Bliss Casserole - Vegetarian Cooking

It started slowly, a tingle in the back of my mind. For the last few weeks, I've been thinking about wanting to play with vegetarian dishes. Next thing I knew, this morning my creative juices were flowing like apple cider in October, and by the time the Giants game started, the internal brainstorm session was in full swing.

Black beans... black beans with something in the orange family... pumpkin? Butternut squash? Sweet potatoes. Ok, black beans and sweet potatoes with... Contrasting flavors and textures... spinach. What if they all go together? Like a casserole? Something on the bottom - has to be fresh.

The result? Something I'm calling Bliss Casserole. Why Bliss? Because I happened the flavors were heavenly and when before I could think of a better name, I saw an open bottle of Bliss Cabernet Sauvignon on the counter.

The presentation needs some work - Each layer needs to be set one at a time instead of all at once.

Layer 1 (bottom): Green Rice; long-grain rice with cilantro and lime zest
Layer 2: Black bean puree with a hint of jalapeno and onion
Layer 3: Wilted spinach with garlic and nutmeg
Layer 4: Mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon, chipotle, lime juice and a touch of brown sugar

The key is to flavor each layer as if you would eat it on its own. Make sure each is seasoned to your liking with salt and pepper.

Bon Appetite.

Arroz con Pollo

Years ago while in culinary school, I had a chef-instructor who would always whip up a batch of her "Mexican Rice" while we worked in the kitchen. To me, it was a little bit of heaven after a challenging day slaving over a hot stove. Never having seen her make it, the memory of its flavors and textures stayed with me. I know she used a lot of whatever was laying around so some nights there would be chicken or various forms of pork in it so while different every time, somehow it remained constant in my memory. Still unable to replicate it, I'd almost given up. Until last night...

While this isn't a perfect replica, this version conjured the same comfort and deliciousness that Chef's dish provided. Which also proves that recipes are mere suggestions. If the overall dish is successful, who cares if you used only had a red pepper but no green? Trust me, noone will care.

Note: This recipe can easily be doubled and was created with what I had on hand - just make sure you use 1 part rice to 2 parts water.

Yield: 3-4 portions

Arroz con Pollo

½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
½ small yellow onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ cup dry white wine
¾ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. ground chipotle
½ cup long-grain rice
1 cup water
1/3 cup canned diced or chopped tomatoes
½ cup frozen corn
½ cup frozen peas
2 Tbs capers, drained and rinsed
¼ cup green olives, chopped
2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a large, heavy pot (with a lid) and brown chicken on both sides, 2 min per side. Using tongs, remove chicken and set aside.

Add an additional 1 Tbs olive oil and add onion, garlic and both peppers and cook over medium-high heat until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Let the wine bubble until reduced.

Add rice and stir to coat with the olive oil and vegetables. Add in water, tomatoes, paprika, chipotles and reserve chicken and any accumulated juices.

Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add in frozen corn and peas, cover and let cook an additional 5 minutes.

Stir in olives, capers and parsley and serve.

A Glimpse Into A Food-Obsessed Mind

It's been awhile since my last post. I've been busy preparing for my big move back into Manhattan after a 9-year hiatus. Anyone who has downsized knows that you can't just pack. You have to study every item and think to yourself, "do I really need this?"

During this process, I came across a scrap of paper. It is obviously a brainstorm session I had with myself on meal ideas, but I have no idea when it was written nor do I have any recollection of writing it, but it's definitely my handwriting. There are actually some really good ideas on the list (some of which I've made before, some I haven't played with yet). I thought I'd share them here not only for your benefit but so I have an electronic version of this list. I guarantee you'll see some of these show up again here.

The List, exactly how it appears on the piece of paper...

Ahi Poke (tartare): sesame crackers - Eda puree

Sesame crusted tuna: lemon, wasabi, sesame oil, soy sauce

Swordfish: tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, olives, garlic

Fish Tacos: lime juice, ancho chili powder, jalapeno, cilantro

Shrimp: black bean puree / tequila lime avocado

Fava bean salad

* Pesto

Gazpacho - salad

Mixed clams/mussels

Pork tenderloin: garlic/rosemary/balsamic

Chicken curry coconut soup - ?

lemon herb chix - potatoes - salad

avo + chilis + tomatillos, onion, cilantro, lime - blender/process
---

My abbreviations I used: eda = edamame, chix = chicken, avo = avocado. I wonder why I used certain notations like the question mark and asterisk. I like that I explained to myself that Ahi Poke is like a tartare since I've made this particular dish many times and even talked about here! The plus signs instead of commas is fairly amusing to me. That's not something I normally use in my ingredient lists.

