Spicy Shrimp Noodle Bowl

I have been in quite the soup mode lately, and while I seldom make the same recipe twice, I have made this soup, or some variation of this soup 3 times in the past 2 weeks. It is SO GOOD! This Cooking Light soup is a chicken stock based soup with seafood flavors (clam juice & shrimp tails) as well. I'm guessing that they called for chicken broth rather than fish stock because generally, chicken broth is easier to come by and is more readily available to the majority of people. Although, I bet this soup would be fantastic with a really good fish stock as its base.
Rather than sugar snap peas, I added shelled edamame and some sliced bamboo, both of which worked out really well. I love bamboo and cook with it a lot.... it really doesn't have a whole lot of taste but the texture is really interesting and its just kind of cool to be eating bamboo. :)

This dish is light enough that you will have room for dessert yet filling enough that you are not left hungry. The ginger is fantastic as are the noodles (although I may try glass noodles next time...yummm) and the spice! Warning, this dish can be VERY spicy if you add the amount that the original recipe calls for... I added a little to the dish during cooking and then added extra in my dish, as I like my food a bit more spicy than the significant other.

This is a great dish for any weather, any time of the year, and is perfect for a lovely lunch or a light dinner. The recipe suggests serving along side a cucumber salad (my friend Maura's favorite,) which would be perfect. I, unfortunately, did not have a cucumber so I steamed some store bought pot stickers as a side. They were delicious!

Enjoy!! Click here for the recipe

Husband rating... 8, it was a little spicy for him, but it cured his stuffy nose! :)

My Adventures With Canning

Tomolives

I love summer. Anyone who knows me, knows that I would give my left arm to never see a snowflake again. I love the warm weather, trips to the beach and the fruits and veggies that come with the world's most perfect season.

Spicy Habanero Garlic Dill Pickles 

The market where I do most of my grocery shopping stocks it's shelves with the most beautiful local produce all summer.... you can literally taste the sunshine in the tomatoes. I love knowing that the peaches that I am eating come from the next state over, or that the Kale in my stir-fry was grown less than an hour away. Unfortunately, this local growing wonderland is short lived in the most-of-the-time-freezing city of Chicago, and while I was grocery shopping the other day, I felt compelled to scoop up a ton of produce and preserve all of it's sunshiney glory by way of canning. Rather than buying every fresh item I saw, I thought that I should first see how this goes and start small. Pickles seemed like the obvious first step into canning and as far as I know, (I'm giving them a few weeks to get really sour :) my canning test drive was a success. I made garlic dill, spicy garlic dill (made spicy with the addition of one habanero pepper per jar) and Tomolives.
Tomolives are lovely little pieces of heaven introduced to me by my friends Melannie and Sam. Sam makes some of the best martinis in the world and often throws a few tomolives in his drink rather than the standard olive. A tomolive is a cute and delicious pickled tiny green tomato that just goes perfectly with some chilled vodka. Try them, they are a wonderful secret that southerners have kept from us for far too long. Thanks Sam and Melannie :)

For my tomolives, used a mixed variety of tiny grape and cherry tomatoes that I had lying around. They look so pretty!! I'll update once they have had time to sit for a few weeks.

Click here for the tomolive recipe that I used

Click here for the pickle recipe that I used 

Click here for safe canning practices 

The Best Linguine with Clam Sauce Everrrrrrr

Whenever I go home to visit my parents, there is one dish that I ALWAYS ask for: Linguine with Clam Sauce. Now, this isn't the typical creamy, heavy restaurant style clam sauce. This is a light, amazingly flavorful, vacation-to-the-Cape-for-your-mouth, type of sauce. I might go as far as to say that if I were stuck on an island for the rest of my life, I would choose this dish to have as my only meal. Really.... it is that good.

The following is my mom's recipe for Linguine with Clam Sauce.... Enjoy :) **Some of the times listed of how long to cook various parts of the recipe are a bit vague.... basically, just follow your instincts. If you taste the recipe at a certain spot and you think it needs a bit longer on the stove, or maybe a little more salt, or whatever, go for it!! You know what you like... make changes based on your tastes. 

Ingredients

1 Pkg Spaghetti or Linguine
3 TBSP Olive Oil

1 Medium Shallot

2 cloves of garlic, sliced VERY thin

1 cup parsley, divided

1 pinch, red pepper flakes

1 medium tomato

1/2 cup white wine

1 8 oz bottle clam juice

4 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams

1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

4 Fresh basil leaves

-Mince Shallot, set aside

-Slice garlic cloves, set aside

-Slice tomato into quarters, squeeze out juice and seeds and chop into a small dice, set aside

-Pour oil into a medium saucepan and saute shallots for a few minutes over medium high heat

-Add garlic to the pan, stirring constantly for a few seconds. Add the red pepper flakes and saute 1 minute more.

