CASE: Use up pesto!
Healthy Pizzette with Goat Cheese and Arugula Pesto
1 package whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe's
1 log goat cheese
1 cup arugula pesto
1/4 cup parmesan
any kind of meat in the house
Make a pizza from the dough. Spread arugula, and crumble goat cheese on pizza. Sprinkle the smallest amount of parmesan, with salt and pepper to taste.
HINT: If you're like our household, I eat vegetarian and my fiancee does not. So I always have frozen chicken handy, that I just boil in water. I know, it sounds gross, but really, it's fine b/c I just chop it up and toss it into whatever I'm making. So in this case, I had some leftover in the fridge and I just put it on top of the pizza. It's genius and furthermore, it's healthy! I don't have time to plan what meat to make him, and certainly not the energy to store fresh meat. This way, I buy a huge bag of frozen breasts and I never have to worry about it.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!!! Make sure your pizza stone is hot though, ours was a little bit raw. It's hard to make dinner in half an hour!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Arugula Pesto
CASE: Use up leftover arugula when there is no other lettuce in the house! I came across a recipe for butter leaf lettuce pesto, and my life just...changed. There's no other word for it. The idea that you could take butter leaf and make pesto was just so imaginative and clever and foreign to me. I felt my cooking juices reenergized, really. So I thought, I am going to make arugula pesto and that is that.
Arugula Pesto
1 leftover bag arugula
2 raw garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T milk
2 T sour cream
handful walnuts
salt
pepper
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Carefully blend in a blender. It will take time and a fork, as this is exceptionally thick.
HINT: You might want to put the arugula in little by litte, as it takes FOREVER to blend it. I don't know, but I think the better strategy is to put the liquid materials at the bottom, and the walnuts at the very end.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!!! This would be so, SO amazing on steak, I think. I am having house guests next week, and am planning to do a flank steak dinner with this pesto. I'm still mulling over what to serve it with...maybe oven roasted tomatos...maybe a grilled radicchio? Radicchio with a light balsamic dressing? I want the arugula to shine, so I think something peppery wouldn't work. Anyway, I'll probably make a nice jam crostata to go with it, as it is easy and presents so well. There's a french cafe nearby that makes really wonderful gelato, so I will serve it with that.
Arugula Pesto
1 leftover bag arugula
2 raw garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T milk
2 T sour cream
handful walnuts
salt
pepper
1/4 cup - 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Carefully blend in a blender. It will take time and a fork, as this is exceptionally thick.
HINT: You might want to put the arugula in little by litte, as it takes FOREVER to blend it. I don't know, but I think the better strategy is to put the liquid materials at the bottom, and the walnuts at the very end.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!!! This would be so, SO amazing on steak, I think. I am having house guests next week, and am planning to do a flank steak dinner with this pesto. I'm still mulling over what to serve it with...maybe oven roasted tomatos...maybe a grilled radicchio? Radicchio with a light balsamic dressing? I want the arugula to shine, so I think something peppery wouldn't work. Anyway, I'll probably make a nice jam crostata to go with it, as it is easy and presents so well. There's a french cafe nearby that makes really wonderful gelato, so I will serve it with that.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Steak & Blue Cheese Puff Pastries
CASE: B Cat's parents were meeting my parents for the first time at our place. I needed something to serve with red that was tasty, not too fancy, but nice, and delicious. His parents love steak and blue cheese, so I thought this would be good.
1 package puff pastry
tenderloin or any steak, cooked rare and then finely sliced
caramelized onions (cook red onion down with worcestshire, butter, touch of sugar)
blue cheese
fresh thyme
Thaw pastry. Press into heavily buttered muffin pan. Layer onions at bottom, add meat, sprinkle blue cheese and fresh thyme. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Bake at 400 til you think the meat hit 160. Serve hot or warm.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS! Everybody thought they were good, even his little sister.
