Quinoa (For the First Time)

I’m not exactly sure how, when, and why quinoa got to be so popular. “It’s not a grain!” they say. “It looks like couscous but it’s not couscous!” someone else shouts. “Is that quinoa? Omg I looooove quinoa,” says annoying person #3. Look, it took me a long time to see The Godfather movies and it took me a long time to jump on the quinoa train. I’m sorry! I don’t know what deterred me from just buying a box since I also see it everywhere I go. From the recipes that go viral on Pinterest to Dean & Deluca’s overpriced pre-made pint containers to my brother’s kosher idea to invite it to our seder table earlier this year, it seems everyone and their mom (yes, even my mom) can already tell you how they like their quinoa. How do you like yours? I sincerely want to know. Here’s the recipe for my first quinoa ever.

For starters, you need Quinoa. Here’s 1/2 cup Black Quinoa.

(Black Quinoa per my brother’s recommendation, a real Quinoa Convert ever since he married a Vegetarian.)

I let it soak in a cup of broth for about 15 minutes before turning up the heat and watching it come to a boil. (Yes, my watched pots boil.) Once it boiled, I turned the heat down to medium/low, stirring it occasionally for a good 20-25 minutes.

Then I got my greens ready by washing 2 cups spinach…

And a whole buncha cilantro…

Gave it a good pulsing!

Then set my greenery aside and chopped up halfa this guy.

And 3 of these little boops.

Sploosh! 

And the Black Beans were all like THOMP! WE WILL LIVE HAPPILY EVERY AFTER NOW.

"Nuh-uh," said Quinoa.

Everybody knows you can’t live happily ever after until you've incorporated quinoa into your diet.

I Made a Mix Tape.

And got tempted by the squeeze of uno lemono.

1 Big Bird tsp of Dijon.

1 tsp / trip to Fairway.

Another Big Bird tsp of cumin because someone in my apt is a cumin freak, not namin’ any names.

A to the V-O.

My final touch equaled pepitas.

Quinoa. Or as I like to call it: Not Rice.

Magic Sauce

I got this recipe off of 101 Cookbooks, another one of my favorite food blogs. It’s technique-free; you’re just mincing herbs and marrying them with garlic and olive oil. But it’s the paprika that brings that serious dose of seduction to the pan. It’s so red and cruel. (In a good way.) What’s so magical about this sauce is how versatile it is - it can be added to anything and everything - making whatever you’re eating that much more delicious. A few weekends ago I used it as a dressing for a dish of broccoli, kidney beans, radish, avocado, and feta. A weird dressing for a weird dish, I know, but trust me, it ruled. I’ve got shrimp marinating in the magic right now…

This is the magic right here.

OK, get your herbs out.

Finely chop some rosemary; this is what fresh rosemary looks like.

Finely chop some thyme; this is what fresh thyme looks like.

Finely chop some oregano; this is what fresh oregano looks like.

Pound these herbs together with a mortar and pestle if ya got one.

Now, take 1/2 cup of extra virgin oo.

And gently warm it over medium-low heat until it’s - ouch - just hot.  

At that point, flame off! The rest just gets stirred in…

Add 2 tsp paprika.

2 cloves of garlique, smashed to a paste.

(I used 4 because I was feeling adventurous.)

1 (count one!) (count not the whole container!) bay leaf. crushed.

Plus a pinch or two of crushed red (depending on your spice palette).

+ 1/4 tsp salt.

Aaaaaand a tbsp fresh lemon.

Look how gorgeous; it’s just asking for a pinky taste.

You can essentially use this now, but I have a feeling it just gets better over time… 

My advice? Refrigerate.

Bonus points for not having much of a mess to clean up afterwards.

Mac and Cheese

In high school (and throughout college) I was on the hunt for the perfect mozzarella stick. Crispy hot on the outside, strings of goo on the inside. To this day, I’m still not sure why I never found it. How hard could it be to perfect the stick? I feel similarly towards mac n cheese. So many restaurants screw it up! It’s pasta and cheese, people. Pasta. And. Cheese. If I want mac n cheese from now on, I make it myself. A lot of places are thinking too hard on it. From bechamel to bacon to bleu cheese to buffalo chicken, sometimes the best version is the one your mom grew up on. Cheez whiz and elbows.