-Add HALF of the parsley and all of the tomatoes and saute for several minutes until the tomatoes have wilted a bit.

-Add the wine and let the mixture reduce for about 10 minutes 

-Add the bottle of clam juice and the juice from the 3 cans of clams (reserve the clams for later) and cook for approximately 5 minutes over medium or medium-low heat. 

-Add the reserved clams and slowly simmer the sauce for 10 minutes

-Add the grated parmigiano and simmer SLOWLY for approximately 40 minutes or until sauce has reduced and looks just delicious

-At this point you can turn off the sauce and let it set for a while (if you have the time to do this, if not you can skip this step.)
-In a separate pot, boil spaghetti until al dente. drain and return to original pot. 

-Before serving, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- Place a serving of pasta on each plate and top with as much sauce as you like**

-Sprinkle the chiffonade of basil and additional parmigiano on each individual plate to finish (follow the link to see how to chiffonade.)

**Generally I am a firm believer of adding the prepared pasta to the sauce pot, and cooking the pasta along with the sauce for a minute before serving. I find that this process helps the sauce bind to the pasta better than if I just ladled the sauce over the pasta on the plate... however, for whatever reason, my mom has always prepared this recipe differently. I would guess, that adding the cooked pasta to the sauce wouldn't hurt, I just have never done it and therefore cannot recommend it. 

Boeuf Bourguignon

So this blog episode is a role reversal! A sneak attack role reversal in fact :) My friend Alli has just informed me that her mom, Marie, (who I adore and who follows my blog) is making a very special dinner tomorrow a la Julia Child.

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Bourguignon for those of us who do not parlez vous francais) was made famous in our country by our beloved Julia. The famous American chef lived with her husband in France for a period of time and brought sophisticated French cuisine back with her when she returned. I remember watching her cooking show and loving every second of her shrill, high pitched voice describing how to prepare a chicken. Nobody would ever call Julia delicate or dainty, she didn't always get recipes right on camera and she never really got the idea of cutting things uniformly the way other chefs do, but she was fantastic. She cooked with passion and poise and wasn't afraid to laugh at herself or make light of a burned item in the kitchen. Julia introduced the American housewife to true cooking, and thank god she did.... A woman can only make so many casseroles with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup before she either goes insane, or dies of hypertension.

So Marie, after you make this lovely dinner for your beautiful daughters, will you please comment on this post? Tell us which recipe you used and how it turned out?? I'll make Boeuf Bourguignon next week and we can compare notes :) Good luck & Bon Appetit!

I've included some Julia clips below to inspire your inner French Chef :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWmvfUKwBrg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPcGiLVp9Zw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezfZTlDGDvU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHX0pv8_JOE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaASyRFXTj4

Extreme Comfort Food

I live in Chicago and Fall is definitely here. The leaves are falling, there is a crisp, cool breeze in the air. While I don't like the season that comes after Autumn (icy, arctic winter) I LOVE Fall. I love bundling up in a sweater or light jacket and heading to the apple orchard or a biergarten, but most of all... I love the yummy hearty food that comes along with this lovely season.

For me, there is nothing more comforting than a steaming hot bowl of pasta or a huge helping of lasagna. Some people like fried chicken, or meatloaf, but for some reason, hearty Italian food feels like a warm blanket on a rainy day. To clarify, I am not Italian, but have adopted their food traditions, because when was the last time you happened upon a Dutch restaurant? Or heard someone say.... "ooooo, you know what I could go for today? Some Dutch food." I honestly couldn't tell you what the people of my "home country" eat... I'll look into that and get back to you.

Anyway, the other day, I felt the first chilly breeze of fall and was inspired to make lasagna. Normally I follow a recipe by my favorite chef: Giada DeLaurentiis, but I decided to branch out and try a new recipe. I found a great one by Ina Garten and while I changed the ingredients slightly, the results were amazing. The recipe I used was for Ina's Turkey Lasagna. I chose it because it called for some things that I hadn't used in making this dish before... like goat cheese. I LOVE goat cheese.
The most drastic thing that I changed in the recipe was that I used 1 lb of ground buffalo in addition to spicy turkey sausage. I had the buffalo and needed to use it.... honestly I think that it definitely added to the dish, it made it very meaty and the combination of flavors was really good! I know, the turkey & buffalo combo sounds weird, but for some reason, it worked!

I followed the rest of the recipe exactly and really loved it! The cheese mixture was so delicious! The goat cheese added a really great tangy component!! I will never make lasagna without goat cheese again, it was fantastic. It also freezes really well! I made a full recipe of lasagna and ended up freezing half of it. After defrosting and heating it up again, it tasted just as good!

Honestly, make this lasagna, curl up in a blanket with some wine (of course) and enjoy this wonderful season!

Sooo..... I just met Mario Batali

This post is a bit different because I'm not blogging about food or talking about some delicious fusion of flavors.... But I had to share this....