Feel free to run with any of these ideas. If you do, I'd love to hear about it!

Cooking Dreams

In the last week, I've had 3 cooking dreams - all interrupted before I could finish.

1. Roasted Chicken: Easy enough. Roasted a chicken with a lavender thyme lemon butter rubbed under the skin of the breast and the cavity stuffed with shallot, lemon and orange.

2. Black beans: I never got to finish this dream since my alarm went off. But there were a combination of whole and smashed black beans and cilantro. I'm not sure what I was doing with it but I think it was some sort of dip or the beginnings of a burrito.

3. Just now on the train, I had a 10 minute cat-nap, in which I grilled a tuna steak and there was a salsa (that's the word that I called it in the dream) of white beans, tomatoes and something green - scallions? basil? I must think this one through! I'm hungry now.

Sweet Dreams and Bon Appetite!

Scrounge Dinner: Spain Was In My Pantry

Recently, after being away for 5 days, I came home to a horrifying site. My freezer door was open just a crack. A frenzied inspection revealed that everything needed to go. Everything had been defrosted and was VERY soft.

All of my prepared meals, sauces and emergency frozen pizzas (yes, even I indulge in the Trader Joe's frozen Pizza Olympiad) were destined for the trash heap.

I hadn't yet had time to go to the grocery store which means I didn't even have onions, garlic or any of my staples. It was suggested to me to order in some food but I saw this as a challenge to continue with my Scrounge meals since those appear to be my specialty.

After some digging through the pantry, I realized I could take a quick trip to Spain right in my own kitchen.

here's what I found:


* 1 link Spanish Chorizo, diced
* 1 container Trader Joe's Starter Sauce
* 1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
* Italian Seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
* Dried Pasta (I skipped this ingredient - it wasn't needed)
* Dried oregano
* Fresh thyme (from my herb garden), leaves stripped from the stems
* Fresh Parsley (also from the herb garden), coarsely chopped
* Salt/pepper

What it became:

- Toasted the breadcrumbs in a little olive oil. Set aside.
- Wiped out the pan and sauteed the chorizo in olive oil for 2-3 minutes
- Added the Starter Sauce, dried oregano and fresh thyme
- Let cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat
- Added beans, salt and pepper and cooked for an additional 4-5 minutes, letting sauce cook down a bit.
- Spooned into dish and garnished with toasted bread crumbs and parsley.

Topped it off with a glass of a Malbec rose wine (ok, so that's not from Spain but trust me, it worked. I felt like I was at a little bar in Spain eating Tapas.

Delicious!

A Slice of Itlay in the East Village

The other night I met up with some girlfriends for dinner. I was the first to arrive at a pizza joint called Una Pizza Napoletana in the East Village of New York City. Tucked away on the tree-lined 12th street, I walked right by it on my first pass.

The black and white tiled floor, the gray-veined marble tables and the curved back wooden chairs could have been anywhere in Italy. Soft music was playing, which I couldn’t quite make out but added to the relaxed ambiance.

I was the first to arrive so I perused the wine list. 4 reds, 4 whites, none of which I recognized, were all $10/glass and $39/bottle. When asked for some help deciding on a white wine, the descriptors included “light and crisp”, “more body but definitely not sweet” and “fullest body and dry.” Not exactly what you’d print in a magazine but it told me all I needed to know.

As I settled into my “fullest body and dry” wine, a young family walks in – mother, father, a little girl of about 6 and a little boy around 3, both wearing what appears to be Catholic school uniforms. As they sit, I realize all 4 are speaking in Italian.

My girlfriends arrive and we sample both the “fizzy” and “full-bodied” red wines. Both wines are young and unique, with bursts of grapes and berries exploding in our mouths and, according to our waiter, would match perfectly with the pizza.

