Housewife Fantasies

Mixed Korean Plate: Starring Spicy Pork Stir Fry

2012-02-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

This plate contains a little bit of everything. There's tofu, seaweed, pickled radish, kimchi, kimchi pancake, and spicy pork. Pretty, right? And pretty colorful.

The pre-marinated spicy pork is really good. All I had to do is pull it out of the fridge, stir fry a few vegetables, and add my pork in the last 5 minutes. Since its thinly sliced, it cooks quickly. It sure is nice having that Korean market nearby. Today, I stopped in for some vegetables, and they had me sign a petition for an alcohol permit. Pretty soon we'll be sipping soju with our meals.

Seafood Linguine, Easy as 1-2-3

2012-02-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

Although I wouldn't make a habit of it, sometimes it's perfectly fine to purchase a frozen seafood mix from Trader Joe's for a super quick, and super easy weeknight meal.

On this particular evening, I was tired, craving a big bowl of pasta, and not willing to cook. So, this mix was handy. Once defrosted, the seafood cooks in minutes. I sauteed garlic in olive oil, added pepper flakes, clam juice and white wine. Then went in the cooked linguine. The dish was looking sort of white, so I decided to add peas. The husband expressed his concern, and gave me a bit of a stink eye. He really can't be trusted in putting flavors together. I knew the peas would be delicious in here, but I didn't want to argue my case, instead, I said nothing, deciding to let the peas speak for themselves.

The final touch was a bit of fresh parsley from the garden, and within minutes, we were slurping up our bowls of pasta, enjoying a bottle of chardonnay and thinking the same thing, "she's always right about the peas!"

Cornish Game Hens with Lemon and Herbs and Roasted Fries

2012-02-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

This was an exciting day. I finally got to use the fancy salts we received as a Christmas gift. The set includes all kinds of interesting flavors -- Cyprus black lava, vintage Merlot and ghost pepper. But for this meal, I played it safe and used roasted garlic salt on the hens and Spanish rosemary on the potatoes.

The potatoes, which I'm calling roasted fries (because they really were really fry-like), were cut like thick fries and tossed with olive oil, rosemary salt and lots of black pepper. Baked in the oven for about 50 minutes at 350 degrees, with some rotation half-way through, they were hassle-free and delicious, with that special hint of rosemary.

The hens also required minimal effort. I chopped up fresh sage and parsley from the garden, combined my herbs with olive oil, roasted garlic salt, pepper and lemon juice. I rubbed the hens with my herb mixture, stuffed half of a lemon in each cavity and baked them for 20 minutes at 500 degrees and the next 35 or so minutes at 350 degrees. Once my little chickens were at about 170 degrees (it took close to an hour), I patiently let them sit for a few minutes, took a couple of photos, then got impatient and hungry, and we dug right in. My made up recipe was pretty tasty. The birds were moist and flavorful. I was planning to save half of my hen for lunch the following day, but it was just too delicious for saving, and I polished it off. I'm sold on these fancy salts, and can't wait to use more.

Palm Springs Weekend

2012-02-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

There's nothing really going on in Palm Springs. At least not last weekend, and I'm assuming most weekends. And that's exactly why I wanted to go. I wanted to celebrate our sixth, second-wedding anniversary in a quiet, relaxing way. Also, we hadn't been to Palm Springs in over 8 years, so we were due for a return visit.

Even though we had only spent two nights there the first time, and didn't remember much, at first glance, everything looked the same. Lots of palm trees, lots of seniors, nice modern furniture stores. But, upon a closer look, things were different. The hipsters had invaded the desert. They had their own hotels, restaurants and were hanging out on the side of the road, taking photos with their vintage cameras. There was even a food truck convention there.

Besides the hipsters, little else had changed. We spent our time drinking, eating and watching cable TV. And the husband was kind enough to arrange a spa day for me, so I also enjoyed soaking in mineral springs and getting massaged by Constantine.

If you haven't been to the desert recently, it's a quick, easy getaway. But, be prepared to spend money for this good, lounging time. It's probably due to the dry environment, but drinks are more expensive in the desert. And there's little else to do but sit back, have a cold drink and repeat.

The husband hiking to the moon. Actually, this was the sad part of our trip. Hiking in Palm Springs either costs money (and there's no way I'm spending money to hike), or is free and horrible.

Brunch at Norma's Diner at The Parker Hotel. If you look closely above, Tori Spelling's little ones are playing in the background.

The tram ride. Pretty expensive, but pretty amazing.

Nature once you get off the tram, there's some hiking and stuff. Make sure you don't listen to your husband who insists you can hike in flip flops, in the snow.

Trend watch 2012, bedazzled vehicles.

Palm Springs is like one long brunch!

Japchae: Take 2, The Vegetarian Version

2012-02-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

The first time I made these Korean noodles, I was pleasantly surprised at how well they came out. It was a pretty easy meal to make at home, and they tasted much like the restaurant versions I had enjoyed so many times before. Sure, there's chopping and prep work involved, but nothing difficult. So, I decided to do this again, and try a different recipe.

This version happens to be vegetarian because I was too lazy to go out and purchase meat. And even though it was still tasty, this dish is better with beef. But, some people don't eat beef, and in that case, they won't know what they are missing. If you eat beef, and are not too lazy to run to the store, I suggest getting some.

Another difference in this version is that I used mushrooms. Just a few shiitakes. And they made a difference. Lesson two, don't skip on the mushrooms. There's a few more lessons, so bear with me.

Recently, I've discovered Korean scallions. Or what I think are Korean scallions. They taste similar to regular scallions, but there's something a bit more garlicy about them. I think. I can't really describe it. But, since I purchased them at the Korean market, I call them Korean scallions, and have started using them in my Korean dishes. Lesson three, use Korean scallions if possible.

And the final lesson I learned while making this recipe is that all the ingredients are cooked separately. That is not what I did the first time around. Live and learn my friends.

Japchae, Take Two
4 Servings

6 oz Korean potato starch noodles (dangmyeon)
4 - 5 dried fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked until plump)
4 ounces lean beef like sirloin or rib eye, optional
1 bunch (6 oz) fresh spinach
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
small bunch of scallions

oil to stir fry vegetables and noodles
salt and pepper

Sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

1) Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse in cold water and drain. Cut the noodles with kitchen shears or a knife into 6 -7 inch lengths. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce and set aside

2) If using beef, cut the beef into thin 2-inch long strips and mix with 1 tablespoon of the sauce.

3) Cut stems off the mushrooms and slice into 1/4-inch thin strips. Season with 1 tablespoon of the sauce.

4) Blanch the spinach in boiling water only until wilted. Drain quickly and shock in cold water. Squeeze out excess water, cut into about 2-inch lengths. This made a difference in the texture.

5) In a lightly oiled non-stick skillet, sauté each vegetable , except for the spinach, separately over medium-high heat, lightly sprinkling salt and pepper. The vegetables should be crisp, so don't overcook them. Sauté the beef. Transfer to a large bowl. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the noodles, stirring frequently, until translucent and sticky (about 3 - 4 minutes).

6) Combine all the ingredients and the remaining sauce. Toss well. Taste and add more soy sauce and/or sugar if necessary.

Oatmeal or Porridge or Sludge

2012-01-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

DearReaders,

This is a story of how the husband has got me to eat breakfast.And like it. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big breakfast person. I try,but I can't say I succeed. Often, breakfast feels like a chore. However, that'srecently changed, all due to the husband's sludge. Now I eat it for breakfastdaily, topped with a teaspoon of jam, with a smile on my face. Absolutelydelicious. And did I mention I do not like oatmeal? This sludge here, may looklike oatmeal, but it's something special. The texture is my favorite part.Enjoy the husband's post, and I hope you give these oats a try.

-KK

“What are you making?” the wife asked as she looked over myshoulder to the pot cooking on the stove, pausing momentarily before answeringher own question with a teasing tone, “Is it sludge?” Even though thewife doesn’t particularly care for hot or cold breakfast cereals, these cookedsteel-cut oats deserved much more respect than they got. She could havecalled it “porridge,” maybe even “gruel” would have been permissible. Butthe first time I ever cooked the stuff, she christened it “sludge,” and thename has since stuck.

About a year before, I purchased McCann’s Irish Oats from TraderJoes and was immediately intimidated by its cooking procedure. Not only did itcall for 4 cups of water to cook a single cup of oats, but it took 35 minutesto make. This was counter to my experience of making oatmeal in a microwave fora mere 35 seconds. The wife and I ended up using the tin as a decorativepiece on a kitchen shelf:

The tinwould have probably sat there for the rest of our stay at in Altadena if notfor our East coast trip last year. While staying in Sommerville, we weretaken to a jazz brunch at a place called Johnnie D’s. Amid jazz guitarrenditions of Radiohead and the Flaming lips, our fancy brunch plates wereserved, each with a side of oatmeal. Not just any standard, everydayoatmeal, either. This was easily the best oatmeal the wife and I had evertasted. Brown sugar sweetened each bite of the cinnamon-kissed oatmeal,which possessed a maltiness I never knew the grain possessed. It was sortof like rice pudding in its depth of flavor, but much hardier.

When I got back home from the trip, I had an epiphany one weekend. That oatmeal had to be made by steel oats! So one Sunday morning, Igot a footstool and pulled the tin down from the shelf and dusted the top off. I followed the instructions, and that’s when the wife came in and offeredher aforementioned words about sludge. My hunch was correct—it wassteel-cut oats that made the difference.

Though I doubt the term “sludge”is going away any time soon, one thing that did change since that first batchis the wife’s taste for oats. She begrudgingly took it to work a fewtimes. Then, one day when I took the last bit of it for my own work day,she complained that she missed eating it for breakfast. That was myoatmeal-making green light.

I started making large batches onthe weekend to make up for the long cooking time, and quite honestly, it’s veryeasy to make once you’re used to it. And it reheats in a microwave well. I found that adding an extra cup of half and half created a richeroatmeal. So from this basic recipe, you can essentially add anythingyou’d like to fancy it up: raisins, dried cranberries, caramelized bananas,etc. Now on the weekends when the wife wakes up now, she comes to seewhat I’m making and asks, “You’re making the sludge, right?” Maybe oneday she’ll call it oatmeal, but for now, I’m just glad she enjoys eating it.

Sludge

Steel-cut oats

half and half

water

dried fruits

jam (optional)

1) Boil four cups of water
2) Add one cup of oatmeal, stirring well.
3) When the porridge is smooth and beginning to thicken, reduce heat, addthe cup of half and half (or if you’re feeling decadent, use whipping cream),and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Add your dried fruits duringthe last few minutes.

Pozole Rojo

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

After cooking Korean food for a week straight, I decided it was time for a break. Time for Mexican food. I don't often cook Mexican at home. This is LA, and there's great Mexican food all around us, might as well go out and enjoy it. And that's what we usually do.

Recently, we were out and I ordered pozole. It was really good and I thought to myself, I bet this soup takes a while to make. Then I wondered if I could make it better. Without knowing it, I had challenged myself, and next time we were out, I was buying huge cans of hominy.

It took me a while to settle upon a recipe. I knew I wanted to make the red version. I knew I wanted to make it with pork. But other than that, I didn't know much. As I researched recipes online, this one caught my eye because it reminded me of making a similar red sauce for tamales.

We invited our fancy Bel Air friend for brunch, and even though I don't want to admit it here, also for a viewing of Clueless. Yes, the movie. I had never seen it. This is what happens when you don't grow up in America. Our friend was shocked at my unfamiliarity with the movie. He grew up in a Clueless high school, and declared I must see it. Who was I to argue? With a doctor! Or kind of a doctor. I'm not certain what he does at Cedar Sinai. I think it's doctory sort of stuff.

But, back to the Sunday brunch. The husband set the table, bringing out the tequila and his fancy napkin folding. I made sure to have all the tasty garnishes -- lime, radish, onion, cilantro, cheese, avocado, and freshly fried tortilla strips -- because this soup is all about the garnishes. We rented the movie on Amazon. Everything was in place. Then, our friend shows up, and within minutes of walking in, he informs us that Wikipedia told him pozole used to be made with human meat. Gotta love Wikipedia. I informed him this pozole was only pork. I poured us healthy bowls, and we got to decorating our plates with toppings, taking a celebratory tequila shot, and settling on the couches for my very first screening of Clueless.

You're probably wondering how my first pozole turned out. It was everything I had hoped. The red sauce adds a deep, smoky flavor, but it's the garnishes that let you customize the soup. I like mine limey with lots crunchy onions and tortilla chips. Because of the pork, the broth is rich and fatty, so the toppings allow you to brighten it up.

And what about Clueless? Well, it wasn't quiet as good as the pozole, but I'm glad I saw it.

Pozole Rojo
Via simplyrecipes.com

4 ounces guajillo, ancho, or a combination of both, chili pods
Salt
1 large (108 ounce, 6 lb 12 oz, 3 kg) can white hominy, drained and rinsed
3 lbs pork shoulder (preferably with bone), cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes (canalso use pork shanks), make sure to use a cut well-marbled with fat
8 cloves garlic, 4 cloves roughly chopped, and 4 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin (I added two, as well as a teaspoon of paprika)
2 Tbsp of dry oregano (Mexican oregano if available)

Garnishes
cabbage, thinly sliced (we skipped on this one)
cilantro, chopped
white onion, chopped
avocados, chopped
limes, quartered
red radishes, sliced thin
tortilla chips

1) Fill a large 10-12 quartstockpot with 5 quarts of water. Set on heat to bring to a boil.