I JUST MET MARIO BATALI!!!!!

While in NY for a friends wedding, we had a little extra time to walk around the city. I had heard about Mario's new Italian grocery store from a friend's mom (and one of my Blog followers :) ) and had to see it for myself. The shop is amazing!!! As soon as you walk in the doors of Eataly you are met with the aroma that only exists in really good markets..... sweet, salty, earthy and just plain wonderful. Eataly has a small, but well stocked produce section, a fantastic seafood counter, beautiful fresh pasta and more cuts of meats and delicious cheeses than you could ever hope to see. The gelato is pure heaven and the smell of the espresso bar transports you to a small cafe in Florence. To top it all off, Eataly has tons of counters and tables scattered throughout the market where people are welcome to eat and enjoy all of the goodies that this place has to offer.

So, as I'm walking through this magical place, I notice a man (sitting at one of the counters) enjoying a bowl piled high with mussels in some type of a garlic/white wine sauce. Because I was staring at this man's food, I wasn't watching where I was going and knocked over a box of crackers. As I  bent down to pick them up I froze.... right there, right in front of me.... were an unmistakeable pair of orange crocks. After about 5 seconds of looking like a total idiot, I slowly looked up and found myself standing 4 feet away from MARIO FREAKING BATALI. At first I thought he was a statue, but it turns out he was just listening to the man eating the mussels.... who coincidentally was Emeril Lagasse. I honest to god almost had an aneurism.

After running over to my husband and hyperventilating like a teenager at a Twilight movie premiere (and eating some really good prosciutto which he had lovingly ordered) I worked up the courage to introduce myself to Mario. It was quick, perfect, and best of all... he didn't have me arrested for being a creepy stalker.
I decided against bothering Emeril because he was enjoying a lovely lunch with a lady (maybe his wife?) and I didn't want to interrupt.

All in all my day at Eataly ranks as one of the best I've had..... honestly what could be better than a day full of prosciutto, fresh ricotta and Mario Batali?

If they serve soup in heaven...

It is near impossible for me to pass up a good Tomato Basil soup. Whether I am at a restaurant or someone's home, the perfect flavor combination of subtly sweet tomato and the slightly spicy basil lure me in every time.
While in Michigan last week for a family wedding, I purchased some beautiful heirloom tomatoes at a farmers market... they all were different varieties, shapes, sizes and flavors and promised to make some outstanding soup. They did not disappoint.

My favorite tomato basil soup recipe comes from Ina Garten. Ina is an amazingly talented chef who frequents the Food Network... she always comes up with simply mouth watering recipes and definitely hit the mark with her Roasted Tomato Basil Soup.

You start by roasting fresh tomatoes (chopped up and seasoned with salt, pepper & olive oil) at 400* in the oven for 45 minutes.... roasted tomatoes are one of the most delicious foods you will ever eat. The tomato flavor is intensified and mixed with good olive oil, and honestly, there are few flavors better than this simple one.......I eat them alone, or even just on some garlic toast with a baby arugula salad.......I think i just found my lunch for the day.

Back to the soup.....

While the tomatoes are roasting, sauté the onions, red pepper flakes & garlic until the onions are translucent and slightly browned. Next comes the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock. The roasted tomatoes should be finished at this point in the process, and you can add them to the pot along with the liquid on the baking sheet. This liquid is all of the tomato juices intensified by the baking process and melded with the seasoning and olive oil... it's like liquid gold :) Delicious.

Once the roasted tomatoes are added, bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes (uncovered.) After 40 minutes Ina says to pass the soup through a food mill... well.... I don't have one of these, but I do have a hand-held immersion blender :) THESE ARE SO MUCH FUN. They are exactly what they sound like and do a fantastic job at blending whatever you ware working on... they are especially good at allowing you to decide how blended you want your product. I've used my immersion blender every time that I've made this soup and every time it has worked perfectly.

Quick Tip... if you leave this soup slightly chunky, you can use it as a really fresh and delicious pasta sauce... or if you puree some of the soup to a smoother consistency you can even use it as a component to bruschetta. (Slice a baguette in diagonal slices, rub some fresh garlic on each slice, top with a small layer of the pureed soup, place a basil leaf, a few sun dried tomatoes, salt, pepper and some fresh mozzarella cheese on top and pop in the oven until the cheese gets all melty and wonderful..... or you can opt to not bake it for a more traditional and more fresh bruschetta)

Husband Rating: 10

Whole Snapper with Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs

I love the fish counter at my local Whole Foods....Everything is so fresh!! The guys who work there are always able to answer my questions and are honest about where/when/how the fish were caught. I always opt for wild fish over farm raised... I like the idea that the fish that I am eating was once swimming happily in a stream, lake or ocean rather than in a tank somewhere.
I also appreciate the new system that the Blue Ocean Institute recently came out with to help to educate consumers on which fish is OK to eat from an environmental standpoint. They have a color rating system that ranges from Green (Fish are abundant and the fishing method caused little damage) to Red (Low abundance and the fishing method seriously harms other wildlife or natural habitats.) They also have a gray color which means the fish has not yet been rated. I really appreciate this and always take the rating into consideration before buying my seafood.

