Birthday Party

For my mom's birthday, S. went all out making caprese salad, spaghetti puttanesca, and bringing home a delicious cake from La Provence Patisserie and Cafe.  

Cooking with the Barefoot Contessa- Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs

The other night I was in the mood for salmon, a popular fish here in the Pacific Northwest.  I've been on a Barefoot Contessa kick lately and decided to keep that going by trying out the roasted salmon with green herbs recipe from her How Easy is That? cookbook.  Apart from the vigorous herb-chopping (which would be simplified if we had a more professional chef's knife), this is such a simple recipe with so much flavor.  Check out the recipe below.

Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs, from the Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That?
Ingredients
1 salmon fillet (about 2 1/2 pounds)- I left the skin on
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup minced scallions
1/2 cup minced fresh dill
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
lemon wedges for serving


Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Set salmon in glass dish and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil and drizzle evenly over the salmon.  Let sit for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together scallions, dill, and parsley and then scatter over the salmon.  Pour the wine around the salmon.
Roast salmon for 10-12 minutes until it's slightly undercooked in the center at the thickest part.  Cover dish tightly with foil and let sit for 10 minutes to preserve the juices and finish cooking.  Cut into serving size pieces and serve with lemon wedges.  Serves 6.

Pappardelle with corn

The few times I've tried a pasta dish with corn, I was in heaven, especially with SPQR's corn agnoletti a few summers back in San Francisco.  So when I spied the latest Food Network magazine cover while grocery shopping, I knew I had to try to make the pappardelle with corn.  Luckily, the recipe was online so I saved myself four bucks.  Although the recipe is good enough that I'd say it would be worth shelling out four dollars if you had to.

Since it's summer and I still had corn from the farmers market in the fridge, I used fresh corn, as the recipe calls for.  It's so easy and so much better than frozen corn so do yourself a favor and don't be lazy on this step.  All you need is a decent chopping knife to slice off the kernels when it's done.  The only thing I would do differently for this recipe is add more corn and tomatoes. Topped off with freshly julienned basil and grated parmesan, it just screams summer.  And you still have three more official weeks of it so get out there and make yourself some pappardelle.  It's even fun saying it.  Papp-ar-delle!  Check out the recipe below.

Pappardelle with Corn, adapted from Food Network Magazine
Ingredients
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
three ears of corn
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup white wine
12 ounces pappardelle pasta
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch of scallions, sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for topping
small bunch of basil for topping


Directions
-Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  Turn off heat.  Add shucked corn and cover for 10 minutes.  Pull corn from pot with tongs, reserving the pot of water.  Put water back on heat.  After corn has cooled, slice off kernels with chopping knife.  
-Melt two tablespoons of butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add whole tomatoes, teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, cooking until tomatoes are soft and starting to split, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth and corn kernels to skillet and bring to simmer.
-Once pot has come to a boil again, add pappardelle and cook according to package directions.  Reserve one cup of pasta water, then drain pasta.  
-Add pasta to skillet and add scallions, parmesan, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Toss all together and add reserve pasta water as needed.  (If you have this dish for leftovers, I recommend adding a splash of chicken broth and a little butter before reheating it).    Season with salt and pepper.  Add julienned basil and grated parmesan on top.  Enjoy!

Cooking with the Barefoot Contessa- Chicken with Shallots

I think I have discovered my new favorite go-to dish.  The other night we had a more casual dinner party with the neighbors, following the big BBQ party we had the week before.  I wanted something simple and light but with lots of flavor so I looked no further than my Ina Garten cookbook collection.  The Barefoot Contessa has never failed me before so I had high hopes for the chicken with shallots.  As I often do, I decided to read the recipe online (the Food Network posts recipes from its shows) and see what the reviews were.  It was the first time I had seen a Barefoot Contessa recipe receive anything less than a 5-star rating so I decided to heed the advice the reviewers had given.  They found that the lemon juice in the shallot sauce was overpowering and recommended to reduce it by at least half.  Done.  (Instead of using the juice of three lemons, I simply squeezed one.)  Apart from that and frying it in olive oil rather than canola, I followed the recipe to a T and it came out wonderfully.  

