The Swing of Things

I've been at home, recuperating from my foot surgery, and I've really missed writing this blog, and most of all, cooking! We were down to a little bit of nothing in the fridge, in the way of proteins, and have been subsisting on take-out. My husband doesn't cook very often, and it's been quite an effort to stand in the kitchen and prep ingredients, so take-out was the solution. I think we exhausted about all of our options by the time I was ready to pull a list together and get some food in the house! Finally, last night, Peapod delivered, and our fridge is again stocked with delicious, fresh ingredients, and there's a menu hanging on the door. Ah, getting back into the swing of things now!

I decided to start off simple, with meals that don't take a ton of time, or prep...and best of all, clean up easily. I still have to take it easy on my foot, although I can walk on it, so short stints in the kitchen are best. For my first trick, Asari Sakamushi (Steamed Clams with Soy, Butter and Garlic) with a side of Thai-Style Brussels Sprouts. This meal took a total of about 20 minutes, with only about 8 minutes of actual cooking time, between the two dishes. It was so simple to pull together, totally delicious, and great for a hot summer's evening.

Between the two recipes, there were a total of 11 ingredients, which is great because I could pull everything out without too many trips to the pantry and fridge from my workspace near the stove. I gathered my bottles of olive oil, fish sauce, sake, and soy sauce, and then grabbed some roasted peanuts, garlic cloves, butter, scallions and a lemon. I had unpacked the groceries and left my Brussels sprouts and clams on the counter already so now I was ready to start! Instead of the Manila clams suggested in the recipe, I purchased about 3 pounds of steamers - they were on sale, and they are my favorite! I washed them in some cold water to remove a lot of the grit and set them aside. I trimmed, groomed, and halved my Brussels sprouts too, placing them in a bowl with the olive oil and fish sauce to marinate for a few minutes. That was the extent of the prep, aside from a little chopped garlic!

At the same time, I heated a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, and also brought the sake and garlic to a boil in a separate deep-walled pan. I definitely had more than 30 clams so I wanted to make sure there was a lot of room for them to open. I placed the Brussels sprouts halved-side down into the cast iron skillet, and left them to caramelize while I tended to my clams. Once the sake was simmering, I poured those clams into the pan and covered them, leaving them to steam for the next 5 minutes. I don't think I've ever steamed clams in a pot with a clear cover before, and I have to stay that it was very cool to actually watch them cooking, and slowly opening. Maybe it's just been too long since I cooked a meal...but I was intrigued!

As the clams finished cooking, it was also time to stir the brussels sprouts and get the other side a bit more browned. I stirred them up, and then removed the clams from the pan with a slotted spoon. In place of the clams, I added some soy sauce, lemon juice, and butter to the pan, allowing it all to meld and get deliciously luxurious and silky, just two or three minutes longer. I poured it all over the clams, sprinkled some sliced scallions on top, and voila...dinner is served!

We ended up baking a loaf of frozen bread towards the end of our dinner, because there was so much delicious broth left over that we couldn't waste! I didn't think we'd need it with all the clams, but, it was too good to just pour down the drain. YUM!!

Bulgogi For The Home Griller

The other night, I made some lamb bulgogi, a Korean dish that is easy, delicious, and makes for lots of leftovers that can be used in many ways! The night before I planned on making Lamb Bulgogi with Asian Pear Dipping Sauce, I prepped my leg of lamb by marinating it in soy sauce and mirin-based marinade which I made according to the linked recipe. It was simple to pull together and as long as you remember to do it the night before, you'll be good to go the next day for a quick and easy dinner.

When I came home the following day, I turned on the grill in the backyard, and left it to heat while I quickly pulled together the Asian Pear dipping sauce. I cooked the leg of lamb on the grill for about 15 minutes on each side, charring the outsides with some beautiful grill marks. Once the lamb was cooked to my satisfaction, I pulled it off to rest while I grilled up some scallions, jalapenos and garlic cloves to use as garnishes in our lettuce wraps full of bulgogi.

Look how perfectly that lamb is cooked! Yum! I separated a head of iceberg lettuce to use as wraps, because I couldn't find Butter Lettuce at the store this week. Butter lettuce definitely works better because it's not as crispy but this was alright in a pinch.

To finish off the meal, and round it out as well, I made some white rice while the lamb was cooking. It adds a little depth to the lettuce wraps and soaks up the delicious dipping sauce really well. Since making the bulgogi, which is a fun little adventure for a week day meal, and wonderful for entertaining, we've had bulgogi hoagies (ha!) with the lamb, and the dipping sauce, and a little chili sauce, all grilled on a panini grill. The lamb is even delicious to munch on cold, straight out of the fridge. Try this one out, you'll have a fun and interesting meal in under an hour!

A Mexican Fiesta ... in the Dark

Well, Irene really came through this weekend! I would have written yesterday, and also worked on the website, but we didn't have internet for most of the day! So, while we did take an imaginary journey across the border to Mexico, there was no internet to relay it to you, my faithful readers. But the internet is back, the power is back, and ... I'm back! My thoughts go out to all who are still recovering from the storm, and fingers crossed that everyone gets their power back as soon as possible!

