Pinterest and My Interest

I was recently asked if I look at pinterest. My response was, 'I am not allowed to anymore.' The truth is, I would never be able to sleep. I am allowed one day of surfing pinterest per month. That day turns my world upside down. It the best things in the world condensed into one place. If you have concentration issues like me, it is a war zone. Please enjoy it as much as possible. The problem for me is that, it is like a never ending GOOD magazine. I cannot tell you how much I love it. For now I shall just inform you of a few good things I have found in the past few days. For instance,

So, my images are nothing like that of this amazing food magazine GASTRONOMICA but, what I made could be in there somewhere. I made a base for my Moroccan dishes; salted and canned citrus.

For some strange reason they made a hamburger out of a wood. This one is for my Dad, he is a wood shop supervisor for Ferris State University. He can eat anyone under the table and still look as thin as can be. 

This was part of the Bloody bar at a brunch I hosted two weeks ago. It was so simple. It was very tasty. The image was photographed by my friend Kaitlyn McQuaid. We are brain storming currently on a new project. It is really exciting. It is also a secret which will be photographed by Feb 2012. Keep checking back for some fun hints.

Just thought I would give ya' a hot yellow tone picture and then a red and repeat it. Mmmmmm....this is such a hot arrangement. The parrot tulips are red, yellow and green, there is a bunch of red tulips, spray roses with splashes of yellow and red garden roses with splashes of white.

CARMEL

So, I knew I should have watched this before I tried to make this dessert a few weeks ago. I knew Grodon Ramsay, had a simple video. Did I watch it? No, instead I wasted 2 sticks of butter and about 1/2 bag of sugar on the first batch of carmel. It just burned and burned and bubbled and bubbled. Ramsay basically tells you in this small clip everything that went wrong. I started with butter first. Sugar I mixed up in there, my pan was way too hot. It did not cool down, it wouldn't. The second time around it worked. So the moral of the story is try and try and try again. Mistakes make thing taste better any how.

For this dessert, my friend (and photographer) and I, added italian glace orange peels with carmel on top of vanilla ice cream. It was a bit too sweet for me.  I will be making some changes for the third time around. Like what about just mixing it all up in the blender next time. Yeah, that is it. The End.

Vegetarian Salads Taste So Good

What, something that is really good for you and it taste good too? What, it is so easy even a two year old can make it? There are only 7 ingredients? You can add diced tomatoes which I would have done if it was summer!

1 Large Cucumber

1 Can Chickpeas

Juice of a Lemon

1/3 Cup Tahini 

Salt 

Pepper

Olive Oil

Dice up vegetables, mix lemon and tahini. Salt and pepper the dish and drizzle the salad with olive oil.

Oh, quick after thought...Look for the tahini at your middle eastern stores for the best deal.

Working With Kaitlyn McQuaid from (C)lick the Plate

Lentil Soup: The Power of the Legumes.

I always mix this soup up with whatever is in my fridge but, it usually tastes pretty similar. I normally use the same spices. I add saffron which makes this soup addicting yet, I ran out. INCLUDE it if you have it around! I almost forgot to mention this is a vegan dish. I didn't even do this on purpose.

What you will need:

1/2 red onion, sliced
1 Spanish onion, sliced
2 whole cloves of garlic, 1 minced
1/4 Jalapeño, finely sliced
1 leek sliced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder
Salt to taste -USE IT
Pepper to taste- USE IT
Pinch of saffron
Cup or more of French Red Lentils, washed

6 cups water

5 or 6 potatoes, diced

1. Saute Onions in 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

2. Add fresh jalapeño and leeks, and all garlic.

4. Add spices to the saute mixture. The cumin, turmeric, curry, salt, pepper

5. After the vegetables have softened and spices distributed.

6. Add French Red Lentils

7. Stir

8. Add about 6 cups of water

9. Add potatoes

10. Simmer, do not boil 

11. Wait for lentils to soften (turn golden) and potatoes to soften.

12. TASTE IT AND THEN salt and pepper it!

13. ENJOY

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

Salad with Squash Blossoms with Nasturtium

Salad

Spinach, Peas, White Bell Pepper, Hard Boiled Eggs



Dressing

Sour cream, Mayo, Sumac, Salt, Vinegar, Olive Oil, Basil, Parsley, Lime, Horseradish



Simple Salad with a complex dressing is the way to go!

Squash Blossoms are stuffed with cheese, and a simple batter of egg and flour, but dipped twice for the extra crunch!

No Kissing Boys/Girls Tofu Salad

I guess you could kiss a man/woman after eating this but, only a man/woman that understands garlic is amazing! Can you tell I was a photo stylist all day? Why not put your salad right on top of the sun-loving-evergreen-chamaecyparis? Mmm...my bed sheets are drying in the heat and the summer air of Chicago!