2) Remove and discard thestems, seeds, and large veins from the chili pods. Heat a cast iron pan onmedium high and lightly roast the chili pods for a couple minutes, until theybegin to soften. Do not let them burn. While the chilies are heating, bring a mediumpot with 3 cups of water to a boil. Once the chiles have softened, submergethem in the pot with the 3 cups of hot water, cover the pot and remove fromheat. Let the chiles soak in the hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.

3) Heat a tablespoon or twoof olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a large sauté pan onmedium high heat. Pat the pork pieces dry with paper towels. Sprinkle themgenerously with salt. Working in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan orstir the meat much, brown the meat on all sides. Right at the end of browningthe meat, add 4 cloves of roughly chopped garlic to the pan with the meat, letcook with the meat for about a minute.

4) Once the meat hasbrowned, transfer it to the large stockpot of boiling water, along with thepork bones. Scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan, and anygarlic, and add those to the pot as well. Add the rinsed hominy. Add bayleaves, cumin, and paprika. Add a few tablespoons of salt. Bring to a simmer,reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.

5) Prepare the red sauce bypuréeing in a blender the chilies, 2 1/2 cups or so of their soaking liquid, ateaspoon of salt, and 4 cloves of garlic. Strain the red sauce through a sieve,discarding the tough bits of the sauce.

6) Add the red chili sauceto the pot with the pork and hominy. Add another couple teaspoons of salt. Thissoup absorbs a lot of salt, just make sure to taste along the way. Return to asimmer, lower the heat to just high enough to maintain a simmer, partiallycovered. Cook for 2-3 hours until the pork is completely tender. Skim awayexcess fat. Taste for seasoning and add more salt to taste. The resulting soupshould be rather brothy, as you will be adding a lot garnishes. Add more waterif necessary.

7) To serve, arrange thegarnishes in bowls on the table and serve the pozole soup into bowls. Let yourguests pick and choose which garnishes they would like.

Rice Cake Soup (Ddeokguk)

2012-01-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

When eating out at Korean restaurants, we love to order this soup. It's comforting, subtle and delicious. I decided it was time to recreate this favorite at home.

Now I've got to be honest, this soup was not as good at home, as at Korean places. At least not on the first try. First, it didn't have dumplings, which although optional, are my favorite part. Second, I should have cooked the brisket whole and shredded it afterwards, instead of cutting it into pieces, as Maanchi's video suggested. And lastly, this soup was missing that secret Korean ingredient.

Despite what I've mentioned above, this rice cake soup was still tasty, just in a different way. And it's fairly simple to make. Next time, I will buy some dumplings to throw into the pot and experiment a bit with the ingredients, trying to unlock those protected secrets!

Grilled Red Snapper with Korean Spices

2012-01-19T20:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you see a whole, beautiful fish, and it's justbegging to be grilled. This red snapper was that fish. Did I mention our newKorean market has a fish and meat section? Yes, I did. But, I can mention itagain.

I was not looking for fish that day. I bagged up some jumboshrimp, picked up a few Cornish hens, and then happened to glanceover at a bin of ice lined with snapper and cod. The snapper and I made eyecontact, and I knew we were going home together. The best part was that the nice, skinny man behind the counter cleaned and gutted the fish for me, with a smile andwithout an extra charge.

Seeing as to how this fish came from the Korean market, I decidedto make it Korean. No, I didn't look up any recipes, I just figured if I useKorean spices, I can call it a Korean dish. So I created a quick marinade withgochujang, the pepper paste, sesame oil and soysauce. I poured my marinade all over and inside the snapper. Then I addedslices of ginger, garlic and green onion into the fish belly, and a few slicesof onion on top, wrapped it in foil, then wrapped it again, and had the husbandgrill it over medium heat for about 10 minutes per side.

I have to say, this fish was pretty amazing. A bitspicy, but not too much, it was packed with flavor due to the ginger andgarlic. The husband said it was the best fish (any fish) he's had in the lastseveral months. Maybe if I can't learn the Korean secrets to recreate realKorean dishes, I can just make recipes up!

As you can see from the last photo,the two of us polished off this pretty little snapper, along with some Korean sidedishes and refreshing beers.

Korean Soy Bean Sprouts (Kongnamul)

2012-01-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

So this quick little side dish turned out to be quiet tasty. But, as I mentioned in my previous post, something was missing, and I have no clue what. I made another version last night, so maybe that one will be more Korean. We shall see.

This week, the husband will be visiting his new optometrist. It is no coincidence she is Korean. Yes, I will admit, I selected a Korean eye doctor for him primarily so he can quiz her about food. We will get to the bottom of their food secrets!

Here's what I like about this salad, it's refreshing, crunchy and light. Makes for a great snack!

Soy Bean Sprouts

Via www.maangchi.com

1 package of soy bean sprouts (12 oz)

1 cup water

3 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 chopped green onions

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes

1) Rinse and drain the package of soy bean sprouts. Pick out any rotten sprouts.

2) Put the soybeansprouts into a pot. Add 2 ts ofsalt and 1 cup of water. Close the lid.

3) Bring to a boilover high heat, and boil for about 10 minutes.

4) Drain thecooked sprouts and let them cool.

5) Place sprouts in a large bowl with 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 chopped greenonions,1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of sesame oil,and ½ tsp of hot pepper flakes. Mix it by hand and refrigerate. I like to have the flavors marinade for several hours.

The Korean Conspiracy

2012-01-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

She's obviously hiding something.

With 2012 being theKorean year for our family of two, we've been shopping at our newlydiscovered market, checking out Koreanfood blogs, reading our Korean cookbook and trying out recipes at home. Andwe've noticed something. Despite following recipes to a tee, despite usingKorean ingredients, our food, though good, is not quiet Korean.

There are five magicKorean ingredients: sesame seeds and oil, soy sauce, gochujang (pepper paste)and gochugaru (pepper flakes). Apparently, that's all it takes, with theoccasional addition of fish sauce, rice vinegar, green onions and sugar. Yet,we know there's something missing.

Now I am not one forconspiracy theories. My middle brother seems to have inherited theconspiracy gene, leaving nothing for myself and the younger brother. But, thereare secrets, Korean secrets, that are being kept from us. We're sure of it. Itis the only reasonable way we can explain why our food tastes different.

So now, 2012 is not onlyabout Korean food, but also about uncovering the Korean conspiracy. If you,dear reader, have any insider info, don't hesitate to share.

Coming up next... moreof our not-quite Korean recipes.

Armo Christmas in Style, with Italian Food

2012-01-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

What is Armenian Christmas? Well, it's like American Christmas, but it takes place on January 6. They celebrate based on the Orthodox Christian calendar and traditions. The internet tell me that historically, all Christian churches celebrated Christ's birth on the 6th until the fourth century. Then, the date was changed to Dec. 25 to override a pagan feast dedicated to the birth off the Sun. So what does this tell you about my people? They don't like change. Can't roll with the flow. But that's okay, it allowed us another opportunity to get together with friends, share a meal and receive presents.

Unlike Christmas number one, this version was small, involved minimal cooking and zero stress. Somehow though, we ended up with just as many dishes! The meal not only celebrated the birth of Jesus, but also Trader Joe's, where most of the food came from. I'm not going to lie to you, those pretty turkey meatballs in the picture below came straight from the freezer. The whole meal came together in 30 or so minutes, allowing me time to get to the gym after work (sadly, I had to work), shower and pour our wine into a carafe.

But, I do have to commend the husband who not only set the table beautifully, but also made a fresh and delicious salad using our garden greens. Unfortunately, the salad was not photogenic. It was however, a great start to our dinner.

The husband's napkin folding.

Presents from Florida -- funny wine and super hot gator sauce.

Napa and Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing

2012-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

I didn't intend for this salad to be this simple, but this is all I had in my fridge, and it proved to be just enough. Although there are only two real ingredients here, and sesame seeds, this salad is fairly substantial, and makes for a satisfying lunch. Also, it's vegetarian! There's not too much of that on this blog, so let's celebrate this tofu victory.

So what you see, is what you get. I fried (but not really fried) firm tofu in about a tablespoon on sesame and grape seed oil. I let the tofu cool, then sliced it up and placed it over finely shredded napa cabbage. I toasted sesame seeds, half which went on top of my salad, the rest into the dressing.

Now the dressing has a couple more ingredients, but still took me less than five minutes to make. In went miso paste, rice vinegar, sesame and grape seed oil, hot mustard powder, soy sauce and those seeds I toasted earlier. I tasted, I adjusted, I shook my little jar really hard, and the result was a delicious and refreshing dressing, with very subtle hints of miso.

Sure this salad would be better with carrots, cucumbers, thinly sliced bell peppers and sprouts, but, it was also good without any of those things. Hence, if you want to keep things simple, intentionally or not, this healthy and almost effortless salad offers a lot of flavor.

Bacon Fried Rice

2012-01-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

On our recent travels to Napa, we had a most delicious fried rice at The Kitchen Door. Well, the husband did, and I stole many forkfuls while we was busy gnawing on the short ribs that accompanied the rice. By the end of the meal, I was determined to recreate the recipe at home. I believe I succeeded. Kind of.

The husband declared my first attempt a winner, saying, "If only this had the bean sprouts it would be just as good." I was flattered, but I knew it was not only missing the sprouts, which I couldn't find on my route home, but also the shiitake mushrooms, which kind of slipped my mind.

Now, if you know me, you know I do not eat mushrooms. I know I know, they are so good. How could I not? Easy, they smell funny, I hate their taste and texture. I give them a try (more often than I should), but I just don't like them. But! If I was to eat a mushroom, I would eat shiitake. Not too meaty, mild in flavor. It might not taste great to me, but I could see it adding a certain flavor in a lot of dishes I enjoy, hence I'll sometimes suck it up and eat those little fungi.

Back to the recipe. The rice was delicious, and I didn't miss the mushrooms, but I knew the flavor was different because they weren't in there. But with their addition and the sprouts, I should be able to get a job at The Kitchen Door, for recreating that recipe so well.

Now, here's the other reason the recipe was only "kind of" a success. I didn't follow any recipe, or write things down. I just DID, moving rather quickly so I can get to the stupid gym. I know what went in, but how much? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully the pictures below will serve as a guide and I suggest tasting along the way, using common sense, and always starting with less, because you can't really remove soy sauce. So below is a list of ingredients and some estimations for the second most delicious fried rice I ever had. Enjoy.

Giant green onions from the garden. I do know I used them all for this recipe.

You can kind of get an idea of proportions here.

Bacon Fried Rice

1 1/2 cups of long white rice, I like working with rice cooked the day before
peppered Hungarian bacon, a slab about 2 in x 1 inch, diced
carrots, maybe 2, diced
peas, about a cup
1-2 celery ribs, diced
a few leaves of napa cabbage, chopped (The Kitchen Door did not have napa in their rice, this is all me folks)
green onions, I used two long onions, that I know
3-4 garlic cloves
ginger (a lot)
soy sauce
oyster sauce
2 eggs
sesame oil
grape seed oil

1) I started by scrambling some eggs and frying them up lightly in the grape seed oil. Set eggs aside.
2) Add a bit more oil to your pan, then fry up your bacon (this bacon is not so greasy) for several minutes. Add your carrots and celery.
3) After a few more minutes, add your garlic, cabbage, peas and oyster sauce. Coat, and add rice. Then in goes ginger and soy sauce.
4) Since you are working over high heat, stir often, taste quickly and make any adjustments. Then add the green onion and eggs, cook for just a minute or so, and remove from heat.

Make a large batch and have it for lunch the next day. And when you tell your dieting coworkers you're having bacon fried rice, they will give you dirty looks! But it will be worth it.

Quick Ramen Lunch

2012-01-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

I love ramen, and crave it all the time. And when I'm stuck at home, unwilling to travel, I like to fancy up store-bought (refrigerated, not dried) ramen noodles with tofu and veggies.

Last weekend, I used a few leaves of napa cabbage, silken tofu, scallions and sriracha sauce to add a little extra flavor to the prepackaged stuff. Then I slurped them up in front of the TV.

Happy New Year: Korean Style

2012-01-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

I know we're a week in, but -- Happy New Year everybody! How has the first week of 2012 been treating you? I can't complain too much, because on NYE, the husband and I made a discovery -- a new Korean market, in our hood. Actually, it's a few hoods down, but still close. Let me back up and say, I was the one who first laid eyes on the market. On that day, too busy running errands, I couldn't explore, but I assumed it was Korean, made a mental note and moved on with my day. Then, on NYE, I took the husband back to explore.

It was love at first sight. The market is small, but it has all the necessities AND a fish/meat counter (where they tell you where the fish comes from!) AND a little kitchen where they prepare Korean goodies which they then sell. We stocked up on a lot of Korean food, with a plan to have it on New Year's day and officially declared (to ourselves) that 2012 will be the year of Korean!

I guess you can call that a resolution, but I don't like the sound of that. I prefer goals. Because really, I don't need these things to get "resolved", but, it would be great if they got done. So, here's some goals the husband and I set for 2012.

1) More Korean
2) More hiking (I've invested in a pair of hiking pants, so now I feel obligated)
3) More "deep" cleaning (thanks to The Homekeeping Handbook by Martha Stewart)
4) More dinner parties

All doable and fun, except I'll be struggling with #2, but I'll deal with complaining. I am an excellent hiking complainer.

So here's to a healthy New Year dear readers, hope it's a good one!

Jumbo shrimp marinated in pepper paste, garlic, scallion, ginger and sesame oil.

