McFatty Sandwich

Salmon Quinoa Apricot and Avocado Salad

2011-06-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Early summer in San Diego usually consists of June gloom. Some years the summer is colder than the rest of the year, but this year we are lucky to have skipped over June gloom (I think...studying for most of it doesn't help) and gone right into beach weather. This means we go to the beach just like any other day of the year, but the water is warmer and there are more people getting sunburnt (usually myself included). Summer weather means fresh salads and this is one of my favorite combinations not only because of the fresh seafood, but also because the avocados come right from our backyard. ok....I don't have avocados in my backyard, although that would be pretty nice. My backyard consists of a fountain and colored plastic balls the neighbors kids have thrown over their fence but are too embarrassed to come and get. The "backyard" I am referring to is the california avocado farm in escondido. If you haven't had a perfectly ripe california avocado, they are green and full of creamy goodness. Please indulge...it's worth the $1.50.

Recipe:
1/4 Ib salmon cooked, seasoned salt and pepper
spinach
quinoa
1/2 avocado
slices of apricot
balsamic vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar, olive oil (2:1) pepper)

Midnight German Chocolate Cake

2011-06-23T00:40:00.001-07:00

You know it's vacation when...you frequent facebook enough to know the minute by minute updates, you take multiple naps in one day, and the food blog gets updated. Katie and I aren't the most diligent when it comes to keeping our blog up to date, but this German chocolate cake deserves an post, picture, and subsequent drool.

This post-taco-tuesday cake was made by two pro cake making amigos. How many triathletes does it take to make a german chocolate cake? One to bring the flour, another to get the recipe, and another to eat. After a lively evening of not standing in an obscenely long line, frozen margaritas, and tacos dripping with "white sauce", we were far from going to sleep. Triathletes like to brag, and we like to brag about being good at things. It's not a bad thing, versatility is a virtue. Some claim to be quadrathletes. We can swim, bike, run, and .....get in touch with our senses. This last event can take on a multitude of meanings so I'll let your mind wander. But most are also great cooks. The recipe came from All Recipes and the frosting a delicious labor of love. Bear in mind that custard takes time...so if you have it, turn on an episode of Tosh.0 and laugh your way to creamy goodness...(don't let your mind wander on this one).

Midnight chocolate cake because that's when the frosting tastes best. Add however much melted chocolate you need ....a.k.a. a lot.

Cake:
4 (1 ounce) squares German chocolate
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening
4 egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 egg whites
Coconut Pecan Frosting:
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup butter

Crab Cakes MD style

2011-06-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long. A lot has happened since the last post. I finished my Board Exam in San Diego this past Saturday and proceeded directly to Las Vegas. After a couple nights of not sleeping and drinking lots of....umm....fruit juice, I was far from being done celebrating. Here is a post about something I love to make, and frankly probably brag a bit too much about. But they are so yummy if they are done right, and often not done right. Very little bread, some egg, scallions, hot pepper to taste. Lump crab and lightly seared. Simple is best here but of course you need the Old Bay. Serve with a fresh salad and here we served it over cheesy polenta.

Stout Braised Short Ribs

2010-12-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

We were searching for an adequate Christmas dinner recipe. One that would stand up to the expectation of "Christmas Dinner". I offered my sister the short list of Christmas-go-to-mains, but somehow came up with a lackluster response to rib roast, ham, turkey....I threw the idea of short ribs out there and she took off running. Kate and I are both runners, so as you can guess, we like an idea, and go with it. She searched our favorite places for recipes, namely epicurious and food network. Stout braised short ribs came up....now normally this would have sounded like a great idea, but today it was the perfect idea because I could vouch for a beef braised in high quality beer stew was the way to go. Just prior, I had one of the best concoctions from Aaron's roommate Crash, a budding brew-based culinary mastermind. With a small sacrifice of time (these dishes do better when slowly cooked over half a day....yes patience is a virtue here) a delicious Christmas dinner was going to happen.

Our recipe muse epicurious never fails:

Stout braised short ribs

As always...go with the Guinness.

