Yay Shrimp

So this is a classic I learned from my mom, but I like to call "The Italian" for its colors. No recipe needed, see if you can do it from the pics.

Trying to improve my skills with the macro zoom and a steady hand. The optical image stabilization definitely helps - check out the detail on the spinach at the left and the shrimps contours.

Stuffed Peppers

Yum! Once again, a taste of spain wins here. Got the recipe from a book I actually first saw in Anthropologie. Go figure.

Time-wise, this one was a lot more work than last night's garlic shrimp. Although the actual time in the kitchen wasn't very intensive, between the rice, the pepper-baking, and the meat-simmering, there were a lot of long-cooking processes that couldn't happen simultaneously.

I added a little dollop of feta on top just as a tease (at room temp). would definitely do again.

Basic ingredients here:

onions

ground beef (lamb was suggested)

garlic

tomatoes

white wine

spanish rice

spices

olive oil

Garlic Shrimp

Spanish experiment number one was a success. I decided to go with a standard: garlic shrimp with spanish rice (and some string beans on the side, more for the nutritional value).

Here's a pic of the goods. (recipe to come soon)

(no flash, getting better with the macro foscus pics without a stand. I think i need to get a small, portable tripod if I'm going to be serious about this)

Real Recycling

Although those blue and green bins are nice, they're not nearly as efficient as finding ways to truly reuse products at home. So, I thought it would be helpful to offer some tips about ways to use everyday items in great ways.

1) The jelly jar as a cup - almost any jar will work, but Bonne Madame is definitely my favorite. when you've gone through, take off the label, rinse it out, pop it in the dishwasher, and presto! you've got a beautiful glass to drink from. Apparently, there's even some company that uses European tumblers to store their jam in so you actually have a really nice set of glassware to go with that yummy spread.

Pasta in Pan

It was never really a secret. Putting your cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce for a minute or two has been the suggestion of grandmothers and professional chefs alike since the beginning. But still, time and again, I see people mixing both later. Now, there are a few reasons why you wouldn't do it: you've got really fresh pasta that you don't want to overcook. You've got a 'sauce' that's not very saucy and you want the flavor of the pasta to stand out. You're from the South (of Italy) and you like to give people a spoon to mix their own pasta/sauce at the table. But other than that, here's some hopefully yummy pictures to get your appetite going. All photos here taken with a cannon powershot 950SI.

A Dabble in Spain

I love just about everything Spanish: the sports, the wine, the cheese, the tapas, port, the language, flamenco, don quixote, the people. So, what better way to celebrate a culture than to plan a trip and try a week's worth of dishes:

Tuesday: Grilled Garlic Shrimp

Wednesday: Stuffed Peppers (with rice, meat, tomatoes, onions)

Thursday: Salmon with parsley/basic pesto with green beans

Stay tuned for pictures, recipes, and reviews. Decided to go with FreshDirect today. I'm a big fan of their new rating system. It's a great way to choose veggies and fruit that are in season and extra-fresh.

Safari 4 beta

I try to stick to food, but every once and a while I'm just impressed. While i think Safari 4 is only a so-so attempt to match the goodness that is Google Chrome (yet to be released for Mac), it does have one really neat feature. Perhaps there were other ways to do this before, but safari 4 makes this so easy. If you look at the screen shot below, you'll see that I've captured a frame (Pandora) and embedded it into the dashboard as a permanent widget. Perhaps this is just overkill on my system resources, but it's nice to be able to get this kind of access no matter what I'm doing with my mac to one of my favorite sites. Cool.

On the left: linguine with asparagus, garlic, romano, feta, and olive oil

Below: the same with the addition of a little tomato

2 Pan Pasta

Sometimes my girlfriend and I are in the mood for something different. Tonight was one of those "we didn't go to Fairway so let's see what we have in the fridge." Lucky for us, we had a few things to work with: prosciutto, asparagus, pecorino romano, garlic, feta, and a little tomato sauce. If you've been with me from the beginning, most of those were in the 'pasta primer' section and this kind of dinner is exactly why.

First, I sauted some asparagus in some olive oil and garlic. Then, in the second pan, i split up the asparagus and added some tomato sauce. when the pasta was done, i split it between the two dishes.

In the next post you'll see the result: a cheesy version and a tomatoey version. Yum.

Demystifying Fish

I think most beginning cooks are a little scared of fish. It is often expensive, easy to overcook, delicate, and quite honestly, not very complex (in taste). When people think of blank canvases to cook with, they usually turn to chicken. (I'll talk a lot about chicken later) Fish, however, precisely because of its delicacy and varied taste makes for a much more interesting canvas. The trick, of course, is knowing how to cook it right. For a true how-to cook fish I almost exclusively turn to Julia Child's Kitchen Basics as a reference. The truth is, however, getting cheap fish and experimenting is how I've developed a few of the recipes you'll find in this blog.

Salmon a la Mustard

Because I like to cook for 2, that's what this recipe is for, but as usual, it's pretty easy to double. As a general rule, 1/3 pound per person is a rule (although it will give you a pretty small portion).

2/3 - 3/4 lb salmon (farmed is ok, king is ultimate)

1 clove garlic (sliced)

3 teaspoons dijon mustard (I like country style)

extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

fresh parsley

1. Over just-over medium heat, add some olive oil and the garlic when it is fragrant.
2. Put the fish on the pan, skin side up (this is totally reverse from what you'll read in most places). After about 4 minutes, flip the fish over. Let saute for another 2-3 minutes.
3. When outside is no longer super-pink, cover the pan. (again, this is pretty non-traditional, but it really helps to cook the inside of the fish more evenly). Lower the heat to just below medium
4. After about 4 minutes cut the fish in half. It should be pretty easy to cut. If it's not, that means it needs more time. When the newly cut section is a nice shade of pink. You know if it's done if you can break off pieces of the fish with just your fork right along its breakpoints. (it's underdone if you have to fight it, it's overcooked if it just mashes under your fork)
5. While the fish is cooking, mix the mustard, oil, vinegar, and parsley in a small mixing bowl. Once the fish is plated, top off with 2-3 teaspoons of the sauce. Leave some on the side for people who like extra.

mangia bene!

Baking

The only thing I really bake is ziti. I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and certainly some in front of the oven, but what I've learned fall into two basic concepts:

1. Get to know your oven. Not only does it make food taste good, but it's a finicky thing. When recipes say 350, that might be 325 or 400 on yours. There's no secret, you just have to try. And so I suggest starting out easy, with things like Mac and Cheese, baked ziti, potatoes, and other veggies.

2. Read the recipe. I usually don't spend a lot of time hovering over recipe books but when the oven is involved, I tend to stay close to the page. The difference of a few degrees may make or break your meal, so before the guests arrive make sure you've experimented.