I got my chicken breasts at Whole Foods where I had the butcher remove the bone but leave the skin.  The chicken has a great crispy skin from frying in the pan and the perfect texture from baking in the oven  (I used my new favorite frying pan that goes in the oven).  The shallot sauce is the perfect blend of creamy, tangy deliciousness.  If you are not a citrus fan, however, it might not be the dish for you because there is a definite hint of lemon juice.  The shallots lend the perfect texture and sharp-yet-sweet flavor to the chicken.  In an attempt to stay carb-free, we fried up some fresh zucchini and tossed together a quick cherry tomato and onion salad.  

This meal called for al fresco dining and the evening air was a nice respite from the sunny summer day.  We couldn't resist throwing together some raspberry muffins to finish off with something sweet, effectively throwing away any intention of a protein-centered meal.

Our not-so aesthetically pleasing, yet deliciously gooey raspberry muffins


Thanks for the amazing recipe as usual, Ina.  And Jeffrey, you are a lucky man.

Farmers Market Fare

Since arriving back in the U.S., there has been nothing more I have been craving than fresh produce like we enjoyed all over Italy.  At my cousins' house in Salerno, they serve pasta with simple side dishes like fresh green beans drizzled with lemon juice and salt.  So one of the first stops we made back home was a visit to two different neighborhood Farmers Market in three days.  Last night I brought Italy back home with us by making fried squash blossoms with a summer filling.  After thoroughly washing the blossoms, we stuffed them with ricotta, mint from the garden, parmigiano reggiano (that we brought back vacuum-packed from Italy), and lemon zest.  We dipped the flowers in a flour, water, and egg mixture before dropping them in the sizzling frying pan.  We also had corn on the cob and roasted tomatoes with jalapeno pepper.  Between the delicious meal and the beautiful evening sky, it was the next best thing to being in Italy!

Healthy Alternatives to Classic SE Asian Dishes

When T. was here this past weekend, he cooked dinner for us one night, incorporating all of the health-conscious ingredients he's grown accustomed to using since becoming a California resident nine years ago. To be honest, we were all skeptical of substitutions for things like rice and chicken, but barring the somewhat disappointing sugar-free dessert (substituted with stevia), the rest of the meal was delicious.  I am now convinced that there really are great alternatives and substitutions to less healthy foods (wheat and meat for example).  I am currently working on rounding up recipes so that you can create your own healthy meal at home.  

{Appetizer tray including roasted red pepper dip, smoked salmon,
cheese, and crackers}

{Gluten-free pad thai with zucchini noodles}

{Vegetarian "chicken" curry}

{Gluten-free cauliflower rice}

{Plate}

{"Banana goes south" dessert}

Cooking with Saffron

During my crazy cooking marathon a few weeks back, I was making recipes from across the board.  I randomly decided to make a recipe from one of my favorite new cookbooks, Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home.  She divides the book into seasonal recipes, and each menu has an appetizer, main course, and dessert.  The interesting thing about my choice, is that the recipe called for saffron, which I had never cooked with before.  When I took the first bite, I was taken aback as saffron has a very distinct flavor which I was not used to, but after adapting my palate, this dish was really satisfying and well-rounded.  I decided to make the dessert as well, which only required assembling, yet it was a lovely way to round out the meal.  

{Pearl couscous with saffron broth and prawns}

{Greek yogurt, clementines, and pistachios}

I pretty much followed the recipe except for one ingredient.  We unfortunately had no golden raisins in the pantry so we had to do without but I will most definitely include them next time as they would add a nice texture and flavor to the dish.

Shrimp in Saffron Broth (From Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 cups)
3 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (It's important to use good quality, real saffron. It's expensive but a little goes a long way)
1 1/2 pounds large (21 to 25 count) large shrimp (deveined and peeled)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Pearl Couscous (I just cook quickly over the stove according to package directions and season with salt and pepper) (If you have golden raisins, add them here)

Heat a large saute pan over medium. Add oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Cook fennel, carrots, and saffron until vegetables are starting to soften, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper; add to pan and cook 1 minute, then turn shrimp. Pour in wine and stock, and cook just until shrimp are pink and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes.

