Mussels with Miso, Roasted Cauliflower, Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
I am using the excuse of Wordless Wednesday. I guess I don’t have much to say, or I am just too freaking tired to write. Maybe because I spent the better part of my two days off writing this, which is kind of an exhaustive look at my cooking for the month of December. Last night, in a rare occasion, I cooked a meal. As I brought it to the table, Erik and I looked at it, smelled its deliciousness and “oohed” and “ahhed” over the beauty of the two dishes, and decided we were not hungry. We had a huge lunch.
I mean, massive. Read the rest of this entry »
Risotto, Red Chard, Pancetta, Pomegranate
This summer, while sitting at the dock of Matthew’s beach, one of my chef friends said to me with great excitement, “I think I have constructed the perfect hamachi dish: grapefruit, lavender, fennel-saffron puree, fennel pollen”. I looked at him, wide eyed, and asked him how many times he had tested the recipe. He looked back at me, laughed a little due to my ignorance and said, “No, Stage. It is all up here” as he pointed to his thick head of black hair. Read the rest of this entry »
Seared Scallops, Gnocchi, Kale, Fava Beans
This is the first meal I have cooked since working at The Restaurant, and this is by far the best meal I have ever made. Hands down.
Maybe it is the Mise en Place so carefully prepared with white ramekins, a sharp mandoline, and newly developed knife skills? Maybe it is the homemade gnocchi I prepared yesterday? Maybe it is the hours, and hours, of training that have been grilled into me recently from my internship? No matter what it is, Erik is smitten by my meal, enthusiastically gives me six out of five stars with tears in his eyes (and I hardly ever get five stars!), and tells me he thinks I should become a Chef. Read the rest of this entry »
Mission Fig and Nicoise Olive Tapenade
Why is it then when you love to cook you get duped into making food for every event? Even when you are not there because you are being someone’s Kitchen Bitch! I guess I don’t really mind making the food (that’s the fun part), but I do like to be with my friends when they are eating my food and partying before they go out.
Apple Chutney
I have bad news. Nothing tragic of course. But it is the kind of news that ruins my mood, but at the same time gives me endless possibilities.
It gives me motivation to plan a 20-person barbecue with pulled pork sliders (and apple chutney!), cowboy marinated flank steak skewers (that’s a mouthful), and endless bowls of orzo pasta. It lets me spend more time dreaming of house buying, planting herb gardens, and reading for hours in the sun.
Halibut Steaks with Braised Leeks
I know, I know. Where have I been? Well, I am actually house sitting for my Moma while she is in Costa Rica. She is retiring there, so visiting may times BEFORE she retires is a must.
I wasn’t invited (boo!), but she does have a hot tub which is an added “vacation-like” bonus. It is also good for Cashew because he does have a major love interest in my Moma’s teacup poodle, Zoe. But, alas, the excitement dwindles when we are stuck with dismal rain here in Seattle. Being in a hot tub just isn’t as fun when your head is cold. Read the rest of this entry »
Three Bean Chocolate Chili
Never, in the history of my MANY Nutcrackers with Pacific Northwest Ballet, has a show ever been cancelled. Until yesterday. Yes! Seattle has 8 inches of snow. Therefore, the city shuts down.
I am from the East Coast, so this “armageddon-like” attitude about snow just makes me laugh, but I did not complain when I got an email from my boss yesterday morning saying that we were not doing the 1pm Matinee performance.
Erik took it upon himself to give me my afternoon plans now that my show was cancelled. He wanted me to bake (pumpkin bread and zucchini bread) and make my classic chili and cornbread. This chili was one of the first successful dishes that I ever made when I first learned how to cook, and a really interesting tidbit it is that Erik adores this chili, even though it is meat-free.
Also, the best part about this chili is the not so “secret” ingredient: Chocolate. It pairs well with the chili powder adding an extra dimension of richness, and depth of flavor. Also, the best way to make this dish is to use 3 different kinds of beans. It makes the chili beautiful in color.
What have you been doing on your snow days?
Cannellini Stew with Pork and Rosemary
Our best friend Dane just moved into a gorgeous loft in Pioneer Square. Erik got recruited to help him hang pictures, decide where furniture should go, and help him change burnt out light bulbs. I got recruited to provide sustenance. What is new?
I actually had made this soup the day before on my day off after a long weekend of Nutcracker shows. But, as I was making it, I was just imagining all of the flavors melding together so beautifully on the next day. It took all of my willpower not to serve it that night for our dinner, and so when I was told we were going to help Dane the next day, I knew this would be a perfect opportunity for my stew to makes it’s debut.
This stew reminds me of Christmas with its little specks of red and green. It is actually surprisingly healthy as far as comfort food goes. I did however treat the stew with a final drizzle of garlic olive oil that Dane had at his house just to put the stew over the edge.
Autumn Risotto
Oh! Fall in Seattle. It has been such a beautiful one so far. Much like my familiar home state of Virginia where fall means the leaves change and crunch underneath your feet, and the weather is crispy and you can get by with just wearing a light coat or sweater.
This recipe was inspired by my laziness and lack of grocery shopping last night. I just decided to use up whatever I had in the refrigerator and cupboard. Wow! Did it turn out well. I had been planning it at work all day, cataloging what I had in my stash to cook and create.
I know I say this over and over, but cooking relaxes me from a long day in the ballet studio where frustration and negativity seems to be the ingredients of getting through the day. Somehow, chopping squash and onions just releases all of that tension and helps me to calm down and unwind.
After my dinner, I felt relieved and snuggled in my bed at 9 p.m. with “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver. Sounds like a perfect end to the evening! Has anyone else read that? How do you unwind at the end of the day?
Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Grapes
My best friend Kylee gave me a cookbook for my birthday. It is recipes from Food and Wine that concentrates on recipes featuring herbs and spices. She knows me well! It didn’t take long for Erik and I to begin salivating over the recipes and marking the ones that we wanted to try.
The first recipe that caught my eye was a recipe for Corn and Shrimp Chowder with Mashed Potatoes in the center of the bowl. Although it looked amazing, it was colorless (meaning light yellow). Because I am about to perform again, I figured I would go for a healthier, more colorful looking dish.
I loved this recipe because it used roasted grapes, which I have been seeing more and more in the past month (just like my last year’s discovery of peach and prosciutto). I even made a salad from the most recent Bon Appetit that uses roasted grapes that was outstanding.
Have you ever roasted grapes before? Have I just been in the dark?
