Nothing on my "To-Do" List But Eating, Drinking, and Relaxing!

Peter Gibbons, my hero!
taken from examiner.com

It’s not very often that I find myself able to simply sit down, relax, and watch a movie. All too frequently, my free time is spent at the gym, in the kitchen, or locked in my room furiously scribbling away thoughts and stories in any one of a dozen active notebooks. But on Friday night, after a jam-packed week at the office, I treated myself to a night of nothing.


Once the work day was finally done, I bolted out the door, scrambling to get to Salumeria Italiana before close. I made it in time and filled my basket with an assortment of goodies, including burrata and taleggio cheeses, farro pasta, and a jar of eucalyptus honey produced by Alce Nero, a group of organic farmers based in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Somehow I resisted the salumi counter―no small feat, considering what a rare occurrence it is for me to leave this shop without at least a few strips of their 24-month prosciutto.

Treats in tow, I rounded the corner onto Hanover Street, on my way to The Wine Bottega, where the team was pouring French, Italian, and Portuguese wines from Oz Wine Co., a Massachusetts-based importer of organic/biodynamic/sustainable wines. I left with two wines: an Aglianico-based red from Campania featured in the Oz array, and a recommended Montepulciano d’Abruzzo that I passed on my way to the cash register but couldn’t pass up when I saw that it was only $12.00.

Next stop? Mercato del Mare, because a food-gathering excursion to the North End that doesn’t include oysters is like a martini without an olive. I left with 6 Onset oysters from Buzzards Bay, MA, as well as a half-pound of local cod and inspiration for an interesting mignonette (recipe below).

Finally home!  I changed into pajamas, uncorked the Montepulciano, threw “What About Bob?” in the DVD player, shucked my oysters, plated my cheeses, kicked up my feet, sipped my wine, and basked in the glory of doing nothing. It was everything I thought it could be!



Curry Mignonette for Oysters

1 t. malt vinegar
1 T. mild white vinegar
1-2 drops vanilla extract
Dash hot curry powder

Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl; use a few drops to season oysters on the half-shell.


 

Onset oyster, Buzzards Bay, MA

 

Onset oyster with Curry Mignonette



Burrata - Cow's Milk; Puglia, Italy

Taleggio - Cow's Milk; Lombardy, Italy - drizzled with Alce Nero Eucalyptus Honey

Feast of the Seven Fishes (Festa dei Sette Pesci)

I love this time of year.  Christmas lights aglow, I get to wear cute hats and fuzzy sweaters, and I get to scour recipes trying to decide what seafood dishes to serve on Christmas Eve, a/k/a the Feast of the Seven Fishes. 

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, or festa dei sette pesci, is an Italian-Catholic culinary celebration of seafood that springs from the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays and holy days.  There are as many theories about the significance of the number seven as there are fish in the sea, so I won't venture a guess; I'll just be glad that as a good little Italian girl, I have yet another valid reason to buy seafood! 

If you and your loved ones follow the "seafood on Christmas Eve" tradition and need some recipe ideas, here are seven of my favorite seafood dishes.  Buon Natale!

Sea "Smores"

Olive oil

6 large sea scallops

Finely ground black pepper

12 parmesan crisps (see below) or ¼” thick toast rounds

1 batch porcini sauce (see below)

Dry off the scallops with paper towels so that there is no moisture on the scallops’ surfaces.  Dust the scallops with finely ground black pepper. 

Place a heavy-bottomed pan over high heat and brush with a thin coat of olive oil.  Add the scallops.  Sear the scallops for 1-2 minutes per side, turning regularly.  A golden-brown crust should form on the outside of the scallops; cook no more than 5-6 minutes total, depending on their size.  Remove from the pan; set aside. 

Place six of the crisps on a plate.  Spread 1-2 teaspoons of the porcini sauce on each crisp in a thin layer.  Next, place one of the seared scallops on top of the sauce on each crisp.  Finally, place one of the remaining parmesan crisps on top of each sea scallop, creating a bite-sized scallop sandwich.  Serve with a crisp, dry white wine. 

Parmesan Crisps

Coarsely-grated parmesan cheese

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle about 2 T. parmesan in 2-inch circles on the pan (most standard-size pans will fit 3-4 crisps).  When the parmesan begins to melt and bubble, remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.  Using a spatula, carefully scrape the crisps off the skillet, making sure to keep them in one piece.  Place the crisps on paper towels to absorb some of the grease; set aside until ready to use. 

