. a good eye .

1 year!

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:46:00 +0000

happy blog anniversary

to me

it's been one year since my first blog post stating my intention of writing about and photographing my adventures in the kitchen. since then, i've posted as often as i can... and since october 08, my life has been so busy and the days just fly by. it's been difficult to keep up with blogging, but i certainly haven't slowed down the eating and cooking part! hehe. my goal this next year is to keep up with posting at least once a week, improving my photographs and experimenting with new cuisines and ingredients.
thanks to all for the comments over the past year! i love reading all of your blogs and sharing recipes!

cPe 2008

farmerie 58

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:55:00 +0000

farmerie 58 is a new-ish restaurant just off the mag mile in chicago. e and i visited the restaurant during it's first week back in october (or what seemed to be its first day!) and it was sooo quiet. we actually didn't know it was open, and were caught staring at the menu in the window by the host of the place. he explained a bit about the nature of the restaurant, and also let us know that their sushi chef/creator was in the kitchen that day, so we should check it out. sustainable food, sushi, gracious host. we were sold. plus the burgers on the menu sounded delicious. the decor is cute, the colors have a really organic appeal, and the bar in the center is beautiful.

now, on to the food! we ordered a traditional salmon roll as an appetizer and it was so fresh, the rice was warm. mmmm. we devoured it before the server came back to get our lunch order!
so we put our order in - i got the bistro burger and erwin got the andouille burger with an egg. i think it was a special, because it's not on the menu at the moment. the burgers were either served with spicy sweet potato chips or shoe-string fries.
while we waited for our food, they brought out 2 kinds of bread and creamy butter for us to snack on in silence. lol, we were so hungry we were eating in silence almost. :)
i love burgers, and for the most part, unless they're absolutely crappy, i'm usually pretty happy with them in general. the bistro burger at farmerie 58 is outstanding. it may be the whole sustainable ingredients part, but whatever it is, it was juicy, perfectly cooked and perfectly assembled. delicious! the hubby's burger was so so so good as well. the andouille gave it a yummy saltiness; topped with a fried egg... what could be better.
i got the spicy sweet potato chips which i could snack on forever, and e got the shoe-string fries which were good as well.

so overall, please try this place. the restaurateur is really trying a new approach to food in chicago and the outcome is delicious food.
cPe 2008

dutch baby

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:44:00 +0000

it's pretty evident from my posts that i love breakfast, specifically sweet breakfast. this is definitely one breakfast food that i thought would only be a menu item for me to order. it looked and sounded too complicated to replicate at home.
one day i decided to look up a few recipes for the dutch baby and found one that seemed easy to follow. trust alton brown to show me how. :)
the thin baked pancake with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice is such a good combination - you must try it if you haven't. and if you have a cast iron skillet, please put it to use and try the dutch baby!

Dutch Baby
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2008, Good Eats
ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
2 3/8 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1/2 cup
3 tablespoons vanilla sugar, plus extra for serving (i used regular sugar)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
Lemon wedges

steps:
preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
place 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven. Set the remaining tablespoon of melted butter aside to cool slightly. wait 10 minutes before assembling the other ingredients.
place the flour, vanilla sugar, salt, milk, eggs and remaining tablespoon of melted butter into the bowl of a food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds. carefully pour the batter into the preheated skillet. bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are puffed and brown. sprinkle with additional vanilla sugar (i used powdered sugar) and serve with lemon wedges.

cPe 2008

moroccan garbanzo soup

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:28:00 +0000

since this has been yet another long and freezing cold chicago winter, my body has been craving warm and comforting meals, specifically soups of all kinds. this soup is just that.
since i have a habit of picking up random cans of beans at the grocery store, i often find myself with more than 2 cans of garbanzo beans and this recipe allowed me to use those finally.
i did cheat and use mostly veggie/chicken stock instead of water, so the cooking time was dramatically decreased.

