Currently Reading

Here's a snapshot of what books are currently on my bedroom's end table - unread or partially bookmarked, but eagerly waiting to be read/returned to.

Frenchmen, Desire, Good Children and Other Streets of New Orleans by John Chase
I borrowed the second edition - from 1960 - from my mom awhile back and it ended up on my bookshelf. I pulled it down last week because our next Supper Club's theme is New Orleans Streets. I have until February 2013 to come up with an idea.

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
I bought this version - published in 1966 - from the New Orleans Symphony Book Fair a couple of years back for $1.00. NPR had a story about him recently which reminded me to delve back into his stories. I'm more fond of his stories than his poems - "The Tell-tale Heart", "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" being my favorites.

Hotel California by Barney Hoskyns

Subtitled "The true-life adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and their many friends". That's enough of a recommendation from me. Plus, the back cover has positive quotes from Anthony DeCurtis and Alan Light, two of my favorite music critics.

My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love, and Laughing Out Loud by Kevin Clash
I caught his appearance on NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me..." in October 2012 and bought his book - originally published in 2006. Since his appearance, he's been outed. Not a surprise. Nothing to see here. Move on.

Here's an interview with Kevin Clash on NPR's Fresh Air from December 2011.

Murder in the Bastille by Cara Black
Subtitled: An Aimee Leduc Investigation set in Paris
Apparently, Cara Black is working her way through the arrondissements, with this being her fourth novel. There are 11 books so far; I thought I'd start with this one.

Once I read those books, I'll give y'all my reviews - and my new list of end table books.

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What are you reading?

Theme Dinners - Season 3

Our Theme Dinners have started up again.

Season 1 was Fall 2010. Season 2 was Spring 2011. After this Season - Fall 2011 - I think we're only going to have them in the Fall. Spring is just too busy here in New Orleans.

Or we may end after Season 3. We'll see how this Season goes. Like any good "show"that ends with everyone wanting more - think M.A.S.H., Seinfeld, Mary Tyler Moore - we want to end on a high instead of limping to an embarrassing end - think Mad About You, Scrubs, Laverne & Shirley.

To recap, here have been ALL the Themes we have used so far...

Season 1 -
Episode 1: Cold Food
Episode 2: Vegetarian
Episode 3: Dish Rhymes with a Saints Player’s Name
Episode 4: Idioms (e.g. “Spill the Beans”, “Couch Potato”, “Sour Grapes”, “Cut the Cheese”, and so on)
Episode 5: Dish Based On Your Fantasy Place to Live
Episode 6 – Part 1 of 3: Appetizers Only
Episode 6 – Part 2 of 3: Dish Rhymes with the Name of a Celebrity
Episode 6 – Part 3 of 3: Food Must Be on a Stick

Season 2 -
Episode 1: Healthy Food
Episode 2: Dish That Reminds You of a Favorite Movie
Episode 3: In Honor of Valentine’s Day, The Dish You Love The Most
Episode 4: Mardi Gras Food (Purple, Green, Gold, or Parade Food)
Episode 5: Jeopardy (Each person picks a theme from a hat, but does not reveal. The night of our dinner, everyone tries to guess the themes.)

Season 3 -
Episode 1: Let Them Eat Cake

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Since Season 3, Episode 1 is fresh in my mind - because we met this past Wednesday - here is a list of dishes presented:

Christine - Tofu Cakes with Jicama Relish
Greg – Crab Cakes
Jason K. – Petit Fours on a really cute tiered platter. He named the presentation “Babette”.
Jason S. – Angel Hair Pasta with Crab Cakes & Marzipan Cake (though that may not be correct) (first place for both dishes)
Julie – British Fish Cakes and Chips with little British forks
Marshall – Potato Pancakes (third place)
Mary – Recession Cake (second place)

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A few people have dropped out this season. I am working on recruiting some fresh members. Everyone seems to be having fun, but we need a couple of dynamic personalities to lubricate the evening. I get nervous hosting any event. When I get nervous, I get quiet.

Theme Dinners - Season 2

At the beginning of November 2010, we ended Season 1 (as I have come to call it) of our Wednesday Night Dinners - breaking for the holidays until January.

