Little Shrimp You Will Roux the Day!

Has this ever happened to you:

You look up from a busy day and suddenly it's 6 p.m., the husband arrives home, and just as you both profess starvation you realize that you have no idea what to make for dinner?

Fear no more, this scrumptious meal is here to save your day and reclaim your title as hero of all things! (Not to mention the fact that it was created in about 15 minutes and was a perfectly balanced meal.) Beginning your sauces with a simple variation on a roux will thicken soups, sauces and make you forget about the magic of chinese food takeout.

Spicy Shrimp and Soyccotash over Whole Wheat Pesto Couscous (click here for recipe)

What is roux you ask? According to wikipedia, it's any mixture of flour and fat. And since we know that wikipedia has the answer to all things we don't ask questions. (Sarcasm people!)

Depending on what you are making you may want to add stock to the flour (this makes a lovely pan gravy if you use drippings from a roasted bird or formerly living creature as there is no need to add additional fat), olive oil to the flour (in the case of this quick stir fry and for extra rich sauces), or just stick with the traditional butter. Either way, starting a dish with roux adds depth and makes your family think you spent an extra long time preparing that meal.

The only secret to creating a good roux is to make sure you keep it on the heat long enough for a paste to come together a bit a few times, adding the fat slowly to make it a thick mixture (think elmers glue) and then to cook it long enough to get the raw flour taste to cook out and the nutty richness to set in.

You might even roux the day you learned to make roux...for your family might never call for take out again. Here's to hoping!

Shhh... The NOT Carrot, Carrot Cake

Not Carrot, Carrot Cake

In our house it's something of a joke. Not just the fact that I'm quickly becoming the bundt cake queen (I would much rather share the title 'Goodie Bag Queen' with my mother!), but more the fact that G has told me time and again over the past 4+ years how much he really does not *like* carrot cake. Funny, since it is his cake of choice time and again, blind to the 'secret spices' as he goes for seconds at each Viennese table.

This weekends appearance of mini purple carrot bundt (or is it bunt?) cakes were short lived, performing a magical disappearing act almost instantly, which is why you are stuck with a picture of their second cousins.

Baked Friday afternoon, three dozen of these little guys were all but a memory on Sunday morning. I guess they are the perfect treat for the unexpected guest, neighbor, and doorman. Not as imposing as slicing a piece of cake or bread, darling in all their cute bundt(bunt)-ness, and almost healthy in their inclusion of, ahem, not carrots of course!

This is a recipe adapted from my bible of sorts, the Joy of Cooking. My secret to a soft, almost sponge like cake is in the addition of vanilla yogurt in lieu of half of the oil. The other secret that leaves eaters guessing about the extra yummy 'je ne sais quoi' flavor is a heaping teaspoon of ground ginger in addition to the other spicy goodies!

I think my hubby was the culprit of at least 4 mini-bundt cake burglaries over the weekend guessing by the Hansel and Gretel trail of crumbs. Apparently he doesn't like carrot cake after all .... ;)
Purple Carrots! Like I said, if it's purple, I'm cookin' it...

my kind of town

This weekend found us in the windy city and me wondering why the heck I hadn't moved there after undergrad... All the amenities of NY (without the quirkiness that I so love) and so much more affordable. Is that a faux pas to talk about money on a family site?!?! Well who's judging!

While I adore the comforts of home, the farmers market, the neighbors, the quaint neighborhoods that are unreplicable elsewhere--at least in the states, I was glad to see that the old city full of charm and mid-western hospitality was still kicking. And who knows, if I'm lucky I might be a resident again one day.

G & I took the architectural tour that I hadn't taken in at least 10 years and learned all about the old and new faces of the city. Seriously a magnificent place, and Chicagoans have unparalleled pride, that's indisputable, which certainly helps maintain a spectacular city. In fact, I would go as far as to say that there is no better place to be in the summer months than Chicago. There, I said it!

Enough about our travels and down to business!

We returned home in time for my favorite market day, Wednesday. While our fish monger isn't there on Wednesday, a bevy of other choices are available and the market seems to burst with vendors. Plus there is the added bonus of being a weekday which means the market is much more walk-able then Saturday.

I stocked up on newly plucked pears, sweet cherries, strawberries, peaches, and nectarines, and we are not talking about the gigantic pesticide pumped Schwarzenegger's found at most grocery stores! Then I added some summer squash, corn, chard, peas, peppers, and heirloom tomatoes. That should last us a few days!

