The Fledgeling

superbowl fun-day

2011-02-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

this past weekend, we hosted a super bowl party.

now granted, i didn't have an opinion -- one way or another -- for any of the teams playing this year. i had no connection with either the packers or the steelers. and admittedly, i love super bowl mainly for the grub, the gambling and the good company.

but it did give me the opportunity to practice my home entertaining skills. we had about 10 people over. the menu:

chili
corn bread
sliders
chipotle chicken salad
cupcakes and donuts
lots and lots of drinks

i didn't make all the food since this was a last minute gathering. our friends offered to bring some of their homemade grub. and thank goodness for friends like that!

we made the sliders and the chipotle chicken salad (a tried and true rick bayless recipe that's great for groups). but it was my first time making sliders, and they were a hit. super easy, super tasty, super BOWL!

here are the steps:

caramelize onions
make mini-burger patties (only need to be seasoned with salt and pepper, but i added some leftover chopped onions and a splash of worsterchire sauce) -- for the group, i grilled over the stove, but you can pop 'em in the oven or if you're super authentic, steam them white castle-style.
melt cheese over the patties -- i like sharp cheddar
mix the special sauce -- actually just ketchup and mayo so not so special
pop them on top of king's hawaiian roles -- in my mind, this is what makes these sliders uber-delicious

total crowd pleaser!

now, what about those niners? 2012 anyone?

much to learn

2011-02-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

so after our bountiful harvest of greens, we decided to try another variety of lettuce. we bit into the leaf and -- blech!! -- immediately spit it out. it was bitter and spicy! the hubs looked up why our lettuce might be bitter, and we found a whole host of reasons from the huge online community of garden enthusiasts -- too much nitrogen in the soil, lettuce that was too mature, bolting lettuce (lettuce that has flowered), etc., etc. so needless to say, we threw out A LOT of our bounty. i was sad, but chalked it up to a learning experience.

the following week, we got a 3-month check-up visit from our gardening guru, mr. lyons, to see how our garden was going. overall, he was pleased. very little weeks -- which was a good thing. he said a few plants were starting to flower (including our peach tree and blueberry bush!), which means fruit to come in a few months. some plants also looked like they were dying to me, but he said this was normal as they lie dormant during the winter. thank goodness for mr. lyons! he helped us fertilize the soil and gave us some of his healthy compost to keep our little garden thriving.

i brought up the bitter lettuce thing to him, and then he told me that what we had eaten wasn't lettuce; it was mustard greens, and they were supposed to be bitter! an acquired taste, yes, but not lettuce gone bad. DOH!

i realized mustard greens are probably better when cooked, so unfortunately i wasted all those wonderful, nutritious greens. it would have been interesting to find recipes for them also.

oh well, next time.

the first harvest

2011-02-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

big news to tell.

we harvested our first round of garden goodies the other week! it was very exciting. i wasn't exactly sure when the right time for harvest was, but some of our leafy greens were growing quite tall and big. and i'm a gambling kind of girl, so i decided it was time.

well, i also thought it was time because i started getting worried about our aphid problem. i started to notice holes in our leafy greens -- those little buggers were having a garden buffet on our expense! i researched how to get rid of aphids organically, and it's pretty easy. but the good news is that veggies are still safe to eat (for the most part).

i was proud that some of our veggies were thriving -- mainly the lettuces and herbs. i know these are probably some of the more easier vegetables to grow, but i don't care! we ended up harvesting about 3 paper bags full of lettuce greens. and trust me, that's a whole lot of lettuce!

me and the hubby spent the good part of our morning, triple washing our lettuces, spinning it dry, wrapping them up in paper towels, and sealing them in plastic baggies for storage. it's very laborious actually. along the way, i came across a few aphids, a spider and a slug. ewwwww.... i hate little garden bugs and critters, but i have to get used to them if i'm going to embrace this gardening thing. baby steps, baby steps.

and the photo above shows our first meal from our first harvest. we're quite proud. the tomatoes are from the farmer's market and the burrata is from the store, but the lettuce is all ours.

chicken and dumplings

2011-01-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

it's been a cold and wet january, and as usual, the flu was going around town. the hubby ended up coming down with something and was feeling a bit under the weather so i thought i'd fix him some soothing and good-for-a-sick-body. i made the next best thing to chicken noodle soup -- some homemade chicken and dumplings, keller-style, of course. because i always have to make everything difficult for myself.

well, and also because i had that homemade chicken broth sitting in the fridge, just begging to be used. so i ventured to make the homemade chicken and dumplings, which of course, was a labor of love. the process involved many steps, including skimming, cooking two batches of the vegetables (one for flavoring of the broth, and the other for the actual eating part -- so it would remain its crispness) and making the dumplings from scratch.

but this time around, i actually had a lot of fun with this recipe.

for the first time, i made dumplings from scratch, with the help of my trusty new kitchenaid stand mixer. i love that thing! and i learned the technique of making quenelles, or as i'd rather say -- those football looking things -- using two small spoons. check it out!

i also had to make a roux, which is an OG way of thickening soups, but i had already been introduced to that technique from my MIL for a recipe we made for my other blog. [yes, shameless 3000milestildinner plug. do it!]

this dish is simple (or seemingly simple -- a lot of steps, but the steps aren't that difficult) yet satisfying. it was delicious! and delicious the next day too. my hubby loved it, and mentioned that this was one of his favorite dishes growing up. i had no idea. see... i'm still learning something new about my husband every day.

chicken scratch

2011-01-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

the above photo may not look like much, but i'm pretty darn proud of it.

i made homemade chicken stock for the first time. from scratch. and i'm talking about the chicken-neck-chicken-back-and-other-random-bones kind of scratch.

i learned there are two ways of making chicken stock from scratch: (1) from the carcass of a roasted chicken or (2) from the raw bones of chicken bone unmentionables that usually never make it past the butcher.

unless of course you're thomas keller. who always likes to do things the hard(er) way.

and i was game.

first step: head to my local butcher to look for the chicken parts that keller called for in the recipe. as i scanned the butcher window, i was not surprised to not see any of bones that i needed for my chicken stock recipe. i got the butcher's attention and politely asked if he had any chicken necks, backs or extra bones. he gave me an appraising eye. he said, "let me check." "i'll need about 5 pounds of bones," i said. he nodded in approval.

he disappeared into the back and a few minutes later, came out with a handful of some grayish/whitish/reddish parts in plastic. "i've got some!" score!

back at home, i have to admit i was wary of handling all these foreign looking pieces of raw chicken bone, but i quickly got used to it. one of the things i've learned with all my cooking is being more comfortable handling raw meat. i used to get the heebie-jeebies from raw meat. now look at me.

the keller chicken stock recipe wasn't too hard, but it did require a lot of coddling. and what i mean by coddling is constant supervision and endless skimming of impurities that inevitably float to the top that will ensure a clean and clear broth at the end of the day. here is my chicken stock at the beginning.

i used carrots, celery, onions and leeks to flavor the chicken broth. i also learned how to create my own convection oven on the stove by putting the pot half off the burner. the one-sided heat allowed for a convection-style effect in the pot, which pushed the impurities to one side of the pot for easier skimming.

despite the coddling, this labor of love was definitely worth it. the resulting chicken stock, after a few hours of simmering, skimming and straining, was absolutely delicious and clean tasting. it was above and beyond the chicken stock i normally buy in the store, and i know it's these seemingly small touches that can put a dish from good to great.

i stored my chicken stock in the fridge for a future dish that i would be making soon. stay tuned for my next post.

crafty

2010-12-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

this year, i decided to make some cookies as small holiday treats for all my friends. we were hosting a holiday party at our house this year, and i wanted to send everyone home with a little something. i decided to make homemade oreos and lemony shortbread cookies.

i should mention that i'm not really the arts & crafty type. i mean, don't get me wrong -- i loved making those dioramas that they used to make us kids do in grade school (am i aging myself?), but i really never pushed it much further than that, from a crafty perspective i suppose.

but this year, i decided to push myself creatively. i was making holiday cookies as presents for some folks, and i wanted to do something more than the normal gift bag. i've been drawn to natural, rustic materials lately; something with a tom sawyer sensibility.

so here's what i came up with. put the cookies in a plastic bag.

i wanted to make something that paid homage to those old carriers that hobos used to carry at the end of sticks. at least that's what the old movies and cartoons suggested. a quick trip to the fabric store scored me this natural colored linen material. i placed the cookie bag in the middle of a square piece of the cloth.

and then i bundled up the edges loosely and tied together with holiday-colored raffia. you can pick and choose what color the ribbon is (perhaps blue if you're of the jewish persuasion), but i like raffia because of its imperfect, natural texture.

and of course, sealed it with a holiday cheer message from me and hubs.

all the little bundles of christmas joy. happy holidays all!

a week of vegetarian

2010-12-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

after a few weeks of pure indulgence under my belt, which is typically the norm with the start of the holidays, the husband and i decided to go vegetarian for a week. and when i say vegetarian, i also mean alcohol.

my challenge: how to make a few tasty, vegetarian meals that were quick and easy since i was fitting this into my busy work schedule. luckily for me, jaime oliver has a few vegetarian dishes on his 20-minute meal app that i took full advantage of, tweaking a bit for my own taste.

here's what i ended up serving on the nights we were home:

tofu stir fry with noodles. although not an authentic chinese stir fry, a very refreshing and healthy noodle salad that worked well as leftovers for lunch the next day.

potato and leek soup with taleggio cheese. The taleggio cheese, which is a strong, soft cheese that seemed to be in the blue cheese or feta family, added something special to plain old potato and leek soup. i was also able to use my vitamix for the first time to make soup.

penne arrabiatta. one of the husband's favorite dishes. he always orders this dish in italian restaurants, and there's a pretty good version of it in the frozen section of trader joes. but now i've made the sauce from scratch! i had to make a few wing-it's because of what i had in the pantry. cherry peppers instead of red peppers and rice penne instead of normal penne. still delicious!

i was pretty excited about our vegetarian accomplishment this week. and now for more holiday parties!

a winner!

2010-11-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

i did it!

the start of the holiday season tends to be a very busy time of the year. so call me crazy, and everyone else who participated in this crazy project, but i just finished writing my novel!

[cue imaginary clapping, whooping and hollering]

that's right. at the suggestion of my SIL, i participated in National Novel Writing Month, which issues a challenge to novice and experienced writers both, near and far, to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of november. so among my many fledgeling pursuits, i squeezed in one to two hours everyday of writing.

now with full disclosure, the novel is not necessarily meant to be publishable but an exercise in the discipline of writing everyday and mustering the courage to write a god-knows-how-awful novel, but who cares? i did it! and now i'm going to bask in the glory of being a novelist. you just may not find my novel in a bookstore near you... not yet at least.

check out NaNoWriMo if you're interested in taking up this challenge.

the fledgeling garden

2010-11-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

we planted our garden.

the end.

i kid, i kid. i just figured 'nuff said since the planting was quite the accomplishment in my book. but i'd also like to show off some of our work.

we had a 6:30 am wake up call to meet with our gardening consultant, the oh-so-great john lyons. when you're toiling the fields, you gotta wake up like the rest of the real farm folk. cock-a-doodle-whatever.

so off we went to dig, plant and set a multitude of healthy, fresh stuff! minus the overalls though.

all in all, we ended up with artichokes, carrots, beets, lettuce, endive, mizuna, leeks, fava beans, kale, red chard, onions, garlic, asparagus, sage, thyme, broccoli, cauliflower, parsley, dill, oregano, strawberries, a blueberry bush, and blood orange, meyer lemon and peach trees! phew! tough to say all in one breath!

here's a shot of one of our vegetable beds. isn't it pretty? i'm so proud of those little veggie-lings.

and look! yes, it's true! that is real dirt on the hand shovels and gardening gloves!

i've had those tools for over a year now. my friends gave me those as a b-day present and i had yet to do anything with them! glad they're being used now. although, mr. lyons did poke a little fun at me for being "martha stewart-ish" with all my fancy tools.

as part of my fancy-ish tools, here's a fancy plant sign for my sage. this will be muy importante as i'm sure i'll forget what little bud belongs to what veggie- or herb-ling.

and here's a view from the top. we got a lot done in a short amount of time. quite the little farms hands we were!

