Ok, Blogger went back to "normal" and let me upload the pictures from Dinner! Behold the Lobster Paella, the dinner guests, and me serving the cheesecake!
Showing posts with label If you can read. Show all posts
Showing posts with label If you can read. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Third Thursday Dinner
Third Thursday Dinner came early this month! Seems like I blinked and it was April 15... oh well, the food was good, and the company was even better! Best part, Burr got to drop in and meet some of my SD friends, and they got to meet him!
The menu:
Lobster Paella (This was good, but the ingredients were quite expensive and I'm not quite sure that the end result justified the cost.)
Bay Scallop Gratin (Really, really, really good!)
Sauteed Green Beans (So easy, and so yummy!)
Pea Pesto Crostini for the Appetizer (leftover Pea Pesto was great over orrechiette pasta for dinner last week!)
Chocolate Cheesecake for Dessert (um, yeah. Enough said.)
oook... looks like Blogger has changed the rules on uploading photos, so I'll have to get back to you with the pics from the event! Sorry!
The menu:
Lobster Paella (This was good, but the ingredients were quite expensive and I'm not quite sure that the end result justified the cost.)
Bay Scallop Gratin (Really, really, really good!)
Sauteed Green Beans (So easy, and so yummy!)
Pea Pesto Crostini for the Appetizer (leftover Pea Pesto was great over orrechiette pasta for dinner last week!)
Chocolate Cheesecake for Dessert (um, yeah. Enough said.)
oook... looks like Blogger has changed the rules on uploading photos, so I'll have to get back to you with the pics from the event! Sorry!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thai Cooking
One of the high points (if not THE high point) of my trip to Thailand last May was getting to attend a Thai Cooking Class. It was in a quaint little restaurant on Phi Phi Island, and we (Burr and I) stumbled onto it after seeing a flyer advertising cooking classes on the beach. (The flyer was on the beach, not the class.) Now, nearly a year later, I have finally delved into the world of recreating the recipes on my own. Well, not totally on my own, I still have the cookbook that I bought, along with the notes that I took! I just mean, "on my own" in the sense that there's not a Thai lady in my kitchen guiding me through each step. :)
A couple of weeks ago Talia came over to sample the goods... We had a delicious Green Curry with vegetables (there were no green chili peppers at Whole Foods, so I had to use store bought curry paste), and a luscious Panang Curry with chicken, which featured my made from scratch Panang curry paste! Can I just say, WOW... it was soooooo good! I've been enjoying Trader Joe's Thai Green Curry sauce for the last several months, but after seeing how easy and how much BETTER the food was when I made the real thing, I will think twice before buying that jar again!
Here are a couple of pics... first the ingredients for the curry paste, then, the final product!
Burr wasn't here to sample and tell me how my version compared with the "real thing" so this weekend when I went to Yuma, I decided to surprise him with a Panang Chicken Dinner! After the Coast Music Therapy student talent showcase, I rushed home to make the dish, then packed it up to take with me... I finally got on the road around 5:30pm, and around 6:30pm the Panang tumbled from it's careful packing and spilled all over the backseat of my car. Gabe was thrilled, and was quite helpful in the clean-up, but I was CRUSHED! Needless to say, Burr has still not gotten to taste my Thai undertaking... I may give it another try this weekend though, so we'll see what he thinks! (On a sidenote, the smell that is lingering in my car is that of Fish Sauce... only two tablespoons in the recipe amidst peanuts, chilis, coconut milk... so many other wonderful scents, and THAT'S the yucky smell that's lingering!)
Thai food is yummy.
rmf
A couple of weeks ago Talia came over to sample the goods... We had a delicious Green Curry with vegetables (there were no green chili peppers at Whole Foods, so I had to use store bought curry paste), and a luscious Panang Curry with chicken, which featured my made from scratch Panang curry paste! Can I just say, WOW... it was soooooo good! I've been enjoying Trader Joe's Thai Green Curry sauce for the last several months, but after seeing how easy and how much BETTER the food was when I made the real thing, I will think twice before buying that jar again!
Here are a couple of pics... first the ingredients for the curry paste, then, the final product!
Burr wasn't here to sample and tell me how my version compared with the "real thing" so this weekend when I went to Yuma, I decided to surprise him with a Panang Chicken Dinner! After the Coast Music Therapy student talent showcase, I rushed home to make the dish, then packed it up to take with me... I finally got on the road around 5:30pm, and around 6:30pm the Panang tumbled from it's careful packing and spilled all over the backseat of my car. Gabe was thrilled, and was quite helpful in the clean-up, but I was CRUSHED! Needless to say, Burr has still not gotten to taste my Thai undertaking... I may give it another try this weekend though, so we'll see what he thinks! (On a sidenote, the smell that is lingering in my car is that of Fish Sauce... only two tablespoons in the recipe amidst peanuts, chilis, coconut milk... so many other wonderful scents, and THAT'S the yucky smell that's lingering!)
Thai food is yummy.
rmf
Saturday, April 10, 2010
I Don't Like Fish...
But this dish was incredible! I've been in a bit of a slump lately with my cooking, but have finally started to come out of it... I've been re-reading some of my favorite cookbooks, have purchased a couple of new ones, have been taking note of recipes I've never tried, and have been playing with some different ingredients and flavor profiles.
I made this Mustard Roasted Fish from Ina's "Back to Basics" earlier this week. Creme fraiche, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, chopped shallots, capers, salt and pepper, combined then spread over the fish (Ina called for red snapper but Whole Foods had none and the fish guys recommended the white, flaky Rock Fish that I used instead). Baked for 10 minutes in a 425 oven, served with sauteed haricots verts (French green beans!), and brown rice, this dish was delicious that evening and the next day for lunch. My only complaint is to the fish monger at Whole Foods for not doing the best job of de-boning the fish... I don't like having to search for elusive bones in every bite... kind of takes the enjoyment out of the meal!
