Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon (& Michael's birthday)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We are so grateful for good food, good friends, and wonderful (and growing) family.  Today we're going to our friend's annual Thanksgiving potluck and we were tasked to bring "a green side dish that did not include peas."  Thanks to Food & Wine, this is what we're bringing and it is as delicious as it sounds!

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice (6 ounces)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
20 vacuum-packed peeled whole chestnuts, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Turkey Stock

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the brussels sprouts and cook until just tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the butter. When the foam subsides, add the brussels sprouts and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts and season with salt and pepper. Add the Rich Turkey Stock, simmer until heated through and serve.

NOTES: If you prefer to roast fresh chestnuts instead of using vacuum-packed ones, cut a slit in the shell of each chestnut with a serrated knife. Roast the chestnuts in a cast iron skillet in a 400° oven for 20 minutes or until tender. Peel them as soon as they are cool enough to handle. If you have difficulty peeling them, reheat them for 5 minutes to further loosen their skins.

Michael's parents came up last weekend just in time for Michael's birthday!  We had a DELICIOUS dinner at one of our favorite restaurants BlackSalt.

We also took advantage of the gorgeous late autumn weather to drive up alongside the Potomac River into Maryland among the horse farms and civil war sites.

And last but not least, we had a beautiful hike through Rock Creek Park in DC to see the last of the autumn leaves.

So much to be thankful for...

Roasted Pork Chops with Cipollini Onions, White Beans, and Escarole

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

This has been one of our go-to weekend recipes for a while but we haven't posted it.  Fortunately with the storm, I now have plenty of time to catch up on posting recipes!

This recipe comes to us from Esquire, Michael's favorite men's magazine, and they do actually have pretty good recipes every once in a while.  Probably the hardest part about this recipe is finding cipollini onions and escarole at the super market at the same time!  But when you do (like we did this weekend), it's time to make this delicious meal!

INGREDIENTS
4 shoulder or loin pork chops, 1½ inch thick
salt and pepper
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
8 cipollini onions, peeled
2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
1 sprig rosemary
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked white beans
2 cups packed shredded escarole
1 lemon

For the marinade:
2 sprigs rosemary
3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

To marinate, combine pork chops with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil in a ziplock bag and let sit in the refrigerator for up to three days. On the day you're cooking, remove and bring to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove pork from marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and, once hot, add the pork chops. Let cook for three minutes, then flip and cook for three minutes more. Place pan directly into the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. The pork is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Remove from oven and let rest.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Combine butter with 2 tbsp oil and, when hot, add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and brown all over, using tongs to flip. Sprinkle with sugar, deglaze with red-wine vinegar, and cook until liquid is evaporated. Add rosemary and chicken stock. Return to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until onions are soft. Remove the onions and set aside, reserving the liquid to dress the pork chop.

Heat a second sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and, when hot, add garlic and sauté one minute. Add the white beans and sauté five minutes more. Add escarole and sauté two minutes more, until escarole is wilted. Season with salt and pepper and top with lemon juice and remaining oil.

To serve, top pork chops with white-bean-escarole sauté and onions and drizzle with onion jus.

Homemade Marshmallows

 

Hurricane Sandy swept through last night and thankfully we did not lose power!  But we did have hot cocoa topped with homemade marshmallows!  Mmmmm... these marshmallows are amazing.

I also cut out marshmallow ghosts and headstones to decorate our chocolate caramel tart at this weekend's dinner party!  Spooky!!!

And before I post the recipe, here's our off-the-balcony look at the effect of Hurricane Sandy on our grove of trees outside.  The photo above was taken before the storm and the photo below was taken this morning.  We did loose some leaves but all-in-all, not too bad!  Our thoughts and prayers are with those still without power and those affected up in New York and New Jersey - looks like they have a lot of clean up to do.

So just in time for the holidays and chilly weather, try out these delicious homemade marshmallows from Smitten Kitchen... I promise you won't go back to those bagged jet puffed marshmallows in the supermarket anymore!  They are THAT much more delicious!

INGREDIENTS
About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla (alternately: 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons almond or mint extract or maybe even some food coloring for tinting)

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Some reviewers felt this took even longer with a hand mixer, but still eventually whipped up nicely.)

In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Makes about 96 1-inch cubed marshmallows. Marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week.