Tonight I decided to use the remainders of my loot and add some new ones. Dinner was mahi mahi seared and simmered in a warm summer salsa. The salsa truly showcases the colors of summer. The mahi mahi sat atop whole wheat couscous tossed with some additional summer veggies.

If you are interested, read on for how it's done... if not, stay tuned for another post soon about this remarkable new book I received as a gift that I hope you will join me in reading, discussing and living!

First was a salsa of sorts with all the odds and ends:
corn off the cob,
red pepper,
yellow heirloom tomato (forgive me, I don't know the genus!),
onion,
garlic scapes and
avocado squash (if i haven't yet RAVED about this marvelously nutty and rich squash let me tell you now that you must try and find yourself one before the season has passed, a remarkable veggie!).

Saute onions and garlic, then add squash. After about 2-3 minutes add the rest, saving the tomato for last. Toss in some good sea salt, pepper and a few hot pepper flakes for good measure! Then saute for another 5 minutes and move the salsa to the outside of the pan to make room for the fillets.

I also used a bit of the sautéed onion, garlic, red pepper and corn in the whole wheat couscous that sat under the mahi mahi fillets.

Season the fillets with whatever you like. I use a little cayenne and old bay. It's a cop out but it's mighty tasty! Put the fillets in the 'hole' (see photo above left) and sear/simmer on each side for about 3 minutes. Plate the fillets atop a bed of whole wheat couscous and surround with your beautiful warm salsa.

This was another surprise winner and will certainly be revisited later in the season. Stay tuned for purple carrot bundt cakes. Yes folks, you heard it here first. If it's purple, I'm cookin it.

the hunter and the hunted

It's only fitting that todays post be dedicated to the other furry creature in my world, to whom the world is a stage and I will act whatever play she deems fit. The truth is, we are absolutely nuts over these guys (Lola & Smokey) and I can't imagine how silly we must look to the outside world. Oh well... they're happy, which means we're happy, and if you ask me, that's all that matters!

Double Salmon Dip with Fresh Dill

Just to make sure that I maintain a culinary spin, I have added a shot of a fantastic and easy summer recipe to make as a spread for company or to serve as an appetizer before dinner.

Either way, you cannot go wrong with this recipe. That is, of course, unless you don't like caviar or fresh fish. In which case you don't belong on this site so move along... Just kidding.

Anyway, it is my double salmon and dill dip served with fresh pita and pita chips. The recipe was adapted from epicurious and goes a little something like this:

Double Salmon Dip with Fresh Dill

(Hint: you can always just click on the underlined title to view the whole recipe)

there's always room for chocolate

This is my adaptation of the chocolate zucchini cake made famous by Clotilde Dusoulier. Mine are made as miniature bundt cakes and are as cute as they are practical. (And the only way G will eat vegetables, just kidding!)

I really can't claim much other than following a recipe, dumping in a bit extra in the chocolate department (it's second nature). Oh, and adding some yogurt boosts the creaminess factor.

All and all, it's a great way to deliciously ensure portion control :)

In other news, the weather is now beyond fantastic in the city which is a double edged sword...while it makes writing papers extremely unbearable, sunsets from the roof overlooking the city are magnificent, as is a nice glass of cote du rhone. Speaking of...

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cakes (with a little extra chocolate, cause hey...who's going to eat the rest of the bag if you just leave it?)

it's in the bag...

Sometimes I wish I were as content with our small digs as my little boy Smokey. I couldn't
resist posting a photo of him relaxing on a recently unpacked suitcase.

No new dishes tonight, it was the chef's night off :) I did try a new recipe for chocolate zucchini cake, courtesy of the ever adorable Clotilde Dusoulier, that was fan-tastic. I made them in baby bundt pans, perfect for a nighttime snack for the hubby and I. Perhaps I'll post a photo of them tomorrow.

For now, it's back to shnoozing for me and this little one...

fancy that, a recipe request

By popular demand, okay so it was only one request--but from whom i am so flattered that i must promptly respond-below you will find the recipe for the clafouti from several days ago. If there are other recipe requests please let me know, if I had known anyone really wanted to make this stuff I would have posted them from the get go!

The flapjacks that I promised to post about while great tasting, didn't photograph so well. I have become as paranoid about food-tography (can i copyright that?) as my cute little hubby. Buckwheat is a little camera shy, I guess....

Instead I will share with you a photo of our monkfish tacos from last night. The monkfish was fresh from the Atlantic, picked up from our favorite fish monger at the farmers market yesterday. What a pleasure to buy from the guys who reeled in this beauty but a day ago. I digress...