Similar marinate for the pork, but we also added pepper flakes, onions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sugar and rice vinegar.

The spread included bulgogi and spicy pork over stir fried vegetables, shrimp, cucumber and cabbage kimchi, spinach, sprouts, seafood pancakes and rice. Notice the husband's cute table setting?

Homemade Gifts: Cranberries and Lemons

2012-01-02T21:53:00.001-08:00

Many years ago, the husband and I had a great idea -- we'll make soap for Christmas gifts! We headed off to Michael's, bought a soap-making kit, brought it home and started to soap it up. Then, we had another brilliant idea -- let's add some texture and scents to our soaps. I'm not sure which one of us came up with that one, but I'm stepping back and pointing the finger at him. So, we added oatmeal and teas and herbs to our cute little soaps. They did turn out cute. We stepped back and admired our work. The soap looked like soap! It smelled like soap. We were excited, big smiles and all.

And, since I'm a planner, we got this done way before Christmas. Go us! So we sat back and relaxed. We even tested out some of the soap, and it worked. It was soapy, it smelled okay, it was made with love. Then a week or so went by and it was time to package our creations. Hmmm, something was not right. The soap looked weird. We looked closer and sniffed. The soap was rotting. Our gifts of love were spoiled! The brilliant second idea of adding "stuff" to the soap didn't play out so well. Apparently, and I haven't done any research (the traumatic experience has left me with no desire to investigate) so I'm just guessing here, but you can't just add oatmeal from your pantry, or tea from your tea collection to your soap. I'm sure you have to do something else to stabilize these ingredients. I'm sure of it, but you will have to confirm for yourself.

The point here is, after that attempt, and the disappointment that came with it, we haven't really "made" people Christmas gifts. That is until this year. Note, I read about canning, and watched videos, so I can safely say, these gifts will NOT rot.

The inspiration here was a recipe I made for Thanksgiving -- a delicious and beautiful cranberry-hibiscus sauce, a recipe featured on Apartment Therapy. It was so easy to make, and we loved it so much (after a slight adjustment of adding more sugar), we decided to share it with the world; our little world of select coworkers, friends and family.

Also, because I had access to Meyer lemons, I decided to make several jars of preserved lemons, for those who appreciate cooking as much as I do.

Both of the projects went smoothly. Maybe it was because this time I took the solo approach. Although there was a lot of encouragement from the husband, just not actual help. When done, we both stepped back (I let him step back with me) and admired our work. I made little tags, packaged the goods, and we sent off these food gifts into the world. So far, I've only received compliments. Zero reports of rot = success!

I enjoy eating the sauce as a jam on toast, and also in my morning yogurt.

Cranberry-Hibiscus Sauce-Jam
Adapted from http://munchinwithmunchkin.com

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4cup red wine (stick with something fruity)
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 clove
1 Tbsp. dried hibiscus leaves
1 Tsp. orange zest
1 12 oz. package of fresh cranberriescheesecloth

1) Bundle up the hibiscus and clove in the cheesecloth, and set aside.
2) In a medium saucepan combine orange juice, red wine, water and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and add hibiscus clove bundle to the liquid and boil for two minutes.3
) Stir orange zest into mixture and add cranberries. Bring mixture back to a boil.
4) Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the liquid reduces. Make sure not to overcook, you want some texture.
5) Can! If you don't want to can, you can refrigerate for a couple of weeks.

Preserved Lemons Featured Here

Pt. Reyes & Wine Country: Ending 2011

2012-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is the first job I've had where the office is closed for a week after Christmas. It reminds me of being in school, but better, because I'm not actually in school. I wanted to take full advantage of the precious time off, so we planned a mini trip up north. Destination - Pt. Reyes, with a night in Napa.

We rented a car, booked our lodgings, and drove north on the 5 freeway. It's been a while since we opted to drive that far north and the ugly 5 reminded us why. It is a sad freeway, with cattle farms, dirty truckers and some of the worst drivers you'll come across. But, seven hours later, we were in Pt. Reyes, and all was right with the world.

This is our third trip up to Pt. Reyes. Despite the fact it's far, and small, and there's not much to do in town, the place keeps drawing us back with its breathtaking scenery, local and delicious food, and peaceful charm. We had two goals for this trip. Hiking and eating. The husband was all about the hiking (I played along). I was all about the oysters. We accomplished both goals, and more.

Coastal hike - a pleasant 5 mile loop, which I didn't complain too much about.

Tomales Bay - our view as we ate oysters, chowder and mussels.

The Marshall Store - serving amazing BBQ oysters.

Tomales Bay Oyster Co.

The golden nugget. The most perfect oyster.

Pt. Reyes cows. Unlike the cows off the 5, these beasts eat grass, and have the best views.

Murphy Beach.

Osteria Stellina. Above - pork osso bucco with chard and mashed potatoes. Below - chocolate hazelnut torte, with pear butter, and a scoop of house-made vanilla ice cream.

Don't be fooled, this only looks like the husband is fishing. Appearances can be deceiving.

Spooky evening hike in the fog. I was so scared, I actually hiked.

Champagne truffle in Sonoma.

Before heading back, we stopped for lunch at the Oxbow Market in Napa.

At the Kitchen Door, the husband enjoyed Korean sweet short ribs, with a delicious fried rice (I will be making attempts to recreate), and I devoured a steaming bowl of pasta bolognese. The finishing touch, churros with dark chocolate and dulce de leche sauce.

Not a bad way to say farewell to 2011.

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas: Starring Shepherd's Pie

2011-12-25T00:26:00.000-08:00

The drive up Fair Oaks to our house is long. We are not too close to the freeway, so patience is required. And as you sit in you car, patiently, you can't help but glance around and notice oh, convalescent home. Oh, mortuary! Oh, convalescent home! There's a good five blocks, which I've dubbed as Convalescent Death Row, where you pass about 10 or so convalescent homes and mortuaries. I guess the two are strategically close together. It's a bit of a downer. That is, until you get to the Taco Bell/Pizza Hut. By that point, you're really depressed and disgusted with society. But, a few blocks after that, the beautiful San Gabriel mountains emerge before you, and on a clear, crisp day like yesterday, you are in awe of them.

As I made my way home on the eve before Christmas Eve, getting off work early and being able to enjoy daylight, I was struck by the beauty of the last 1/2 mile drive up to our street. The looming, majestic mountains, the old and intriguing Mountain View Cemetery, the quirky homes full of character -- I couldn't believe how lucky we were to have found our Altadena house. A bit out of the way, yes, but definitely worth the drive. I felt grateful, admiring the mountains and looked forward to sharing the evening with a small group of friends, for one of our newest traditions - Christmas Eve Eve.

Only in it's third year, this special day has quickly become our favorite. A hearty, hassle-free meal, wine, eggnog, holiday lights, pine and candle smells, friends and good times. This year, I also pulled out my tripod and we had fun posing for the camera, before settling down on the couches before a fire.

And although spending time in each other's company was great, and so was seeing our friend from Texas, everyone agreed the real highlight was the shepherd's pie. I didn't use a recipe. I just did what I pleased, tasted along the way, and trusted my instincts. It worked. One of our friend's called the pie fierce. I think she might be watching too much Top Model.

Hope you are also enjoying this special time with friends and family, and reflecting on all the deliciousness that is life. Happy holidays my friends.

Oven-Roasted Beet Soup with Watercress

2011-12-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

This is the final recipe left over from the husband's big 30 dinners. I almost didn't post, but the photos are so red and pretty, very Christmasy, seeing them changed my mind.

This silky soup was on the menu on night two. Roasted beets are delicious, and this soup has a unique, velvety flavor. It's super easy to make, the only time consuming portion is straining the soup, which we considered skipping, but after a test taste, decided the extra seven minutes were well worth it.

I am also now in love with crème fraîche. I've even been using it in my mashed potatoes.

Oven-Roasted Beet Soup with Watercress
From www.joanneweir.com
Serves 6

2 1/2 pounds beets, greens removed and washed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, minced
5 cups chicken stock
1 bunch watercress, stems removed, chopped
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2) Place the beets in a shallow baking pan and drizzle with the oil and 1 tablespoon water. Roll the beets to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until the beets are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, 60 to 80 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. When the beets are tender, remove from the oven and let cool. This can be done a day in advance, which is very convenient.

3) In the meantime, pour the oil from the baking pan into a soup pot. Warm the oil over medium heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 7 minutes.

4) When the beets are cool, peel and chop them coarsely. Add them to the onions along with the chicken stock and 1 cup water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.

5) Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean soup pot. The straining really make a difference in the texture of the soup. We did a taste test. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6) Reserve 1/4 cup of the watercress for a garnish. In the blender, puree half of the watercress with 1 tablespoon crème fraîche until very smooth. Add the remaining watercress and pulse 2 to 3 times. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Brussels Sprouts Salad

2011-12-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

This salad will make its third appearance at our table this month for Christmas dinner. You might be thinking, "Really? It doesn't look very special" and rolling your eyes. But you'd be wrong. This, I have decided, is the perfect winter salad.

When I first saw this salad pictured in the October issue of Bon Appetit I turned the page without giving it much thought. But then, I noticed the brussels sprouts were barely cooked and this could be prepared the day before. Raw brussels sprouts, eh? Interesting. With that, I decided to add the salad to night one of the husband's birthday dinners (if you're getting tired of hearing about his dinners, don't worry, I only have one more recipe to blog about!)

Now, the recipe is altered. I didn't like the idea of walnuts, so I used pinenuts instead, and I wasn't about to go buy walnut oil, so I used good 'ol olive oil. And when I first tasted the undressed radicchio and brussels sprouts, a worried look settled on my face. The husband noticed. It was bitter, I told him. And I like bitter. But, this might be too bitter. Well, not much I could do at that point, I told myself. Maybe the flavors will chill out?

And the flavors did mellow. Once the salad was dressed, it only had traces of slight and pleasant bitterness. The mustard, shallot and pine nut vinaigrette was tangy and complimented the hearty greens. The lemon zest added freshness and lightness to the dish. My only complaint here is that is takes so long to separate the leaves of the sprouts. Those little heads of green are tight and don't want to come off. So a bit of patience is required. Hopefully Santa will bring me some more patience this weekend as I prepare the salad one more time on Christmas day.

Brussels Sprouts Salad
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 8

3 3/4 cups brussels sprouts, halved, cored, leaves separated

Kosher salt

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, divided

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling

1 medium shallot, minced

3 tablespoons plus 2 tsp. Champagne vinegar

1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Pinch sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 medium head of radicchio (about 5 oz.), cored and thinly sliced

Parmesan (for shaving)

3/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1) Blanch brussels sprouts in boiling salted water for 30 seconds; drain and immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Spin in a salad spinner to dry leaves (or pat dry with kitchen towels). (Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap in a kitchen towel, transfer to a resealable plastic bag, and chill.)

2) Melt butter with 1 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add shallot and half the pine nuts; cook, stirring frequently, until shallot softens, about 2 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Remove vinaigrette from heat; season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can also be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to a container, cover, and chill. Let vinaigrette come to room temperature before serving.)

3)Place brussels sprouts and radicchio in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over brussels sprouts mixture and toss to coat well. Transfer to a serving dish. Using a vegetable peeler, shave cheese over. Sprinkle with lemon zest and remaining pine nuts. Drizzle with olive oil.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

2011-12-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this is a cauliflower or butter soup. I think I used equal parts of both, but, it is delicious -- rich and creamy. I served this soup on night one of the 30th birthday dinners.

It's a simple soup to make, with only a handful of ingredients. But it looks and tastes fancy. Probably due to all that butter. I think roasting the cauliflower first adds a nice depth of flavor. I've found that to be true with most vegetable soups. So if you have some extra time, just pop your vegetables in the oven first. You won't regret it.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 large head of cauliflower (about 2 lb.), leaves discarded
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, divided
Kosher salt
1 large onion, minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
4-6 cups of chicken stock

1) Preheat oven to 350°. Place whole cauliflower head in a large baking dish, rub with 4 Tbsp. butter, and season with salt. Add 1/2 cup water to dish. Bake uncovered, tenting with foil if cauliflower begins to brown, until a knife inserted into the core meets no resistance, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove cauliflower from oven; let cool. Coarsely chop and set aside.

2) Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add cauliflower and 4 cups stock. Simmer until cauliflower is very soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Puree.

3) Return soup to pot and bring to a simmer, adding more stock if too thick. Season with salt. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 6 Tbsp. butter and cream. Serve warm in shallow bowls, drizzle with olive oil.

Holiday Cheer, Minimalist Style

2011-12-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

This year, we've decorated early. Since we're skipping town for a getaway the day after Christmas, we decided to get the most out of holiday decor.

We keep things simple. Unlike some people we know, we don't have 27 large boxes of holiday decorations stashed away in our attic. Everything we own, fits into two, flat ornament boxes that we keep in our guest closet. And it's just enough stuff to add a festive touch to the place. We've both agreed, if it doesn't fit into those boxes, it has got to go. This prevents us from purchasing anything we don't love. Besides, no amount of stuff can compare to the fresh smell of a tree.

Enjoy our minimalist decor below. Happy holidays my readers!

Potstickers

2011-12-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

I love dumplings. Steamed, pan fried, with seafood, meat or vegetables. For breakfast, lunch or dinner. Recently, we had some delicious dim sum, and it reminded me that I never posted my gyoza attempt from way back in October. We hosted a sushi night, and these little pork pillows stole the spotlight.