Ok. So maybe not the cheez whiz part. But elbows! (And lots and lots and lots of cheddar cheese.)

Does it get more comforting?

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butta yo pan.

See: Butta.

In a blender, puree 1 cup of cottage cheese +...

2 cups of milk +...

1 tsp dry mustard +...

A pinch of nutmeg +...

1/2 tsp salt +...

1/4 tsp pepps.

Grate TWO of these bad boys.

Start grating while it’s light out…

Stop when it's dark.

Dump it all on top of your cheesy milky spice mixture.

Like a load of laundry, fold it into one another.

Pop your elbows open (or whatever pasta you choose to use).

Remember the days of macaroni art? Yeah, I miss those days.

(Uncooked!) elbows are such party crashers.

Add to the pan o’ butta.

Mix & even out. 

Foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, remove the foil and give it a gentle stir. Sprinkle a little MORE cheese on top and bake uncovered for 30 minutes (more).

Fall in love / gain a couple of pounds. What’s the difference these days anyway? 

Cheddar, Beer and Mustard Pull-Apart Bread

Last month, one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, posted a recipe for cheddar, beer and mustard pull-apart bread. (I still can’t decide which part sounds the best: the cheddar, the beer, the mustard, the pull-apart, or the bread.) Within minutes of the post going up, my friend Laura M. e-mailed me with the subject header: Umm, did you see this?! Yes. Yes, I had. And since I was due for a visit to her new apartment, we decided to christen her kitchen with this awesome recipe. Plus, if there’s anyone I trust when it comes to baking bread… it’s Laura M. She’s pretty much responsible for this work of art. I was there to stir things, take photographs, and say things like: “Do you think it’s ready yet?”

This is a lengthy recipe, so follow carefully.

First, we made the dough.

In a small saucepan, we heated 4 tbsp butter and…

1/4 cup beer. Just until the butter had melted.

Once melted, we removed from the heat, adding another 1/3 cup beer. We set it aside to let cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, we stirred two cups of all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 tsp yeast, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp salt. 

Oh, no! There was a snafu with Laura’s KitchenAid mixer so we had to pull out the old-fashioned hand-mixer. It was like stepping into a time machine. 

With the mixer on low, we poured in the butter/beer mixture and mixed just until the flour was moistened.

Then we added eggs. Two of them.

And another 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour…

And 1/3 cup of rye flour.

We mixed some more.

Then it was time to knead.

Laura M. is an excellent kneader.

Look at that perfect dough ball.

Next, we oiled a bowl and put the perfect dough ball inside.

It got covered loosely with plastic wrap and then set aside for about an hour, as we waited for it to double in size.

Then it was on to the good stuff.

In the same pan we melted the butter and beer in, we melted 3 more tbsp butter. 

Removed the pan from the heat and whisked in a tbsp of dijon…

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire…

And a splash of Frank’s.

Whisk, whisk, whisk. Set aside.

At the bottom of a clean bowl, we combined 1 tsp mustard powder…

1 tsp paprika…

+salt...

+pepper.

And then spent a few minutes giving 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese “the shred.”

(Which I enjoyed sampling!)

Tossed the cheese with the spice…

Turning it into party cheese! 

Then I took a two-minute break to go hug Cooper the dog.

When I was finished hugging Cooper the dog, we coated this pan with butter…

And took a peeksie at our doubled dough! HELLO.

It was obviously time to flour the counter.

Thud.

Laura began rolling the dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle.

Great form.

She's done this before.

Just making sure we were doing everything right…

Yes, yes we were.

Next up, it was time to brush the dough with the butter-Worcestershire-frank’s-mustard mixture. We brushed all the way to the edge!

Then we cut the dough crosswise into five strips with each strip 12x4 inches long.

And so the fun began with the sprinkling of the party cheese…

Layering one on top of the other…

One on top of the other…

One on top of the other…

And then once all 5 strips were piled high, we gently sliced six 2-inch segments…

Like so.

Carefully lifting them up, we stacked them and made.them.fit.

After loosely plastic wrapping it again, we set aside for 30-45 more minutes.

(tick.tock.tick.tock.)

Meanwhile, we preheated the oven to 350.