Paella

2010-12-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

This dish was inspired first by Spain, second by my awesome friend Rene, and third, by the baby octopus we saw at Sun Fat, the local seafood market. Rene makes a great paella, and not just any paella, this dish is one that adds a little more fresh veggies than your average, which I love, but it also has a spicy chorizo which gives it the kick necessary to wow your French guests...and yes, if it's a dinner party with Rene is SF, there will be French guests. The recipe was adapted from this recipe

Seafood and Chicken Paella

The great thing about paella is that you can add anything you have on hand to it and it will taste great. I highly recommend mussels if you have access to them not only because they are delicious, but because they add an extra third dimension to the dish. In our case. the baby octopus became the larger than life addition. Don't forget the saffron!

Best Tortilla Soup....Ever!

2010-06-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

While in Palm Springs visiting my Aunt Barbara, we decided to make Tortilla soup since it's a healthy and hearty meal. My sister (Katie) sent over this highly recommended recipe and knowing that she holds a certain amount of culinary clout, Aunt B and I were glad to embark on this task. It was a bit my of our normal soup making skills and Aunt B did most of the long slow cooking. Let me tell you, this soup packs an amazing smell! One you can't get enough of. Here is a link to the recipe with some tips on what to make. We found a lot of the ingredients at the farmers market and regular grocery store. However, if you have a Mexican grocery store nearby, that would be the best option. If you know Spanish, chat it up with the owners! Mexico is playing Argentina today and I'm feeling the world cup fever. My ties have to go to Mexico.

Best Tortilla Soup!

Chocolate Decadence Cake

2010-05-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

This cake was a blessing in disguise. We used a recipe from Baking Bites Chocolate Cake and modified it with less baking powder, by accident, and no egg. Needless to say, the cake did not rise as we had hoped. In the midst of being distressed at our "flat" cake, we iced it regardless with lots of chocolate ganache. After bringing it to the birthday girl, we sampled the cake with caution not knowing if it would hold up to our normal standards. To our relief, the cake was marvelously decadent. I'd definitely make it again the same way. No eggs and not enough baking powder. Here's to not following directions!!

Peach Cobbler

2010-01-16T09:36:00.001-08:00

This cobbler was made on a whim (The best things are made this way). We had the peaches to use, and the cream leftover from something delicious that I can't remember. The crust came together fairly simply with almond cookies we had on hand. We ate this quickly over the next few days.

Crust:
Almond cookies, crushed, patted into tart pan

Peach filling:
1 cup whipping cream whipped to slightly stiffer consistancy (custard like)
1/4 cup sugar

2 peaches thinly sliced

Press crumbled cookies into pan. Then spread the whipping cream onto crust. Add peaches in a layered arrangement. Cook for 25-30 minutes at 350. Great a la mode!

Lithuanian Fish - Žuvis!

2009-12-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

Ventes Ragas
Vente, Lithuania

Tomas and I went with the family out to the western edge of Lithuanian, along the Baltic Seashore. We stopped for lunch at a cottage style fish restaurant where we ate fish in many forms. The map above shows where we were, near the tip of a peninsula. The foggy rainy weather made sitting next to a wood burning stove all the more cozy.
First Course:
We started off with some Gira to drink. Gira is a traditional lithuanian drink made from fermented yeast. The taste is complex to explain in words: it tastes like bread and molasses and has the consistency of beer. Very tasty. To eat we started with some toasted bread and a parsley fish butter spread.

2nd Course:
Next we had some fish soup: fish broth with pieces of white fish, carrots potatoes and dill. The warm soup really warmed us up.

3rd Course:
Next, our server brought out a "snack." A full platter of a variety of pickled, oil packed, and jellied fish along with tomatoes and eggplant. We ate the aperetivo with some rustic lithuanian rye bread.

4th Course:
Lastly, we picked out a fresh fish from an iced bin and a cook grilled our fish in the stone fire place next to our table. We ate the fish with an onion-honey-mustad sauce, berry sauce and ground nut sauce. We also had potatoes (of course-Lithuanians love their potatoes) and a cabbage salad.

