A comforting fall brunch

Yesterday was a perfect "early" fall day.  It was the kind of day that started off cool and crisp -- with a slight breeze rustling the changing leaves still clinging on to the giant oaks and maples -- and slowly warmed up to a comfortable temperature.  Days like that make me long for afternoons spent basking in sunlight with a good book in hand.  My sweet partner and I decided to spend the day together relaxing, since the last few weeks have been busy for us both.  After browsing through the Morningside Farmer's Market (more on that later, perhaps in my next post) in the Virginia Highlands, we decided to grab some lunch nearby.  Our options included Doc Chey's (your generic, Americanized noodle house), Alon's (a gourmet shop that sells fancy cheeses and meats, sandwiches, and ready-made foods), and Rosebud.  Now, we walk through this area of town a lot, since Joe lives very close by.  But every time we even think about going to Rosebud, the thought is dismissed by an assumption that we've always made -- that it's far too expensive and our money would probably be spent elsewhere.  See, we make these assumptions about most fancy restaurants (or what we label as 'fancy' restaurants).  In our minds, most upscale foodie restaurants serve small morsels of food for exorbitantly high prices.  And we know we can likely get food just as good, if not better, from small hole-in-the-wall dive bars or "Mom and Pop" shops around town.  And besides, it's more fun to search for these hidden treasures.  Anyway, I digress.

We decided that this time, we'd take a look at the Rosebud menu to see what they offered, and assess whether their food was available at reasonable prices.  We were shocked to find that, indeed, it was.  Even better, we were given outdoor seating on their fabulous patio.  Did I mention it was a beautiful fall day yesterday?  Ain't nothing more relaxing than basking in the sun while eating delicious food with good company.  

I have to say, it was difficult for both of us to choose what to order for our entrees.  After much contemplation, I went with the housecured salmon frittata, while Joe decided to go for the fried oysters and grits.  We also ordered a side of brunch potatoes (as if we weren't getting enough food).  Very rarely do we order entrees that we both genuinely love.  We generally share a small portion of our entrees with each other so we both get to try everything, but it's usually only a bite or two.  This time, the two of us not only delightfully devoured our own entrees, but we were openly taking spoonfuls of each other's dishes without asking!

I'll start with my entree.  The housecured salmon frittata was heavy with egg and rich salmon, but balanced with sweet peas, asparagus, and bits of fennel.  The heaviness was further cut by the green salad that topped the frittata -- it was flavored with bits of goat cheese and a simple vinegarette.  My favorite part?  The warm goat cheese melted into the frittata, adding a creamy texture to the dish.  When our waitress first served me the dish, I was sure I'd have leftovers.  Truthfully, though, I kept telling myself, "maybe just one more bite" after every bite, and before I knew it, the entire frittata was gone.  In conclusion, this dish was rich, decadent, flavorful, albeit balanced small bits of vegetables and a simple green salad.  I'd order it again in a heartbeat.  

Joe's entree was equally tasty, but even more decadent.  The fried oyster and grits were more like a hearty soup, the base being a generous helping of chicken gravy peppered with pieces of smoked bacon.  Is that not rich enough for you?  Well, it was topped off with a poached egg, the yolk still runny and creamy.  The gravy had a hint of sweetness, which I couldn't quite put my finger on.  I thought maybe the chef had put a splash of Marsala wine in the gravy.  After asking the waitress whether she could disclose the chef's secret ingredient, she revealed to us that it was not, in fact, Marsala wine, but a dash of maple syrup.  Eureka!  It all made sense; nothing pairs better with smoky bacon than a hint of maple syrup.  

The brunch potatoes were served in a tiny iron skillet.  The size of the dish was deceiving, though -- we had plenty for the both of us!  Generously seasoned with white onions and paprika, and topped with bits of smoky bacon, these potatoes were a perfect side to our main dishes.  

What gluttons we were yesterday!  Needless to say, we both needed naps to recover from our extended brunch.  Pictures to come!

Spicy tomatillo and Gouda scrambled eggs

Today was a very rushed day, I'll be honest.  I had a lot of meetings and a lot of things to check off on my to-do list.  Nevertheless, I went for a nice swim with some friends in the late afternoon, and came home from my workout with insatiable hunger pangs.  Despite having more than my fair share of pasta and salad, I was still hungry and, in fact, craving something else salty and wholesome.  Also feeling a bit tired from the day, I wanted something that was relatively quick to make, so I decided to quickly rustle up some scrambled eggs.

Initially, I thought I would just throw a diced tomato and some cheese into my eggs, but then I realized that I only have one more tomato left for the whole week.  Yikes!  What to do?  Then I remembered that I had a few tomatillos in my crisper.  Jackpot!  

My love for tomatillos grows as I get older.  I used to strongly dislike them, actually.  I only recently realized how well a cool, tangy tomatillo salsa pairs with heavy Southwestern dishes, as it cuts through the grease and cools the mouth after a spicy bite.  I usually don't branch out much with tomatillos, and that has got to change.  I really believe that tomatillos are incredibly under-utilized, considering how packed with flavor they are.  Well, today was the day to make that happen!  

I ended up improvising a little and threw together some other ingredients that I would have thought were a random mish-mash of things -- a shallot, tomatillo, fresh chili pepper, and some grated apple-smoked Gouda cheese.  Surprisingly, the eggs turned out great!  The slightly crunchy, tartness of the tomatillo complemented the creamy, smokiness of the Gouda cheese pretty well.  Throw in some thinly chopped shallots (or garlic would work in this case) and a sliced chili pepper, and you've got yourself some spicy scrambled eggs with a twist! An important note, though -- be sure to dice the tomatillo into very small pieces or this "Mexican tomato" may overwhelm your eggs.  

Enjoy this simple, yet flavorful dish.  And if it's as nice where you are as it is in good 'ole Atlanta, then please, eat it outside on a lawn chair and enjoy the weather -- or at the very least, crack some windows open (or better yet, a bottle of wine).  Happy fall!

Ingredients:

-1 shallot

-1 tomatillo

-1 small fresh chili

-2 eggs

-Salt to taste

-A small bunch of cilantro

-Small amount of olive oil

Preparation:

1. Finely dice/slice the tomatillo, shallot, and chili.

2. Roughly grate some smoked Gouda cheese (amount will depend on your personal taste :)...I threw in a small handful).

3.  Fry the diced/sliced shallot, chili, and tomatillo with a bit of olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes.  When they are about halfway cooked (the tomatillos should be 'sweating' a little and losing a little bit of color), throw in the eggs, Gouda, and salt (to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients).  

3. Cook the egg mixture for a few minutes until it's done.

4. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro, and enjoy!

(Sorry, no picture today!  I was so hungry at the time that I gobbled up the eggs as soon as I took them off the stove!)

Cake Shake: The Ultimate Compromise Between Ice Cream and Cake

Do you frequently have a hankering for both ice cream AND cake at the same time?  Do you often top your cake with a dollop of ice cream and let the creaminess melt into the tiny crevices of your cake?  Do you crave a spongy cake saturated with sweet milk that seeps out into your mouth with each bite?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I have the perfect dessert for you -- the cake shake.

The cake shakes at Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand perfectly marry the moist, spongy texture of a cupcake with the thick, creamy richness of ice cream to create a true masterpiece.  The cake shake creatively combines Madagascar vanilla ice cream (not sure entirely what that means, except that it is delicious) with one of three varieties of cupcakes -- chocolate (on chocolate chip), red velvet (my personal favorite!), or a seasonal flavor (yesterday it was key lime) -- to make a thick shake that always hits the spot.  However, to be able to truly appreciate the beauty of the cake shake, you really have to see the process in making it.

Delia's makes cupcakes from scratch.  Each cupcake is baked with love and immaculately decorated with homemade icing.**  To make the cake shake, an employee removes the wrapper before throwing the cupcake into a blender with vanilla ice cream, and mixes everything together.  I won't lie -- it does pain me a little to see a perfectly baked red velvet cupcake being destroyed in a blender full of ice cream.  The first time I ordered one, I almost saw this happen in slow motion, as I was screaming in my head, "NOOOOOOOOOO!  SAVE THE CUPCAKE!!!"  But then I tasted the final product and the heavens parted and angels sang.  Why had it taken so long for someone to come up with this brilliant idea?

