Tag Archives: Food

Calamari Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

14 Jan

It’s the New Year and eating healthier is definitely on my mind. Have you tried Calamari? It is sustainable, delicious and tender when cooked properly.

One of my favorite ways, other than grilling it, is to gently steam it for several minutes, in a vegetable steamer, over simmering water infused with a few strips of Lemon Zest and 1-2 Bay Leaves. It cooks very quickly over steam so don’t walk away from it. It won’t take long to become firm and will continue to cook even after you have it off the heat. Then, throw it into the Vinaigrette, which will help stop the cooking process.

Salad for 2 people:

  • 4-6 Calamari, depending on the size (steamed and sliced into rings)
  • 1 Carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • Romaine Lettuce (I suggest using the heart and keeping the leaves whole, or Butter Lettuce would be nice too)
  • Arugula, 1 handful
  • 1/2 Bulb Fennel, shaved thinly
  • Olives, about a handful, cut in half (I had green ones on hand, but Kalamata would also work well)

 For the Vinaigrette:

  • 3 Parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
  • 1 Part Lemon Juice*
  • Juice of 1/2 an Orange*
  • 1/2 Shallot, finely chopped (or thinly sliced Red Onion)
  • Parsley, a few sprigs, finely chopped
  • Red Pepper Flakes (1-2 pinches or to taste)
  • Salt, to taste

*Note: if you prefer a sharp dressing like I do, use 2 parts Oil and 1 part Juice . You could also use the leftover 1/2 orange, cut  it into segments, and add them to the salad.

  1. Combine the ingredients of the Vinaigrette in a Salad bowl
  2. Toss in the steamed Calamari and let it marinade for about 10 minutes
  3. Combine the rest of the salad ingredients with the Vinaigrette and Calamari and enjoy!

I first heard about the technique of steaming Calamari while watching one of Lidia Bastianich’s cooking shows, Lidia’s Italy, on PBS. You can view her recipe here and for instructions on how to clean them, here is a link from Monterey Fish Market.

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Carne Crudo with Enoki Mushrooms & Black Truffle Bruschetta

7 Jan

This dish is from Manzo at Eataly in New York. It was one of the memorable dishes from my recent vacation and I feel it is worth blogging about for several reasons…it was beautifully plated, had an excellent combination of flavors, and for using Grass-fed Beef.

I had not previously heard of Piemontese Beef. It comes from a breed of cattle originally from the North-West region of Piemont in Italy, and considered among the best in the world for being especially tender and lower in fat.

I am a big proponent of Grass-fed Beef, especially after watching the video Food, Inc. (which I highly recommend),  and it’s my preference for the limited occasions when I eat Beef. As you probably know, Grass-fed Beef farms provide a more humane livestock system, a healthier human diet, less deadly E. coli, and elimination of feedlots that are filthy, require tons of antibiotics, and cruel to the animals. Manzo’s Razza Piemontese Beef is American-sourced, coming from Brewer Ranch in Miles City, Montana.

As usual, our preference was taking a seat at the counter rather than at a table, so we could watch the food being prepared and hopefully, get better service, which we did…the bartender was prompt, friendly and guided us in the right direction with his top recommendations.

I was quite surprised to see the meat for this Crudo being freshly ground up, right before our eyes, in the smallest, individual-size grinder that I’ve ever seen. I’m going to search for it and will put up a link in My Tasty Store when I find it (remember to check out My Tasty Store on the side bar of the blog when you’re viewing on a computer–unfortunately, it’s still not working well on mobile devices…it’s a project for the New Year!). The earthy flavors of Mushrooms and Black Truffles, together with the delicate Quail Egg Yolk, were divine.

We also enjoyed a Roasted Cauliflower and Romaine Salad with an Anchovy  Caper Vinaigrette. I will definitely be duplicating this salad at home!

Chef Michael Toscano, the former Sous-Chef of Mario Batali’s Babbo, definitely impressed me and I look forward to going back.

If you’d like to see some of the other dishes, here is a link to the Fall menu. Be prepared to get hungry!

What restaurant dish has given you inspiration to try at home?

