Yay! Updates!
After a long-ish hiatus, I’m finally getting around to doing a few updates.
Coming soon: Chicken & Chorizo Paella, various Hummusses (Hummusi?), Apple & Leek Risotto, and funny-but-true stories of our San Francisco Shoot. (I promise).
Filed under Rants | Comment (0)Nicoise Salad
Lemony, Green, Buttery, Rich, Pungent
This is my version of Nicoise salad. It’s loaded with goodies. There is something in my mentality that compels me to make really huge salads because I figure… well it’s a salad, it’s light… lets make sure there’s plenty of it. Of course this is hardly a salad as it includes potatoes, and fish and a medley of veggies (in my case). Suffice to say, we were happily stuffed at the end of this meal.
Here is what you will need:
- Nicoise olives (or whatever black olives you prefer)
- fresh butter lettuce
- baby potatoes, whole, boiled
- good quality tuna (I used steaks)
- green beans
- baby zucchini
- asparagus
- 2 egg yolks
- olive oil or sunflower oil
- 3-4 canned anchovies
- clove of garlic, minced
- chives or green onions, finely chopped
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
Start by blanching all the vegetables. Boil a pot of salted water and have a large bowl of iced water close by. Then drop the different veggies in separately and cook until just tender, than plunge them in to the iced water to stop the cooking process. The green beans take 2-3 minutes, depending on size, the asparagus would take 1-2, same with the zucchini. You can leave the veggies in the water while you prepare the rest.
You can make the dressing in a food processor or by hand, as you prefer, it’s usually easier to build an emulsion in the food processor, plus it conveniently chops up the chives for you. Whisk together your yolks in a bowl along with a good pinch of salt and as you whisk, gradually start adding in the oil. Start with a very small amount, the dressing will thicken as the yolks absorb the oil. Add the rest in a bit at a time making sure the emulsion is stable before adding more. Once all the oil is absorbed add the finely chopped chives, anchovies, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Place the dressing in the fridge to chill.
To sear the tuna, brush the steaks with a bit of oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In a non-stick pan, sear both sides leaving the middle rare. Remove from heat.
While the tuna rests, you can arrange the salad, large plates or shallow bowls are best. Layer the butter lettuce at the bottom, then arrange the veggies, potatoes, and olives on top as artfully as you’d like. Drizzle with the dressing. Thinly slice the tuna and top the salad. I like to serve this with extra dressing on the side. Enjoy.
Filed under Recipes | Comment (0)Really Cool Knives
I ran across this article in Gourmet magazine about this Ohio-based knife factory where they still make their knives by hand. The Warther Carving Museum and Knife Factory. I had to take a look because I have an unhealthy love of cutlery, and I have to say, they are beautiful. What really blows my mind is that you can get a set of hand-made knives like these for much cheaper than your run of the mill Henckels or Shun or whatever your blades of choice. Take a look for yourself.
Filed under Rants | Comment (0)Slow-cooked Chicken in a Clay Pot with Winter Vegetables
Taste: clean, strong chicken flavor, herbal, fresh from the lemon, slightly earthy from the paprika, buttery from the potatoes, sweet and rich from the carrots
It’s not in my nature to slow-cook food, I’m too spur of the moment and I like to fiddle with my food too much, but every once in a while, it’s nice to be able stick something in a pot and let it do its thing for a few hours.
Slow cooking leaves the food incredibly juicy and tender, and because it usually requires a tightly sealed vessel - you can’t afford to loose moisture otherwise your food will dry out or burn - this method effectively concentrates flavor and preserves more of the nutritional value of the food. Cooking things over the course of a few hours also has the added bonus of gradually steeping your whole house in luscious aromas, drawing the occupants to peer longingly through the oven door like a troupe of slightly sad zombies. Continue reading »
Filed under Recipes | Comment (1)UmamiTV Episode #0A is Here!
Marjoram Chicken Soup
Taste: Chickeny, bursting with umami, herbal flavor from the marjoram, slightly lemony and caramel-y from the onions.Apparently there are certain dishes which you’re not supposed to use when ‘entertaining.’ I’ve got several cookbooks which caution that certain recipes aren’t for guests. Well, I wasn’t aware of this distinction until recently and I’ve been serving non-guestworthy foods to my guests for a long time, shockingly no one has ever called me out on it. Continue reading » Filed under Recipes | Comment (0)
Moussaka with Eggplant and Ground Pork
Taste: rich, complex, sweet and acidic, aromatic from the bay leaf and the herbs, tomatoey, good bit of fat from the pork, the eggplant also lends the quality of fat from the texture of its meat, starchy from the potatoes which balance out the acidity and intensity of the filling and keep it from being overwhelming, the crust is mellow and creamy and more about texture and balance than flavor.Filed under Recipes | Comments (3)
Banitza with Feta Cheese
Taste: Crispy, flaky, soft, creamy from the cheese, salty, slightly tangy, golden - like only fresh home baked bread can taste.
This is a traditional Bulgarian pastry which uses hand-made filo dough and can be stuffed with all manner of things, both sweet and savory. I made it for New Year’s Eve and it was a smashing success, if I do say so myself. My uncle went so far as to say that it was better than my grandmother’s, an honor of which I would never suspect myself to be worthy. (My grandmother being the queen of banitza, and of cooking in general.) Continue reading »
Filed under Recipes | Comment (1)Sichuanese Boiled Peanuts
Taste: Not as crunchy as roasted peanuts, more of a soft, delicate crunch, slightly spicy, and very aromatic with only a hint of salt.
This is a really simple recipe that produces interesting and surprising results, I made these for a holiday party and they turned out great.
Continue reading »