Crustless Asparagus Quiche & Layered Yukon Golds.

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

Recent Eats.

Olive Oil & Bruschetta @ Franks

Organic Eggs, Zucchini, Cheddar, & Pimenton

Mesculun Greens, Plum Tomatoes, & Thessalia Feta

Vanilla Yogurt, Blueberries, Natural Almonds, Honey, & Cinnamon

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. 

Get Your Mac On!

It's Friday, so Ms Christiana's getting her mac on . . . old black lady style. I was a vegan for many years so I hadn't cooked mac & cheese since I was in HS. Anyone who comes from a Black Southern family knows that this wicked dish is an easier said then done. It takes patience, good timing, and a bit of finesse. My family doesn't f with eggs or extra milk or any of that ish. We go for a straight rue over pasta, then pop it in the oven. I used cavatappi because it looks more fun then a standard macaroni. I also used a New Zealand Cheddar which is on sale at Whole Foods this week. The cheese is a bit oily, but it melted well. I dashed some pimenton on top for a bit of color contrast. To put it simply, the shit was good.

Pimenton Party!

Oh Mark Bittman, I cannot thank you enough for introducing me to pimenton. I remember watching him gently stroke the magical spice on some swordfish about a year ago. I was instantly captivated and bought some pimenton the next day. I've yet to make the swordfish, but we've certainly had some fun times. Here's an extra easy recipe for pita chips. I mean really you can tell what to do by the photos alone. {One hint, bake around 300-350 for 10-15 minutes. You may need to re-arrange them to make sure they are all getting the oven's lovin' warmth.}

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!