Why Didn't I Try This Before?

Shrimp wrapped in bacon and barbequed. Served with a big salad and fresh bread. Yum.

Nick's White Omelette

Nick rummaged for leftovers from yesterday's cooking extravaganza and come up with this for breakfast. A white omelette, comprised of six egg whites (leftover from the yolks I used for a pastry cream) topped off with a hard-boiled egg in the middle. Yum.

My First Tart

Yesterday, my friend Alice came over and we had a cooking party. Fortified with honeydew daiquiris, we spent the afternoon chatting, chopping, and whisking. She brought new potatoes and home-made piccallili and made potato salad. Marshall smoked some ribs, and I made some sauce. And together, Alice and I made a delicious berry tart. She used a sweet crust recipe from Baking Illustrated. I used a pastry cream recipe from Julia Child's Way to Cook. It was a marvelous end to a relaxing day.

Paella Party

Last night, we were guests at friends' who made a delicious paella. Lots of fragrant saffron, it was rich with chicken, chorizo, shrimp, halibut, and mussels. We planned our upcoming trip to Kentucky; I have a long list of groceries to procure Thursday afternoon. Looking forward to cooking on the houseboat.

Two-Star Baked Scallops

Mediocre reviews last night for Giada De Laurentiis' baked scallops wrapped in prosciutto. OK, maybe part of the problem is that I used bacon instead of prosciutto.

Pretty good, but I'd like the bacon to be crispier. --Marshall

I'm not sure about the sun-dried tomato sauce. --Maddy

Next time, I would grill these. And add more basil to the sauce. The arugula was delicious, however.

Gazpach-No

Tomatoes are in season, so I thought I'd try a chilled tomato soup recipe I saw on tv last weekend, flavored with fresh ginger and coriander. (OK, I didn't have any coriander, so I used curry powder instead.) A delicious, light dinner for a warm summer night, served with bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and a crisp sauvignon blanc.

Dinner on a Stick

I had an urge for some satay this weekend, so I adapted one of Tyler Florence's recipes with a few substitutions/additions of my own. I made extra peanut sauce, that I plan to toss later this week with some soba noodles and chopped vegetables for a quick meal.

I used my microplane to grate the ginger, which worked ok, but I miss my ceramic ginger grater, which seems to have gone missing since the kitchen renovation.

Chicken Satay

Marinade
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cut into strips

Peanut sauce
2 cups smooth natural peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sambal olek
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons molasses
juice of 4 limes
1/2 cup hot water

Combine the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a ziptop bag, and pour the marinade over. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but no more than 6.

Combine the peanut sauce ingredients. Add just enough hot water to acheive desired consistency.

Thread the chicken onto skewers. Grill over a medium fire until done. Serve with peanut sauce, steamed rice, and broccoli.

Later than week....

Slice some cucumber, purple onion, and red bell pepper. Add some bean sprouts. Add some cooked soba noodles. Pour leftover peanut sauce over and toss. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve. Leftover noodles are great cold for lunch.

Nick's Salad

Nick and I were at the fish counter last night, picking up some shrimp for dinner. The case was decorated with several little piles of bright red crawfish. Nick insisted that we take some home. He wanted to make dinner.

He prepared the salad, honing his knife skills. I showed him how to slice an onion and how to peel and seed a cucumber. All went well until he began halving cherry tomatoes. One of the smaller ones rolled away from him mid-knife stroke, and he sliced his thumb. Yikes! A little Neosporin and a band-aid, however, and he had recovered.

Nick decorated the salad bowl with three crawfish, and we served the salad with grilled shrimp, more crawfish, and warm bread. A wonderful dinner, prepared with love by my son.

Homemade Pizza

One of my favorite weekend dishes is homemade pizza. Simply make the dough, prepare a handful of toppings, and let your guests make the pizza of their choice. A great way to involve your guests in dinner, and an economical way to entertain.

My Favorite Pizza Dough

1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup cold milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture sit for five minutes or so to proof; the yeast should bubble up. Add the cold milk and the olive oil. In a mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. Turn the mixer on to the lowest setting. Slowly add the liquid ingredients until the dough balls up in the bowl; add additional milk by the spoonful if necessary. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for five minutes. Turn the mixer back on and knead (or knead by hand) for 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 2-3 hours until the dough has doubled in size. Punch down and divide into thirds.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 32-oz jar whole or crushed tomatoes

In a 2-quart saucepan, saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil over low heat until translucent. Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and hot red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Blend the sauce in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Let cool.

Pizza

Preheat a pizza stone in the oven at 450 degrees. Roll dough out. Sprinkle pizza peel with cornmeal or flour and place dough on top of peel. Top with sauce. Top with desired toppings (our favorites: basil, pepperoni, purple onion, pesto, black olive, mushroom, roasted eggplant, red bell pepper). Add a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Bake on a hot pizza stone in the oven for 7-8 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Summer Sides

Ribs again tonight for dinner, which I really enjoy with a nice, homemade potato salad. Something about the hot, crispy, spicy sauce contrasting with the cool, creamy, starchy potatoes...