Enough tree-hugger ranting...

The other day I purchased a whole bunch of stuff, including a whole snapper and some fresh figs. I didn't know what to do with them at the time but after exploring my refrigerator at home, I decided to stuff the figs with cheese and bake the snapper in a lemon and garlic sauce. It smelled so good!

The figs were SO simple, and they look super gourmet and beautiful on your table.
I rinsed the figs (8 in total, 4 for me & 4 for the husband), dried them, then made two cuts perpendicular to each other from the top of the fig to about half way down.... you want to be able to stuff some cheese inside the figs, but not so much that it breaks apart or tears. I then stuffed probably about 1/2 tsp of goat cheese into each fig, and set them aside until the fish was almost finished baking.... I hear you can wrap the figs in prosciutto before baking them too... I am DEFINITELY trying this next time... Prosciutto could solve all of the problems of the world..... yummmm
A simple and easy recipe to follow for Roasted Figs

The fish was easier than I expected. The guys at the fish counter scaled and cleaned the Snapper for me, so it was all ready to go when I unwrapped it at home. I followed this recipe pretty much word for word and got fantastic results. I stuffed and coated the fish with sliced lemons, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, butter and seafood seasoning. I then wrapped the fish in foil and let it marinate in the fridge for about 3 hours.
The fish baked inside its foil wrapping (and on a baking sheet incase of seepage) at 350 for 40 min. The fish was moist, full of flavor and provided a fun, new way to cook fish.... plus it made for some good pictures before cooking, which somehow did not save to my camera :(

Husband Rating: 7

Carrot Cake For Breakfast

I love desserts with vegetables or fruit in them because I can sort of trick myself into thinking that they are healthy.... for example, if I bake a blueberry pie and have it for dessert one day, I will absolutely always have it for breakfast the next morning.... because there is fruit in it.... and fruit is healthy..... ergo, pie for breakfast is perfectly fine. I LOVE dessert for breakfast. 

So when my husband requested Carrot Cake for his birthday, I thought, Yes! Score! Delicious dessert that I can eat in the morning! Because carrots are healthy, and although I generally woulnd't eat a carrot in my cereal, I do sometimes eat granola with coconut in it, and I just so happened to find a carrot cake recipe with coconut! PERFECT!!! 

The recipe we found (we being my mom & I... we are home for a family wedding) is from Gourmet Magazine, and is fantastic! The cake turned out to be moist, not too dense and not too sweet. It was simply delicious. We made only a few changes to the recipe. We tend to think sweetened coconut has an artificial flavor and is just too sweet, so we substituted Bobs Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (which are soooo good) in place of the sweetened variety. We also toasted some flakes (put about a cup or so on a baking sheet and pop in the oven at 350 for around 5 min... watch it to make sure it doesn't burn.) We sprinkled the toasted flakes on top of the cake after it was all finished --- It looked so pretty!!! 

And tasted delicious for breakfast the next morning :) 

The recipe calls for:

3/4 lb carrots

2 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 c granulated sugar

1 1/2 c vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 (8oz) can crushed pinapple (drained)

1 c sweetened coconut ***We used unsweetened coconut flakes****

1/2 c chopped walnuts

2/3 c rasins **We didn't add rasins, becuase they aren't our favorite... I think they taste like soap

Frosting (We made 1 1/2 times this frosting recipe)

2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 c confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat to 350*

Butter and flour the cake pans

Shred the carrots finely using a grater or a food processor to measure 2 cups

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in sugar, oil, eggs, carrots, pineapple, coconut, walnuts and raisins (which we didn't use)

Divide batter between the cake pans and bake until a wooden pick comes out clean. (35 to 40 min)

Cool layer in pans on a rack for 5 min, then run a knife around the edge of each pan, invert layers onto rack and cool completely. 

Frosting: 

Beat together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in a a large bowl until it is fluffy (2 min). Reduce speed to medium and add the confectioners' sugar a little at a time (unless you want to be covered it.)

Place 1 cake layer bottom side up on a cake plate and spread with some frosting. Place remaining cake layer right side up on top and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides. 

Delicious, Healthy, Beautiful Ratatouille

There are few things I love more than a great Disney movie, but a delicious meal that shares its name with a Disney movie takes the cake.

Ratatouille (the dish, not the adorable rat made famous by the movie) is a French Provencal vegetable stew that is as versatile as it is tasty. Perfect as a side dish or a light main, Ratatouille is a great way to use up a surplus of veggies from a late summer garden or an overzealous trip to the farmers market :)
I like to eat mine alone with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top, or as a chunky and wonderful pasta sauce. Most recently, we ate it as a perfect side dish to sauteed shrimp.....yummmmmm.