1 package puff pastry
tenderloin or any steak, cooked rare and then finely sliced
caramelized onions (cook red onion down with worcestshire, butter, touch of sugar)
blue cheese
fresh thyme
Thaw pastry. Press into heavily buttered muffin pan. Layer onions at bottom, add meat, sprinkle blue cheese and fresh thyme. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Bake at 400 til you think the meat hit 160. Serve hot or warm.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS! Everybody thought they were good, even his little sister.
New Brunch Recipe - Bacon Potato Puff Pastry Pie
CASE: Ann sent me this recipe, she tried it out after finding it--can you believe it--in a Williams Sonoma catalogue. She had MALES asking for the recipe. Nuff said.
1 package puff pastry
eggs
cooked bacon
chives
creme fraiche and sour cream
salt
pepper
Thaw puff pastry. Roll out and then fold an edge. Brush with an egg wash. Spread the creme fraiche and sour cream mixture on top. Crack eggs on top, and add cooked bacon. Cook at 400 til cooked. Before serving, add chopped chives, salt and pepper. Looks lovely.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS. If my cousin Ann is forwarding me a recipe, it's darn good.
1 package puff pastry
eggs
cooked bacon
chives
creme fraiche and sour cream
salt
pepper
Thaw puff pastry. Roll out and then fold an edge. Brush with an egg wash. Spread the creme fraiche and sour cream mixture on top. Crack eggs on top, and add cooked bacon. Cook at 400 til cooked. Before serving, add chopped chives, salt and pepper. Looks lovely.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS. If my cousin Ann is forwarding me a recipe, it's darn good.
Plum & Goat Cheese Tarts
CASE: What to serve with Chicken Riesling?
1 package puff pastry
4 plums, cored and chopped
handful of grapes, chopped
crumbled goat cheese
grated parmesan cheese
walnuts
fresh thyme
salt
butter
pepper
Thaw pastry according to directions. Sautee plums and grapes in jam, sugar, little balsamic vinegar and butter. Press pastry into muffin tins, after generously buttering pan. Place fruit (keep juices out, it'll get too soggy. Reserve the juices and boil down if you want a drizzled sauce on top) in pastry. Chop the walnuts with the thyme very finely. Sprinkle goat cheese and parmesan cheese and finally, the walnut-thyme mixture. Add pepper. Bake at 400 till everything is cooked!
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS. These tasted super savory--not sweet. Perfect appetizers. People raved about them.
1 package puff pastry
4 plums, cored and chopped
handful of grapes, chopped
crumbled goat cheese
grated parmesan cheese
walnuts
fresh thyme
salt
butter
pepper
Thaw pastry according to directions. Sautee plums and grapes in jam, sugar, little balsamic vinegar and butter. Press pastry into muffin tins, after generously buttering pan. Place fruit (keep juices out, it'll get too soggy. Reserve the juices and boil down if you want a drizzled sauce on top) in pastry. Chop the walnuts with the thyme very finely. Sprinkle goat cheese and parmesan cheese and finally, the walnut-thyme mixture. Add pepper. Bake at 400 till everything is cooked!
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS. These tasted super savory--not sweet. Perfect appetizers. People raved about them.
Chicken Riesling
CASE: Dinner with Cliff and his new boyfriend. Big Deal. Because: 1. the new boyfriend is a great cook and 2. Cliff is a big francophile so I could make a super French dinner and it would be appreciated!
I did some research and was initially going to do an adapted white wine coq au vin. After looking at Anne Willan's site and just plain old Google, this "Chicken Riesling" thing kept popping up. After reading a ton of recipes, I discovered it's a classic French dish that really gets no love. I think it's because it's so plain. The thing is, it's a PERFECT repetoire dish. By that I mean a dish that I could make for company without any problems, and that could be adapted subtly a 100 different ways so I could use it forever. Oh-and-I-will. This dish was so good, so comforting so WARM. I ended up adapting a Mark Beiderman (sp? The Best Recipes of the World Guy. Bitterman? Writes for the NY Times?) recipe. It's sheer genius, the simplest version I could find. He really narrows it to 5 ingredients but I couldn't help adding a few more.
