk in the vegetable oil, creme fraiche and lemon juice. Add additional curry paste to taste.

2. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, and boil the green beans until just crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and cool by running cold water over the green beans.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the cashews and toast for a few minutes until the cashews just begin to take on color. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4. In the same skillet, heat the olive oil. Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until pink and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The shrimp can be served warm or at room temperature.

5. To serve, toss the green beans, nuts and shrimp together with the dressing in a large bowl.

two out of three ain't bad

2011-05-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Two out of three ain't bad. Braised duck - good. Braised cabbage - good. Blue cheese polenta - meh. It was just too strong to mesh with the rest of the plate.

This was meant to be the feather in the cap of Matty's birthday week, but last Saturday got so out of hand that we gave up and walked down the street for a hassle-free bite at The Alcove with our friend Greg. We desperately needed to be social anyway. And nothing beats their fish and chips - with sweet potato fries!

Anyway, last Saturday's weather was much more conducive to the all-braising menu, but everything is so hands-off that you definitely don't need to be in the kitchen that long while the oven is on.

The duck was absolutely stellar. And it finished a half hour early, which was pure torture since the cabbage still had an hour to go. The only hassle in this dish was the unpitted olives - they really slow you up when you're trying to devour the dish. However, they lent an amazing flavor to the dish. In fact, I would love to make the "soffrito" of leeks, carrots and olives (pitted) on their own to top crostini. Maybe slowly cooked in some duck fat for extra decadence.

Braised Duck Legs with Leeks + Green Olives
adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food
Serves 2

4 duck legs
salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 thyme sprigs, leaves only
1 bay leaf
1 c. green olives
1/2 c. white wine
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 strip lemon zest

1. The morning before cooking, trim the excess fat from the duck legs and generously season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to braise.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil. Add leeks and carrot, and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the thyme, bay and olives and cook for another 3 minutes.

3. Place the duck legs skin-side down in the skillet. Add the wine, broth and zest. Raise the heat, bring to a simmer and immediately put the skillet in the oven.

4. After 30 minutes, turn the legs skin side up. If necessary, pour off some liquid so that all the duck skin is exposed. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue cooking for 1 to 1 1/2 hours more, or until the skin is browned, and the tip of a knife slips easily in and out of the meat.

This picture is obviously pre-braise. Because once the cabbage is braised, it is not cute. But like all delicious melty, sweet, roasted brassica, beauty is something you ignore. Molly Stevens claims this serves 6. Not true. Matty and I had the whole thing.

Braised Green Cabbage
adapted from Molly Stevens' All About Braising
Serves 2

1 medium head green cabbage
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. olive oil
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2. Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges, and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer. Scatter in the onion and carrot, and drizzle with broth and oil. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

3. Cover tightly with foil and braise in the oven for about 2 hours, turning the cabbage wedges halfway through.

4. Once the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil, increase the oven to 400 degrees, and roast until the vegetables being to brown, another 15 minutes or so. Serve warm or at room temperature.

sounds good

2011-05-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Every time I've ever thought I wanted a tuna fish sandwich, I've been proven wrong. I mean, it sounds good in principle. It's relatively healthy - never mind the glops of mayonniase, it's fish! A tuna melt always sounds like it would be even better - cheese! But any time I order either, I'm disappointed - it's soggy, it's stinky, it's lifeless.

So why did I choose to basically make a tuna quiche? Because, well, it sounded good! Luckily, it really did end up being absolutely delicious.

Neither of us are particularly fans of canned tuna, so originally, I was going to get a tuna steak and braise it a la Molly Stevens, but I got to the store, and nearly fainted at the $20/lb. they were asking for ahi. For a recipe I've never tried, despite it's pedigree, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I called Matty and got the go-ahead to try it with Genova olive-oil packed tuna. $6/lb. I can swing.

I was still quite trepidatious as I cracked open the can. Good sign #1, it wasn't stinky immediately upon opening. In it went with things I know I like - eggs, Gruyere, tomato paste, creme fraiche - and 45 minutes later, with the lovely floral aroma of tomatoes wafting throughout the kitchen, we sat down to a lovely light dinner.

It was creamy without being gloppy, felt light and healthy, but was actually quite filling. We alternated bites of it plain and spread on crackers. I actually think it would make a great sandwich filling (begone, tuna melt!), or even a party dip.

Bouchons au Thon
adapted from Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life
Serves 4

5 oz. canned tuna in oil, drained
3 T. tomato paste
5 T. creme fraiche
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. grated Gruyere
2 T. finely chopped parsley
1/4 of a large onion, diced
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray.

2. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, and add the tuna, tomato paste, creme fraiche, Gruyere, parsley, onion. Mix well, mashing the tuna a bit - the batter should be relatively smooth. Lightly salt and pepper.