Serve shrimp, vegetables, and broth over couscous in shallow bowls.

Macaron Marathon

I first fell in love with macarons during my second trip to Paris after following up on the advice of friends and visiting Ladurée bakery.  Ever since then I was hooked.  Even after I moved to Paris for a two-year stint, I returned home to the states with a little pastel green box filled with eight mouth-watering cookies to bring my mom a taste of Paris.  Despite this obsession, I always had a fear of recreating the dessert at home.  I had heard stories that they were a tough cookie to make and after my gnocchi disaster in the kitchen several years ago, I did not want a repeat.  So once I found an instructional class at Sur La Table (led by a pastry chef), my fears were assuaged and after a two-hour course, I was taking home a ziploc bag filled with five different flavors of this heavenly cookie.  Making them at home, however, was a different story.  We didn't have the luxury of already measured/weighed ingredients, a professional pastry chef guiding our every move, and the most important thing, a restaurant-grade (or at least properly functioning) oven.  This afternoon's first homemade macaron attempt turned into a 4+hour marathon that resulted in tasty (if not somewhat ugly) macarons that I think were a decent success considering it was our first attempt.  They were missing the all-important pieds, or feet, that make macarons unique, and thus I think they almost look like mini-whoopie pies instead.  We learned a lot and after we wash away the last of the splattered flour out of our hair and aprons, we just might be ready for take two of our macaron adventure.  Stay tuned.  

After 3 attempts at the macaronner process, watching this video helped immensely

Uneven coconut macaron shells after piping

Our attempt at quick-drying the shells before putting them in the oven.  Result: It worked pretty well

An unsuccessful burnt batch of raspberry macarons

The semi-presentable coconut-lemon and raspberry macarons 

Plates of macarons

Raspberry-filled macarons up-close

I had planned on making pasta alio e oglio for dinner but a nearly 4-hour macaron marathon called for Subway takeout and "homemade" iced chai using the Tazo mix from Whole Foods

Spaghetti alle Vongole

One of my favorite things about Italy is, without question, the bowls and bowls of delicious pasta the country has to offer from the castles in Pordenone to the seaside towns in Sicily. Interestingly enough, I first had spaghetti alle vongole at my favorite Italian restaurant, le Caruso, in Paris {3 rue de Turenne 75004} last year right near my apartment at Saint Paul. So during our weekly "Pasta Sunday" dinners a few weeks back, I decided to tackle this recipe. I ended up adapting a recipe from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home cookbook and adding cherry tomatoes because as my Nonno always said- a meal isn't complete until it has the colors of the Italian flag in it.


Spaghetti alle Vongole (adapted from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home)
(serves 4)
1 pound spaghetti (De Cecco is my favorite)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (I added more than the original recipe)
1/2 teaspoon red-hot chili flakes (add according to how spicy you like things)
1 1/2 pounds of cleaned littleneck clams
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
parmesan cheese for seasoning (I know I am breaking a cardinal Italian rule by adding cheese to pasta with seafood- my relatives always cringe in Italy, but I think it adds a good flavor)


Bring a large pot of water to a boil (add a pinch of salt before boiling)
Add the box of spaghetti to the water once it's boiled.
Drain pasta 2 minutes before specified package directions cooking time, reserving one cup of the pasta water.  Set it aside.


In a medium-sized pot, heat olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes over medium heat, stirring constantly as not to burn the garlic.  Add the clams and wine bringing them to a boil.  Cover and cook, shake the pan around until the clams have opened (after about 3-4 minutes.)  Throw out any clams that didn't open.  Add in the sliced cherry tomatoes and cook until they maintain a softer consistency.  Add in the chopped parsley.  Transfer this mixture to a bowl.  


Turn the medium-sized pot back on and add the reserved pasta water and lemon juice reducing it slightly (about 3 minutes cooking time.) Turn off heat and whisk butter into mixture.  Add the cooked clams and spaghetti and cook for a few more minutes until al dente.  Transfer to a large bowl, add salt and pepper.