Before I describe the Dinners from Season 2 that we have had, let's recap the themes from Season 1.
Episode 1 - Cold Food
Episode 2 - Vegetarian
Episode 3 - A Dish That Rhymes with the Name of a New Orleans Saints Player
Episode 4 - Idioms
Episode 5 - A Dish That Reminds You of Your Fantasy Place To Live
Episode 6 - Three Themes Together: An Appetizer, That Rhymes With The Name of a Celebrity, On A Stick

Here's my slide show with Season 1's pictures:


We awarded first, second, and third place - based on votes - but I didn't keep track of the winners. I will this Season.

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Our Dinners resumed on Wednesday, January 12 with the theme Healthy Food. (After the gluttony of the holidays, we thought that was fitting.) Here are the top dishes so far this Season:

Episode 1 - Healthy Food
First Place: Curt's French Onion Soup
Second Place: Angela's St. Charles Avenue 12-Hour Egg Salad
Third Place: Marshall's Chicken, Feta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach Wraps

Episode 2 - Dish That Reminds You of The Name of a Favorite Movie
First Place: Jason S.'s Potatoes au Grey Gardens (Movie: Grey Gardens)
Second Place: Julie's Moon Pie Banana Stars (Movie: Moon)
Third Place: Debbie and Bart's Wine Sampling (Movie: Sideways)

Come Up Next (on February 9): Episode 3 - In Honor of Valentine's Day, The Dish You Love The Most

Until then, Bon Appétit!

Theme Dinners – Season 1, Week 4

The fourth Wednesday Night Dinner was another success. Our theme was Idioms. Each week, everyone seems to be embracing the themes. I am amazed at the creativity.

Here are the entries from the dinner:
Fork in the Road Cookie – Tied for first place (see image)
Who Cut The Cheese Plate
Pardon My French Cut Green Beans Sautéed with Almonds and Mushrooms – Tied for first place
High on the Hog (a large ham)
The Whole Enchilada
Ain’t That A Kick In The Head Rum Cake
Don’t Spill The [Red] Beans
Peace Out (She had little packets of Reece’s Pieces, which she proceeded to toss out to us.)
Cream (Spinach) of the Crop - Third place

Pardon My French was my dish. I hadn’t yet placed in the top 3 dishes so I was proud of my accomplishment. (Each week, everyone votes on his/her top 3 favorite dishes with 10 points going to the first place choice, 5 points to the second place choice, and 3 point to the third place choice.)

Next Theme: Dish that Reflects Your Fantasy Place to Live. I have already ordered Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I bet at least a third of the people will do French dishes so I really want to present something fantastic. I have until October 13 to work out the details.

We are having small events at each dinner evolve into traditions:
- Karly, the 10 year old, asks a discussion question while we are all eating – such “What did you want to be when you were 10?”
- Right before we sit down to dinner, each person has a short presentation describing his/her dish. (Our voting is based on the dish’s presentation, adherence to the theme, creativity, and taste.)
- At the end of our evening, the list of potential themes is handed out. Someone throws out a nomination, waiting on a “second” – then a vote. I think too many of us have been involved in formal meetings.

It looks like we have two more Dinners before we take a break for the holidays, starting up again in January. During that time, I plan on compiling all the recipes into a cook book.

With Jason, Debbie and Bart unable to attend, we were down to 11 people at this dinner. Next time, with the addition of two guests of my parents, plus Jason, Debbie and Bart back in, we’ll be up to 16 – our most ever. We also have three people on our “waiting list”. I want to invite them too, but we just don’t have the space. Maybe in January, we’ll start rotating houses.

Theme Dinners - Season 1, Week 3

This past Wednesday we had our Wednesday Night Dinners III.

What started in Week I as a "let's get together...and bring Cold Food (our theme) because it's so damn hot outside" has turned into -

Week III Theme: Food That Rhymes With The Name of a Saints Player

Of my favorites this week...

- "Doll Clothes" Jason valiantly cooked Drew Brees Macaroni and Cheese. He doesn't cook. I'm thrilled to see him branch outside of his comfort zone.
- Jason "Spaces" brought Lance S'Moores Cupcakes - which was a hit at Dinner - and when I brought the remainders to my office Thursday.
- Angela and Russ (AKA my parents) brought Scott Fujita's fajitas.

Carlos and I presented dishes that rhymed with long-forgotten Saints players: Fred Whittingham's Ham and Navy Bean Soup, and Willie Roaf (pictured)'s Meat Loaf respectively.


Karlie won with her Deuce's Soups. She brought very tasty tomato and cucumber soups. She won a Huddler (pictured below) - a sports version of the "classic" Snuggie.