Labai Skanu! (Very tasty)

-Katie

Spinach Salad Medely

2009-11-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

This Salad was inspired by what I already had in my fridge. I have become very proficient in the salad process because it's what is the easiest to make when you have already prepared foods and want to put them all together. This salad starts with the following:

spinach
red and yellow pepper
roasted brussel sprouts
roasted white sweet potato
wild field greens
strawberries
zucchini

I topped it with cottage cheese (lowfat please, it tastes way better than non-fat) and flax seeds for a little crunch. After our medical classes about the benefit of omega 3 fatty acids and their anti-inflammatory effects, flax seeds make a guest appearance in many dishes of mine.

Peach, Arugula, and Gorgonzola Pizza

2009-10-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

This pizza was inspired by a flavor of the day at The Cheeseboard in Berkeley (Best pizza place hands down....if you love crunchy California flavors and farmers market produce) I did not get to try this flavor at the Cheeseboard and after seeing the toppings and not getting to indulge in what I had anticipated as one of the best pizzas I would ever eat, I had to simply make it for myself. While I didn't have the pizza slab and the 600 degree oven, the result was pretty tasty none the less. I used whole wheat dough from trader joes, but making you own is so easy if you just plan ahead.

For dough:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine water, yeast, and sugar in mixing bowl, and wait until yeast is frothy.
3. Mix flour, salt, olive oil, and spices into yeast mixture (mix salt into the second cup of flour to combine).
4. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5. Roll dough out into a large pizza peel, or onto two medium-size baking sheets.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes, and set aside.

(From Sugarlaws)

I baked the dough for about 7 minutes before putting any toppings on. Then I put on slices of peaches, mozzarella cheese and Gorgonzola. The arugala went on the last 2 minutes so it didn't wilt too much. I then added a little lemon vinagrette for that added tangyness. It was fabulous!

Serve hot!

French Crepes (Brittany style)

2009-08-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful sunny day in San Francisco and we met up with Arnaud from Brittany, who works with my roommate Angie. Brittany is a part of france known for their crepes. He cooked up some amazing crepes and we smothered them with ice cream, banannas, cherries, and love. We had them on the stoop of his victorian house in the Haight and we soon had melting ice cream dripping down our hands from the warm crepe....it was a divine experience. I was also taught how to fashion the crepe in the proper french style (being American I was thinking we would need a knife and fork). I would highly recommend learning how to make crepes because not only is it delicious, it is also a great way to enjoy any stoop on a sunny Saturday. I didn't have time to get the exact recipe, but here is one close to it. The key is using the right amount of butter on the pan when you're cooking the crepe, and getting it thin and slightly crispy on the edges. The inside toppings are up to you, but from my experience with the French, nutella is one of the primo ingredients. I also like sugar and lemon.

3/4 cups all purpose flour (buckwheat flour is also good for savory crepes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

mix everything in a large mixing bown until smooth
(you can also chill the batter for 30 minutes in the fridge if you have the time)
Heat the pan over medium and brush with butter (Arnaud used a paper towel dipped in butter and spread it on the pan)
Pour the batter in the hot pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. If there are still uncoated portions of the pan, pour more batter on and swirl. Cook for about a minute and flip using a spatula or a flick of the rist if you're daring.
This makes about 8-10 crepes.

Stack the crepes on a plate and take them outside to the stoop. Be sure to add your toppings only to a small part of the crepe, fold in half, and then fold again so the crepe makes a triangle. It's best to take the first bite from the bottom where all the goodies are, but this does result in a bit of a sticky mess for the inexperienced such as myself. But I'm willing to practice my crepe technique as much as possible if it means I can make more crepes. The next crepe will be buckewheat crepes with ham and Gruyere.

Greek Style Taco

2009-08-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

I love the way the yogurt sauce in this taco really balances with the vegetables and creates a very refreshing meal. I stir fried the vegetables with onions, red pepper, black beans, and garlic with a little cumin. The black beans were Rancho Gordo beans from the ferry building farmers market. We had some leftover tortillas from enchiladas we made before and I was inspired by the crisp cucumber waiting in my fridge to be eaten. I added the yogurt and diced cucumber with some salt and pepper and put it on the taco as a finishing touch. The crunch from the cucmber also gave the taco that extra pizzaz. Here is the recipe:

Half and Onion
one green pepper (or other colored peppers)
1 clove garlic
black beans (soaked and pre cooked)
corn torilla
nonfat yogurt
english cucumber
salt and pepper

Saute the chopped onions and garlic in olive oil. Add the cumin unti aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped pepper and let soften about 5-10 minutes. Add the black beans and stir. Meanwhile, made the yogurt sauce with cucumber, salt, and pepper (you cad add dill or vinegar as well). Cook the corn tortilla on a pan with a little olive oil until crispy, about 5 minutes. Put the begetable and bean mixture in the corn tortilla and spoon over the yogurt sauce. Enjoy and make seconds!