I'm not sure how many tries it took to get the perfect balance in textures, but it truly is amazing.  Tiny bits pieces of cake are homogeneously mixed in, so that every bite of ice cream contains a sweet, spongy morsel.  As you continue to sip/scoop out your cake shake (yes, it is a tad viscous at first...what did you expect?), the ice cream melts and soaks into the little bits of cake.  The longer you wait to finish the shake, the more the cake absorbs the ice cream around it -- so beware of the soggy cake shake!  If you must, you can store an unfinished shake in the freezer for a late night snack or, better yet, a breakfast of champions.

So, the next time you are itching for some cake and ice cream, head over to Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand for a truly innovative and satisfying treat -- the cake shake.

Oh!  I forgot to mention that Delia's also has delicious chicken sausage "slingers," as the name might imply.  You can't really go wrong with what you order there.  However, if you need something to contrast the sweetness of your cake shake, ask for a side of potato wedges, perfectly seasoned with a blend of savory spices.  These "fries" really hit the spot after a long day!

**Note: They sell the cupcakes by themselves, but to be honest, they're not the best cupcakes in town.  They're okay, but they're not the best.  They're a little drier than I would like, but this actually makes them pair well with vanilla ice cream!

An elaborate description of Costa Rican food, from my perspective

Today's post is a tribute to the simplicity and elegance of Costa Rican food.  Costa Rica is a country with an incredible breadth of natural resources and beauty; from beaches to mountains, rainforests to volcanoes, hot springs to miles and miles of banana and pineapple plantations, this land of paradise appeals to people of all walks of life.  I had the pleasure of visiting Costa Rica for seven days and had an amazing time.  Given the gorgeous backdrop of cordilleras of this tiny Central American country, it would be difficult to dislike any food put in front of me.  But to be able to enjoy juicy cuts of papaya, watermelon, and pineapple, slowly sip on fresh fruit milkshakes and juices (made in a blender, not poured from a carton!), and savor deliciously flavored rice and black beans WHILE enjoying the views...well, it was indescribable.

I wish I had taken a few more pictures of the food and drinks we had, but I was just so distracted by the unbelievable beauty surrounding me. :)  Nevertheless, I've included pictures of some platters we had below.  

The first shot is not a good one -- apologies.  This is a picture of the cheese platter a group of us shared on a tour of the Monteverde Cheese Factory.  Monteverde is a cloud forest that has a diverse abundance of wildlife and plant life.  A group of Quakers from Alabama settled there in the 1950s after being completely disgruntled by the United States government over the war draft.  As you may very well know, Quakers are pacifists, so they refused to sign up for the mandatory war draft.  Subsequently, many Quakers were jailed.  After being released from prison, 13 Quaker families from Alabama decided that enough was enough and that they wanted to take their families and move elsewhere -- in this case, south to Costa Rica by horse and buggy.  After months and months of painstaking travel and planning, this group of Quakers decided to build a cheese factory in the Monteverde area and have remained there ever since.  The workers at the factory still collect liters upon liters of fresh milk from local dairy farms every morning, which they use to manufacture and distribute cheese, ice cream, and other milk products all over Costa Rica and surrounding countries in Central America.  The whey, which is the primary waste product when making cheese (see this website for a simple 101 on the cheese-making process), is trucked over to a large, nearby pig farm to fatten up the animals.  This factory is extremely meticulous about quality control, particularly when it comes to responsibly disposing of waste (and preserving the environment, in the process).  They do make several different types of cheese, such as gouda, parmesan, mozarella, and cheddar.  However, they are most famous for their original recipe for the Monte Rico cheese, a soft, creamy, mild cheese that melts in your mouth (most Costa Ricans hate aged, sharp cheeses -- our tour guide described how earlier in the week another tour group from a Costa Rican high school had visited the factory and were completely grossed out by the taste of parmesan and cheddar!).

Agua dulce, which means "sweet water" in English, is typically served hot as a breakfast drink (although also served other times of the day).  It is made with sugar cane juice.  I know...it looks different than sugar cane juice, which is almost clearish-green.  However, from what little Spanish I know, I gathered from a local that for this particular drink, the cane juice is solidified into this brown powder (it looked a lot like brown sugar), which is then boiled in water and served as a "hot tea."  Ahh, what a comforting drink to enjoy on a cool morning while enjoying the mountain air!

Ahh, the casado.  Casados are the most commonly served platters (comida tipica) at tiny restaurants/hangout spots (called "sodas") in Costa Rica.  Each casado comes with at least four different sides; there are always at least three servings of fruits and vegetables in each platter.  Typically, casados come with rice and beans, fried sweet plantains, and a simple salad.  Casados are also served with some type of meat, most commonly chuletas, or pork chops, served with grilled onions (yum!).  Very simple, colorful, healthy, and delicious.  What a meal!

Here is another typical meal served in Costa Rica -- arroz con pollo.  Every arroz con pollo platter I ordered included a large amount of rice, but never failed to include a sizable salad alongside it.  This particular platter was ordered at a restaurant which literally looked like my grandmother's kitchen.  I'm not kidding -- I think the family who owned the restaurant lived in the next room.  This delectable rice was perfectly flavored with tender pieces of chicken, garlic, green onion, lemon, and tomatoes.  This meal absolutely hit the spot after a long day of ziplining, hiking, and exploring Monteverde!

Ahh, a typical breakfast.  We woke up every morning to a platter of rice and black beans and three types of fresh fruit -- papaya, pineapple, and watermelon.  Often, fried sweet plantains were also served with breakfast.  The rice and beans were unique in that they were always cooked together for breakfast, but separately for other meals.  When cooked together, however, the beans brought out a hearty, creamy texture to the rice.  This dish was not only filling and delicious, but also very healthy when paired with such colorful tropical fruits.

And now for a grand finale (simply because I cannot resist), a few more shots of Costa Rican scenery.  I hope you all enjoy.  

Ah, summer salads, how I crave you...

Howdy y'all!  I know it's been a while since I've last posted.  I have no excuses for not writing, except that life just got busier and time got away from me.  Working long hours on my dissertation leaves me exhausted and brain dead at the end of the day -- but that doesn't mean I don't ache to write!  The three people that actually read my food blog have all commented on the dearth of posts as of late; it made me both sad and happy -- sad that I don't have as much time to write and happy that people actually read this blog. :)

All I can think about these days, aside from my dissertation and how I'm going to finish it in a reasonable amount of time, is how I can stay cool in this summer heat.  Atlanta recently experienced one of the worst heat waves in its history -- temperatures soared to nearly 110 for a whole week straight.  As miserable as that was, the heat lately has been somewhat manageable, thanks to nearly daily thunderstorms that have cooled the air.  Despite this <perhaps temporary> relief from the heat, I still crave juicy, fresh fruit, cool, crisp salads, and sweet, refreshing homemade smoothies.

As such, I dedicate this post to the celebration of the salad.  Salads are incredibly versatile -- they can be prepared for virtually any meal, as a side or an entree, and come in sorts of varieties.  They cut through the summer heat, making those long, hot months bearable, and even enjoyable.  They can be enjoyed at weekend barbeques, during an afternoon at the pool, or as an appetizer for an fancy meal indoors.  Whatever the occasion or event, salads are refreshing -- they allow us to enjoy and appreciate the flavor of each component of the dish.

Here are a few simple salads that I make routinely in the summer time:

1. Corn and black bean salad: Folks, it makes ALL the difference in the world to use fresh ingredients.*  The combination of the hearty, smoky black beans with the sweetness of summer corn is both refreshing and filling.  I usually add some salt, lime, and fresh cilantro to add more flavor and bring out the flavors of the corn and black beans.  You can also add tomatoes and avocados to make a fresh, chunky 'salsa,' or a heartier summer salad.

2. Garbanzo, tomato, and cucumber salad: This is a salad I sort of grew up eating -- it has garbanzo beans (you can used canned or fresh, as long as they are cooked), tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and cilantro.  I usually season generously with salt, pepper, and fresh lime.  This refreshing salad is always a hit at barbeques!

3. Berry salad: You can never go wrong with this one; it's quick and easy, cheap in the summer time, and always refreshing and delicious.  You can add virtually any type of berry to this salad, as well as grapes, fresh pineapples (!!), peaches, or kiwis (or really, any other fresh fruit).  Add some fresh, chopped mint to accentuate the sweetness of the fruit, and chopped pecans or walnuts to bring some texture to the salad.