You will need the following:

• Package of Yellow Tofu cubed
• Half a red cabbage sliced
• One red pepper diced
• Quater of an onion diced

In a food processor blend:

• Handful of basil
• Juice of half a lime
• Two large cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Pinch of each salt, pepper, oregano

Top off:

• Handful of parsley

Then go kiss some men not the boys.

Tango Sur and Chimichurri Sauce

Tango Sur is an incredible carnivore's place of worship. This Argentinian BYOB knows what is up in the meat department. It specializes in grilled beefs which come with a side of Chimichurri. The beef is cooked to perfection. It is worth all the waiting and Southport parking issues. I would recommend bringing a slightly nicer bottle of red ( or 2). Also, if you cook any beef at home, I suggest that you buy the Chimichurri sauce from the corner store right next door! It is so good and very inexpensive. What is in Chimichurri....

Chopped parsley

Minced Onion

Red wine vinegar

Garlic cloves

Dried oregano

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

I think there are variation on the amount of each item. Leave me a comment if you would like more information.

Location:

3767 North Southport Avenue

Chicago, IL 60613

(773)477-5466

Roasted Red Pepper Tilapia

Fillet of Tilapia ( or any other fresh white fish)

Feta
1 Roasted Red Pepper
Orange zest (tsp per fillet of fish)
Lemon pepper

Salt (tsp per)
Black Pepper (tsp per)
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 375º F

To start place red pepper on open flame. Yup, that means right on top of the stove. The skin on the pepper will begin to burn, it will turn black. You want the whole pepper to be evenly "roasted". To do this you must turn it with a tongs or fork on the flame. Take it off and put it in a brown paper bag, (IMPORTANT: this makes your life easier). Set aside.

Place Tilapia on baking sheet and splash with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle each fillet with feta! Lightly zest orange. (If you don't have a zesting tool use a sharp knife or fork)

Place baking sheet in oven and let 'er go!

After a few minutes sprinkle lemon pepper, black pepper and salt on both sides of fillet.

Take red pepper out of bag and run under cold water, the skin of the pepper should just come off, cut pepper into small strips and you should be all set. On top of fish.

After baking the fish for about 8 min or until the feta has turned a toasted tan on top.

Serve with greens and a nice baguette mmmm...

This is a nice light tasting fish, to much of the orange zest can be over powering, yet the acidity and the flavor is perfect to accent its light fish taste.

Shrimp Not That Skimpy

Simple

2 Tb spoons of salted butter

Cilantro salsa

Fresh cilantro

2 ts. Red Chilly paste

Simply make a tinfoil boat, preheat oven to 350º F . Plop ingredients on top of the shrimp in tin foil and place in oven. After about 8 minute check if shrimp is turning pink. Serve on a bed of greens add salt and pepper and enjoy!

Don't let people complicate things that are this easy! CLEAN UP CAN BE FUN ALSO, ROLL FOIL IN BALL AND TOSS!

Corn Chowder

3 corn cobs ( boiled for 8 or until tender and then cut of cob) substitute: 3 small cans of corn

1/2 package of cream cheese
1 Cup of milk
2 Cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 lb. green beans (cut into thirds)
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
3 Tb. Extra virgin olive oil
5 sprigs of thyme
Flat leaf parsley
2 tsp. dried shallots
1/4 stick of butter
1 tsp. salt and more to taste
1 tsp. fresh black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 small pinch of white pepper

Mix all ingredients together in large skillet on med heat, stir occasionally. Keep eye on it, since it should not come to a boil. Once it is close to a boil let simmer and stir occasionally. Once 1/16 of it has evaporated and green beans are tender (about 45 minutes) add 1/4 cup flour and whisk in rapidly, to avoid clumps.

I really enjoy this soup just as it is, others might recommend adding chicken, but I would say see what you think first. Serve with crackers and enjoy the benefits of this bountiful earth!

Arugula! Arugula! Arugula!

Whenever I say the word, arugula, I want to chant it over and over again. Most often arugula is used in salad dishes and other great dishes as simply a garnish! I love its peppery background taste! It is truly a blessed vegetable. I thought, how can we make it stand out on its own? How do you make it shine brightly in a dish or more than one dish. I love pesto, so I said to myself humm..."Arugula Pesto":

1 lb. arugula
1 c. cashews
1 tsp. salt ( sea salt)
1/2 c. olive oil

Puree.

So, what can you do with it?

Dressing
Add to apple cider vinager, water and more olive oil for a great salad!

Sandwich
Spread on bread or mix with mayo!

Use any way you would use pesto, you cannot go wrong.

It lasts in the refrigerator for about a week and you may freeze it for those winter blues!