6.01.2011
5.22.2011
Game Changer
Oh, dear reader, I had such big plans for us. I hoped to get to know you over a few simple dishes…nothing too fancy at first, I didn’t want to come on too strong. When I sensed we had some chemistry, I was going to woo you with hazelnut brown butter cake and spaghetti pie (a modest name for a deeply satisfying dish). Then, when I knew we were a sure thing, I would up the stakes with French onion soup and sour cream fudge layer cake. After that, there was no way we could be “just friends”, you were gonna fall hard.
But, um, we need to talk. Those plans we had…I just can’t go through with them. I know people say this all the time but I mean it…it’s not you, it’s me.
I found out last week that I have some food intolerances and need to omit certain foods from my diet, at least for now. The list is short , but significant – wheat, almonds, eggs and dairy - and, since I just started food blogging, this diagnosis kinda cuts me off at the knees.
Yes, I know there are lots of praise-worthy vegan, wheat-free, and almond-free recipes out there but, right now, those words read “deprivation” to me.
I know me…I’ll eventually find my way to experimenting with those recipes but, for now, I want ‘normal’ recipes that I can make, basically, as is, without too much tweaking to fit my new diet guidelines. I’m not ready to buy teff flour and xantham gum so that I can make scones. Mostly, I don’t want to feel deprived.
I sat down with a pile of cookbooks, hoping to find a few recipes I could make, as is. I didn’t have to look very hard or for too long…21 pages into the first book, there it was…Party Peppers & Shrimp, a dish that is, most certainly, greater than the sum of its parts.
With a few ordinary ingredients and an overnight sit to deepen the flavors, the main players - shrimp, peppers and onions - are infused with a smoky, rich marinade. Pile it on toasted bread or greens or shredded zucchini or anything that’ll sop up the dressing. It can get messy and drippy, especially if served on crostini as finger food, so it’s best eaten in the company of close friends you’re not afraid to get sloppy with.
While we may not be at that stage of our relationship yet, I hope we’re headed there.
Party Peppers & Shrimp
From Simply Classic – The Junior League of Seattle (This cookbook has
great Pacific Northwest-inspired recipes and illustrations.)
Serves 10
(this recipe makes quite a bit - halve it for a smaller crowd)
Ingredients
2 lbs jumbo shrimp
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons capers, drained
Marinade
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
For shrimp: bring a large pan of water to a gentle boil. Peel and devein shrimp. Immerse shrimp in boiling water just until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Do not overcook or shrimp will become tough. Drain and immediately run under cool water. When completely cool, drain on paper towels.
For peppers: cut each pepper in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Flatten each half with palm of hand. Place peppers, skin side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Roast peppers until skins blister and char all over, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place peppers in a plastic bag to steam for 10 minutes. Scrape off skin and cut peppers into thin strips.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp, roasted peppers, onions and capers. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Pour marinade over shrimp mixture and stir to coat evenly. Marinate, refrigerated, at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Stir often during marinating. Serve with toasted baguette slices (or whatever you choose).
But, um, we need to talk. Those plans we had…I just can’t go through with them. I know people say this all the time but I mean it…it’s not you, it’s me.
I found out last week that I have some food intolerances and need to omit certain foods from my diet, at least for now. The list is short , but significant – wheat, almonds, eggs and dairy - and, since I just started food blogging, this diagnosis kinda cuts me off at the knees.
Yes, I know there are lots of praise-worthy vegan, wheat-free, and almond-free recipes out there but, right now, those words read “deprivation” to me.
I know me…I’ll eventually find my way to experimenting with those recipes but, for now, I want ‘normal’ recipes that I can make, basically, as is, without too much tweaking to fit my new diet guidelines. I’m not ready to buy teff flour and xantham gum so that I can make scones. Mostly, I don’t want to feel deprived.