3. Spoon the batter evenly into the ramekins, and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the bouchons are golden around the edges and do not jiggle when you shake them.

agree to disagree

2011-05-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Matty thought there was everything weird about this salad. But you know what, his birthday week is over. This one's for me. ;)

No, I wouldn't be so cold. But I thought I was going to lunch on my own today, so I planned on making egg salad; a salad I love, but is on the list of salads he hates (joining pasta salad). Turned out, though, that we were both delayed at our various appointments, and when we reconvened at the house around 3p, we were starving. I carried on with my egg salad plan, but had tons of extra mushrooms, so I made him open-faced toasts with Brie and half of the sauteed mushrooms.

I had the extra mushrooms because the original recipe called for a pound of them, and I thought that was entirely too much. I ended up tweaking a lot of the measurements - less oil, way less mayo (3/4 cups for 4 eggs?? Glop-a-rama!), and a touch less mustard. I sliced my mushrooms instead of chopping them, and I think leaving them in larger pieces prevented them from coloring the rest of the mixture into the unfortunate gray that is featured on Saveur's site. Not that my version is going to win any beauty contests either, though.

My egg yolks were just barely set, so when mixed all together and served on an open-faced baguette, it tasted vaguely of an eggs Benedict with mushrooms. While it was part of the reason why I liked it, Matty thought it was weird was that the mushrooms weren't completely chilled while the eggs were. I didn't mind, but am looking forward to the leftovers, which will all be one temperature tomorrow.

Russian Egg + Mushroom Salad
adapted from Saveur
Makes 2 cups

2 T. olive oil
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 small red onion, diced
2 T. minced chives
4 hard-boiled eggs
2 T. mayonnaise
1 T. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a 10″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions, and cook until browned and all liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, roughly mash the eggs with the mayonnaise and mustard. Add the mushrooms and chives and gently combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

a heart attack, -ack, -ack, -ack, -ack, -ack

2011-05-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

Don't even look at this recipe if you're not absolutely positive you have salad fixings or some seriously green vegetables in your crisper. You'll need a power hose to clear out your arteries just from reading this.

This Gnocchi Mac + Cheese is intense. Rich cheese sauce soaking completely leaden flour bombs. Now, the leaden part is my fault. I couldn't leave well enough alone and tweaked the gnocchi in two ways: 1) instead of a normal potato-based gnocchi, I rehashed Goat Cheese + Chive Gnocchi with Trader Joe's four-pepper and garlic-herb goat cheese, and 2) I pan-fried the gnocchi instead of just boiling them. I think both contributed heavily to the heaviness of the dish. If it weren't for the completely plain green beans I steamed up on the side, I am sure I would have food coma'd about 2 bites in.

Matty got seconds - I mean it is his birthday celebration after all. I didn't even want to walk by a mirror for the rest of the evening. But I will try this recipe again with the standard boiled potato gnocchi, and see if it was the fluffy cheesiness I originally imagined it to be.

Goat Cheese + Chive Gnocchi Mac + Cheese
adapted from The Kitchn and Noble Pig

For the gnocchi
7 oz. goat cheese
1 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. fresh chives, chopped
2 t. salt
1 c. all purpose flour
2 T. olive oil
OR 1 lb. prepared gnocchi, prepared according to package directions

For the cheese sauce
4 T. butter
2 T. garlic, finely chopped
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. milk
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Italian truffle cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c. Parmesan, shredded

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine goat cheese, Parmesan, egg, chives and salt. Mix with a fork until smooth. Add flour a spoonful at a time until dough comes together but is still a little wet.

2. Lightly flour a work surface and line a jelly roll pan with wax paper. On the floured surface, knead dough for about a minute. If it's still a little sticky, add some flour as needed, a spoonful at a time.

3. Divide dough in half. Flour hands and roll into each piece back and forth until it becomes a rope about 1-inch thick. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. If desired, roll each piece against the back of a fork to add texture. Place gnocchi on wax paper-lined pan and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and mustard. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

6. Add cheese by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.

7. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the chilled gnocchi in batches, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a baking dish, and pour cheese sauce over. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

8. Bake gnocchi until they puff and cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

fast forward

2011-05-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

Meal #4 for Matty's birthweek: Truffled Broccoli Calzones. How did I get to #4, you ask? Well, the post for #3 was eaten up, then just plain delayed, by the Blogger-Fail of 2011, so I'll have to keep you in suspense for scallops and garlic noodles. Then we had a lovely meal out when we went to see the incomparable Gabe Dixon play at Room5 Wednesday night. And here we are, #4.

The truffle in this calzone was from Trader Joe's Italian truffle cheese, one of my favorite cheese board treats from that fine establishment. It's a fairly mild truffle flavor, so between all the broccoli and pizza dough, it does get a little lost. However, outside of the pizza dough, you can still taste it - it was all I could do to not eat the cheesy broccoli filling straight from the pan. In fact, I think it would make a lovely pasta topping, perhaps on top of plainly cooked pasta slicked back with truffle oil to further pronounce that earthy flavor.

I served it over Barbara Lynch's Butcher Shop Bolognese, which had been living in my freezer for the last 4 months (and none the worse for wear). The heaviness of the sauce very nicely rounded out the meal, but if you wanted to keep it entirely vegetarian, a simpler tomato sauce make for a lovely light summer dinner.