i was actually pleasantly surprised at the end of our three hours of work. i had so much fun! it was rewarding and very therapeutic. it was great to learn something new and do something with my hands that resulted in something real. and better yet... would end up in my belly!

we're going to have so much healthy good-stuff to work with, i won't know what to do with myself! i'm going to have to learn to cook things like mizuna and work with three different kinds of garlic. say what?

i think i have a new hobby. and i think i'm going to like it.

the 20 minute weeknighter

2010-11-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

one of my new favorite iPhone apps is jamie oliver's 20 minute meals. as you probably know, jamie oliver is that quirky, young english chap that's kind of lovable. his focus is on tasty, simple meals that are easy to make on a week night.

sounds like my kind of guy.

my first 20 minute meal was an adaptation of his grilled pork chops with broccoli and beans recipe. since i don't eat pork, i made it my own. grilled CHICKEN with broccoli and beans -- now take that!

truly though, his recipes are really easy and don't require a ton of ingredients or crazy cooking techniques (*ahem* tommy keller). so when i'm not trying to push the envelope with the crazy stuff from my keller cook book, i like to keep my cooking skills finely tuned with these simple weeknight meals.

what i used:

1/2 lb broccoli
2 pieces of chicken breast (approximately 7 oz.)
1 garlic clove
1 medium fresh red chile
1 15 oz cannellini beans
1 lemon
olive oil
salt
pepper

the steps:

begin boiling salted water in a pot, trim your broccoli if needed to just the heads (i used the trader joe's precut stuff)
take your chicken breast, score the underside and then pound to about a 1/2 inch thick. salt and pepper both sides
put chicken breast into a hot pan with olive oil. let sizzle for about 3 minutes on one side and then turn over for another 3 minutes, until cooked through. once cooked, set aside and cover with piece of foil to keep warm
chop your garlic and de-seed and chop the chile
drain your cannellini beans
get another hot frying pan ready with olive oil, add chile and garlic and cook for about a minute
add broccoli to boiling water for about 2 - 3 minutes until cooked al dente. drain into a colander and leave to steam dry
add your cannellini beans to the pan with galri and chile. stir well and season with salt and pepper
take your broccoli and put into a bowl. toss with some olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper
take your late, divide your spicy beans, top with broccoli and pop a piece of chicken on top of each portion.
enjoy!

almost there

2010-10-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

we're more than half-way done.

winter is almost upon us. it's been getting dark much earlier, and oddly enough (for L.A. that is), it's been raining steadily for the past week or so. can't say that i haven't enjoyed the rain though. i love it -- makes it actually feel like fall! and not to mention that i can break out my boots, tights and cozy scarves -- my most favorite garb. i just love layers. but i digress. the rain is the reason i haven't been able to post any earlier updates on the progress of our garden.

i must say i'm happy with how the garden is looking. and the work that the fellas have done in the past couple of weeks despite the rain. so they've built three terraces that will soon be filled with bountiful edibles and some native plants as eye candy. we also have a top terrace that will soon become a platform where the hubby and i can kick back, read, write, whatever floats our boat.

what's even more exciting is how BIG the terraces are. i will have to get a-learning quickly how to plant and take care of my edible garden since we're going to have a lot of goodies to make use of.

i'm already picturing going over to neighbors' and friends' homes with a basketful or fresh, organic produce from our garden. there is just no way we can eat all the fruits of our labor on our own! maybe i'll look into setting up my own tiny stand at the local farmer's market. or not.

the fellas also amazingly set up a sturdy staircase that will allow us to climb up the mountain and access our garden and upper terrace. this is especially exciting since before this project, the hill was basically a no man's land. treacherous, overgrown and basically inaccessible. now we have a reason to go up there and really make use of the land behind our humble home.

so there you go. garden is almost a check. i'm getting super excited about the end result so continue to stay tuned!

dirt and things

2010-10-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

so we've started! our garden that is.

that's right... we've stopped the talking and got to the walking. it has been quite a process getting to where we are now. we've talked endlessly about wanting to improve the backyard and make it more usable. i've blabbered about how cool it would be to have an edible garden just a few steps away from my back door. no more basil going bad or running out of tomatoes (i hope)!

the next step was researching consultants and contractors who could do the job well, based on the principles we like and also cost-effectively. i'm glad we found john of the woven garden. he's perfect for the job.

after learning how to work with contractors and comparing prices to death, we started work just last week. for those who know my house, you know that the contractors have their work cut out for them climbing up all those stairs just to build terraces and a garden.

we're about halfway there in terms of setting up the space. then we go to the fun stuff: planning out and planting the garden! i'll definitely keep you posted on the progress.

meatless mondays

2010-10-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

i know, i've been MIA for the past month and a half. the day job... ya know. blah, blah, blah. but in all seriousness, i have been traveling A LOT the past month and a half for both personal and professional reasons. but that didn't mean i slowed down on the domestic duties. just meant that i had less time to write about them. give a domestic fledgeling a break!

this past month, i've become intrigued with this new trend in the cooking community called meatless mondays. meatless mondays is a non-profit initiative that is encouraging people to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet. it's even reached the restaurant community where some restaurants are offering a meatless menu on specific days of the week. love it!

so in the spirit of saving our planet, saving the animals, and saving our health, i've decided to institute meatless mondays in our household. first up, lentiled curries with mint rice (recipe c/o meatless mondays, of course). although the fall weather has descended upon us (finally!), it was very, very hot in good old los angeles during late august/early september. so lentiled curries with mint rice sounded refreshing, yet satisfying. i know most people fear not feeling full or satisfied when going meatless.

also lentils are uber-nutritious for you. lentils have lots of colon-friendly and cholesterol-lowering fiber, is heart-healthy, a good source of iron, an energy source that helps keep blood levels stable and is filling yet low fat/calorie! what more could you ask for in something meatless?

although the picture doesn't necessarily do it justice, the dish was quite lovely. simple, yet satisfying.

i encourage everyone to take on the challenge of meatless mondays. do it for yourself, do it for the world!

lazy summer

2010-08-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

ack! i know i've been a slacker with the blog. summertime can sometimes get the best of me, and i may have been enjoying the kick-back, lazy days of summer a bit too much. my weekends have been filled with gluttony. but gluttony is just oh-so-much-fun! who can resist fun summer treats like barbecues, ice cream and crisp sauvignon blancs (or a minted gin-to for those crazy summer days)?

not i.

well, one of my friends who's a hostest with the mostest got us together for a fantastic meal of fried chicken, creamy whipped potatoes, garlicky red chard and fresh baked buttermilk rolls. i mean... this meal would've made any southern grammy proud! indulgent and yummy.

but the process of getting a gourmet spread for 10 people together was a feat. i know... i was there to witness the insanity (and glad to say i helped act as prep cook/sous chef to help alleviate her stress).

what i learned though was that being able to successfully prepare a meal and entertain for a group requires just as much work as... well, my work! i was amazed that she had pulled together a detailed plan and schedule to ensure the day went smoothly. it's the same "run-of-show" we put together at my day job in a pr agency. imagine that.

it was impressive. and enlightening. and i suppose that's why my past attempts at entertaining on my own have been a disaster.

note to self: run-of-show for next entertaining attempt.

meanwhile, that fried chicken was kick-ass, better than the colonel's!

brine, baby, brine

2010-07-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

it's all about the salt, baby.

the husband and i decided to try our hand at brining a roast chicken this past week. i referred back to my trusty gourmand food bible care of thomas keller for instructions and a recipe for chicken brine.

according to keller, brining is a powerful tool that can cure chicken, pork, other meats and fish, as well as change their texture, flavor and juiciness -- all for the better. brining allows meat to be seasoned uniformly.

because i'm a geek, the science of brining is simply osmosis. you allow the meat to soak in a prepared salt solution as to allow for the natural, osmotic effect of salt. the result? flavors are distributed evenly and meat retains more moisture after cooking.

the critical thing to remember about brining from a technical standpoint is that the brine needs to be completely chilled before the meat (or fish) is added. also, never re-use brine. uh-uh, no way, bad idea.

keller's brine recipe calls for lemons, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, honey, garlic, peppercorns, salt and water. preparing brine is actually quite easy. you throw all the ingredients into a large stockpot, bring to a boil for about 1 minute to dissolve the salt and then chill completely. easy breezy.

we roasted the chicken after allowing the whole chicken to soak in the brine for almost 24 hours. and after cutting into the meat, i was immediately sold. the meat was so tender, moist and flavorful (and not at all overdone, which is what usually happens to my roast chicken). i may never return to a non-brined roast chicken again. another keller winner!

bon mange!

2010-07-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

or "good eats!" for those of you uninitiated to the french language (which includes me).

my south beach approach to eating is now long gone, and i've spent the last two weeks gorging on french cuisine and 4th of july holiday bbqs. it was also the husband's birthday so what more to celebrate?

one of the highlights from my jaunt to southern france was a day trip to the small town of antibes. fresh baguettes and pastries, cobblestone streets, bottom-less bottles of rose... c'est la vie! but we stumbled across a beautiful farmer's market, which reminded me why french, and perhaps european, cooking and cuisine tops most chefs' lists of bon mange. fresh ingredients that you can touch, smell, taste. quality ingredients = quality food.

i was intrigued by the colorful and beautiful spices that were laid out at one local vendor's shop. smelled so wonderful. i should've picked up some herbs de provence but i wasn't sure of the customs restrictions.

summer fruit such as berries, peaches and melons were also abound at the market. i picked up some fresh cherries and globe peaches to munch on as we strolled through the intricate alleys that made up antibes.

i wish there were daily farmers markets in my area. it's difficult for me to make it to the sunday farmers markets. hello? do you hear that mr./ms. farmers market organizers?

making farmers markets more accessible would make for better health for us, better health for the community.

s.f. love

2010-06-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

i was in the bay area this past weekend.. my home away from home. i went to visit one of my favorite spots in san francisco, bi-rite market. the name suggests a neon-lit, supermarket filled with plastic-covered goods that you'd find at your local 7-11 or walmart, however, it is quite the opposite.

and this is why it's so great. supporting the causes that i love the most.

i love seeing produce in small batches. ah... delicious, organic and local goodness...

too bad the prices are a bit steep, but i like to look around at all the beautiful products and perhaps indulge in a few delicacies. that day, i bought some locally grown green tea and sconehedge scones. i resisted the balsamic strawberry ice cream... for just this time around.

but i think what sealed the deal for me that day was when i spied this little treat.

chocolate from the philippines? mahal (love in tagalog)! 100% traceable from bean to bar. me thinks that means i need to make a visit to davao sometime soon!

real food

2010-06-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

we had our consultation with john lyons of the woven garden yesterday on how to get started on our edible garden. i have to say, i had a great time during the two hour consultation! i had no idea what to expect, but before i knew it, the two hours were over and i had a mental outline of what our garden possibilities could be and what our next steps were. i also thought john was great. we are very like-minded, and he's doing a lot in the los angeles community to help push forward the gardening movement, which really is a focus on a locally-minded, sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle.

here's john and the husband checking out our foliage in the backyard. think big boys!

and in the second half of our consultation, we sat down to pull together a realistic plan. john brought a bunch of books (pictured above) to use for our reference. and for those who have been to our house, you know it's no easy feat to lug a box full of books up our stairs.

we also had a pretty good conversation about the gardening movement in l.a. john mentioned that in the last 3 - 4 years, there has been a significant trend in people wanting to start their own edible garden. i think this movement stems from people no longer trusting where their food comes from and what they're putting in their bodies. i know that's one of the main reasons i'm interested in urban farming.

coincidentally enough, the husband and i ended up watching food, inc. last night. boy, did that ever reaffirm the need to have your own plot of produce. food, inc. was not necessarily an eye-opener for me because i've watched every film (king corn, super size me) about the disgusting food industry and read many a books about where our food comes from (fast food nation, the omnivore's dilemma, etc.). so i already knew about most of the horrors covered in the movie; however, it is an excellent film and a must-see for those who want to know how our food is made, what you're really putting into your body and how it affects the rest of society.

just do it.

coffee redux

2010-06-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

it’s been a process of trial and error, but we’re finally here. coffee redux: mission complete!