The menu is something to behold. Never, in my many years reading, writing or ordering from menus have I ever seen the word “No” so many times. In a stark contrast to the many NY restaurants catering to the ever finicky, entitled nature of so the American diner these days, Una offers 4 choices. That’s it.

No Substitutions, No Alterations, No Condiments (red pepper, oil, etc.) and No Slices. Like your grandmother, Una seems to come from the “you’ll eat what I give you and you’ll like it, or go hungry” school.

The 4 choices include no cheese, tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes or no tomatoes. Seeing as their sole choice of cheese is fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, we had to have cheese! To feed the 3 of us, we got a Margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh basil, sea salt) and a Bianca (Mozzarella di bufala, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh basil, sea salt).

As the pies were placed in front of us, we were enveloped by an aroma of fresh basil and wood oven-charred crust while our mouths began to water and stomachs growl.

We were so hungry at this point that I didn’t pause to take a picture before we dove in. Only about halfway through did we pause long enough to snap this shot.

Biting into the crisp yet chewy crust, the salty, tangy and fresh flavors were everything we’d hoped for. A sip of the young, fruity wine made it truly divine.

Only word of caution: The tables are very close together. Please be aware of where your chair is placed before leaning back in to your neighbor. Or I’ll sick my Sicilian friend on you!

Why I Love Spring

Springtime, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

* Fiddlehead Ferns
* Ramps
* Artichokes
* The beginning of Soft-Shell Crabs
* Tender Asparagus
* Nettles (that don't sting)
* Strawberries
* Morels

Mid-may and I've already had the occasion to experience asparagus, soft-shells and artichokes. Can't wait to see what I find next. Farmer's Market, here I come!

Sure Mom, I'll Cook the Fois Gras

You know your life isn’t normal when, on a recent trip to visit my parents, my mother says, “that friend of ours who owns the French restaurant gave us this fois gras. Will you cook it for us while you’re here?”

Um… ok. After ensuring it was properly cleaned and ready to go and some digging through the liquor cabinet, pantry and fridge, it ultimately became:

Seared Fois Gras with a Wild Blueberry Sauce

• Seasoned the fois gras with salt and pepper
• Seared on both sides in olive oil until cooked through and both sides are a golden brown
• Removed from pan and drained on paper towels
• Poured out most of the fat in the pan
• To the remaining fat. added 1 small shallot, chopped finely
• Added about ¼ cup Absolut Pear vodka to deglaze the pan
• Let bubble in the pan until reduced by about half
• Added 3 heaping Tbs Wild Blueberry jam, leaves from 3 sprigs fresh Thyme and freshly ground black pepper
• Cooked for about 1 minute, until jam was warmed through and flavors combined
• Poured sauce over fois gras in serving dish
• Served with toast points

Something to remember when eating fois gras – It should be eaten in small portions. It’s extremely rich and most people’s digestive systems aren’t used to eating food that rich. If you eat too much of it, you WILL have a stomachache.

In hindsight, if I’d had more time to think it through, I probably should have/would have made a pate.

Note: Yes, I know – I must replace my camera so I can post pictures of these things. Soon!

Food to Soothe the Soul

I woke up this morning very much on the wrong side of the bed. Nothing could pull me out of this one.

Until lunch.

Thanks to Ben's Kosher Deli on 38th Street in NYC, little pieces of my soul began to heal.

One 2" thick house-cured corned beef sandwich
One house-made potato knish
One Kosher pickle
One Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda

The comfort foods of my childhood. And apparently my adulthood, too.

I'm still amazed of the power a simple meal can have.

“A good meal soothes the soul as it regenerates the body.”
Frederick W. Hackwood, Good Cheer (1911)

When Printed Recipes Go Bad

One of my pet peeves recently reared its ugly head: Poorly written and/or edited recipes. Especially when printed in food and/or wine related magazines, it’s just unacceptable. When I was working for Wine Enthusiast Magazine, I discovered why these recipes could sometimes look so wrong – they’re written by restaurant chefs.

Why would this pose a problem? Reason 1: typically, restaurant chefs don’t write recipes. Their expertise is making the food. Reason 2: The recipes these are based off can have a yield of “serves 25” or “serves 50” Frequently, proportions can’t just be cut in half or a sixth or more without needing to make other modifications.