For the photograph's sake, this particular serving couldn't be hand-held, but it would otherwise make a neat, fun broccoli pocket. If it weren't such a pain to roll out pizza dough, I'd be open to halving the size of these to serve as appetizers alongside a shot glass of tomato sauce.

Truffled Broccoli Calzones
adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 8 calzones

2 T. olive oil
24 oz. broccoli florets, chopped if large
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 t. red-pepper flakes
2 lbs. fresh pizza dough
1 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded Italian truffle cheese
salt and pepper
your favorite tomato sauce, optional

1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium. Add garlic, broccoli and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Stretch each piece out into a 6x8-inch oval.

3. Stir cheeses into cooled broccoli mixture; season generously with salt and pepper. Spread a rounded 1/2 cup broccoli mixture over half of each piece of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border; fold over to form a half-moon. Press edges to seal. With a paring knife, cut 2 slits in the top of each calzone.

4. Using a wide metal spatula with a thin blade, transfer calzones to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper; reshape if needed.

5. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce, if desired.

filled with memories

2011-05-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

When I was a freshman in college, every Tuesday was La Salsa night. No Taco Tuesday for me - it was always Quesadilla Tuesday. There was the occasional gathering at El Cholo, but for the most part, La Salsa was my main Mexican food experience for years. Even my then-unrefined palate knew Tuesdays were more about the company than the food, but it's not like anyone was going to screw up a quesadilla.

These days, my Mexican food options around the office very much resemble my college experience - Poquito Mas, Chipotle, and the closest to my near-and-dear La Salsa, Baja Fresh. But now that my taste buds are total snobs, I only begrudgingly agree to order my standard quesadilla when the office wants Mexican.

However, I have found a new favorite over at Poquito Mas, their Scampi Burrito. Nothing but shrimp, rice and salsa. I called upon this favorite when I saw Elise's Baked Shrimp + Tomatillos, and instead of stuffing them in a flour tortilla like the Mas, I stuffed mine in a roasted pasilla pepper to make another Matty-approved birthweek dinner.

I loved the tomatillos in this - a little less tart, but at the same time, a little more citrusy than the tomatoes in that inspirational burrito. I used langoustines in this particular version because I can't pass them up every time I see them in the frozen section at Trader Joe's, but regular shrimp would be more than satisfactory. The panela cheese gave the dish pops of saltiness, but never weighed it down.

And the slacker side dish, which turned out to be completely addictive and delicious, was a 14-oz. can of Cuban black beans, a 14-oz. can of corn and 2 handfuls of spinach, tossed in the juice of half a lime and a couple glugs of olive oil. The spinach wilts a bit, the beans add a little heft to the meal, and the sweetness of the corn balances everything right out.

Chiles Rellenos with Roasted Shrimp + Tomatillos
inspired by Simply Recipes

4 pasilla chiles
2 T. olive oil
1 c. rice
2 c. water
1 T. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded, minced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb. tomatillos, chopped
salt and pepper
3/4 lb. shrimp
8 oz. panela cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1. Preheat the broiler. Brush the pasillas with olive oil and broil in a cast iron pan, turning occasionally, until charred. Meanwhile, cook 1 c. rice with the butter in 2 c. boiling water according to package instructions. Set aside.

2. When peppers are done, remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until cool enough to handle. Turn off the broiler and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

3. Add the onions and jalapeños to the same cast iron pan and cook for 5 minutes on medium high until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the tomatillos, reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatillos are cooked through. Add the shrimp. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir through cooked rice, cheese and cilantro. Set aside.

4. When pasillas are cool enough to handle, peel and seed them, taking care to keep the pepper as intact as possible. Stuff with shrimp mixture - you'll have leftover filling. Return pasillas to the oven just before serving to heat through. Serve immediately.

happy birthday to you, my love

2011-05-08T18:52:00.001-07:00

It's Matty's birthday! I freaking love birthdays, and celebrating birthdays, and when it's my favorite's? I mean, I get nuts. We spent the day Rose Bowl Flea Market-ing, record buying, crossing off breakfast burritos off Serious Eats' list-ing - just having a magnificent us-day. And to cap off the day? Ribs, cornbread and greens, of course. This is a first in a series of birth week dinners of his favorite things.

For a brief moment in prepping this, I thought I was going insane. Despite it being in the title, I couldn't for the life of me figure out where the cayenne went. I left it out, and it still had a bit of kick to it. Add cayenne at your discretion. Oh, and add maple syrup at your discretion, too. I thought it came out just a little too sweet, so next time, I would skip the maple altogether. There's plenty of brown sugar in the rub for your sugar fix.

I think in general, I'm not the biggest fan of pork ribs. I mean, why bother when there are beef ribs to be had? But in fairness, the ribs were wonderfully juicy, and while the flavors were obviously more concentrated on the crust since there was no marinade time, it still had enough kick to make each bite interesting. Of course, if you can smoke these in a smoker, or even quickly grill them off, you'd only be improving them.