I sat down with a pile of cookbooks, hoping to find a few recipes I could make, as is. I didn’t have to look very hard or for too long…21 pages into the first book, there it was…Party Peppers & Shrimp, a dish that is, most certainly, greater than the sum of its parts.
With a few ordinary ingredients and an overnight sit to deepen the flavors, the main players - shrimp, peppers and onions - are infused with a smoky, rich marinade. Pile it on toasted bread or greens or shredded zucchini or anything that’ll sop up the dressing. It can get messy and drippy, especially if served on crostini as finger food, so it’s best eaten in the company of close friends you’re not afraid to get sloppy with.
While we may not be at that stage of our relationship yet, I hope we’re headed there.
Party Peppers & Shrimp
From Simply Classic – The Junior League of Seattle (This cookbook has
great Pacific Northwest-inspired recipes and illustrations.)
Serves 10
(this recipe makes quite a bit - halve it for a smaller crowd)
Ingredients
2 lbs jumbo shrimp
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons capers, drained
Marinade
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
For shrimp: bring a large pan of water to a gentle boil. Peel and devein shrimp. Immerse shrimp in boiling water just until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Do not overcook or shrimp will become tough. Drain and immediately run under cool water. When completely cool, drain on paper towels.
For peppers: cut each pepper in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Flatten each half with palm of hand. Place peppers, skin side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Roast peppers until skins blister and char all over, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place peppers in a plastic bag to steam for 10 minutes. Scrape off skin and cut peppers into thin strips.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp, roasted peppers, onions and capers. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Pour marinade over shrimp mixture and stir to coat evenly. Marinate, refrigerated, at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Stir often during marinating. Serve with toasted baguette slices (or whatever you choose).
5.09.2011
It gets around
Summer is right around the corner. And nowhere is that less true than in Seattle. May, for me, usually means we're creeping up on summer...it's the time of year when salads make a comeback, when charcoal and lighter fluid sales start picking up and pedicures become more necessary. But Seattle doesn't see it that way.
After braving through the coldest April on record, May began in a promising way. Those few sunny days were lovely and uplifting and long-anticipated, but they also disappeared too quickly. It’s confusing…the calendar says May but I could be convinced it’s October or February. Saturday, a truck with a tree strapped on its roof pulled in front of me, and for a second, I got that panicky “have-I-done-all-my-Christmas-shopping-yet” feeling. Yes, it’s been chilly here.
The seasons aren’t as clearly defined in Seattle as they are in other parts of the country. There’s a rainy season, a slightly colder rainy season and summer. But you already knew it rained a lot in Seattle…that’s not news. What you might not know about Seattle weather, and what someone may tell you in an almost joking way so that, when you first hear it, you’re not sure whether it’s true or not is that:
1 - Summer in Seattle begins on July 5th (true) and
2 – If you don’t like the weather in Seattle, wait 5 minutes (also true)
Last Saturday was classic number 2 – it started out cold and rainy, turned sunny(ish) and warm, then back to rainy. And then it hailed.
I just can’t wrap my head around a salad when it’s hailing. I want something cozy and grounding and my favorite lentil soup gets me there. I’ve been making this Ina Garten recipe for a couple years now. A friend passed it onto me and I passed it onto my sister in NJ, who blended it into a dip and shared it with coworkers. I made it for dinner one night while visiting another sister in Denmark. I shipped a package of it off to my parents in NJ, who enjoyed it for lunch with the same sister who made a dip of it. This recipe gets around.
It’s perfect on a chilly, rainy day but I imagine it’s equally satisfying when the sun’s bright and shining. Unfortunately, I can’t test that theory out for about 8 more weeks.
You can find Ina's recipe for Lentil Vegetable Soup here. It's perfect as is, I wouldn't change a thing.
After braving through the coldest April on record, May began in a promising way. Those few sunny days were lovely and uplifting and long-anticipated, but they also disappeared too quickly. It’s confusing…the calendar says May but I could be convinced it’s October or February. Saturday, a truck with a tree strapped on its roof pulled in front of me, and for a second, I got that panicky “have-I-done-all-my-Christmas-shopping-yet” feeling. Yes, it’s been chilly here.