Based on everyone's votes, our next theme is Idioms. I am leaning toward "Pardon my French", but I'm not sure yet.

A few guests thought we should create a Wednesday Night Dinners Cook Book. Angela thought that "we could even use it as a fundraiser for some good cause....maybe the Food Bank, because it connects to food." That's a great idea. Around the end of year holidays, we're going to take a break from our Dinners. I'll compile all the recipes then. More details to follow.

I hope if you follow my blog here, you'll be interested in purchasing our cookbook!

Stay tuned and...Bon Appétit!

Theme Dinners - Season 1, Week 1

As I mentioned here, the theme for our first Wednesday Night Dinners was Cold Food. We had 11 people, with everyone voting on their favorites. The winners this week were:
Chocolate Cheesecake (40 points) - Jason
Corn Dip (38 points) - Julie
Muffuletta (34 points) - Me
Chocolate Tart (25 points) - Carlos

I am glad that the ones who actually made food, as opposed to buying food, were rewarded. Our theme next time (Wednesday, September 1) is Vegetarian. It'll be interesting to see who makes what dishes. Stay tuned. Until then...Bon Appétit!

Theme Dinners...Back Again

Carlos and I are starting up our Wednesday Night Dinners again.

I'll host it - every other Wednesday. (Every Wednesday seemed like too often; once a month seemed like not enough.)

This time, instead of Carlos and me cooking everything, we're setting a theme, inviting our friends and family, and seeing what happens. We don’t, however, want to over plan this. That is, if we end up with three desserts and no main course, so be it. During dinner, we will discuss the theme for the next dinner.


Our First Week Theme is Cold Food (because it's so damn hot outside) with 10 total people attending. It'll be tight in my 950 square foot house, but I feel that adds to the enjoyment.

We will also be awarding prizes for first, second, and third favorite contribution - based on everyone's vote. (Guests cannot vote for themselves.)

After tomorrow night, I'll update you on everyone's contribution, the best recipes, and the events of the evening.

We're back to...Bon Appétit!

Recipes for the Season

Continuing what I started with my Cooking Challenge idea, I have been stretching my cooking skills during the holidays. I thought I’d pass on the recipes I made.


Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
For our Holiday Meeting (AKA our office Christmas party)
This recipe is originally from my sister Claudia.

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker or chocolate pie crust
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk (you can use low fat or fat free)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

For chocolate glaze:
½ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup whipping cream


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well.

Arrange raspberries in bottom of pie crust. Slowly pour cheese mixture over fruit. Some may rise, but that’s ok. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool.

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with whipping cream; cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Spread over cooled pie, then chill pie for a little while.

I used icing to create our university's logo - here blurred for my privacy - on the top.


Layered Dessert (I actually don’t know what it’s called.)
For Christmas Day

Ingredients:
Box of devil’s food cake mix
Eggs as needed for above
2 boxes (5.1 oz per box) of instant vanilla pudding
Milk as needed for above
1 container (12 oz) Cool Whip



Directions:
Make the devil’s food cake according to the package directions. Cool completely.

In a huge bowl, place 1/3 of the cake into the bottom, compacting with a spatula.

Make one box of the instant vanilla pudding according to the package directions. Immediately pour over the cake base, slowly so the pudding won’t disturb the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and add 1/3 of the Cool Whip. Gently place the remaining 2/3 of the cake over the Cool Whip. Then make and slowly add the second box of the instant vanilla pudding over the devil’s food cake layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and add the remaining Cool Whip. Add crushed chocolate or small amounts of icing to the top.

Cool covered from 30 minutes up to 24 hours, then serve.

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Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Monthly Family Dinner - November 2009

The first Monday of each month, our immediate family gets together for dinner - alternating houses.

This month Carlos and I are hosting at my house.

Carlos is heavily involved with Jacques Pepin and his cooking show right now, so we have decided to cook everything from Episode 208 of his cooking show.

The description:
Jacques loves all eggs, all ways! Cooking them correctly is an important technique, and who better to demonstrate the perfect hard-cooked egg than a master of technique! Jacques begins this menu with hard-cooked eggs used as a garnish for his Asparagus Fans with Mustard Sauce. Simply seared in moments, Scallops Grenobloise is the ultimate fast dish and when served with Potato Gratin with Cream, it makes a rich main course. Jam Tartines with Fruit Sherbet conclude the menu.