These are easy to make, you can customize your filling, and if you make a large batch, they freeze well and make a great snack later. So make a large batch. It's always a pleasant surprise to open the freezer and hey, there's dumplings!

Pan-Fried Pork Potstickers

Makes about 30

Filling:
1 lbs of ground pork
3 large scallions, chopped
4-5 leaves of napa cabbage, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
drizzle of chili oil

gyoza wrappers
water for steaming and sealing the wrappers
peanut oil

dipping sauce:
soy sauce and rice vinegar (I use a two to one ratio)

1) Combine your ingredients in a large bowl and mix until everything is incorporated.
2) Lay out your wrappers, and place about 1 tablespoon of filling on each wrapper. Fold and seal, using a bit of water along the edge.
3) Preheat a nonstick skillet with a bit of peanut oil. Once pan is hot, add the postickers, and brown both sides. You will need to do this in batches, make sure not to overcrowd your pan.
4) Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pan, cover and steam the dumplings until cooked through about 3 minutes. Uncover, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until all the water is evaporated.
5) Serve while hot with soy sauce and rice vinegar.

Cured Salmon (or Gravlax) with Grapefruit

2011-12-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

Not everyone is about raw fish. But I am. If you're finicky, this might be a good post to skip. However, if you do enjoy cured fish -- weather smoked, pickled, salted or dried -- pay attention. This is a simple, and delicious recipe, sure to impress your loved ones and yourself. Because, let me tell you, I was impressed.

I decided to try this recipe and serve it as an appetizer at the husband's "30 dinners." Since new recipes can be tricky, I tested this one out, just to make sure Bon Appetit did not lie to me about its deliciousness. I'm happy to report, it didn't. The recipe was so good, I made just a few alterations, and only out of necessity.

Curing fish removes some of its liquid, and infuses the fish with flavor. It's been done for ages (meaning, I'm too lazy to look up actual history on this, but I know it's been around for a long time) to preserve fish. A few things I'd recommend. Buy really fresh fish. Spend the extra money. You're not cooking it, so just play it safe. Use a good knife to slice your fish. It takes a bit of practice to get thin and even slivers.

The process only takes about 15 minutes. Maybe even less. The important thing is to plan ahead, as the fish needs at least three days in the fridge. After it's done, you can serve it all fancy style on rye with creme fresh, as suggested in the original recipe. You can use it to make bagel sandwiches. Or you can just eat it straight. We did all three.

I would definitely make this again. It was tastier than any store-bought smoked salmon I've had.nd now that I feel comfortable with the process, I'm excited to experiment with some other flavors, like rosemary.

Gravlax with Grapefruit
Courtesy Bon Appetit, October 2011

1 2-pound side of arctic char, skin on, pinbones removed (if like most people, and me, you can't find acrtic char, use salmon)
3 tablespoons plus 2 tsp. finely grated white or pink grapefruit zest (I used pink)
3 tablespoons kosher salt plus more
2 tablespoons muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. dried whole green peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon juniper berries, well crushed
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1/2 cup minced fresh dill, divided
Crackers or toasts (preferably rye)

Place arctic char skin side down on a large piece of plastic wrap. Mix 3 Tbsp. grapefruit zest, 3 Tbsp. salt, both sugars, 1 Tbsp. crushed green peppercorns, and crushed juniper berries in a small bowl; sprinkle mixture over fish, spreading evenly and pressing gently so spices adhere. Wrap plastic tightly around fish, then wrap with another large sheet of plastic. Gently poke 24 small holes through plastic (not fish) on both sides of fish with a thin skewer or the tip of a sharp knife to allow juices to escape. Put fish on a rimmed baking sheet. Top with another rimmed baking sheet; weigh it down with two 15-oz. canned goods. Refrigerate for 2 days, turning fish after 1 day.

Remove canned goods and top baking sheet. Unwrap and discard plastic, keeping cure intact. Rewrap in clean plastic and poke holes in plastic as before. Place in a clean resealable plastic bag; refrigerate, skin side up. Chill for 1 more day. Gently scrape off cure.

Whisk crème fraîche, 2 tsp. dill, and remaining 1 tsp. crushed green peppercorns in a small bowl. Season with salt. Thinly slice gravlax on a diagonal and serve on crackers. Top with créme fraîche and garnish with re-maining 2 tsp. grapefruit zest and 1 tsp. dill.

The Turning 30 Dinners

2011-12-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

The husband turned 30 yesterday. So this past weekend, was dedicated to him and his old age. In honor of this milestone, and the fact we've now officially spent half of our lives together, I decided to throw two small, but fancy dinner parties -- one for family and one for friends.

This year, several of us in our little group, are turning 30. I usually don't give birthdays much weight, or set goals associated with age, hence when April rolls around, I don't have the regrets and pressure. (To be honest, between 24-28, I kept forgetting about my age and thought I was 27 for a good three years.) But, I do remember at 25 thinking about life at 30. Thirty seemed so far away, and though I didn't picture life dramatically different, I did consider the possibility we'd be out of California, exploring a more peaceful, less traffic-filled way of life.

So here we are. Although still in California, our retreat to Altadena has been good for the soul. This small and strangely charming community has won us over. This past year, we've settled into our home, planted a garden, and cooked and baked more than before. I guess getting old is not so bad (says the still 29 year-old).

But enough of reflection. Let's talk dinner parties. The inspiration came from the November issue of Bon Apetit. Their fancy dinner party looked so classy. I decided to give a few of their recipes a try. I sent out invites, created two different menus, and started mentally prepping for the back-to-back cooking.

As always, life throws something your way to mess with your perfectly laid plans. This time, it was a windstorm. And though I could appreciate a nice breeze, the 80 mph winds we experienced were a bit much. Our neighborhood looked like a disaster zone and the nasty winds left us without power or internet or hot water right before the first dinner. And did I mention my favorite supermarket, Super King, closed for the weekend? And the husband took ill with a cold. Fun times.

Despite these natural obstacles, I managed, serving four-course meals, including home-cured salmon (more on this to come soon). The husband also managed, refusing help from cold medicine. And I believe a delicious time was had by all. Unfortunately, between all my running around and our dim lighting, the photos were not so great. But, I did my best to document the evenings with my unsteady and tired hands.

For the invitations, I used my "Farmer Greg" print as a backdrop.

Night one featured a tasty blue cheese. For night two, I experimented with a baked brie with brown sugar, pine nuts and honey. Not too shabby for a first attempt.

Some of our friends didn't get the memo that jean jackets are not semi-formal attire. But we let them stay and eat. Others, wore swanky three-piece suits and flashed business cards.

Dinner one featured halibut and asparagus cooked in parchment with orange juice, a potato fennel hash and a brussels sprouts salad. Starting with a roasted cauliflower soup.

Dinner two starred osso buco over garlic mashed potatoes and braised leeks. First came the beet and watercress soup.

Both nights we had two homemade ice creams -- rum raisin and coffee.

There were many gifts, including not one, but two Tartine books.

At the end of the night, the birthday boy was passed out by the fireplace, while I washed and washed, and washed dishes.

I had vowed not to cook for an entire week, but broke down tonight. But I'm definitely not doing any of the dishes, for a long, long time.

The Random Vegetable Soup

2011-11-28T22:10:00.000-08:00

What is not in this soup? Meat. But, it pretty much has everything else. Root veggies, greens, beans, herbs -- whatever I happened to have around, ended up in the pot.

I am mostly a great planner. I think ahead, do my shopping, maximize the use of my ingredients. But sometimes, I don't care. My not caring, coupled with hunger can lead to some interesting dishes, including this soup. I had done my shopping the day before, so the fridge was well stocked with a nice variety of vegetables. And I'm pretty sure I used every vegetables on-hand for this soup, and even opened a few cans of beans to add to the mix. There was really no measuring involved. I chopped everything into bite-size pieces of similar size, and threw them into the pot. The only thought I put into the dish was the herb bouquet, which had rosemary, marjoram, thyme and a bay leaf.

So here's what ended up in the pot -- carrots, celery, onion (the triple threat that is usually a base for many of my soups), garlic, turnips, fava beans, potatoes, kale and spinach. From the pantry I added garbanzo and red kidney beans, vegetable stock and tomato paste. I first sauteed the veggies, besides the beans and greens, then added the tomato paste, herbs and stock. After bringing the soup to a boil, I added my beans, then during the last 10 minutes I threw in the kale and spinach. Total cooking time about 40 minutes. If you're a quick chopper, you can get this soup on the table in under an hour.

Although this soup had a lot going on, all the flavors merged well, and I enjoyed the various textures. I especially liked the fava beans and leaf greens. Also, I'm pretty sure this soup has like 20 servings of vegetables. So you can feel real good about eating it.

Split Pea & Ham Soup, On the Fly

2011-11-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

I've been cooking and documenting, but not posting. So hold on, there's going to be a flurry of quick posts, and not only because I've been lazy and am now making up for it (although that is partly true), but also because I've been making quick and easy meals, after intense cycling classes at the gym.

I hate working out for too many reasons to list here, but lately, I've been hating it because it leaves me little time to cook. Instead, I get home late, and am too sweaty and tired to pour myself a glass of wine, much less prepare a fancy meal. Oh, I have been missing those fancy meals.

This soup, not fancy. It is good, and comforting. It requires little of your attention, and tastes better the next day, so make a big batch. The ham is obviously optional, if meat is not your thing, but it sure adds a nice salty flavor. I made this with whatever I had on-hand, without following any recipe, so the below measurements are rough, but, you get the idea.

Split Pea and Ham Soup

1 large carrot, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

black forest ham, I used about a cup, chopped

yellow peas, about 1 lb, rinsed and picked over

chicken or vegetable stock, 4-5 cups

bay leaf

salt and pepper

olive oil

1) Heat your oil and add carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add celery and ham. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

2) Add your peas, stock, bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, cover and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, lower heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. You might need to add more stock, or water.

3) Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve with some crusty bread.

This is one of the few soups I enjoy chunky. It's especially good on a chilly night, in front of the TV.

Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Feta

2011-11-27T21:52:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting my blogging duties because several weeks ago, I discovered Sons of Anarchy. But 50 episodes later, I am all caught up, and must wait to find out what happens to my beloved bikers. And I can finally blog again.

I made these peppers months ago, but never got around to posting. When I recently saw the pictures from that meal, I recalled how quick and delicious these peppers were, making them a great appetizer.

I hollowed out the peppers, removing all the seeds.

The mini peppers were then stuffed with a mixture of feta and cream cheese, fresh basil and a bit of pepper paste.

I baked the peppers for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, turning them halfway. In the end, the peppers themselves still had some crunch, but the cheese stuffing was hot and gooey. If you're looking for the peppers to be cooked all the way through, I suggest steaming them first. But, I liked the bit of crispness left in them.

Now that was fast.

Cucumber, Feta and Olive Salad

2011-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you get tired of the lettuce salads. And sometimes you buy a lot of cucumbers for a good deal and need to use them. This salad is a combination of both. It's super easy to make, and involves a nice blend of salty and refreshing flavors. It's one of those great salads that just makes you feel good about eating a salad.

The ingredients used all happened to be in my fridge or garden, so feel free to change things up based on your tastes and availability. Along with Persian cucumbers, I added kalamata olives, creamy Bulgarian feta, shallots and tarragon. But, you can use any olive of your choice, parsley or even mint, and red onion as substitutions. Although I have to say, the tarragon was absolutely delicious here, adding a unique and subtle licorice aroma.

I dressed the salad simply with good olive oil and a bit of lemon juice. And that's it! This would make a great accompaniment to any type of grilled meat, such as juicy lamb chops.

Brats & Stuff

2011-11-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

I'm not the biggest fan of brats. To me, they lack a certain excitement. They are usually mild in flavor, and if I'm going to have sausage, I want lots of flavor - either spicy, or fennely, or something!

So this year, I was not really excited to make 25 lbs of bratwurst for the brother-in-laws Oktoberfest party. First, 25lbs is a lot of sausage. Second, if I'm going to spend all day making sausage, I'd rather make chorizo or something a bit more exotic. But, I was present solely as a laborer, specializing in the spices, and not a decision maker. I labored away, and in the end, we had a lot of sausage.

The sausages were a hit at the party, I'm sure partly due to my spices. I added more of everything the recipe called for. And this time around, we used more fat, which also added flavor. The husband and I, kept a couple of brats for ourselves, and before the party, tested them out. Along with the sausage, I made cabbage, potatoes and carrots. And by made, I mean I placed my vegetables, beer and seasoning in the slow cooker in the morning, and headed to work.

When I got home, my vegetables were cooked. I transferred the beer juices to a pan, and steamed my brats in them for about 15 minutes. Once the brats were nice and plump, I pan fried them. You can also use the grill at this point. Either way works.

The brats, although subtle, were delicious and juicy. The stewed vegetables made a nice accompaniment. Overall, a nice comforting meal, requiring little work, perfect for a weeknight.

Pumpkin Carving and Chili Night 2011

2011-11-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Traditions are great. Especially when you create them yourself. Several years ago, we decided to start hosting a pumpkin carving night for Halloween. The event evolved, but it stuck. Year after year, friends look forward to outdoing each other with their carving skills, and eating my delicious chili.

This October, due to our travels, we were going to skip this tradition. But, there was an uproar. To calm the masses, we opted for a tamer, quieter evening. We flew in that morning, and hours later were hosting, in pajamas, but still hosting.

I cooked the chili before our trip and froze it. That evening, all I had to do was warm it up and serve it. The friends brought their pumpkins, carving tools, and lots of beer. As always, I used my impeccable judgment skills to declare the 2011 Pumpkin Carving Champ.