CHICKEN RIESLING
1 whole chicken cut into parts, avoid rib bones and keep the skin on
1 whole onion chopped in rings
2 stalks celery, finely chopped into little squares
butter
1 bottle Riesling, sweeter is better
2 pinches nutmeg
salt
Fresh lemon juice
sour cream
(AND THAT'S IT!)
Melt butter in large Dutch oven. Add onions, celery and salt. Saute until softened, at least 10 minutes. Tuck the chicken amongst the onion, don't worry about skin side down or anything like that. THEN add enough wine that they're all submerged. Drink the rest of the bottle b/c the hard work is done! Cook for at least 40 minutes, if you cook past 60 minutes then just cook a bit longer so that it doesn't get that chewy stage texture. Finish sauce with a bit of sour cream and fresh lemon juice. When serving, be sure to ladle a good portion of the sauce. There will be plenty of it.
Variations: You could add potatoes and carrots. You could saute mushrooms, add some of the Riesling sauce, add butter and then make a sauce. You could just toss the sauteed mushrooms into the mix. You could chop the celery bigger. You could serve it with horseradish mashed potatoes and gently sauteed carrots (I did). You could just serve it in a bowl with crusty bread. You could serve it with rice. You could serve it over noodles like stroganoff. You could add spring vegetables.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS! The best part is that there is a lot of winey sauce left over. I used it in mashed potatoes, tossed it into some soup I was making. Possibilities were endless. If you have a lot of it left over, just freeze it and re-use it when finishing a sauce. Goodness, you could probably toss it in spaghetti sauce.
I did some research and was initially going to do an adapted white wine coq au vin. After looking at Anne Willan's site and just plain old Google, this "Chicken Riesling" thing kept popping up. After reading a ton of recipes, I discovered it's a classic French dish that really gets no love. I think it's because it's so plain. The thing is, it's a PERFECT repetoire dish. By that I mean a dish that I could make for company without any problems, and that could be adapted subtly a 100 different ways so I could use it forever. Oh-and-I-will. This dish was so good, so comforting so WARM. I ended up adapting a Mark Beiderman (sp? The Best Recipes of the World Guy. Bitterman? Writes for the NY Times?) recipe. It's sheer genius, the simplest version I could find. He really narrows it to 5 ingredients but I couldn't help adding a few more.
CHICKEN RIESLING
1 whole chicken cut into parts, avoid rib bones and keep the skin on
1 whole onion chopped in rings
2 stalks celery, finely chopped into little squares
butter
1 bottle Riesling, sweeter is better
2 pinches nutmeg
salt
Fresh lemon juice
sour cream
(AND THAT'S IT!)
Melt butter in large Dutch oven. Add onions, celery and salt. Saute until softened, at least 10 minutes. Tuck the chicken amongst the onion, don't worry about skin side down or anything like that. THEN add enough wine that they're all submerged. Drink the rest of the bottle b/c the hard work is done! Cook for at least 40 minutes, if you cook past 60 minutes then just cook a bit longer so that it doesn't get that chewy stage texture. Finish sauce with a bit of sour cream and fresh lemon juice. When serving, be sure to ladle a good portion of the sauce. There will be plenty of it.
Variations: You could add potatoes and carrots. You could saute mushrooms, add some of the Riesling sauce, add butter and then make a sauce. You could just toss the sauteed mushrooms into the mix. You could chop the celery bigger. You could serve it with horseradish mashed potatoes and gently sauteed carrots (I did). You could just serve it in a bowl with crusty bread. You could serve it with rice. You could serve it over noodles like stroganoff. You could add spring vegetables.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS! The best part is that there is a lot of winey sauce left over. I used it in mashed potatoes, tossed it into some soup I was making. Possibilities were endless. If you have a lot of it left over, just freeze it and re-use it when finishing a sauce. Goodness, you could probably toss it in spaghetti sauce.
Favorite New Cocktail!