4. Peaches and basil salad: It's just what it sounds like.  Georgia peaches are incredibly juicy and rich in flavor.  I crave them so much in the peak of summer.  Adding fresh basil adds an aromatic punch to the sweet, floral scent of the peaches.  This combination also works great as a popsicle, as I discovered at the local King of Pops stand!


*In case you are wondering (I was asked this just the other day), there is a trick to making fresh black beans in a minimal amount of time (i.e. about 30-45 minutes) without the hassle of remembering to soak them the night before.  That's RIGHT!  You CAN still make fresh beans if you forget to soak them -- you read correctly.  All you do is put the dry beans in a large, oven-safe pot with a dash of salt and some water (add enough to cover the beans by an inch or two) and bake with the lid on at 350 for about 30-45 minutes.  I imagine you'd have to try pretty hard to burn them, so you can always leave them in a little longer if you're worried about interior crunchiness.  Oh!  And don't throw away the residual liquid in the pot!  It's chock-full of flavor, trust me.  


In case you're wondering about the fresh corn, making it off the cob is also relatively simple, and takes even less time.  All you do is remove the ears of the corn and the silky 'stuff' on the inside, rinse the cob, and remove the corn kernels using a knife (I generally do this into a wide-necked bowl in the sink).  Sautee the corn for about 2-3 minutes with a pinch of salt and a sliver of butter, and voila!  Sweet corn off the cob.  

Buttermilk Pumpkin Waffles (or Pancakes) with Savory Pumpkin Butter and a Side of Butternut Squash

About a week ago, I had the most intense culinary dream I've ever had.  I could somehow see myself making homemade, fluffy pumpkin pancakes, topping them with a rich, savory pumpkin butter, and serving myself with a side of roasted acorn and zucchini squash.  I could smell the sweetness of the pumpkin and squash, the richness of the butter, and the incredible aroma of rosemary and garlic added to the dish.  I woke up with intense hunger pangs and my mouth watering.

I had an incredible sense of urgency to prepare this dish immediately (after eating a snack to ameliorate my unhappy and empty stomach).  Despite leaving Atlanta the next day to visit my parents in Texas, I still had pumpkin on my mind (sing it to the tune of "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles, substituting "pumpkin" for "Georgia," and you'll know what I'm talking about).  We had dinner at my aunt and uncle's house a few days ago, and fortuitously, there was a giant pumpkin growing in their plentiful garden that just happened to be ready to be picked.  Behold, the giant pumpkin, which weighed in at a lofty 17.2 pounds:

A ridiculously large, homegrown pumpkin, weighing in
at 17.2 pounds.

Brothers in a ceremonial cutting of "Pumpkin and the Beanstalk"
from attached vines.

Mom and I with the giant pumpkin.

My aunt, with her prized pumpkin.  Props to an expert gardener!  Talk about
a green thumb!

After an auspicious (not really) ceremonial cutting, we split the pumpkin in two and adjourned for the night, with half a giant gourd in tow.  Boy, was my family excited.  You see, we're crazy about fresh fruits and vegetables.  Acquiring half of a giant pumpkin is like finding gold to us!

I set out to tackle some of that pumpkin so we could make fluffy buttermilk pumpkin waffles.  I have to say (and not to toot my own horn, guys), but they turned out pretty fantastic.  Admittedly, the recipe would have been better for pancakes (buttermilk makes everything so fluffy!), but I had neither the energy nor the time to make 10-12 individual pancakes.  However, I would say this mix is probably good for either; if you want to save time and have a good quality waffle iron at home, go with the waffles, but if you fancy a sweet, fluffy pancake, go with that instead.

The batter itself was overall on the sweeter side, especially with the pumpkin puree in the mix.  However, I wanted to top the waffle off with something a bit more savory, so I drizzled some homemade pumpkin butter seasoned with (homegrown) rosemary and garlic.  With a side of rosemary and garlic-seasoned roasted butternut squash, this dish was reminiscent of all things autumn during what clearly feels like the middle of summer.  No matter!  There is never shame in eating root and gourd vegetables other times of the year!

Homemade pumpkin butter.

Oops, I had to try the waffle before I took a picture.  My mistake.
Homemade buttermilk pumpkin waffle topped with a savory pumpkin
butter and a side of roasted butternut squash (and a berry and mango salad
on the side).  

Here's the recipe; I hope you all thoroughly enjoy.  Bon appetit!

(Serves about 4-5)

WAFFLES/PANCAKES:

Ingredients:
-1 cup flour
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-2 tbsp vegetable oil
-1 egg
-2/3 canned (or fresh pureed!*) pumpkin
-1 cup buttermilk
*To make freshly pureed pumpkin, cook an appropriate amount in a pressure cooker, then either smash by hand or puree using a blender/food processor

Preparation:
-Combine all ingredients and mix well.
-For waffles: Fill waffle maker with appropriate amount of batter and cook until done.
-For pancakes: Scoop appropriate amount of batter onto a pre-heated griddle or large pan (on medium-high heat).  Cook until brown on both sides.

PUMPKIN BUTTER:

Ingredients:
-3 large tbsp pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
-2 large tbsp ghee
-1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
-1/3 cup of milk (I used 2%)
-Salt to taste

Preparation:
-Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on medium-low while covered (to prevent from drying).
-Stir occasionally until all ingredients are homogeneously mixed.
-Taste before serving to adjust seasonings.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH:

Ingredients:
-1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced into small pieces
-4-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
-1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
-Salt to taste
-1 tbsp ghee

Preparation:
-Combine all ingredients and bake in a 400 degree pre-heated oven for about 1 hour, uncovered.
-Serve as a side with waffle/pancakes topped with pumpkin butter.

A Double Whammy! Part II: An Ode to Mothers and Simple, Traditional Bengali Maacher Jhol

I very strongly believe that mothers, particularly stay-at-home mothers, are the most underappreciated, overworked members of our society.  They take all sorts of crap from everyone, but selflessly endure to better the lives of their children.  I mean, think about it -- how many times do you think you got angry at your mother, bit and/or scratched her, threw a tantrum that she had to tirelessly deal with, and made a mess with your vomit/poop/pee?  Okay, considering this is a blog dedicated to the wonderfulness of food, that's pretty gross.  But, really -- if you CAN thank your mother for doing all those things and more, you probably should.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be with my mother this weekend, but I was able to Skype with her and my dad to send my love and appreciation.  Happy Mother's Day, Ma.  This post is for you.

I'll be honest -- I was feeling a little lazy yesterday.  It rained pretty much all day, which made me want to bury myself in my comforter and get lost in a good book even more!  So, I did.  But then I started craving a home-cooked meal.  No, not just any home-cooked meal, but one of my MOTHER's home-cooked meals.  Deciding that I needed to cook some salmon in the freezer, I set it out to defrost, buried myself in a book of short stories, and came back in a few hours ready to make one of the most common dishes I had grown up eating -- simple maacher jhol (fish curry).  

This is a pretty simple recipe, but it really hits the spot on a rainy, dreary day.  I distinctly remember my mom watching me cross the finish line of every marathon I've run and helping me home as I so gingerly walked to and from the car.  Afterward, she'd always make me a home-cooked meal of maacher jhol / bhat (fish curry and race) for me after each of these races.  I'd have a bowl-full of food, then crawl into bed with my millions of ice packs, feeling tired, but satiated.  It really is a perfect post-race meal, guys.  Fish curry is typically eaten with rice, but I just like to eat it on its own sometimes.  Oh, and I always eat it with my hands.  To me, it's blasphemous to consume curry with a fork and knife (provided you're not in a nice restaurant).  You can use most types of fish with this recipe, but I've typically used catfish or salmon.  

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-Your favorite cuts of your favorite fish

-Bolst curry powder (yes, it must be Bolst)

-Ground turmeric

-Salt/pepper to taste

-1 medium-sized tomato

-2 small white potatoes

-1 bunch of cilantro

-1 pinch of paanch phoron (you can get this at any Indian grocery store)

-water

-2 tbsp fresh ginger

-garlic powder

-1-2 tbsp of canola oil

-1 hot pepper (of your favorite variety)

Preparation:

-Clean the fish properly and cut into small pieces (say 4" long?), leaving the bones in (if it's not fileted).  Make sure the fish pieces are dry.