Carlos is making the asparagus and the dessert. I am making the scallops and the potato dishes.

This should be fun; we haven't tried French food yet in our Cooking Challenges.


Here is Jacques Pepin's video, complete with all the recipes:


After our dinner, we'll publish the recipes we used.

Until then, Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Seven and Week Eight

Carlos predicted that I could host our Cooking Challenge until December. I made it until the end of September.

For now at least, I am burnt out on the idea. We will definitely revisit it in the future. Both Carlos and my dad have requested that we continue - in some frequency, if not once a week.

Week Seven was a greatest hits package: Carlos made his Cabrese Salad, while I revisited a Pasta with Shrimp and Sun Dried Tomatoes dish that I've made in the past for our monthly family dinners. (The first Monday of each month, my mom, dad, sister Christine, her girlfriend Karlie, Carlos and I get together for dinner, rotating houses.)


We had our friends over - the same crowd as Week Six minus Jason K. plus Debbie and Bart.

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I could tell that Week Eight was going to be the last week for awhile when I decided to serve Jambalaya - from a box of Zatarain's mix instead of from scratch. Carlos served a simple salad of baby spinach, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, nuts, and cranberries. Odd sounding but very tasty.

Jason S. brought the same delicious bread he had brought before. Debbie brought a dessert. Julie brought a huge home-made cake! We only ate about 1/4 of it Wednesday night. Carlos and I are still working our way through it.

Jason K. and Bart were unable to attend.

The last addition was my mom. (I invited my dad too, but he was out of town.) As Carlos describes her, "She's a character." I'll do a separate post one day soon with some stories about her.

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The Cooking Challenge nights are on pause for now. We hope to start them up again, maybe in January.

I still want to tackle French and German food. I'd like to have my dad attend one of these. I'd like to have Christine and Karlie in the mix with our friends.

Until then, Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Six Revisited

Carlos is off watching the US Open (the Tennis one not the Golf one) so I have some extra time. I thought I'd post the Poulet mettre en pot la tarte recipe that I didn't post in my last Cooking Challenge entry.


Poulet mettre en pot la tarte
(also known as Chicken Pot Pie)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts and thighs (I bought a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken)
2 to 3 cups canned chicken broth
3/4 stick butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 cups half-and-half or milk (I used half-and-half)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup diced celery, including some of the inner yellow leaves
3 medium carrots, diced
1 cup frozen tiny peas, thawed
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, separated (See Figure 1)



Instructions:

Put the chicken in a microwave-safe dish and pour the chicken broth over it. Cover with plastic wrap and poach in the microwave on high for 12 minutes or until the juices run clean when you pierce the chicken with the tip of a knife. If you are making the chicken ahead, take it off the bone, discard the skin, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap before refrigerating. Strain and reserve the chicken broth.

To make the sauce, keep the broth hot in a small pan on the back of the stove. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt all but a tablespoon of the butter over medium heat and, when it is sizzling, add the flour, whisking well to make a smooth golden paste. Still whisking, gradually add 2 cups of the stock and the thyme. When it is smooth, increase the heat slightly and cook the sauce until it thickens. Add the half-and-half, whisking again, and cook until the sauce is smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more stock or water if needed. If you are making the sauce ahead, cool it and refrigerate it, then reheat it just before you put the pie together.


To assemble the pie (see Figure 2), melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large skillet and add the onions, mushrooms, celery, and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut the chicken into large cubes.

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large ovenproof casserole or 6 individual ones, mix the chicken and vegetables, including the peas. Pour the warm sauce over and mix everything together well. Fit a sheet of puff pastry (see Figure 3) over the casserole, sealing it well around the edges with a little beaten egg white. Paint the top with beaten egg yolk. Cut slits on top in a decorative pattern for the steam to escape. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is puffed and golden.




Until Week Seven, Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Five and Week Six

Cooking Challenge Week Five was Italian food. See this blog entry for the details on the food.

Looking at that past entry, I said that “The meal will be a bit calmer. The crowd from the first four weeks is ‘rotating out’ and my parents are joining Carlos and me for dinner.” That night’s crowd was one of the loudest yet – even with only four people. Both of my parents can get quite boisterous.

Carlos’s fresh basil plant was almost dead by the time Wednesday’s dinner came around. See the picture on the left. He bought it on Saturday. We need to figure out how not to kill a plant in five days!