Seafood Paella

2009-05-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

We finally made Paella! I've been meaning to make paella for a long time now and haven't had the occasion or the excuse to feed that many people. When the roommate bought special paella rice and saffron, I new it was in the works. We used the Trader Joe's seafood mix in the freezer section and it worked out really well. Chicken, peas, and peppers also accompanied our Paella and in the end we had a fabulous Spanish feast. I made arugula with lemon Parmesan vinaigrette inspired by my two favorite food bloggers Alanna and Alex and their blog Two Fat Als. The Paella is also from their site:
Paella Recipe

We modified it slightly but really you can add to this dish anything you have lying around. It is meant to be a dish that can take on many flavors and feed lots of people. Feliz Cocinando!(maybe too much of a literal translation but you get my drift)

Easter Salad

2009-04-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

This salad was super easy to put together, mostly because everything was already cooked and I just had to assemble. It's a bit of a hodgepodge of ingredients but each one added it's own character to the salad. I brought everything together with a bit of lemon vinaigrette. The eggs were soaked with beet juice so they turned a pretty shade of pink which makes this salad perfect for Easter.

the ingredient list:

spinach
Trader Joes frozen sweet corn (it's super yummy)
red beets
sauteed tofu
parsley
green onions
artichoke
carrots
boiled egg

Vinaigrette:
Lemon juice
olice oil
salt , pepper

Miso Soup

2009-04-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

I had the urge to make miso soup ever since I saw it on 101 cookbooks. I'd never cooked with miso paste, and it seemed like the variations on the dish were endless. I made this miso soup with soft tofu, green onions, brown mushrooms, soba noodles, white miso, and leeks (but only because I had them leftover) . It would have been nice to add bok choy or something else green. I topped it off with cilantro which added a really fresh flavor kick at the end. The trick to miso soup is getting the miso concentration just right. I added about 2 tablespoons of the miso paste, let is simmer for about 5 minutes, and then taste. I continued to add more little by little until it reached the right taste profile. But be careful, it's easy to add too much miso. Here is the recipe.

Saute 1 bushel leeks or bok choy, mushrooms, and tofu in a pan with a little oil until wilted (leeks take a fair amount of time to get tender)
Pre-cook soba noodles (boil for about 5-10 minutes in salted water)
Add sauteed greens, mushrooms, and tofu to the noodles in water.
let simmer for 5 minutes
Add 2 tablespoons miso paste and stir until dissolved.
Add more miso to taste.
Serve with chopped fresh cilantro and more chopped green onions.

Enjoy!

You can really add anything in the miso to make it your own. Some other ideas are:
egg drop
parsley
snap peas
ginger
sprouts

Beer Can Chicken

2009-03-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

We made this for Grace and Rene's Birthday party. It was inspired by our trip to Napa and our dinner at The Bounty Hunter. In an idea world, this would be cooked on a grill. I cooked it in the oven and it worked out great. The key is to cut the top off the beer can with a can opener. Then pour half the beer out and put some of the seasoning inside. Then place the chicken sitting upright over the beer can. The whole point is that the beer will boil up and flavor the chicken. Make sure you have a good rub for the chicken as well. I used the following:

cumin
chili powder
tumeric
brown sugar
paprika
salt
pepper

The Beer: Tecate

The result: delicious!

