Midsummer review

How does that saying go again? If a blog (with very few readers to begin with) is left unattended in cyberspace, it not only dies, but also doesn't make a sound? That has unfortunately become the fate of this blog. Perhaps if I had a more functional MacBook this past year (one that, in fact, functions), I probably would have been more diligent with my posts.

I would have followed up on our fabulous trip to London, where we admired many a fixie in Clerkenwell, gorged on the gluttonous bacon butties and chips at Smith of Smithfield's (SOS).
drank a Fruli here and there,and strolled along the Thames.I would have also summed up our second trip to Fire Island. The weather wasn't as great this time around, but the ferry ride was still funand it was great to see the same endearing wagons awaiting us at the Seaview Ferry Terminal.There have also been picnics on the fire escape, complete with pitchers of Pimm's.Combined with last weekend's Fourth of July feast of smoky chipotle pork burgers, sweet potato fries, buttered corn on the cob with cayenne pepper, BBQ baked beans, a homemade peach and blueberry crostata,and our new puppy, Lucie, it's safe to say we've been busy and up to good things in New York.

Day #5, Veggie Challenge

Full disclosure: we may have consumed some chicken wings in a night of drinking for a coworker's good-bye. What can I say, except that meat eating habits tend to resurface after four gin and tonics, oops. But, we did get back on the wagon yesterday, starting with a lunch consisting of slices of Zucchini and Gruyere, Cauliflower and Gruyere, funghi, and tomato pizza from Grandaisy Bakery.Our day ended with a restaurant quality dinner of Jamie Oliver's Mushroom Risotto with Garlic, Thyme and Parsley. Definitely don't miss the meat in this dish. It requires a bit of attention and frequent testing to make sure the rice isn't overcooked, but is otherwise an easy, but impressive meal -- and the last of our vegetarian challenge.All in all, a good week of delicious eats!

Mushroom Risotto with Garlic, Thyme and Parsley
From Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef
Serves 6

approximately 1 quart stock (chicken, fish or vegetable as appropriate)
1 T olive oil
3 finely chopped shallots or 2 medium onions
1/2 head of celery, finely chopped (discard any tough outer ribs)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
14 oz risotto rice
1/2 c dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
5 T butter
3-3 1/2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sauteed Mushroom Recipe
9 oz fresh mushrooms (one type, or a mixture)
3 T olive oil
1 small handful of thyme, chopped
salt
1 handful of parsley, roughly chopped
1 pinch of chili powder
a squeeze of lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Stage 1: Prep the mushrooms
Slice the mushrooms thinly, or tear depending on the type (see above), in half. Don't cook all the mushrooms at once - do them in 2 or 3 batches. In a very hot pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the mushrooms and thyme. Cook for a bout 1 minutes, toss them, then add the garlic and a pinch of salt. (It is important with mushrooms to season them slightly, as they cook.) Cook for another couple of minutes then taste, then add some parsley, a very small pinch of chili powder, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little pepper. Toss again, taste again - by now they should be pretty much perfect.

Stage 2: Start the basic risotto recipe
Heat the stock. Then, in a separate pan, heat the olive oil, add the shallot or onion, celery and a pinch of salt, and sweat the vegetables for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and after another 2 minutes, when the vegetables have softened, add the rice. Turn up the heat now.

While slowly stirring, continuously, you are beginning to fry the rice. You don't want any color at any point. Keep the rice moving. After 2 or 3 minutes, it will begin to look translucent as it absorbs all the flavors of your base. Add the vermouth or wine, continuing to sir as it hits the pan.

Stage 3: Add the stock to the rice
Once the vermouth or wine seems to have cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a pinch of salt (add small amounts of salt to taste while you are adding the stock). After the first ladle of stock has been added, add 1/2 of the sauteed mushrooms.

Turn down the heat to a high-ish simmer (the reason we don't want to boil the hell out of it is because, if we do, the outside of the rice will be cooked and fluffy and the inside will be raw). Keep adding ladlesful of stock, stirring and allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take about 15 minutes. Taste the rice -- is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Check seasoning.

Stage 4: Finish the risotto
Remove from the heat and add the butter (yup, all 5 tablespoons of it) and the Parmesan, saving a bit of the latter to go on top if you like. Stir gently and add other 1/2 of sauteed mushrooms. Eat as soon as possible while it retains its moist texture. Serve it on its own with a crisp green salad. Enjoy!

Veggie Challenge, Day #3

Day 3 and still going strong! I didn't even succumb to the free samples of various salami slices set out at the deli of our local Garden of Eden market, which says a lot from a girl who considers pork products crack.

Tonight's dinner is both good for your health and your wallet. Turning back to Deborah Madison and unattractive looking dishes, we made Mujadarrah, a Middle Eastern dish of lentils, rice, and slowly caramelized onions. Adding a side of garlicky kale and several dashes of Crystal hot sauce turned our Middle Eastern affair into a version of pure Southern comfort. Lest you think we've become total health nuts, we finished our meal with homemade Scharffenberger chocolate pudding, mmm.Thanks, Deb and John!

Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions (Mujadarrah)
From Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Serves 4

6 T olive oil
1 very large onion, sliced into rounds 1/4 inch thick
1 1/4 cups green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
Salt and freshly milled pepper
3/4 c white or brown long-grain rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it's a rich, dark brown, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a saucepan with 1 quart water and 1 t salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the rice, plenty of pepper, and, if needed, additional water to cover. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is done, about 15 minutes. Stir in half the onions, then cover and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes. Spoon lentil-rice mixture onto plate or platter (insert Arrested Development reference here) and cover with the remaining onions.

Veggie Challenge, Day #2

Apologies for the belated post. Was anyone else very technically challenged yesterday? Not only did I jam a printer and copy machine at work AND break my DVD drive, but I came home to find our internet down, blerg! But alas, we have not fallen off the veggie wagon yet! Last night's dinner was a lovely Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta, and Scallions. Though certainly not much to look at, it's very fresh, light and wholesome.
A bowl of this chowder with some simply roasted beets will definitely keep you on the veggie wagon too.

Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta, and Scallions
From Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

The soup tastes quite bland until you add the scallions, feta and cilantro. After that, it really blooms.

1/4 c quinoa, rinsed well in a fine sieve
2 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely diced
1 t ground cumin or to taste
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1/2 lb. boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the greens, thinly sliced into rounds
3 c finely sliced spinach leaves
1/3 c chopped cilantro
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped (we omitted)

Put the quinoa and 2 quarts water in a pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. While it's cooking, dice the vegetables and cheese. Drain, saving the liquid. Measure the liquid and add water to make 6 cups if needed.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile. Cook for about 30 seconds, giving it a quick stir. Add the cumin, 1 teaspon salt, and the potatoes and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the quinoa water and half the scallions and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the quinoa, spinach, and remaining scallions and simmer for 3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and stir in the feta and cilantro. Season the soup with pepper and garnish with the chopped egg.

Veggie Challenge, Day #1

It's a new year, and everyone is making all sorts of crazy promises to themselves that, let's face it, they probably won't keep. (And yes, this means that I have yet to arrive at work earlier or at least on time.)

This week, we're trying out one of Evan's goals -- a week of vegetarian eating! A challenge for him...not so much for me (even if it does look like I'm eating a burger every other day). Tonight's dinner? Hashed brussel sprouts with whole wheat spaghetti, a dusting of parmesan and a drizzle of top (Fairway) shelf extra virgin olive oil. This dish is a healthy, easy, and delicious keeper. Care to join us? For a recipe, click here. Tune in for tomorrow's meal!

New Year's Eve, Zuni Café style

It's never too late to cross items off your culinary to do list. Case in point: the famous, much blogged about Zuni Café Roasted Chicken with Bread Salad. Having once lived in a sweet little studio apartment above the restaurant, I've been wanting to make this recipe for years. Rather than fight any crowds or the chilly 14 degree weather, we opted to stay in, roast a chicken, and finally drink Evan's $75 bottle of wine. (Yes, old age is getting to me, and yes, I haven't shaken my San Francisco sensibilities yet. Clearly.)

With a Hendrick's gin and tonic to start,Some addictive warm rosemary spiced pecans to nibble on,A bottle of Clos Mimi 2000 Bunny Slope Vineyard Paso Robles Syrah,Said roasted chicken with salad,
And a side of sautéed kale,We bid a quiet farewell to 2008. I don't know what 2009 will bring, but I know for sure I'll be making this dinner and those pecans again soon.

Spiced Pecans
Adapted from Frank Stitt's Southern Table

4 cups pecan halves
1 1/2 t salt
Pinch black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 heaping t dark brown sugar
1 heaping T freshly chopped rosemary
Couple of shakes of Tabasco sauce
1 T melted butter
2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pecans on baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes (watch closely as they burn very easily). Combine the lightly toasted pecans with salt, pepper, cayenne, sugar, rosemary, Tabasco sauce, butter, and oil. Toss until nuts are thoroughly coated, then return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until toasted and fragrant. Enjoy warm and try not to eat them all.

Tuesday night goodness

Just a quick post for this fifth day of blogging. It's turkey taco night!!! (Why does saying that always make me want to break out in a little dance?)I think the fact that it comes in a box and makes me feel like a kid playing at cooking is all part of the fun. Krissy, I think you would have been proud.We're almost to Wednesday, and the best part of today? All my hard work since moving to New York has paid off with news of a promotion today, woohoo! I think this calls for a little fiesta forever musical interlude. Todo Mundo!

Hot time, summer in the city*

How foolish is it to move to a city that you've never really visited in the summer? As a child of parents who could be considered positively British with their constant preoccupation with the weather (do not let that richly caramel colored Filipino skin fool you), this may not be one of my most well-crafted ideas.

In any case, I'll find out tomorrow morning. I'm off for 5 days to hoof it around town in search of a neighborhood, an apartment and possibly, a job to support the whole process. Among other things, I'm equipped with a book that's à propos for a trip to NYC and, er, nylons. (Thanks goodness for East Coast friends to help you stay professionally polished.)

Updates forthcoming. xoxo

*If you can complete that lyric without mumbling or inventing words, I'll bake you a fresh batch of these.