The reigning champ from years past and his adorable baby. One lesson we learned this year -- fatherhood equals second place. Ouch! Apparently, there are other benefits.

First place pumpkin in its initial stages. I was skeptical.

The "other" pumpkins.

Baby lounging time.

Chili goodness. It gave me strength and clarity to judge the pumpkins.

NASA inspired Rocket Launch takes first place. Creepy Stalker Clown (with flashing nose) came in a close second.

The Dark Owl and a pumpkin whose title I would rather not mention here. Good luck figuring that one out.

And another close up of the winner! Check out 2009 (with chili recipe) and 2010 posts for comparisons.

New England - Food & Drink

2011-11-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

Most of our recent travels have revolved around food and/or beverages. This trip was no different. Sure I tell people we went to see the fall colors, but we really went to drink New England craft beers and eat fresh seafood and good cheese. I am happy to report we accomplished all of the above, colors included.

Besides a couple of not-so-good, but completely amusing meals, we ate and drank extremely well. Sometimes too well, squeezing in two dinners a night. I think our friend was horrified by the husband's appetite and unnatural ability to eat immense amounts of food, for days on end and look the way he does. I guess I often forget this superpower of his, because he tones it down at home.

What we liked about the food we ate, was that it was local, simply prepared and tasted amazing and fresh. And it was affordable. The husband described it best, "I like that they tell you where the food comes from, but don't charge you extra for doing so." California needs to catch up. Here, if you know what farm something on your menu came from, get ready to pay extra for that bit info.

Along with tasty food, we had great beers, stopping at a brewery, or two, almost daily. Wine on the other hand, skip it. We stopped at a winery in Vermont, and it was interesting. And by that, I mean bad. California has good wine, and having experienced many years of wine tasting locally, we were embarrassed for the winery as we tasted their "light bodied" offerings (because really, I'm not sure I can rightfully call what we drank wine). Sorry New England, you can't have it all.

Below is a small sampling of our delicious meals, and pictures of friends and nature, because we did go to see fall colors after all.

Oysters and clam bake (below) at the Summer Shack in Boston. We sampled 3 varieties of delicious eastern oysters, and managed to put away a meaty lobster, mussels, and clams.

Covered bridge. My new favorite saying -- put a roof on it!

Apple cider donut. Surprisingly light and just sweet enough.

The perfect lunch spot.

The husband loves his beer samplers. This was the largest selection by far -- 10 beers!

Amazing clam chowder, so creamy and dreamy.

Cheers! More beer.

Rainy afternoon.

Portland, Maine. Pretty scenery, and a pretty amazing meal at Fore Street (below).

Mead tasting at Maine Mead Works. Absolutely, and surprisingly delicious. My friend and I have had and hated mead. With our minds made up, the only reason we participated in the tasting was because it was cold outside and there was no shopping nearby. So glad. Because this place changed our minds. Their well-balanced and mouth-watering brews were incredible. Lesson learned? Homemade mead, or mead in decorative bottles from Scandinavian countries, is gross. Leave it to the professionals.

In conclusion, we loved New England, at least the four states we visited. Although we only kind of liked New Hampshire.

New England Adventure - Fall Colors

2011-11-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Our New England travels have come to an end, and already I miss the crisp air and colorful scenery. I do not miss the snow. After 15 minutes of walking in the snow, the husband and I decided it wasn't for us. It just snows on you, and there's nothing you can do about it!

Along with our Pittsburgh friends, we spent eight glorious days exploring food and beer (more on that to come later) in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. We also spent some time outside in nature, and inside our rental car, looking at nature. I love looking at nature from inside a warm, dry vehicle. But we did get out to the woods, did some minor hiking, where I managed to get lost, admired breathtaking views and took lots of pictures.

I love bridges, but during this trip, I discovered I loved covered bridges even more. There's something so cozy about them. Something magical and secretive. During our travels, we tried to guess why the bridges were covered in the first place, and although we had two iphones, one regular smart phone, and one useless razor, we didn't look it up, but kept guessing. It was fun. Then, someone did look it up -- the roof protects the trusses from the weather, hence a longer-lasting bridge. Makes sense, although I did enjoy the mystery.

Poverty Lane Orchards, where we tasted delicious hard ciders, and got to see a variety of heirloom apples you can't find in your grocery store.

Posing by the mini flume.

As I mentioned earlier, I got lost on a hike. I was the only one who stayed on a trail. The others apparently do not believe in trails. The husband decided to do a one-man search and rescue because our friends had already declared me officially gone, and were eager to get to the car. After a few moments of panic, and possibly some yelling for help, I skipped along the muddy trail wild eyed, until at last I was found. Once reunited, probably to calm me down, or ease his guilty conscience for abandoning me, the husband took a couple of photos of me. I believe the above captured my feelings of being lost perfectly.

The town of Bath, Maine. They have dubbed themselves Maine's Coolest Little City. We witnessed the smallest Halloween parade of toddlers trick-or-treating, trolling the streets (one little street) for candy. It was adorable.

Wood Island Light House in Biddeford Pool, Maine. A few miles from our home away from home, but way better than our real home. Somebody really needs to get me a new six-burner Viking stove.

Portsmouth, NH. This cute little town and it's delicious brewery almost redeemed the rest of weird New Hampshire. Almost.

So much color, I love it!

Whiskey & Ginger Ale

2011-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

We are back from our New England travels! I am tired, and a bit disoriented, but we still managed to host our annual pumpkin carving tonight, and before heading off to dreamland, I thought I'd get a quick post in of my favorite cocktail -- whiskey and ginger ale.

I like to use quality whiskey, although nothing too too good, which I save for sipping straight or on the rocks. Lately, I've been indulging in 1792. I also like lots of cherries in my drink, a minimum of two, but preferably three. And fancy lemon cubes for that extra touch. The recipe varies based on how strong I want my drink to be that particular evening, but I tend to do three ice cubes, two shots of whiskey, and fill the rest of my glass with ginger ale. Ahhh, refreshing. Oh, and cherries, don't forget the cherries!

Stay tuned for an overview of our New England adventures -- leaves, breweries and seafood.

Thai-Style Mussels

2011-10-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

As I write this post, I am also packing. Because at the end of this week, we will be heading to New England! Since fall refuses to come to Southern California, I have decided to go to fall. But, I'm still here, and there's mussels to talk about. Delicious mussels in a broth of coconut and lemongrass.

Lemongrass was the driving factor here. We have so much of it growing. And I've been really bad about using it. I decided to pick the first recipe I saw in this month's Bon Appetit using the ingredient, and just go for it.

At first, I had trouble finding mussels. I went to my fish store, nothing. I checked out a few other stores, more nothing. I almost gave up, thinking they were not in season, but my determinated to use lemongrass motivated me to stop by Bristol Farms, and success! They not only had mussels, but at a good deal (for Bristol). Good deals always make me suspicious, but, I spoke to the seafood man behind the counter and he reassured me.

I love mussels steamed in white wine, with loads of fragrant garlic and butter. So, I was a bit nervous messing with such a simple and perfect meal. But, this recipe was pretty good. It was different. It took me a few mussels and several bread dips into the broth to appreciate the flavors, but as we polished off the platter, I was sold. I think next time, I would add a bit of Thai curry powder or paste, and more garlic to really bring out the Thai flavors.

Thai-Style Mussels

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 2 as a main dish

2 1/2 lbs of mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

1 can of coconut milk

2 stalks of lemongrass, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 thai chiles, minced

handful of cilantro

salt and pepper

oil

1) Heat oil, I used grapeseed, in a heavy pot, and add lemongrass, garlic and chiles, cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently.

2) Add coconut milk, mussels, season, and cover. Steam mussels, stirring occasionally for 10 or so minutes.

3) When mussels have opened, remove from heat, add cilantro, and serve.

I like to serve the mussels in the pot I cooked them in. This way you don't have to wash another dish, and can enjoy all the broth and mussel juices. Make sure you have some good bread, and plenty of it. We ate this up with the husband's freshly baked sourdough. Delicious!

Fried Oysters (and Calamari Steaks)

2011-10-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

Since I've lived on my own, with the husband that is (a good 6+ years), I've never deep fried anything. Maybe it's because it always seems like a hassle -- so much oil involved -- oil splatter, oil clean up, oil disposal. It could also be that I find it more satisfying to order my fried food while out. But I think it's mainly because my parents cooked fries at home at least once a week, and I've probably had enough fries to last me a lifetime. Now, just so I don't soil their names without a clarification here; my parents made homemade fries, with fresh, thick-cut potatoes. Totally fresh and delicious. But still unhealthy

So last week, I was conflicted when we visited King Fish, and I can across perfect looking Pacific oysters from Washington, for a good price and listed as “ideal for frying”. I gave in. Because if I am going to fry something for the first time in my home, it better be something super deserving and delicious, like an oyster. We also bought calamari steaks and decided to make it a seafood night

I know how frying goes. I've seen it on TV, lots of times. But, when the oil is hot, and you drop your food into it, everything changes. And by that, I mean I panicked. I wasn't coating the oysters fast enough, I was making a mess, and did I mention the oil is really hot? Well, my first oyster browned too quickly, but by oyster three, I had collected myself, gained some confidence, and got the job done. By oyster 10, I was a pro.

Now, here's what I learned from this process:
1) Get a decent size pot. I used the smallest little pot I had, mostly because I only had so much vegetable oil, but this made things difficult.
2) Get help. As you can see from the photos below I looked pretty organized, with my coatings all pretty and lined up. But looks can be deceiving. And two hands were just not enough. And since I had another perfectly capable pair of hands around, I should have asked to use them. It would have just made things easier.
3) Don't be afraid to adjust your temperature. Especially with something like oysters, where you are doing batches, the temperature drops when the cold oysters goes in, so you can increase the heat, initially, then lower it.
4) It's hard to screw up fried food, especially when you use big, plump oysters. These were pretty incredible, and even though I knew not what I was doing, the oysters were delicious, gooey in the middle, perfectly cooked, even by the clueless. And this included my first two "mistake" oysters, which still managed to stay juicy.
I did some research, and decided on a very simple recipe -- flour and cornstarch, eggs (seasoned with salt and pepper), and breadcrumbs (flavored with cumin and chili powder). I used the same coating on the calamari steaks, except that I soaked them first in whole milk, for about 30 minutes. The steaks were sautéed in a pan, while the oysters got the hot oil treatment.

We had quinoa on the side, dressed with preserved lemon juices. The oysters and calamari got a last minute squeeze of fresh lemon, and were incredible juicy and tender, with a nice crispness. And now that I've finally deep fried at home, I would definitely fry oysters again. But I think I'll still go out for chicken and fries.

The Last-Minute Salad with Tarragon Dressing

2011-10-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you make a salad because you want to, and sometimes it's all you've got. This salad happened to be the later. For my fresh ingredients, I had plenty of romaine lettuce, a couple of tomatoes from our garden (the very last ones) and an avocado. The chickpeas and scallops were my pantry and freezer backups, perfect for a meal such as this.

The dressing was really the star here. I used the tarragon from our garden, which has finally blossomed after adjusting to our soil (it only took 6 months!). To the chopped tarragon, I added dijon mustard, tarragon champagne vinegar, olive oil, shallots and salt and pepper. Simple, but fragrant and delicious, with hints of anise and fennel.

The French Martini, A Drink for Grown Ups

2011-10-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

As an adolescent, I was really into martinis. Probably because of my major crush on James Bond. But then I turned 21, and the glory of the martini faded. I moved on to the dark side -- brandy, cognac and bourbon. But several years ago, I tried a French martini at a (yes, wait for it) French restaurant and fell in love. Unlike my underage days of appletinis, this version was so grown up and velvity, but without the harshness of the classic martini or the artificial sweetness of girly-flavored versions. The balanced nature of the French martini won me over, and I let this drink back into my life, with open arms.

A a few months ago, I invested in my own bottle of Chambord, and last week, I put my cocktail recipe book (an anniversary gift from the husband) to use. My first homemade French martini was delicious, well-balanced and left me wanting another drink, always a good sign. The only problem? I didn't have martini glasses and used my plain ol' tumblers, and the whole thing looked a bit ridiculous. And by a bit, I mean a lot.

I was on a new mission -- find martini glasses, fast. Luckily, that's a simple task, and I accomplished it in record time. Two short days later, I was sipping a French martini out of a proper glass, with Mr. Bond back on my mind.

Garden Transition to Fall

2011-10-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

If you can't already tell, I love autumn. It's my favorite season, and this works well for me, since we don't really have much of a winter in Southern California, and I can enjoy crispy cold weather, and warm cardigans through February. I have been preparing for fall eagerly, indoors that is, reading up on soup recipes, buying candles and placing throws on couches. And the husband has been preparing our garden.

He has started growing seedlings in tiny containers of cold season greens such as broccoli, chard, watercress and a variety of lettuces. I participated in the selection process of what we want to grow, helped to plant, and got out of the way. The care and maintenance is is not my forte. But taking pictures, now that's something I enjoy, so here's a visual update on the husband's hard work.

The last of the tomatoes.

French tarragon. It looked like it was on the verge of death for a good 6 months, but it's back!

Vietnamese basil. Another plant that looked like it would need hospice services, but it sprung back.

Lemongrass and lemon balm jungle.

Watermelon!

The cute little seedling nursery.

Lettuce garden.