Hint:  Always make a few more than required to allow for any that break.

Porcini Sauce

¼ c. dried porcini mushrooms, broken or snipped into very tiny bits

¼ c. Boiling water

Splash whiskey

Splash heavy cream

Salt and finely ground black pepper

1/8 t. cornstarch

Soak the porcinis in the boiling water.  When they have softened, add the porcinis and their soaking liquid to a small saucepan.  Place over medium-low heat; add the whiskey, cream, salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, until small bubbles begin to form on the surface of the liquid.  At this point, add the cornstarch, stirring constantly, until it is fully dissolved and the sauce begins to thicken.  Once the sauce is the consistency of melted chocolate, remove from heat and use a rubber scraper to transfer into a small bowl. 

 



Lobster Potato Salad

1.5lbs potatoes (red or Yukon Golds work well)

1-2T. butter

meat from 1 1lb. lobster, or 1 cup prepared lobster meat 

2-4 green onions, sliced into thin rings

juice from 1/2 lemon

splash olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Slice the potatoes lengthwise into quarters, then slice into half-inch wedges.  Place these in a pot and fill with enough water to cover by at least an inch.  Salt the water, bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.  When they are cooked, drain them and set them aside to cool.  In another similar-sized pot, melt the butter over high heat so that the butter begins to brown slightly.  Add the potatoes, remove from heat immediately, and toss the cooled potatoes with the melted butter.  Set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, slice the green onions and put them in a large bowl.  Next, add the lobster meat.  If you are using a whole lobster, break the lobster apart overtop of the bowl so that any flavorful juices are not lost. 

Once the meat is removed from the lobster, or if you are using prepared lobster, use your fingers to tear the meat into small chunks.  Add the cooked and buttered potatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Toss until all ingredients are evenly distributed, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Once the salad has chilled, you are ready to serve.  Place on a plate or in a shallow bowl over lettuce leaves. 

Calamari in Spicy Tomato-Wine Broth

8 oz. dried angel hair pasta

generous splash olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 T. golden raisins

2 T. capers

2/3 cup dry white wine

1 T. tomato paste

1 roma tomato, diced

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 lb. calamari, cleaned, tubes sliced into rings

salt and pepper to taste

minced parsley, plus sprigs for garnish

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, heat the olive oil over a medium flame in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic and raisins.  Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic becomes fragrant but does not turn golden. 

Next, add the capers, white wine, tomato paste, roma tomato, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Stir vigorously so that the tomato paste breaks up and blends with the wine.  Cook until the liquid begins to bubble gently, about 5 minutes. 

Now, add the calamari.  Cook for only about one minute.  The calamari should start to firm up.  Drain the pasta, and add the hot pasta to the pan with the calamari and tomato broth.  Stir so that each strand is coated with the sauce.  By this time, the calamari should be cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and divide among two serving dishes.  Sprinkle with minced parsley and garnish with a sprig or two of fresh parsley.



Baked Oysters with Chablis Cream

12 oysters, freshly shucked, in the deep “cup” shell

1 T. butter

1 shallot, minced

½ cup Chablis

½ cup heavy cream

Pinch sea salt

Pinch white pepper

Cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 450. In the meantime, drain any of the juice from the oysters, reserving the juice in a small bowl.  Next, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the minced shallot, cooking for a minute or two until the shallot is soft and translucent.  Once the shallot is cooked, add the Chablis and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by about half.

Place a fine-meshed sieve over the bowl containing the oysters’ liquid.  Pour the wine and shallot mixture into the sieve, and use a spoon to press out any remaining liquid if necessary.  Reserve the cooked shallots for the Celeriac Puree recipe; return the liquid to the saucepan.

Now, add the cream, sea salt, and white pepper to the saucepan with the wine mixture.  Bring to a boil and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the liquid has again been reduced by about half.  Reduce to very low heat.

Arrange the shucked and drained oysters in a baking dish.  Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of the Chablis cream sauce onto each oyster, then dust with the slightest amount of cayenne pepper.  Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes until the cream begins to turn golden at the edges.

Remove the baking dish from the oven, and using tongs, divide the oysters among serving dishes.  Serve with chilled, but not cold, Chablis.