My Ratatouille recipe is from my amazingly culinarily gifted mom... my passion for cooking and baking came from her, she is a genius in the kitchen and this is just one of her mouthwatering creations.

Recipe

1 small eggplant, cubed
1 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, cubed
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 zucchini, cubed
2 shallots, sliced
3/4c good red wine (she says to pour yourself a glass or two while the Ratatouille cooks)
salt
pepper
2 tomatoes, rough chopped
1 28 oz can stewed italian tomatoes (If you have a ton of good summer fresh tomatoes you can forget the canned tomatoes and substitute fresh for canned.)
herbs - lots!! (This is a typical mom ingredient. She has an amazing garden with more herbs that you could ever use in a summer... when making Ratatouille she goes out with her snippers and cuts herbs from whichever plants speak to her, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley.... Just add a cup or so (chopped) of a combination of these fresh herbs and you'll be fine..... heavy on the basil)

Preheat oven to 350

Cut the eggplant, drizzle with olive oil and dust with salt and pepper. Roast eggplant until golden brown, remove from oven and set aside.

In a large sauce pan (I always use my enameled sauce pan, and find that it works perfectly) over medium high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic, red pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant and saute for around 15 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium low and add the stewed tomatoes, wine, shallots, salt, pepper and herbs.
Cook slowly for 1 hour or more. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Like most stews, this recipe is even better the next day. Also, separated into servings, Ratatouille freezes beautifully allowing you to hold onto those delicious summer flavors for a little longer :)

Pernil al Horno

I had the pleasure of going to Puerto Rico a few summers ago for a friend's wedding and was blown away by the culture and especially the food! The flavors that the people of this island have developed are unbelievable....everything is made with such dedication and love! I probably gained 10 pounds in the week that I spent there :)

I recently found a recipe that I had to try... Roasted Pork Shoulder, or Pernil al Horno, is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made by marinating a pork shoulder overnight in a delicious mixture of garlic(lots...yummm), oregano, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. I mean, those ingredients alone are amazing and mixed together they create a flavor that is simply heavenly.

I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of substituting olive oil for vegetable oil. I always go for the olive oil over veg oil because olive oil has so much flavor and really does great things to any dish you add it to. My pork was finished cooking in exactly 3 hours and was moist, delicious and bursting with flavor. I made some beans & rice to go with the dish to complete my Puerto Rican meal :)

As I said, the flavor of this dish was unbelievable.... however, the pork shoulder was a bit fatty for my liking. I mean, the fat on the top might have been the best thing I've ever tasted... It absorbed all of the garlic salty goodness, and honestly was amazing. The part that wasn't my favorite was the fat that was marbled throughout the shoulder. I realize that this is just a part of the cut of meat, and it is how it is supposed to be, however I may try a different cut next time I make this.

I have no idea what cut I'll use.... any suggestions???

Husband rating: 10 for flavor & juiciness.... 5 for the cut meat

Close up of the herbs & garlic on the pork....yummmmm I wish I could add a "smell app" to this blog :)

Fiori di Zucca

As I was walking through my lovely Whole Foods Market the other day I happened upon some beautiful little zucchini flowers. They were a beautiful orange color, with bright green stems (Orange & Green... Go Miami!!!) and I just couldn't pass them up.
I'd never made stuffed zucchini flowers but had eaten them at a few different Italian restaurants and decided to find a recipe and give it a go.

This is the recipe I found

Learn more about zucchini and zucchini flowers here

As I began to prepare these beautiful little guys, I sort of stumbled my way through the recipe and used it more as a vague reference than a strict guide. (I didn't plan well and hardly had any of the ingredients called for in the recipe, so I improvised.)

I began with gently rinsing the flowers and setting them on a piece of paper towel (I had 8 flowers)

I then mixed the filling in a smallish bowl:
3/4c goat cheese crumbles
1/4c parmegiano reggiano grated
6 sun dried tomato slices, chopped
1 egg
salt
pepper
about 10 leaves of basil chopped
about 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves chopped
about 3 tbsp olive oil

I gently stuffed the flowers and sort of pressed the tops of the flower petals together using the filling as "glue." Once all of the flowers were stuffed, I stuck them in the freezer for 10 min to help the filling set.

While the flowers were chilling, I made a wet & dry batter combo for the frying process. To do this I combined about 1c water, 1/2c milk and 2 eggs in a small bowl and in another small bowl I mixed 1 1/2c flower, 3/4c corn meal, salt and pepper.

I then took out a medium frying pan with fairly tall sides and filled it with 1/2 inch of olive oil and put it over high heat.