Brunch for One: Spicy Bloody Mary & Potatoes with Scallops

2011-10-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

Starting in late August, I worked too many weekends. The house got messy, the fridge empty, I was popping Excedrin like candy. It was not fun. Then, it all came to an end, and I had a glorious Monday to recover. Although I couldn't really make up for the three lost Saturdays and get all the postponed projects completed, I did accomplish two important tasks -- 1) I organized all my bills and financial papers from the last year, and 2) I made myself an amazing brunch. I guess I could have squeezed in a couple of more tasks, but had orders to rest from the boss, so I rested. You don't argue with rest orders.

I started my late-morning with a Bloody Mary. I've found a mix I really, it's spicy and fresh. All I had to do was add ice, vodka, celery and celery seeds. First course, done!

For the main course, I had to run to the market for potatoes and bell peppers. I decided to throw together a hash, with onions and garlic. I was going to keep it simple, but thought better, this was my day off after all, and found scallops in the freezer to fancy up my brunch. Drizzled with dill mustard, it was the perfect solo meal to be had on the couch, while I looked out at our mountain view. We're lucky to have such an impressive view, especially since the TV situation is lacking. I will often be more entertained by the birds and bees buzzing in the front yard, than the sad three channels we receive.

First Fall Soup: Roasted Pumpkin and Butternut

2011-10-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, I thought fall had arrived. It was chilly for a couple of nights, so we changed out our sheets, I took out my two fall-related decorations (I am a minimalist), we made our first orange soup -- I was all set, I even had visions of using the fireplace soon. But then, this weekend, instead of the promised rain and thunderstorms, we were back to 85 degrees, and I longingly looked at my soup photos and cursed the beautiful Southern California weather.

Until the weather actually changes, I guess I'll just happily remember this soup and the two days of cool weather and pretend fall is here.

Let me start off by saying I had no intention of making this soup. I even said to the husband, "I don't want to use your stupid squash and make a soup!" I didn't really yell this, I kind of mumbled it in an exasperated way. I figured the exclamation would add some drama.

But the husband, he tricked me, as he often does, with his ignorance. He asked me how I usually roast my squash, so I told him. I should have known better. Because he then cut his little pumpkin and his cute butternut squash in half (bounty from his garden), oiled and seasoned them, and baked them for about an hour. But it doesn't end there, he took them out of the oven, starred at them, and came calling, "So what do I do now? We have no dinner. Are you going to show me how to make this soup? We have to use this stuff I baked." Long sighhhhhhhhh. Wasn't he paying attention? I didn't want to make a soup! I didn't want to use his squash! I obviously should have yelled this!!!

So, we got to making a soup. And by we, I mean I was tricked into making a soup. Although the husband did the essential nutmeg grating for the photo op below.

Let me end by saying, this was a good tricking, as the soup was creamy and tasted of subtle earthy spices. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to summer and start (at least according to the calendar) the next season.

Roasted Pumpkin and Butternut Soup

Serves 4

2 small butternut squash

1 small pumpkin

halved, seeded, oiled, seasoned with salt and pepper, and baked at 350 degrees for about an hour

chicken or vegetable broth, 3-4 cups

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

fresh sage, a handful

fresh thyme, a handful

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp brown sugar

allspice, a pinch

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

olive oil

heavy cream (optional)

1) Bake your squash and pumpkin, let cool, and scoop out the body (or as I like to call it the meat), leaving behind the skin.

2) In a heavy pot, heat your oil and add your onion, carrot and celery mixture, sauteing for about 10 minutes.

3) Add your squash and pumpkin, chicken broth, bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and bring to boil.

4) Decrease heat, add your fresh herbs, and simmer for 15 minutes.

5) Remove the bay lead and puree your soup, Grate your nutmeg, add the brown sugar and allspice. Stir and adjust the salt and pepper.

6) Add desired amount of cream, reheat soup and serve.

Red Snapper with Preserved Lemon and Tarragon

2011-10-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

As my preserved lemon series continues, I give seafood a try. When I came across rosy-looking red snapper fillets at Bristol Farms, I knew it was time to pop open the lemon jar. But after I got home from the market, I was too tired to look up any official recipes, and decided to make one up and hope for the best.

We have fragrant tarragon in our garden, which after several uncertain months has come back to life and is actually thriving. I knew tarragon would work well with fish, so I quickly threw together a topping for my fish of olive oil, tarragon, garlic, preserved lemon and salt and pepper. I put this on my fish, covered it in foil and grilled it for about 15 minutes. The combination was aromatic and delicious. The lemon and tarragon complimented each other nicely. The fish tasted light, with a hint of anise.

As a side dish, I served orzo, which cooks quickly. I first toasted the pasta in preserved lemon juices. Then, at the very end, I added a healthy spoonful of ajvar for a Mediterranean flavor and a pretty color.

Easy Lunches, or Even Easier Dinners

2011-10-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

When I'm cooking for myself, I usually like to go all out. I don't mind spending an hour or more in the kitchen, sipping on wine, chopping slowly, and taking my sweet time with everything. Unless, I am hungry. In that case, I still want something delicious, but fast, and I don't eat cereal, like my many friends, who apparently often have a bowl for dinner quiet regularly. I won't judge them here. But I do in private.

When I'm too hungry to wait, I usually like to make myself a hearty sandwich or a fancy salad. Taking an extra five minutes with either can turn your mid-day meal or evening dinner into an enjoyable and delicious experience.

To elevate my sandwiches to the next level, I use roasted middle eastern spreads such as pepper or eggplant. I like real cheese -- Munster, Swiss or Provolone -- and pepper turkey or black forest ham. And I always like to have something extra like avocado, radishes or sprouts.

When I make myself a salad, I almost always start with my own dressing, above I have mustard, champagne vinegar, olive oil, shallots and seasoning. As for my greens and toppings, I'm not picky. I usually like to use what we have growing and supplement with pantry items like olives or artichokes. I like crispy and creamy textures. And of course to really dress up a salad, add a crab cake or a couple of seared scallops and you're all set.

Lemony Grilled Chicken

2011-09-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

I'm making progress slowly with my preserved lemon jar. But, don't fear, it's holding up pretty well. With enough oil and salt to submerge the lemons, I'm not so frightened about them spoiling. Besides, hardly anyone dies of botulism anymore. Believe me, I looked it up. And in a few rare cases, it's mostly the older folks. Another drawback to aging.

So here we have a whole grilled chicken, marinaded with a whole preserved lemon, and a mix of spices I had leftover from the dry rub I used for couch day pork. To the leftover spices, I added turmeric and cumin, rubbed my chicken down, and popped it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

After spending some quality time on the grill, the chicken was mighty tasty. Very tender and succulent, with hints of lemon and spice. I haven't had a grilled chicken this good for quiet some time. I didn't even regret paying double for it at Whole Foods because they let it roam around.

There were side dishes -- black beans with salsa and wild rice -- but the chicken was the true star here, along with the preserved lemons of course.

Grilled Zucchini Soup - Take 2

2011-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

The key word here is grilled. My first attempt at zucchini soup was good, but not fantastic. Right away, I knew "Take 1" could be improved immediately with a mirepoix base. Now an interesting tid bit for you all, I can't pronounce many a word, and mirepoix is one of them. Therefore, I call the onion, carrot and celery mix Jamiroquai. Saying it makes me smile.

So back to this soup. I was thinking to myself, how do I elevate this soup to the next level? How? Then it came to me, grill the zucchini. It's my favorite way to eat the vegetable, so I decided to go for it. Great idea. Really. Grilling the squash added nice flavors, raising the soup quality from mediocre to fancy restaurant soup.

I did add a splash of curry powder to the OG recipe, left out most of the fresh herbs, except for the thyme, and forgot all about the lemon juice. All these alterations made for a smokier and tastier soup, with a richer flavor and texture. "Take 2" you win!

Sourdough Thin-Crust Pizza

2011-09-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I have a treat. The husband took time to write about his recent pizza-dough experience, using his own sourdough starter. This was a deliciously sweet and beautiful pizza-pie. My kitchen was also kept in tact during this process, with minimal flour dust in the air. And nothing makes me happier than a clean kitchen. Enjoy his journey with the dough!

-KK

Earlier in the year, my friend and his non-wife spent some time with me and my real wannabie housewife. We spent a lot of time eating, but we also spent a bunch of time just sitting on the couch talking. One day during a lull in the couch conversation, my friend grabbed a Cook’s Illustrated magazine on our coffee table. Perusing its contents, he saw what was touted as a foolproof thin-crust pizza recipe. Putting his faith in Chris Kimball and his CIA cronies, my friend jotted the recipe down, took it back to Pittsburgh, and one week later, insisted on me making it myself.

So I did, following the recipe to a T. My verdict: it was okay. The crust was mighty thin, tasted more flavorful than other recipes I’d made, and wowed some relatives who had never seen someone actually make pizza in their own home.

Before I took the first pizza out, I was already trying to come up with ways to out-Kimball Chris Kimball. First, who puts vegetable oil in a pizza? Cook’s Illustrated does, but I wasn’t down. I needn’t follow the traditional Neapolitan pizza making rules, but I did think that olive oil made a lot more sense in a pizza recipe than vegetable oil. Also, a bit more salt would help. Last and most importantly, some sourdough starter would give the 1-3 day resting period for the dough that deep, rich golden brown crust I was hoping for.

Unfortunately, the first time I tried making this modified pizza, I added way too much of a watery starter to the dough. When it was ready to be thrown in, the pizza stuck to the peel, folded in on itself, and baked a mess in the oven. The wife noticed that I became very silent, and yes, perhaps my eyes even got a bit watery at my failure. Luckily, she took no pictures of this event.

A few weeks went by, the tears dried, and I got the courage to try my modified recipe again. This time the dough was wet, but held its form. I shaped it into a nice round and we topped it off with a homemade sauce and made two different types of pizza with a mixture of smoked mozzarella and parmesan cheese. The uncooked pizzas slid off the peel onto the baking stone, where the oven maintained a scorching 515 degree heat. The cheese bubbled, the dough rose up, and the pizza emerged from the inferno changed into a majestically rustic looking pie. Below is the recipe that should have made it into that magazine.

Sourdough Thin-Crust Pizza

with some, but only some help from Cook’s Illustrated

Dough

14 ounces bread flour (buy a scale if you don’t have one)

2.5 ounces sourdough starter

2 tsp sugar

1tbs olive oil

2tbs salt

optional, ¼ tsp of packaged yeast

Mix the dry ingredients together, then add water. Let dough rest for 10-15 minutes. Add oil and salt next and mix till combined. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Place ball in an oiled bowl and cover tightly. Set in fridge for at least a 24 hour time period, but no longer than 3 days.

Sauce

Opens some tomato sauce, add garlic, oil salt and pepper, and all of your favorite Italian spices. Taste until you think you got good pizza sauce.

Toppings

We used Hungarian salami, black olives, roasted peppers, arugula and fresh pear-shaped tomatoes. Feel free to pick your own delicious combinations.

Baking

An hour before, take dough out of fridge and divide in two. Set oven rack to the highest position that will still accommodate a pizza and the temperature between 500-525 degrees. Slightly knead and shape dough into two smaller balls. Place one back in the original bowl, and oil another bowl for the second ball. After an hour, stretch dough balls out carefully until you have a 12 inch circle (check the internet for some pizza stretching tips, but really, it’s a matter of practice). Flour a pizza peal, transfer dough onto it. Work quickly to spread sauce on dough, then cheese, followed by whatever ingredients you fancy. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and crust in golden brown.

Summer Zucchini Soup - Take 1

2011-09-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not a good recipe follower. I'm usually tempted to stray and try something different. But, I followed this recipe pretty closely, and in the end, I wish I had strayed.

I love zucchini. In any shape and form. But, a 100% zucchini soup seemed like a bit much. Sure there's an onion in here, and some herbs, but that's pretty much it, people. How did it taste, you ask? Like zucchini. A lot of zucchini. It was good, don't get me wrong. But it needed balance. Luckily, the husband's gardens produce a constant supply of this summer vegetable, so I had the chance to tinker with the recipe, and make a more delicious soup (check back soon for take 2).

So why am I posting take 1? Because I can! And because it was still a tasty, and very simple soup. Take 2 is definitely more time consuming. So if you're looking for a soup to make in 20 minutes, and love zucchini, here's your recipe.

Zucchini Soup

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 large zucchinis, chopped

half a lemon’s worth of lemon juice

2 cups vegetable stock

Fresh herbs like basil, rosemary and thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream, optional

1) In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat and sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
2) Add the zucchini, lemon juice, and 1 cup of vegetable stock, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer about 15 minutes until tender. Add your fresh herbs in the last 5 minutes.
3) Use an immersion blender and purée the soup until smooth. Return soup to the pot, add the other cup of stock (more or less depending on how thick you like your soup) and bring back to a simmer for a couple minutes and stir.
4) Serve with a spoonful of sour cream.

Tuna Salad with Preserved Lemon

2011-09-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you have too many lemons? Add them to everything. Because you can't really make lemonade with preserved lemons. But, you can slip a bit into your tuna salad for a lemony kick.

For this version of a tuna salad, I used red onions, roasted peppers, olives, capers, celery and added about a quarter of a preserved lemon. And of course, mayo, sour cream, mustard and salt and pepper. I served the salad in a wrap, with greens and avocado. The avocado added a nice richness. A simple weeknight meal, and another way for me to use up my jar of lemons.