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Russ & Daughters – Pastrami Cured Smoked Salmon

1 Jan

Located in the Lower East Side of Manhanttan, Russ and Daughters Smoked Salmon can’t be beat! Luckily, they also ship and it is available to order online.

As expected, the place was packed on New Years Eve! But it was totally worth the wait to stand in line for some of their Pastrami Cured Smoked Salmon. This historic landmark offers about a dozen selections of smoked and cured Salmon, each with special characteristics, and as I was patiently waiting and debating in my mind, I thought the classic New York spices of Pastrami and Smoked Salmon had to be the winner!

There are recipes online for Gravlax or also Roasted Salmon with Pastrami spice rubs. I think Pastrami Salmon from Cookstr.com sounds pretty good, especially with the Potato Pancake and garnished with some Crème Fraîche. What are you eating to celebrate the New Year?

I wish all my readers, friends and family a Happy, Healthy and Delicious New Year!

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Anatomy of a Burger

31 Dec

This post is actually about restaurant recommendations for Portland but I couldn’t resist the title! Check out  the link of this picture of a mouth-watering burger from Violetta. Yumm!

Our friend Dave in Portland suggested several places for lunch, before we landed, so of course, the first thing I did was inspect the menu of each restaurant.

To be honest, after having only coffee and a smoothie for breakfast, I was so hungry for lunch on Saturday before Christmas, that I don’t remember the details of all the menus, but what I do remember, and appreciate so much, is the effort that our friend made to send us a brief list of suggestions ahead of time. And, once we arrived, I was surprised that he had his Garmin GPS navigator programmed for us with directions to each of the restaurants so we could drive in the loaned vehicle to downtown Portland without any delays or hassles.

Along with Violetta, here are some more suggestions:

Tasty N Sons has great and unusual breakfast items. For example, brown rice, Kim Chi, steamed vegetables topped with a fried egg. It is located in North Portland close to downtown.

Violetta is in SW Downtown, has really good burgers and is in a great location if you want to do some shopping. Many nice stores and good for walking around.

Papa Haydn is in NW Portland and has good sandwiches, salads and desserts. Also good shopping and easy walking distance.

The Saturday Market for shopping was going on along the waterfront and it has some unusual folks to look at as well as fun gift ideas.

We ultimately ended up at the counter at Ping, in Chinatown. From 2-5:30, they have happy hour and served a menu of small plates ranging in price from about $1-$3 average. Such a deal! They also make an unusual, but delicious, drink from fruit vinegars and seltzer, with flavors like Pomegranate, Rhubarb or Tamarind. I’d go back there just for those…

http://tastynsons.com/brunch.html

http://www.violettapdx.com/

http://www.papahaydn.com/

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Rosemary and Spiced Nuts

11 Dec

These are no doubt THE BEST EVER spiced nuts I’ve tasted! The recipe comes from one of my most beloved friends, Dene Rosemeyer, who is an AWESOME home chef. They are a perfect, savory nibble with a glass of wine or for a scrumptious homemade gift (as well as a practical one if traveling).

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 Cups Raw Mixed Nuts
  • 2 Tbs Olive Oil
  • 1 1/2 Tbs Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary
  • 1 Tbs Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin (Toasted)
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 300 (°F) degrees.
  • Place nuts in a bowl.
  • Pour the oil into a small, heavy sauce pan and warm over medium-low heat until warm.
  • Add Rosemary, stir until the mixture is aromatic (1 minute).
  • Pour flavored oil over nuts.
  • Add Sugar, Cumin, Salt, Black Pepper and Cayenne. Stir to coat evenly.
  • Transfer to baking pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, until nuts are toasted, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes 2 1/2 cups.

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My Tasty Store (du jour) for Special Holiday Gifts

10 Dec

As you can tell if you’ve been following my blog, I love sharing ideas! I’ve recently posted a limited assortment of holiday gift ideas (or for your kitchen), by way of My Tasty Store (du jour). My Tasty Store is a new feature on my blog and I anticipate changing it regularly.

On the side bar of the blog, you’ll see links to recommended cookbooks, gadgets, gourmet food items, stocking stuffers and so forth. Click them for details or to purchase.