Monkfish Medallions with Sherried Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

For the sauce:

1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 c. Amontillado sherry

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 t. smoked paprika

2 T. heavy cream

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the monkfish:

1 monkfish tail, cut into 1.5 inch thick medallions

flour seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging

olive oil, for frying

First, make the sauce.  Combine all the ingredients in a blender, puree until liquefied, and set aside. 

Take each of the monkfish medallions and dredge in the seasoned flour, making sure to shake off any excess flour.  Set aside.  Heat a large, heavy bottomed frying pan.  When it is hot, add a generous splash of olive oil.  Once the olive oil is heated and covers the entire surface of the pan, add the monkfish medallions and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until slightly golden.  Remove from heat when they are done.  

To serve, place 2-3 medallions on a plate and drizzle with the Sherried Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. 

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Champagne Cream

1 lb. dried farfalle

1 jar Classico Alfredo

1/2 cup champagne

1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 T. capers

dash cayenne pepper

generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper

4 oz. smoked salmon, sliced into thin strips

1 jar caviar (no need to go expensive, American lumpfish works fine!)

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, combine the Alfredo, champagne, peas, capers, cayenne, and pepper in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to bubble slightly. 

Add the cooked farfalle to the saucepan.  Stir to combine until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.  Now, add the smoked salmon.  Stir just until combined, then serve immediately, garnishing with a spoonful of caviar.  Enjoy!!!

Shellfish Risotto

generous splash olive

1 leek, sliced (white part only)

1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced, a few fronds reserved for garnish

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup prosecco

5 cups shellfish stock

1 pound calamari, mostly tentacles - slice tubes into 1/4" rings

1/2 pound cockles or other small clams

1 T. capers

sea salt

parsley, to garnish

Heat the shellfish stock to a low simmer.  In a separate large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the leek and fennel.  Saute for about 5 minutes, then add the arborio rice.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the prosecco.  Lower the heat, and stir continuously until the prosecco has been absorbed. 

Now, add a half-cup of shellfish stock.  Stir continuously until the liquid has been absorbed.  Repeat this process until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is almost fully cooked.  In the meantime, place the calamari and the clams in another pan with a bit of olive oil and a splash of the shellfish stock.  Cover, and steam until the clams have open and the calamari has firmed up.  Set aside a few clams in their shells for garnish, remove the meat from the rest and discard the shells. 

When the rice is almost fully cooked and you're on the last addition of liquid, add the calamari, clams, and capers.  Continue to stir until the last of the liquid is absorbed.  Finish with sea salt.  Serve in individual bowls with a clam shell or two, garnished with fennel fronds. 

Christmas 2010

This weekend, I celebrated Christmas with my mom in Portsmouth, NH. As is the case with most major holidays, my mom did all the cooking, as she has for years. Sure, I pitched in here and there (someone had to operate the salad spinner and open the Chianti), but the hard labor was my mom’s territory. She began planning well in advance of my arrival, and as always, she pulled off a delicious and delectable Christmas dinner.

This year, I wasn’t as overcome by the Christmas Spirit as I have been in the past. My roommates and I are hardly ever home, so we didn’t bother to decorate. My head has been spinning due to the stress that accompanied leaving my last job to advance into a new position. I’ve had a roller-coaster of a month with many ups and downs, and Boston didn’t even get any snow until December 20. I wasn’t exactly bouncing around in my Santa hat singing jolly carols. Thankfully, I was able to look past the harsh realities of adulthood because I got to spend the holiday with my mom in her decorated living room while the familiar smells of her cooking drifted in from the kitchen. We watched Christmas Vacation and drove around in the snow to admire (ok, make fun of) people’s decorations. Those things helped my mind decompress, and I was able to muster up some Christmas spirit. Thankfully, while I do enjoy the trappings of the season, my interpretation of the true meaning of Christmas is centered around what’s on the dining room table and who occupies the chairs.

Obviously we had several meals while I was home, but I’ll focus on our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. Following Italian tradition, we've always served seafood on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, my mom developed an allergy to fish and shellfish (she usually makes meat-free pasta fagioli), but she is always more than happy to supply me with some sort of freshly plucked ocean creature to throw into a pan with some garlic and olive oil. This year, I chose calamari and oysters. We stopped in at Seaport Fish, where I purchased a half-pound of fresh calamari with the heads still attached and the cuttlebones remaining in the tubes. This calamari was incredible, and it worked fabulously quick-cooked in a spicy tomato and wine broth, served over angel hair pasta (recipe below). I plumped some golden raisins in the wine broth, threw in a few capers, and I added a generous amount of thinly sliced garlic as well, which is typical of Sicilian cooking. Finally, a sprinkling of minced flat-leaf parsley adds a fresh foil to the sweet and spicy flavors.