Chocolate Caramel Tart

We went to the most amazing Syrian/Persian/American wedding in the adorable town of Birmingham, MI a few weeks ago and in our giftbag was a box of Michigan-made chocolate covered caramels with sea salt sprinkled on top.  Since then, I've been obsessed.  So for our dinner party this weekend, I made this Chocolate Caramel Tart from Saveur and it's decadent, delicious and dense.

Something else that we discovered in Michigan was the cider mills!  We went to Franklin Cider Mill and had the most delicious hot cider and warm donuts.  Also, we bought some apple pie bread... wow... I definitely need to figure out how to make it because I can't afford to fly up to Detroit every time we want some of that bread!  All in all, it was a fantastic first trip to Michigan!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder (*See Note)
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. crème fraîche

FOR THE GANACHE
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Gray sea salt for garnish (*See Note)

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Transfer dough to a 9" fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

2. Make the caramel: In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours.

3. Make the ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours. Sprinkle tart with sea salt, slice, and serve chilled.

SERVES 8

NOTE: So what's the difference between dutch-processed cocoa and other types of cocoa?  I found my answer here and I purchased this box at Whole Foods.  Who knew there was a difference?

NOTE: Gray sea salt?  I found this at Whole Foods also.  I think you could just use kosher salt if you can't find gray sea salt, but it's super interesting how they harvest this fancy salt!

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

This recipe was a Pinterest find... and it's definitely a keeper!  My only regret is that I didn't try this earlier in the summer when fresh cherry tomatoes and basil were coming up in our balcony garden.

But better late than never!  This recipe is so super easy and really fast - AND it's even better as a leftover for lunch the next day after all the flavors sit over night.  Great alternative to a boring side salad!

INGREDIENTS
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
25 large basil leaves, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp honey
pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.

Sticky Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

The first signs of autumn have arrived in D.C. and I am in a baking mood!  So I pulled out my Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook and started drooling over recipes.

There are several different no-knead bread recipes you can make from scratch (these recipes are SO easy... all you need is patience to let the dough rise... and I, of all people, know patience is usually the hardest to come by when you want fresh-baked deliciousness right out of the oven).  So you can use the simple master recipe OR the AMAZING, buttery, calorie-packed brioche recipe from the book (What? 8 eggs and 3 sticks of butter??? Mmmm... believe me, it's worth it!)

This is what it looks like when it comes out of the oven...

This is what it looks like when you flip it onto the plate...

And this is what it looks like before you devour your first piece and try not the eat the rest (because you remember all the butter, sugar and eggs!)

The best thing is that the bread recipe makes at least 2 more loaves that you can keep in the fridge for a week or freeze.  I froze my extra dough because I wanted to fit into my pants this winter but I'm definitely making this again... maybe for Christmas when there are more people around to share the calories!

Brioche Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
7 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix the yeast, salt, eggs honey and melted butter with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or lidded (not airtight) food container.

Mix in the flour, using a spoon until all of the flour is incorporated.

Cover (not airtight), and allow to sit at room temperature for about two hours.

Sticky Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

INGREDIENTS

The Dough
A cantaloupe sized chunk of dough (about 1.5 lbs)

The Gooey Sticky Caramel Topping
6 tbl unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
30 pecan halves

The Heavenly Sweet Cinnamon Butter Filling
4 tbl unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped and toasted pecans
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

On baking day, cream together the butter, salt and brown sugar. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Scatter the pecans over the butter-sugar mixture and set aside. (Note: If you have a pan with high sides, that might work best. Otherwise, place a pan (disposable or not) on the rack below your pan to catch the spillage.

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1.5 lb piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thick rectangle. As you roll out the dough, use enough flour to prevent it from sticking to the work surface but not so much as to make the dough dry. If the dough is being stubborn, let it sit for 20 minutes, then come back to it with the rolling pin.

Cream together the butter, sugar and spices. Spread evenly over the rolled-out dough and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a log. If the dough is too soft to cut, let it chill for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. With a serrated knife, cut the log into 8 equal pieces and arrange over the pecans in the prepared, with the “swirled” edge facing upward. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise 1 hour.

Bake buns about 40 minutes or until golden brown and well set in center. While still hot, run a knife around the inside of the pan to release the caramel rolls, and invert immediately onto a serving dish. If you let them sit too long, they will stick to the pan and be difficult to turn out.