Strawberry Balsamic Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-03-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

I made this cake for a birthday party we had for both of my roommates. I got this recipe from my sister, the queen of cakes as far as I know. As you can see by all our cake posts, she's quite accomplished, so I knew she would have the perfect cake recipe. I altered the recipe slightly because I love the flavors of strawberries and balsamic. It turned out really well, and the cream cheese in the whipped cream frosting has a slight tangy flavor. The cake base is very light due to the whipped egg whites. The strawberry filling has just the right amount of tang and sweetness to complement the yellow cake base. Here are some pictures that show how the cake is put together.

Hazelnut Mousse Torte

2009-02-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

I decided to call this a torte because it justifies how rich this cake was. It's very important to give dishes and cakes the right name because it has a huge psychological effect on the eater. I just made a devils food cake (split into 3 layers) and filled it with a nutella mousse. Then I gave the cake a ganache blanket for the icing. I used spun sugar and sugar curly q's to make the design. And finally, I topped it with a few chocolate curls and pressed some toasted chopped hazelnuts around the edge. This cake was featured at the neighborhood inagural ball.

Broccoli Waldorf Salad, Pork Ribs, Roasted Potatoes

2009-02-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

The roomies and I decided to make dinner together tonight. When we decide to cook together, it means...I get to explain to Rene and Rod what vegetables are and they decide that potatoes are best roasted in the juices of the pork loin. I like our cooking styles...they play off each other, and in the end we create a delicious dinner. Tonight it was Broccoli Waldorf salad which was a great combination of bitter green, sweet fruit, and tangy lemon. Pork ribs and loin were baked at 350 for one hour (two for the ribs) with Shit Yeah sauce (courtesy of Christopher Richard...the recipe includes chipotle peppers and tamarid) and the potatoes were roasted for 1-1.5 hours at 350. After the pork loin has been cooked and the juices are flowing, stick the potoates in the juices and roast for an additional 20 minutes.

Broccoli Waldorf Salad

blanched broccoli

shredded gala apple
dried currants (or raisins)
lemon juice
salt to taste

combine in salad bowl and toss

Oysters by the Bay

2009-02-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

Rene and I got a hands on lesson about Oysters on the half shell from John Myers, head oyster chef of Aquatic Culture. We learned what knives to use when shucking oysters, how to "finesse" the oyster open, and how to make three different oyster preparations. I liked oysters before, but after this little lesson, I simply adore these salty delicacies. John taught me how to shuck the oysters and Rene and I got to try all his different preparations. We had the oyster served three ways: Chili Lime Granita, Seaweed Shallot Mignonette, and Herb Butter with Sourdough Crumb. They were all amazing! My favorite was the Seaweed Shallot Mignonette. I'll post the recipes soon. Until then, you can gawk at the little beauties below......

Farmer's Market Tacos

2009-02-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

These tacos were inspired by the fresh farmer's market produce. It all started with some of the most rich and tender avocados I've ever had. They were melt in your mouth good. I then had to try my very first bag of Rancho Gordo beans. These beans quite famous for their freshness and flavor. I went for the black beans, recommended to me by a friend, and they stood up to their reputation. Next time I think I'd try the garbonzo beans. The taco's were slowly coming together. I found some great looking green and purple cabbage and I knew I was getting close. After I grabbed some cilantro and green onions, taco's were going to be on the menu. I made these babies with pulled chicken sauted with onion and cumin. I also fried up some corn tortillas (don't eat them raw....I tried....it was a mistake). All together they came out beautifully and quite tasty. I added some lime on top and yogurt or sour cream.They were so good!

Cheese Tour San Fran

2009-02-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Maryn and I had a great idea to go cheese shop hopping around some nearby neighborhoods in the city. Our first stop was the friendly local cheese shop called Cheese Plus." Right on Polk and Pacific, we stepped in a got to sample some of the lovely cheeses along with a slew of tapenades made with some very interesting combinations like the fennel and blood orange ( pictured here). We moved on down Union Street to Sputino, a cute little cheese enclave with other italian treats. While on Union Street, we stumbled upon Cocoa Bella, an adorable little chocolate shop with some exotic flavored treats. We sampled the hazelnut truffle and the rosemary truffle. The rosemary was surprisingly good. I ended up getting some strawberry balsamic truffles, one of my favorite flavor combinations of all time! We saw some blue cheese truffles (pictured) which were intruiging, but I was not daring enough to expose my pallet to that tempting oxymoron of flavors. Then we strode down fillmore in search of the closed down Artisan Cheese shop....apparently it had been closed for 2 years! We took a long walk down California to our final destination....AG Ferrari, where I stumbled upon some of the best italian cheese I've ever tasted. After having been in florence for over a week, I had to buy the Buchetto a la tartufo. It had wonderful truffle flavor (the mushroom that is all over Tuscany) and reminded me of the cute little osterias of Florence.