-In a large bowl, mix 1-2 tsp of turmeric powder, garlic powder, and salt with the fish.  Make sure each piece of fish is well-coated in the turmeric powder.  DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH TURMERIC POWDER!  Adding too much will make any dish bitter.  

-Dice the tomato and potatoes into small pieces.  

-In a large non-stick sautee pan, fry the fish pieces on both sides with the canola oil until they are cooked through.  Never curry fish until it's cooked!  Currying raw fish runs you the risk of (a) consuming raw fish, and (b) subjecting you to potentially really smelly fish.  Frying it with the turmeric powder cuts that fishy smell.  

-In a large sauce pan, combine the fish, enough water to cover the fish pieces (not too much!), salt and pepper to taste, the hot pepper, 1 tsp of Bolst curry powder, the diced tomatoes and potatoes, paanch phoron, ginger, and garlic powder (ginger and garlic powder to taste...I just kind of eye-ball measurements).  

-Cook on medium-high heat until the curry starts to bubble (don't let it boil!).  Once you start to see bubbles, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the curry, and let it 'do its thing' for about 20-30 minutes.  Of course, adjust seasonings as needed, but when you feel like it's about done, add a handful of fresh cilantro to the maacher jhol.

-Serve on its own, or with a serving of basmati rice.  Enjoy!

Note: This is not my curry.  I have been forgetting to take pictures lately,
so here's the best I've got for now.  Courtesy of Google images. :)

A double whammy! Part I: Artichoke and cheddar mini-quiches

Well folks, as usual, life has been busy and I have been neglecting my food blog.  It's funny, I think about this blog quite frequently -- much more frequently than I post -- and come up with some fun, creative ideas to write about, but then life happens and I forget about it.  I have ten or more things I'd love to blog about right now, but to save time, I'll focus on two (for now).

"Part One" of today's entries will glorify the versatility of the quiche.  My first memory of eating a quiche was while visiting Paris a few years ago.  For reasons I won't go into, that trip was mediocre at best, so almost everything I experienced (except for the Louvre...that was pretty awesome), including the food, was pretty lackluster.  Okay, so a lot of this had to do with the fact that it rained THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS THERE, plus I was away from home travelling solo for nearly 2 months (very fun and rewarding experience!  I just grew tired of it the last few days) and I was pretty homesick by the end of it.  I have to say, though, one of my better experiences in Paris was trying some sort of spinach quiche.  (Another was when I ordered the most buttery croissant I have ever tasted from some hole in the wall bakery.  It was a little piece of heaven.  I still dream about that rich, flaky pastry to this day.)

My roommate knows that, at the end of a long, hard day, I sometimes want to numb my brain (and perhaps, kill a few brain cells while I'm at it) with some trashy reality show on Bravo, or make my taste buds tingle with a show on the Food Network.  For whatever reason, I happened to be home one day and took a lunch break with Mrs. Paula Deen.  Now, normally I don't advocate recreating her recipes because she puts a pound (or more) of butter and/or sugar in everything.  But this recipe for mini artichoke and gruyere quiches sent my stomach into overdrive!

My favorite part of quiches, as I mentioned above, is their versatility in mealtime.  It's socially acceptable to have quiches at any time of the day!  Whether you want a heartier breakfast on a Saturday morning, or a quick starch/protein-filled dish with your lunch salad, or you just want a midnight snack for those really long days, quiches are "okay to eat" and can really satiate your deepest savory cravings.

You all know I never follow recipes exactly, or for that matter, glance at a recipe for more than 12 seconds, so I created my own variation of Paula's mini-quiche.  I hope you all enjoy my artichoke and cheddar mini-quiches, seasoned with fresh rosemary and chives, and a generous serving of real (emphasis on the real) bacon bits.  The smokiness of the cheddar and bacon really brought the dish together; every gooey bite has a delicious hint of rosemary and chives.  I have to brag a little -- my garden has been THRIVING this spring and I happen to use a sprig of rosemary and some fresh chives from the back porch.  Nothing like having homegrown herbs to throw into a recipe!

Here's the recipe...(sorry, no pictures today)

Ingredients:

-6 large eggs
-1 cup of milk
-1 large fistful of your favorite cheddar cheese (I like to go for extra sharp)
-1 sprig of rosemary (remember: a little bit goes a long way)
-1 stalk of chives
-6 oz of canned artichokes (half of a 12 oz can is what I used)
-REAL bacon bits (or some leftover fried bacon you might have at home)
-Small ziploc bag full of saltine or Ritz crackers, or you can use breadcrumbs (this is for the crust)
-Canola oil non-stick spray

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-Spray a muffin tin with the Canola oil non-stick spray
-Chop artichokes into small pieces.
-Combine eggs, milk, cheese, herbs, artichokes, and a generous handful (or more) of bacon bits (or crumbled fried bacon you might have at home) and mix thoroughly.
-Crush a ziploc bag full of crackers (this is fun!!).
-Line the bottom of each muffin cup with the crushed crackers.  Alternatively, you can just use breadcrumbs, but it's more fun to crush crackers.  Your choice, entirely.  I have never used breadcrumbs, but I imagine both the texture and taste (depending on the flavor of the breadcrumbs) would change.
-Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 way full with the quiche mixture.
-Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the tops look all fluffy and you've done the knife trick (i.e. your knife comes out clean when you stick it through the middle).
-Enjoy!

A Review - Yum Yum Cupcakes

I have fantastic news, residents of Atlanta!  The Howell Mill Food Park will now be open year-round, 7 days a week, starting Thursday, April 26.  This means unlimited access to quality food trucks any time we want!  Regulars, such as Yumbii, Sweet Auburn BBQ, Tex's Tacos, The Fry Guy, Good Food, The Pup Truck, and The King of Pops, offer an assortment of delectable treats ranging from Korean tacos to hot dogs to homemade (mostly) fruit-based popsicles.  Some may roll their eyes and say the whole food truck concept has really been over-popularized in the last few years, but I really think it's a brilliant idea.  Truthfully, who can think of a better summer evening than sitting on a park bench eating a messy burrito with friends?  I sure can't.

I have to admit, though, that my favorite food truck in Atlanta, bar none, has to be Yum Yum Cupcakes.  Each and every bite of their gourmet cupcakes is a delightful treat, a little piece of magic, Heaven on Earth.  Made with tender loving care, Yum Yum's palm-sized pastries are packed with flavor and topped with a homemade icing that doesn't even compare with some of the best bakeries/cupcakeries in Atlanta.  They offer about 15 unique flavors, of which my favorites include the Victoria (vanilla with vanilla buttercream frosting), the Scarlett (strawberry cake with strawberry filling and strawberry buttercream frosting), and of course...my all-time favorite...<enter dramatic music>...THE RUBY (red velvet with cream cheese frosting).

You really can't go wrong with what you choose as your dessert here, but, oh, the Ruby...it just melts in your mouth.  Joe can vouch for me when I say this -- I literally close my eyes every time I eat one of these cupcakes.  The Ruby just boasts a sweet, creamy, rich icing that perfectly complements the slight cocoa flavor from the cupcake.  I feel like my entire body melts and is elevated to a greater level of existence when I consume one of these delectable treats.

The Victoria is certainly a close second among the contenders.  I've always believed that the poor vanilla flavor has gotten a bad reputation, being dubbed 'boring' and 'flavorless,' when it is, in fact, the complete opposite. Vanilla is one of the most uniquely beautiful flavors on the face of this universe.  It is anything but boring.  Plus, didn't you know that vanilla bean pods come from a type of orchid?  There is nothing bland** about that!  Anyway, my point is, vanilla buttercream on vanilla is a stellar combination and certainly worth trying at Yum Yum!

**Note: I just looked up synonyms for the word "bland" on thesaurus.com and found "vanilla" on the list. Can you believe that??

The one drawback to this place?  Well, sales only happen from their flamboyantly bright pink trucks (at least you can spot them from a mile away).  There is no publicized bakery.  Not to fret, though -- even though we can't really see where the magic really happens, Yum Yum's calendar is posted on the website, which makes it easy to follow them if you are a devoted fan.  And honestly, I appreciate these quality cupcakes so much more when there actually is a "Yum Yum spotting."