Curried Lamb Potpie

Autumn has arrived... and we could think of no better dish to celebrate the crisp weather and early setting sun.  It was in this month's Food & Wine and Michael wasted no time trying out this delicious recipe.

It doesn't look like a traditional Marie Calendar pot pie, but believe me... it's better!  The crust and the filling are just as delicious as they look!

We hope your first weekend of Autumn is off to a good start!

INGREDIENTS
Pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup ice water

Curry
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch dice (10 ounces)
2 cups chopped Tuscan kale
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water

MAKE THE PASTRY
In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt. Add the butter; pulse to the size of peas. Sprinkle the ice water over and pulse until the pastry starts to come together. On a work surface, gently knead the pastry a few times. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 1 1/2 hours.

MAKE THE CURRY
In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and add half to the casserole. Cook over high heat until browned on 2 sides, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a bowl; repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and the remaining lamb. Pour off the oil in the casserole.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the lamb to the casserole. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the flour, then slowly stir in the wine until smooth. Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened, 1 minute. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lamb is very tender, 1 hour. Add the squash, kale, carrot and coconut milk to the casserole and simmer over moderately low heat until the vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spoon the curry into a buttered 8-by-11-inch baking dish. Brush the dish rim with beaten egg. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Fold the pastry in half, unfold it over the curry, and gently press onto the edge of the dish. Brush with beaten egg; cut 4 small steam vents in the top.

Bake the potpie for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 450°; bake for 20 minutes longer, until the pastry is browned and cooked through. Let rest for 20 minutes, then serve.

Warm Chocolate Budino

So it was our wedding anniversary yesterday.  Can you believe it's been 3 years already?  We totally can't.  It's crazy how time flies when you're having fun!

So as usual, Michael cooked a delicious dinner featuring bison filets and I made a new chocolate dessert!  It was not very difficult to make and REALLY super yummy (totally my style!).  Who would think to serve this soft, rich, not-too-dense chocolate cake with drizzled olive oil and salted roasted almonds???  Food & Wine of course!  Definitely worth a try for those chocolate lovers out there.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Hot water
Salted roasted almonds and vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking powder. Chop the chocolate and, in a large microwave-safe bowl, heat it with the butter at high power in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the dry ingredients until evenly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Set the cake pan in a small roasting pan. Transfer the roasting pan to the center of the oven. Carefully pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to reach one-third of the way up the side of the cake pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the budino is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

Transfer the cake pan to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the budino and invert it onto a plate. Peel off the paper and invert the budino again. Cut into wedges and serve with roasted almonds and vanilla ice cream drizzled with olive oil.

Guacamole: Dip + Breakfast Recipes

Last night we brought homemade guacamole to our friend's house for their delicious Mexican-themed dinner party.  Super delicious and super easy with such an abundance of cheap and ripe avocados at the store these days.

This morning, Michael made this potato pancake, guacamole and egg dish with the leftover guacamole... surprisingly delicious!  Food & Wine has done it again.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium ripe avocados
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
Salt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Fresh hot green chile to taste (I like 1 serrano or ½ to 1 jalapeño), finely chopped
1/4 small white onion, finely chopped
1/2 medium tomato, chopped into 1/4-inch dice

Cut the avocados in half, running your knife around the pit from stem to blossom end and back up again. Twist the halves in opposite directions to free the pits and pull the halves apart. Dislodge the pits, then scoop out the avocado flesh into a medium bowl. Mash the avocado with a large fork or potato masher. Stir in the garlic and about 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus any other sets of ingredients you've chosen. If your list includes the white onion, rinse it first under cold water, then shake well to rid it of excess moisture, before adding to the avocado. (This reduces the risk of having onion flavor overwhelm the guacamole.) Taste and season with additional salt if appropriate. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate—preferably not more than a few hours.

BREAKFAST...
Shred two medium-large (10 to 12 ounces total) red-skin potatoes; squeeze out excess moisture between your hands. Heat a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium and lightly coat with oil. Form 4 small potato pancakes, sprinkle with salt and press flat with a spatula. When browned on one side, flip and brown the other side. Smear with the simplest guacamole, top each with a poached egg and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and cilantro.