Pork Party + Couch Day + Rainbows & Lightning = Really Long Title

2011-09-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Last summer was a little hectic, and a lot of lazy. Two very important events made it so. First, our condo was on the market, which meant absolute cleanliness, open houses, and strangers. Second, I broke my elbow which limited my mobility and hostess capacity, and we ate a lot of quick dinners, and didn't throw any parties.

And when Couch Day came around on Labor Day weekend, we had packed up and stored all of our furniture, including the beloved couches, and instead had a Goodbye Condo Party.

This year, Couch Day received a new start, at a new home. And since summer slipped right by us, and we didn't end up having a Pork Party, we decided to combine the two celebrations. For a little background on both, check out previous posts: Couch Day '09 and Pork Party '09.

I typically avoid cooking on Couch Day. Drinking begins at noon, and it's hard to stay motivated, follow recipes, and be away from the couches. But this year, most of the prep was done the night before. We purchased two, nice-looking pork butts, ground our spices, and massaged the pork with the dry rub, letting it marinade in the fridge over night. That morning, I cooked the pork, beans, prepared meat balls and other snacks for phase one of Couch Day, picked a good spot on the couch, and enjoyed the afternoon drinking and relaxing with the friends. At around 3:30 pm, I pulled the pork from the oven, shredded it, cooked up the sauce, and we made ourselves little tacos, descending upon the pork like vultures.

The taco idea, all mine, was pretty brilliant. The pork made a super tasty filling, and our friend brought freshly made guacamole, with mango and pineapple. The tropical flavors went well with the spicy meat. The meal added a new delicious dimension to Couch Day. We might have to make this a new tradition. That is, if I don't resort back to my lazy ways.

As if this day wasn't spectacular enough, after our early dinner, we wondered outside for some fresh, non-air conditioned air, and witnessed a beautiful and huge, double rainbow. We hung around for a while, oohing, and taking photos, and then there was lightning and thunder. Now, you might think, call it a night, things can't get any better, but they did. In the strange weather, we walked to the Altadena Ale House, where a good time was had by all, drinking more beers and taking over the jukebox. And that my friends, is the proper way to pay tribute to your couches, who throughout the year give us so much pleasure and comfort, and ask for so little in return.

Couch Day Crew, 2011, minus my brother, who's playing photographer

Arrogant Bastard Pork

via Pittsburgh, with adjustments

Serves 10 generously

There’s a bit of a story with this recipe. It comes from our Pittsburgh friend, who loves his pork. And, it lives somewhere in my gmail account. I made this recipe once in 2009, and my brother deemed it “the best pork” he’s ever had. It was quiet the honor. This time, I misread this recipe, and used an ale instead of a porter, and the husband and I declared this an “even better pork than the best pork”. So here’s to delicious mistakes.

For the dry rub:

2, 3.5 lbs. pork butts

4 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons cumin

3 teaspoons ground mustard seed
6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
22 ounces of Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale
salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

1) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub all pork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2) The next day, Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Unwrap pork, and with a little bit of olive oil, brown all sides in a heavy dutch oven you plan to roast your pork in.

3) Place browned pork in the over, and cook for 30 or some minutes, until its dark.

4) Remove from oven. Lower oven to 325 degrees, and pour about 15 ounces of the beer over the top, cover and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until tender.
5) Remove the meat from the pot, and place on large platter to shred.

6) To the pan juices add:

1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons adobe sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (I totally forgot this! And, the pork was spicier, but still delicious. With the sweet ketchup in this recipe, I think the sugar is optional)
the rest of the beer

7) Bring to a simmer until reduced by half and thick, about 10-20 minutes.
8) While the sauce is boiling down, pull apart the pork with two forks.
9) At this point, you can throw the shreds into the sauce, or serve the sauce on top.

This pork is magical and good just by itself, or you can make tacos, like we did, and these tasted like little bites of pork heaven. Since we had leftovers, we even made quesadillas.

Roasted Chicken and Israeli Couscous with Preserved Lemons

2011-09-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

Finally the preserved lemon recipes begin. After waiting two plus months, I have popped my jar open. Now I have a month to use all these lemons. I've never cooked with preserved lemons before, so here's what I learned right away -- a little lemon goes a long way!

I guess I had assumed I'd be using whole lemons left and right. But, it's more like a quarter lemon here and there. In order to get through my jar, I must get creative and make at least two lemon recipes a week. Maybe it's because I'm so tired as I type this, but that sounds way too hard. I feel like giving up already. Hopefully, I get my act together and use every last lemon.

Getting back to my first preserved lemon success -- roasted chicken. This chicken was incredibly moist and tender, tasting of lemon and garlic. For my rub, I used a whole lemon and lemon juices, as well as two cloves of chopped garlic, salt, pepper and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme. I roasted the chicken on a bed of carrots and potatoes, which I also drizzled with lemon juices.

I decided to try my Thanksgiving turkey roasting method on this chicken. My starting temperature was 500 degrees. After 25 minutes, I lowered the temperature to 325 and roasted for another hour. Basically the idea is to seal in the juices at high temperature, while getting a nice color. Then, lower the temperature and cook as usual. This worked great on the chicken. Not sure why it took me so many years to give it a try.

Since I wanted to use lots of preserved lemons, I also made Israeli couscous (recipe below). I like Israeli couscous because it seems so much more substantial than regular couscous. And it's fun!

Lemony Israeli Couscous

2 cups Israeli couscous

chicken or vegetable stock

1/4 of a preserved lemon, minced

3 tbsp of preserved lemon juices

1/4 cup of chopped olives

handful of fresh chopped basil

salt and pepper

1) You're going to want to follow the cooking directions on your package, but first, heat your lemon juices, and toast your couscous.

2) Then, add your broth, season and cook for 10 or so minutes, depending on the package instructions.

3) Once the heat is off, stir in your minced lemon, olives and basil.

Floral Cheer

2011-09-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

I enjoy greenery in the house year round. But I'm pretty cheap when it comes to spending money on flowers. Besides the occasional sunflower purchase from Trader Joe's, I tend to look to our yard for house decor. Luckily, we have many options. Between various herbs, which not only look good, but have a great smell as well, to succulents, my vases are filled all year long. Best of all, these greens last a long time and are free.

Steak Tacos

2011-09-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

It's nice to have leftovers. You can be lazy and just reheat for a quick meal, or you can take your time and make a whole new meal. This dinner was a sort of compromise. The husband took his time and made rice with beans and fried plantains. I had the easier job of cutting up our leftover steak from the previous evening into thin strips and sauteing it with onions and roasted bell peppers.

The grilled steaks were a bit too dry for us, so sauteing the meat with the vegetables revived it, adding juices and lots of great flavor. This made for a tasty taco filling.

Bottom Round Steak Two Ways, plus Grilled Corn

2011-09-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

We don't eat a lot of red meat at home. It's probably because when we visit my parents, we consume enough to for the whole year. My dad doesn't know what a 4oz piece of meat is. And if he saw it, he'd laugh. But last week, I had a craving. I wanted something steaky, but light and summery. We stopped at Whole Foods, and bought cheap cuts of bottom round steak.

I marinaded the meat with lime, onions, white and green, paprika, cumin, fresh garlic and plenty of salt and pepper. My intention was to grill, but last minute, I decided to grill half of the meat and saute the rest in the husband's new cast iron pan, dubbed the "dirty pan" since he won't let me near it, and insists on "cleaning it" himself. I knew that the grilling would add a nice flavor, but, I'd lose all those great marinading juices and onions. So this seemed like a nice compromise. A few days prior I had roasted bell peppers, and added these to my pan with the onions, for additional flavor and color.

Having cooked with the onions and peppers, the meat in the pan proved to be more tender. The grilled meat was a bit dry. We ended up saving the grilled meat for leftover tacos the following evening (coming up next), where I infused the juices back into the steaks.

Along with our steak, we had delicious Mexican-style grilled corn, dressed with mayo, lime and chili powder, a perfect summer side dish. And there was grilled garden zucchini. A pretty simple and satisfying weeknight meal.

Side Salad for Take-Out Pizza

2011-08-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I get tired and don't want to cook. And this usually happens over the weekend. I tend to cook on most weeknights no matter how much I don't want to, as it helps me relax and forget the day. Then the weekend comes around, and here's my chance to make something extravagant, but I just end up hanging around the house, doing house stuff, and being kitchen lazy. That often means going out. Less often that means ordering pizza.

Last time this happened, I decided to be a little less lazy, and made a salad to go along with the pizza. Nothing too fancy, I just used what I found in the fridge and pantry -- romaine, feta, radishes, tomatoes, chick peas and roasted peppers.Pretty fast, and pretty good. Having a fresh, homemade salad made me feel better about ordering out on a weekend, and having three slices of pizza.

Tomato, Feta and Basil Salad

2011-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

I don't love tomatoes. There I said it. I know that some people (the husband) claim there's nothing, nothing, better than a homegrown, sweet, summer tomato, but I usually say "whatever" to those people. I like tomatoes. Yup. They are tasty. I love salsa and marinara sauce, but just biting into a tomato sounds kind of boring. I know that garden tomatoes are like 300 times better than anything you find in the store. But still, I shrug my shoulders, and turn the head sideways when I think about this summer fruit.

Having said all that, sometimes, not often, I really crave tomatoes straight from the garden. I just want to snack on them, and enjoy them all on their own. And having said that, sometimes, even less often, I want a tomato salad. Last week, was one of those times. I picked a bunch of yellow, tear drop tomatoes and basil from our garden, and added feta cheese, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to mix. Paired with an icy cold white wine, I had myself a quick, summery salad, satisfying my tomato craving for at least a couple of months.

Sunday Ladies Brunch

2011-08-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Brunch is always fun. You eat. You drink. You nap (hopefully after the guests are gone).

A couple of weeks ago, while the husband was enjoying his vacation away from me, I had a few of the office ladies over. We had two great champagne cocktails that afternoon -- champagne with blood orange soda, and champagne with lavender simple syrup. That second combination is especially dangerous, because it tastes like candy! And even though I'm not big on candy, I was hooked after the first sip.

There was giant triangles of cheese and spinach boreg.

We had salami, and cheeses. Not featured here, but surely a highlight of the meal, cream cheese with pepper jam. Who knew that combination worked so well?

French potato salad.

Smoked salmon pizza on lavash.

Melon and mint, another winning combination. There was also berries in sugar.

And champagne cocktails! With 4 bottles between the 5 of us, we got straight to work.

French Potato Salad

2011-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

This potato salad is perfect for brunch. How do I know this? Because I've recently served it at brunch, and it was a success. It's light, pretty and tasty.

I'm not sure what actually makes it "French", but I saw a similar recipe on Barefoot Contessa years ago, and Ina Garten called it French. And I can't doubt her. Not with that soothing voice of hers. In the TV recipe, the herbs are different. She used dill, parsley and basil. In my version, I used basil and tarragon, and a dill mustard. I also added French green beans, for that extra Frenchness. But mostly because I had some in hand.

I like potato anything, especially salads, so I'm a big fan of this version. It's also great for picnics as well, since it keeps well, and can go without refrigeration.

KK's French Potato Salad

Serves 8

2 of those cute bags of golden potatoes from Trader Joe's, scrubbed

2 handfuls of French green beans, trimmed, steamed and cut into 1 inch pieces

basil and tarragon, you need a good amount of both, use your best judgement

3-4 tablespoons dill mustard

olive oil

lemon juice, half a lemon's worth

champagne vinegar, a couple of splashes

salt and pepper

1) Boil your clean mini potatoes in salt water, until they are tender. But make sure not to overcook, so they don't fall apart. 20-30 minutes.

2) Let the potatoes cool, slice them into pieces that will fit comfortably in your mouth.

3) Make your vinaigrette by combining the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.

4) Chop your herbs, add to potatoes and top with dressing. Mix well.

5) Taste, adjust seasoning and it's ready to go.

Linguine with Green Beans and Goat Cheese

2011-08-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

When it comes to cooking for myself, I first think pasta, then I think goat cheese. Because sometimes you want a nice, fancy-looking dish that requires no effort. This is it. I've blogged about goat cheese sauces before, and, I'm still a big fan. Goat cheese adds lots of flavor, creaminess, richness, and involves no cooking. Just add your steaming hot pasta, and pasta water to a bowl of cheese, and you're done. Almost. You do have to mix it all up really well. But once the mixing is done, so is your dish.

For this "recipe", which is hardly a recipe, I used herb-coated goat cheese, and french green beans, which I steamed. If I had used plain goat cheese, I probably would have added an herb, like tarragon, for a kick. It took me about 20 minutes, from start to finish, which left me with plenty of time to enjoy my solitude and wine. Now, I don't often drink alone, unless I'm alone, and in that case I do.

Waiting in my bowl, for the pasta, I had the cheese, steamed green beans, salt and pepper. The tender beans added a nice crispness to this dish.

Cucumber Kimchi

2011-08-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

The other day, the husband says to me, "I have a new Korean girlfriend." I was surprised. Who was his old Korean girlfriend? Where does he find these girlfriends? Apparently, YouTube. And Maangchi is his latest crush. She now has music in her blog videos and that really sealed the deal for him.

As a result of his new relationship, we've been eating a lot of homemade Korean side dishes. They have been tasty, and I've had nothing to do with them. I mean, I don't want to stand in the way of this new love. That was until the husband made cucumber kimchi, and I knew I could do better. Mostly because I would use the right kind of cucumbers. The husband used large, watery kind, with huge seeds. I selected small, Persian ones. And that really made all the difference. Well, that and my beautifully shredded carrot and finely sliced onion.