Now, with that being said, anyone heading to the grand opening of the Howell Mill Food Park to enjoy some delicious grub this Thursday?  My only requirement is that after we wash down an out-of-this-world entree, we must  head over to Yum Yum's (or King of Pops, for that matter) for a sweet treat.  

Quick 'n Dirty Migas Topped With Fresh Tomatillo Sauce

Well readers, I promised some more recipes inspired by the Homesick Texan cookbook, so that's just what I'm going to give you.

Taco stands are plentiful in Texas; breakfast burrito shacks are even more popular (Juan in a Million and Villa's Taco Shack in Austin come to mind).  No matter the time of day or year, cheap, authentic Tex-Mex food always seems to hit the spot with me.  And one of the most loved classic breakfast platters at a cheap Tex-Mex joint is the migas.

Last Saturday evening, Joe and I made the most decadent breakfast for dinner -- we fried an entire packet of bacon; made grilled cheese sandwiches jam-packed with sharp cheddar cheese, fresh basil (from the garden!) and thick slices of tomatoes, fried in bacon grease; and rustled up some non-traditional migas served with a fresh tomatillo sauce and an avocado salad.  We felt like we'd be stuffed for a week after THAT meal, but the migas really seemed to hit the spot with the flavors of the rich, smoky bacon, tangy cilantro, and fiery peppers worked into the creamy eggs.

For those of you who are not as familiar with Tex-Mex cuisine, traditional migas are a scrambled egg dish often served with spicy chorizo and fried tortilla strips.  They are usually served with a salsa or pico de gallo.  Spanish and Portuguese migas are actually completely different than Tex-Mex based migas, as they are usually prepared with leftover bread and contain no eggs.  Tex-Mex migas are rich and heavy, but a comforting dish that just leaves a warm feeling inside you when you close your eyes and take in all the flavors from the meats and vegetables mixed together.

Unfortunately, neither Joe nor I bought chorizo from the store last week, so we hoped bacon would suffice.  It turned out not as great as the real thing (i.e. what you would traditionally get from a typical Tex-Mex restaurant), but let's face it, y'all -- ANYTHING with bacon tastes great.  I also used fried tortilla chips as a substitute for regular corn tortillas typically used in migas.  I went for a tomatillo salsa because of two reasons: (1) I bought 4 tomatillos last week that needed to be used, and (2) I thought the extra acidity from this tangy fruit related to the gooseberry would cut the richness of the migas a little (for more information about tomatillos, read here).  Oh, and have no fear, y'all -- tomatillos are really not as scary as they might seem (I was always afraid of them because I never knew how to prepare them!).  They really make a great base for a salsa.  Oh, and homemade tomatillo salsa tastes NOTHING like what you would get at 99% of Tex-Mex restaurants.  Yup, it really tastes that much better.

I glanced quickly through the recipes for migas and tomatillo salsa in the Homesick Texan cookbook, but decided to mostly do things on the fly.  Surprisingly, things turned out pretty decently!  Below are the recipes for the migas, salsa, and avocado salad.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

-6 eggs
-2 large tomatoes
-1 large bunch cilantro
-2 cloves garlic
-salt/pepper to taste
-2 fresh limes, quartered
-3 fresh avocados
-4 fresh tomatillos
-2 serrano peppers
-1 handful of tortilla chips
-6-8 pieces (depending on how rich you want to make this) of coarsely chopped bacon // 1 packet of coarsely chopped spicy chorizo
-1 handful of cheddar cheese OR queso fresco
-1/2 large red onion

Preparation:

Migas:
1. Mix 6 eggs, a splash of milk, 1 diced tomato, 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic, 1 handful of chopped cilantro, 1 chopped serrano pepper, and chopped bacon (or chorizo) and heat in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
2. Heat until the eggs are almost done, then add the cheese and crushed tortilla chips to the pan.  Mix thoroughly with the eggs.
3. Remove from heat when done and serve hot with a side of avocado salad and a dollop of tomatillo salsa.

Avocado salad:
1. Dice avocados into small pieces.
2. Mix in plenty of salt, black pepper, the juice of half a lime, and a handful of chopped cilantro.
3. Serve with the migas.

Tomatillo salsa:
1. Remove the husks of the tomatillos and halve them.
2. Add the tomatillos, roughly chopped onion, generous amounts of salt and black pepper, de-stemmed serrano pepper, 1 large bunch of pre-washed cilantro (stems and all!!), and the juice of 1 whole lime to a food processor.
3. Pulse until the salsa becomes somewhat creamy (no chunks of tomatillos!).  It may take a few minutes.
4. Adjust any seasonings and refrigerate for a few minutes to let the flavors marry.
5. Serve with migas and avocado salad.

Sorry for not zooming in on the migas, y'all. You'll see the tomatillo
salsa served atop the migas, with a side of the avocado salad.  Of course,
I had to get a shot of the grilled cheese and the bacon, too!!  Talk about
a decadent breakfast-for-dinner! :)

Salmon Croquettes - A Southern Tradition (and Treat!)

I have to brag a little, y'all.  I am incredibly lucky to have such such caring, wonderful friends.  My 28th birthday was a few weeks ago, and in celebration, one of my dearest college friends (who is, by the way, a badass triathlete) Anna sent me the bible of Texas home cooking.  Yes, that's right, y'all...she sent me "The Homesick Texan" cookbook.  Now, for those of you who are not familiar with Lisa Fain, she is a seventh generation Texan who moved to New York and has been missing the big, open sky and Texan tradition ever since.  Her nostalgia became so strong that she began writing a blog documenting her culinary explorations, which later resulted in a fabulous cookbook.  What I found so unique about her blog was not just the intricate photos she took of her foods, or the memories that her recipes of such regional classic dishes as Texas-style barbeque, stuffed avocados, or chicken/beef fajitas evoked, but her simple, anecdotal writing style.  Each entry had a perfect dash of personal touch -- just enough to connect with any reader, regardless of his/her background.  Then, when Anna sent me the cookbook, I became HOOKED.  Unfortunately, I caught a terrible cold the morning of my birthday, but I spent all day reading in bed about different recipes and marking my favorites to try later.  Not a bad way to spend a sick day, if I say so myself. :)

One of the most striking recipes I found in the book was one for salmon croquettes.  Now, salmon croquettes are a traditional Southern dish, but they also bring me back to my days living at home because they remind me of Bengali maacher chop (essentially, fried fish patties, or croquettes).  My mom would whip up a batch for dinner parties or when we came home from college from scratch pretty easily.  They would be served with a homemade (of course) spicy mint or cilantro chutney, as well as a sweeter, tangier tamarind sauce.  Anyway, I decided to finally make them a few days ago and they turned out pretty tasty, I think.  I have to say, though, I have a new appreciation for my mother's quick and efficient skills in the kitchen.  She'd make these things in no time at all, and I spent nearly four hours preparing my batch!

So, here's to you, Ma -- this is the first and last time I'll likely ever make these from scratch, but at least I've documented the experience and checked it off my bucket list.  Now for the deets...

I did change Lisa's recipe a little (because, let's face it...you know by now that I can never follow recipes exactly...), and the final details below reflect those changes.  Instead of using Panko or breadcrumbs to coat the patties, I rolled them in a plate of finely crushed cheddar and sour cream chips (!!). I also served the croquettes aside 2 sauces; the first was a creamy cilantro sauce (reminiscent of my mom's cilantro chutney, but a little different recipe), while the other was a yogurt-based dip reminiscent of tzatziki, but with cilantro and lime.  I served the delectable pan-fried salmon patties with a Southwestern-style salad packed with creamy avocados, succulent tomatoes, freshly boiled black beans (not from the can, y'all), and a healthy dose of lime, salt, cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco.  If you do try the recipe below, feel free to use instant potatoes and canned salmon to cut down on preparation time.  I made everything from scratch just to try it once (plus I found an incredible sale on salmon last week and had some extra fish leftover in my freezer!).  Bon appetit!

Salmon croquettes served with creamy cilantro and yogurt-based sauces, and
a refreshing Southwestern-style salad.