Bistecca a la Florentina

2009-01-19T21:20:00.001-08:00

In Florence, the best place to get bistecca florentina is Cipolla Rossa. We walked into the small cozy restaurant with dark wood tables and italian wines lining the shelves of the walls. The dinner started off with appetizers of sopressata and ricotta topped parmesean crepes, and anchovy crostini. We then ordered the house Chianti, the best wine of the Tuscany region made from Chianini grapes. After we ordered, the waitress brought out the slab of steak on a plate before it was cooked. We approved the cut of meat, and it was sent back to the kitchen for it's florentine searing. This bistecca is no joke, here they don't ask you how you want your meat cooked. You can only get it done one way, and it's some of the most flavorful meat I've ever tasted. Here is a little peek at what we were working with.

As a sidenote, the cappuccinos in Florence were amazing and let's just say the sweets were delectible. The gelato creamy, rich, and plentiful. The winter sweet panforte was by far my favorite dessert. This Christmas treat is a combination of dried fruits and nuts with some fabulous spices.

Chicken Parmesean

2009-01-05T22:25:00.000-08:00

The roomies and I decided to make dinner together. One of Rene's specialties is chicken parmesean, an I must say, it tasted pretty special. The mozarrella was amazingly soft, the tomato sauce, courtesy of 101 cookbooks, it one of the simplest recipes, with garlic, onions, salt, pepper, and crushed tomatoes. The flavors are so great that you don't need to dress up the tomato sauce with fancy spices. I would suggest some oregano if you have it.

We breaded the chicken in egg wash and bread crumbs. Then we baked it for 35 minutes. We put the tomato sauce on top and mozorella and let it bake for 10-15 more minutes. When the chicken was fully cooked, we transferred the chicken with sauce over pasta. Serve with a green salad. The green salad has a tomato, garlic, and lemon juice dressing.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

2009-01-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

This was inspired by Tartine, one of the best bakeries in San Francisco. This place is always so packed you can barely walk to get a table, but it's location in the mission is the perfect place for this not-so-secret culinary gem.

I had some extra baguette bread and roasted pumpkin so I thought this combo was too good to pass up. I mixed and egg with some milk, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and a little sugar to taste. Then I poured the mixture over cubes of bread and mixed in the shredded roasted pumpkin. I don't have measurements because I eyeballed most of it, but make sure the bread gets its fair share of the wet ingredients. Then bake the bread for about 20 minutes. I topped it off with some yogurt and honey right after taking it out of the oven.....It was sooo delicious still warm from the oven. I highly recommend this breakfast, especially if you have leftover stale bread.

A Taste of Thai: Thai Pumpkin Curry

2008-11-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

It's the season for pumpkin and since I just moved to San Francisco, I've been inspired by all the wonderful Thai restaurants in the city. After visiting OSHA and getting a taste of the lemongrass and coconut milk, I had to set out and make this seasonal dish. It turned out very well.

I used a real pumpkin and roasted in in the oven. The advantage to this was that I got to roast the seeds as well. They made for a great topper to the dish. Make sure to use a sugar pumpkin because they are smaller and easier to work with. The large ones are just best for carving.

Thai Pumpkin Curry:
2 chicken breasts
garlic
red onion
cilantro
coconut milk
pumpkin
curry powder
lime juice
yogurt
little peanut butter

Saute the onions with a bit of olive oil until they are tender. Add the curry powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, only a minute or two. Add the chicken and cover until mostly cooked through. Add yogurt and coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes. Add a small dallop of peanut butter. Toss in cilantro at the end and serve over rice. Spritz some lime juice right before serving.

I had this with Broccoli Rabe and Farro which was a very Berkeley "chrunchy" version of Thai pumpkin curry but it was tasty!