Looking further at that past entry, I said, “After this meal, I am going to take a couple of weeks off, and then invite over some friends for dinner.” That didn’t happen either. Carlos and I decided to invite some of our friends over for Cooking Challenge Week Six, which we held last night. Our theme was French food.


Jason, Jason, and Julie came over. Here was our menu:

A salad (Arugula, tomatoes, and shredded cheese)

French Onion Soup – Carlos’s contribution. Go to his blog for his pictures and description. (As of 9/11/09 - He hasn't blogged about it yet.)

Poulet mettre en pot la tarte – My contribution. In English, that translates to Chicken Pot Pie, which I have wanted to make for awhile. Translating to French, I was able to shoehorn my dish into our French food night.

The recipe is taken from the cookbook Classic American Food Without Fuss. The recipe is quite long so I am not going to reproduce it here.

I can show you a picture of what I made though!



Julie and Jason S. brought over wine. Jason K. brought over some delicious bread. We finished with four types of Sorbet, left over from the Italian Cooking Challenge night.

I think everyone left full.

We had such fun last night that Carlos and I are going to go at least one more week, inviting the same crew over – plus Debbie and Bart, who both had to work last night. Then we may take a break. Eventually, we want to invite my old friends Steve (and his wife), Morgan, and Lloyd.

Carlos wants to make his Caprese Salad again. I am going to pick from page 67, 167, or 267 of this cookbook, one that Carlos gave me for my birthday this year. More details after next week’s dinner. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for those who both read my blog and are coming to dinner.

Until then…

Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Four

This past Wednesday was Week Four of my Cooking Challenge. I decided that a Tapas menu was too much of an undertaking for me – for now.

Carlos and I were in Lafayette a couple of years back for some festival. During our trip, I bought a cookbook called Cajun Men Cook: Recipes, Stories & Food Experiences from Louisiana Cajun Country - and had it signed by six member of the Beaver Club of Lafayette, the authors of the book.

Again this week, page 67 had an appetizer, whereas I was looking for a main dish. Page 167 yielded Beef Stroganoff. I’ve been meaning to cook that for years. After a bit of research, I found a version of the recipe by Paula Deen that I liked a bit better.

The same crew from last week came this week, bringing wine and watermelon for dessert. We’re really getting to know each other after four weeks of this. (Or maybe that’s re-know since most of these people are family.)

Carlos brought the salad – and describes it in detail on his blog.



Week Five is Italian (like Week Three), but this time from Rocco Dispirito’s cookbook Rocco’s Italian American: More Than 150 Recipes from Rocco and Mama. Page 67 has a picture of Rocco at a dinner table; page 167 a recipe for “Veal Parmigiana”. I’m not ready for veal yet, so I am cheating a bit: I found a wonderful recipe for “Farfalle [bow tie pasta] with Grilled Sausage, Fennel, and Baby Artichokes” that I will use as a base and adapt a bit, adding three different colored bell peppers and sun dried tomatoes. I’ll post my recipe next week.

As our appetizer, I found a recipe for “Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese” from the August 2009 issue of Food & Wine magazine. Here’s a link to the recipe on the Food & Wine magazine web site.

I used to subscribe to Bon Appetite magazine, but since I started watching the TV show Top Chef, with one of the judges the editor of the former magazine, I let my subscription lapse to Bon Appetite. I was thinking about getting both magazines, but that just seems a little obsessive.





Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese
12 servings

12 medium tomatoes
1 2/3 pounds fresh goat cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 425°. Slice off the top 1/2 inch of each tomato and reserve the tops. Scoop out the tomato cores and seeds. Cut a very thin sliver off of the bottom of each tomato to help them stand up straight. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

2. In a bowl, combine the goat cheese with the egg, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spoon the goat cheese mixture into the tomatoes, mounding the filling 1/2 inch above the rim. Cover with the tomato tops and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Bake the tomatoes for 35 minutes, until tender and browned in spots and the cheese is hot. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


The meal will be a bit calmer. The crowd from the first four weeks is “rotating out” and my parents are joining Carlos and me for dinner.

We’re doing a batch of the appetizer tonight to test out the recipe. Carlos just called. He found a basil plant. We’re going to use it for tonight – and start growing our own basil for future meals. I was going to use dried basil (at least for tonight’s test run). Carlos was appalled and went off to the store to find fresh. I really have him sucked into this Cooking Challenge.