J and i have been obsessed with coffee for a while – trying to find the best coffee beans, best espressos, best baristas. although we won’t be tackling espresso at home (for now, i’d like to leave it to the experts), we’ve been trying to find out how to make the best coffee at home. the husband has recently been in conversations with some of the top dogs at stumptown coffee, purveyor of some of the best coffee beans out there. doesn’t hurt either that stumptown is from J’s hometown. but as a non-portland native, i have to agree that stumptown coffee is top-notch (with close contenders, blue bottle and intelligentsia).

J learned a lot about what makes good coffee beans and also how the process of grinding, brewing and pouring makes all the difference in that final cup of hot, perky goodness. as a result, we turned in our krups coffee maker and kitchenaid grinder for some older school equipment:

chemex home brewer
this takes me back to chemistry lab in college! (yes… i was a biology major) reminds me that brewing coffee can be considered a science.

chemex paper filters
made of the finest filter paper! the chemex filter is folded into a cone shape, exactly as in laboratory techniques. see… science! it was tough because we switched from paper filters to a reusable one in an effort to help the environment. but i guess we can still recycle these.

baratza virtuoso grinder
ok, i suppose this isn’t really older school equipment; in fact, this was a tech upgrade. supposedly the grinder makes all the difference between sub-par, bitter coffee to an excellent brew! and definitely get a burr grinder vs. a blade grinder (which was what our last one was).

hario buono water kettle
a japanese brand, which already puts it ahead of the rest. I know… I’m already biased. but we were in sore need of a new kettle, and this spout allows for so much more control in pouring the water into the chemex. you’ll know the benefit of this as soon as you make the switch to the chemex.

we finally received all the equipment the other day, and J made the first cup of chemex-brewed coffee. and hot damn! it was a damn good cup of coffee – i was kind of shocked at the difference. rich, smooth, flavorful and no bitterness whatsoever.

i’m such a convert. if you don’t believe me, come over and we’ll make you a cup. you will believe! coffee is the new wine!

deliciously healthy

2010-06-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

can something healthy be this good? i believe it can you south beach naysayers!

i'm now on day 3 of our south beach approach to cooking (i've decided i don't like saying diet because it conjures up all kinds of negativity on my part). for the past two evenings, i've made some decent meals, although i wouldn't call them spectacular.

dinner #1: broiled salmon with rosemary, grilled asparagus and a green salad

dinner #2: moroccan style grilled chicken, roasted eggplant and peppers, cauli-rice (yes, the south beach die-hards have come up with a way to make faux-rice to satisfy that carb craving using cauliflower. and i must say, it's pretty good!)

and dinner #3... was just plain delicious. i wanted to share the recipe because it's definitely worth making on any other random night, healthy or not. this simple, rustic dish went well with a side of green salad.

cannellini bean and chicken sausage stew.

(adapted from kalyn’s kitchen)

2 cans cooked cannellini beans (see options below for cooking beans or use canned beans)
4 links good quality chicken sausage (pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage works also)
2-3 tsp. olive oil
1/2 large onion, choppped
1 t minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz) can petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 ½ can chicken broth (diluted with a bit of water)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 t balsamic vinegar
fresh grated parmesan for serving

put 2 cans cannellini beans into colander placed in the sink. rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears. let beans drain and use in recipe.

while beans are draining, cut sausage into half lengthwise, then cut into half-moon shaped slices. heat about 1 tsp. olive oil in heavy dutch oven or soup pot, then saute sausage until well browned, about 5 minutes. when sausage is well-browned, remove to bowl, then add chopped onion and saute about 2 minutes, adding more oil if needed. after 2 minutes, add chopped garlic and saute about 2 minutes more.

add tomatoes and juice, dried oregano, dried thyme, and chicken broth/water to pot with onions and garlic. add sausage back to pot, then cook at very low simmer about 30 minutes, until flavors are well blended and liquid is slightly reduced. after 30 minutes, add drained beans and simmer about 15 minutes more. (if the mixture seems too dry at this point, add a bit more chicken stock or a little water.)

when beans have simmered 15 minutes, add chopped basil and balsamic vinegar and simmer 5 minutes more. taste beans for seasoning and add salt and fresh ground black pepper as desired. serve hot, topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

south beach

2010-06-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

don’t call me crazy, but i’m in a different kind of culinary challenge for the next few weeks. we will be vacationing in south of france later this month. well, i suppose it’s more of a vacation for me; the husband is there for work. and i’ll get to reap all the benefits!

well, with all the splurging, eating, cooking and enjoying life i’ve been doing in the past… let’s say… 6 months (!), i’m not quite beach ready. so in order to prep for our french adventure, we’ll be going on a version of the south beach diet. i’m not much of a believer in “diets,” but to me, the south beach diet is less of an effort with major (and usually unreasonable) restrictions than the extreme diets i’ve seen such as the cabbage soup diet or the lemonade/cayenne pepper fast.

i’m obsessed with making dishes that fit within the tenets of the south beach diet, while still being tasty and satisfying. the one thing t like about the south beach diet is that it allows for some good fat (olive oil, avocadoes, nuts) and low-fat cheeses, which makes food all the better. what it doesn’t allow (at least in the first phase) is carbs, sugars of any kind, including fruit, and anything that is too high in fat, such as brie or non-lean cuts of meat. i think this a reasonable way to think about eating for two weeks.

so i will be blogging about some of my favorite south beach diet recipe I come across and make. because I KNOW that there are heart healthy dishes that can be both good for you and delicious. so if you need to take off some extra pounds, you don’t need to suffer needlessly. although i would say not being able to have cheesecake and chocolate is suffering, but i’ll live.

here's the real south beach.

baby garden steps

2010-06-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

i've been doing a whole lot of cooking, but i took my first step today towards making something more out of our backyard. because to be a domestic goddess, you need to be more well rounded than being able to whip up a good meal.

because i had no idea what i was doing in the garden, i was paralyzed by my ineptness. so i finally called in an expert -- a consultant from the woven garden to get me started on my edible garden. my two goals for the backyard: (1) create an edible garden (in progress!) and (2) work with the landscape to make the backyard more inviting.

we don't have a large backyard. so the question is how can we live large in a small space? the backyard should be something the husband and i can relax in, but also that guests can enjoy since we like to be social. my ideal backyard aesthetic would be a balinese-influenced, japanese-inspired, california-based space. what i mean is that i love the indoor-outdoor, relaxed influence of balinese architecture...

coupled with the clean lines and beautiful structures of japanese design...

rooted in the sustainability and green-ness of california native plants and an edible garden.

we'll see how i progress, but you better believe i'll be taking you along in my journey.

the big, red o

2010-06-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

i don't mean to obsess about rick bayless, but it seems the stars are aligning and pointing towards may being the month of ricky b. bayless just helped open a new restaurant in l.a. (yes, L.A.!!) that features a menu inspired by the master himself. this restaurant is bayless' first endeavor outside of chicago. while he won't be as hands-on in this venture, he will be helping design the menus seasonally, training the kitchen staff and overseeing the beverage selection.

the husband and i dropped into red o on opening weekend. we came 15 minutes before the friday dinner opening in the hopes that we'd score a walk-in. there already was a crowd mingling outside of the restaurant so we were nervous! luckily, we scored a couple of seats at the bar. the decor was nice and spacious and had a mexican resort feel to it. never mind the tequila lined wall in the lounge area!

for our first dinner there (and there will be more!), we had the:

guacamole: fresh and chunky!
pacific sole ceviche: classic with just the right amount of tang
beef short rib sopes: mmm... unique and savory
mazatlan blue shrimp cazuelas tacos: cazuelas means stewed filling as opposed to grilled... definitely worth it!
albondigas al chipotle cazuelas tacos: albondigas = meatballs, but better
of course, margaritas...

and last but not least... dessert. oooo, that dessert. goat cheesecake tartlets. so delicious yet light, and something i've never tasted before. i love cheesecake, and this brought it to the next level.

but the crowning glory of the evening? as i was leaving the restaurant, i made a pit stop at the tequila wall, and lo and behold, who do i see? the man, the legend himself.... ricky b!! he was so nice and gracious, and he listened to me geek out for a bit and blabber on about his book, the recipe i recently cooked and how i knew he lived in l.a. for a while. dork!! but who cares... i got this as a memento. and no, i don't care that i'm closing my eyes. i'll take what i can get.

just to say i told you so

2010-05-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

and just to confirm the awesome-ness of rick bayless, the president and his wife had bayless prepare the second white house state dinner, in honor of the mexican president, felipe calderon. so if i was nervous to make his enchiladas the other night, i can't imagine bayless' nerves serving not only the president of the united states, but also mexican food to the president of mexico. but he's a professional, i know.

i could only imagine how cool of an experience that was, especially being able to use fresh ingredients from michelle's white house vegetable garden.

bayless was asked to prepare a mexican nouveau meal that incorporated some american elements. the menu sounds scrumptious. what a genius.

reading aid for those who need it!:
jicama with oranges, pineapple and grapefruit
herb green ceviche of hawaiian opah
oregon wagyu beef in oaxacan mole sauce
chocolate cajeta tart

enchiladas, the bayless way

2010-05-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

there are three chefs that i‘m obessesed with and aspire to cook like (aside from my mom for filipino cuisine). as you already know, thomas keller is a favorite for his “homestyle” American or French bistro fare. I admire marcella hazan for her authentic Italian cooking style and have been reading her cookbook from cover to cover in preparation for a planned italian culinary adventure later this year. lastly, i’ve been obsessed with rick bayless for his dedication to mexican cuisine. he’s an avid twitterer (and very interesting to follow) and has several restaurants and books out in circulation.

i’ve had rick bayless’ book Mexico: One Plate at a Time sitting on my shelf for quite some time now, but i’ve been intimidated to make mexican food. for one thing, it’s is one of my favorite cuisines. i love cilantro and anything sour – so the abundance of lime that is used in mexican cuisine (guacamole, rice, margaritas!) is right up my alley. also, there is amazing mexican food in l.a. for less than the price of a bag of groceries so it’s easier to stop by my neighborhood taco truck to satisfy my cravings. even if the dishes aren’t too complex, I imagine it’s hard to beat some of the amazing enchiladas or moles I’ve had in the past.

last night i decided to overcome that fear and take my first stab at a bayless recipe. what to start with? well, my two favorite mexican dishes are tacos or enchiladas. since i find enchiladas a bit more intimidating, i thought i’d try bayless’ enchiladas suizas recipe, alongside his arroz blanco. it was a tag team effort with the husband also, which was fun. he worked on the bayless guacamole (with roasted chiles… yum!) and black beans. we cooked together while sipping some white wine. doubly fun!

a few things I learned during the process:

roasted tomatoes and chiles are delicious! it’s easy to roast them – simply put the oven rack at the highest point possible in your oven so that the vegetables are close to the heat, set your oven to broil and pop them in for about 6 minutes, turn over, and then another 6 minutes. some parts of the tomatoes and chiles will be charred, but the skin should easily peel (or even fall) off the vegetables. i imagine if you sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on them, they’d be a great accompaniment to any meal.
enchiladas suizas has crema. i didn’t have any homemade crema (bayless has a recipe), but he said whipping cream could be substituted. the crema definitely added a nice touch.
enchiladas are relatively easy to make! that was the biggest surprise of my experience overall. this is not a “one bowl” dinner at all, but it is not very difficult to prepare, and the outcome is outstanding!

i was pretty proud of our meal. the husband’s guacamole was delicious. he kicked the black beans up a notch with some garlic and onions (no pork fat for us despite bayless’ recommendation!). the arroz blanco was tasty, and the enchiladas were amazing! pat, pat on the back. and a far cry from my original attempt at a mexican fiesta.

nice work bayless. I’ll be coming back for more.

filipino dish #4: chicken sinigang

2010-05-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

i think sinigang is one of my all-time favorite dishes in the whole wide world. and i mean that. after adobo, sinigant is probably considered the national dish of the philippines. sinigang is a tamarind-based sour soup, and i've heard many compare the soup to the thai dish, tom yum gai. sour soup can be very refreshing and easy to make -- ideal for hot, humid tropical weather!

sinigang could be made with beef, fish, shrimp, pork or chicken, so the dish is very versatile, and each version provides a different flavor to sinigang. i've actually never had chicken sinigang, so i wanted to try it out. preparations for other types of sinigang will be slightly different than the chicken version below, and i'll try to post the other types of recipes in the future.

chicken sinigang

ingredients:

