Natural Beauties.

I took off from work the weekend of my birthday and had a little bbq with my sister. {Happy B'day Deeje!} As I was running errands before the bash I passed my local farmer's market on 110th & Manhattan Ave. This is the thing about working weekends, you have to dilute yourself about what you're missing out on. I was grateful to be able to stop by if even for a little while. I picked up a stunning bunch of golden carrots. 

I was so in awe of this beauties that I wasn't quite sure how to prepare them. I had also never eaten golden carrots before. So I decided to keep them light and simple to get a true sense of the vegetable. This was definitely the way to go. I first tasted a light sweetness grounded by a strong earthy flavor.

Head Game. 

I made a glaze of garlic olive oil, organic honey, cinnamon, & kosher salt. Then I drizzled it over the sliced carrots and tossed them around a bit. Lastly, I hit them with some black pepper for color contrast and a bit of zip.

Honey Roasted Carrots over Brown Rice w Ocean Perch

Hello Beautiful.

Steamed & Curried Cabbage, Carrots, & Tilapia over Purple Basmati Rice. 

Cumin Basa.Sauteed Spinach.Brown Rice.&Roasted Pumpkin Red Pepper Sauce.

Brown is the Color of My True Love's Tomato.

Hey folks! So about a year ago a grocery store, Best Yet, opened let's say around he corner. I was very skeptical at first because as you can tell food is near and dear to my heart. Therefore, where I get my food is of the upmost importance. Fairway was my clear favorite back then. I could buy cheap veggies, everyday staples, and specialty items like pimenton. It's an amazing store. 

Needless to say, Best Yet had to really be the shit. Luckily it is. Okay so there are regular groceries of course. In addition to that you have the most random ass shit that food nerds such as myself cream their pants for. I've found purple potatoes, blood oranges, and the subject of this post, Kumatos. I'd never seen  nor heard of them before. Of course I had to try them. I didn't want to do anything too complicated because I wanted to get a sense of the tomato's true flavor. I made a simple sauce, see below:

1 1/2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

3 healthy heaps of chopped garlic

1 package of Kumatos {I think there were 5-7 tomatoes}

8-10 garlic & parsley anchovy filets 

A few dashes of kosher salt {not too much though b/c anchovies are oh so salty}

A few dashes of coarse black pepper

Italian Parmesan for garnishing

And it goes a little something like this:

Brown Beauties. Dice tomatoes, then add to a pan with chopped garlic and olive oil. 

Sim-Simma, who's got the keys to my Beamer? This is a good time to add anchovies. 

I think it got to this consistency after 12-15 minutes of cooking. The anchovies dissipated into the sauce. Well except for a few pesky little bones here and there. Hey man, it's so worth the flavor!

I added spaghetti to the tomato sauce, then bowled {not plated} with some Italian Parmesan Cheese. I tasted a difference in the sauce, but it may have been the anchovies. It was delicious either way.

http://www.sunsetproduce.com/product/speciality/kumato-tomato

There are Some Benefits to Laziness.

I bought a whole mess of kale last week. To be frank, I wanted to eat it but didn't really feel like chopping the shit up, putting in a pot, and checking on it periodically. Now that's pretty pathetic, I know. But it also led to this stroke of genius.

I bought some salmon steaks & cut them in half. I also cut off a few heaps of kale. I'd say about 12-15 leaves. Watch out for that wet floor!

Then I sprinkled them with Lawry's {feelin lazy!} and some garam masala. Next I nestled the salmon in between two pieces of kale, like a sandwich you shouldn't eat. 

There goes Mr. Steamy. I placed the extra leaves of kale on the bottom of the steamer, then covered, and let it cook for I'd say 15-20 minutes. Don't quote me on that.

Luscious! 

The great thing about steamed fish & veg is that you can eat as much mac & cheese as you want! 

Throwback Photo of the Week

Moore St, Dublin 2008

Color Blocking.

In honor of New York's fashion week I watched The September Issue. It's a brilliant documentary about Vogue's largest and most influential edition of the year. It's fascinating to watch even if you aren't deep into the fashion world. The Color Blocking shoot, which was quite contentious in the doc, inspired my cooking over the next few weeks. Peep the trailer and my take on the concept.

Mac, Cheese, & Tomatoes.

Flax Oatmeal w Dried Cranberries

Roasted Golden Beet, Carrots, & Purple Potatoes

Onions & Orange Pepper

Pimenton Perch & Purple Potato Hash

Teriyaki Tilapia w Steamed Spinach, Garlic, & Orange Peppers

On The Vine Tomatoes, Mesclun Lettuce, & Organic Ciabatta

Spicy Coconut Rice with Peas & Crispy Curry Tofu

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. 

Just Like Mom's . . . Almost . . .

Back, way back in the day my Mom used to make some bangin' chicken soup from scratch. I've quit the cock since then and geniusly used steamed tilapia instead. {I also came up with the word geniusly} Ingredients are: freshly chopped onions, red potatoes, carrots, red peppers, corn, & tilapia of course. Perfect for a cold winter day.

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.

A Fond Trip Down Memory Lane . . .

Like many recent newcomers, I was about 2 bucks shy of brokeness when I moved into the city. I was still determined to eat well and I created delicious meal which I ate for about 6 weeks straight. It consisted of chickpeas, fresh broccoli,  carrots, garlic, curry powder, salt, coconut milk, & chopped tomatoes. I swapped out the chickpeas for some tilapia since I'm no longer vegan and also since I can actually afford fish now. It's tasty over pasta or rice.

Fresh carrots sauteing with chopped garlic.

Add some fresh broccoli & spices.

Bathe the veggies in coconut milk, then add chopped tomatoes.

I lightly fried the tilapia fillets before adding it to the vegs for extra crunch & texture.

Over basmati rice & topped with cashews.

Far East Fish

Whole fish is not for the faint of heart. But those of you who cook or haven eaten it know that it's worth braving the bones for a more succulent feast. The first step to good fish is finding a decent fish monger. I get my fish at a market on 125th & Frederick Douglass {it's steps away from the A/B/C/D trains.} It's not so impressive at first glance or smell, but they are attentive & they clean a good fish! I love to take whole Tilapia and smother it in a simple wet rub. My Chinese 5 Spice Mix is simply: kosher salt, olive oil, chopped garlic, & Chinese 5 Spice. Blend together & smather it on the fish, & cook on top of veggies. I used yellow beans & peppers this time. The oils & seasonings will flavor the veggies. It's so good.

Chop, chop!

This is pre-oven. You want to make sure the fish is coated well on both sides & on the inside too.

The tail is delicious, but the head actually has some of the best meat.

Je Cuisine Poisson. . .

I can't imagine my life without cooking. It's in my blood and it's one of the things I do best. I often cook all in one dishes because they are cheap and fairly easy to put together. This afternoon I threw some chopped garlic, 1/2 an onion, 3 freshly chopped tomatoes, kosher salt, pimenton, chunks of tilapia, & corn in a pan. I enjoyed it over some jasmine rice.

Garlic, Onions, & Olive Oil, a good start to most dishes. 

                               

This is the only kind of beefsteak I get down with.

                              

I let it simmer for a few & then added about 3/4 c of water.

I get my Tilapia fileted at my fish market on 125th, 

then I cut them into chunks. 

                               
                               

Dig in!