After this meal, I am going to take a couple of weeks off, and then invite over some friends for dinner.

Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Three

We have now made it through Week Three of my Cooking Challenge.

Last night, I cooked from page 67 of Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver.

The recipe was Minestrone D’inizio Autunno (Early Autumn Minestrone). Click the link to see the recipe.

I think I am getting better at this cooking thing: The recipe was a bit complicated – and took almost three hours to accomplish – but for once, my finished product looked like the picture in the book.

Here is the picture from the book.



We had seven for dinner – Carlos, Christine, Karlie, Pam, Curt, little Karley, and me – so I decided to make an additional dish from that same cook book. Our main dish was Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola (Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula).

I ended up cooking the Minestrone on Tuesday night and the main dish Wednesday night. Then slowly warming up the Minestrone on Wednesday evening. I followed the main dish recipe very closely, only substituting fettuccini for the spaghetti.

I didn’t find the recipe online so I have retyped it below, with the small changes I made.


Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola (Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula)

This dish was on the menu in a little restaurant called La Gondola in one of the roughest parts of Palermo. I thought the combination of flavors was great, and very accessible to us back home in Britain. You can buy very high-quality frozen shrimp in supermarkets these days, so it’s a win-win situation, but if you can get hold of some super-fresh ones and peel them yourself, this can all of a sudden become very luxurious in flavor. A real crowd-pleaser. Finish off with good-quality olive oil and wild Arugula full of flavor and you’ll be laughing. PS, if using frozen shrimp, make sure they’re thawed out.

1 lb. dried fettuccini
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 dried red chilies, crumbled
1 lb. peeled raw large shrimp
1 small wineglass of white wine
2 heaping tablespoons sun-dried tomato purée, or 6 sun-dried tomatoes blitzed in a blender
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls of Arugula, roughly chopped

Cook your fettuccini in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 good gulgs of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan and toss in the garlic and chili. As the garlic begins to color, add the shrimp and sauté them for a minute. Add the white wine and the tomato purée and simmer for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the fettuccini with the sauce, squeeze in the lemon juice, and add half the chopped Arugula, using a little of the reserved cooking water if you want to loosen the sauce a bit, and correct the seasoning. Divide between four plates and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest and the rest of the Arugula leaves.


The pasta dish was really good, but the minestrone was definitely better – and a huge hit. Carlos said I should have led with the pasta dish and finished with the minestrone, but I went the traditional soup, then main course way.

I also set up a Parmesan cheese taste test station. Without marking any of the selections, I put out small bowls of:
1) Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese (from the familiar green/clear cylindrical bottle) - $.69/ounce,
2) pre-shredded Boar’s Head Parmesan Cheese - $1.16 per ounce, and
3) a block of top quality Parmesan Cheese ($1.96 per ounce) that I shredded directly before the taste test.

Predictably, the top quality Parmesan Cheese was the clear favorite. The #1 and #2 choices, however, were virtually indistinguishable. Our Top Panel of Taste Testers determined that the Kraft was fine for blending with dishes and with most other applications, and to use the block for special occasions. There was no need to spend the extra money for the Boar’s Head.


In keeping with our Italian theme, Karlie brought a beautiful and tasty appetizer: a small green item (olives), white item (I don’t remember), and red item (small tomatoes) – skewered on a toothpick. This was placed around a bowl of (I think) melted chocolate. I was rushing around cooking and really should have paid more attention to the details of her dish. It was delicious!



Pam came through this week with the dessert, bringing Italian gelato, sherbet and two kinds of ice cream. Yum!

We also drank at least three bottles of wine, but we may have had four. Everything was a bit hazy by the end of the night.

We discussed “rotating out” this crowd next week and expanding the Challenge to include first my parents and then my friends in the coming weeks, but decided that, since we had such fun last night, we should burn it out and keep the same crowd one more week.

Week Four of Cooking Challenge will be the most challenging yet: I am going to attempt a Tapas menu – 5 or 6 appetizer-sized Spanish dishes, both hot and cold, served in succession.

After next week, I may take a break. We’ll see.

Until then, Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week Two

Last night was Week Two of my Cooking Challenge.

Page 67 of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen had a recipe for "Essentially Garlicky Achiote Seasoning Paste". Seeing that I really couldn't serve that as a main course, no matter how many times I doubled the recipe, I bent my rule a bit and went to page 167, which yielded better results.