While the power was out yesterday afternoon, I made some guacamole to start off our fiesta. You don't need any heat to make this, and it was a nice snack to munch on while we did a crossword puzzle in the most well-lit room of our home. Guacamole is totally easy to make and I have a few secrets that you won't find in many recipes. Most recipes call for avocados, tomatoes, onions, garlic, lime juice, some salt, and optionally, some cilantro and jalapenos. A few weeks ago, we had friends over for some grillin', and I didn't have an onion for guacamole, so I used a shallot. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful addition of flavor. Shallots are a sweeter, more mild form of onion, and I loved the way it changed the flavor of the dish. That's my new secret, I will always use shallots instead of regular white onions in my guacamole from now on! I have a flavored salt that has red chili pepper flakes mixed into it, so I used that to season the guacamole because I love the spice that it adds, without having to chop up a jalapeno. Once all of the ingredients are in a bowl, just mash 'em together with a fork...just mash it all up until it's a consistency that you like. I tend to like mine a bit more on the chunky side. If you want it totally smooth, put it into a food processor for a minute!

I waited a bit to cook the main course since I wanted to have light to cook. We do have a gas stove, and I could have cooked in the dark, but...I figured I'd give it a little time and hope that the lights came on...and they did! I got down to work cleaning my shrimp. I bought them with the heads on because they were $5 cheaper per pound than the cleaned shrimp, and I really don't mind the little bit of extra work. I was making a shrimp dish with a creamy almond sauce, accompanied by some jasmine rice. I squeezed some lime juice into the water I added to the rice cooker to give it a little zing, and set the rice to cook. Meanwhile, I had some onions, and garlic sweating in a pan. Once they were softened, I added tomatoes that I had peeled, seeded and chopped, as well as some minced jalapeno to the pan. After it had cooked for about 10 minutes, I pureed the mixture in a food processor, and returned it to the skillet. I added some ground almonds, and then stirred in some creme fraiche. My cooked shrimp was then stirred into the mix and I heated everything through together.

from Flickr - by kyle tsui

This was a very good representation of traditional Mexican food. It wasn't the greasy, Americanized version of Mexican food, but a really hearty, filling and flavorful meal that didn't leave me feeling heavy and gross. I served it with the lime-infused rice, and topped it all off with a bunch of yummy, crunchy scallions. I think I would have benefited from making a nice salad of some sort. Something with corn kernels would have complimented nicely. While the menu mentions a Cafe con Leche for dessert, it was a bit late for coffee by the time dinner made it to the table, so I opted to skip it this time around.

Farm Fresh Produce in the House!

The CSA share from Harvest Delivery arrived this evening! I thoroughly enjoyed unpacking the box full of goodies, since I had no idea what would be arriving in the delivery! The gentleman who delivered this wonderful package was named Ed, and he was very friendly and sunny! He told me a bit more about the CSA shares and how their deliveries work. They have a very cool (no pun intended - ha!) system that involves an insulated cool box that stores your deliveries until you arrive home from work and unlock the box to retrieve your fresh produce.

Look at all that beautiful fresh produce that I was lucky enough to receive! So, let's take a short inventory, shall we? We have two bunches of crispy, bright radishes and a giant bunch of fresh beets, with the greens attached! Radish greens and beet greens can be used in recipes separate from their root counterparts too, so I'm going to try and make the most of these bunches! We've also got some summer squashes, and some cute little cucumbers. The bunch of scallions are enormous - I've never seen scallions that big! We have a carton of deliciously sweet blueberries, and a half-dozen farm fresh eggs as well!

There are two huge heads of different lettuces that will make us salads for a week and a half! We've got a gorgeous bouquet of swiss chard, as well as a giant bunch of basil!  Since basil goes bad fairly quickly, I think I might use that first and make some pesto sauce for a pasta dish for tomorrow night's dinner. There's also a bag of delicious, peppery arugula which I can't wait to eat! I had to try a leaf, just to TASTE it ... and OH...so good! Lastly, I got two little heads of a strongly flavored green, but I'm not completely sure what it is - I think it's baby bok choy.

So, let's see, so far, I'm thinkin' pesto sauce...which isn't exactly the most creative use of basil, but when you have a lot of it, and want to use it all before it goes bad, it's the best way to go! I'm also thinking of some sort of curry, using those summer squash, since I also took a little trip to Penzey's Spices today. I picked up quite a few Indian spices, even though they weren't on my list of refills. Sometimes you see things, and you just think..."yes, I will be able to use that for something in the very near future." We'll be having lots of salads to use those two giant heads of lettuce, and I love the crunch of crispy radishes sliced in salads as well! I think I'll stop by the farmer's market booth that sells locally-made goat cheese, for a nice big salad full of greens, feta and some roasted beets as well! And I think...maybe a pasta carbonara with the addition of some wilted swiss chard. Sound good!?