moroccan garbanzo soup
ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans
1 tsp of canola oil
1 onions, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/2 tsp of palillo (or use turmeric)
6 cups of water (i used mostly stock)
1/2 cup of brown rice (i used basmati)
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of tomato paste
salt to taste
sour cream to serve

steps: in a large pot, heat canola oil, then combine onions and garlic and saute until softened. add pepper and tumeric to onion mixture; stir to combine. add garbanzo beans and stock. bring to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for about 15mins. Add brown rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is completely cooked, about 20 minutes.
i served mine with a dollop of sour cream. yum!

cPe 2008

chicken adobo

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:18:00 +0000

they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. while that didn't exactly happen in my case, where i only started cooking after we said our vows, i think i saw what that phrase meant when i decided to throw my fear aside and attempt one of my hubby's favorite dishes of all time: chicken adobo.

now chicken adobo is a staple in filipino households and while there are a few variations, the basics are always the same - same ingredients, same delicious outcome. the inbetweens are where the variations come in.

since this was my first time making it, there were going to be no variations for this beginner-adobo-cook. so from start to finish, i used the recipe below. you may say i'm biased, but i really think this may be the best way to make chicken adobo. the chicken was extremely moist, tender and packed with flavor.

the skin was nicely crisped then flavored again... and pouring that sauce all over your big bowl of steaming hot rice... talk about comfort food!

now i see why my hubby's eyes lit up when he saw it cooking in the wok. :) so thank you martin yan!

Chicken Adobo, by Martin Yan's Asia

ingredients:

3/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 T. minced garlic

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces

3/4 cup water

2 T. cooking oil

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water

steps:

marinate: mix vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper and marinate chicken for 30 minutes in a big wok.

braise: add 3/4 cup water to the marinade and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. remove chicken from sauce and pat dry with paper towels. allow remaining sauce to thicken while you...

fry: heat a clean, dry pan over medium heat. add oil, let it come up to temp, then place the chicken skin side down. fry for about 5 minutes until crispy on all sides.

add: the chicken back into the sauce to coat and allow it to really soak in the sauce as it thickens.

serve over hot white rice and enjoy! don't forget to pour some extra sauce over your chicken and rice in the bowl. :)

cPe 2008

carnivore's 100

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:40:00 +0000

because i'm swamped at work and too lazy to blog at the moment...

The Carnivore’s Hundred

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

1. American-style bacon
2. Canadian bacon
3. Prosciutto with melon
4. Pork belly, braised
5. Pork butt, smoked
6. Pork ribs, smoked
7. Roasted leg of lamb with mint jelly (don't like mint too much)
8. Gyros
9. Duck confit
10. Roasted chicken
11. Standing rib roast, rare (prefer my meat medium)
12. Chitlins
13. Cracklins
14. Boudin or blood sausage - no thank you!
15. Haggis - again, no thank you. a big sack of steamed minced meat is not appealing!
16. Peking duck
17. Roasted turkey with traditional American accompaniments
18. Roasted goose with traditional English accompaniments
19. Foie gras
20. Pate campagne
21. Moo Shu pork
22. Shepherd’s pie
23. Steak and Kidney pie
24. Chicken and dumplings
25. Turducken - can someone please make/order one for me? :)
26. Venison sausage
27. Pork cheeks
28. Pickled pigs’ feet - sounds nasty
29. Barbacoa (love!)
30. Birria
31. Chicken Marbella
32. Steak tartare
33. Beef Bourguignon
34. Potatoes roasted in duck fat
35. Spam (i'm a fan.. i know i know)
36. Tandoori chicken
37. Lamb vindaloo
38. Spaghetti Bolognese
39. Cuban sandwich
40. Croque Monsieur
41. Philadelphia cheesesteak
42. Chicken Satay
43. Shabu-shabu
44. Teppanaki
45. Schwarma
46. Meatloaf (blogged)
47. Beef Wellington
48. Beef tenderloin with béarnaise
49. Taco salad
50. Chili con carne
51. Pastistio
52. Corned beef brisket
53. Bangers and mash
54. Guinea pig
55. Ropa vieja
56. Wurst (any)
57. Lamb tagine
58. Kosher hot dog (New York-style)
59. Jerk chicken
60. Chorizo
61. All-American hamburger
62. Pigeon/Squab
63. Steak frites
64. Pastrami
65. Salami
66. Sweetbreads
67. Wiener schnitzel
68. Goulash
69. Pho
70. Char siu bao
71. Kalua pig - is this the same as lechon? if so, then yes
72. Pork rinds
73. Scrapple or goetta
4. Jaegerspaetzle
75. Sauerbraten
76. Tongue sandwich (when my parents did tell me it was tongue, bla!)
77. Baked ham
78. Frog legs
79. Alligator
80. Squirrel
81. Liver and onions
82. Bone marrow and marmalade (hm, with marmelade? what an interesting combination)
83. Cevapcici
84. Creamed beef on toast
85. Red-eye gravy
86. Head cheese
87. Jambalaya
88. Steak Diane
89. Veal piccata
90. Bulgogi
91. Smoked chicken (barbecue)
92. Beer can chicken
93. Chicken teriyaki
94. Coronation chicken (curried chicken salad)
95. Ostrich
96. Rogan josh
97. Poutine - this involves meat?
98. Chicken mole
99. Irish beef stew
100. Loose meat - what the heck is loose meat?