2 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces (i used breast)
4 cups of water
2 large tomatoes
1/2 pound green beans (i used haricot verts because TJ's had them)
1/2 pound broccoli
(note: you can also add other types of vegetables such as bok choy, eggplant, radish, okra)
1 package tamarind soup base (found in the international section of grocery stores; i know this is cheating, but most filipinos i know make it this way... i will eventually learn how to make it from fresh tamarind?)

how to:

heat oil in medium-sized pot, saute onion and garlic until tender
add chicken and brown for just 5 minutes
add water, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium. allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
add the tamarind soup base to your taste (at least 1/2 of the packet)
put in the tomatoes and green beans, simmer for 10 minutes (if you have other vegetables, put in all the non-green vegetables at this point -- exception is green beans)
add in the broccoli, allow to simmer for another 10 minutes (add other green vegetables such as bok choy)
serve with rice

filipino dish #3: chicken afritada

2010-05-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure if there is an american translation for afritada, but the dish is tomato-based meal that marries the spanish and asian parts of filipino culture. afritada is definitely a result of the spanish influences in our cuisine, and can be made with either pork or chicken. chicken is easier to make, and i don't really eat pork so my dishes will always be the poultry or fish version.

chicken afritada was yet another childhood favorite of mine. this may be a more healther, less authentic version, but i liked it anyways.

here's how to make chicken afritada. you too can make it!

ingredients:

1.5 pounds chicken, cut into pieces (i used all chicken breast)
6 pieces of garlic, chopped
1 onion
3 bay leaves
1 10 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
2 large potatoes, quartered or cut in eighths
1 green or red bell pepper, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
fish sauce (optional, to taste)

how to:

heat oil in pot and add garlic, saute for about 3 minutes
add onion and saute for another 5 minutes
add the chicken and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes
add the bay leaves and allow the mixture to cook for about 5 minutes
add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, potatoes, soy sauce and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing the chicken and potatoes to cook
add the green pepper and allow to cook for another 5 - 10 minutes
add salt and more pepper to taste
serve with rice!

chicken a la king

2010-05-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

chicken a la king was another dish i grew up. it was one of the favorite dishes my mom used to make. i used to think it was a filipino-influenced dish, but i thought it was strange that the dish had the french/english words "a la king" at the end.

i soon realized that chicken a la king was likely an american dish, and my mom just "filipino-ized" it for our taste buds. it's a good dish to make with leftover roast chicken or turkey from thanksgiving. chicken a la king is usually served over toast or with pasta, but my mom served it with rice and i prefer to eat it that way.

below is my mom's recipe. obviously, there are recipes out there that are a bit different (perhaps more the american style) and use butter, cream and spices to make the cream sauce so this version is a little easier and healthier.

ingredients:

1.5 lbs. chicken, boiled or poached
1 onion
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
1/2 green bell pepper
one can cream of chicken soup (my mom suggested campbells, but i used the healthy choice brand)
salt and pepper to taste

how to:

shred the cooked chicken and set aside.
dice the onion and bell pepper
cut the celery and carrots into small slices
saute the onion in oil over medium heat
add the celery and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes
add the cream of chicken soup and allow to cook on medium to low medium heat and allow to simmer for about 5j - 7 minutes. the mixture should be creamy.
add the shredded chicken and sprinkle black pepper to taste
add the green pepper, mix and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes
add salt and more pepper if desired, to taste
serve over your carb of choice!

filipino dish #2: chicken tinola

2010-04-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

chicken tinola was one of my favorite dishes from childhood. it's a simple dish, but very satisfying. like i said before, comfort food! the main ingredient and starring flavor of this dish is ginger. in many eastern countries, ginger is though to have many healing properties. it can help with ailments such as colds, nausea and headaches, and can also help treat or support treatment for more serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis.

and that's just an added bonus because i love tinola all on its own! tinola can be made with either chicken or beef, but i prefer chicken and not just because i don't eat a lot of red meat. i think the chicken goes well with the lightness of the dish. you serve the dish with rice, making sure you generously spoon the soup over the rice, and i like to sprinkle a little fish sauce on the dish before i eat it to give it an extra punch. the husband also added some sriracha (spicy thai sauce), and he said it was good. so go ahead and experiment!

below is my mom's recipe. enjoy!

ingredients:

1.5 pounds of meat (chicken or beef)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, diced
3 inches of ginger, cut or crushed
2 chayote or 1 green papaya or 2 regular potatotes, cut into 4 - 8 pieces (i used potato during this attempt)
2 - 3 cups of spinach or bok choy
salt or fish sauce (we call it patis) to taste
oil

directions:

Heat oil in a large pan or pot over medium heat, add garlic and saute about 5 minutes
Add ginger and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, cover and then allow to cook for 5 minutes longer. Don't let the ginger burn.
Add the cut onion and saute
Add the chicken, salt to taste and saute for about 5 minutes. Then cover the pot and allow to cook for about 8 minutes.
Add 4 cups of water or as desired and bring to a boil at medium high heat.
Add the cut potatoes (or chayote or green papaya) and allow to cook for about 10 minutes until soft
Check to see if the chicken and potatoes are done, if not, check every 4 minutes or so as not to overcook the chicken.
About 5 - 7 minutes before the dish is done, add the spinach or bokchoy and allow to cook quickly.
Add additional salt or fish sauce to the dish to taste.

the new comfort food

2010-04-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

this may be misleading since most people aren't familiar with filipino food.

well, here's my plea for people to try the cuisine of my motherland. i would suggest taking a filipino friend (or someone familar with the cuisine) with you on your first visit to a filipino restaurant since it can be overwhelming and confusing when you look at the menu items. filipino food is both asian, spanish, tropical and american all rolled into one. we use lots of garlic and soy sauce, and most dishes aren't spicy.

if you want to be on the safe side, you can order the following dishes, which are pretty universally liked by all:

adobo (meat cooked in soy sauce and vinegar)
pancit (our noodle dish)
lumpia (our version of an eggroll)

i'll admit, presentation is not our strongest suit, but we're working on that peoples!

also, i've decided to brand filipino food as my new comfort food. i made 2 filipino dishes last night for the husband and a friend, and the friend thought the food was delicious (whew!) and said it was like comfort food. it reminded me of this article i came across in the L.A. Times a couple of months ago on why filipino food hasn't penetrated the masses yet.

i hope it does.

educate yourself.

filipino dish #1: pancit canton

2010-04-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

i think i'm in love.

i don't mean to sound overly dramatic, but i just found an asian market that makes me feel at home. since living in l.a., i haven't found a good asian market that carries multiple ethnic groceries. there are markets that cater to japanese, chinese or thai food, but nothing that has an extensive selection of a variety of asian ingredients.

enter the grocery warehouse. i was looking for a good vietnamese market where i could buy green papaya. unfortunately, the local supermarkets in my area only had ripe papayas, and that wouldn't work for the salad i wanted to make. so i decided to make the semi-trek over to echo park, and once i entered the store... nirvana.

maybe it was because of the tagalog i heard from customers, or the aisle i came across that had sotanghon noodles, toasted mamon, pan de sal... all the filipino-influenced foods i grew up with! i was so excited. i know there are filipino and/or asian markets in the southern california area, but they're usually in the suburbs, where i have to get on a freeway to access. and as much as possible, i try to avoid the freeways around l.a. echo park is not around the corner, but it's definitely closer than the suburbs.

well, i got very excited and wanted to take my hand at making pancit, a filipino noodle dish that comes in a variety of flavors and forms. i decided to make pancit canton, which based on its name, is heavily influenced by chinese flavors.

of course, the only person who i would trust for a recipe is my mom, who is an amazing filipino food cook. below is the recipe for pancit canton. now that i've discovered a market where i can easily access asian and filipino ingredients, i will be asking my mom to send me more recipes so that i can start to build my talents at filipino cooking.

my first attempt at pancit was pretty good i think. i'll be posting more filipino dishes soon.

ingredients:

package of canton noodles (can be found in Asian markets)
2 tbsp. oil
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 onion, diced
1.5 lbs. chicken, shredded
2 cups chicken broth
6 tbsp. soy sauce (divided in half)
2 carrots, sliced or julienned
2 celery, sliced or julienned
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cabbage, julienned

directions:

Soak noodles in water for about 10 minutes to soften, drain water and set aside.
Poach chicken to cook and shred into pieces (instructions to follow in a separate post)
Saute garlic over medium to medium high heat in about 1 tbsp of oil
Add onion and saute
Add carrots, celery and green onion and saute
Add black pepper to taste and 3 tbsp. soy sauce
Saute for about 3 minutes, don't let the ingredients burn
Once the ingredients are cooked, put them in a separate bowl
Pour chicken broth into the same pot
Add the remaining soy sauce, sprinkle more black pepper
Add about 1 tbsp oil so that noodles don't stick to each other
Bring mixture to a boil
Add the noodles, cabbage and rest of ingredients
Cook for about 5 more minutes
Add soy sauce, pepper to taste
Garnish with lime, squeeze to taste before eating

braised beef brisket

2010-04-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

i'll admit the picture above was not taken by me, but it looks preeetty darn similar to the creation i made the other week -- with perhaps less perfect slicing of the brisket i suppose. i forgot to take a photo of my final dish. i had guests coming into town, my best friend and her family, which included a hubby, a toddler and one tiny infant. how fun! they agreed to help taste test my dishes so i'm up for the challenge.

braised is one of my favorite ways of eating meat. i say eating only because i've never prepared a braised dish. i love how flavorful and tender the meat becomes after being braised. i love spooning the meat and sauce over potatoes or rice (hey, i'm asian!).

i thought braised beef brisket would be a wonderful, homey dish to serve to our lovely guests. and also because i never get to use my le creuset as much as i'd like to, and it's so much fun to use. i also feel like such the gourmand, and sometimes it's nice just to look the part... even if i'm a ways away. *sigh*

i was nervous because i LOVE braised beef so much, and i didn't want to mess it up for everyone else. i also served the brisket with rice because i attempted to make potato pancakes, but they were a complete disaster, and i'm taking the fifth on providing any more details about that botched attempt. and now we return to the lovely brisket -- i'm happy to report that i got kudos all around the table for "good flavor" and really good especially for my first try. the most important thing is that pachi, the toddler, approved and ate his entire plate so enough said!

below is the recipe i adapted from tyler florence at the food network. i will probably try other variations of braised brisket another time, but tyler's recipe is solid.

Ingredients

4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles striped from the stem and chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4 pound) beef brisket
Coarsely ground black pepper
4 large carrots, cut in 3-inch chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in 3-inch chunks
4 large red onions, halved
2 cups dry red wine
1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 bay leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste.
Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated.
Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.
Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil.
Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides.
Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing.
Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven.
Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.
Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm.
Pour out some of the excess fat, and put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove over medium-high heat.
Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2.
Slice the brisket across the grain (the muscle lines) at a slight diagonal.

underground supper club

2010-04-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't already retired from my quest to achieve domestic bliss. I've actually been very busy preparing dishes (new and old) over the past week while I played host to a number of people who stopped by the house for a meal, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner.

This is where the pedal hits the metal. This is where I summon the skills I've gained over the last 3 - 4 months to see if I can prepare, present and please the guests, while still maintaining a level of sanity and being able to enjoy the company as well.

It made me think about this new trend in "eating out" that I've been hearing about lately. There's a small crop of restaurants opening that take place in someone's home. The idea is that self-proclaimed foodies, fledgeling chefs and the like open up their home to guests who will be served a gourmet, home-cooked meal in a more initimate, homey setting. Some of the dining experiences are private, but most are meant to be open to the public (friends, family and strangers alike) so that the pleasure of food can be shared amongst like-minded people. People also still pay for the food, similar to a restaurant, and the money goes directly to the host's pocket! I haven't delved into the specifics yet on how one would orchestrate such an event, invitation list, publicity, etc., but I imagine it would depend on how you'd want your inaugural, ad hoc event to be like.

Anyways, check out a couple of interesting articles that ran on Creativity Online and in Marin Magazine that talk a bit more about this phenomenon. There are numerous terms for this concept floating around -- "gypsy kitchen", "pop-up restaurant", "supper club", etc. etc.