I dipped the flowers one by one in the flower mixture, then into the egg, then back in the flower. Once they were all dipped and breaded, I laid them very carefully into the oil (be careful doing this!!)
I flipped them once they were golden brown on the bottom and removed them when each side was the same beautiful and golden color. Once removed from the oil, I placed them on a few paper towels to drain. I was a little worried that the stuffing would ooze out of the flowers while frying but for some reason it stayed in nicely... I have no clue why, but for whatever reason, it worked!

These were delicious! I made them as a side dish to scallops (in a white wine & garlic sauce) but they would also be perfect on top of a light salad or as an appetizer.

Next time I try these, I am going to follow the recipe that I posted from epicurious.com. I think my batter was a bit too heavy for the delicate flowers, and the epicurious recipe is definitely more authentic and probably the "correct" way to make these beautiful little treats.... I'm not trying to offend any Italian Nonnas :)

Husband Rating: 10 :) Winner. Winner. Chicken Dinner :)

Orecchiette With Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Back at the University of Miami, this dish was a favorite of my college friends and now is a go-to dinner for my husband and myself. It is fresh, healthy and has a ton of flavor.... I love to make it with spicy italian turkey sausage, but if spice isn't your thing, you can absolutely turn down the heat by using sweet or normal italian turkey sausage. I also add either grape or cherry tomatoes and about a cup of my favorite marinara sauce... I think it adds a lot of flavor and freshness to an already awesome dish. I have found that (even with the addition of pasta water) the sauce in the dish is lacking, and the marinara totally remedies this.  

The pasta used in this recipe is awesome, I love it! Orecchiette means "little ears" in Italian, which I think might be the cutest thing ever. Although, I will admit that the thought of eating literal tiny ears isn't the most appealing thing, the pasta does resemble a mini ear... or maybe a little flying concave saucer.

The broccoli rabe is delicious, fresh and slightly bitter without being overbearing. If you can't find broccoli rabe, I have used broccolini, normal broccoli, spinach and even arugula and they have all worked out really well.

Find the recipe to this delicious dish by clicking this link :)

Click on the link below for some great Organic Orecchiette pasta...yummmm
Cucina Viva Pasta, Orecchiette, 17.63-Ounce Units (Pack of 4)

Broccoli Rabe.... this one has pretty little yellow flowers!

Just a little brag time....

Today while checking out at my favorite Whole Foods, (the one in Boystown in Chicago) the check out girl told me that I had the most interesting collection of groceries she has seen all week :)

Get ready for some awesome food posts.

Who doesn't like alcohol in the morning?!?

I had eaten most of the garnish before taking the picture.... I couldn't wait :)

Today, I dedicate my blog post to the wonderful tradition of acceptable day drinking. There are some instances where day drinking is frowned upon.... like drinking Tequila at 1pm on a random Tuesday, or downing a six pack by yourself in a dark apartment.
For some reason, having certain beverages at breakfast on weekends is not looked down upon, but is celebrated! Mimosas, Bellinis and Bloody Marys have answered the prayers of alcoholics world wide as a way to begin drinking, continue a binge from the night before or to help to cure a hangover from a night full of indulgence.
I am an admitted food snob, and for me, drinks are included in my "snobbery." I need my Bloody Marys to be fresh, spicy and full of enough "stuff" to make my drink a meal. Few things are as disappointing as when my Bloody comes out of the kitchen with a few measly veggies on a stick. I want mine overflowing with goodness: celery & assorted vegetables, olives (lots of them), pickles, ham and sometimes even shrimp. In addition to all of the accessories that I require in a Bloody, I also prefer mine to be topped off with a little Guinness. This gives the drink a wonderful creaminess and depth that is simply wonderful. Yummmmmm. Nothing is better for a hangover than this delicious drink.
If I am feeling a bit more high-brow (and not as hungover) I will opt for a Mimosa or Bellini. These slightly more fashionable drinks add a certain class to day drinking... they are pretty, dainty and taste just delightful. Even better, I feel like people don't judge you as much when you drink Mimosas & Bellinis. Rather than saying: "wow.... it is 10:30am.... that girl has an alcohol problem" I feel like people are more likely to say: "ooo look at that girl with all of her friends having a fun and sophisticated time drinking their mimosas! She is probably important, funny and successful." Or thats how I justify it to myself anyway :)
Keeping with my snobbish tendencies, I always prefer my mimosas/bellinis to be made with fresh squeezed orange juice and freshly pureed peaches (respectively.) These fresh and wonderful ingredients make a world of difference and added to sparkling wine will make any morning spectacular. :)

Glass rimmers make these already delicious drinks fun and fancy. Find great ones from the links below:

Twang Chili Lime Bloody Mary Sea Salt, 4-Ounce Tins (Pack of 3)

Sugar for Mimosas or Bellinis

Suuuuuuushi

I. Love. Sushi. I've often said that when (notice I didn't use "if") I am wildly successful someday, and have the freedom of a disposable income, I am going to hire an in-house sushi chef. Given the amount of raw fish I consume in a year, I truly believe that this would actually save me money.... although, being that I am fabulously wealthy at this point, I guess fiscal responsibility is no longer a major concern...it's a nice thought anyway :)

I have a few more times around the monopoly board until I can know the joy of a "lady who lunches," so I have come up with a great alternative to my dream..... make your own sushi! Sounds scary, sounds intimidating, but it's really not! The process is really fun, and a great way to spend an evening with friends or even a fun new idea for a date.