anzac biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:41:00 +0000

i love biscuits. cookies. whatever you prefer to call it. this recipe is one of the easiest ever and produces such a delicious biscuit. i could make these every week, and for a while, i was making them a few times in a month. there is some history behind this biscuit, and once you have one, you'll know why they're so well known and popular worldwide.

anzac biscuits
ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
8 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

steps: mix the flour, oats, sugar, and coconut together in a bowl. combine the baking soda and boiling water in a small bowl to dissolve, and set aside. in a shallow pan (i used my crepe pan), melt the butter and slowly stir in the honey. when the honey has mixed into the melted butter, stir in the baking soda mixture (naturally, it will froth up a bit) immediately remove from heat and pour into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. stir until a biscuit dough forms and you are able to make little balls of dough. drop teaspoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet, leaving enough room in between. i spaced mine out 4 by 3, and the batter made 3 sets of 12! bake the biscuits at 300F for 12 minutes or so. make sure to cool them on a cooling rack as they're quite fragile.

isn't this batter yum?

now isn't this more yum?

hehe, i sandwiched a few with nutella, pb and icecream as a late night snack for the hubby and i. delicious! these biscuits are addictive - just a warning!

cPe 2009

traditional clafoutis

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:41:00 +0000

well, here i am... very late on the clafoutis train :) however... i searched out the traditional cherry clafoutis recipe (a la julia child) and decided to make it one friday evening. it's so light, subtle, just sweet enough, and with a little punch of tartness from the cherries. it was perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. and... i feel guilty in admitting that i had a few pieces for breakfast as well. ok i don't feel guilty. ha!

now on to the recipe i used.

Julia Child's Clafoutis

ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar

steps: heat oven to 350F. blend the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour in a bowl using an electric mixer. pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered baking dish (lightly buttered). place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan. then remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. pour on the rest of the batter. place it back in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour.

you'll know it's done when the clafouti is beautifully puffed and brown (see above) and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. sprinkle with powdered sugar (generously!), and serve it warm or room temperature with a cup of tea.
and save a slice for breakfast the next morning. :)

cPe 2008

foodbuzz publisher community launches

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:17:00 +0000

congratulations to foodbuzz for the new global community! not only is it great to be a part of foodbuzz, but this is truly a unique and great feature!

here's the official press release, enjoy!

LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ BLOGGER COMMUNITY
LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE, REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING

San Francisco – October 13, 2008: Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world. At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.
“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”
Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews. Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions. Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors. “Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.

cPe 2008

baked eggs

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:23:00 +0000

the breakfast of champs

there's something about a sunday morning breakfast that's so cozy to me. i love waking up later than usual, getting into my robe and heading to the kitchen to get the pot of coffee brewing and breakfast cooking.
my latest favorite sunday breakfast is baked eggs. i blog-searched baked egg recipes, until i realized that a baked egg is simply that: a baked egg. there really isn't a recipe for it.

the oven preheats to 350º and you can get started on the rest.
i got out my ramekins, rubbed them down with butter and cracked an egg (or two) into it. sprinkle some kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste after that. you could leave it as simple as this, but i wanted more of a cheesy herb flavor, so i also sprinkled some oregano and grated mozzarella cheese on top.

i had a few slices of texas toast in my freezer and popped those into the oven as well.
so as not to end up throwing out wasted tomatoes, i added the tomatoes and mushrooms into a ziplock bag, added some olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and shook it up to coat.

i arranged it all onto a baking tray and into the oven it went for about 8-10mins.

along with a good cup of ecuadorian coffee, i would say this is the breakfast of champs!
if only i could have it every morning...

cPe 2008

omnivore's 100

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:45:00 +0000

my goal is to work on this list and see how far i can get!