Hmmm... maybe a goal for 2011 after I perfect the art of dinner parties for my close (and forgiving) friends?

trail food

2010-03-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

what is that space food looking picture you ask? well, let me tell you the story.

yesterday, J and i, along with a few other friends, embarked on a 9 mile hike in the santa anita canyon, which is just east of pasadena.

i knew the 9 mile hike was rigorous and would probably run about 4.5 hours, depending on how many rest stops or doggy play breaks we'd be doing, so i dug down deep in my growing culinary creativity and decided i would be able to make some tasty hiking snacks with some of the leftovers hanging out in my fridge.

you'll recall the marinated steak i made from my last post. i had a lot of leftoever steak (which i had to freeze a portion of for another week -- can't eat steak that often in one week!) and a whole container of cooked quinoa from the salad.

what to do -- that would be tasty and easy-to-eat on a hike.

a-ha! i had an idea! i just had a lovely meal at gingergrass in silverlake, and i was craving the sweet, salty, tangy, spicy flavors of thai and vietnamese dishes. J then mentioned how much he loved the thai beef salad from dean and deluca, so the decision was made. thai beef salad with some of the leftover skirt steak.

the quinoa salad idea was easy. i've made couscous salads before, and i knew that if i just tossed the leftover quinoa with some herbs, tomatoes, cheese and vinegarette, i'd have a winner.

here's how i did it... simply and easily:

p.s. both recipes are for 2 people, maaaaybe another half.

thai beef salad

i was a little worried that the rosemary and thyme would compete with the flavors of fish sauce and lime, but it turned out fantastic. also, most people would serve this over lettuce, but i didn't since it was really meant to be a stand-alone meat dish we can easily eat during the hike.

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked skirt steak, cut into thin strips approx. 2" long, 1/2" wide (could also be tenderloin)
1/3 c mint, chopped
1/3 c cilantro, chopped
1/3 c basil leaves, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cucumber, diced

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced
sriracha chile paste to taste -- because i like it spicy! (most authentic recipes call for serrano chiles, but i didn't have any and this tasted just fine)
5 tbsp fish sauce
2/3 cup water
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Preparation:

whisk the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl
in a separate bowl, combine the onion, cucumber, cilantro, basil and mint together. add the sliced meat and then pour some of the dressing over the mixture until it is dressed to your taste.
toss until everything is evenly coated.

greek style quinoa salad

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup vinegar (i used apple cider, but i think you can use others)
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from one lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 red onion, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

preparation:

in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.
toss the quinoa together with the remaining ingredients, except feta. pour the olive oil mixture over the quinoa.
add more salt and pepper to taste and stir in the feta cheese.

i cut up some summertime fruit (strawberries and nectarines) even though we aren't quite in the season. but it was over 85 degrees in los angeles, so it sure felt like it! some leftover pasta, utensils and lots of water and ready to go (please refer back to photo at top of blog post)!

J loved the refreshing yet hearty salads during our pit stops. i gotta say -- it was just what we needed to survive that brutal hike. next time, let's go for a relaxing picnic.

marinated skirt steak

2010-03-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

persecute me now, but i'm going to say it. i'm not a huge fan of steak. i'm the unrefined oaf that waiters give the evil eye to when i reply, "medium well to well done please." i prefer small cuts of beef (in a stir fry for example) or ground beef (meatloaf, burgers, ragu), but not a hunk of meat that most people love to dig their knife and fork into.

i still wanted to tackle one of keller's steak dishes, and the skirt steak is right up my alley. skirt steak is great because you can slice it into smaller pieces. also skirt steak is the beef of choice for fajitas, one of my favorite meals.

the keller recipe calls for marinating skirt steak for at least 4 hours to a full day. he mentions that you should ask your butcher for the outer skirt steak since it is less tough than the inside portion. apparently, the inside muscle (and trust me, i hate thinking about the meat being muscle) is smaller and more uneven, which makes it more tough to chew.

the marinade is 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil, 6 thyme sprigs, two 8-inch rosemary sprigs, 4 small bay leaves, 1 tbsp black peppercorns and 5 garlic closes, smashed with the skin left on.

heat up the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the marinade ingredients and allow to simmer until it becomes fragrant -- about 5 minutes. then remove the pan from the heat and cool down to room temperature.

to serve 6 people, the recipe calls for six 8-oz trimmed outer skirt steaks. i cut my skirt steak into six pieces, tossed it into a ziploc bag, added the marinade and sealed the bag shut. i put the meat into the fridge in the morning, and let it marinate for the full day while i was at work. badda bing!

once i got home from work, i took the meat out and removed it from the marinade. you're supposed to let the meat rest for about 30 minutes to reach room temperature before cooking. rest, my meat...

once the 30 minute mark hit, i woke up my meat by patting it dry and sprinkling salt and pepper on both sides. then i heated up some oil in a pan and added half the meat until it was brown. then i flipped it over, and added 1 tbsp of (healthy) butter, 2 thyme sprigs and 1 garlic clove. keller's recipe called for basting of the steak with the butter/oil in the pan -- ooo.. more heart clogging goodness -- until the other side is brown. the process should take only a couple of minutes. i transferred the meat to a roasting pan, and then wiped the pan down, repeating the process with the rest of the meat.

once all the meat was browned and buttered over, i placed the roasting rack into a 350 degree oven (pre-heated of course), and let it cook for about 12 minutes. keller says the steak should be ready once a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees for medium rare. but remember, i'm not a real steak eater so i took half of the meat out when it registered 125 (because J likes it medium or medium rare) and let mine cook for another 8 minutes for medium to well done.

and then the steak was done! i made an arugula salad to accompany the steak (arugula, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and parsley tossed with some store-bought balsamic vinegarette), along with some warm crusty bread (not homemade). served with wine, and that's an awesome evening in the making.

oh, and the meal was followed by a jay-z concert at the staples center. just marvelous.

fiesta time!

2010-03-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

i've made dinner every night this week starting monday, and i'm pretty proud of myself. and you know what? they were all pretty tasty! i won't be cooking this evening because i've got a happy hour to get to because you know... a gal's gotta have her playtime too!

so here are the easy 30 minute meals i made this week so far:

monday: fish en papillote with sauteed broccoli and brown rice.

tuesday: bean and beef open tacos with a green salad

wednesday: chicken en papillote with roasted brussel sprouts and carrots with mashed potatoes

i recycled the papillote technique again because it's so darn easy and makes a tasty meal. i had some leftover herbs (rosemary and thyme), so i substituted the dill i used for the fish, but otherwise, everything was the same. i did a MUCH better job though at making the papillote packets. practice, practice!

so not that the recipe is anything spectacular, but my bean and beef taco recipe is shared below. it's easy to make and satisfying so it's a great weeknight dinner. i'm all about the 30 minute dinners (sprinkled of course with some of the more complex recipes where i have to do strange things like make herb satchels or create my own parsley water. whatever!)

so enjoy the fiesta in your mouth!

bean and beef open tacos

1 lb. grass fed ground beef
refried beans (separate recipe following this one)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chili powder
ground black pepper and salt to taste
6 corn tortillas
shredded mozzarella cheese (or any other grated cheese, just happened to be in my fridge)
salsa
minced cilantro leaves

place meat in large skillet and cook over medium heat
cook, stirring frequently until it begins to turn brown
add in the chopped onion and continue to cook until done
stir in garlic and chile powder and cook for another minute
add refried beans and cook, stirring until mixed well with meat
add salt and pepper as needed
warm tortillas in the oven, wrapped in foil in 300 degrees for about 10 minutes
spread the bean and beef mixture on top of the warmed tortillas
sprinkle with cheese, salsa and cilantro
pick up and eat!

refried beans:

canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp cumin
3 cups of cooked or canned beans (i used canned black beans)
salt and ground pepper to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne powder

heat oil in a skillet on medium heat.
add onions and cook, stirring until golden brown. about 10 minutes
add the cumin and cook for another minute
add beans and start mashing beans with a large fork or potato masher (i only had a large fork)
continue to cook and stir until beans are broken up
season with salt and pepper as needed. add cayenne pepper.

learning tricks

2010-03-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

last night, i made a delicious yet simple meal for dinner. anyone could whip this up!

the menu was:

fish en papillote
sauteed broccoli with garlic and chili flakes
brown rice

the most exciting part of yesterday's cooking lesson was that i learned to use two new cooking techniques.

en papillote (french for "in parchment"): a method of cooking in which food is put into a folded pouch and then baked. this is usually in parchment paper, but other materials such as paper bags or aluminum foil. the pouch allows food to be steamed in moisture that is looked inside.

big pot blanching: a method of quickly cooking green vegetables in order to retain their bright green colors.

i will be focusing on big pot blanching since you can read about how to cook en papillote on my other blog.

blanching does not create a much better tasting vegetable than let's say... steaming or roasting. blanching is used to keep the bright, vivid color of green vegetables. people often say "we taste first with our eyes," so keeping the vegetables bright can help launch the flavor and affect the entire dish.

as a vegetable cooks, the acids and enzymes are released which dulls the color. the trick is to fully cook a vegetable before it loses that color, which means cooking as quickly as possible.

blanching is really getting salted water to a boiling start, adding in the vegetables until they are cooked to just tender and then plunging into an ice bath.

three steps to proper blanching:

use a large quantity of water relative to the amount of vegetables - you won't lose the boil when the vegetables are added.
use a lot of salt -- water should taste like the ocean. salt prevents the color from seeping into the water.
plunge the vegetables into a large amount of ice water until they are thoroughly cold - this stops the cooking process so that the color is retained.

it's difficult to give times for when vegetables are done, but i just checked the texture to ensure it was just tender and not too stiff or soft. this takes some practice since i've overcooked many a vegetable in my time.

after i blanched my broccoli, i quickly sauteed the broccoli in garlic, red chili pepper flakes and olive oil. this process took about 5 minutes of cooking time. really easy.

and the end product was beautiful and tasty sauteed broccoli.

left out

2010-03-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

there is a boring, non-glamorous aspect to domestication you know. say what?! impossible. believe me -- there is.

all jokes aside, experimenting with all this cooking has yielded a side effect that i find... well, boring.

leftovers.

just to be clear -- i love leftovers. i love making a meal (or even when eating out) and being able to pack leftovers for an easy and delicious lunch at work. what i don't like is multiple days of the same leftovers. i love trying out all the new recipes, but i have to make room for ingredients in my fridge and freezer, and with all my leftovers, my space is quickly drying up.

i know you can freeze most items, so i do when i can. but sometimes, i know things won't freeze well or probably the primary reason -- i just don't have any more space!

so i spent this past weekend eating leftovers. the hubby (who i will know refer to as J) was out of town so there was no one to cook for except me. so i thought it was my duty to "clean out the fridge" by trying to make some new dishes out of the old. here's what i came up with:

shrimp and broccoli pasta
had leftover pasta with tomato sauce and had made a cilantro pesto pizza with shrimp so had some extra grilled shrimp laying around. i also had a bag of TJ's broccoli/cauliflower mix that was starting to look a little sad, so i roasted them in olive oil, salt and pepper. i then tossed the leftover pasta, shrimp and broccoli into a nice pasta dish. that lasted me for two meals.

pseudo potato pancakes
i also still had some potatoes left, so for one of my breakfasts, i had some egg whites with the potatoes grilled flat into a pancake-like structure. that was pretty good.

chocolate trouble
oh yeah, and that batch of brownies i made a couple of weeks ago that i hid in the corner so i wouldn't be tempted? still in there. of course, i just had to gobble some of that chocolate goodness, in the name of "cleaning out the fridge." just two pieces. okay, maybe three.

but there is good news to be had.

i probably saved about $75 eating leftovers rather than eating out (okay, i had one dinner out with friends this weekend -- so shoot me!) or grocery shopping.
i cleared out the inside of my fridge to make room for new groceries for new recipes.
i was able to use the money i saved eating in into more worthy activities such as spa'ing and shopping (i know this is much to the chagrin of J!! =D).

okay, well i guess i don't feel that bad about eating leftovers. it actually has multiple plusses. so onwards to more cooking and more leftovers!

go fish

2010-03-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

the husband had invited friends over for a home-cooked meal last night. it was a school night, but i was dying to try out one of keller's fish recipes. one particular one jumped out at me so i decided to make it for my pescaterian friends. since this would be my first time at trying one of his fishes, i was definitely nervous about how the meal would turn out.

the dinner menu:
wild cod en persillade on top of nantes carrot stew and asparagus coins.

mmm... delish!