5-inches of oyster!

Along with my calamari, I purchased a half-dozen oysters, and in doing so I turned myself on to a new oyster variety that I haven‘t seen before but will search for in the future. Typically, I buy Island Creek oysters which are easy to open, buttery-sweet, and perfect on the half-shell. Seaport Fish did not have any Island creeks, but they did have two other varieties in stock. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the type I didn’t purchase, but when I asked which they recommended, I was steered towards the ginormous Wawenauk oysters from Maine. I chose these simply because I was told that they are easy to open - I certainly didn’t want any oyster drama on Christmas Eve! Each shell was almost the size of my hand and probably weighed about a pound. OK, maybe not a pound, but nobody would ever refer to these babies as “delicate.”

Readers, I must pause and ask a simple favor of you before I begin the next few sentences - please keep in mind that everything I’m about to say is in reference to oysters, and nothing else. Please keep your bacon, butter, and booze-soaked minds out of the gutter.  Wawenauks are larger than any oyster I’ve seen before, and after opening one, I observed that the meat was about twice the size of my usual Island Creeks. Although they are large, their size is not as difficult to accommodate as you may imagine. They are plump and meaty, but not cumbersome to swallow whole, and they taste sweet and briny like ocean water, without any hints of mineral or metallic flavor. I did not serve these with any sauces or dips, just a spritz of fresh-squeezed lemon juice is all I added to these meaty morsels, unless you count the complementary pinot grigio I sipped between shucks. (Double entendre-laden section complete). Although I purchased a half dozen, by the fourth oyster I was full. If you serve these to a crowd, I recommend two per person; they are incredibly rich.

On Christmas Day, my mom took control of the kitchen. While watching old movies, we nibbled on antipasti skewers containing grape tomatoes, bocconcini mozzarella, roasted red pepper strips, cannellini beans, and green olives. This recipe is so simple that it does not require a recipe - simply skewer all the ingredients onto toothpicks (or, for fancier presentation, cocktail picks or those cute little bamboo skewers with the curly tops), saving the halved grape tomatoes for last. Skewer them so that the cut side of the tomato is flat on the platter, making the skewers stand upright. These are perfect for a standing-room-only party, as they do not require utensils. She also followed in her family’s footsteps and brought out a plate of fresh dates stuffed with cream cheese. Dates are naturally very sweet - no refined sugar is necessary, making them a far healthier choice than the usual cookies and candy.

Finally, on to the dinner! My mom brought out the absolute best flavor I’ve ever had from a small beef tenderloin roast - perfectly pink in the center, with an unsurpassable natural flavor. Seasoned only with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, it required nothing else. It was juicy, tender enough to cut with a butter knife, and bursting with flavor. She served this with horseradish whipped cream - only a little bit is necessary to complement the flavor of the roast, more than a small dab can be overwhelming.

Alongside the beef, we had braised fennel with butter and parmesan, and she made the most interesting veg/carb side I’ve had yet - individual escarole and polenta soufflés, topped with roasted red pepper butter. The soufflés were light and fluffy, yet enormously satisfying! The balance between polenta and escarole was perfect, as one flavor did not dominate. Once again, my mom took a holiday dinner and knocked it out of the park.

Somehow, I saved room for dessert - chocolate & whiskey mousse with chopped hazelnuts. Three of my favorite things, whipped and chilled in one small ramekin packed with delicious dessert flavor! Not too sweet, this was the perfect end to another fabulous Christmas dinner.

Every year, my mom manages to put together a dinner that raises the bar just a little bit higher. Someday, if I am ever in charge of Christmas, my only hope will be that I am able to execute a meal that‘s even half as good as my mom‘s. I’ve got some big shoes to fill.




Calamari in Spicy Tomato-Wine Broth

8 oz. dried angel hair pasta
generous splash olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 T. golden raisins
2 T. capers
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 T. tomato paste
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. calamari, cleaned, tubes sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
minced parsley, plus sprigs for garnish

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, heat the olive oil over a medium flame in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic and raisins.  Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic becomes fragrant but does not turn golden. 