I made this Mustard Roasted Fish from Ina's "Back to Basics" earlier this week. Creme fraiche, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, chopped shallots, capers, salt and pepper, combined then spread over the fish (Ina called for red snapper but Whole Foods had none and the fish guys recommended the white, flaky Rock Fish that I used instead). Baked for 10 minutes in a 425 oven, served with sauteed haricots verts (French green beans!), and brown rice, this dish was delicious that evening and the next day for lunch. My only complaint is to the fish monger at Whole Foods for not doing the best job of de-boning the fish... I don't like having to search for elusive bones in every bite... kind of takes the enjoyment out of the meal!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Fig Sauce
Several friends tonight raved about the Fig Sauce which accompanied our pork loin, so here is the recipe, from Giada de Laurentiis' "Everyday Italian."
2.5 C Port
1.25 C Chicken broth
8 Dried black mission figs, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 cinnamon sticks
1 T honey
2 T unsalted butter cut into pieces
.25 t salt
.25 t freshly ground pepper
In a medium sized, heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the port, chicken broth, figs, rosemary, cinnamon, and honey. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 30 min. Discard the rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks (some rosemary leaves will remain in the port mixture). Transfer the port mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Blend in the butter, salt, and pepper. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Warm over medium heat before using.)
Enjoy!
2.5 C Port
1.25 C Chicken broth
8 Dried black mission figs, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 cinnamon sticks
1 T honey
2 T unsalted butter cut into pieces
.25 t salt
.25 t freshly ground pepper
In a medium sized, heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the port, chicken broth, figs, rosemary, cinnamon, and honey. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 30 min. Discard the rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks (some rosemary leaves will remain in the port mixture). Transfer the port mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Blend in the butter, salt, and pepper. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Warm over medium heat before using.)
Enjoy!
Third Thursday Dinner
I've mentioned before that I love to cook for my friends, and more than that, to share meals with them. As a result of that pleasure, I've decided to host a little dinner party for my friends on the Third Thursday of every month. Tonight was the first of many more to come, and I think it was a great success! The menu was:
Roasted Pork Loin with Fig Sauce
Cous Cous with figs and pine nuts
Green Spring Vegetables with Shallots
The famous "Artichoke Dip" was on hand as an appetizer, and the heretofore known only to Burr and me "Oreo Ice Cream Cake" was the dessert. Yum.
Roasted Pork Loin with Fig Sauce
Cous Cous with figs and pine nuts
Green Spring Vegetables with Shallots
The famous "Artichoke Dip" was on hand as an appetizer, and the heretofore known only to Burr and me "Oreo Ice Cream Cake" was the dessert. Yum.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
If you can read...
then you can cook. At least, that's what my mom always told me. As a result, I've never been intimidated by a recipe, or afraid to try something new in the kitchen. Gaining that mindset is one of the best things that could've happened for me growing up; I love to read cookbooks, try new recipes, cook special meals for my husband, and have dinner parties and events for my friends.
I'll start posting recipes that I've cooked, give a little review of the result, and try to show a picture of the meal as well. Sadly, my pictures of my food never look as great as the meal does in "real life." Ah well... you'll get the idea, and hopefully forgive my novice photography skills! (Perhaps I should next read a book on photography...)
This is orechiette with broccoli rabe and spicy sausage. It's featured in Giada de Laurentiis' "Everyday Italian" cookbook, and was pretty tasty! I used a mild Italian sausage; I wish that I had used one with a bit more heat, because against the starch of the pasta and broccoli the mild sausage flavor got lost. It's a meal that I would repeat, however. Served with a nice green salad with a sweet vinaigrette and some crusty bread - great dinner!
"Orechiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe"
Salt
2 bunches of broccoli rabe
12 oz. orechiette pasta, or other small shaped pasta
3 T olive oil
1 lb spicy pork sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook the broccoli rabe until crisp tender (about 1 min). Strain the broccoli, reserving all cooking liquid. Return to boil and cook the pasta to al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, and reserve one cup of cooking liquid.
In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over med-low flame. Add sausage, break up, and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant. Add broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the pasta and enough of the reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup/time to moisten. Stir in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. (This yields about 4 main course servings.)
I'll start posting recipes that I've cooked, give a little review of the result, and try to show a picture of the meal as well. Sadly, my pictures of my food never look as great as the meal does in "real life." Ah well... you'll get the idea, and hopefully forgive my novice photography skills! (Perhaps I should next read a book on photography...)
This is orechiette with broccoli rabe and spicy sausage. It's featured in Giada de Laurentiis' "Everyday Italian" cookbook, and was pretty tasty! I used a mild Italian sausage; I wish that I had used one with a bit more heat, because against the starch of the pasta and broccoli the mild sausage flavor got lost. It's a meal that I would repeat, however. Served with a nice green salad with a sweet vinaigrette and some crusty bread - great dinner!
"Orechiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe"
Salt
2 bunches of broccoli rabe
12 oz. orechiette pasta, or other small shaped pasta
3 T olive oil
1 lb spicy pork sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook the broccoli rabe until crisp tender (about 1 min). Strain the broccoli, reserving all cooking liquid. Return to boil and cook the pasta to al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, and reserve one cup of cooking liquid.
In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over med-low flame. Add sausage, break up, and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant. Add broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the pasta and enough of the reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup/time to moisten. Stir in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. (This yields about 4 main course servings.)
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