The first thing you are going to need is a reliable and clean fish market. Tell the guys behind the counter about your sushi plans and ask them to recommend fish for you to use. If any pieces look suspect to you, ask if you can smell the fish before you buy it (he should let you.) The fish should be relatively odorless. A slight smell of the ocean or saltiness is fine, but other than that, if you (literally) smell something fishy, buy a different piece or find another fish monger.

My fish market has a whole sushi section with rice, chopsticks, nori, and different ingredients to add to your sushi. If your market isn't so accommodating, you can find the everything you need for a fun sushi date on the internet. All you have to buy are the fresh ingredients and maybe even some japanese inspired plates and chopsticks! Fun!!

You could even begin your date (or girls night) at the supermarket to choose what foods to add to your sushi. Some ingredients that work well are avocados, mango, cucumber, jalapeno and cooked shrimp. Maybe do some research on the internet or buy a book on sushi to give you some ideas before the big night. 

Have fun!!!

The Magical Wonders of Sea Salt

Say a cheerful "goodbye" to the awful, generic, supermarket brand of salt that you are used to using and say "hello" to the amazing flavor of pure and lovely sea salt.

Sea salt has been used by the pros to enhance recipes for years and now you can use it too! Many times you can find sea salt in your normal grocery store spice aisle. The kind that I use while cooking to salt meats and veggies during the cooking process comes in a container much like the regular salt brands, making it super easy to find & use. This type of fine grained sea salt is perfect for use during the cooking process, however adding salt at the completion of the dish (finishing salt) is a whole different and wonderful ball game.

Thanks to modern technology you have salts from all over the world at your fingertips. They come in a myriad of colors and flavors and can truly add something beautiful and delicious to a recipe.

One of the best and most versatile types of sea salt is Fleur de Sal. This beautiful salt is harvested from salt ponds in France by artisans using only special wooden tools specifically designed for this purpose. The conditions have to be perfect to produce good Fleur de Sal, which is only harvested once a year. The coarse, slightly damp texture and the scent of the ocean is what makes this salt so special. Sprinkle it on any dish after you have plated it and you will have increased the depth of flavor ten fold. **Try sprinkling it on chocolate things as well (cookies, truffles, brownies, ice cream) it intensifies the chocolate flavor and makes these sweets even more irresistible than they already are.

Grey salt is a wonderful alternative to Fleur de Sal, it is harvested in a similar process and is just as special. This unrefined salt gets its grey color from the minerals in the ponds it is harvested from. You can use this salt all thoughout the cooking process to enhance the dish from the first ingredient to the plating process.

A favorite finishing salt of mine is Black Salt (either Mediterranean or Hawaiian.) The color is attained when natural sea salt crystals are combined with activated charcoal. The flavor and especially the striking color always really adds something to my dishes. I LOVE adding it on top of seared tuna -- So pretty!!!

Another salt which I love using is Pink Sea Salt (Himalayan or from the Murray River in Austrailia.) The fun light pink / peachy color helps to brighten up a dish and adds a lovely mild salt flavor. This salt comes in either coarse crystals for grinding or in beautiful and delicate pyramid shaped flakes.

Explore all of the fun varieties of sea salts! They are beautiful, delicious and amazingly beneficial to the flavor of your cooking. :)

** You can often buy sea salt as a set. You end up getting a lovely variety of salt a lot more inexpensively than if you were to buy all of them separately. Love it!

Ensalada Roja Con Pollo

While surfing some of my favorite websites for new recipes today I stumbled upon a recipe called Ensalada Roja Con Pollo (Red Salad with Chicken.) It looked interesting and is supposedly a traditional Venezuelan recipe which I found exciting. I've never made anything Venezuelan and thought, "ooo this could be fun!"

I decided to change the salad around to make it a little more healthy and a bit more catered to my tastes.... I think this is an important thing to do while cooking. Sometimes people get scared to alter recipes or substitute ingredients --- make it your own, don't be afraid!

I generally prefer golden beets over the red variety so I made that substitution; this of course took away from the pretty red color of the salad, but I think it added a nice flavor. I also almost always prefer fresh produce over canned, the recipe called for canned beets, which I'm sure would have worked out fine, but again, fresh is almost always better.

I also only used about 1/4 C of mayo and added a little extra virgin olive oil at the end of the process to moisten the salad and also add the lovely fruity flavor that you get from really good olive oil. I dusted each serving with some chili powder, which added a little depth of flavor.