I served these fish tacos with a homemade relish (roasted corn, quartered cherry tomatoes, black beans, diced chiles), fresh baby cabbage marinaded in a splash of oil & vinegar and then finished off with a homemade tzaziki of sorts (fage, dill & garlic). What a surprising treat, we will certainly be enjoying this healthy meal again soon. Perfect for the warm weather and what a way to enjoy the flavors of summer!

and without further ado...

Clafouti

i do not like green eggs and ham, but i do like green comma eggs and ham!

So we were left with some prociutto and pesto from last nights meal (I know, such a shame) and after our visit to the green market we decided to use fresh eggs to make a meal that would tickle even the picky palate of a man named Sam! A lovely and simple breakfast of toasted whole grain bread, two eggs over easy, basil pesto, prociutto and bianca cheese. Stay tuned for tomorrows breakfast of buckwheat flapjacks with juicy sugar plums.

Thanks to G for the cute title!

the secret to my success: a farmers life for me

Okay, so there is no real secret... at least not one that every home cook hasn't already figured out. The key to incredible meals is fresh ingredients.

you can't tell but these were HUGE squash; currants ; currants, gooseberries and sugarplums

Living in Union Square we are blessed with a phenomenal green market market bursting with an abundance of delicacies from veggies and eggs to flowers and cheese, four days a week. How dare I speak of moving to the burbs when this paradise is but a five minute walk from my front door?

sugarplums; peaches

This morning I thought I would share with you some photos the hubby took while wrangling the dog, holding a dozen bags and keeping track of a wandering wife. Told you he was amazing...

fresh herbs from Keith's; sweet and sour cherries; raspberries

in vino veritas

I think my favorite part of the day is first thing in the morning, sitting with my little pup in the dog run, talking to the locals in the dog run. It's about this time of day that my darling hubby calls to check in and I get to ask him what he wants for dinner. It usually goes something like this:

Me: Good morning love! I'm about ready to hit the farmers market, what shall I create for you this evening?
Cute Hubby: How about a twist on saltimbocca, how Dolce Vita makes it?
Me: Perfect! String beans look good and I'll get some fresh cheese from Bobolink if they have something gratable.

And voila! Dinner is created.

In honor of my darling hubby and his favorite dish (and mine!), I created saltimbocca with a twist by rolling some pounded thin chicken breast with freshly made basil pesto, grated gruyere and prosciutto, seared all the sides to brown and then simmered in chicken stock. This was fantastic with some whole wheat gnocchi from trader's that I sauteed in olive oil and fresh thyme until it was browned, yum! And the addition of some fresh string beans quickly cooked with keith's organic garlic on the stovetop rounded out a perfect meal.

OH! And the best part was the Chateauneuf Des Papes (2002) that was sitting on our wine rack begging to be drank. This bad boy had certainly calmed since we popped the last bottle a little less than a year ago and the flavors were in perfect harmony. It was absolutely delicious with the saltimbocca, crispy gnocchi and garlic string beans! Wish we had more...

After a few bites.

hooray for birthdays and relatives!

Hooray for birthdays!

Thanks to Cousin Peggi & the Schmelter Clan (Daniel, Jeff & Lee) I am the proud new owner of this (too cute to use but not to display!) grater. I'm sure you are all jealous of this uber-cute kitchen accessory so I will tell you that it's from a company called Nonni and this cute girl (shall I name her Nonni?) will most certainly be welcoming other members to her grater family, get it--grater!, as soon as I find out where these cute knick nacks are sold.
So, thank you so much Cuz, you always remember the milestones and celebrate them so perfectly!
Stay tuned for a post later this evening describing the tempting meal that this girl helps me create...

Without a flash she is even cuter!

clafouti deconstructed

After last weekends visit to the farmers market I found myself with an abundance of cherries and a craving for this yummy take on a classic french tart/custard, and a twist on this traditional clafouti is born.

I might just share my recipe on this one, if you ask nicely....