Spicy Cinnamon Baby Back Ribs with Maple Glaze
from Steamy Kitchen

1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. paprika
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. crushed red pepper
1 t. salt
3 lbs. pork baby back ribs
1/4 c. maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the tough membrane from the underside of the ribs.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, ground cinnamon, crushed red pepper and salt. Place ribs on a double layer of tin foil (large enough to wrap around ribs) and season the ribs on both sides with the rub. Fold over foil and completely cover ribs. Place ribs on baking sheet or roasting pan.

3. Bake 1 hour or until meat starts to pull away from bones.

4. Turn broiler on to high and move rack to upper-mid position. Carefully open foil. Brush ribs with maple syrup. Broil ribs 3-4 minutes until browned.

For the greens, I just chopped a bunch of kale and tossed it with one mashed avocado, the juice of half a lemon and a couple glugs of olive oil. The kind of salad I could eat every day for the rest of my life. Virtuous but creamy, rich but bright from the bare whisper of acidity the lemon brings to the table.

Oh, and what's that shining brick of deliciousness on the right there? Oh, no big deal - it's just Molly Wizenberg's Custard Filled Cornbread. I mean, doesn't the name alone just beg you to make it? In a fascinating trick of pure bewitching, the cup of cream poured into the middle of the pan of batter becomes a luscious layer of custardy goodness, capped by the crunch of medium grind cornmeal. As good as a side as it would probably be for breakfast - Matty suggested French toasting a couple slices. I don't generally eat breakfast before I work out on weekdays, and the leftovers will be gone by the weekend, so it looks like I'm going to have to restock the cornmeal for another batch.

Custard Filled Cornbread
adapted slightly from Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life

3 T. butter
1 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal, medium ground
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
2 large eggs
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 T. distilled vinegar
1 c. heavy cream
pure maple syrup, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan. Put the buttered dish in the oven to warm while you make the batter.

2. In a large microwavable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Cool slightly.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda.

4. When the butter has cooled a bit, add the eggs and whisk to blend well. Then add the sugar, salt, milk and vinegar and whisk well again. Whisking constantly, add the flour mixture. Mix until batter is smooth and no lumps are visible.

5. Remove the heated pan from the oven, and pour in the batter. Then pour the cream into the center of the batter. Do not stir. Carefully slide the pan back into the oven, taking care not to knock, and baked until golden brown on top, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm, with maple syrup.

all for mama

2011-05-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Food coma. Physically unable to do a real post. Have no idea how I made it through the drive home. Here are the bullets on Crab and Pinenut Lasagna for an early Mother's Day dinner:

- Holy crap, this is good.

- It's very creamy. It may have set up a little nicer if it had a few more minutes of rest (I gave it about 10 minutes), but I could probably also cut the bechamel down by a cup of milk. Could probably stand to get rid of the ricotta, too.

- I upped the crab a bit from the original recipe, and I thought it struck a nice balance with the other ingredients. I feel that a lot of crab dishes, especially in restaurants, don't have enough - splurge for your mama.

- The original recipe calls for throwing in raw mushroom slices. I was afraid things could get really watery without a pre-saute, so I cooked them down with thyme first. Liked the additional herbal flavor that added.

Crab and Pinenut Lasagna
adapted from Saveur

For the béchamel:
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 t. extra-virgin olive oil
8 T. butter
1/4 c. sifted flour
4 c. milk
Grated zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

For the filling
1 lb. crab meat
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
4 oz. shredded mozzarella
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 T. olive oil
1 t. thyme
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 c. ricotta
3/4 c. pinenuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put garlic and oil in center of a medium piece of foil, fold foil into a packet, then roast in oven until garlic is soft, about 45 minutes. While garlic is roasting, saute the mushrooms in 1 T. olive oil until they release their liquid. Add thyme and saute until liquid has evaporated. Set aside. When garlic is done, mash into a paste and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is as thick as heavy cream, about 20 minutes. Add garlic paste, lemon zest, and salt to taste. Remove pan from heat.

3. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter. Line bottom of dish with 3 lasagna noodles. Scatter half of the crab, half of the mushrooms and 1 c. of the béchamel on top, then sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Cover with another layer of pasta, scatter remaining crab, mushrooms and Parmesan on top, add dollops of ricotta, and spread another cup of béchamel on top. Cover with another layer of pasta, spread the remaining béchamel on top, sprinkle with the mozzarella, and scatter pine nuts on top. Bake until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

some like it hot

2011-05-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Matty hates pasta salad. I was devastated when I found that out. I ate pasta salad by the bucketfuls in college (hello, Freshman 15), and I still find it difficult to consider a barbecue complete without it. But I'll take pasta any way it comes, and this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is just as good warm as it is cold. I'm thinking of cheating on my juice fast with the leftovers.