Viewing on a mobile device is not ideal, but I hope to figure out (technically) a better way to set it up in the future. For now, on an iPhone, you can see the links if you scroll to the bottom of the posts. Regrettably, on an iPad I didn’t see a way to access it so you’ll need to get on a computer in order to check it out. If any of you bloggers out there have suggestions, or can direct me to a YouTube tutorial, I’d certainly appreciate your comments.

Sit back, relax and avoid the crowds! Happy Shopping!

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Gluten-Free Peanut-Butter Chocolate Cookies

9 Dec

I found this recipe from Martha Stewart and it was so easy (perfect for me, who has little patience for measuring too many ingredients!).

You probably have all the ingredients on hand (if you stock chocolate chips and peanuts) which means you can whip up a batch anytime. I prefer bittersweet chips so swapped them for semi-sweet in the recipe.

One of the reviews said chunky peanut-butter works too, if you don’t have creamy peanut-butter. The peanut-butter and peanuts almost makes me feel like I’m eating something healthy! Next time, I’m going to try using Coconut Palm Sugar which is less processed than white sugar. Some sources suggest it has a lower glycemic index, although there is also some controversy on this (one factor is the time of harvest). I think they’re going to be gobbled up quickly!

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  2. 3/4 cup sugar
  3. 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
  4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  6. 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  7. 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg (lightly beaten), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Stir in 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts.
  2. With moistened hands, roll dough, about 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, into balls. Place 2 inches apart on two baking sheets.
  3. Bake until cookies are golden and puffed, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

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Michael’s Santa Monica

4 Dec

Michael’s Santa Monica. I recently ate here for dinner with some business associates and sat outside on the beautiful garden patio. Michael McCarty, the Proprietor, was very cordial and stopped by our table to make sure our dinner was enjoyable. It was delicious and the service was excellent!

Michael is recognized for supporting the local Farmers Markets and the menu reflects fresh and seasonal fare.

I’m always on the look out for restaurants that provide a farm-to-table experience, supporting organic, local and sustainable cuisine, so if you know of any, please leave a comment and share your favorites.

P.S. There is another location too…Michael’s New York at 24 W 55th in Manhanttan.

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No Time to Bake? Host a Cookie Swap!

3 Dec

I love the idea of a cookie swap and can’t ever forget about the voracious Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. This time of year is super busy for most of us, and this is an delectable way to divide and conquer! Of course you can plan one any time of the year, but a Holiday Cookie Swap can be particularly festive and a relatively easy way to celebrate the season together.

The idea, as you probably know, is that you invite friends and/or coworkers together and each person brings their favorite homemade cookies. Depending on the number of people and how many cookies you want to take home, I suggest each person brings 2-4 dozen cookies or perhaps 6 dozen if you want to use them for gifts.

Then, everyone swaps their cookies and you end up with a wonderful variety of delicious treats! You may want to suggest that people bring their own containers as well as their recipe to share.

Below are some resources for cookie recipes and inspiration:

Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow from Bon Appétit

Martha Stewart Cookie App for iPad and iPhone

Martha Stewart’s Easiest Cookie Recipes

14 Guilt-Free Cookie Recipes from Whole Living

No-Bake Cookies from Martha Stewart

Enjoy!

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Bundt Pan Cornbread

23 Nov

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Super easy! Looks fancy doesn’t it!? I used this as the base for a Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing on Thanksgiving.

Into a bowl, coarsely crumble the Cornbread and add finely chopped Celery, Onions, small diced Spanish Chorizo and a little Broth to moisten; Bake at 350 F for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the top is lightly browned.

Berta’s Southern Cornbread Recipe:

In a mixing bowl, place:

1 Cup each flour and cornmeal
1 Tablespoon each baking powder and sugar (1/2 Tablespoon works fine too if you are trying to cut back on sugar)
Pinch of salt

Mix all with whisk.

Preheat oven at 400 degrees somewhere along the way.

Mix in 1 Egg
Mix in 1/4 cup safflower oil
Mix in 1 Cup milk
Mix with whisk

Pre-grease modest size pan (or lower half of Bundt Pan), put mixture into pan and place in oven for baking at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (check at 20 min if using Bundt Pan). Enjoy!

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