Snow Shots.

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. 

She Waan Di Vitamin S.

You may have noticed by now that I rarely have any breakfast food here. The first meal of the day is usually my simplest one. Let's face it, I live alone, I'd have to be a damn glutton to whip up a stack pancakes every morning. I like to keep shit light & easy with a simple smoothie. Here's the latest mix:

1/4 C Yogurt

1 Banana

Few Squirts of Honey {Let's call it 1 -2 tsps}

2 Scoops of Protein Powder 

2/3 C Frozen Blueberries

2/3 C Frozen Pineapple

About 3/4 C Orange Juice

Blend it together for around 20 secs and start your day with a delightful boost!

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

170th Btwn Haven & Fort Wash

Breakthrough.

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! 

Mr Steamy.

So, unfortunately, if you haven't seen the informercial product the subtle hilarity of this title is lost on you. My family celebrated Christmas at my sister's apt in BK. She prepared a delicious spread and I felt full for days. My Mom, my sister, and I all have different approaches to food which is brilliant because I always pick up some new ideas when we spend time together. {food is a regular subject.} One of the stand out, "ah that's a good idea," dishes was steamed salmon. I found myself thinking, wait why don't I have a steamer? It would certainly make shit easier and healthier. I think it's also a merit badge on my Food Nerd Merit Badge Sash. {Shit, now I actually want one of them.}

As you can imagine, I've been steaming veggies like crazy. First bunches upon bunches of broccoli then I moved onto every kid's favorite, brussel sprouts.

Meet the newest addition to the kitchen gadget family.

Gorgeous!

I sliced the piping hot brussels in half then sauteed them in a 

pan with butter, red onions, chopped garlic, and sea salt. 

So f'n good!