I was afraid, for a brief moment, that I was overwhelming the dish with too many flavors. The sun-dried tomatoes. The fennel. The arugula. The feta-stuffed peppers from Whole Foods I was going to top the dish with. It was a taste bomb for sure, but luckily, all the flavors worked very well together.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
adapted from Shutterbean
Serves 4

For the pesto
4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
2 medium shallots
1/2 c. walnuts
1 t. fennel
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. olive oil

For the pasta
1 lb. fusilli
7 oz. arugula
one 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Soak the tomatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes.

2. While the tomatoes are re-hydrating, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Saute the arugula in olive oil until just wilted, then add the artichoke hearts to heat through. When the pasta is done, drain and toss with the vegetables.

3. Drain the tomatoes and add to the bowl of a food processor along with the shallots, walnuts, fennel and salt. Process until the mixture is homogenous. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Add more olive oil if you prefer a creamier texture.

4. Toss the pasta-vegetable mixture with the pesto and serve immediately. If you would prefer to serve this as a cold pasta salad, refrigerate the pasta and pesto separately and combine just before serving.

there's too much

2011-05-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

I never think I have enough fruit in my diet. Occasionally, this manifests itself in a massive buying spree, and inevitably ends in a few things being tossed out because I haven't made room for them in my belly. Today's surplus came from over-buying bananas - I needed a few for some Baked Oatmeal (this time with blackberries), but I over-estimated how many we'd want to snack on this week. By Friday, I still had a speckled group taunting me from the counter.

I've made a variety of banana-centric goods on this blog, from breads to puddings to even empanadas, and I've loved them all, but I wanted to try something new. A Google search for "banana bars" yielded these amazing Roasted Banana Bars, and I may never go back to any other recipe.

The distinction between this and other banana breads is the roasting step - it adds 35 minutes to the process, but in those 35 minutes, the bananas commingle with brown sugar to form a rich, luscious concentrated potion that perfumes every bite of the finished cake and stays in your memory for days and days. It's very sweet, but not cloyingingly so, although I hesitate to add the frosting from the original recipe - you don't need it, especially if you intend to call it breakfast. In future, I might even decrease the amount of granulated sugar, and use a darker brown sugar to add another level of depth to the cake.

The texture is also fantastic - light and fluffy, but not too crumby that you couldn't walk around the house snacking on a bite without fear of leaving a trail behind you. I should know - I've been doing that all weekend.

Roasted Banana Bars
adapted from Cooking Light

2 c. sliced ripe banana (about 3-4 medium)
1/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 T. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
9 oz. cake flour (about 2 1/4 c.)
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine banana, brown sugar, and 1 T. butter in an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool slightly.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

4. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Combine banana mixture, buttermilk, and 1 t. vanilla in the baking dish.

5. Place 1/2 c. butter and the granulated sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer, and beat at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture in 3 batches, alternating with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

6. Pour batter into a lightly-greased 13x9–inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

simple together

2011-05-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

A really quick one to recap our last home-cooked meal before Matty's parents went back East. No recipe, just general notes. A real team effort with the men at the grill and the women on the sides.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous for their trip. They've only visited us twice before here - once in June when it was hot as Hades, and once in October when, you know, it's unpredictable October weather. LA trying to be "fall." But this week was perfect - upper 70s and low 80s during the day, turning into a light chill in the evening (but of course, not too chilly to walk down the street for gelato).

We decided to take advantage of two of the greatest perks of living here - the gorgeous weather to grill our dinner, and our favorite local meat and fish purveyors, McCall's. It wasn't there the last time they visited, so Matty took them down to make a selection for the grill.

What they came back with was 4 gorgeous pieces of halibut. We didn't want to do any rubs or marinades that would overwhelm and detract from the gorgeous fillets, so Matty simply salted the fish and planked them on a piece of wood, cooking for a few minutes a side. What came out was perfectly flaky, golden morsels with edges just smoky enough to hint to the special preparation.

The most fun for me was making different herbed brown butter "sauces" to go with the fish. I browned a stick of butter over very low heat, near the point of burning. I mean, literally, I was checking email, and were it not for Deb's asking if I meant to let the butter foam up like crazy, we would have had a disaster on our hands. But anyway, the browned butter got divided evenly into four ramekins each containing chopped oregano, thyme, sage or parsley. I think the consensus was that the parsley was best. While the other three were good, they were a little too earthy, and didn't contrast well with the smoked flavor. The parsley really livened up the palate.

The sides were simply sauteed chopped broccoli and green onions stirred into a pot of rice, and buttered green beans. Lovely and simple. Easy and perfect.

coming home

2011-04-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's been an insanely heavy week. I'm not exactly sure which way is up, and I've actually only got this free minute to update because I went to the wrong location for a video shoot, and can't make it back across town for it before Reverse Osmosis' 10-year anniversary dinner. I won't have free time until May 14. Please, oh please, don't burst my bubble and tell me someone's planned something for that weekend. I'm not sure I'll be able to take it.

Anyway. Let's go all the way back to Tuesday, shall we? Matty's parents were with us for a few days, on the tail end of their amazing 3-month around-the-world trip. I wanted something quick and light in case they were jet-lagged and wanted to get to bed early. After roasting the eggplant (which I did that morning before work), making the stuffing takes just a few minutes on the stovetop and then another 20 in the oven. Lightning fast by my norms.