Chatted about this. about that. about this. 

We baked for 25-35 minutes, until the loaf got all puffed and brown.

We were so excited to see this!

New angle.

New angle.

We ate it with a side of pasta and tomato sauce, and it.was.the.best. In fact, Laura M. used some of the leftover bread for french toast the next morning. Can you imagine?!

Garlic Soup

If you’re anything like me, you can never remember what you have (or don’t have) in the kitchen. And for that reason, I never think I have garlic. I always, always have garlic… yet I NEVER think I have garlic. I literally walk home every night after work and say to myself: “I should probably pick up garlic.” And so then I buy the garlic, come home, and see that I have a CRAPLOAD of garlic. Gets me every time. My plan on this snowy Saturday morning was to USE UP that crapload by making a wintry garlic soup. That way, next week when I’ve stepped off the train after work, I can honestly say to myself: “Sylvie, you need to buy garlic.” (And it will be true!)

Meet your garlic.

You’ll want 30 cloves of it unpeeled.

But then also 20 cloves of peeled garlic.

Preheat the oven to 350. Put the unpeeled garlic into a small baking dish. 

Take 2 tsp olive o.

And a sprinkle of s&p.

A little toss.

Foil tightly, and send to the oven for 45 minutes.

Peel an onion; try not to cry.

Slice it up - should be about 2 cups worth.

If garlic and onion had a baby, it would be the shallot. 

I’m working on my Goodfellas slice.

Ding! 45 minutes! Out comes the garlic. If you could smell my apartment at this moment in time, you’d ask to sleep over. 

Let cool, and then squeeze the garlic with your fingers to release the cloves. (They come out very easily.) Set aside.

Over medium-high heat, add a little olive o, the sliced onion, shallots, peeled garlic, roasted garlic…

And a couple tsp of thyme.

After 6 or so minutes, pour in 3 1/2 cups of chicken stock and then let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, now would be a good time to whip it out!

(I don’t have one, so I used a normal blender.)

Blend until smooth, and then transfer back to the pot.

Add 1/2 a cup of milk and bring to a simmer.

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese because I live with someone who wouldn't have it any other way.

A final touch isn't a final touch without a squeeze of lemon.

And… I’m all out of garlic. (Honest!)

Baked Shrimp Scampi

A couple of days ago, my friend, Rebecca T., texted me: “What are you doing this weekend? I wanna cook with you!” Great, I thought. An extra pair of hands in the kitchen. Awesome. Little did I know that what she really wanted was for me to COOK HER FOOD (and not chop shallots, which I had decided her contribution was going to be.) She’s lucky I don’t mind a good cry over my cutting boards.

I made us baked shrimp scampi along with a spinach, raspberry and cashew salad in a homemade dijon vinaigrette. The below picture displays the majority of the ingredients needed for the scampi: a stick of butter, the juice of one lemon and its zest, 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1/4 cup of shallots (minced), 1/4 cup of parsley, an egg yolk, 2/3 cup of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and crushed pepper flakes. Get it? Got it? Good.

The only thing missing is...

2 lbs shrimp (crucial ingredient when making shrimp scampi) in a medium-sized bowl.

This lady! Is totally somebody’s grandma! I love her!

(And her olive oil’s not bad either.)

Pour 3 tbsp of her atop shrimp.

Also add 2 tbsp dry white.

And 2 tsp salt.

And 1 tsp of the pepps.

Mix her up and set aside.

(That’s some good flavor right there. I would cook that all by itself if I wasn't so into the scampi idea.)

There’s something so adorable about pasta nests. It might be more adorable if the nests actually kept their nest-shape, you know? And then you could place a little bird on top. Everything looks better with a bird on it. 

(Start boiling a big pot of water.)

You’ve got your water on… so now it’s time to get serious… there’s no time to chit chat it up with Rebecca T. who is sitting pretty on the couch and TALKING TO MY BOYFRIEND about GOD KNOWS WHAT.

Room temperature stick of butter, plop her into a small bowl.

Add a 1/4 cup of minced shallots and 4 cloves of minced garlic.

And 1/4 cup of parsley.

Also, the zest and juice of one lemon.

And 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes.

And 2/3 cup of bread crumbs (but reserve some of it).