CASE: B Cat and I love watching "Three Sheets," a drinking travel show. They visited Venice, and made this amazing looking cocktail. It's on hulu.com, the TV show, the South Korean episode is a hoot too!
3/4 cup white wine
little less than 1/4 cup Campari
splash soda
twist orange, olive
Pour white wine and campari over ice, then add soda water at end. Add garnish.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!
3/4 cup white wine
little less than 1/4 cup Campari
splash soda
twist orange, olive
Pour white wine and campari over ice, then add soda water at end. Add garnish.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
CASE: My cousin made this for her husband's birthday and it was incredible. Oh so decadent and delicious. She kept the caramel light, so it was yellowish, and it really added to the unusual quality of the recipe. Also, I think any kind of fourmet salt would be perfect. My friend gave me some pink Hawaiian salt, which I think would look gorgeous. She used the last bit of salt from her last trip to Paris, and it was really the sweetest touch. No, really, it made the dessert taste so, so sweet. Highly recommend this dish.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Recipe by Michael Moorhouse
ACTIVE: 30 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 4 HRS 30 MIN
SERVINGS: 6
Make-Ahead
CHEESECAKE
1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
CARAMEL
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fleur de sel
Directions
MAKE THE CHEESECAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the sour cream. Pour the batter into six 5-ounce ramekins or custard cups.
Set the ramekins in a small pan and set the pan in the center of the oven. Add enough hot water to the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake the cheesecakes for 10 minutes, until set at the edges but still quite jiggly in the center. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecakes in for 1 hour. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let cool completely.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE CARAMEL: In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the corn syrup. Stir in the sugar and cook over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 9 minutes. Off the heat, carefully stir in the butter with a long-handled wooden spoon. Stir in the cream in a thin stream. Transfer the caramel to a heatproof pitcher and let cool. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon of fleur de sel.
Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of the caramel over each cheesecake and swirl to coat the tops. If the caramel is too thick, warm it in a microwave oven at 10-second intervals. Refrigerate the cheesecakes until chilled, at least 3 hours. Sprinkle with fleur de sel just before serving.
Make Ahead
The cheesecakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Cooking Club Tip: If you see sugar crystals on the sides of the pot while making caramel, dissolve them with a pastry brush that has been dipped in water until well moistened.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!!!!!!!
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Recipe by Michael Moorhouse
ACTIVE: 30 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 4 HRS 30 MIN
SERVINGS: 6
Make-Ahead
CHEESECAKE
1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
CARAMEL
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fleur de sel
Directions
MAKE THE CHEESECAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the sour cream. Pour the batter into six 5-ounce ramekins or custard cups.
Set the ramekins in a small pan and set the pan in the center of the oven. Add enough hot water to the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake the cheesecakes for 10 minutes, until set at the edges but still quite jiggly in the center. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecakes in for 1 hour. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let cool completely.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE CARAMEL: In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the corn syrup. Stir in the sugar and cook over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 9 minutes. Off the heat, carefully stir in the butter with a long-handled wooden spoon. Stir in the cream in a thin stream. Transfer the caramel to a heatproof pitcher and let cool. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon of fleur de sel.
Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of the caramel over each cheesecake and swirl to coat the tops. If the caramel is too thick, warm it in a microwave oven at 10-second intervals. Refrigerate the cheesecakes until chilled, at least 3 hours. Sprinkle with fleur de sel just before serving.
Make Ahead
The cheesecakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Cooking Club Tip: If you see sugar crystals on the sides of the pot while making caramel, dissolve them with a pastry brush that has been dipped in water until well moistened.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!!!!!!!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Miso Salmon with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and Lime Asparagus
Miso Salmon with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and Lime Asparagus
CASE: So for my birthday dinner, I asked my boyfriend...fiancee...to make me dinner. Since we knew we wanted to do the spicy tuna on rice crackers, we felt certain that it had to be an asian-y dinner. I really planned the menu, but he cooked most of it. It turned out so delicious and everyone was so impressed with my sweetie! My brother was responsible for dessert, he brought cheesecake from La Mousse bakery. It's to die for. It's called the Creme Brulee Cheesecake and it is amazing. Tiny bits of real vanilla floating in light, sweet cream. And the crust...not too flaky, just sweet and slightly chewy. The whole cheesecake has a warm, bront, burnt sugar topping that just glistens. It's fabulous. Everyone agreed: Best Cheesecake Ever!