Time management aside, there was also a question of what to stuff the stuffing in. I briefly considered stuffing it in cannelloni or even large shells, topping with a bechamel or browned butter sauce, but I ended up using the eggplant skins as the original recipe called for.

The skins actually became the perfect vehicle because eating them added the right eggplant kick to a stuffing that was mostly overwhelmed by the spicy Italian sausage I used. I think I'll use an unspiced ground meat next time (maybe turkey for an even milder flavor) to let the roasted eggplant really come through.

And that's white asparagus wrapped in bacon on the side, roasted alongside the eggplant. I've got awful childhood memories of a white asparagus and crab soup, but I think those asparagus came from a can, rendering them mushy and terrifying to this child. Y'all could have spit up your broccoli and Brussels sprouts into a napkin when you were kids, but let me tell you, there's nowhere to spit up asparagus soup.

I hate to think that's what kept me from fresh white asparagus for so long. The real thing is delicious - light and crisp, with bite even after having been roasted for a half hour. I ran out of bacon before I ran out of asparagus, so I've got a whole other bunch to myself in the crisper.

Stuffed Eggplant
adapted from The Atlantic
Serves 4 as a light meal

2 medium eggplants
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced green pepper
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms
1 c. panko, divided
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Lightly salt the bottom of a baking sheet and place the eggplant flat side down. Roast for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, green pepper and mushrooms, cooking until onion is nearly translucent. Add sausage, breaking up with the back of a spoon. When the sausage is cooked through, add 3/4 c. of the panko and set aside.

4. When eggplant is cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides with a spoon, leaving the skin intact (like a boat) to stuff. Roughly chop the eggplant and add to the sausage mixture, stirring to combine. Evenly distribute the stuffing. Top with the remaining bread crumbs and Parmesan.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the top is well-browned. Serve immediately.

And what homecoming would be complete without dessert? This was also incredibly easy, whipped up in the time it took to bake the eggplant, and taking over for it in the oven while we were eating. I thought the yogurt-flour filling was incredibly odd-textured - the wallpaper paste comparison in the original recipe wasn't far from the truth. I think I kind of expected the yogurt to melt between and into the strawberries, but I guess I should have known once the flour got in there. The strawberries were perfect, though, so thankfully, that paste wasn't completely overwhelming.

Strawberry Yogurt Pie
adapted from Worth the Whisk

1 unbaked pie crust
1 lb. fresh strawberries, trimmed and halved
1 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Into a large mixing bowl, sift flour and sugar. Add yogurt and blend until flour is incorporated (it will be very thick). Gently fold in the berries.

2. Pour fruit into pie shell and using a spatula, gently spread to edges. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

happy easter

2011-04-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

I generally like to keep my meals balanced. Sure, I'll go on the occasional mac and cheese binge, but for the most part, I make sure there are as many vegetables as meat products, and more or less as much freshness as fried. Except today. Today, for Easter Sunday, you can tell from the spread that I forgot to serve anything other than meat and carbs. Fried (and some baked) meat and carbs.

Friends were bringing breakfast-y items (Brooke with her delicious Paula Deen-inspired pecan French toast, Greg with his made-to-order omelettes, Paul with his fruit mix, Tim with Porto's goodies, and Brandon with his bacon and mimosas), so I got to have a little fun with some traditionally non-brunch items. I also got to use the crap out of my kitchen scale to portion everything out evenly, which pleases my OCD self to no end. However, that's the only scale I'll even dare to look at after today's feast.

Now these are Easter eggs. Scotch Eggs. Some people laughed when this particular menu item was shared. Why? Is it some formerly trendy food item that no one's admitted making/liking since? Because I'm all in for eggs wrapped in meat, coated in panko and fried. Half a dozen were wrapped in mild Italian sausage, and the other half was wrapped in hot Italian sausage - denoted by the pepper I fished out of my olive jar. Clever, no?

They were just perfect, and good at any temperature, which meant I could snack on them all day long. The only differences from Melissa Clark's recipe below is that I used a bit less meat (given all the other meat on the menu), and didn't bother spicing the already well-seasoned sausage mixture. I wish I had thought to cut them up so you can see the meat, but we were in too much of a hurry to eat them.

Scotch Eggs
adapted from A Good Appetite
Makes 12 scotch eggs

14 medium eggs
2 lbs. bulk Italian sausage
1 c. panko
canola oil for frying

1. Place 12 eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off heat and cover for 7 minutes. Remove eggs to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.

2. Divide the sausage into 12 equal patties. Enclose each hard-boiled egg completely in a sausage patty, molding the sausage into place.

3. In a small bowl, beat the remaining two eggs. Dip the sausage-coated eggs in the beaten eggs, letting the excess drip off, and roll them in the panko, coating well.

4. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of oil. Heat to 350 degrees. Fry the eggs in batches, turning them occasionally until golden and cooked through, about 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Good served immediately, warm or at room temperature.