An even bigger pet peeve is when non-food magazines print recipes – and badly. If someone is getting a recipe from People magazine, that person is most likely not a seasoned cook. This means that EXTRA care should be taken to make sure the recipe is clean, concise, CORRECT and printed WITHOUT typos.

In People magazine’s April 27, 2009 issue, there is recipe printed on page 94 from a Mario Batali cookbook. Here are my biggest issues with this recipe [that’s printed for non-cooks]:

• The quantity for the Linguini pasta is 1¼ lb. to feed 4 people. Noone is going to open or buy two boxes of pasta to get this quantity. Come on people, scale the recipe so it makes sense and people will actually have a chance at making it correctly.
• Since it doesn’t say otherwise, I have to assume that the pasta is dried from a box (as opposed to fresh). Therefore, the cooking time of 1-2 minutes is ridiculous. I’m assuming they meant 11-12 minutes (which is standard for a dried linguini).

For someone who doesn’t know how to cook or doesn’t have confidence in their cooking abilities, how do you think they’re going to feel when they’re pasta is crunchy and essentially raw??

I have nothing against People magazine at all – in fact, it’s one of my favorite guilty pleasures. But please, take a few extra minutes to proof these. I wouldn’t want to see Mario mad.

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Over Orchiette

Playing in the kitchen today. Here's the result:

1 clove garlic, minced
¾ lb sweet Italian sausage (no casing)
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of dried basil
pinch of dried oregano
~ 1 cup prepared marinara sauce
1 lb. broccoli rabe (rappini), trimmed
¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/3 lb orchiette pasta (ear shaped pasta)
Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and add broccoli rabe. Let cook for ~5 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove using tongs or a slotted spoon and immediately run under icy cold water. Drain any excess water out, chop and set aside in a large bowl.

Bring the same water the broccoli rabe was cooked in back to a boil and add orchiette pasta. Cook according to package directions (10-11 minutes). When cooked, drain thoroughly and add to bowl with broccoli rabe.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and add garlic. Once fragrant, add sausage and cook until browned, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Add cayenne, basil, oregano and marinara sauce. Once he sauce is heated through, add sausage mixture to pasta and broccoli rabe.

Toss broccoli rabe, sausage mixture and pasta well.

In the same skillet the sausage mixture was cooked in, heat 1 Tbs olive oil over medium heat and add breadcrumbs and gently toast until golden brown. Do not burn.

Add breadcrumbs on top of pasta mixture and serve with parmesan cheese.

Serves 3-4 with a green salad.

How to Make Matzo Not Taste Like Cardboard

A question that was recently asked of me by an old friend who had never really had the opportunity to eat Matzo. "How do you make matzoh not taste so much like cardboard?"

Most Jewish people I know fall into one of two groups: Group #1) They actually don't mind the taste or texture of it and will eat it straight, as my 5-year old Nephew does. Group #2) Work as hard as they can to mask or modify the bland, dry cardboard-like taste and texture. (Guess which group I fall into)

Before continuing, I feel compelled to provide a very quick history/religious lesson. Matzo is not designed to be delicious. Every Passover, Jews eat Matzo for 8 days to remember the exodus of the enslaved Jews from Egypt. In their haste to escape, there was no time to let the bread rise. There is much more to the story, but for the purposes of this post, I will focus on making modern matzo palatable.


Some simple serving suggestions:

* Spread with SOFTENED salted butter (if it's not softened, your matzoh will break into a million pieces)

* Spread with unsalted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar

* Spread with cream cheese

* Peanut butter and jelly either open-faced or as a sandwich

* Make a sandwich with turkey and mustard (or substitute favorite Kosher deli meat)

* Another favorite is Matzo Brei, which is somewhere between scrambled eggs and French Toast. Pour hot water over matzoh (1 sheet per person), let soak briefly (don't walk away). While soaking, beat 1 egg per sheet of matzo, with either cinnamon and vanilla (to make it taste like French Toast) or salt/pepper. Drain matzo well and add to egg mixture. Pour into hot, non-stick pan with a pat of butter and scramble around like you would make scrambled eggs. Popular toppings include granulated sugar, cinnamon-sugar, maple syrup or if you go the savory route, ketchup or hot sauce.