Here is the recipe I used, complete with my comments in italics.


Herby Ricotta-Poblano Tacos

Makes a generous cup of filling, enough for 8 tacos
8 tacos? That didn’t sound like a lot so I doubled the recipe. Turns out, we had plenty left over.


Ingredients -

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled - I had a huge ass can of minced garlic. I dumped in 8 scoops of minced garlic. That still didn’t seem to be enough though.

2 fresh poblano chiles - Apparently my local Rouses, Super Wal-Mart or Whole Foods have never heard of this item so I bought a can of Original Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles.

1 cup ricotta cheese ("the freshest you can find") - "the freshest I can find" was in the dairy section of Rouses. I did search Whole Foods for “fresh” ricotta. It just doesn’t exist – at least in New Orleans.

4 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (such as cilantro, epazote, thyme, marjoram) - I found a spice jar of cilantro and I already had a spice jar full of thyme and marjoram. I think the marjoram is from the late 1990's when I was going through my Ethiopian food phase. (I can still smell the Doro Wat cooking on my stove!)

I asked the nice man stocking the fresh fruit/vegetables at Rouses if they carried fresh epazote, but I think I stumped him. Maybe I mispronounced the word. On my later trip to Whole Foods I stumbled upon some epazote.

Wikipedia says, “Epazote is used as a leaf vegetable and herb for its pungent flavor. Raw, it has a resinous, medicinal pungency, similar to the liquorice taste of anise, fennel, or even tarragon, but stronger. Epazote's fragrance is strong, but difficult to describe. It has been compared to citrus, petroleum, savory, mint and putty. Although it is traditionally used with black beans for flavor and its carminative properties, it is also sometimes used to flavor other traditional Mexican dishes as well: it can be used to season quesadillas and sopes (especially those containing huitlacoche), soups, mole de olla, tamales with cheese and chile, chilaquiles, eggs and potatoes and enchiladas.”

Since I am doubling the recipe, I used 2 teaspoons each of cilantro, epazote, thyme, and marjoram. That gave this dish an interesting flavor! In a good way.

Salt, about 1/4 teaspoon - Finally, something that I already have in my kitchen.

About 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground - Thanks to a present Lloyd gave me a few years ago, I actually had freshly ground pepper.

8 corn tortillas (plus a few extra, in case some break) - Break? The ones I bought are soft. Hell. Did I buy the wrong thing?

1 1/4 cups Tomatillo-Green Guacamole - After searching Rouses and Super Wal-Mart for poblano chiles, fresh ricotta cheese, and epazote, I was worn out. I did a cursory search for this item and then picked up some Pico de Gallo style Guacamole from the refrigerated vegetables section.

3 or 4 radishes, thinly sliced or cut into matchsticks – I totally skipped this ingredient. I don’t believe in garnishes.

A few tablespoons chopped white onion, for garnish – Another garnish? Another skip.

Big, beautiful sprigs of cilantro, for garnish - How about sprinkling some from the spice jar that I have? Done.


Directions -

Rick Bayless: 1. The filling. On an ungreased griddle or small, heavy skillet set over medium heat, roast the garlic, turning frequently, until blackened in spots and soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. Cool, peel off the papery skins, then finely chop.

Me: 1. The filling. Pour some pre-chopped garlic from my can into a skillet. Push it around until it starts to burn a bit.


Rick Bayless: 2. Roast the chiles directly over a gas flame or 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on all sides, about 5 minutes for open flame, about 10 minutes for broiler. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand 5 minutes. Peel, pull out the stem and seed pod, then rinse briefly to remove bits of seeds and stray bits of skin. Chop the chiles into 1/4-inch bits.

Me: 2. Add the small can of Original Fire Roasted Diced Green Chiles to the garlic. If I remember correctly, green chiles are not that hot. I had a can of Chipotle Chiles left over from another recipe so I added one of those too.


Rick Bayless: 3. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the garlic, ricotta, fresh herbs and half the chopped chiles. Taste and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Me: 3. Medium-size bowl. Check. Mix together the garlic, ricotta, herbs and half the chopped chiles. Check. Taste and season with the salt and pepper. Check. Cover and set aside. Check. Finally, a step I can complete.


Rick Bayless: 4. The tortillas. Set up a steamer (a vegetable steamer in a large saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of water works well); heat to a boil. Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, lay in the steamer and cover with a tight lid. Boil 1 minute, turn off the heat and let stand without opening the steamer for 15 minutes.