Even though I forgot to take a picture of the egg yolk, don’t forget the egg yolk.

Mix that gook in with the shrimp. 

(That looks pretty gross, my apologies!)

Er, but that looks amazing.

I baked it in the oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until it got hot and bubbly, and then sprinkled the reserved bread crumbs on top and pushed it into the broiler for 1 minute.

Over the tagliatelle (nests)!

Rebecca T. and I, happily fed.

Schnecken

On the second night of Chanukah, I joined forces with fellow blogger, baking fiend, and dear old friend of mine, Danielle A., for a schnecken good time in her Boerum Hill kitchen. Schnecken is not just a funny word that is German for snails; it was once a very popular breakfast treat throughout Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where many bakers happened to be Jewish. While my Hungarian great-grandmother was known for her mandelbread and rugelach recipes, I had never, ever heard of schnecken. Danielle A. and I will show you how to make it.

He's a cute little fella, no?

First we need to make the dough, which will eventually get pressed out in a large rectangular shape and rolled up like a jelly roll.

So to begin: 3 1/3 cups of bread flour.

1/4 cup sucre.

1/2 tsp salt.

1 package of rapid rise yeast.

Mix it all together in a big bowl.

1/3 cup of butter.

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk.

Combine both & then melt.

Whip together two large eggs…

This is how we “dough it.” 

Pour the melted milk butter into the bowl with all the dry ingredients and then beat in the eggs. Knead for 5 or so minutes with a dough hook. 

When it’s springy and satiny, form it into a ball like Danielle A. is so wonderfully accustomed to doing.

(FYI, you see two balls because we made two batches.) Put the ball into an oiled bowl, turn to coat for a nice shine, and cover with plastic wrap.

Then leave it in a warm place (the oven seemed like a good choice; we left the door ajar) and let sit for an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Assemble the muffin pan.

Act II: Make the syrup.

That’s 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp turbinado sugar, 4 tbsp maple syrup, and 3 tbsp light corn syrup. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft and smooth. 

Divide evenly amongst muffin cups.

Top with walnut or pecan pieces. (We went the walnut route.)

While we waited for the oven to preheat to 350 degrees, we made some fresh ginger ale with her seltzer maker. Danielle A. is queen of having awesome ingredients hidden in her cupboards. 

Act III: Create a glaze.

Glaze calls for 1 large egg and 2 tbsp milk. (Again, don’t be confused by our image shown doubled recipe.)

Mix!

What makes all desserts delicious? FILLING.

Filling calls for 3 tbsp sugar + 1/2 cup turbinado sugar, and 1 tbsp cinnamon.

Mix!

Remember the dough that was warming up in the oven? It’s ready now. We’re going to knead it out once or twice and then roll it out into a large rectangular shape.

Here’s Danielle A. kneading!

Here she is rolling it out into a large rectangular shape.

Here she is glazing the dough with her fingers. 

Once she sprinkles the cinnamon sugar filling atop the glaze, the fun begins.

Rollin’

Rollin’

Rollin’ on a river… or a countertop.

Almost there.

We made it.

Cut into 12 even slices.

Raw schnecken! (See, it looks like a snail.)

This one looks likes a fat caterpillar, but we know it’s still schnecken.

Lie each slice snaily side up atop the nuts and syrup that were already in the cups, and then let them rise and puff up for about 20 minutes before putting them into the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Gombotz the cat seems suspicious.

Ding dong! Schnecken's at the door. 

Cut open and enjoy… especially while they’re hot.

A big thank you and Chanukah hug to Danielle A. for opening my eyes to the wonder that is schnecken!

Sweet and Savory Salad

Confession: I didn’t exercise at all this week. I let work completely consume me, and as a result I was left feeling pretty shitty, both physically and mentally. (If you work out, you know the feeling.) When Saturday morning rolled around I was determined to make it up to myself with a long, hot shower, three miles of the Rocky soundtrack, and a bomb salad that would cancel out the burrito, the bagel, the pad see ew, the veal parmigiana, and the panelle special I inhaled over the course of five days. (Not that it wasn’t DELICIOUS.) 

So it’s salad for dinner tonight.

These are the cremini mushrooms, the more sophisticated white button. They’re firmer and have more flavor. 

Slice ‘em up.