Ingredients:

-1 lb salmon fillet
-1/4 lb Yukon gold potatoes
-1 serrano (or your favorite) pepper
-red pepper flakes
-6 cloves of garlic
-1 onion
-3 limes
-1 large egg
-1 small bag of cheddar and sour cream (or your favorite) chips
-1 bunch cilantro
-1 cup yogurt
-salt/pepper to taste
-1-2 tbsp butter (to fry the patties)

Preparation:

Croquettes:

-Lightly season the salmon with salt and garlic (garlic often kills the 'fishy' smell if it's not the freshest batch in the seafood aisle) and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees (*Note: Cook time will vary by oven)
-Remove salmon from oven after cooked completely and let cool.  After it has cooled, remove the skin on the back of the fillet.
-Boil potatoes on the stove until they seem soft enough to mash (*Note: Usually takes less time if you halve or quarter the potatoes), then drain and let potatoes cool.
-Mash the potatoes and salmon in a large mixing bowl (it's more fun to do it with your hands!) and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, a handful of chopped cilantro, and the juice of one lime.
-Finely chop half an onion and four cloves of garlic, then sautee for 1-2 minutes until they begin to 'sweat.'
-Remove onions and garlic from stove and add to the salmon and potato mix, along with 1 large egg.
-Mix/mash thoroughly and form tennis ball sized spheres from the mixture.  Flatten the patties onto a separate plate.
-Coat the patties in the crushed chips and fry in a large pan, 3 minutes on each side.  Serve warm with 2 sauces (or your own concoction) described below.
*Note: Remember, you can store fried croquettes on a cookie sheet in the oven at 170 degrees, to keep your food warm.

Creamy Cilantro Sauce:
-Combine 1 bunch of washed cilantro (stems and all), two tablespoons yogurt, half an onion, 1 raw serrano (or your favorite) pepper (stem removed), the juice of one lime, a generous amount of salt, and a splash of water into a food processor.
-Pulverize the mixture until it becomes a creamy sauce.  Adjust seasonings as needed.

A Southwestern Tzatziki Sauce:
-Strain half a cup of yogurt into the sink or a large bowl using a cheese cloth (if you don't have cheese cloth, which I never do, then you can always use an old cotton rag or t-shirt, as long as it's clean).  Most of the liquid should drain within 10-20 minutes.
-Remove the strained yogurt from the cloth and pour into a small bowl.
-Add 2 cloves of FINELY chopped garlic, the squeeze of half a lime, 1 handful of chopped cilantro, and a generous amount of salt.
-Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed.

When life gets you down, put things in perspective...

Today's post only peripherally involves food.  Don't worry, I'll still provide a recipe by the end of this spiel, but this post mostly focuses on the importance of putting things in perspective.  And running.

I've had numerous people ask me why I run.  WHAT possesses you to get up every morning and run before work? WHY do you feel the need to put extra miles in on the weekends?  HOW do you motivate yourself to run these long distance races?  Or simply, WHY do you run?

I do it because running represents a microcosm of my life.  Most people think I'm crazy because I love training in hilly areas.  But to be honest, I absolutely crave the feeling of accomplishment after tackling a big one -- the pain, the blood, sweat, and tears that go into trudging up a mountain (or what appears to be a mountain 10 miles into a run, ha!), all well worth it when I get to the top.  Forgive me for being hokey, but when I run uphill, I picture my climb to represent adversity, life's deepest fears, the things we feel we'll never overcome.  Trust me, when you see a large hill in front of you during a race, your immediate thought probably isn't, "Let's do this shit!!"  It's more than likely something like, "Jesus, this is a big hill. Am I going to make it?  Everyone else is walking or stopping around me, maybe I should give myself a break, too."  That's all the negative talk your head, dictating what you can and cannot do.  All that negative talking can really limit your abilities, you know, if you really let it.  And while it's important to listen to your body and understand your limitations (I'm getting to that next), it's vital to be able to tell the difference between your mind trying to talk you down and your body giving you warning signs to play it cool.  If I decide that it's just negative banter in my head, I redirect my mind towards my only goal for the next 15 seconds to 5 minutes (yeah, some hills are big) -- climb to the top.  And don't stop.  I did try to stop once during a long distance race, actually.  I was at mile 11 of a half marathon in Austin, Texas and I was just plain exhausted from the heat.  I started to walk uphill, when I heard a guy on the sideline yell, "NO!  Don't walk! You can do this! Just run it!  You know you have it in you!" The guy was near screaming in my face, and boy did I listen to him.  "OKAYYYYYY," I yelled back and nodded my head vigorously.  I then ran up that hill with every fiber in my being, and suddenly, a second wind kicked in.  I conquered that hill, the one that I wasn't sure if I could climb.  The one I was sure I would walk up because I was just too damn tired.  I did it because someone encouraged me and I shut that negative talk away so I could see my path very clearly (I'm suddenly reminded of the Bad Idea Bears from Avenue Q).  And similarly, when I get to a point in my life when I feel like I just can't deal with what's in front of me (it's happened before, and it's bound to happen again), I know I can overcome.  As long as I know my clear path to the finish line, I just need to put things in perspective, shut down those Bad Idea Bears, and keep on keepin' on.  We can all do it.

Now, getting to knowing one's limitations.  Life is sometimes hard.  Life sometimes throws us curveballs.  Life never turns out the way we plan it to be, no matter how hard we try.  And what do we do when things don't go our way?  We figure out a new plan. We improvise.  We find a solution to the problem and move on, knowing that, even though life threw us off a little bit, we still have our loved ones around us.  Last Thursday (on my 28th birthday, no less), I woke up with a terrible cold and I panicked.  I had, just 48 hours earlier, purchased an entry ticket for the Atlanta Publix Half Marathon on Sunday.  I HAD to be at that race!  I decided to take action.  I would take ibuprofen three times a day, I would drug myself with pseudoephedrine twice a day. I'd make myself lemon, ginger, and honey tea and drink it every hour.  I'd keep myself hydrated and stay off my feet.  I was going to play this game right if I was going to make this race!  I went the entire weekend thinking I was going to make that race, guys.  I was super determined.  I even went out and bought myself energy gus, picked up my race packet, and signed up for a pace group.  I was NOT going to let a silly little rhinovirus get the best of me!  (*Note: 3 years ago, while working at the CDC Influenza Division, I was hit by, no less, the influenza virus 4 days before another long distance race.  Talk about bad luck!)  But, by Saturday evening, I began to realize the limitations of my own body.  I had been running on crazy adrenaline the last three days; or, maybe it was the 100+ fever talking, who knows.  Regardless, I finally understood that if I ran this race on Sunday morning, I would set back my recovery another week.  Plus, the temperatures were so high on Sunday that my fever probably would have spiked mid-race.  BUT I COULDN'T GIVE UP YET!  Perhaps there was a solution!  Perhaps I could take preemptive measures to drug myself and keep my fever down!  I decided to look for Runner's World articles and blogs on 'rules of thumb' for running races with a cold.  "So, if your symptoms are from the neck up, you're okay to run! That's me! Wait, except for fevers? And body aches?  Ah, nuts.  Maybe this other website will tell me otherwise." Yeah, that's what I was doing for about an hour.  Ridiculous.  This was the Bad Idea Bears started planting ideas in my head.  I eventually returned to reality, confirmed with a few friends (thanks, Katie and Helen) that if I ran the exact race course the following weekend by myself, I could still justify wearing my race shirt, and finally relaxed and gave up fighting my body the rest of the night.  :)

I slept soundly for the most part that night, but I kept having vivid dreams of waking up at 4 AM, feeling 100%, and deciding to run the race anyway at the last minute.  TWICE I had the same dream!  Anyway, to ameliorate these feelings of guilt and defeat, Joe and I cheered race participants on from the 20 mile marker the next day. I'd like to think our high fives and words of encouragement to "just push through that wall" helped at least a few people.  It was the least I could do to help out the running community of Atlanta, right? (Joe and I are both too familiar with that terrible, stubborn, lonely wall around miles 18-20.  It's a doosey to get through.)

That cheered me up a little, but I still felt a little glum.  Joe kept reminding me that if I had indeed run this race, I would have ended up like Allie (of Hyperbole and a Half).  [**Note: If you have not experienced the awesomeness that is Hyperbole and a Half, you MUST read this blog.  It is a fantastic time waster.  And hilarious.  You might be crying and falling out of your chair due to intense belly-aching laughs.]  To cheer me up, we decided to cook together a simple, yet hearty, chicken fiesta soup (similar to a chicken tortilla soup, but with potatoes added to it).  It was a fantastic meal, topped with an avocado and tomato pico de gallo and crushed tortilla chips.