All in all I wasn't wowed by the flavor of this salad... it was pretty though, maybe the flavors will develop a little more by tomorrow. 

Husband rating: 8. The hubby loved this dish. He really liked the variety of ingredients and enjoyed that it is a quick and easy dish that he can eat when pressed for time. 

Recipe for Ensalada Roja Con Pollo

Just Say No, To Oil

It is quite possible that I consume more olive oil than the anyone on the planet. I love it and use it in almost every meal I make.
However, this nectar of the gods has no place in my (or anyones) pasta pot. There are those out there who claim that adding oil to your pot will keep the pasta from sticking and/or keep the water from boiling over. While it may be true that the pasta will be less sticky, it is also true that the oil will make the pasta slippery and unable to stick to and absorb the delicious sauce that your pasta is immersed in. This will cause your pasta to be bland and almost as bad as if you do not salt your pasta water (See earlier post on this topic.)
Regarding the "boiling over" complaint, well, I'm not sure if oil will help or hinder the boiling issue, but even if it did stop it from boiling over, the blandness problems easily outweigh the boiling claim. In addition, this problem is easily fixed by either using a larger pot and/or turning down the heat a bit.

Do yourself a favor, and leave the olive oil in the pasta sauce and out of the pasta water.

For an in depth & scientific explanation on oil & salt during the pasta cooking process, Click Here

Salt Your Water!!!

Pasta is one of my most favorite things in the world. However, there are few foods less appetizing than improperly seasoned pasta. There is a certain blandness that comes with pasta cooked in unsalted water that the most delicious sauce cannot remedy. The reason being that as the pasta cooks, it absorbs some of the pasta water, ergo, seasoned pasta water = seasoned pasta. 

So many cooks out there crank out mediocre pasta dishes without knowing what they are doing wrong. Well, let me help you out. SALT YOUR PASTA WATER! Thats it!! Those 4 simple words will help you along to a more delicious pasta experience. 

All you have to do is:

Boil your water

Pour in a couple of teaspoons of salt

Add pasta

Cook until Al dente 

Yummmm

The Wonders of my Mango Splitter

A few months ago I got married, it was a wonderful wedding filled with love, happiness.....and lots of presents. :) My husband affectionally refers to all of our new things as a "life upgrade," and let me tell you, this life upgrade has been fantastic. One of the best things we received for our wedding is the OXO Good Grips Mango Splitter. This thing is AMAZING!!
In my opinion, Mangos are super delicious and kind of the perfect fruit. They are easy to transport, have an amazing silky texture and their ripeness is distinguishable by giving the outer skin a little press. The only drawback to this little tropical wonder is the extraction of the edible fruit from the skin and pit; it can be a real chore and I always end up savagely cutting the mango into an unrecognizable pile of unappetizing goo. That is until I received my happy little Mango Splitter from my lovely friend to celebrate my marriage.
If you click on the link below you can see that the Mango Splitter somewhat resembles an apple corer but with the pitter in the shape of the mango's tapered seed. Somehow this amazing contraption always extracts the mango seed perfectly no matter the type or size of the mango. You simply place the Splitter at the top of the mango (stem side down,) align the tool with the fruit and push down. The seed is separated from the rest of the fruit and you are able to enjoy the fruit without making a gigantic mess. I love this tool.

Health benefits of mangos

Pasta with Eggplant and Basil Pesto

I LOVE Italian food. It is simple, delicious and full of wonderful flavors and smells. Giada DeLaurentis is one of my favorite chefs to pull inspiration from while making Italian dishes & this recipe came from her collection. I was watching the food network while at the gym yesterday and saw her making "Trenette with Eggplant and Basil Pesto" and thought it looked wonderful..... yes, I am one of those sick people who run on the treadmill while watching the Food Network, there is something wrong with me and I fully own up to it :)

Follow the link to Giada's original recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/trenette-with-eggplant-and-basil-pesto-recipe/index.html

I couldn't find Trenette at my local Whole Foods so I opted to use one of my favorite pastas instead: Cavatappi. This is a cute little curly pasta which traps sauce and flavor inside as well as along the ridges of the pasta. Plus, its pretty... I always appreciate pretty food.

The eggplant was supposed to be finished cooking in 8 minutes when it turned golden brown, but mine never got there. I took the eggplant off the burner at 10 minutes because I was worried that it would get overcooked and turn into a squishy mess. Maybe my pan wasn't as hot as it should have been? It worked out in the end and was really delicious, but then again pesto is pretty much the perfect sauce and turns any dish into something wonderful.

I love using a pasta strainer rather than a regular counter strainer because it makes saving pasta water (to thicken the sauce) much easier

HUSBAND RATING: 7 (The dish lost points because it was meatless, but overall he liked the dish)

**If you do not have time to make your own pesto or if you do not have access to fresh basil, this is a wonderful alternative!