Join me as I work my way through this CSA share...I love a new adventure and this one is exciting! Next up: I'll teach you how to make pesto sauce!

Foumami

I've been meaning to visit this kitschy spot since I read about it months ago in my daily ThrillList email. The self-proclaimed Asian sandwich bar has a creative menu of sandwiches and salads using many key Asian ingredients such as ginger, Wasabi, soy sauce and cilantro. While a few of the items seem a bit forced into the constraints of what would be considered "Asian," (Wasabi Caesar Salad, Asian Cobb), the majority of the menu is striking and unique.

When I glanced at the menu online, in preparation for my visit, I immediately knew that I needed to have an Iced Ginger Tea! I love beverages with ginger in them, and this one was absolutely no exception. The spiced bite of ginger flavor integrated with the sweetness of the tea is a definite winner! It was wonderfully refreshing on this warm day!

I opted for the Braised Beef Brisket sandwich as my lunch, and as soon as I could pay and step sideways to the pickup window, they had called my name! Now, that's some service! I unwrapped my meal, thinly sliced brisket, cooked to perfection (silky, smooth and falling apart) along with some cucumbers, scallions and cilantro sprigs, all wrapped in a flat bread similar to naan. It wasnt very large but it ended up being a hearty lunch for me and I was satisfied for the afternoon! The sandwiches also come with a pickle and potato chips...but I wished for something a bit more authentic as a side...some Kim Chee, or a small bowl of edamame would have been a really cool touch.

They offer many soups on their online menu, one or two of which are available each day. There were a few specific flavors that would certainly go back for (Wonton, Hot & Sour, String Bean Noodle), because they sound delicious. Other options include desserts such as shaved ice and cookies.

Foumami is located at 225 Franklin Street, in the Financial District of Boston. Check them out at their website, or call them (617-426-8858) to find out about those soup specials!

Cool fact of the day: In Japanese culture, umami is one of the five basic tastes with sweet, sour, bitter and salty.  In Japanese, it means "pleasant savory taste."

The Sum of All It's Parts

I got home later then I planned today, and I will admit, I did not do a mise en place for tonight's dinner. I prepped as I cooked, I improvised, and I rushed...but dinner turned out pretty darn good, I must say. I cracked A Platter of Figs, and turned to the chapter I had initially added to my current menu. The title of this chapter: Salmon on My Mind. The menu featured in this chapter includes:

Fried Egg Soup

Wild Salmon with Vietnamese Cucumbers

Rose-Scented Strawberries

Unfortunately, I planned this menu awhile ago, and all the strawberries have been eaten...so I didn't make the dessert portion of this chapter. I did, however, manage to make both the soup and the salmon, accompanied by some white rice and the Vietnamese Cucumbers. While the majority of the recipes in this book are extremely labor-intensive, this one took about an hour, total, and that's nothing to complain about!

Each part of this menu went very quickly, and timed out perfectly so that everything finished at the same time. I love it when that happens! So as the title of this post describes, this menu really is the sum of all its parts. The salmon was simply seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with a little olive oil. It is supposed to bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, so I pre-heated the oven and put the salmon in. I felt that the preparation of the fish was a bit too simple, but it ended up working so well with all the other flavors. I will never doubt again! :)

I immediately set my rice-cooker so that it would be cooked at about the time I pulled the salmon out of the oven. Now that the things that take the longest are set to cookin', I had the time to throw together the other two components of this meal.

For the cucumbers, I used mini seedless cucumbers, and I did not peel them the way the recipe suggested. I like the crunch of a cucumber's skin, so I left it on, and tossed them with some fish sauce, julienned ginger, palm sugar, salt and pepper. After 5 minutes of sitting, I mixed in the juice of 2 limes as well as some chopped jalapenos and put it in the fridge until dinnertime.

At this point, there's about 12 minutes left on the timer for the salmon, so I better get that soup going. I poured some chicken broth into a pot (the author HIGHLY recommends making your own broth, but really...I did not have that kinda time today...so I hope he forgives me). I brought the broth to a simmer and added some thinly sliced garlic cloves, and a few minutes after that, some minced ginger. While the broth was simmering, I fried up a few eggs for the bottom of our soup bowls. It's an interesting concept, and it turned out to be a yummy one, at that. At the last minute of cooking, I added some bok choy ribbons to the pot and allowed them to wilt slightly.

The cucumbers were garnished with chopped mint and scallions directly before serving, and the soup was also decorated with scallions...a generous handful! I did not follow the directions in these recipes to the letter, by any means, but I think I got the gist of the concept, and produced a delicious (and healthy) meal in about an hour. The meal was hearty, fulfilling and delicious, and while I didn't follow my regular practice in the kitchen, things turned out okay. And the clean-up for this one was totally easy, so score one more point there!

Tip of the day: Read through an entire recipe before you start preparing it. If you can anticipate what comes next, you can produce a complicated meal with less stress, and in less time than if you really had to go step-by-step through a recipe.