Farewell Farinata . . .

It is with deep sadness and regret that I have to announce Mr. Mark Bittman has retired his weekly column, The Minimalist. Ughs and expletives all around. I can't say I followed religiously, but Bittman's work often brought me out of a cooking slump. His recipes introduced me to pimention & chickpea flour, which are now two staples in my kitch cabinets.

Bittman's final column was a compilation of his 25 favorite recipes. I prepared Socca or Farinata as a solitary homage. And of course it was easy and delicious. You will certainly be missed. 

Batter Up!

I broke out the hand mandolin to add some red onion.

Out of the oven & into the belly.

Golden, light, & savory. 

Chinese 5 Spice Tilapia w Veggies.

I made this ages ago and damn it was so succulent and luscious. The fish just fell off the bone and the veggies were so crisp. It's not to tricky to make but command of spices is a must. 

Veggie Chili & Plaintain Chips Revisited . . .

This is a much simpler and cheaper veggie chili. I've had a can of small red beans in a cabinet for way too long and it was about time to bust them out. And it goes a little something like this: first I cooked a big pot of dry black beans. Then I removed about 2 cups of them, added the red beans, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, pimenton, and cayenne pepper. Wicked. Now why that was simmering I got out my new mandolin, which certainly makes life easier, and sliced up some green plantains, fried them in peanut oil, and hit them with some salt & garlic powder. Fab. 

Dark & Lovely!

Mmmm, sweet lusciousness! Sometimes I like my beans how I like my men, dark & delicious. This was my first attempt at making black beans from scratch. I must admit, it started out as a bit of a disaster. I used maggi cubes which gave them a strange taste. But this bitch can cook her way out of most situations. I had a friend over so I was a tad distracted, but I think it went something like this: chopped garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, maggi cubes {would not necessarily suggest, but a veggie bouillon cube does the trick for my friend Camilla.}, cream of coconut, fresh carrots, and I feel like I threw in some coriander. They grew more and more delicious as the spices settled. Then I paired the beans with some maduros {sweet fried plantains}, pan seared shrimp, and basmati rice. It was heavenly!

I Dream of Beanie . . .

I remember the first time I had dal. My friend Haroon shared some he made in his Cook College Kitchen. I was surprised at how smooth and creamy they were. I'd tried to recreate them several times over the years without much success, I couldn't get the right consistency. But alas, I was using the wrong beans! I was cooking yellow split peas instead of red lentils. I watched Mark Bitman whip them up on the NYTimes site last Monday and realized my error. And because I'm such a nerd, I woke up the next day with visions of a warm bowl of beans dancing in my head. Luckily, I had some waiting in the cabinet and have enjoyed them as a high protein, low fat, mid-day snack.

Red lentils garnished with crispy onions & scallions.

New Frontiers . . .

First & foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  2009 was some rough shit, but hey we made it! My overarching resolution for this year is to keep evolving through exploration. And this of course extends to my kitchen creativity. The new ish{es} for tonight were fish sauce & red chili paste. I am usually quite absurdly opposed to pre-blended concoctions but, hey they were on sale at Whole Foods. Sweet Jesus, I've been such a fool. My salmon turned out so delicious. I had to be a bit stubborn/non-conformist so I didn't exactly follow the recipe on the package. Drool & start exploring!

Mmmhmmm, edamame steamed over basmati rice.

I pan fried the salmon in a little olive oil, removed the fish, made the sauce in the same pan, then put the pieces back in to soak up the flavor.

Awww shit, look at all that garlic. . .

Edamame out of it's shell & garnished with chopped peanuts.

Snow Day Supper . . .

Today was by far the most snow I've seen since I left Jersey 5+ years ago. Luckily, I bought my groceries yesterday and prepared a lovely salmon dinner. The long of the short of it is: I cooked Basmati rice, and steamed the beans a few minutes before it was ready. Then I lightly seasoned the salmon & let it pan fry until it got some color. Lastly, I tossed the beans with some chopped garlic in the pan I made the salmon in. Saved time, added flavor. It was a perfect meal.

Bombass Brunch!

I usually keep it light in the early hours, but I woke up ferociously hungry this morning with potatoes & eggs on the brain. So I sliced two Yukon Gold Potatoes and fried them in a pan with onions & chopped garlic. I seasoned them with kosher salt {Happy Hanukkah by the way} & oregano. Then I chopped up about 1/5 of a green pepper & two grape tomatoes for the eggs. It was oh so good and hit the spot!

Sim, Simma . . .

This was plenty for 3 eggs

I like them with a tan

Don't forget to go green on the side

The garlic adds a hint of sweetness

Incredible Edible!

Sweat the Small Stuff . . .

It goes a little something like this: boil some angel hair pasta, then sauteed some chopped garlic, yellow & green beans in some lovely butter or soy margarine. Sprinkle with kosher salt & Chinese 5 spice. Add freshly chopped tomatoes then shrimp. Finally swirl the cooked pasta in all the veggie goodness. Serve & savor.

Food's Comforting . . .

Ooo child, November was a roller coaster. Not too much going on in the kitchen unless you count boiling mounds of brussel sprouts. {I do love them!} Luckily the month is over and I'm excited about food again. Cooking often pulls me out of a slump. The meal gives me something to look forward to. This afternoon I prepared garlic shrimp & broccoli over angel hair pasta. it was a nice simple meal that hit the spot. Peep photos.

Don't boil the f out of them, keep some vitamins!

Sauteed the shrimp with chopped or fresh garlic

Mash-up!

I served it over angel hair pasta and garnished with parmesan & cayenne pepper. C'est bon!

Sunday Soup!

Cold weather means savory, hearty foods. The inaugural soup of the season was a curry coconut lentil with homemade croutons. It's a great Sunday dish that will keep you warm for days.

Happiness is . . .

Fresh cornbread in the morning! I made the recipe on the side of the Indian Head Cornmeal Bag with a few minor alterations. I tried & failed to find a link to it, but I did come across some moonshine concoctions. These might pair well with the Southern Style Breakfast I had of cornbread, fried fish, & scrambled eggs w hot sauce. 

Sandwich Au Oeufs . . .

I love going out in the city, but dag a wicked evening isn't always guaranteed. there are some nights I've had more fun on the subway ride there. {Shout out to Glendy B} One sure bet and one of my favorite ways to end the evening is an egg sandwich from my bodega on 125th. I always get a "Christiana," two eggs fried on a toasted croissant with lettuce, tomato, mustard, & imported swiss. Below are photos of a classier version I made for lunch. 3 eggs, spinach, chopped onions, with plum tomatoes on Organic Flax Quinoa Bread from Whole Foods. {on sale this week for $2.99} Fuck's sake it was good!