How the Omnivore's 100 Works:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional: Post a comment at Very Good Taste, linking to your results.

(58/100) My Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. ~~Black Pudding~~
7. Cheese Fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho [blogged]
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle (in Dubai)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns (hello Wao Bao)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. ~~Brawn or head cheese~~
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - mmm san fran
33. Salted lassi (i'd much rather have a mango lassi)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (Cognac, yes. Fat cigar, no)
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O (huge fan of jello shots!)
39. Gumbo (only if I can have it without okra)
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (even had krispy kreme bread pudding in charlotte!)
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (not in almost a decade)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini (does a sip of my hubby's count?)
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine - must try!
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores [blogged]
62. Sweetbreads
63. kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian (i have! at my in-laws. and i'll admit..the taste is like a custardy mango, but the smell is putrid)
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (all of 'em!)
68. ~~Haggis~~
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or ~~andouillette~~
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (at mercat a la planxa)
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. ~~Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu - i have a mini bottle sitting on my desk as a gift from a coworker... guess i should try it?
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini (absolutely love bellinis)
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky - my cubicle snacks!
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu
85. Kobe beef
86. ~~Hare~~
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. ~~Horse~~
90. Criollo chocolate - must try!
91. Spam (my hubby's filipino, what can i say. he got me)
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa - only regular harissa
94. ~~Catfish~~ - hate it!
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

cPe 2008

julius meinl kaffeehaus

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:47:00 +0000

julius meinl is a leading manufacturer of coffee, based in vienna, austria. i was first introduced to meinl while meeting up with a good friend for a 10day vacation in austria. not only was the flagship store beautiful (and impeccably clean), but the little cafe section was lovely. on my last day in vienna, we made it back to meinl so that i could buy a few gift items, and to catch our breathe with a cup of melange and a pastry. yum!
back in chicago, on southport & addison ave, sits one of two meinl locations in the city. even though i live in the suburbs, and it's a good 40-50 min drive away, when i want meinl, only meinl will do.
so we make our way to the southport location and sit for an hour or so, enjoying peace and quiet conversation.. or live music if it's a weekend evening. it's just the perfect place.
now! to the food of course.
when i'm hungry for more than coffee and sweets, and we've made our way there around lunchtime or early evening, i pretty much get the same thing every time: frittaten soup & a pate finger sandwich. the combo just hits the spot. then comes the best part: dessert
if there isn't an interesting special going on, i get a small melange and the ever-popular mohr im hemd (think: chocolate lava cake, but better).
the melange is half coffee (or espresso), half milk. it's perfect and just the way i like my coffee - milky! :)
the mohr im hemd... you just have to try it. it's chocolatey, warm, gooey molten core, powdered sugar dusted on top. it's divine.
not only is the coffee selection perfect, but the pastry and cake selection is more than enough. even the cupcakes are delicious!

the photo below is of a special coffee they had recently. it's similar to a caramel macchiato, except a tiny version of what you order at your local starbucks. it's the right amount of bitter espresso, frothy milk and a punch of caramel sweetness.