Next, add the capers, white wine, tomato paste, roma tomato, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Stir vigorously so that the tomato paste breaks up and blends with the wine.  Cook until the liquid begins to bubble gently, about 5 minutes. 

Now, add the calamari.  Cook for only about one minute.  The calamari should start to firm up.  Drain the pasta, and add the hot pasta to the pan with the calamari and tomato broth.  Stir so that each strand is coated with the sauce.  By this time, the calamari should be cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and divide among two serving dishes.  Sprinkle with minced parsley and garnish with a sprig or two of fresh parsley. 

Around the World in Eighty Bites - France

Mangez-vous Francais?  Until today, my answer was “Non!”  Honestly, traditional French cooking is not something I’ve cared to experiment with in the past.  I have no true defense for this other than my Italian pride going haywire (“French food is not the end-all and be-all of cooking, and it definitely isn’t better than Italian food!”).  In the past, French cuisine was glorified, and most of the world-famous restaurants followed French culinary tradition.  Ranhofer and Escoffier, two of the preeminent cookbook authors in culinary history, studied in France.  Classic French cuisine has historically been placed on a pedestal and set the standard next to which other cooking was compared.  I do not believe that French cooking should be held in higher regard than Italian cooking, but that being said, I cannot continue to be stubborn and refuse to try new things simply because some folks believe it’s better than my beloved cucina Italiana, especially when I now have readers in France!  New motto - No Cuisine Left Behind.

Since starting this blog, I have branched out and tried new ingredients, new cuisines, and new wines.  Epicurean adventures are my greatest joy in life, and I have eased up on some of my rigid beliefs and my stubborn rejection of anything believed to knock Italy out of the gold medal slot.  No more - it’s time to give France a chance!  Letting go of my culinary prejudice and resentment isn’t difficult when the cuisine in question is known for its excessive use of butter!

When researching French cooking and leafing through recipes, I made a conscious effort to avoid choosing recipes from Provence, which is a region in Southern France very close to Italy, and naturally the cuisines are very similar.  I wanted butter-laced, sauce-drenched French.  The recipes that most inspired me were found in Sarah Leah Chase’s “Pedaling through Burgundy.”  In the book, the author describes the dining experiences she had while biking through France, and I was drawn to her recipe for Baked Oysters in Chablis Cream.  Featuring a rich sauce of butter, heavy cream, and wine, this seemed perfect for my first foray into French cooking.  Naturally, I could not bring myself to follow her recipe without putting my own touch on it, which I accomplished by altering the spices.  I stopped into Mercato del Mare to purchase my oysters.  Rather than using Island Creek oysters, which I typically buy when I serve the oysters raw, I followed Liz and Keri’s suggestion and used Blue Points, which have a deeper “cup” shell.  The flavor of the Blue Points is slightly stronger than the Island Creeks, but they worked well with the sauce, especially when accompanied by a glass of Chablis.

Using many of the same ingredients found in the baked oysters, I made a celeriac (celery root) puree with Chablis, shallots, and green peppercorns.  Green peppercorns in brine can be found in gourmet food markets and better grocery stores.  They are spicy and pungent, but their texture is soft, making it easy to crush them with the flat edge of a knife or puree them in a blender.  They add a surprising kick to mellower flavors without giving off an unpalatable amount of heat, and they are a nice foil to the deep, soft flavor of the celery root.

These two recipes together, although they contain rich ingredients, make a surprisingly light meal.  Either recipe would be perfect for a dinner party followed by a night out!
　
Baked Oysters with Chablis Cream

12 oysters, freshly shucked, in the deep “cup” shell
1 T. butter
1 shallot, minced
½ cup Chablis
½ cup heavy cream
Pinch sea salt
Pinch white pepper
Cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 450. In the meantime, drain any of the juice from the oysters, reserving the juice in a small bowl.  Next, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the minced shallot, cooking for a minute or two until the shallot is soft and translucent.  Once the shallot is cooked, add the Chablis and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by about half.

Place a fine-meshed sieve over the bowl containing the oysters’ liquid.  Pour the wine and shallot mixture into the sieve, and use a spoon to press out any remaining liquid if necessary.  Reserve the cooked shallots for the Celeriac Puree recipe; return the liquid to the saucepan.