The Whole Meal

2008-09-21T23:34:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night I had the pleasure of making dinner with two great friends. I was the student present to learn the ways of the master chef and apprentice the saute, grind, chop, char, reduce, and smoke. The dinner was FABULOUS and the flavors were unique and wonderful. Here's what we had:

Broiled lamb chops with cherry ginger reduction

6 Lamb chops (trader joes)

1/2 cup lamb stock (Christopher's freezer)

handful dried cherries

1 tsp minced ginger

splash port

Simmer dried cherries with port and ginger. Heat up lamb stock and combine with cherries and port, reduce 10 minutes (maybe less depending on heat).

Broil lamb chops under high broiler for 5-7 minutes. There is about a 30 second window of opportunity to get these right, otherwise you've got well done chops and that's no good.

Cous-cous tabbouleh

1/2 red onion

2 cloves garlic

3 lemons

1/3 cucumber

parsley

mint

cous cous

oregano

olive oil

salt and pepper

Chop onions and garlic and let soak in lemon juice. Cook cous-cous and cook in refrigerator. Chop parsley and mint and add to cous-cous. Cut up tomato, cucumber and add to cous-cous. Add the onion garlic mixture with oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

Chinese green beans

with roasted red pepper

red onion

garlic

vermouth

olive oil

This is my favorite! Take a blow torch to the red pepper while it sits over the open flame on the gas stove. Char the heck out of it. Put it in a bag or covered pot for at least 10 minutes. Remove and peel off charred skin. Cut chinese green beans to desired length and steam for 10 minutes. Add red onion to steamer. Let sit for 5 minutes. Cook garlic and vermouth and olive oil in a saucepan for about 5-10 minutes. Put beans, onions, and red pepper together and toss with garlic vermouth sauce. yum-o!

* Check out the crab on the apron. Nelie's humor for sure :)

Chicken Veggie and Red Quinoa Medley

2008-09-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in Berkeley again! I can first tell that I'm back in Berkeley when I smell jasmine and pine as I walk down the street. Here and there I get some roses and other various flower scents that I can't identify but are divine none-the-less. Another way I can tell that I'm in Berkeley is when I go to the market and see all the amazing fresh produce gleaming with beauty. I've never had a white peach as good as the one in my fridge right now.

So what is the deal with this recipe? It's a one dish meal which is ideal for my current living situation, aka not my own place. It has all the essentials, covers all my nutritional bases, and is easy to make. So what is in it?

1/2 green pepper

1 husk corn (boiled and cut off the husk)

1/2 cup black beans

1/4 cup quinoa

1 stick celery

1/2 tomato

1/4 Ib chicken thighs cut

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 clove garlic

splash lemon juice

dash salt and pepper

1 tsp rice vinegar

Directions:

Marinate the chicken in soy sauce and garlic while it defrosts in the refrigerator (Do this beforehand). Pour quinoa in pot and add water (1:2 ratio quinoa to water) and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Wait until quinoa is almost done to cook the chicken. Chop celery, tomato, corn, green pepper in the meantime. Add chicken and marinade to the pan. Simmer and cover about 5 minutes. Add chopped veggies, black beans, and cooked quinoa until tender. Add lemon, salt, pepper, rice vinegar. Enjoy!

The San Francisco Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival

2008-09-08T00:30:00.000-07:00

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival

The festival was crawling with chocolate food lovers (most of the population of San Fran would fall under this category). The festival had some amazingly good looking chocolate-y treats and I, along with Grace and Kevin, got to eat and admire the creations of some chocolate adventurers. Here is a little tour:

There was a great ice cream sunda station:

Needless to say, foodies can always find a way to pair anything with wine. Chocolate is no exception.

Some delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate covered bananas.

Chocolate drizzled shortcake squares.

The trolley cars of SF.
Grace and I wanted to know how to make these decadent chocolate souffles! yummmm
Tea infused chocolate: The delicate flavors of earl gray, chai, lemon, berry, and orange teas.
Chocolate moon cakes. A little Chinese influence.