>> a very important side note: meinl serves rooibos tea, in not only the plain traditional way, but also the following varieties:
* rooibos vanilla
* rooibos fitness
* rooibos caramel - my fave
* rooibos nougat
* rooibos orange-quince
* rooibos plum
* rooibos rising sun
* rooibos strawberry cream
* rooibos wildkirsche

enough variety for you? :) i love the fact that they serve my favorite tea leaf, from my south africa. and what's even better is that you can purchase bags of the loose leaf, a box of tea bags and replicate it at home.
if you can't make it to meinl (and, at best, the vienna location), think about ordering a gift basket for yourself to give it a try. i promise it will brighten up your morning routine.

cPe 2008

latin lunch

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:42:00 +0000

if i haven't premeditated the meal, i spend most sunday afternoons scanning my pantry and trying to match whatever i find to the choice of thawed protein from my freezer. this particular sunday, i was quite indecisive and wanted little bits of different flavors... at least i decided the kind of flavors. :)
the menu: carne asada, garlic shrimp, black beans and homemade tortilla chips!
there isn't much of a recipe for any of these menu items... but here it goes.

carne asada
ingredients:
skirt steak
kosher salt
black pepper
asada spice mix (thank you archer farms)

steps:
season the steak. if you have time, let it sit for a bit so the spices can sink in. once you're ready, get a grill pan heated to high, brush a little olive oil onto the pan, and add the steak. skirt steak cooks quite fast, so i'd say about 3-4mins each side. once it's nicely grilled, set it aside for about 5mins before slicing.

garlic shrimp
ingredients:
1 bag of shrimp
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

steps:
heat the olive oil on medium high. add the minced garlic and shrimp and toss to coat. season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. if you like, you could also add a little bit of chili flakes or my overly used spice: paprika. :)

black beans
ingredients:
1 can of black beans, preferably organic
kosher salt & pepper to taste

steps:
heat it up in a little pot. it's that easy.

tortilla chips - my favorite part
ingredients:
corn tortillas
kosher salt
1/2 - 1 cup veg oil

steps:
depending on the size of the pan you'll use, add enough oil to the pan so that it will be deep enough for the tortillas to float in. once you've added that much, heat it to medium high.
in the meantime, take a stack of 5 or so corn tortillas at once, and cut into quarters. once the oil is hot enough, start frying the tortilla chips.
have a plate with a sheet of paper towel ready, so that the chips can go straight onto that to drain off a bit. for each batch of chips that come out, sprinkle some kosher salt onto the hot chips, and once cool enough to handle, toss the salted chips into your serving dish.

put these 4 items altogether, and you have a delicious and satisfying, multi-flavored latin inspired lunch, or dinner. buen provecho!

cPe 2008

cannelini bean chutney with grits fries

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:40:00 +0000

this dinner idea is thanks to a post at thursday night smackdown. it sounded healthy, looked delicious and the ingredients were all to be found in my pantry!
except, i didn't have polenta, so i substituted grits. and for the accompanying dish, i made it up.

for the grits "fries", cook the grits according to the directions on the box... then pour it out onto a baking sheet, and spread it until it's about 1" thick. place the baking sheet in the fridge to set up a bit, while you start cooking the chutney.
chutney is sort of a salsa/stew/veggie dish. it has a tomato-onion-garlic base, and you can add just about anything to it after that.

cannilini chutney
ingredients:
3 strips of bacon, in big cubes
1 can of organic crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp masala
1 can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 curry leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt & pepper, to taste

steps:
in a saucepan, start frying up the bacon squares. once they're cooked, set them aside to drain; now you have some bacon grease! to that add some extra olive oil, the chopped onions, and garlic. when they start to brown a bit, sprinkle the masala over it and mix to incorporate. then add the crushed tomatoes and cannelini beans and allow it to heat through. stir occasionally while the chutney cooks, and season with salt and pepper. half-way through cooking, add about half of the bacon pieces back to the pot and stir. drop the curry leaves in (optional) and just when the chutney is about done, take them out.
> while the chutney cooks, you can work on the grits fries.
once the grits are set and cooled off in the fridge, cut them into steak-fries-sized strips. heat a griddle pan and add some butter to melt. place the strips on the pan and brown on each side and until it's warmed through.

when the chutney and grits fries are done, plate it. you can add some freshly chopped parsley and extra crispy bacon to the top, or just dig in!
enjoy!