2 white onion buddies.

Slice ‘em up.

Dance party USA.

Used up the last bit of olive oil…

Before the party moved to the pot…

There are a million ways to cook mushrooms and onions, but omg I love using marsala. When the juice from the mushrooms evaporates, pour 1/2 a cup of marsala in. 

And when the marsala is all soaked up, pour a cup of chicken stock in.

This is pretty much what it looks like. It’s on medium heat, so just let it do its thing. In the meantime, prep the healthy stuff.

Such as: LETTUCE. Chop it up.

Such as: MR. GREEN PEPPER. Chop it up.

Such as: AVO the CADO.

Scoop it, cube it.

Little guy.

Bursting with red onionyness. A must-have in all my salads. Try not to cry. 

Tofu! Only $1.79! Upside down!

Tofu might be the easiest thing on the planet to cook.

A) It slices sooooooo nicely.

B) All you need to do is heat a pan with some vegetable oil, and then plop ‘em down. 

Secret: You will get the urge to check on them, touch them, flip them, talk to them, etc.

DON’T. Don’t disturb the magic that is cooking tofu.

Couple drops of soy never hurt nobody.

See, nice and crispy. Perfect for slicing into the bomb salad.

Here’s where the SWEET comes in. Red raspberries. I don’t just toss these into the salad whole, I crush ‘em between my fingers first. 

I chop some almonds…

I squeeze some sour.

Caciotta tartuffo cheese. “A young, springy Sheep’s Milk toma, laced with flecks of Black Truffle. Heady yet refreshing.” (Just a couple of slices to place on top of the mushrooms…)

I mean, it’s no veal parmigiana… but it’s damn good.

Cumin Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt and Pomegranate

Cauliflower season is upon us and the selection is FRESH.

So fresh, in fact, that I came across a little green worm.

Which is why it’s good to wash your veggies.

We’re spicing the cauliflower with cumin, pepper…

And salt.

Mix it all up with a tbsp or two of olive oil, then pop it into the oven (at 425 degrees) to roast for 30 minutes. 

I have been plowing through pomegranate seeds lately - I eat them every morning with grape nuts and vanilla yogurt - I love an excuse to use them…

Plain Greek yogurt, use it up.

Voila.

Striped Bass with Spicy Baby Bok Choy and Black Beans

I just want to put a little hat on this baby bok.

I was this close to using white beans…

when this happened (and I couldn't find my can opener).

So I turned to the black bean.

Washed ‘em.

Found me one of these guys.

Broke off 3 cloves.

Tore off 3 cloves’ clothes.

Minced her up.

Got the big guy out.

Little splash in the pan to get beans n’ garlic excited.

Baby bok.

Halved lengthwise.

Quick bath.

Garlic breath tonight.

Babies in the pan + garlic.

My friend and yours… or maybe more my friend… 

Trusty stock in a box.

2 tsp of the hot stuff + 2 tsp stock + a little salt & pepps = the kick I need.

Striped bass (caught by my dad!).

!

Veruca.

Paprika & pepps.

Sift together.

Give it a coat, it’s cold out.

Splash of olive oil, almost done…

Fliparoo.

Perfect!

Uncle Henri's Family French Toast (in Vegas!)

My cousin, Arik, got married! Time to challah at your big and hungry Jewish family.

Uncle Henri whipping a dozen eggs.

Adding a gallon of milk. A GALLON.

Foamy batter up!

Tres importante.

3 pans at a time, let’s do this!

Now dip Henri, dip.

Low heat, getting it all Michael Browned.

Crisp.

Keep the fun up with corn oil (and more butter!).

Keep ‘em hot in the oven until there ain’t nothin’ but challah crumbs on the table.

We put Grandma to use cutting up fruit.

Nicely done!

Plain yogurt for a cool touch of goo.

Little sift of the good stuff.

Get your finest plates and silverware ready.

Because it's time for Uncle Henri's french toast (in Vegas!).

Apple & Onion Turkey Burgers with Stuffed Squash Blossoms & Beet Greens

It’s no beef, and yet.

1 chopped apple for sweetness.

1 onion.

for you know… onionyness.

In a little olive oil, saute together until soft.

Combine all together to form burger classmates.

Mmm, raw turkey meat.