Happy Pesach!

Another Scrounge Dinner - Tuna Tonnato-ish

It was another night to scrounge. Nothing sounded good and I was out of my normal weeknight dinner options. My pantry is getting pretty bare so I needed to a little more digging than usual. The result wound up based on an Italian dish called Tuna Tonnato

Tuna Tonnato-ish over Linguini

1 tsp anchovy paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 can tuna in olive oil, undrained
1/4 cup white wine
Trader Joe's Starter Sauce ~ 17 oz
(contains tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, salt and olive oil)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried basil
¼ tsp ground Black pepper
3 heaping Tbs drained capers
~ 15 cured black olives, pitted and chopped (Kalamata)
Romano Cheese
1/3 lb thin linguini


Cook linguini according to package directions in a generous amount of salted boiling water.

Meanwhile, add anchovy paste to 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add shallot and cook until shallot begins to soften, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and shallot is softened.

Add tuna (along with olive oil) to pan and stir. Pour white wine and cook for ~ 30 seconds, stirring and breaking up big pieces of tuna with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add Starter Sauce* to the pan then stir in red pepper, basil and black pepper. Mix in capers and black olives. Lower heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste and add salt as necessary but the capers and black olives should add enough salt.

Add cooked linguini to pan with the sauce and stir together using tongs.

Serve with cheese.

Yields: 2 servings

Substitutions and other Suggestions:
• If you're not lucky enough to have Trader Joe’s Starter Sauce in your pantry, use 14-16 oz canned tomatoes. Whatever you have in your pantry is fine: chopped, diced, whole or even crushed.
• If I’d had artichoke hearts, I would have added them.
• I happened to have Romano cheese for a previous dish. Parmesan cheese works great as well but no cheese is necessary. Just a personal preference.
• I didn’t have red pepper flake or I would have used that instead of the cayenne. ~ 1 tsp+ depending on your heat tolerance
• Toss with Fussily or Rotini pasta and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Meyer Lemons

Meyer lemons, to a New York foodie, are a bit like the Holy Grail. Living on the east coast of the United States, we are often mocked by this illusive citrus fruit.

Thin skinned with a juice that has a flavor somewhere between an orange and a traditional lemon, they make a great addition to breads, cakes and sauces.

Meyer lemons are generally only found in California and are rarely, if ever, shipped as far as NY so we're forced to use a combination of oranges and lemons which never quite matches the unique flavor of a Meyer lemon.

I was recently given a wonderful gift of 2 Meyer lemons from a tree in my cousin's yard. Since it's such a rare and wonderful treat, I want to make sure I appropriately pay homage to this treat. The pressure to make the perfect dish was huge. Every morning I would pick up the fruit, smell it and gently squeeze it (no, I'm not calling it George) to make sure I didn't wait too long.

Last night, I began to panic - it had been 4 days since I received them and I knew they'd been picked at least a day prior but I still couldn't decide what to make.

So instead of making something sub-par, I made a big decision. With my breath held, I squeezed the juice, every last drop, into a measuring cup (2 Meyer lemons gave up nearly 1/2 cup of juice) and poured it into an ice cube tray. Yes, that's right, I froze the juice into 5 large cubes.

As the dry skins went into the trash, I immediately regretted not grating some of the zest along with the juice but at least I saved the most important part, right? RIGHT??

At least I bought myself some more time to make something delicious. Maybe I'll make my Lavender-Lemon Tea Cakes with it, maybe I'll take a cube and throw it into a sauce for fish, maybe I'll make my favorite pasta dish with some butter, black pepper and Parmesan cheese. The possibilities are endless... Anyone have any other suggestions?

I will post the result(s) here. Stay tuned.

Black & White Milkshakes

I've never seen them outside of New York. I'm not sure if it's because it's a regional delicacy or if I just consider it a New York treat. But when made well, a Black & White milkshake can be a thing of pure joy.

Do not confuse these with chocolate milkshakes. Black & White milkshakes begin with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup is added, leading to a different flavor profile than a shake made with chocolate ice cream.