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
1/4 cup butter
Preparation:
Place potatoes in large pot of cold salted water. Boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return to pot; mash.
Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon wasabi powder in small bowl. Stir to dissolve powder. Add milk mixture and butter to potatoes. Using electric mixer, beat potatoes until fluffy and smooth. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature. Rewarm mashed potatoes over low heat, stirring frequently.)
Miso Marinated Salmon
Ingredients:
1/2 cup light yellow miso
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 6-ounce salmon fillets
Preparation:
Preheat broiler. Blend miso, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and cayenne pepper in processor. With machine running, gradually pour in oil; blend until mixture is smooth. Place salmon fillets in large bowl. Pour half of miso mixture over fish; toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet.
Broil salmon 8 inches from heat until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Set oven at 450°F.; bake salmon until opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Divide salmon among 6 plates. Spoon Wasabi Mashed Potatoes alongside. Drizzle remaining half of miso mixture over salmon and potatoes, if desired, and serve.
Lime Asaparagus
Ingredients:
Asparagus
fresh lime wedges
salt
pepper
1 scant teaspoon olive oil
Preparation: Toss the asaparagus in olive oil and lime, and then layer on a flat cookie sheet. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook simultaneous with the salmon on the lower rack. Comes out perfect.
VERDICT: Guilty of being delicious! The salmon is such a great recipe, and here's why: you can see the miso brown the PERFECT amount, and then it's time to reduce the heat. Perfect. It has these wonderful caramelized bits, and then you drizzle more sauce on top. It almost tasted like peanut butter. I wouldn't pour the sauce on top, take your fork and make pretty drizzles. Otherwise it is a little bit heavy.
CASE: So for my birthday dinner, I asked my boyfriend...fiancee...to make me dinner. Since we knew we wanted to do the spicy tuna on rice crackers, we felt certain that it had to be an asian-y dinner. I really planned the menu, but he cooked most of it. It turned out so delicious and everyone was so impressed with my sweetie! My brother was responsible for dessert, he brought cheesecake from La Mousse bakery. It's to die for. It's called the Creme Brulee Cheesecake and it is amazing. Tiny bits of real vanilla floating in light, sweet cream. And the crust...not too flaky, just sweet and slightly chewy. The whole cheesecake has a warm, bront, burnt sugar topping that just glistens. It's fabulous. Everyone agreed: Best Cheesecake Ever!
Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
1/4 cup butter
Preparation:
Place potatoes in large pot of cold salted water. Boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return to pot; mash.
Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon wasabi powder in small bowl. Stir to dissolve powder. Add milk mixture and butter to potatoes. Using electric mixer, beat potatoes until fluffy and smooth. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature. Rewarm mashed potatoes over low heat, stirring frequently.)
Miso Marinated Salmon
Ingredients:
1/2 cup light yellow miso
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 6-ounce salmon fillets
Preparation:
Preheat broiler. Blend miso, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and cayenne pepper in processor. With machine running, gradually pour in oil; blend until mixture is smooth. Place salmon fillets in large bowl. Pour half of miso mixture over fish; toss to coat. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet.
Broil salmon 8 inches from heat until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Set oven at 450°F.; bake salmon until opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Divide salmon among 6 plates. Spoon Wasabi Mashed Potatoes alongside. Drizzle remaining half of miso mixture over salmon and potatoes, if desired, and serve.