i have to say, this dish sounds super fancy (what is a persillade anyways?), but based on the other keller recipes i've tried, this one was the easiest! there is a lot of prep and interesting cooking techniques that i've never done before, however, the actual cooking time and process was... dare i say... a breeze? either keller was being forgiving with this recipe or i'm actually getting more comfortable in the kitchen!

a few things i had to prepare in advance:
[i made these two ingredients a couple of weekends ago since i knew it had to sit for a while before using and also because these could be frozen for up to a month. i figured i'd be able to pull these out easily when i was ready to make the cod dish.]

parsley water: lots of chopping, sauteeing and simmering. not too hard!
chive oil: lots of chopping, cooking, blending... not difficult but kind of messy.

a few things that weren't "by the book":

keller said i had to ask my local fish monger for unskinned cod top loin. he said it may be difficult to find. so when i asked my local fish monger at the local Whole Foods (does that even count?), he looked at me blankly and of course in my nervous "newbie" fluster, i just said that the regular cod (with skin on it) would be just fine.
keller suggests nantes carrots since they are more uniform in shape than other carrots. needless to say, i did not find nantes carrots in the supermarket so i went with the normal stuff.
keller suggests using a japanese mandolin to cut the asparagus coins. i amazingly have a mandolin at home -- it was one of my wedding gifts. i took it down, dusted it off (obviously) and then just stared at it blankly. i had no idea how to use it, nor did i have the time to learn how to. i decided to cut the coins by hand, and i think i did a pretty good job. who needs absolutely uniform coins anyways?

new cooking techniques i learned:

making a sachet of herbs for seasoning: the nantes carrot stew required a sachet of coriander and caraway seeds to cook with the carrot juice portion. it called for cheese cloth but being that i had none to speak of, i used gauze bandages which worked out just fine. i wrapped up the seeds in the bandages and tied with kitchen twine.
skinning a fish: that's what i get for chickening out at my local Whole Foods fish monger. i had to man handle the fish... had no idea what i was doing, but i kept to what i thought made sense... stick as close to the skin as possible with a sharp knife to ensure i wasn't cutting the precious cod meat.

i must say, the dish came out delicious. compliments all around the table! i was really proud of this dish not only because it was a keller delight, but i was able to make it on a school night (most of his dishes i reserve for the weekend so i have time to do all the fancy steps he requires), and it wasn't that difficult. remember my previous post about the selfish, sense of accomplishment?

by the way, persillade is a fancy way to say parsley and bread crumbs. oh the french!

reasons for being

2010-03-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

when people find out that i have two cooking/domestication blogs, most of them are surprised. surprised that i could juggle a full-time job and two blogs, but probably (and more likely) because people who know me know how foreign and uncomfortable i am... was!... in the kitchen.

i've grown up in the past couple of years though. the start of my evolution happened after i moved into the house i currently live in with my husband and when i was far enough away from family to not continue to take advantage of mom's home cooking.

i am now passionate about learning how to cook and getting domestic -- learning to love my home and make the most of it.

here are a few reasons why i think it is now a necessary part of my life.

#1: homage to my ancestors
maybe a bit dramatic, but true! there is a whole generation of women like me who didn't get hitched and settled down in their 20s. this phenomenon resulted in a generational difference from our mothers and grandmothers. i spent my 20s trying to get ahead in my career, exploring new cities, traveling, partying, all the while never laying down roots in a particular place. i come into my 30s totally helpless. i don't know if it's an innate switch in the female brain, similar to the infamous biological clock, or because my priorities have changed, or a combination of both, but now i want to reclaim the skills our foremothers had. i'd like to start now so that i am able to pass it on to my children, grandchildren so that the art of cooking and homemaking and my heritage continues to live beyond me.

#2: i love company
now that i've been cooking more, we've been inviting people over more and just having wonderful nights at home. cooking begets company. who doesn't love a good meal? and i love being surrounded by people. since moving to l.a., i miss being able to easily see my friends and family. i now have a reason to invite people over and practice my new found skills. thank goodness i have very supportive and understanding friends

#3: good for the body
for the most part, eating out is unhealthy. we live in a fast-paced, convenience-driven, "me-want-now" culture, and it's tough to break the cycle. it's no coincidence that there has been a rise in obesity and other chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. fast or prepared food is usually overly salted, overly buttered, overly everything'ed so that it's delicious and easy to make. when you cook at home, you know exactly what you're putting in your body. we have the opportunity to pick out fresh vegetables and herbs, antibiotic and hormone-free meat, organic produce and natural ingredients. trust me. it will make a difference in your health and how you feel overall.

#4: pinching pennies
eating out is expensive. okay, it might not be more expensive if you're eating all the value meals and pre-packaged foods that are a result of our culture of convenience, but please refer back to reason #2. if you are eating good quality food that is either delicious (and bad for you) or healthy, chances are that the meal will not be cheap. or you can make that meal at home for a quarter of half of the price you pay in the restaurant. generally speaking, a turkey sandwich i make at home for me and the husband to take to work for lunch costs less than a $1 each; a turkey sandwich i buy at the deli downstairs costs $5. and mine tastes better. =)

#5: kicking up my creativity
as i've gotten more comfortable in the kitchen, i've been able to tap into my creativity to make something delicious and make do with what i have in the kitchen. improv in the kitchen was my worst struggle. i only relied on recipes, and if i had to detour, i was lost. i realize now that cooking is more of an art, less of a science. obviously, there are some scientific elements in cooking that we should all know as a foundation (i.e., the cooking times for meat, how overmixing can effect the end product, etc.), but there is a lot more flexibility than i thought. i was one of those people that said i just can't cook; i no longer believe that no one can cook. experiment and create. let your canvas be your plate!

#6: cuz it feels good
probably the most selfish of the reasons, there is a certain sense of accomplishment and pride in creating something on your own, whether it be a meal or a new potted plant. it's true -- that sandwich from your favorite deli down the street will always be amazing, but i think i may have enjoyed my sandwich creations built from leftovers even more. leftover roast chicken transformed into a curry chicken salad tickled my taste buds more than my favorite from Joan's on Third in L.A. I think you'd feel the same about your creation as well.

the keller chicken

2010-03-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

roast chicken has always been my nemesis. i've tried to roast a chicken three times before, and they were always a disaster. okay, disaster might be a bit strong, but the process was always daunting. i never knew when the bird would be done. i obsessed about keeping the breast moist while ensuring the thigh and drumsticks were cooked through. i never got it quite right. and i LOVE roast chicken. it's the best and also makes amazing leftovers.

well, i decided to tackle the keller roast chicken from my cookbook. it was a delicious roast chicken on a bed of root vegetables.

look at the wonderful bounty i was working with!

carrots and onions and turnips... oh my! but i love root vegetables. i also used my cast-iron skillet. which i don't use often, but keller said if you have it, use it to roast the chicken! his tips for roasting chicken:

leave the chicken out for 1.5 - 2 hours before cooking; bird should be room temp when you stick it in the oven (it's called tempering).
sometimes, he leaves the chicken in the fridge uncovered for 1 - 2 days to dry the skin out; it helps create a more crispy skin.
when the bird is done, allow it to rest for 20 minutes to ensure the juices are evenly distributed. it will still be warm for serving but meat should always rest for a while before serving (this goes for all meat except for fish!)

so i trussed a chicken for the first time too! it wasn't as bad as i thought though. i mean handling raw chicken in the way you need to for the keller chicken is a bit gross, but overall the step-by-step photos keller provided was pretty straightforward.

and we all know what makes keller's recipes so good... that's right. BUTTER. i get queasy putting this much butter in my meal, but i wanted to stay true to keller's recipe. okay, well perhaps i skimped on one tablespoon, but i swear this is enough butter. don't you?

so into the oven the bird went. i had to put it in for 20 minutes for 450 degrees and then lower to 400 for 45 more minutes. it would be done when the temperature read 160 degrees. thank goodness i invested in a meat thermometer! at 65 minutes, it wasn't quite done so i kept it in for another 15 minutes. checked again and then for another 5 minutes and out came this beauty.

i let the bird rest and then carved it up for dinner. we had a guest over, and i have to say... everyone finished off the bird! they thought it was delicious (and so did i). i had no leftovers. thank you keller!!

just winging it

2010-03-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

look what i made! sunday afternoon. me and the husband were hungry with no prepared food in sight (that's him in the background chowing down).

it was time for me to be creative. i looked in our cupboards and fridge for whatever was leftover. the only protein (defrosted that is) that i had laying around was tuna. tuna sandwiches it is! i decided to create my own recipe using a bunch of leftover herbs, veggies, etc. and boy was it good!

Tuna Salad Recipe (for two)

Ingredients

2 (6 oz) cans of tuna fish (in olive oil)
1/4 c of Vegenaise
1/4 red onion, chopped finely
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
1 tbsp of capers
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp dill, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Mix all the ingredients. Serve on toasted bread, either open face or in a regular sandwich. I used toasted challah bread we had, along with a few leftover arugula leaves.

really?!

2010-02-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

so it's sunday morning. i'm feeling lazy but had a craving for huevos rancheros. i ask the husband if he would make them for me. he says yes! (we bartered -- i said i wouldn't go to my spinning class if he made me breakfast).

so i busied myself with making coffee while he went to work in the kitchen. twenty minutes later, he presents me with this!!

it was delicious! and the presentation was beautiful! geez... made me realize that despite all my work towards becoming a domestic dabluttante, i've got a long way to do. and frankly it isn't a natural talent for me! not when the husband whips up this beauty with no problems.

i guess it runs in the genes. chef MIL.

Simply lazy

2010-02-27T08:20:00.000-08:00

It’s Friday night. I’m exhausted. It’s been a hellatious week.

But we still have to eat. Tonight is lazy cooking night. Funny thing is that what I am now calling “lazy cooking night” is summoning the simple, tried-and-true recipes that used to make up my repertoire before I took on the challenge of becoming a domestic dabblutante and taking on MIL missions.

The extent of my previous cooking experience relied heavily on roasting, steaming and baking. Those are definitely still worthwhile skills, but as you can see, my cooking was very simple and I would use pre-made, bottled sauces a good amount of time. There’s nothing wrong with that though. I think that is what you need to have on hand for a “lazy cooking night” or when unexpected guests come over. Bottom line – you need to be able to roll with it, and having some stock items in your cupboard will help with that.

So tonight’s dinner was baked salmon, steamed broccoli and basmati rice. It doesn’t get more simple, but healthy and delicious, as that! This meal is one of Obama’s professed staple dishes, and our president can’t be wrong, can he?

The key with this meal is quality ingredients. I stopped by Whole Foods (which I don’t frequent because of the ridiculous prices) because despite the expensive prices, the quality is usually very good. I picked up some salmon and fresh dill since I planned to make a simple dish using lemon, dill, salt and pepper. Easy enough.

I still had some broccoli left from my trip out to the farmer’s market the last weekend. Because it was local and fresh from the farm, it still looked beautiful. Good quality broccoli that is simply steamed is so delicious.

Simple meals. Simply lazy. I love it. It was easy and perfect. I had a meal whipped up for the husband in no time. Clean up was a breeze. Now I can cozy up on the couch and fall asleep to bad TV. What a great Friday night.