I used to buy the "homestyle" potato salad at the grocery, because it seemed so much easier. Then I tried to make my own one Sunday afternoon, and I was hooked. As usual, homemade is so much better, and worth the effort. Here is one flavorway that goes well with ribs.

Potato Salad Variation #3

3 lbs. red-skinned new potatoes
3 stalks celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon curry
dash Tabasco

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes or until tender (you should be able to stick a knife in them and remove it with little "give"). Drain the potatoes and let them sit in a colander for a few minutes to cool. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combile the mayonnaise, mustand, sugar, curry, and Tabasco in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside. Place the chopped celery, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the cooked potatoes into 1/2 inch dice (including the skins) and add to the bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

What I Had for Dinner Last Night

Buttered popcorn, sixty-four ounces of Coke, and an electric blue "berry" Icee. "X-Men III: The Last Stand" wasn't much better than dinner.

Garbage Frittata

It's Sunday morning and you have some leftover cheese and a few tomatoes that are getting soft. Time for a breakfast frittata. For best results, cook it on the stovetop until the eggs are just set, and then finish it in the oven or, better yet, under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Last week, Nick and I were talking books. "Why did Roald Dahl write 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'? he asked me. Huh? "He should have made it 'Charlie and the Cheese Factory'--there are lots of different kinds of cheese that are good to eat...." Yup.

Ribfest

It's summertime, and time to start smoking the ribs. We tried a (slightly) new method tonight: rub 'em with spice, mop 'em with beer and vinegar, and sauce 'em just at the bitter end. Yum. With potato salad and corn on the side, a feast fit to launch the barbeque season.

What I learned in Mexico

Last November, I took a short vacation to San Miguel de Allende to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday. We stayed in a wonderful house, with a full staff. Tomasa, the housekeeper prepared simple meals (and cocktails) for us. My favorite was her huevos rancheros, which I asked for at breakfast nearly every day. Crispy tortilla, cool, spicy salsa, and warm, rich egg, all in one delicious bite. Plus, they are quick and inexpensive to make, especially with store-bought salsa. Here is my take on Tomasa's dish, which has become a favorite quick dinner at my house.

Huevos Rancheros

8 corn tortillas
1 container fresh tomato salsa (the kind kept in the refrigerated section of the grocery)
chorizo
8 eggs
ranchero cheese, shredded
1 lime
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush the tortillas with vegetable oil and place them on a baking sheet. Toast the tortillas in the oven, turning them every 5 minutes or so, until they begin to crisp. Set aside. Brown the chorizo in a frying pan. Drain the fat and set aside. In another pan, poach the eggs. While they are poaching, set two tortillas on each of four plates. Top each tortilla with a tablespoon of salsa. Top the salsa with the eggs. Sprinkle with cooked chorizo, a little cheese, and some chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and Mexican rice.

Mother's Day

The family surprised me with crab legs and pasta for dinner. It was worth the mess just to watch the children relish their shellfish. Crab legs, mussels, lobster--all wonderful kid-friendly foods. Diner involvement, big mess, dipping (in butter, no less!), what's not to like?

Underrated vegetables

I think that beets are underrated. Most people have a visceral negative reaction to beets, but enjoy them if they give them a chance.

Case in point. I took the following beet salad recipe to a New Year's Eve party this year. It made a lovely presentation, bright red and festive in a green bowl. As I sat down, the guest next to me said, "Well, that looks gorgeous, but I don't know what they could have been thinking bringing beets to the party! Who is going to want to eat that?" I laughed, and informed her that the beet salad was my contribution to the potluck. Embarassed, my dinner partner determined to try my dish. "Wow, that's actually good," she said. Another convert.

Beet Salad with Carmelized Onions and Feta

3-4 beets
2 onions
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Cut the leafy end off of the beets, but do not peel them. Place the beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap the foil up tightly around the beets. Roast at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the onions thinly. Heat a heavy large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook the onions for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and beginning to brown. Place the onions in a large bowl.

Open the tinfoil packets and let the beets cool for a few minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the beets under cool water; the outer skin will pull off easily. Chop the beets into bite-sized pieces.

In a small bowl, mix the mustard, vinegar, and some salt to taste. Add the remainder of the olive oil, whisking vigerously, to emulsify. Add pepper to taste.

Pour the dressing over the onions and toss. Add the beets and toss again. Crumble the feta cheese over all and toss a third time. Just before serving, top with the chopped walnuts.

Boy + Icing =

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Originally uploaded by mickeynick.

Big fat mess.

Little Men

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Originally uploaded by mickeynick.

I've been baking lots and lots of sugar cookies the last couple of weeks. I prefer gingerbread, but the kids are addicted to these buttery little men, cut with my tiny gingerbread boy cookie cutter. They are difficult to decorate, but fun to eat.

Christmas Cookies

Fresh bread

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Originally uploaded by mickeynick.

I baked bread last weekend, for the first time in the new oven, and it was so well received you would have thought I had spun gold. Such a simple thing--flour, water, yeast, a little sugar--and yet so satisfying. We each had a buttered slice when it was warm from the over. Later, I served the rest of the loaf with soup for dinner.