Tomato, Chard and Gruyère Casserole

Michael has dubbed this "French lasagna" made with bread instead of pasta and with more veggies and less cheese!  It's REALLY good and is perfect for late summer when you can get tons of tomatoes and chard from the farmer's market.  Food & Wine has done it again.

INGREDIENTS
5 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, stemmed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 cup dry white wine
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
One 1-pound loaf of day-old peasant bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick
3 pounds beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
1/2 inch thick
9 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (3 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the chard for 2 minutes; drain. When the leaves are cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water. Coarsely chop the chard.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and thyme and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the chard and the wine and simmer over moderately high heat until the wine is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Butter a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Line the bottom of the dish with one-third of the bread, overlapping the slices slightly and cutting the bread to fit. Top with half of the tomato slices and season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the chard on top, then sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat the layering once and finish with the remaining bread. Pour the hot stock over the casserole and press with a spatula. Brush the top with the melted butter.

Cover the dish with foil and bake in the upper third of the oven for 1 hour. Uncover the dish and bake for about 10 minutes longer, until the top is browned and crisp. Let the casserole rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

MAKE AHEAD The cooked chard can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Arctic Char with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes in Garlic Oil

From balcony garden...

To the dinner plate...

This recipe is one of our FAVORITE dishes in For Cod and Country and always super quick and easy to make.  Fortunately, the Denver Post decided to publish the recipe so now so I don't feel guilty copying the recipe out of the book and publishing it to the world wide web!

Enjoy while fresh cherry tomatoes are plentiful and delicious!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, each cut in half
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Salt
2 portions skin-on arctic char fillet (about 5 ounces each)
(NOTE: We get frozen char from Trader Joe's and always keep the freezer stocked)

Preheat the broiler. Set a large cast-steel or cast-iron skillet on the stove over high heat until it is smoking hot. Add the olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic until it is blistered and golden brown. Add the tomatoes, but do this very carefully, otherwise searing hot oil will splash up onto you. Cook until the skins of the tomatoes begin to blister in the hot oil, about 1 minute, then season very generously with salt.

Carefully place the char fillets, skin side up, on top of the tomatoes and transfer the pan under the broiler. Cook for 6 minutes, then check on the fillets. The skin should be blistered and bubbling. Remove the char fillets to serving plates. Spoon the tomatoes onto the char fillets and serve immediately.

Istanbul Scrapbook

I finally finished our scrapbook from Istanbul! (I know, it took me a while to complete...)  CLICK HERE to look at the final product. (To zoom in on a page, just click on it and it will enlarge so you can read the captions)

Michael and I were looking through it the other night... and now we want to go back again!

3rd Annual Garden Party & Bonfire

It's that time again!!! Let us know if you can join us!

Sorry I've been slow on posting lately.  This summer is just flying by!

Summer Eats From Michael's Favorite Cookbook

As we've mentioned before, Michael's favorite cookbook is still For Cod and Country, and we are still discovering delicious new recipes from Barton Seaver's book.  Some of our summer favorites so far are these delicious clam appetizers (above) and the squid with green beans, potatoes and basil pesto (below).

And since soft-shell crabs are in season, we had a delicious meal of soft-shell crabs with corn and black bean relish.  Mmmmm...

I can't wait for Michael to discover more recipes from this fantastic cookbook so I can keep eating like a queen!  Bad for the diet but good for the soul.

4th of July Cupcake feat. Cream Cheese Frosting

Yesterday, we went to our friends Roger and Martha's house on Capitol Hill to cook out and watch the fireworks.  Michael made his famous gazpacho because it's delicious and refreshing, and because Martha is vegan.

Upon hearing of Michael's contribution to the BBQ, Garvey sent him this clip from The Simpson's.  HILARIOUS!


And I made mini black-bottom cheesecakes with jam and chocolate cupcakes with a new cream cheese frosting and berries on top!  The combination of moist chocolate cupcakes with fluffy frosting and fresh berries was PERFECT.  Needless to say, we did not bring any home because they were devoured by our friends.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Independence Day!  Here's our new favorite cream cheese frosting recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar (to taste)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cake or cupcake.

Cod with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Arborio Rice

This is our first meal cooking with the spices that we bought in Istanbul.  What I learned after the first bite is that spices purchased in Turkey are AMAZING compared with spices purchased in the United States.  The red pepper flakes and saffron did not disappoint AND we were able to use the oregano, bay leaves, and parsley from our balcony garden!