My favorite thing by far on the menu were the Lamb Pies. I don't even really like lamb, but Hank Shaw's description (albeit his description of his venison version) sold me. And the flavor wasn't terribly lamb-y - it was just really rich without being fatty, with the dominant flavor of oregano, strong but not overpowering.

Everything about them was perfect. The dough was a dream to work with - it didn't stick to anything and rolled out without resistance. I was a little afraid that they'd be soupy from the fat rendering out, but you could literally pick them up with your hands and bite down without fear of dripping everywhere, although that's not to say they were at all dry. It was just amazing how much they came out exactly as I had hoped they would. Bonus: how gorgeous did that egg wash make them look? I'm sorry, but I really had to pat myself on the back for this one.

Lamb Pies
adapted from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Makes three 6-inch pies

For the dough
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 T. butter
3/4 c. warm water (about 115 degrees)
1 yeast packet

For the filling
1 lb. ground lamb
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. fresh oregano, chopped
2 T. parsley, chopped
2 T. green onion, chopped
2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper

1. Mix the yeast and the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and let hydrate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt, and then work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Using the dough hook, mix until a smooth ball forms. Cover the bowl with parchment paper and let rise for an hour. Meanwhile, mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

3. Divide the dough into thirds. Divide one third into thirds again - these will be the top crusts. Divide the remaining two-thirds into thirds - these will be the bottom crusts.

4. Roll each of the 3 larger balls into 6-inch circles (about 1/8-inch thick). Divide the filling between these three circles, leaving about a 1 inch border. To make the top of the pies, roll the 3 smaller balls into 5-inch circles. Lay on top of the filling. Pull the bottom crust up to meet the top crust and pinch and crimp it over to seal the pie.

5. With a very sharp knife, slice vents in the top of the pie. Beat an egg with a little water and brush all the pies with it. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Let the pies rest on a rack for at least 10 minutes. Good hot, cold or at room temperature.

And finally, glorious dessert. Even though we had all sworn hours ago that we couldn't eat another bite. I'm both proud and disgusted with myself that I started the second wind of eating by requesting an omelette at about 2:30p. After that, dessert seemed easy.

Tres leches has long been a favorite. Add mango puree to the whipped cream? Why, don't mind if I do. Please and thank you, Melissa Clark.

Mango Tres Leches Cake
adapted from A Good Appetite
Makes 18 slices

5 T. butter, melted, plus more to grease pan
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. plus 2 to 3 T. sugar, more to taste
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. plus a pinch fine sea salt
6 large eggs, separated
1/3 c. plus 3 T. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. cream of tartar
2 c. cubed very ripe mango
1 can (15 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 c. of the sugar, the baking powder and 1/4 t. salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, melted butter, 3 T. of the milk and vanilla.

2. Using an electric mixer set on medium, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until thick, fluffy and white but before peaks form. Add 1/4 c. of sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until the whites are glossy and firm peaks form when the beaters are lifted.

3. Whisk half the flour mixture into the yolks (it will seem like paste). Whisk a quarter of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in another quarter of the whites. Sift half of the remaining flour mixture over the batter and fold in. Fold in another quarter of the egg whites followed by the rest of the sifted flour and finally the rest of the whites. Scrape batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool.

4. Meanwhile in a blender or food processor, purée the mango with 2 to 3 T. sugar, or to taste depending upon how sweet your mango is.

5. When the cake is cool, use a fork to poke holes all over the top, then cut the cake into 18 pieces, but don’t take the pieces out of the pan.

6. In a small saucepan over medium heat stir together the coconut milk, condensed milk, remaining 1/3 c. milk and a pinch of salt. Heat until steaming, then pour it evenly over the cake. Cover and chill the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight.

7. Just before serving, whip the cream with the cinnamon and half of the puréed mango until thick and mousse-like. Taste and add more sugar if it tastes flat. Spread the mango cream on the cake, then dollop on the remaining mango purée. Use a spatula to swirl the mango purée into a marble-like pattern. Or use the purée as a sauce when you serve the cake.

i melt

2011-04-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one today because I'm late for my first taste of USC football this year, and I won't be able to elaborate later because I'll be eye-deep in Easter brunch prep. This is my tribute to April, aka National Grilled Cheese Month and the Grilled Cheese Invitational, which I'll be missing due to aforementioned Easter prep.

When I first saw this Grilled Cheese Eggsplosion, I thought it was pure genius. I mean, two pieces of toad in a hole sandwiching cheese? Yes, please. Unfortunately, in practice, it's kind of unnecessarily complicated. It was a fun diversion for a Saturday morning, but next time I get a similar craving, I'll just make myself a fried egg sandwich with cheese.

Grilled Cheese Eggsplosion
from Serious Eats
Makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices of bread
4 T. butter
4 eggs
4 slices Kraft singles

1. Melt the butter on a griddle.

2. Cut a hole out of the center of each slice of bread and toast both sides in the butter of the hole-y toast as well as the holes themselves. Crack an egg into each hole and cook until the bottom is set enough to flip.