Creamier than chocolate, with just the right balance of sweetness and chocolate tempered with vanilla, Black & White milkshakes are magical.

Days like this make me happy to live in New York.

Note: For a grown-up treat, add some vodka for a Mudslide type drink.

Dinner Party Menu

I recently hosted (not catered) a small dinner party of 5 for my dear friend’s birthday. She has some strict food likes/dislikes as well as food allergies, so taking that all into consideration, I wanted to do something fun for her. Not wanting to be stuck in the kitchen when my guests were there, I needed to think of things that could be prepared ahead of time and/or could be finished quickly or reheated right before people arrive.

APPETIZERS

• Kale chips: Made the morning of the party: washed and dried well, flat kale leaves (no stalks!) tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Baked in one layer on low heat for a long time. Light, airy, crispy and salty. A great starter and conversation piece as they were served standing upright in a tall glass. *Caution*: Tough to eat in mixed company as they tend to get stuck in your teeth. Have toothpicks handy.

• Grandma’s Swedish Meatballs: Ok, so this was my version of Grandma’s recipe. And, frankly, they’re not classic Swedish meatballs, which are often in a cream sauce. These are actually sweet and sour meatballs. (I never did understand why she called them 'Swedish') My guests do not eat ‘beast’ so I used ground turkey. Earlier in the day I made a basic meatball recipe (ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg), formed them into tiny, single bite size meatballs. Baked in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes then transferred to a crock pot where the sauce was already waiting. Crock pot on low, these were ready and waiting for us once the party started 5 hours later. These were a huge hit.

• Cheese and Crackers: Yes, it’s more than ok to take some help from the store when having a party. 3 different cheese in varying textures and flavors – stinky, creamy, aged, etc. The plate was garnished with a mixture of dried fruit. *Note*: One of the smellier hard cheeses on the plate wound up in a little of the sweet and sour sauce on my plate. A delicious accident!

SALAD

Fresh baby spinach, dried cranberries and candied walnuts in a pomegranate vinaigrette.

Candied Walnuts
1 cup walnut pieces
¼ cup superfine sugar
Place both the walnuts and sugar in a dry, non-stick pan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until sugar has melted and walnuts are coated. Do not let burn.

MAIN COURSE

Chicken Pot Pie with a puff pastry crust (specific request by the birthday girl)

DESSERT

A giant cupcake-cake made by the same friend who made the chef’s hat cake to the left. We make a great team!

Gourmet Meal on a Budget

We’re all watching every penny we spend these days. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t eat healthy, gourmet meals. I, like many of you, do my staple shopping once a week, or even once every few weeks. I buy the same items to keep my fridge and pantry ready for many types of meals.

This week made Baked Shrimp Scampi with Oven Roasted Potatoes.

Items I already had in my pantry or fridge or were part of my staple shopping:

- Panko breadcrumbs (if you don't have Panko, regular dried breadcrumbs are fine)
- Butter
- Garlic
- Fresh rosemary and parsley (When staple shopping I buy parsley and one other fresh herb. Washed, wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a zip top bag will keep for 1-2 weeks. Use any fresh herb you have on hand. Thyme, rosemary, tarragon, etc.)
- Salt/pepper
- Olive oil
- Lemon (When I do my staple shopping, I will buy 1-2 lemons and/or limes, depending what’s on sale)

What I had to buy:

Shrimp – I went with what was on sale. They were 25/30, peeled and deveined, which meant super easy prep! I bought about ¼ lb, which translated into 9 shrimp. For one person, this is perfect. Cost = $2.80
New Red Potatoes – 3 medium baby new red/waxy potatoes. Cost = $0.33

* Cut the potatoes in half and then again in quarters, creating bite sized pieces. Tossing with olive oil, salt, pepper and some chopped rosemary, the potatoes went into a 350 degree oven.