...since you asked so nicely :)

Clafouti (Deconstructed, of course!)

one more saturday night

okay so it wasn't really saturday but sunday night, rather. and it's not nearly as interesting as if i actually owned a victrola, or a simple record player for that matter...

what this is, however, is a retroactive post (and the reason for this whole blog business in the first place) about our funny little life in the center of the universe. otherwise known as new york city.

it might not strike you as odd, but for this little midwestern girl thrown smack dab in the middle of this monstrous city (please don't feel bad for me, i push people out of the way all the time :) and hey, i've been here almost 10 years) to have the wonders of a country life in the midst of the concrete jungle in which we live is quite remarkable. and thus sprung the idea of this here blog.

i digress....

me: going to the farmers market honey, shall i see if there are any more avocado squash to make with the scallops for dinner?
husband: sure, also can you see if the guys at berryknoll have any more of the heirloom tomatoes and purple basil, that shrimp bisque was out of this world!

and it continues....

the moral of this oh so entertaining conversation between the boy and yours truly is that in the midst of this absolutely mad city there is a place like no other, where four days a week we can shop for produce lovingly plucked from the land as recently as that morning. (okay so probably they pick it the day before)

and so in honor of this incredible buzzing metropolis with little treasures lurking around every corner, i post for you my passion (and hubby's!), some photos from our cooking expeditions courtesy of the union square farmers market.

does it get any better than this?

(top: Parmesan-crusted Atlantic sea scallops with roasted summer squash)
(bottom: Rock shrimp and corn bisque with sofrito and purple basil)

training wheels.

i'm entirely new to this whole thing so please forgive the trepidation with which i approach publishing my thoughts for the world to see.

i called this training wheels because i never was very good at starting new things. you see, when my dad took the training wheels off my first bike i proceeded to throw it on the ground and yell at it as if this inanimate object was somehow responsible for my lack of balance. (i've never been very graceful, or reasonable for that matter!) but like all things, i learned to love my first bike and am hoping that this adventure in public sharing is equally positive.

interesting that at a tender age of (EEK) 30 i am finally allowing myself to enter blog-dom, but hey, when your family lives all over the globe i guess there really is no better way of keeping in touch, relaying news, and sharing pictures of our sometimes funny, often entertaining and always exciting life in the city.

seeing as that nothing terribly interesting is going on in my world at the moment, except that there is much work to be done while i finagle with this new toy, i will leave this as the inaugural post and await a moment of inspiration.

until then...

Anniversary Cake

Anniversary cake with two layers of dense chocolate cake and a thick layer of ganache in between smothered in purple colored vanilla frosting.

I guess I'm cheating by posting retro-actively but this one was just to pretty to keep to myself!

The recipe was adapted from epicurious.

Roasted Garlicky Corn Risotto

Roasted Garlicky Corn Risotto

Ingredients:
1 cup arborio rice
1-2 cobs of corn, off the corn
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. rosemary finely chopped
Chicken stock (have a quart ready, you will not need that much but the amount differs)
pat of butter, optional
kosher salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat with garlic cloves until they turn begin to soften, not brown.

Add in cobs of corn and rosemary and stir through, then leave, for about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

The corn should get golden at which point you stir in the rice and coat with corn, garlic, rosemary mixture. This is sealing in tons of taste to the rice by slightly roasting it before actually cooking it. Mix thoroughly for about 2 minutes, you don't want to brown the rice.

Add in a cup of stock at a time, adding more in when the rice absorbs most of it.* Season the rice mixture again and continue adding in stock a bit at a time until it is the tenderness you desire!

Serve and enjoy!

*This is where it becomes a 'tasting' technique because there is no set time. It may take 15 minutes or 30, depending on if you like your risotto al dente or gooey and soft. There is no right way, just what you like.

Not Your Mama's Noodle Kugel

Not Your Mama's Noodle Kugel

(Adapted after years of consumption from too many sources to cite!)

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. package of egg noodles
1 c. milk
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 pint sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup each: dried apricots, cherries, cranberries (or any other dried goodies you have lying around!)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. melted butter

For topping:
1 cup crushed corn flakes
4 tbsp. cinnamon sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Boil noodles until al dente. While noodles cook mash up the cream cheese in the milk, then add all other ingredients. (Except for the topping)

When the noodles are done, drain and add to the bowl with all of the ingredients. Mix gently but thoroughly and put into a 13x9 sprayed glass square pan. Top with crushed corn flakes, then butter, then cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes or until top turns light brown and the eggs poof up.

If you refrigerate it in the pan over night it will set and you can easily cut and store the pieces. It is excellent served hot, cold, or eaten straight from the pan! Enjoy :)

Cocoa Macaroons with Dark Chocolate Ganache

These little guys were inspired by the macaroon craze we encountered recently in Paris. While they are nowhere near as good as those at Laduree, nor as beautiful, they are a very yummy treat that you should definitely try once.*

Here's how:

Macaroons
1/2 cup ground almonds
1.5 c. confectioners sugar
3 egg whites
8 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)

For chocolate ganache
.5 cup heavy cream
1 cup dark chocolate (or any chocolate of your choice)
Special equipment: parchment paper; a gallon-size plastic bag

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 300.