This recipe is super easy, tastes fresh, and makes for a great lunch, especially paired with rice. It won me over. I guess I'll let the husband carry on with Maangchi.

Cucumber Kimchi (sorry, but this blog has no videos with music)
http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/oisobagi-kimchi

6 cucumbers, I used Persian
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 white onion, sliced thin
2 cups green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup Korean hot pepper flakes
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt

1) Cut your cucumbers in half crosswise. Make pockets out of cross slits, leaving about ½ inch on end and make 4 slits.
2) Put these in a large bow and sprinkle a 1/4 cup of salt (the recipe suggests 1/2, but that's too much) onto the cucumber pieces, mix them carefully, and let them sit for 30 minutes.
3) In another large bowl, combine fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, garlic and sugar, and mix them with a spoon.
4) To your seasoning paste, add onion, carrot and green onion.
5) Rinse the salt off the cucumbers and drain them.
6) Stuff the seasoning paste into the slotted cucumber and put each cucumber into an airtight container. Use a spoon, or wear gloves.
7) Refrigerate.

You can eat these right after making them, but they get better with time. I'd give them at least a night in the fridge.

Winter Squash Stuffed with Grilled Vegetables

2011-08-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

This little side dish came about accidentally. The husband brought home a winter squash from one of his gardens. But it's summer, and who wants to think about winter in August? So I ignored his winter squash. Then, I ignored it some more. Finally, I felt bad for it, and decided it wasn't this poor squash's fault it was born in the wrong season. It was really the husband's fault for planting the seeds at the wrong time. I chose to make peace.

Looking around the fridge, and an idea popped into my head. Why not stuff this squash with summer vegetables, to lighten things up? We had a variety of grilled vegetables left over from the day before -- bell peppers, eggplant and zucchini. I chopped everything up into little cubes, mixed it together, adding salt and peppers, and added my vegetables into the pre-baked winter squash halves. I baked the stuffed squash for an additional 15 minutes, sprinkling Parmesan cheese on top during the last five minutes. I also added some fresh parsley on top, for extra freshness.

Pretty simple. Pretty tasty. And very pretty to look at.

First, cut your squash in half, remove the seeds, brush the inside with olive oil or butter, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 30 or so minutes, removing occasionally to brush some more.

Add stuffing when the squash in almost done, after 30 minutes or so. Then bake an additional 15 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with cheese the last 5 minutes of baking.

Enjoy!

Squid and Potatoes, Croatian-Style

2011-08-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

The last time I blogged about this dish, my brother-in-law made it. And that was over a year ago. I knew it was time to give it a try myself when I found packets of already cleaned squid at the Asian market, for a steal.

Now, I've never been to Croatia and don't know much about its cuisine. But my in-laws have, and apparently, calamari is used in a lot of dishes. I attempted to do some "research" for this post, but I am still recovering from brunch, and my Google results directed me to pages of arguments about how authentic or good this meal really is. And today, conflict does not sound appealing, so I abandoned my "research" and will just tell you what I think. I can't speak to the authenticity factor, but this is one tasty meal. The potatoes make it very comforting, oh potatoes, why are you so delicious? It tastes fresh due to the parsley and garlic. And, even if you're not a fan of squid, its texture here is tender and buttery, you almost don't realize that you're eating an oceanic tube monster.

I did cheat here with buying the pre-cleaned calamari. This meant, I didn't get that pink look, because there was no ink. But, that really didn't impact the taste. I made a few changes to the recipe my brother-in-law posted a year ago. I cut my calamari tubes, just for the hell of it. I also cooked the garlic a few minutes, instead of just adding it in raw at the very end. The husband and I polished our plates until they sparkled, so sadly, there were no leftovers. But, I have another packet of squid in the freezer, so I won't be waiting a whole year before making this meal again. This time, I think I will add some white wine as well.

Tuna Salad Tapas

2011-08-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

After our tapas date night, we wanted more tapas. I really couldn't get the grilled baguette, brushed with olive oil out of my head. This time, I decided on a completely different topping. Tuna salad. It's so quick to make, I felt like I hardly cooked that evening. Also, I was kind of craving it. I guess the day finally came. Tuna salad won me over.

To my tuna salad basics -- tuna, celery, sour cream, mayo, salt and pepper -- I also added Tapatio, spicy brown mustard, roasted bell peppers and paprika. The paprika and Tapatio gave the salad a Spanishy taste. The husband really liked this version. And spread over the grilled bread, it was pretty amazing.

Along with our tapas, we had a colorful summer salad of tomatoes from the garden, artichokes, heart of palm, and basil, drizzled with a balsamic syrup. Light and refreshing. This meal came together in under 30 minutes, so I'll be recreating it soon, on another evening when I want to eat something delicious without turning on the oven, or picking up take-out. It's a perfect lazy weekday meal.

Tapas Date Night: Cheese, Tomato and Bread

2011-08-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

We enjoy having mid-week date nights. It's a nice way to break up a week, gives us something to look forward to, and we always have delicious food and drink. Last week, instead of going out, we stayed in, and made tapas to go along with a delicious Rosé from Tablas Creek Winery.

It all started with good bread. I brushed the bread slices with olive oil and had the husband grill them outside. The grilled bread was so good by itself, we could have just eaten it plain. But it's date night, and you can't have only bread for date night. The husband gathered tomatoes from the garden, and I raided the fridge for cheeses, sausages, and other toppings. Once everything was sliced, assembly was easy and fun. This is where you can get as creative as you'd like, I followed no recipes, letting the flavors speak to me.

I made several variations. We had tomato, mozzarella and basil skewers, drizzled with balsamic syrup. There was also, bread, tomato and cheese, AND bread, eggplant caviar and chorizo, AND bread, cheese, and roasted pepper, AND bread, cheese, and pepper jam. This chipotle jam stuff was given to us by friends recently, and it is pretty incredible -- sweet, smoky and savory, all at the same time. We also had delicious sardines in olive oil, olives, and lots of wine. It was a good ol' time sitting in the backyard, listening to birds and crickets, until the mosquitoes decided to join in on the fun, and we had to run for cover. Unfortunately, we didn't run fast enough, and the little bugs left their love marks on us. It must have been their date night as well.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2011-08-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a long day. Tonight, my cooking was very minimal. And since I slacked off in the kitchen, I'm determined to get a few posts up. I made this stuffed pork tenderloin last week, after seeing a similar recipe on Giada's show.

I was visiting the parents. And this means cable. And cable means cooking shows. Everyday Italian happened to be on. And I can't help but watch Giada. I don't get how she stays so thin. I don't understand how she managed to be pregnant for a whole season, without me noticing. These mysteries keep me intrigued, along with her cute, bird-like features. That particular episode, she prepared a stuffed lamb tenderloin. But instead of butterflying it, which is what I'm used to when it comes to tenderloins, she made slits and stuffed it that way. I was impressed. It looked so easy and hassle-free. I left the parents house, with tenderloin on my mind.

A few days went by, and thoughts of the tenderloin returned. I went to the market. I bought a pork tenderloin, my stuffing ingredients - manchego cheese and prosciutto, I picked basil from our garden, and I was ready to roll. Except there was no rolling involved. Just a few cuts. And after trying this "slit" method, I have to say, Giada, this is not the way to go. Butterflying takes more time, yes. The rolling can be a bit tricky, yes. But, in the end, you get a prettier product, with stuffing equally distributed down the center. This slit down the line, it's the quick and dirty way. It works, and if you're short on time, or have zero knife skills, this might be the best you can do. But, I would suggest taking the time, watching an instructional YouTube video, and butterflying and stuffing your tenderloin the loving, proper way.

With the criticism of technique aside, this was a delicious recipe. The stuffing had a nice combination of flavors, the sauce was subtle, but tasty, and the meat tender and juicy.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Serves 2-4, depending on what else you're serving

1 medium pork tenderloin, silver parts trimmed, and cut into two pieces
4 slices of prosciutto
handful of basil
4-6 slices of machego cheese (but another hard cheese will do as well)
salt and pepper
olive oil

Sauce
some white wine
some chicken broth
teaspoon or so of spicy mustard
salt and pepper

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut slits in your two pieces of tenderloin, one large slit in each piece, making sure not to cut through to the other side.
2) Wrap a few slices of your cheese and several basil leaves in two slices of prosciutto. Repeat. Then add your stuffing into each pork piece. Tie with kitchen twine at several spots (like 2-3). Season your meat with salt and pepper.
3) Heat your pan with a bit of olive oil, and brown your pork pieces on all sides. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, to your saute pan add your wine, scrapping the brown bits, then chicken broth, mustard, salt and pepper and reduce for about 5 or so minutes.
5) Let your tenderloin rest for 5 or so minutes, slice and serve with the sauce drizzled on top.

Figs Stuffed with Blue Cheese, Wrapped in Prosciutto

2011-08-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

My coworker (and friend) seems to cook every few weeks. And when she does, everyone at work knows about it. Because she will tell you. Many times. A few weeks ago, she went to the farmer's market. There she met the fig man. She bought his figs, and asked him to recipe suggestions. He suggested figs wrapped in prosciutto, with blue cheese and walnuts on top. She took the figs to her parents and made the recipe, impressing everyone, including herself. It was a cute story, the first several times I heard it. After several days, I couldn't get the figs out of my head, so, I thought I'd give the recipe a try, with a few alterations.

I did not go to the farmer's market for my figs. I probably should have. The Trader Joe's figs were alright, but I could see this recipe really shinning with larger, juicier figs. When I eat figs, I'm always transported to Georgia (the country, not the state). As a kid, I was an extremely picky eater, so I don't have too many fuzzy food memories, yet the memories that I do have, mostly take me back to our summer vacations at the Black Sea. Our family would rent part of this huge house. My grandparents would get to stay in the owner's wing, upstairs, because my grandfather spent almost three months of every year there, and made friends with the family. My brother, the parents and I stayed downstairs, in the guest house, also knows as the spider house. I don't recall the inside at all, but could still picture, in detail, the large house, the very scary, spider-webby back of the house, where I'm pretty sure I developed my extreme fear of anything that crawls and leaps, and the gigantic front yard, filled with fruit trees.

One of the trees, was a huge fig tree. And the figs from it were also huge, and dark and delicious. I recall sitting out in the yard, after an exhausting day at the beach and eating fresh figs and watermelon. Oh summer.

This recipe is also very summery. The figs go well with the blue cheese, but would be equally delicious with goat cheese or brie. And the prosciutto ads a nice, salty flavor and crispy texture. These cook really quickly on the grill, about six minutes, and make for a great first course. The blue cheese mellows out when it's cooked in the fig and the salty prosciutto compliments the sweet fig juices. It all just melts pleasantly in your mouth.

I trimmed my figs and made two slits at the top.

Next, I stuffed the figs with a teaspoon or so of the creamy blue cheese.

Then, I wrapped each fig with a slice of prosciutto.

These were grilled for a couple of minutes per side, totally about six minutes.

I drizzled the grilled figs with balsamic syrup.

And we ate our fancy, warm figs accompanied with a glass of fruity Savignon Blanc.

Japchae (or Korean Glass Noodles)

2011-08-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

When I brought these leftover Korean glass noodles for lunch, my coworkers said they looked like real restaurant leftovers. I'm sure it helped that I had them in a real leftover container, but either way, I took this as a compliment. And these noodles looked even better the night they were made. By restaurant -- ME.

This is one of my favorite dishes to order when we go out for Korean food. And it turns out, it's very easy to make, once you spend some quality time chopping your veggies. But after the chopping prep is done, it's easy sailing. The noodles cook quickly in about seven minutes, and the sauce is only two ingredients!

Although delicious, this dish was missing shitake mushrooms. And it's not even because I dislike mushrooms. I do. But I could do shitakes, and in some recipes they are essential. It's just that I didn't have any around, and I decided to make the noodles after I got home. And when I get home, it's hard for me to leave. So for next time, I would add the mushrooms and probably marinade my own meat, just because I like doing that sort of thing. And seasame seeds. I forgot to add these! They were all ready to go, but we were too hungry. And too lazy to get up after we sat down and dug in.

Marinated beef from the Korean market.

The sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar.

Japchae (or Korean Glass Noodles)

Serves 4

250 grams of sweet potato noodles (these do not have any sweet potato flavor)

1 large onion, sliced

2 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

handful of scallions, cut into 1 inch strips

1 large bunch of spinach, washed and dried

3 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 tbsp sesame oil

thinkly sliced beef, sirloin or similar, about 8 oz, I purchased the marinaded kind from the Korean market, but I will include a recipe for the beef marinade if you prefer to do your own

Sauce

8 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp sugar

Beef Marinade

1tbsp soy sauce

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

a couple of scallions, chopped finely

1tbsp rice wine

1tsp sesame oil

pepper

1) Boil your water and cook your glass noodles according to instructions, mine took only 7 minutes. Drain and rinse your noodles with cold water. Set aside for later use.

2) While your noodles are cooking, start your stir fry. Add a couple of tablespoons of sesame oil to a pan, and then add your onion, garlic, carrot and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. I like my veggies crisp, so I don't overcook.

3) Transfer veggies to another plate, add more oil to the pan and cook your meat. Once the meat is almost done, add the green onions, and cook for another 2 minutes. Then, transfer the meat to your vegetables.

4) Add a bit more oil to the pan, add your noodles and your sauce. Cook for a few minutes, add the spinach, veggies and meat back to your pan, cook for a couple of more minutes, and you're done!

(If you had used mushrooms, which you really should, cook those first, before the veggies. Also, don't forget the sesame seeds like I did!)