Li'l olive oil and in ya go.

Flip-a-roosky.

OK, on to bigger and better things: BEETS.

Or shall I say: THE GREENS OF THE BEETS.

We’ll need some of this chopped.

Watch it shrinky-dink.

Set aside.

On to side #2: squash blossoms from the Union Square Farmers' Market.

Oh, you know where this goat cheese is going.

Inside those mo'fos.

Li'l olive oil that’s all.

Watch ‘em close up, and you’re done.

What’s a burger without a tomato?

Slice.

And what’s a burger with tomato without a bun?

Bon appetit.

Champagne and Pear Risotto

Lean in close for the play-by-play.

Pears.

Peeled pears.

Chopped pears.

Onion & garlic BFF.

Charlie Choplin over here.

Butta butta but I love ya.

BFFs into the pot + butta.

2 cups risotto + 20 cups patience.

Add risotto.

Happy New Year.

Yep, you too.

1/2 cup champagne. Stir.stir.stir. 1/2 cup broth. Stir.stir.stir. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. If you’re not stirring, you’re doing something wrong. This is what you sign up for when you sign up for risotto.

Did I tell you to stop stirring? Let’s go.

A hard pecorino’s a-gonna fall.

Grate on a plate.

I'm skipping over a heck of a lot of stirrrrrrring shots so we can get to the pears and cheese.

A little grated parmigiano + a little grated pecorino = hurry up and start getting creamy already!

Take a chill pill and make a salad.

Tou can’t just eat risotto for dinner (… or can you?)

Get dressed: olive oil, balsamic vin, fresh lemon, chopped onion, salt.

Back to business. More cheese, more butter.

Cover for 5 min.

Nice and melty.

Fresh prince of parse JUST TO SAY WE USED FRESH PRINCE OF PARSE.

Can die happy.

I smell a Sunday night HBO food coma.

Something Delicious to Place Atop Crostini

Sometimes all I want for dinner is something that I can pick up and put down with my glass of wine. Tonight I wanted something delicious to place atop crostini. Union Market sells quart-sized containers of crostini for $2.99. Because I don’t normally have stale bread lying around to make my own crostini, I hit the market on my way home from work. Before you judge me for supporting Union Market, you should know that my beans and corn are from local grocery, Mastellone’s.

Unfortunately, I don't have a name for this topping. It's just delicious.

OK, CHOP AN ONION.

MAKE A MESS OF YOUR GARLIC.

FRIENDS.

BOSSY PROSCIUTTO WANTS IN.

WHITE BEANS NEED A WASHING.

SO DOES CORN.

ALWAYS.

GARLIC.

GARLIC AND HER FRIEND, ONION.

UGH, PROSCIUTTO ALL UP IN THEIR PERSONAL SPACE.

DRINKING ALONE. NOTHING LIKE IT.

PLUS, IT GIVES YOU TIME TO ALLOW YOUR 3 AMIGOS TO TURN INTO THIS HOT MESS.

NOT TO SPOIL THE PARTY, BUT HERE COME WHITE BEANS AND CORN.

DISCLAIMER: I THOUGHT THIS WAS PAPRIKA, BUT IT’S NOT. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS. THAT SAID, I USED IT.

1/2 CUP.

ROCK AND ROLL.

A Different Kind of Quesadilla

I enjoy the cheesy quesadilla as much as the next cheesehead but tonight I was trying for a lighter, healthier bite.

I made up for some of that creaminess with plain Greek yogurt. 

I’m going to use this lemon for its zest, and mix it in with two tbsp of yogurt. 

See: zest.

Pinch of sea salt.

I also squeezed half a lemon in. 

Mix her up.

A pickled flower bud of a usually spiny Mediterranean shrub (called Capparis Spinosa), used as a pungent condiment in sauces and relishes. Otherwise known as CAPERS. I eat them NOW but never ate them THEN. Rinse and pat dry. Get ready to saute them over medium-high heat…

With a splash of olive oil until they turn brown and crinkly. Set aside.

Egg.

Crack it.

Beat it.

Pour it into the same pan the capers fried in; give it ten seconds.

Flour tortilla trumps egg.

Flip and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.

  Homegrown chives.

Goes great on top.

Zested lemon yogurt, capers and more chives for the creamy finished touch.

