Food.

So.. this is the year I am re-embracing my ability to cook. I guess you could say I was being rather stupid. I think I put the thought of me cooking on the back burner because I felt a bit too domestic. I felt like I had no one to share this passion with.

Wow was I wrong.  In the few days I have already realized that it brings people together. I even have a date on Thursday. It is helping bring the joy back into my life. I have re-claimed something that makes me happy. I guess I had been thinking 'oh someone else can do this better than me, so why try'. There is always going to be someone better at cooking then me (duh! my mom of course). All I can do is better myself at this game. I have already made two very interesting dishes. Not sure if someone else out there has made them. If so(or not) I hope that I can either cover your naked plates or just inspire some kind of imagination.

This dish was inspired by the Food & Wine, January 2012 issue that I stole from my mom over Christmas break (SORRY MOM). It was perfect. I had all the ingredients at home and even a bit more to add. The recipe was created by Madhur Jafferey (NPR INTERVIEW) in the article 'American Icons'*.

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 Jalapenos, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 pounds Swiss chard- rinsed, stems cut into 1/2-inch pieves, leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons
Salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large, deep skillet, heat oil. Add the cumin and cook over moderately high heat until slightly darkened, 10 seconds. Add the jalapenos and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the chard leaves and stems with the water that clings to the leaves and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring, until the chard is tender, 12 min. Uncover and cook over high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, 2 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, season the chard with salt and serve.

THE ADDITIONS:

4 Tablespoons of ginger ( I went a bit overboard)
1/4 cup olive oil ( substituted for vegetable oil -just what I had)
1/3 Head of Red Cabbage, cut into 1-inch ribbons (substituted for 1 pound of swiss chard)
1/2 Spanish Onion, julienned
2 1/2 Cups Organic Arugula (substituted for some of the Swiss chard)
1 Store bought pie crust
1 Egg
Pepper

PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY KAITLYN MCQUAID

PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY KAITLYN MCQUAID

ADDITIONS

1.  Simply added onions with the jalapenos and ginger.
2. Cabbage was added same time as the chard.
3. Added some pepper about  2 teaspoons.
4. Arugula was added 5 mins before the chard is completely cooked.
6. Let dish drain.
7. Places pie crust on baking sheet and put purple char mixture in the middle. Stacked it high (used about 2/3) and then folded the edged to just about the middle.
8. Paint the pie crust with an egg wash.
8. Baked open pie at 300 degrees for about 20 to 30 mins. Just so the top is golden brown.
9. Squeeze on some lemon and Enjoy!

* Interviews by Daniel Gritzer, Food Photographs by John Jernick

FRIDAY WAS PAY DAY!!!

The best place to go after you get paid in Chicago is Paulina's Meat Market. You must be very careful because you will want to buy everything. What is on special right now? Veal sausages are $6.50 per pound and a pound feeds 4 people!

If you leave with avpackage that has one of these and you will not be disappointed!

Then make this:



Sauté finely chopped celery and onions in a bit of olive oil.

Slice one veal sausage in pan and keep heat at a medium/low.

Cut up cherry tomatoes and crumble some bulgarian feta to top off the dish.

Make hollandaise sauce with 2 yolks, a teaspoon of dijon mustard, juice of 1/4 of a lemon and about 3/4 stick of butter.

Create a double boiler to thicken the hollandaise sauce.

Poach the eggs in water. A quick trick is to use a strainer in the sauce pan so they lift right out.

Toast a bagel and put everything on top.

Eat it outside and enjoy the beauty of where you are presently!

Chanterelle Quiche A Summer Treat!

Chanterelle Bacon Quiche

1/2 Ib. mixed mushrooms, Chanterelle (sliced thin) and Portobello (sliced thick)

6 strips of bacon, crispy and chopped roughly

1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds and quartered

3 cloves of Fresh garlic (2 of regular), diced fine and made into a paste

1 small onion diced

6 eggs

1/2 C. cream

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbs Fresh parsley chopped roughly

1 Tbs Fresh lemon thyme ( don't have it, use regular thyme and zest of only 1/4 lemon)

1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.

Cook bacon in a sauce pan at a medium to medium high heat, let it crisp. Remove bacon and leave fat in pan. Sautee garlic, onion and zucchini in bacon fat! No wonder it is so good!

In a medium size bowl mix eggs, cream, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme chili garlic paste.

Once onions are transparent take off heat and let cool. Mix with egg mixture and place in Quiche crust. Bake for 30-45 minutes. If omitting crust bake time changes to 20-45 minutes.

Middle should still jiggle a wee bit.

Enjoy!