* Meanwhile, place the peeled and deveined shrimp (tails on) into a bowl with a little olive oil (to coat, ~ 1 Tbs), salt and pepper. Add ~1 oz white wine or good beer (I used an IPA beer)

* In a separate bowl, mashed 2 Tbs softened butter with the zest and juice of a half a lemon, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 Tbs chopped rosemary and about 2 Tbs chopped parsley. Slowly add breadcrumbs, continuously mashing/mixing until the mixture came together (~ ¼ - 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs)

* Place the shrimp into a shallow baking dish. Pour the remainder of the marinade into the baking dish over the shrimp and spoon the butter/breadcrumb mixture over the top of the shrimp.

* Add the shrimp into the oven (this should be about 15 minutes after the potatoes went in) and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. (Total cooking times: potatoes – 30 minutes; shrimp 15-20 or until breadcrumbs are lightly browned)

Serves: 1 (you could stretch this to serve 2 with a simple salad)

Total additional cost of meal (not including items already on hand): $3.13

Come On Baby, Give Me a Quiche

Growing up, I had a mixed relationship with quiche. The egg flavor was always so heavy that it overpowered any filling that was used. Even when I made it, I still had to choke it down knowing that I'd have a reward at the end (the crust, of course! Isn't that the best reason to eat any sort of pie?)

Then I learned how to properly whisk an egg. When most people make eggs, they barely mix the yolk and albumin (white) together and add it to the pan. Generally this results in dense, incredibly "eggy" eggs.

When 'scrambling' eggs, use a bowl big enough where you're not going to be afraid of overspill. Use a wire whisk and actually use the whisk to get air into the eggs. One tip is to tilt the bowl with one hand which will pool, or concentrate, the eggs into one 'corner' of the bowl. As you mix, gently lift the eggs. You know the cliche, "it's all in the wrist?" Well, it's wrong. It's actually all in the elbow.

That said, I just made a Kitchen Sink quiche chock full of leftover ingredients from my refrigerator. Here's how it went down.

I do take a little help with my quiche from Whole Foods - I buy an organic, frozen, deep dish pie crust. It's buttery, browns nicely and has a touch of sweetness that balances any savory ingredient I find to put into the pie.

I started with 4 slices of high quality, center cut bacon. To move things along, I cut it into 1/2" lardons before adding to a dry, cold pan. Over medium-high heat, the bacon cooked until brown. Removing the bacon with metal tongs, I let it cool while draining on paper towels.

Letting the bacon grease cool for about 10 minutes, I poured the grease into a glass jar to save for a later recipe.

In the same pan, I sauteed about 6 oz of sliced button mushrooms in the remainder of the bacon grease. I'd also dug up some fresh rosemary that was at the end of its life, which was chopped finely and added to the mushrooms (seasoned with salt and pepper.) Once the mushrooms were removed from the pan, the 10oz of baby spinach was added to the same pan in about 1 Tbs of olive oil. Once the spinach was sufficiently wilted and seasoned with salt and pepper, it was added to the mushrooms to let cool.

Once it was cool enough to touch, I gently squeezed the excess liquid from the mushrooms and spinach.

To the dry empty pie shell, the browned, cooled bacon was added. Then I sprinkled the mushroom, rosemary and spinach mixture over the bacon.

Earlier today I bought an intriguing cheese - a smoked, baked sheep's milk ricotta cheese. Delicious to nibble on but I thought it would enhance the smokiness of the bacon. About 1 oz was added to the pie shell (notice no egg has been added yet.)

Next I added a few handfuls of some shredded cheese that was in the refrigerator cheese drawer - an Italian mixture that includes Parmesan, mozzarella and Asiago.

Over the top of the mixture, I added 5 well beaten eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Do not mix. My secret? Once the egg is added, I gently pour about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of skim milk into the egg. Still do not mix.

Add another scant handful of cheese.

Place the pie on a large baking sheet in case there's any overspill.

Bake ~30 minutes at 350 degrees or until it puffs up (think souffle) and the center doesn't jiggle when the pan is gently shaken.

I must say, I wanted to quiche this supper.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

While nobody I know can afford to shop at Tiffany's anymore, the film Breakfast at Tiffany's has long been my favorite. From the style and grace of Audrey Hepburn to several memorable quotes, including this classic.

"You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself."

I know the movie so well I can explain the difference between "the blues" and "the mean reds" and I still wonder sometimes if you can grow so tall by "gorging" oneself on peanut butter.