Watermelon, Basil and Feta Salad

To be perfectly honest, you gotta buy some watermelon.

Hate to break it to you but you need some feta, too.

Ploop.

That’s a whole red onion but you only need to cut up half.

Shwing.

Olive o drizzle.

Tempted by the squeeze of a lemon.

Fresh basil plucked from outside.

Floof.

These two troublemakers.

You know you want some.

(Sexy) Mussels

Mussels can be smoked, boiled, steamed, roasted, barbecued… or fried in butter.  

We are obviously going the butter route tonight.

Give those babies a bath. You’ll notice the water getting all foggy as you rinse them. When the water clears, you’ll know they’re clean.  

This is a ZOMBIE MUSSEL (read: DEAD & BAD). Mussels need to be alive before they are cooked.  A dead mussel will be open; a living mussel will be tightly shut.  

Chuck the zombies.

We’ll be friends with these guys.

Now, on to the broth. Chop up half a red onion.

Oh, just showing off somebody’s homegrown garlic & shallots…

Ok, so I don’t “respect wood.” Still, you need to finely slice about 10 shallots & 20 cloves of garlic. Go crazy.  

Nice.

Butta, butta… but I love ya..

In goes the GARLIC & ONION.

Cook for a minute or two and then add SHALLOTS.

The first wine pour! Just enough to cover it all. 

I could drink that. I'm serious.

Dump those babies in & turn the heat up!

Keep pouring the wine to cover the mussels. It’ll boil down.  

Good morning! 

Always with the fresh prince of parse

Chop her up.

Slip 'er in.

Might as well.

God you're pretty.

It's a (sexy) mussels date night.

As an aside, if you click on my Neighborhood page, you can read all about the history of Caputo's Bake Shop!

Feta Salsa

First things first: friendly feta.

Crumble.

Sexy sundriedy oily tomatoes.

Add to friendly feta.

Brad Pitted kalamata.

Kerplunk.

2 tbsp what the dilly yo.

Kaboom.

3 tbsp fresh prince of parse.

Boing.

Italian scallion.

Whoosh.

Sir mix-a-lotta yum.

(Pita) Chip off the old block.

Blue Fish with Cherry Tomatoes

First, you’ll need a piece of fish. My dad was kind enough to catch one for me fresh.

Pat dry. Get excited.

1/4 tsp garlic powder. 1/4 tsp mustard powder. Oh, and have you labeled your spices today? I think it’s time.

Mix those in with 2 tbsp flour + some salt & pepper. I added a pinch of cayenne because I can’t help myself.

Mix it all up.

Crack an egg (on your head, let the yolk drip down, let the yolk drip down…)

Our old friend, Marsala.

Add 2 capfuls to the egg (which you'll then mix up).

Three amigos.

So the fish gets dredged in the flour first. Then the egg. Then back to the flour.

Into the olive oily (super hot) pan. Let it cook for 3 or so minutes.

Make it look like this, I tell you! (Ha, you can see me in the tea kettle.)

Cherry tomato bombs.

Add yer bombs.

Chop yer fresh prince of parse.

Sexy.

Looks good enough to eat. 

Peach Shortbread

2 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp flour power.

tsp baking pow(d)er.

2 sticks of unsalted heart problems.

2 peachy peaches.

1/4 tsp cinnamon girl.

1/4 tsp salt.

1/8 tsp nutmeg.

Cup of the white stuff.

Crazy white egg.

Family portrait, minus crazy white egg. (Because crazy white egg is crazy.)

Melt the butter over medium-low heat.

In a minute or two, it’ll look like this. Foamy and golden.

Less than a minute later, it’ll look like this. Brown and smelling all nutty. Scrape the brown bits. Stir often. Don’t let it burn. Transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes.

Get your dry ingredients into a bowl.

30 minutes later, the butter comes out of the freezer.

Scrape the butter into the bowl. Crack an egg, too.

Use your fingertips to make crumbs. Voila.

Grease a pan. Pat 3/4 of the crumb mixture down into it.

Peaches aren't exactly in season (mea culpa), so scooping the pits out proved to be a challenge.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture atop the peaches. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

Like this.

Cut into pretty squares. Try not to eat the entire plate.