Food & Wine, once again, has given us a perfect recipe!

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
5 oregano sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 orange, in 1-inch-wide strips, plus finely grated zest, for garnish
5 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
1 cup arborio rice
Four 4-ounce skinless cod or halibut fillets
Chopped parsley, for garnish

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and saffron and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and season with salt and black pepper. Cook the sauce over moderately low heat, stirring and crushing the tomatoes with a spoon, until the sauce is thickened and the liquid is reduced, about 35 minutes. Discard the oregano.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, combine the orange zest strips, bay leaves, cloves, rice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook until the rice is al dente, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain the rice, discarding the zest, bay leaves and cloves. Return the rice to the pot. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt.

Nestle the cod in the tomato sauce and cook, turning the fillets once, until just opaque throughout, about 12 minutes.

Spoon the rice into bowls and top with the cod and sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and finely grated orange zest and serve.

Warm Scallop Salad with Mushrooms and Zucchini

Here's another Food & Wine favorite!  Perfect for a Sunday night dinner in the summertime.

INGREDIENTS

2 anchovies, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms
16 large sea scallops
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small head of Boston lettuce, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon
Finely grated bottarga (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the anchovies with the lemon zest, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the zucchini, season with salt and cook over high heat until browned in spots; transfer to a large plate. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the mushrooms to the skillet; season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over moderate heat until starting to brown. Uncover and cook until tender and browned; transfer to the plate.

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet until shimmering. Add the scallops and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom. Turn the scallops and cook for 1 minute longer; transfer to a small plate. Add the shallot to the pan and cook until softened. Add the wine and simmer, then stir in the zucchini and mushrooms and reheat. Swirl in the anchovy dressing, any scallop juices and the butter.

Arrange the lettuce on plates and top with the scallops and vegetables. Garnish with the chives, tarragon and bottarga and serve.

Memorial Day Weekend 2012

On Memorial Day Weekend, we were out in the bay area to celebrate Pat's graduation from Sacramento State and his 30th birthday party in San Francisco.  Fortunately, we also got to squeeze in a wine tasting day in Napa too!

Michael's good friend Schieffer hooked us up with wine tasting and gave us a very detailed tour of Keever Vineyards, where he currently works.

Schiffer knows a lot about wine... more than I ever wanted to know... haha!

But it was really cool to see how a small, family-owned winery makes its wine compared to a large-scale operation.

My childhood friend Jen and her husband Drew also joined us in Napa with their new bundle of joy, Miss Zelda!  She was just perfect and I couldn't not get enough of her chubby little cheeks!

The next day, we got to hang out with my other childhood friend Janelle and check out her awesome new apartment just steps away from Fisherman's Wharf.  It was such a gorgeous day walking around with her and boyfriend Greg after they had us over for a wonderful brunch at their swanky new pad.

Then we met Ming-Cee and Pat at the W Hotel for the celebration!  If you don't already know, Pat has a twin so it was double trouble as we celebrated both Pat and Matt's 30th birthday with siblings (and a cousin) with our significant others from both sides of the family (16 of us in total!).

Matt's wife did a great job organizing the dinner reservations and Ming-Cee did an awesome job organizing the hotel accommodations and the after party at the Wreck Room on Nob Hill.

Friends drove and flew in from all over California and we had a super fun evening.  And of course Eva, our oldest childhood friend, was there too!

We all had such a great time... complete with funny photos!

The rest of the weekend we recovered in Walnut Creek with mom and dad.  We cooked dinner one night and Michael played doubles tennis with daddy at one of his tennis clubs while mom and I went to the garden store and spruced up mom's balcony garden for summer.  And lastly, for those of you that live in DC, we saw a marionberry pie at Whole Foods!

It turns out that a marionberry is a variety of blackberry, but for those of you that don't know the notorious DC Councilman and former DC mayor, Marion Barry, you can read about his very interesting political career, crack cocaine scandal, and recent Asian American controversial comments on wikipedia.  He's a character.  Unfortunately, the marionberry pie is not sold in DC area Whole Foods Markets... we checked!

It was a fantastic trip with perfect weather and we wish we could have stayed a few more days.  There's always a part of us that misses the bay area, but especially in the summertime when we have to return home to high humidity and temperatures in the 90s in DC!