cPe 2008

salmon cakes with wasabi mayo dipping sauce

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:39:00 +0000

i stumbled across that "healthy eating" show on foodnetwork one day, and she was making salmon cakes with an asian dipping sauce. salmon could very well be my favorite fish, so i'd eat it in just about any way. i had to try this recipe. i knew i'd be eating it all alone - the hubby isn't a fan, but oh well.
so i bought a can of salmon, and a small can of yellow fin tuna. i didn't want all salmon, so i thought the mix might be nice, and not too overpowering. i also made a quick dipping sauce for the cakes - it was all delicious.

salmon cakes
ingredients:
1 can of salmon
1 small can of yellowfin tuna
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 cup of panko bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
kosher salt & pepper
a little flour (seasoned with a little salt, pepper and paprika) to dredge
oil for frying

steps:
add the salmon and tuna into a mixing bowl and flake apart using a fork. add the lightly beaten egg and combine. then add the panko, a little at a time, so as not to dry out the mixture. add the onions and scallions, and seasoning. mix it well.
once it's able to hold shape, make small patties and set aside. once the patties are shaped, dredge each in seasoned flour and start slowly frying them until each side is nicely browned.

while they're frying, you can get started on the dipping sauce... which takes about 2mins to make.

wasabi mayo dipping sauce
ingredients:
1 tbsp wasabi mayo
1 tbsp light mayo
1 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 splashes of soy sauce
juice of one lime

steps:
combine the wasabi mayo, light mayo and sour cream. add one splash of soy sauce and taste. if you prefer it with more, add another splash. add the dijon mustard and lime juice. mix it altogether. add any of the ingredients to your taste, and set aside.

when the salmon cakes are ready, plate it up. i used some romaine, sliced radishes, and then the cake with some sauce drizzled on top.
so good!

cPe 2008

mango spritzer

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:39:00 +0000

this is the perfect summer drink to accompany anything. i love sprintzers. i was introduced to them 3 years ago in austria, where i'd order a white wine spritzer everywhere i went - half wine, half sparkling water.
so to copy that, i make a mango spritzer as a healthy alternative. it's 50% mango juice, and 50% perrier sparkling water. make sure both have been in the fridge and are nice and cold, or else, add a few ice cubes or crushed ice.
stir it up, and you've got yourself a fizzy, sweet, delicious faux cocktail.
to make it a real cocktail, add some rum or vodka. mmm :)

cPe 2008

summer salad

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:39:00 +0000

i'm really not much of a "salad person". i prefer my food hot, and preferably with some type of meat and starch involved. but since it is the summer, and e enjoys a good salad now and again (albeit, from whole foods!), i attempted to throw one together for a light sunday lunch.

i used a spring mix of greens, olives, spicy shrimp, bacon, roma tomatoes, avocado cubes, and artichoke hearts.
the combination, along with some balsamic vinaigrette, was quite good. along with a piece of garlic toast, it made for a light, healthy, summer-y lunch... and i got some bacon in there too :)

cPe 2008

tizi melloul

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:38:00 +0000

for our regularly scheduled "date night", i decided on a new place to try. i'd read about it quite a bit, and was excited about it, just by looking at the menu.

the place we went to was tizi melloul, a moroccan restaurant in the heart of chicago. it's near a lot of other cute, trendy restaurants, like sushi samba rio.
our first impression - kinda small... but the decor is just so very-near-authentic, we were blown away. if i didn't look out of the window at the fanny-packed tourists trekking by, i would have thought we were in some faraway land.
the place is beautiful, classy, sexy.

the food is just the same. we ordered steamed mussels as a starter, which i had read about online, and which our server also recommended. everyone around us was getting them too.
they arrived sizzling hot, and the smell... yum! they even smelled spicy and exotic. they mussel shells hold all the seasoning... it's pasted with what must be a mixture of paprika, and masalas, kosher salt? who knows, all i know is that it's delicious. probably the best mussel dish ever. EVER.
so you pick the mussels out of the shell, rub it on the shell's seasoning a bit, then dip it in the harissa butter sauce. so so so good!

then it was onto the entrees. i ordered the grilled hanger steak, while e got the lamb loin. i am a huge lamb fan, but i wasn't thrilled with this one. e loved it though. and i loved my hanger steak. and i also love that it came with french fries... which i lovingly dipped into the accompanying sauce.