Easy breezy salmon with dill recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon fillet
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped dill
1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons healthy butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Rinse salmon, and arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and dill over the fish and squeeze the lemon juice on top.
Dollop the butter evenly over the fish.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

fresh and easy

2010-02-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

i started off my day with an early morning visit to the studio city farmer's market. i don't get to it very often since i usually prefer to get some outdoor activity or go brunching with friends. but i do love farmer's markets. the produce and fresh baked breads just taste so much better than the stuff i buy in the supermarket. and they last longer because they usually come direct from local farmers. you do end up spending a little more, but the quality is worth it. not to mention support of organic and local farmers. i mentioned in a previous blog that i was also going to focus on quality ingredients, which helps contribute to the deliciousness of the dish.

i was at the farmers market to buy some items for supper club that was happening tonight. my girlfriends started doing supper clubs almost 10 years ago (off and on) to help us help ourselves in the cooking department. we all wanted to learn how to cook better (or just cook, period) and didn't mind using each other as our guinea pigs. we usually pick a theme or type of cuisine, and each girl is responsible for making a dish. usually the host makes the main course.

tonight's supper club is cajun/creole-themed, in (late) honor of mardi gras. yummy spices, seafood, jambalaya, FUN! but since i was also doing my MIL missions, i thought i would make a recipe from one of the missions, as long as it complemented the cajun cuisine. i am making honey buttered squash with apples & yams. you can find the recipe and specifics about my cooking experience here.

but the biggest challenge for me with this recipe was learning how to peel and cut a squash. when i bought the squash from one of the stands, i was like... what the hell do i do with this? it seemed so tough and odd-shaped -- i had just never thought about what squash looked like before it appeared on my plate nicely roasted and delicious. i know, sad... but 'tis the truth.

so i learned how to peel and cut butternut squash today, and i think it's a good nugget to know to further my kitchen skills (other nuggets i want to learn: trussing a chicken, poaching an egg).

create a stable foundation for the squash by cutting off the bottom and top evenly.

hold the squash in one hand and use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel off the tough skin.

cut right down the middle. be careful since there is room for error (and cuts on your hand!) so make sure your squash is stable on a cutting board and that you're using a sharp knife. if the squash is very hard, you can use a mallet or rolling pin to tap on the ends of the knife to help push it through.

then scoop out the seeds and insides to make a hollow cavity.

lay the squash halves, cut side down for stability. cut each section into length-wise slices and then cross cut to make little squares. either 1/2 or 1 inch cubes, depending on what your recipe calls for.

and there you go. i can't say it's easy. chopping and peeling are not my favorite things to do, and squash is firm so you have to put some muscle into the prep part. at least i got a workout.

today's key lessons:

buy local and organic when you can. may cost a bit more, but worth it!
farmer's markets are fun.
squash is not only good for you, but it's good for your arm muscles.

new mission

2010-02-17T21:11:00.000-08:00

ok. i know. when i get into a hobby, i have a tendency to obsess. but that can be a good thing, right?

when i decided to train for long distance races (marathons, triathlons, century rides), i embraced it with all my being. never mind that i never saw my friends or that a full two years passed by where life revolved around work and working out.

when i decided i wanted to apply for journalism school, i holed up in my room after work to study for the GRE, write essays and submit applications to the three top journalism schools in the nation. i got in, but i decided to not attend (decided the money wasn't worth it). oh well, sucks for the 5 months i lost of fun.

so now that i've decided domestic talents is my new focus, well then no surprise that i'll dive neck deep. which brings me to my next adventure.

i have decided to accept a new mission from my DIL and MIL. Take a look at 3000milestildinner for details but our goal is to make two dishes and one dessert each week based on recipes MIL gives us. we then give our honest opinion, feedback, recs on our results. easy peasy right?

well, good news is MIL's focus is on "easy" one-pot meals and learning to use what you got in the cupboard. i always struggled with that since i rely so heavily on recipes. what am i supposed to do with a bushel of fresh tarragon after my recipe only called for a teaspoon? i bet MIL would know.

our goal is to get others to take on these challenges and share their experiences. pathetic domestic wannabes: it's time to unite!

so take on the challenge with us. if not, at least we might be able to give you a few laughs.

shortcomings

2010-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

you'll probably notice that i haven't posted anything new in about a week. the day job exploded last week (and will continue for the next week-ish), and the meals i had planned to cook just did not happen.

i was upset at my failures.

i was wondering how could one be a true domestic goddess when i couldn't even get it together to make one meal this past week? i didn't plant anything, decorate anything.... nothing. nada. zilch that progressed my pursuit of domestic bliss.

but then i came to. i realized that sh*t happens, and sometimes i won't be able to make that roast chicken until the following weekend. actually, i can't take full credit for my realization. i was complaining to the husband that i still had to run to the pharmacy, get gas, go to the grocery store, pack for a long weekend trip AND cook dinner. i was stressed out.

husband said, "then don't make dinner tonight. don't stress yourself out." and i responded, "then what am i going to write in my blog about?" write about not being able to meet my goals. and that sh*t happens.

and there you go. women have long been multitasking extraordinaries, and there are multiple sources that corroborate that statement. if you don't believe me, check out this article from the expert resource blogHer.

the whole idea behind women being better multitaskers comes from the caveman days, where women had to take care of the household while the man's sole focus was to bring home the bacon, or whatever unfortunate prehistoric beast crossed his path.

i never took to this old school mentality. as a matter of fact, i hated it because i would feel uncomfortable not contributing financially to the household. that's how my parents did it, that's how most of my very strong and independent female friends do it now. my mom always told me to make sure i understood the household's finances and that i could always be independent. despite her catholic upbringing and values, i gotta love her for also teaching her daughter to be realistic in case. because you know what? sh*t happens.

anyways, i now know a few women that do stay at home and watch over the household and take care of the kids. but i also realize there is a lot more to their jobs -- they manage the financials, find the best deals, look for ways to save costs, etc. it's like managing your own company. truly. so stay at home's do a lot, and i respect it.

is it for me? i don't know. for now, i will continue to multitask. multitask my day job while in the pursuit of domestic goddess-ness. it may just take me longer to get there, but i have a goal. and when i set a goal, i'll meet it... even if in the long-term.

XLIV decadence

2010-02-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

the Saints did it! i'm always down for the underdog, so i am super excited that the Saints made it happen. i didn't win the bowl bet, but the food and drinks were celebration enough for me today.

my friend made a wonderful spread, to be expected. her menu designed to feed 30+ guests is as follows:

guacamole + chips to start
prime rib (fire torched before placed into a low temp oven for 2 hours)
mac 'n cheese
arugula, quinoa, tomato and feta cheese tossed in vinaigrette
chicken pot pie

it was a feast. for dessert, we had carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. another person brought a chocolate bundt cake, and i... ahem... made a little something something for the table as well.

i decided to try my hand at homemade mini brownie ice cream sandwiches. brownies from scratch, yes. ice cream from scratch, no. i got the idea from sunset magazine, which i think is a necessity for any home-making newbie. it has great tips on cooking, gardening and decorating. plus it also has some great tips on mini-vacays on the west coast. caveat: there is a west coast slant to the magazine, but i still think the advice is worthwhile.

just like the super bowl, preparations for the brownie ice cream sandwiches came down to the last quarter. i didn't anticipate the cooling and freezing time needed to make the ice cream sandwiches work so right before we left, i had to struggle to keep the ice cream from melting. i did this by packing the sandwiches in between two quart bags of ice inside a cooler. i was half successful. the presentation wasn't as perfect as could be, but the taste was still decadent and dangerous. i was pleased to hear some of the guests point at the ice cream sandwiches and say, "did you taste those? they are amazing." =D

although the mini brownie ice cream sandwich idea came from sunset magazine, the brownie recipe came from my keller recipe book. i've never made brownies from scratch before. it called for sifting flour, cocoa powder and salt together. it involved hand cutting chocolate chips from blocks of semi-sweet chocolate bars (because god forbid the chocolate chips come in a package), and slowly melting butter until it became a creamy, not liquid, texture (which actually takes some vigilance akin to disarming an atomic bomb).

making the brownies was a breeze though compared to artfully spooning scoops of soft ice cream onto the brownies without sacrificing shape or making too much of a mess. i used plain vanilla, haagen daz style. you had to work briskly and efficiently to shape the ice cream and stick them back into the freezer to set. this is where the timing problem came into play. i didn't work in enough time to completely cool the brownies or allow the ice cream to set.

as a result, the ice cream cookies weren't as "clean" as they could've been, but they were still delicious nonetheless.

today's key learnings:

begin preparing the ice cream brownies at least 4 hours before serving. if possible, do it the night before.
parchment paper is my best friend.

my biggest worry now. what to do with all the brownie crust i had to cut off before making the ice cream sandwiches. they're my favorite part of the brownie, but... really?!?!

ad hoc... at home?

2010-02-06T10:28:00.001-08:00

it's been a bit busy at my day job, so i haven't had as much time to focus on my domestic dabblutanteness. but I did come back with a vengeance.

my friend who is already a domestic goddess gifted me a book, ad hoc at home, thomas keller's latest cook book. i went to her house, and she had prepared an amazing meal of fresh pasta from scratch, homemade tomato ragu and homemade meatballs. when i say homemade meatballs, i'm not talking about taking the ground meat you buy at the store, seasoning it and then cooking it. i'm talking about taking select cuts of various meats, grinding it at home with an at-home grinder and THEN proceeding as outlined earlier. the idea is that you need to have control over the type, quality and amount of meat that goes into the meatballs, and you don't get that level of control with store-bought ground meat. now that's some next-level sh*t. i couldn't imagine the mess and grossness that would come out of grinding your own raw meat at home, but it was delicious... and probably worth it. that was also an ad hoc at home delight.

for those of you not in the know {obnoxious foodie comment}, thomas keller is the executive chef at the legendary french laundry restaurant in napa valley. since then, he has opened per se in NYC and now ad hoc in yountville, CA. the cookbook i have focuses on the concept behind ad hoc -- a restaurant focused on casual, family-style cooking. it is meant to be the "uncomplicated" Thomas Keller, but for a burgeoning cook like me, it's the Mount Everest of cook books. at least the ones on my shelf. the recipes in the book are meant to be served from big bowls and platters, passed hand to hand at the table.

rainy friday night with the husband. meal at home. sounded good to me!

the menu:

sauteed chicken breasts with tarragon
grilled asparagus
onion ravioli with tomato sauce

so let me be transparent from the outset -- i did not make the onion ravioli or the tomato sauce. the ravioli was in my freezer and leftover from the holidays. they're homemade c/o MIL (mother-in-law) but not by me. the tomato sauce was from a jar. total cop-out. but keller says that to improve as a cook, you should focus on one new recipe and stick to tried-and-true ones for the accompaniments. that will make preparing a meal more manageable and help expand your cooking knowledge incrementally.

the sauteed chicken with tarragon recipe was one of the more simpler recipes in the book so a good one to start with. it involves seasoning, pounding the chicken breast so that it's 1/4 inch thin and then pan frying it. delicious and easy. i did cut out half the butter the recipe called for because i just have an issue with using that much butter. i'm sure it would have been more tasty with all the butter, but i think a healthier heart is a pretty fair trade-off.

grilled asparagus was pretty easy. olive oil, salt and pepper. a few notes in terms of technique though:

keller says to break the asparagus ends at the tender part and then cut the rest of the asparagus at that length. i did away with quite a bit of the asparagus, but in the end, i thought it helped because i've had really tough asparagus in the past, and it's usually at the coarse end. i imagine higher quality asparagus wouldn't break so far up the stem.
i seasoned them on parchment paper. i don't know what difference the parchment paper does, but i'm following keller by the book, so to speak.
i tossed with my hands. usually, i try to toss with two large spoons since i don't like to get my hands dirty with the oil, but you coat the asparagus more evenly if you toss with your hands.**
grilled the asparagus on top of my grill pan which is great because it gives the asparagus those nice grill marks and doesn't overcook them. this is the crate&barrel one i have.

** key learning: don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. i think that's one of the main things i need to overcome as a city chick. you're so used to not touching things (subway poles, dirty bathrooms, etc.) that you have to mentally get over it.

the husband gave two thumbs up to my meal! yay! i was pleased that the chicken was juicy and flavored nicely, the asparagus was tender but crisp. his one critique is that the ravioli was overkill. we didn't need it and the tomato sauce competed with the flavor of the chicken. next time, he suggested a simple starch like warm, crusty bread or simple mashed potatoes. add another recipe to my repertoire!

tomorrow i go to my domestic goddess friend's house for a superbowl meal. i expect it will be fabulous and i'll be sure to tell you all about it.

Lists of healthy eats

2010-01-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned that I'm a fan of all things healthy. I've always been athletic. But I also think I became very aware of healthy eating from a very young age, when most teens aren't thinking about that kind of stuff -- mainly because we didn't have to! Trust me, I loved my 2 Big Macs for $2 deal, would eat a whole bag of chips and was obsessed with sour gummy worms. But I also tried to eat lowfat and make sure I had my fair share of fruits and vegetables. I think that's pretty impressive for a teen.

I'm also a fan of lists because it fits with my short attention span and need for organization. At my workplace, I get by with lists and post-its. Old school, yes... but works for me.

So I wanted to share with you the top 12 foods you should be eating. I ALWAYS have these foods in my fridge and suggest you do too.