Lime Asaparagus
Ingredients:
Asparagus
fresh lime wedges
salt
pepper
1 scant teaspoon olive oil
Preparation: Toss the asaparagus in olive oil and lime, and then layer on a flat cookie sheet. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook simultaneous with the salmon on the lower rack. Comes out perfect.
VERDICT: Guilty of being delicious! The salmon is such a great recipe, and here's why: you can see the miso brown the PERFECT amount, and then it's time to reduce the heat. Perfect. It has these wonderful caramelized bits, and then you drizzle more sauce on top. It almost tasted like peanut butter. I wouldn't pour the sauce on top, take your fork and make pretty drizzles. Otherwise it is a little bit heavy.
Calamari & Soba Noodles
Calamari & Soba Noodles
CASE: Re-create a dish we had at Beechwood in Venice. It was so delicious--the calamari was grilled and had light char marks.
Ingredients:
Soba noodles
Cucumber
Radishes
Parsley
Dressing: Lime, yuzu, garlic, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, pepper
Calamari
Preparation:
Dice cucumber and radishes; finely chop parsley. Cook soba noodles until tender. Immediately drain under cold water. Toss all vegetables and dressing together. Right before serving, grill calamari, and add to noodles.
VERDICT: Guilty of being delicious! We couldn't grill the calamari, so we pan fried it, and it was still delicious. Be careful not to over-cook the soba, as it is deceptively hard. It softens, and since you're serving it cold, run a piece in cold water and test it.
CASE: Re-create a dish we had at Beechwood in Venice. It was so delicious--the calamari was grilled and had light char marks.
Ingredients:
Soba noodles
Cucumber
Radishes
Parsley
Dressing: Lime, yuzu, garlic, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, pepper
Calamari
Preparation:
Dice cucumber and radishes; finely chop parsley. Cook soba noodles until tender. Immediately drain under cold water. Toss all vegetables and dressing together. Right before serving, grill calamari, and add to noodles.
VERDICT: Guilty of being delicious! We couldn't grill the calamari, so we pan fried it, and it was still delicious. Be careful not to over-cook the soba, as it is deceptively hard. It softens, and since you're serving it cold, run a piece in cold water and test it.
Spicy Tuna on Rice Crackers
CASE: Re-create the spicy tuny on crackers from Katana on Sunset Blvd., which has amazing food and cocktails. This dish really was what set the tone for the whole meal. Once we knew we wanted to do this dish, it was very easy to pick stuff that went with it.
Ingredients:
Rice
Raw tuna, sushi grade
Siracha
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Sesame oil
Finely chopped green onions
Yuzu sauce
Preparation:
Prepare rice according to directions. Then heat vegetable oil or some other non-flavored oil until it is hot. Place compressed spoonfuls of rice (you can make them square and pretty) into the hot oil and fry until both sides have a nice golden color. Add more oil if necessary.
Finely chop tuna, stir in sauce ingredients. Serve with green onions on top, drizzle sauce on rice then place tuna mixture on top.
VERDICT: Guilty of being delicious! My cousin Susie actually said she thought about this dish a week later.
Birthday Dinner - Pear Lychee Martini
Pear Lychee Martini
CASE: I needed a Asian-y cocktail to go with our Asian-y dinner. I felt that the simple pear martinis and lychee martinis were a bit boring, and I wanted something super unusual but girlie-delicious (i.e. super sweet). So I made this up by fuzing several receipes. I loved it, but if you don't like the texture of pear, then strain the blend.
Ingredients:
1/2 part Grey Goose La Poire Vodka
1 1/2 part sake
1/2 part simple syrup or 1/2 part sugar
1 can lychee nuts (canned or jarred)
1 lime wedge
3 pears and sliced pear for garnish
Preparation:
Blend the peeled pears with the sugar and the liquid from the lychees. Place in the bottom of a shaker and then add the lychee nuts and lime wedge.
Muddle gently.
Add ice, sake and vodka.
Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a sliced pear.
VERDICT: GUILTY OF BEING DELICIOUS!! Just make sure you pour a splash of vodka on top of lots of sake, and not the other way around.
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