Here's the recipe below...enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 whole chicken, with skin
-1 pot full of water
-3 small tomatoes, or 2 large ones
-2 avocados
-1 large red onion
-2 handfuls of red potatoes
-1 cup corn
-1 cup black beans
-1 bunch of cilantro
-Salt/pepper to taste
-1 whole lime
-tortilla chips (as a topper)
-shredded cheddar cheese (as a topper)

Preparation:

Chicken broth:
-Place whole chicken, with skin, into a pot full of water with some salt, and heat until boiling.  Let simmer and continue to heat on low for about an hour.
*Note: You can also add things like carrots, celery, and bay leaves to the pot of water when making the broth.  We kept it simple, though.

Avocado and tomato pico de gallo:
-Dice 2 avocados, 2 small tomatoes (or 1 large tomato), and a fourth of a red onion into small cubes.
-Slice a handful of cilantro into the pico de gallo.
-Salt and pepper generously.
-Add the squeeze of about half a lime.
-Adjust seasonings as needed.

Chicken Fiesta Soup:
-In a pot full of chicken broth, add diced potatoes, 1 diced tomato, 3/4 diced onion, 1 cup of black beans (pre-washed), 1 cup of corn (pre-washed), half of a chicken (shredded), salt/pepper, and the squeeze of half a lime.
-Cook on high heat until boiling, then let simmer for 2+ hours.
-Remove from heat, ladle in a healthy serving of the chicken fiesta soup, and top with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo, if desired.
-ENJOY!

A Surprisingly Pleasant Visit to The Waffle House // Umami, Dearest

Alas, I return from another blog hiatus.  I hope you are ready for a blog-tastic time.  Err, um (oom)-tastic time. Ah, pun-tastic time.  Oh boy.  We all know how much I love cheesy puns and play on words.  (Feel free to roll your eyes at this point)

All right, did we get that all out of our system yet?  Okay!  Well, I have a lot to tell you all, folks.  In fact, too much to fit into one tiny post.  Regardless, I'll try to catch you all up on the juicy, delect-acular details (see what I mean??).

A SURPRISINGLY PLEASANT VISIT TO THE WAFFLE HOUSE

A few weeks ago, Joe and I went on a longer run with Sasha.  We took full advantage of the gorgeous weather and tackled a beautiful 9 mile route that we had carved out earlier in the day.  We were well aware, of course, that our stomachs would be begging for delicious, hearty meal and I generally like to plan my post-run meal ahead of time so I have something to look forward to.  "Where do you want to go for lunch today?  It has to be something DELICIOUS," I declare.  "Well, how about Waffle House?  We NEVER go to Waffle House," he replies.  GROAN.  WAFFLE HOUSE?!  I was skeptical.  (*Note: Joe has always wanted to visit the Waffle House Museum in Decatur, but unfortunately -- and maybe rather fortunately -- it is only open once a month.)  Anyway, I obliged and we headed to the nearest Waffle House after an invigorating jog in the sunshine together.  I ended up getting the pecan waffles with a side of bacon, while Joe ventured into the meaty entrees by ordering the fiesta omelet (which contained cheese, onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos).  I have to say, aside from the painstakingly slow service and the somewhat unclean kitchen floors, I was pleasantly surprised with our experience at the local Wa-Ho (as they call it here in Georgia).  Pecans were a perfect sweet and nutty addition to my waffles, which I topped with a thick slab of butter and a healthy dose of maple syrup.  Of course, one can never go wrong with a side of bacon, either.  Joe's fiesta omelet was a perfect, hearty post-run meal, packed with tons of protein.  So, while Waffle House was not my first choice in restaurants, it was a cheap way to re-energize after a long workout (I think our meal was a total of $15, and we got a TON of sides!).  Three cheers for Waffle House!

UMAMI, DEAREST

I read the most fascinating New York Times article a few days ago about the umami flavor.  As you'll recall, I've mentioned and described umami in some detail in a previous post, but this article highlights the most distinctive characteristics of the umami flavor and features them in a few fabulous recipes.  I plan on trying some of them over the next few weeks, but the miso butter seems particularly appealing (and the simplest) to me. I imagine the rich, nutty, salty flavors of the butter likely go well with just about anything, but I may try it with a medley of different types of mushrooms.  So, here's what I'm thinking -- a combination of shiitake, button, oyster, and enoki (or other) mushrooms sauteed in garlic, chives, and miso butter.  OR, a flaky fish, like tilapia or catfish, topped with miso butter, garlic, fresh ginger, and leeks, baked in a covered dish for 20-25 minutes.  I'll try these recipes (or others, if you all have suggestions) and report back the results.  Please do the same if you have any creative ideas or fantastic recipes in mind!  Something else that intrigued me on this page was the miso spice.  While it seems like it can be used as a topper or dry rub for various different dishes, the preparation of the spice appears to be somewhat onerous and time-consuming, so I may not try it after all.  Unless, of course, I happen to have 8 hours of spare time; but I may use that time to do other things, like eat foods involving miso butter!  (insert evil laugh)


My apologies for the silliness of this post.  I am in a silly mood, I'll be honest.  Tomorrow (or soon), I will post something about a trip I took to Houston a few weeks ago.  The entire weekend was a feast!

Hearty salad topped with smoked salmon and crushed chips

*Warning: Today's post will be short and simple.  Hope you still enjoy!

Y'all, I had the best salad yesterday.  All I wanted to do at the end of the day was come home and eat a comforting, filling dinner and watch some mindless TV with my sweet Sasha.  I remembered having some leftover smoked salmon from lunch and some irresistible loaded baked potato potato chips with ridges (best chips in the world, next to smoky barbeque chips.  Oh, and the ridges are key - chips taste better with that thick texture!) laying around.  So, I decided to make a large salad with whatever I had laying around the pantry and top it off with the salmon and crushed chips.  I think you can use literally whatever is in your fridge, but I happen to cut some lettuce, tomato, carrots, radishes, red onion, strawberries, and sliced almonds into my salad.  After topping it with thinly sliced salmon, I added a tangy, garlicky dressing and crushed a handful of deeeeeeeeee-lectable chips into the bowl.  (*Note: The chips should always go in last to maintain maximum crunchiness!)

Every bite was filled with the smokiness of the salmon, crunchiness of the radishes, chips, and almonds, and juiciness of the various sliced fruit in the salad.  Mmmm-mmm!  What a perfect way to end the day.

Here's the recipe for the dressing I made:

Garlicky balsamic vinaigrette (this is for a small jar-full):

Ingredients:

-1 part balsamic vinegar, 4 parts olive oil
-sea salt, cracked pepper
-1 large clove of garlic

Preparation:

-Combine vinegar, oil, and salt/pepper (to taste)
-Crush and finely chop the garlic and add to dressing (Note: It is important to crush the garlic first!  I usually do so with a meat tenderizer.  It helps release the delicious juices into the dressing.)
-Mix well and serve with salad

Creamy black bean soup

This post is dedicated to my friend Angela, who is the star baker of the Epi PhD program at Emory.  She sent me a delicious recipe for spicy chipotle black bean soup that we both ended up being immediately drawn to.  Everyone knows that croutons go well in soups, but little did I realize until late last week, that you can 'crouton' a lot of different things aside from bread.  This particular recipe called for sweet potato croutons, which were just as easy to make as regular old bread croutons, and a lot healthier.