The seasons aren’t as clearly defined in Seattle as they are in other parts of the country. There’s a rainy season, a slightly colder rainy season and summer. But you already knew it rained a lot in Seattle…that’s not news. What you might not know about Seattle weather, and what someone may tell you in an almost joking way so that, when you first hear it, you’re not sure whether it’s true or not is that:
1 - Summer in Seattle begins on July 5th (true) and
2 – If you don’t like the weather in Seattle, wait 5 minutes (also true)
Last Saturday was classic number 2 – it started out cold and rainy, turned sunny(ish) and warm, then back to rainy. And then it hailed.
I just can’t wrap my head around a salad when it’s hailing. I want something cozy and grounding and my favorite lentil soup gets me there. I’ve been making this Ina Garten recipe for a couple years now. A friend passed it onto me and I passed it onto my sister in NJ, who blended it into a dip and shared it with coworkers. I made it for dinner one night while visiting another sister in Denmark. I shipped a package of it off to my parents in NJ, who enjoyed it for lunch with the same sister who made a dip of it. This recipe gets around.
It’s perfect on a chilly, rainy day but I imagine it’s equally satisfying when the sun’s bright and shining. Unfortunately, I can’t test that theory out for about 8 more weeks.
You can find Ina's recipe for Lentil Vegetable Soup here. It's perfect as is, I wouldn't change a thing.
5.01.2011
Better
It started simply enough on Wed night but by Saturday, it got away from me. When these things happen, you must play along. And for all your trouble, in the end, it’s worth it.
It went like this...
After work on Wed, I stopped at the market to pick up a few things and, while I was doing the “should-I-shouldn’t-I” dance in front of the ice cream case, something new caught my eye - crème fraiche gelato.
I dished up a bowl after dinner and it was very good - sour, tangy, creamy – but I couldn’t help but think it could be better. It needed some sort of a sauce over it. After a little research, I decided a strawberry-rhubarb compote would be perfect. So Thursday night, I went back to the grocery store and bought some rhubarb and strawberries. That night I had crème fraiche gelato with strawberry-rhubarb compote. I was right, this was better but I couldn’t help but think it could be even better. Here’s where it went over-the-top. This time I knew right off what was missing - Amanda Hesser’s almond cake. Since I consider this cake a staple, I already had several tubes of almond paste on hand. I set out to make the cake but didn’t have sour cream or enough eggs. Soooooo Friday, I went back to the store. I wasn’t up for cake-making on Friday night but Saturday, I’m happy to report, I had a completely perfect dessert that could not have been better.
Amanda Hesser's Almond Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (measured after sifting)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
7-ounce tube almond paste, cut into small pieces
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
Confectioner's sugar, for sifting over cake (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Mix together the sour cream and baking soda in a small bowl. Mix the flour and salt in another bowl.
In a large bowl, with an electic mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the almond paste, a little at a time, at medium speed, and beat for 8 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and mix until incorporated. It might look curdled, don't worry. Blend in the almond extract and the sour cream mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture just until blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about an 1 hour. The cake is done when you press the top and it returns its shape, and also shrinks from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a baking rack to cool in the pan. When ready to serve, sift confectioner's sugar over the top, if desired.
Although it needs no help to shine – it’s a star on its own – adding a scoop each of crème fraiche gelato and strawberry-rhubarb compote hits it outta the park.
It went like this...
After work on Wed, I stopped at the market to pick up a few things and, while I was doing the “should-I-shouldn’t-I” dance in front of the ice cream case, something new caught my eye - crème fraiche gelato.