Oatmeal: lowers cholesterol and is full of fiber -- keeps you feeling full and regular
Nonfat/lowfat plain yogurt: high in calcium and probiotics for a healthy colon
Tomatoes: lycopenes and antioxidants
Blueberries: anti-aging and full of antioxidants
Almonds: Protein, fiber and omega-3s; again, these could be other types of nuts, but almonds tend to be lower in fat
Dark chocolate: Limit to 4 oz, should be 70% or more cocoa
Broccoli: has vitamin C,vitamin A, fiber, folate,calcium, iron, and potassium -- what more do you want?
Red wine: Limit to 4 oz
Wild salmon: Omega-3s!
Red beans: high in protein, folate and helps keep your weight down
Avocados: high in the good kind of fat
Olive oil: that's a given

To add to my healthy eats this year, I'm committed to eating more of the following in 2010 since I should be eating these more but I current am not:

Beets: good source of folate and decreases inflammation, lowers heart disease risk
Cabbage: part of cruciferous family (same as broccoli) and full of antioxidants
Guava: high in lycopene and vitamin C, all good for anti-cancer
Swiss chard: good for the eyes!
Cinnamon: helps control blood sugar and lowers heart disease risk
Purslane: high in omega-3s and anti-cancer
Pomegranate juice: great for vitamin C and lowering blood pressure
Goji berries: great source of vitamin C and other antioxidants
Dried plums: anti-cancer and keeps you regular!
Pumpkin seeds: good source of magnesium

Lastly, here are the foods to avoid. I didn't know, and I'm actually quite saddened by the first one on the list because I use them all the time.

Canned Tomatoes
Corn-Fed Beef
Microwave Popcorn
Nonorganic Potatoes
Farmed Salmon
Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
Conventional Apples

Check out why you should avoid these foods here.

Cheers to a healthier new year!

Nothing new

2010-01-20T14:40:00.001-08:00

I haven't had much time to do any fancy cooking the past few days. It's been busy at my day job which means no energy, no time to whip something up nice for dinner.

But, I know I'm not the only one faced with this problem. The solution shouldn't be "fuck it, i'll just eat out or pick something up." The solution should be to find a way to make quick, tasty and healthy meals that anyone can whip up after dinner with minimal ingredients. Or at least ingredients you will most likely have on hand in your kitchen.

Obviously, one of the ways to make sure there is food during the weekdays is to make extra portions of the delicious dinners you make beforehand and freeze them for a day you're lazy to cook. Frankly, I don't feel like chicken potpie or chicken tortilla soup. So there you go.

One of the biggest god-sends to this earth is Trader Joes. Now I know this is not a brilliant thought, but TJs truly has the basic things you need to make a delicious meal on the cheap and on the go. I love that store. Just a few of the things I love from there (that I haven't found elsewhere):

Tomato chutney (sooo delicious. It's great as a spread on a sandwich or placed on top of chicken, fish and baked. I didn't know how good it was until my mother-in-law AKA MIL showed me the light!)
Curry naan bread (kicks any type of sandwich up a notch!)
Any of the frozen pastas (Penne Arrabbiata and Asparagus Risotto are my faves)
Lentils (found in the refrigerated section; awesome as a side, on top of salads or in soup!)
Sundried tomatoes in herbs and oil (I usually toss with pasta, spinach, parmesan, pine nuts, chicken or shrimp, and it's delicious!)
Orange chicken with the microwaveable brown rice (I steam broccoli and viola! Best meal ever)

I get all kinds of other basics there, but I'll give you more during another post. Someone needs to write a book on recipes based solely on TJ's ingredients. Hmmm... I'm sure something already exists out there.

Anyways, here's a quick recipe using TJ's products that I love:

Roasted Broccoli With Shrimp

1 package of TJ's pre-cut broccoli florets or broccoli/cauliflower florets
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsps kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp hot chili powder
1 package of TJ's frozen shrimp, deveined and shelled (fresh is great too, but I'm talking about convenience here)
1 1/4 tsps lemon zest (shavings from lemon rind, use a zester)
Quinoa, cooked per instructions on package

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder.

In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli, serve with quinoa.

Rainy, cozy living

2010-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

It's been raining non-stop now for a couple days, which is rare here in sunny L.A. It's also a holiday (RIP MLK, Jr.) which means a cozy day at home listening to the rain patter on the roof. I just love it. I would guess there are a lot of people right now disappointed that there isn't sunshine to enjoy the outdoors on their day off, but we always get sunshine. It's so great to feel warm and homey right now -- maybe this is the Cancer in me. Even though the holidays are over, I still love winter days where you just snuggle indoors. Also, the Southern CA earth desperately needs water. Let's be happy for the nourishment this rain is giving to our parched trees and plants. Not to mention this is good for my gardening project in the coming months! !

Cozy days like this call for cozy recipes. I tried my hand at one of my favorite cold weather dishes, although an ethnic one. Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines. This past weekend, I was with a bunch of friends late night at this Korean BBQ place O Dae Sun. It's a good little spot -- all you can eat meat (Hello!!) and banchan galore, and the quality is pretty damn good for the $16.99 price/person. Top that off with some ice cold Hite beer and good conversation, and you've got a solid night right there. We went around the table and said what our favorite cuisines were. Interestingly enough, everyone ranked Japanese as one of their top cuisines. Mine were Japanese and Mexican.

Point is -- I made my own interpretation of a hearty Mexican soup/stew. I wanted to try to make chicken posole, but I got overwhelmed with all the ingredients so I made something a bit simpler (I think) and perhaps will try to make posole another time. This is what I did to make my stew:

Got the following ingredients:

Approximately 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken breast
1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 chopped onion
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
14 oz can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

I put the chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into my slow cooker. I then poured in water and chicken broth and then added the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Then I stirred in the corn and cilantro. Then just cover and cooked on high for 4 hours (easy!! If you need it longer, you can set on low for 6 - 8 hours).

When it was almost time to serve, I made black beans and brown rice. I took bowls, put some spoonful of beans and rice on the bottom, sprinkled some shredded mozzarella cheese and then ladeled the soup on top. I garnished the soup with some non-fat sour cream, sliced avocado, a bit more of cilantro and some tortilla chips and voila!! Easy breezy!! =)

I must say it was pretty delicious and satisfying. My primary test subject (AKA the hubby) thought it was really good and I quote: "Might be your best dish yet." Yahoo! Although the ingredients and the wonderfulness of my crock pot (the chicken breast was tender which I somehow can rarely get right!) were probably the reasons for the deliciousness, I'll take credit.

We also had leftovers for days. The stew is even better the next day or so since the ingredients have even more time to "marinate" together.

A domestic dabbler's work is never done. Time to wash those whites!

Seasons change

2010-01-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

One of my cooking goals this year is to learn to cook with the seasons. I know half of good cooking is having good ingredients, and if you cook with the produce that is in season, then that's already half the battle! (I hope...) I also just want to cook food that makes sense... warm and hearty in the winter, light and tasty in the spring, cool and refreshing in the summer, etc. etc.

It's a bit tough to cook for the seasons in L.A. though since it's freakishly warm/hot all year long, but I will force it upon my taste-testers.

So last Friday, I decided to make chicken pot pie. I LOVE me some chicken pot pie, but I hate feeling guilty for eating it after I'm done since I know it's loaded with cream, butter and more creamy butter. It's sooo good. So to make it more useful for me as a dish I can make again, I decided to make a healthier version of it. I've learned about a lot of great, healthy substitutes in the past year that lessens the fat in dishes, and of course, you can make up for taste through high quality ingredients and herbs.

I was excited about making this dish. We invited two friends over for the unveiling. One used to own a restaurant and is a fabulous cook so I was nervous, but also good enough friends with him that if I utterly failed, I would be comfortable with his disappointment.

I chopped and simmered and measured and voila! If I do say so myself, the pot pie filling was not so bad. I mean... it wasn't as good as the ones I've eaten before in restaurants, but I took comfort that I wasn't clogging my arteries and that I was sticking somewhat to my diet after my November - December holiday binge. I even bought individual ramekins for everyone so they'd feel extra special. So I heated up the oven, filled the individual ramekins, topped them off with biscuits (the pie part) and put 'em in the oven. Perfect timing because as I put them in the oven, my two friends appeared at the door with a lovely tomato and cucumber salad to accompany our feast. Yum!

Fifteen minutes later, the table was set and my oven timer goes off. Finite!! I love it when things work out smoothly. We started off with some salad and then I gave them their individual ramekins. I dug in and I tasted the pot pie and was pleased with my dish. As I cracked into the biscuit, that's when my self-satisfied pleasure stopped. Underneath the crunchy top was an ooey gooey not-so-goodness. Oh no!! I looked around the table and everyone was starting to realize the same thing -- the biscuits weren't cooked all the way! Failure!!

OK, so like I said... I didn't take it too seriously. Lesson #1: Make sure the filling underneath is piping hot and that you cook the biscuits for longer than normal because having the filling there makes the biscuits take longer to cook.

It wasn't totally all for naught. We removed the biscuits, placed them back in the oven and then tried to hold off until they were done. But we were nibbling on the filling (I guess everyone was hungry) and by the time the biscuits were done, everyone had pretty much finished the good stuff. Oh well. So it wasn't really a pot pie, but more a salad, with some chicken stew followed by biscuits.

At least our ice cream dessert couldn't be messed up!

But as I said, recipe itself was decent, not difficult to make and probably would be fairly good with just a few tweaks based on what I learned. I would make it again. Recipe is as follows below:

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsp "healthy" butter (I always use Earth Balance butter whenever I can... it tastes just like butter to me and is healthier!)

1 c minced onion

1 c sliced carrots (I only had baby carrots on hand which worked just the same)

2 tsps minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 c white wine (2 buck chuck)

1.5 c chicken stock

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary (next time, i may use less rosemary and maybe less thyme)

1 tbsp cornstarch (amazing thickener for any stew or stir-fry dish!)

3 c cooked chicken breast

1 c frozen peas

1 c frozen corn

3 tbsp minced parsley

I heated the oil in a large skillet and set over medium heat until the oil was hot. I added the onion, carrot, garlic, salt and pepper until the ingredients were softened. I then added the mushrooms and stirred occasionally for about 8 minutes. I added the wine, allowed it to reduce for about a minute and then added the broth and spices and allowed the mixture to simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, I combined the corn starch with 4 tbsp of water. I added this to the simmering mixture on the stove until it was thickened. I took the pot off the heat and then added the chicken, peas, corn and parsley. I tasted it and added a bit more salt and pepper. I made the filling the night before we had it so I allowed the stew to cool and then put it in the refrigerator.

The next night I spooned the mixture into the ramekins and topped it off with store-bought Pillsbury Grands! Jr. Biscuits. I know this is taboo in the domestic goddess world, but f*ck it. I'm a domestic dabbler so get over it.

OK, maybe next year I'll be making my own biscuits, but don't give me a hard time today. I popped it into the oven and cooked just a few minutes over the recommended baking time on the instructions. As I mentioned above, next time, make sure the filling is piping hot and cook for much longer than the instructions on the biscuits.

Inauguration.

2010-01-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

What does it take to be a domestic goddess?

I imagine there are plenty of people raising their hands right now giving their opinion of what a domestic goddess would be, should be. But I say... how the hell should I know?

First of all, I am anything but a domestic goddess. I am city folk. I had a mother who cooked like no other and was glad to spoil me with home cooked goodness. When I wasn't eating my mom's cooking, I loved trying every new restaurant out there. Take out and delivery were my other best friends. I didn't have a family to look after so why bother?

So I could appreciate good food. But there was no way I could even come close to making my own slightly, reasonably good food. Ugh.

It's taken a while, but now I want to be my own domestic goddess.

Now I'm not talking about becoming Martha Stewart or bringing back the days of female subordination a la Mad Men, but I am talking about being comfortable in my own home and in my kitchen. Is that too much to ask for?

The thought of decorating, cooking, gardening... all those things that may fall into the circle of "domestication" was so alien and intimidating for so long. But lately, the idea has become more appealing to me, despite my confidence that I will make mistakes along the way. Oh well. I can take it. I'm an adult. Well, I guess I've been one for a while, but you know us urban ladies these days... arrested development.

I'm up for the challenge. The transformation (I hope). I'll be starting easy. Cooking. Yes.... cooking will be nice.