Now, add the cream, sea salt, and white pepper to the saucepan with the wine mixture.  Bring to a boil and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the liquid has again been reduced by about half.  Reduce to very low heat.
Arrange the shucked and drained oysters in a baking dish.  Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of the Chablis cream sauce onto each oyster, then dust with the slightest amount of cayenne pepper.  Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes until the cream begins to turn golden at the edges.

Remove the baking dish from the oven, and using tongs, divide the oysters among serving dishes.  Serve alongside Celeriac Puree with Shallots and Green Peppercorns and glasses of chilled, but not cold, Chablis.
　

　
Celeriac Puree with Shallots and Green Peppercorns

2 medium-sized bulbs celeriac
½ cup Chablis
¼ cup heavy cream
3 T. butter
1 T. minced flat-leaf parsley
1 t. green peppercorns in brine, crushed with the flat edge of a knife
Reserved shallot from Baked Oysters with Chablis Cream recipe
Pinch white pepper
Pinch sea salt

Peel and dice the celeriac bulbs, and place in a large saucepan in steamer basket over approximately 1 inch boiling water.  Steam for 20 minutes, or until very tender.

When the celeriac is tender, remove the cubes from the steamer basket.  Drain the water, remove the steamer basket, and return the celeriac to the pan, along with the Chablis, cream, butter, parsley, and peppercorns.  Using a hand-held potato masher, mash the celeriac cubes until they have the consistency of chunky mashed potatoes.  If you could use a food processor, blender, or potato ricer if you desire a smoother consistency, but I like mine to have texture and substance.

Once the celeriac is mashed to your desired consistency, stir in the reserved shallot, white pepper, and sea salt.  Serve hot, garnished with a sprig of flat-leaf parsley.

Oysters Camelot, Baked Salmon, and Truffle Fries

If the dinner I had last night sounds like something you'd see served up on a fine restaurant menu, good - that's exactly what I was going for.  However, fancy as it may sound, my meal took only 15 minutes to prepare, cost very little (although I admittedly had some of the ingredients in stock and didn't factor these into the price), and the results were delicious! 

The Island Creek oysters were $1 each.  Considering that a half-dozen oysters generally costs between $10-20 at a restaurant, that oyster shucking lesson I had last weekend paid for itself!  Oh wait - it was free.  Even better!  Any oyster lover should learn to shuck (shall I insert "go shuck yourself" joke here?).

So what is "Oysters Camelot," you may ask?  Here's the story behind the dish - while watching an episode of "Top Chef D.C." in which the contestants' challenge was to create a cold dish and serve it to the judges on the Presidential Yacht ("Think of the Kennedys," Judge Gail Simmons instructed the cheftestants), I decided that if I was a contestant, I'd serve oysters on the half shell.  But how would I make it interesting and relevant?  By serving them with an out-of-the-ordinary sauce based on our most famous political family, the Kennedys.  I used a little malt vinegar and Jameson whiskey to add a taste of Ireland and to honor Joe Kennedy's days as a bootlegger, seasoned  with finely minced shallot.

I combined the vinegar, whiskey, and shallot in a small bowl and spooned a few drops over each opened oyster, and voila!  Not only did I discover a delicious way to serve oysters, I had enough left over to use as a marinade for my salmon, which I simply baked at 425 for 10 minutes alongside my truffle fries.

Truffle fries - delicious, decadent, demystified.  A small bottle of black truffle oil and a jar of truffle salt is all you need to create these tasty treats at home.  Truffle oil usually costs between $5-15 per bottle, but since each drop contains massive blasts of flavor, you don't need much.  It will pay for itself over time, as it keeps well.  A jar of truffle salt will probably cost between $5-10, and the same principle applies.  The flavor-to-volume ratio is stacked in your favor.  The real way to make truffle fries is to slice a few russet potatoes lengthwise into thick strips, toss them with olive oil, and bake for 40 minutes in a 450-degree oven. As soon as you take them out of the oven, sprinkle them with a few drops of truffle oil and a few pinches of truffle salt, shake them up in a basket or bowl to distribute the seasonings, and serve piping hot. The time-saving way is to buy a premium brand of frozen French fries (Alexia Foods is my favorite brand - no trans fats, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives), bake according to instructions, and then season with the truffle oil and truffle salt as instructed above.

So there you have it - Dom Perignon flavors on a Franzia budget.

Croí follain agus gob fliuch!