dessert was... eh. this is not a dessert place. if you want something yummy, get the fondue from sushi samba rio up the street. our server suggested the poached pineapple brulee. while the brulee'd pineapple slice was delicious, the rice pudding was the blandest i've ever had. it seriously needed sugar, or syrup, or molasses! lol.
oh well... due to my lack of interest in my dessert, she could tell i wasn't impressed. but the complimentary champagne was a nice touch.

the customer service at this place is just on point. they make sure you're attended to (e.g. it was a busy night, but the manager came over to take our orders)... they check back on you at the perfect times... the manager makes rounds to ask about the food and service. and at the end of the night, you leave knowing that you're going to visit again, and indulge in those mussels.

cPe 2008

homemade masks

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:37:00 +0000

while the hubby was away on a business trip, i used one sunday afternoon as the perfect opportunity to have my lovely ladies over for a fun afternoon of.... making homemade masks, having drinks and chit-chatting like we do so well! i called it my "masks & martinis" party... and gave away organic homemade soaps as party favors. cute huh?
it was a huge success... we even had a professional masseuse set up in my 2nd bedroom!
below is a quick photo of the ingredients used for the masks... including sliced potato, cooked oatmeal, strawberries, olive oil, etc.
they were super easy to find online, and everyday ingredients. give it a try one afternoon! :)

cPe 2008

pho ha

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:37:00 +0000

thanks to my sister's recommendation from years ago, while sitting at work one day, sick as a dog, i was just craving a bowl of steaming hot pho.
there aren't many places around here that have good pho, aside from the "ok" version at stir crazy. *chuckle*

i spent about an hour that afternoon trying to find a vietnamese spot along my way home from work, that had good reviews, a menu i could see online, and wasn't out of my way.
search results: 0

then the lightbulb went off and i remembered my sister talking about a place not so far from my house. she'd been there 2 or more years ago, but i remembered it.

so i searched google maps for the general area, then checked with her on the place i found, and voila! found it: pho ha

my order:

#2 spring rolls,
#8 rice with sizzling diced,

#26 pho with sliced beef and flank, and

#31 banh mi house specialty

total wait time: 15mins

total cost: around $30

everything was deliciously fresh! the pho was amazing and definitely hit the (sick) spot. the sizzling beef was very tasty, with nice veggies. and that banh mi... it was my first... and definitely won't be my last. it may be the very best cold sandwich i've had. and it just felt so healthy!

yum!

the portions are very generous as well - we got about 3 servings of pho out of one order.

so! if you're in the northwest suburbs, looking for a good little hole-in-the-wall vietnamese take out spot, head over to pho ha in glendale heights.

cPe 2008

strawberry patch waffles

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:36:00 +0000

while i don't make time for a good breakfast everyday, sunday mornings are set aside for making, or baking, a good breakfast.
that either means bacon & eggs, or something sweet. sweet is most likely a waffle. we love them. and if we happen to have fresh strawberries in the fridge, i make strawberry patch waffles. ok i stole the name from richard walker's. i use a basic waffle recipe - for 2.

classic waffles for 2
ingredients:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 cup of warmed milk
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

to serve: powdered sugar for dusting and fresh strawberries, sliced

steps: combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until you get a nice batter.
get the waffle iron heated up, spray with pam, and pour enough batter to cover the iron. cook to desired consistency (about 3mins on high).

serve hot with sliced strawberries, powdered sugar - and if you eat waffles like i do, add some maple syrup and whipped cream to it all.
those boxes of waffle mixes have nothing on this simple and so easy recipe!

cPe 2008

peach cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:36:00 +0000

this is hubby recipe #2 ... for our love of peach cobbler, and our love of paula deen.

this was done word for word from paula's recipe, so i will just copy and paste it here:

Show: Paula's Home Cooking
Episode: Peaches

4 cups peeled,

sliced peaches

2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 cups milk

Ground cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.
Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

RESULT: here's a photo of my hubby's peach cobbler. YUM!