Grind whole almonds in a spice grinder until they are very fine. Then grind in .5 cup of confectioners sugar until the mixture is smooth and integrated.

Pour almond and confectioners sugar mixture with remaining confectioners sugar and the cocoa through a sieve until it is smooth and not at all lumpy. Make sure all these ingredients are well incorporated and reserve.

Whisk egg whites until they have soft peaks. Then add the granulated sugar a little bit at a time. Don't let the peaks get too hard though!

Fold in the dry mixture and any food coloring you may wish. The batter deflates a bit here, but try to use the old fashioned turn and fold method to keep it as fluffy as possible.

Pour ingredients into the gallon bag, cut a small hole at one of the corners and make little 2-3 inch disks.

Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes, then bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops are starting to gently turn golden.

Take them out and let them rest on a cooling rack for atleast 10 minutes before adding the ganache.

Make the ganache while the macaroons bake. Heat .5 cup of heavy cream over medium heat on the stove. Put chocolate in a stainless steel or glass bowl.

When cream starts to simmer take it off the heat and pour it on top of the chocolate. Gently stir together the cream and chocolate until combined and allow to cool.

When macaroons and the ganache is cool, assemble using a small dollup of chocolate on each. (About a .5 teaspoon, but you can be the judge of that.)

*There are many other blogs, sites, chefs that have similar recipes with similar results. My favorite so far has been these adorable macaroons from Tartelette who has certainly mastered the art.

Roasted Eggplant Stuffed with Sauteed Veggies and Free Range Beef

Roasted eggplant stuffed with seasonal veggies and free range beef

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 head of garlic
1 ear of corn, cut off the cob
1 red pepper roughly chopped
1 medium onion

2 tablespoons of good olive oil (maybe more, maybe less!)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (less if you use dried)
1 tablespoon of cumin (or to your taste)
1 pinch of chili flakes

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice the eggplant lengthwise and drizzling it with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Place it face down on tin foil.

Slice the top 1/8th of the head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Replace the top and wrap it in tin foil.

Place eggplant and garlic in oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes.

While it is in the oven prepare the stuffing:

You only really need one large non stick pan.

Put a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a large nonstick pan and saute the onions and a clove of garlic until tender. Then add the fresh corn off the cob, red peppers, and thyme and briefly saute. You don't want either to lose their bite so this should only take a few minutes.

Remove the corn, pepper mixture and keep the oil in the pan. Add the free range beef to the remaining oil and season with the cumin, chili peppers, salt and pepper. When the beef is almost done, add some fresh spinach and covered the pan to wilt the spinach.

At this point the eggplant is probably finished, take it out of the oven and gently remove the flesh. Open up the head of garlic and squeeze out the roasted garlic. Put the flesh and 4 cloves (or more!) into a food processor and pulse until chunky but combined.

Add the corn and pepper mixture to the beef and spinach and heat it through.

Plate the eggplant with a generous dollup of 'poor man's caviar' and then fill with this healthy mixture. For some added pizzaz grate some fresh cheese over top and return it to the oven to bubble. Serve and enjoy!

Breakfast of Champions

$20 Omelet, or how to make your friends and family feel special while getting your fridge ready for a weeks worth of groceries!

Serves 2

.5 onion, diced
1 clove garlic (more if you dare!), minced
1 small squash, diced
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
.5 pepper (red, orange, yellow)
2 tablespoons fresh dill and basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 eggs
splash of milk or cream fraiche
6-8 oz. lox (you can substitute any protein, smoked turkey, sausage, tofu, etc...)
4 oz. smoked gouda (or cheese of your choice)
1 teaspoon salmon caviar (.5 for each plate)
Salt & pepper to taste
Nonstick pan, never allow heat to exceed medium.

Heat olive oil in pan on medium and saute onion and garlic until soft and yellow, about 2 minutes. Add squash, pepper and saute for another 2 minutes. Add cherry tomato
and heat through.

Beat eggs with dash of milk/cream fraiche and pour into pan. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, lox, and cheese. Use wooden spook to gently stir the eggs to create a slow, fluffy scramble. Should only need about 2 minutes to cook through.

Serve with .5 tsp of salmon caviar and sprinkle of fresh herbs, and a toasted piece of pita bread.