Me: 4. The tortillas. Read Rick Bayless's instructions and disregard. Open the package of corn tortillas. Place them attractively on a large plate.


Rick Bayless: 5. Finishing the dish. Just before serving, mix the remaining half of the chopped chiles into the guacamole (plus enough water to make it easily spoonable), and spoon a portion of it onto each of the 4 serving plates. One at a time, spread a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling over each of 8 hot tortillas, roll up and divide among your individual serving plates. Sprinkle with the radishes and onion, lay on a sprig of cilantro and you're ready for some light, zesty flavors.

Me: 5. Finishing the dish. Just before serving, mix the remaining half of the chopped chiles into the guacamole (plus enough water to make it easily spoonable). Check. Spoon a portion of it onto each of the 4 serving plates. Wait, what 4 serving plates? One at a time, spread a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling over each of 8 hot tortillas, roll up and divide among your individual serving plates. Oh, I get it now: There are two different items going on here - the guacamole and the ricotta stuff. I was thinking this was one big dish. Sprinkle with the radishes and onion, lay on a sprig of cilantro and you're ready for some light, zesty flavors. Check.



Christine, Karlie, Pam and little Karley (yes, spelled differently) joined Carlos and me. Carlos supplied the – very classy – chips and three types of dip. Pam offered to bring a homemade Mexican Apple Tart, but ran out of time and pick up some cookies from Subway.

We all sat around, eating and drinking wine. It was especially nice to hang out with Pam. Since she has moved back to New Orleans (about six months ago, after living in Minneapolis for 10 years), we haven’t had a real chance to talk with her.



We are having the same crowd over next Wednesday. I will be cooking from page 67 of Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver – picked out by Pam, though no one opened the book.

After next week, Carlos and I will add some of our friends to the Wednesday rotation.

Carlos thinks my attention span for this project will hold until December. I’m not sure I’ll make it that far.

Until next time…Bon Appétit!

Cooking Challenge - Week One

Carlos recently finished reading the book Julie & Julia. For those not familiar with the book (or the upcoming movie): a housewife (Julie) decides to make all 500+ recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook – in one year.

Inspired by that, Carlos and I are trying to accomplish something similar. I have 70+ cookbooks.

Here are my actual bookshelves. (Click to enlarge. You can actually read the titles)…




Every Wednesday night - until we are tired of this latest idea - I will cook whatever is on page 67 of one of my cookbooks. Why page 67? Since I was born in 1967, I thought it would be easy to remember.

Carlos wants to be surprised by each meal so I can’t tell you exactly what we will be having until after the meal. Since we have now had our first meal (last night), I can reveal that this week I cooked out of a cookbook called Cajun Cuisine. Page 67 contained a recipe for Crab Soup.



Here is the recipe:

Crab Soup

1 ½ cups of butter
4 small onions, grated
1 bay leaf
¼ cup of chopped celery leaves
Pinch of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
½ cup of flour
2 quarts of water
2 pounds of fresh crab meat
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
½ cup of chopped parsley
Lemon slices (garnish)

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan; add onions and cook until onions are transparent.
2. Add bay leaf, celery leaves, thyme and garlic and mix well; add tomato sauce and mix again.
3. Stir in flour and mix until well blended; slowly add water, stirring, until mixture is well blended; add crab meat, salt and pepper, bring to a boil and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Serve in soup bowls, sprinkled with parsley and topped with lemon slices.
Yield: 8 servings

I bought imitation crab meat, which is much less expensive, but it tasted fine.

Christine invited us over to her house last night so we provided the soup course. We also had delicious bread, a main course of pork loin, birthday cake in honor of Pam’s birthday, and lots of flowing wine. All the food was really, really good.

Carlos and I arrived around 6:30 pm and left around 9:15 pm. We had a great time.

In addition to expanding my cooking skills, we are using Cooking Challenge to reconnect with our family and friends. We have invited Christine, Karlie, Pam, Kurt (Pam’s husband) and their daughter over for week two’s dinner. It’ll be a full house! For future dinners, we will be inviting other family and friends.

Week two of Cooking Challenge will be taken from page 67 of Rick Bayliss’s Mexican Kitchen cookbook. I’ll post the dish and details on the dinner next Thursday.



Bon Appétit!