cPe 2008

fish n chips

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:36:00 +0000

i'm writing this post courtesy of my hubby, e.
he occasionally gets into a cooking mood... most likely by watching a paula deen show then taking over my desire to copy her recipe. :)
i sit back and watch, and snap shots of the process, then dig in. most times... ok, so far, everything he's cooked has been quite delicious.

that being said, here's his recipe #1 for fish n chips, to satisfy our english/south african cravings. (he cheated by using oven-baked crinkle chips, and store-bought coleslaw) :)

beer-battered fish
ingredients

6 pieces of cod
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs
2 cups of beer
1/2 cup of oil
flour for dredging
oil for frying

steps:
add all ingredients in a bowl and mix together until it's all incorporated and looks like fluffy batter.
season cod with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. dip each piece in batter to coat evenly.
once ready, fry the pieces on high on each side until nicely browned.
> in the meantime, if you're going the hubby route, get the chips going in the oven as directed, and start plating.

i must say, it was absolutely delicious! and made for a really good quick sandwich later on too! :)

cPe 2008

surf and turf

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:55:00 +0000

a week after the hubby and i got back from san fran for a family wedding, we were still very much in the pacific/beachy/sunny mood. and the following sunday, was the perfect day for cooking to our desire, and pretend we were back on the west coast. that, and the parents-in-law, who had spent extra time in cali, brought us back a fresh king crab. yum!

so sunday afternoon e, the sis and i took a drive up to whole foods to pick up a few things for our feast. i got some pre-marinated shrimp kebabs (i know i know... next time i'll marinade myself), as well as some chuck, and fresh veggies. oh, and a side of potato salad.

this was to be a lazy feast. :)

brought it all home, picked up the king crab and got to work. so the only cooking i really did was seasoning the meat and veggies and arranging it all on bamboo skewers. then onto the "grill"... a countertop one, i.e.

i just seasoned the meat and veggies with kosher salt, black pepper, some paprika (i'm obsessed) and brushed a little bit of evoo once it was skewered.

in the meantime, e got to steaming the king crab in our pasta cooker. haha.

in about 10mins, everything was done and we got to eating in our little kitchen with the patio door open, the sun streaming in, and the smell of grilled seafood and steak!

cPe 2008

murtabak

noreply@blogger.com (candyce) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:33:00 +0000

murta- what? well, a little background.

this dish is commonly found in the countries of yemen, malaysia, brunei and singapore. it originates, however, in india and is said to have made its way into middle eastern countries during the muslim conquest of india. wherever it's from, it's delicious.

this is a very quick and satisfying snack or friday night dinner. murtabak is a wrapped roti (indian flat bread) filled with any type of meat curry. the variation i made was a simple ground beef curry with peas. instead of wrapping it in a roti, i used thawed parathas from the local indian grocery store's freezer. lazy? yes. still delicious? yes.

curry

ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1lb lean ground beef

1/2 large onion, chopped according to preference (i like mine finer)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green chili, sliced

ginger root, grated to make about 1 tbsp

1 tbsp masala

1 tbsp garam masala

1/2 cup of water

salt & pepper to taste

about a cup of frozen sweet peas

handful of cilantro, chopped finely

1 pack of parathas (plain or onion)

steps:

allow the parathas to thaw.

heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-high and add the onions, garlic, ginger and chilis. once they are starting to brown slightly, add the masala and stir to incorporate. add the ground beef to that and stir, to break up the meat into the onions and garlic mixture. once it is nicely mixed together, add a bit of water to the pan and close it with a lid to allow the beef to cook through. season with salt and pepper to taste. once it is just about done, add the frozen peas and chopped cilantro and allow it to cook through.

the entire dish takes about 15mins to make, so while that is going... you can start separating the parathas.

once you're ready to assemble the murtabak, take one paratha and add about 4 tbsp of the curry mixture onto the center. wrap the paratha around the curry, just like you would a burrito. if you're having trouble getting it to all be sealed, you can use a bit of egg wash or water on the paratha.

once they're all wrapped up, get a griddle going with a bit of butter and start frying the murtabak slowly on each side until all sides are golden brown and the parathas are cooked through. it will take about 8-10mins and then you're all done!

the hubby and i had ours with a beer and made it friday night dinner :) yum!!

cPe 2008