But there is a mystery to this movie for me. In the famous opening scene, as Holly Golightly's walks down 5th Avenue at 6am, I often wonder, "What is she eating?" Obviously she has a cup of Street Cart coffee, but what is that pastry? Is it a simple butter croissant? Is it a chocolate croissant? It's not a bagel with shmear, that much I know.

Because this movie exudes class and sophistication to me, I've always dreamt it was a chocolate croissant.

As I sit here this morning in my decidedly unglamorous life, sipping my NYC coffee and eating a chocolate croissant, I think of Holly Golightly and silently thank her for making slightly crazy and neurotic seem simultaneously romantic and simply a passing fancy.

Look What a Snow Day Cooked Up

Buried under 10” of snow and piles of work, that trip to the grocery store never happened. “I have nothing in the house.” Sound familiar?

Digging through the pantry, the cogs in my brain start shaking off the dust. Dried mushrooms, chicken stock, hey! Is that some Arborio rice behind the Great Northern Beans? It is! Suddenly, dinner takes shape in my mind.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

~1 oz. dried wild mushrooms (Chanterelle, Shitake, Trumpet, etc.)
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 medium shallot, chopped finely
1 large garlic clove, minced
¾ cup Arborio Rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken stock in a small pot. Add dried mushrooms and bring stock just to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms. Let mushrooms cool and chop.
Turn heat back on under chicken stock to low and keep warm.

In a large, high sided skillet, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium to medium high heat.
Add shallot and cook until softened. Add garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant and soft, about 30 seconds.
Add Arborio rice, stirring until all grains are coated with the olive oil.
Add wine and stir constantly until wine is absorbed.
Add stock, ¼- ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly between each addition until absorbed. (Tip: If using a wooden spoon or Silicone spatula to stir, as you’re stirring, pull the spoon or spatula down the center of the rice. If the liquid immediately pools back to the center of the pan, keep stirring. If the liquid does not ooze back immediately, it’s time to add more)
Continue this process until the rice is opaque and creamy (you may want to taste for texture) ~ 18 minutes total.
Add in reserved reconstituted mushrooms, stir to combine.
Stir in butter. Once melted, stir in parmesan cheese.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2.

A wonderful, cozy meal when you’re snowed in. Or any day! Bon Appetite.

The Value of a Customer

I recently discovered a new lunch option in NYC. The food is decent, the prices are reasonable and the staff is always friendly and accommodating. Having been there a few times, I recommended it to some co-workers and a few days ago brought 4 people with me.

Since the cafe is on my path to work in the mornings, the last time I was there I asked the man behind the counter how much they charge for a cup of coffee. He replied with "75 Cents but we're known for our cappuccinos and lattes. We make the best." "Good to know," I said, thinking that the price seemed worth giving it a shot.

This morning I decided to give the 75 cent coffee a test run. I shouldn't have been surprised to see the same worker there but I was. He remembered me, even asking how I liked my soup the last time I was there. (The Hungarian Mushroom soup was light in texture with lots of good flavor - slightly creamy with chunks of mushroom and carrots and the subtle but distinct flavor of dill.) I was impressed that he not only remembered me but also remembered what I'd ordered.

As I handed over my dollar bill, he gently pushed it back towards me. "This one's on me. Let me know how you think tomorrow."

While the food (and coffee) may not be the best, it just goes to prove the age old knowledge in the restaurant world that if your service is stellar, your customers will keep coming back, even if your food is mediocre. His simple gesture of a free cup of coffee let me know that he values my business.

I'll be back tomorrow. And I'll gladly pay 75 cents for my cup of coffee.

It's Too Expensive to Eat Healthy

People are always talking about how eating healthy is just too expensive. I've always tried to stress that you don't need to buy the fancy organic food. It's a combination of fresh food and smart choices.

A little experiment that included two lunches purchased in New York City:

Lunch #1 included a salad of fresh baby spinach, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes (NOT in oil), black olives, a palmful of Parmesan cheese, sliced mushrooms with fresh lemon juice and pepper as the dressing.
Cost = $6.00

Lunch #2 included McDonald's single cheeseburger, small french fries, small strawberry shake.
Cost = $6.25.

Your heart, gut and wallet thank you.