Weekend Update...

So much food to report on this weekend!  I'll start with Friday's farmers' market at Copley Square, where I picked up three peaches, a pound of Italian green beans, two purple peppers, four heirloom tomatoes, and a pound of callaloo.  Yes, callaloo.  I've never tried it before, but that's the point of this blog - trying new things and sharing my excitement when I find things I like. 

Outside of the two hours I spent at the animal shelter, today was devoted to food.  After leaving the shelter, I hopped on the T and headed to the North End to learn how to shuck oysters at Mercato del Mare's "Shuck U," a free oyster-shucking lesson which they offer every Saturday afternoon.  Shucking wasn't as easy as I thought it would be!  My first oyster was a bit of a chore, but with a little guidance I got the hang of it.  I cannot wait to buy my own oyster knife so I can slurp fresh oysters in my living room! 

I didn't leave the store with only knowledge; I also picked up a half-pound of cod and a half-pound of cockles so I could try out a version of a recipe I saw in the latest La Cucina Italiana (spoiler alert - it was delicious!).  Cheers to the staff at Mercato del Mare - their friendliness, their selection, and the wonderful neighborhood vibe sets them apart from other stores in Boston, and the fact that they have squid ink in the cooler has given me the motivation to get my rear end to the North End more often.  I didn't buy the squid ink today, but trust me - there's black pasta in my future. 

Once I got back to my apartment, I made a small batch of fresh pasta, delicious stuffed peaches, and finally, I made the main course - baked cod with cockles and tomatoes over fresh tagliatelle. 

Generally, I prefer cooking with salt cod over fresh since I feel it's easier to get the right texture from salt cod, but I gave the fresh stuff a shot, and boy am I glad I did!  Baked about 5 minutes per side, it was tender, flaky, and didn't have even a hint of dryness.  Here's a visual of the finished product:

Tomorrow, I'll post recipes and upload photos, and I'll tweet my progress as I make Callaloo, a Carribean stew similar to gumbo made with - duh - the callaloo leaves I bought yesterday.  Now go eat something!

My Favorite Things

Bacon and butter and whiskey and vino
Indian and Polish and most things Latino
Fresh fettucine and fried onion rings
These are a few of my favorite things

Boiled Maine Lobsters and hot Texas chili
Stacked Philly cheese steaks and Long Island iced tea
Real New York Pizza and Buffalo wings
These are a few of my favorite things

When my day sucks
When my friends bail
When I'm feeling sad
I cook up a few of my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad!

Rodgers & Hammerstein bastardizations aside, there are several ingredients that make their way into 90% of my recipes.  Without further ado, here is my list of foods for which I'd sell a vital organ before giving them up:

• Bacon - I'm not that different from the dog on the "Beggin' Strips" commercial.
• Butter - Not going to lie, I eat it plain.  Two pats for the pan, one for my mouth.
• Pasta - I'd be a pretty half-arsed Italian if pasta didn't make it in my top 10.  Pasta is one of the most versatile basic ingredients available, and using it allows the cook a tremendous amount of creativity.  It's the culinary version of a blank canvas.
• Sushi - from plain old California maki rolls to more exotic sushi and sashimi choices like eel, flying fish roe, and sea urchin, there's something for everyone.
• Oysters - stay tuned, I'm learning how to shuck oysters on Saturday!  Although I generally prefer mine with nothing but a squirt of fresh lemon and a quick grind of black pepper, I have an interesting twist on a mignonette on deck. 
• Scotch - Johnnie Black was my gateway scotch.  I graduated to single malt after buying a bottle of Ardbeg 10-year, which I diligently hunted down simply because Bon Appetit referred to it as "liquid bacon."
• Lemons - when life gives me lemons, I believe it's God's way of dropping a subtle hint that he's craving chicken piccata. 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - cooking with anything else is like funneling O'Douls.
• Chiles - chile flakes?  Always.  Chipotles?  Yes, please.  Habaneros?  Thank you for making my vodka sting and my bloody marys kick.
• Anchovies - don't say "eew!"  They're fantastic.  I dare you to find flavor in a a Puttanesca or Caesar dressing made without them. 

Honorable mentions:  hardneck garlic, bottarga, lacinato kale, heirloom tomatoes, basil, heavy cream, jicama, and roasted red peppers. 


What are your favorite foods and ingredients?  Leave a comment!