3. Place a slice and a half of cheese over two of the eggs. Divide the remaining slice over two of the toast holes. Top each cheesed half with its partner. Cook over low heat until cheese has fully melted. Serve immediately.

that's what you get

2011-04-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

I almost don't want to share this because I have nothing good to say about it. Nothing against the recipe - I just didn't have the brain space to retain the fact that this needed to marinate a minimum of 2 hours and preferably overnight. I only had enough time to slam my laptop down in frustration after reading those instructions, and marinating at room temperature for 30 minutes. Oops.

As such, this was just Chicken in Spiced Tomato Sauce and not Murgh Makhani. I was devastated. But maybe you're better at following directions and won't bore your mouth like I did.

Murgh Makhani
adapted from Tastytype
Serves 4

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch dice
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 T. fresh ginger, grated
1 t. salt
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
2 t. Garam Masala
1 medium onion, chopped
2 whole cloves
2 black peppercorns
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 T. agave nectar
8 ounces whole milk
1 tablespoon butter
cooked basmati rice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Stir together yogurt, ginger, salt, garlic, jalapeno and Garam Masala. Stir in the chicken to cover completely. Marinate in the fridge for at least two hours or up to overnight.

2. In a large saucepan, cook the onion, cloves, and peppercorns until onions are translucent. Add the chicken, tomatoes, and agave nectar and stir together. Simmer together until all ingredients are heated through and flavors come together.

4. At this point, you could let it cool, refrigerate it and reheat it the next day. The flavors will be more intense. To serve, add the cream and butter and stir together. Bring up to a simmer and let butter melt.

5. Serve over basmati rice and sprinkle with cilantro.

this earthly heaven

2011-04-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

What this Truffled Fusilli with Blue Cheese-Mushroom Gratin lacked in good looks, it more than made up for in taste and comfort. What I should have done, just for neatness, was toss the pasta with the mushrooms (perhaps adding some liquid to prevent the pasta from drying out), sprinkle on the blue cheese-crumb topping and let the whole thing bake. At the same time, it was fun to serve them separately and swish everything together individually.

What a great set of textures. The chew of the pasta, the crunch of the almonds, the creaminess of the pockets of cheese. I loved that the thyme, still a fairly earthy flavor, was the brightest note in the whole dish. I took out all the lemon zest and juice called for in the original recipe (a little gun-shy after having an otherwise-stellar burger completely overwhelmed by its lemon aioli this weekend), but if you think you'd like more brightness, toss a bit in to the mushroom mixture before baking.

Truffled Fusilli with Blue Cheese-Mushroom Gratin
adapted from What We're Eating

For the gratin:
3 T. duck fat, divided
2 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 1-inch chunks
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, halved
1 lb. oyster mushrooms, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 c. cream
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 c. almonds
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 t. salt, more to taste
1/2 t. pepper, more to taste
2 T. butter, diced
3 oz. crumbled blue cheese

For the pasta:
1 lb. fusilli
2 T. truffle oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat 2 T. duck fat in a 12-inch skillet. Add portobello mushrooms and saute until they just take on color, about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the mushrooms, the thyme and remaining duck fat, and saute until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the garlic, almonds, flour, rolled oats, salt, pepper and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until small crumbs form. Add crumbled blue cheese and toss with your hands to fully incorporate the blue cheese into the crumb mixture. Set aside.

4. Once the mushrooms have reduced, add the cream and Parmesan and stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with the crumb mixture and transfer the skillet to the oven to bake for about 30 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown.

5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well and toss with truffle oil and a dash of salt. Divide among serving bowls.

6. When the gratin is done, let cool for 10 minutes before scooping over the pasta bowl and serving.

a good start

2011-04-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

This is a highly unoriginal statement, but Heidi Swanson rules. The food blogosphere is aflutter with the release of her newest book, Super Natural Every Day, and rightly so - it's a gorgeous compendium of healthy, real food presented in a beautiful and most importantly, accessible, way. You're not being preached at to include grains, etc. in your diet. It's more like, "Hey, look how gorgeous these grains look. Don't you want some?" I don't think it's possible to turn down any of her photographs.

Baked Oatmeal. A far cry from my breakfast of jelly beans last Friday. It smells like heaven while it's baking - the aroma of roasting strawberries may be one of the greatest joys in life. I prefer a drier oatmeal, so the texture of this dish was perfect for me. I used agave nectar rather than sugar or maple syrup, and I thought the light sweetness was a good level since the pops of strawberry and banana were more than sugar. I thought about grabbing some bacon as a side, but then I figured, why ruin this beautiful simplicity?

This could be easily veganized with a flax seed egg and non-dairy milk - almond would probably be my choice.

Coconut-Strawberry-Banana Baked Oatmeal
adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day via Lottie + Doof
Serves 6

2 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. shredded coconut
1/4 c. agave nectar
1 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 T. coconut oil, melted
2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups strawberries, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.

2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, shredded coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the agave nectar, milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour over the oat mixture, add strawberries and stir gently to combine.

4. Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oat-milk mixture over the bananas.

5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.