Last Saturday evening, Joe and I got together with some old friends for dinner.  We cooked a fantastic 6 course meal (8 if you count the different types of desserts!) together, including 2 different types of roasted cornish hens.  (Aside: These are the same friends who came over for dinner when I had the cornish hen disaster of 2011.  They were sweet and decided to take another chance on me.)  I thought it would be perfect to start the crisp, cool evening off with a hearty and spicy black bean soup, so I made it as a sort of appetizer or starter, if you will.  As you all know by now, I never read through recipes thoroughly during the cooking process because I always end up changing things up anyway (hence why I have been discouraged by a few to bake homemade cookies ever again).  So, after a quick skim, I followed the general recipe while making a few improvisations along the way.  Generally speaking, it turned out pretty well.  I loved that the recipe had a refreshing Southwestern flair -- it called for fire-roasted tomatoes, which really added a smoky flavor to the dish, as well as creamy avocado slices, citrusy cilantro, and freshly-squeezed lime juice.  Main modifications I would make to the recipe include adding queso fresco as a topping (adds an additional level of creaminess and texture, plus cheese makes everything better) and baking/broiling the sweet potatoes to make them a little healthier with a similar crunchy texture.  Oh, and I nixed the greek yogurt topping.  I don't think the soup needs it, to be honest.  As usual, see below for the final recipe with final modifications:

Ingredients:

-2 cans of black beans
-1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes
-4 cups of chicken broth, or enough bullion to make the equivalent amount
-5 cloves of garlic
-1 medium onion
-1-2 serrano peppers, or whatever other peppers you have lying around the house
-1 fresh lime
-Handful of cilantro
-Salt/pepper to taste
-1 sweet potato
-Queso fresco
-1 avocado

Soup Preparation:

-Wash and drain the black beans
-Peel and roughly chop the garlic and onion
-Roughly chop the peppers and cilantro
-Slice the lime into quarters for ease in squeezing
-Fry the onions and garlic in a large pot on medium-high heat for a few minutes until they begin to brown
-Add the beans, canned tomatoes, broth, and peppers and cover the pot
-Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and let simmer
-Add cilantro, lime, salt and pepper to taste, and heat for another 10-15 minutes while covered
-Turn heat off and remove pot from stove.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
-Pour mixture into blender and puree until smooth.  Serve with toppings (see below).

Sweet Potato Crouton Preparation:

-Dice sweet potato into 1"x1" cubes.
-Place cubes into a baking pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt.
-Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
-When sweet potatoes look like they are beginning to brown, broil for 2-3 minutes.

Serving the soup:

-Serve piping hot (can place the blended, pureed soup back on the stove if need be) with queso fresco, diced avocado, and crunchy sweet potato croutons.
-Enjoy!

This picture is not mine but from the website with the original recipe.
I forgot to take pictures again!

Beer-braised pork with purple potatoes and carrots, and spicy sweet potato soup

Well, I have to say, I'd been waiting to try this beer-braised pork recipe for a few weeks now.  My partner-in-crime and culinary guinea pig had been out of the country for a week and a half and I was itching to try this with him!  I finally got my opportunity over a Valentine's Day dinner on Tuesday evening; overall, I'd say it was a success.  The key was marinating the pork chops in beer for a couple of hours (and no more!) and braising the meat until it literally fell off the bone.  Alcohol (amongst other things) is a natural meat tenderizer; when added to a marinade, it naturally penetrates and breaks down meat tissue.  One must be careful with tenderizing meat in this fashion for too long, however, since it can actually make the meat slimy and mushy.  And nobody wants mushy meat for dinner.  Ew.

I wanted to make this a finger-lickin' good platter (!), so I decided to braise the meat in the oven with some sliced purple potatoes so the starchiness of the potato could absorb some of the juices from the meat.  I thought maybe a lighter, sweeter dish would be an appropriate accompaniment to a hearty, gravy-filled pork entree so, inspired by the Homesick Texan (thank you for the recommendation, AP), I concocted a version of the chipotle sweet potato soup presented here.  And, of course you can't go wrong with roasted potatoes of any kind, so both of these were served with a side of garlic-roasted purple potatoes.

If I had to evaluate the meal, I'd give the pork entree about an 7.7.  I could have definitely made improvements to it.  In particular, if I had to make this dish again, I would use Russet potatoes because they are much starchier than other types of potatoes and would therefore absorb more of the pork juiciness.  Further, I would ACTUALLY braise the pork.  That's right, folks, I fibbed right on my blog!  I actually just baked the pork in a covered pot for 3 hours.  If you recall, braising involves both high and low heat (slow) cooking.  Typically it involves some sort of meat, which is first seared on the stove; after the surface of the meat is cooked, the dish is slow cooked on low, either in the oven or on the stove, often after additional liquid is added.  The intention is for the added liquid to then mix with the fats released during the high heat cooking process to create a warm, hearty, comforting gravy sauce that perfectly complements your oh-so-tender-fall-off-the-bone meat.  Anyway, in bypassing the initial high heat process, I may have failed to burn off some of the beer taste.  Don't worry, it's not like this dish was swimming in alcohol, guys.  The alcohol had long burned off.  But I do wonder if the SLIGHT ale-y taste I got in the gravy was due to not cooking the meat uncovered on high heat first.  Anyone have thoughts on that?

With that being said, I probably should have used less of the beer in the marinade to begin with.  I used an entire bottle, but half a bottle probably would have been sufficient.  That is not to say that this dish wasn't still good!  The meat was certainly tender and fell off the bone.  It was hearty and comforting.  Each bite was filled with tender meat, seasoned with wintry rosemary, garlic, shallots, and gravy-saturated carrots and potatoes.  So, with a few tweaks and adjustments, my final recommended recipe is below.

The spicy sweet potato soup deserves a rating of 9.3...no, 9.6.  I have to say, this dish really made our night.  Lighty and creamy, the sweetness of the potato seemed to be perfectly balanced with a hint of serrano pepper (sorry, folks -- didn't have any peppers on me, and besides, I hate following recipes to a "tee"...I usually just glance and go).  I have to give a lot of credit to Lisa Fain, who just has some really amazing recipes on her blog which make me nostalgic for Texas and its unique, varied cuisine.  This particular recipe really caught my eye, though, and I'm glad it turned out well.  I also have to say that adding nutty parmesan cheese and fresh basil to the soup really brought out the sweetness of the potatoes and spicy kick from the peppers.  It really brought the whole dish together, guys.  Don't leave them out!!

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for (or maybe just my parents and Joe, who MIGHT be the only people who read this on a regular basis...because they feel obligated to) -- the final products:

Juicy, tender, deliciously 'braised' pork chops with carrots and potatoes.  

Spicy sweet potato soup, served with a side of roasted garlic purple
potatoes.  I forgot to take a picture of the soup with the chopped basil
and parmesan cheese on top!  I can't stress to you how essential these
two "condiments" are to this soup!

THE RECIPES (dun-dun-dun):

Beer-Braised Pork Atop Purple Potatoes and Carrots:

Ingredients:

-2-ish pounds of pork (I used mixed chops, but you can use whatever)
-2 shallots
-4-5 cloves of garlic
-1 cup cream
-1 cup of chicken broth (or you can just use the appropriate amount of bullion for 1 cup of broth)
-1/2 bottle of beer
-2 large sprigs of rosemary
-salt/pepper to taste
-2 Russet potatoes
-2 large carrots
-1 serrano pepper

Preparation:
-Marinate pork in a large plastic bag or bowl with beer, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic, shallots, rosemary, and serrano pepper(s) for 4-8 hours.  Do NOT marinate for more than 8 hours to avoid slimy texture in the meat; the thinner your meat cut, the shorter your marinate time should be.
-Sear the pork on both sides (if you have chops, I'd say 3 minutes on each side?) in a large pot until mostly done.
-Cube the potatoes (into 2 inches x 2 inch blocks?) and add them, along with sliced carrots, 1 cup of cream and another cup of chicken broth (if you so desire, and if you feel you want more liquid in the gravy), to the pot and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours WITH THE COVER ON (this prevents the gravy liquid from escaping the pot so you don't end up roasting your pig).
-At this point, preparation should be relatively low maintenance.  Pull that sucker out when you think it's ready (likely in 2-3 hours) and take a taste test.  You'll know when it's good to go!


Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

-2 large sweet potatoes
-1 shallot
-2 cloves garlic
-ground cinnamon
-salt/pepper
-4 cups chicken broth
-1/2 cup milk
-1 (or more, depending on your heat tolerance) serrano (or other) pepper(s)
-1 tablespoon ghee/butter
-fresh basil leaves
-parmesan cheese

Preparation:

-Roughly chop the shallot, garlic, and sweet potatoes.
-Sautee the chopped shallot, garlic, and serrano pepper with ghee or butter until they begin to brown.
-Add the sweet potatoes and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
-Add chicken broth, milk, appropriate amounts of salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon in a covered pot on medium for about 20-30 minutes (or until the sweet potatoes are tender and done).
-Remove from stove to cool for about 10 minutes.  (Note: It should start smelling delicious at this point!)
-Add soup mixture to blender and puree/pulse blend until it becomes incredibly creamy.
-Serve while hot and topped with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.  It makes ALL the difference in the world, guys.  Trust me.

Enjoy, y'all!