I dished up a bowl after dinner and it was very good - sour, tangy, creamy – but I couldn’t help but think it could be better. It needed some sort of a sauce over it. After a little research, I decided a strawberry-rhubarb compote would be perfect. So Thursday night, I went back to the grocery store and bought some rhubarb and strawberries. That night I had crème fraiche gelato with strawberry-rhubarb compote. I was right, this was better but I couldn’t help but think it could be even better. Here’s where it went over-the-top. This time I knew right off what was missing - Amanda Hesser’s almond cake. Since I consider this cake a staple, I already had several tubes of almond paste on hand. I set out to make the cake but didn’t have sour cream or enough eggs. Soooooo Friday, I went back to the store. I wasn’t up for cake-making on Friday night but Saturday, I’m happy to report, I had a completely perfect dessert that could not have been better.
Amanda Hesser's Almond Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (measured after sifting)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
7-ounce tube almond paste, cut into small pieces
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
Confectioner's sugar, for sifting over cake (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Mix together the sour cream and baking soda in a small bowl. Mix the flour and salt in another bowl.
In a large bowl, with an electic mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the almond paste, a little at a time, at medium speed, and beat for 8 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and mix until incorporated. It might look curdled, don't worry. Blend in the almond extract and the sour cream mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture just until blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about an 1 hour. The cake is done when you press the top and it returns its shape, and also shrinks from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a baking rack to cool in the pan. When ready to serve, sift confectioner's sugar over the top, if desired.
Although it needs no help to shine – it’s a star on its own – adding a scoop each of crème fraiche gelato and strawberry-rhubarb compote hits it outta the park.
4.25.2011
Like Home
Welcome.
It took me a while to get here. I’ve been circling the block, dipping my toes in, looking down from the cheap seats. This blogging thing, it turns out, is not to be taken lightly.
Writing has always been an interest of mine but I never gave it the attention it needed or did it with any regularity. Yet I always felt a “pull” towards it and knew that someday I’d need to explore it more deeply.
I created this space to do just that.
My goal for this blog is simple - to write consistently. Since food plays a central role in my life, it will likely play a similar role here. I tried to remember back to the first meal I ever cooked but the earliest memory I can recall was when I was about 12. The recipe was from one of my Mom’s magazines and the main ingredients were meatballs, sliced hot dogs, green peppers and tomatoes. The last step in the recipe was to drizzle balsamic vinegar over the dish. It was the first time I cooked with balsamic vinegar and, at the time, it was considered a fairly new and high-end ingredient. I remember feeling particularly accomplished and sophisticated when I served the dish (despite the sliced hot dogs). Although I’ve searched, I’ve never been able to track down that recipe, but I credit it with igniting my love of cooking and curiosity in the kitchen.
I look forward to filling this space with stories, recipes, and ramblings. It’s quite bare now, I know, but with a little TLC, I think it’ll feel like home in no time.
It took me a while to get here. I’ve been circling the block, dipping my toes in, looking down from the cheap seats. This blogging thing, it turns out, is not to be taken lightly.
Writing has always been an interest of mine but I never gave it the attention it needed or did it with any regularity. Yet I always felt a “pull” towards it and knew that someday I’d need to explore it more deeply.
I created this space to do just that.
My goal for this blog is simple - to write consistently. Since food plays a central role in my life, it will likely play a similar role here. I tried to remember back to the first meal I ever cooked but the earliest memory I can recall was when I was about 12. The recipe was from one of my Mom’s magazines and the main ingredients were meatballs, sliced hot dogs, green peppers and tomatoes. The last step in the recipe was to drizzle balsamic vinegar over the dish. It was the first time I cooked with balsamic vinegar and, at the time, it was considered a fairly new and high-end ingredient. I remember feeling particularly accomplished and sophisticated when I served the dish (despite the sliced hot dogs). Although I’ve searched, I’ve never been able to track down that recipe, but I credit it with igniting my love of cooking and curiosity in the kitchen.
I look forward to filling this space with stories, recipes, and ramblings. It’s quite bare now, I know, but with a little TLC, I think it’ll feel like home in no time.
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