Ensalada Fresca with Frozen Peas

2008-08-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

The first thing I had to have when I got back to the states was salad. Going a month without those fresh, leafy, crunchy, and crisp fibery shoots of ruffage was pretty hard. So after I got my salad fix by opening my fridge and crunching on whole plain lettuce leaves like a rabbit, I eased my leafy woes and began a more creative route to salad satisfaction. I used lettuce, radicchio, green peppers, and yes, frozen peas in this salad. If you're wondering why I threw in frozen peas, you're right if you guessed that I was too lazy to defrost them. However, the frozen peas added a surprisingly nice cool surprise to the salad. I used a dressing of lemon juice, a small amount of dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. The salad was easy to throw together, and had a nice chill temp due to the frozen peas. I would test out the frozen pea tactic if you're a skeptic, it makes for a great summer salad

La Comida de Perú

2008-08-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

For the month of July I volunteered in Perú, lived with a Peruvian family, and learned a lot about Peruvian culture. I worked at a medical clinic and became very familiar with Peruvian intestinal parasites. One rule about life in Perú, don't drink the water. I only drank boiled and bottled water, but still managed to get Giardia and an amoeba. But intestinal troubles aside, I got to experience a new genre of South American food. Peruvian cuisine is rustic and hearty, and the Peruvians take advantage of their fresh peppers and bountiful potatoes to make some really delicious dishes. The market in Perú is amazing, and while I steered clear of leafy greens and ceviche (to avoid more intestinal friends) I got to experience some great culinary novelties and learn how the Pereuvians work in the kitchen. My host mom Marta was a master on the "estufa" (stove) and made a mean aji de gallina. I got some great photos of the food we ate, and some market treats I'm glad we didn't eat. Here is a little taste of what I saw:

rocoto relleno, papas al horno, el horno crudo, more rocoto relleno, taroe con carne, pisco sours, sopa de moraya, trucha, beet salad, the market, the queso fresco lady, crazy good popcorn, sopa de cow balls, aji de gallina

Lemon Ginger frozen yogurt with candied mint leaves

2008-07-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Is that title too long? Maybe, but it's because there is a lot going on in this frozen yogurt, yet it maintains a very delicate flavor. This recipe is so easy, just take some plain yogurt and let it sit in a layer of paper towels over a colander over night. Then, replace all that liquid you lost with your own invention. Here I put corn syrup and granulated sugar (a scant 2 tablespoons each for a cup of yogurt) lemon zest and grated ginger. Mix the drained yogurt with the other flavors and throw it in an ice cream machine for a little. Then I decided to utilize the mint in our front yard, by coating it with candy (equal parts sugar and water boiled until dripped into a cup of water it hardens instantly) and folding it in with the post ice cream machined frozen yogurt. Make sure everything you use to handle the frozen yogurt is cold otherwise this stuff melts pretty fast. And thats all it is. Next time I might replace the liquid lost with pureed strawberries and mint, or cardamom scented sugar syrup. You could really go anywhere with this recipe. Looks great in a fancy martini glass at a dinner party with a little garnish. Best of luck with your frozen yogurt adventures if you try to doll this one up in your own way. Let me know how it goes!

Mustard Glazed Salmon Hors d'oeuvres

2008-07-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Sexy huh? Sexiest salmon I've ever seen... The glaze is only THREE INGREDIENTS : 4 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons dijon mustard. The most involved part of this recipe is the process. Here are a couple tips:
1) make sure you rub every surface of the grill that you put salmon on with an oil soaked paper towel. That salmon sticks like glue without it!
2) make sure you soak the skewers first and cut them real small. Then arrange the salmon pieces so that the skewers don't knock each other. It pays to be organized here.
3) Brush them with glaze as much as possible, it makes a nice crusty outside, and DON'T OVER COOK THE SALMON. I find the key to really good salmon is just not over cooking it, what a delicious fish it is!

So that's all there is to it! I threw in a couple garnishing tricks, the casual pile, little drizzle woops all over the plate..., toss some rough chop sage from the garden over that, and dink, a little rosemary sprig in the middle. It tastes as good as it looks and its not even that hard. This is a great way to impress at a cocktail party, bon appetit!

Chocolate meringue mousse ¿cake?

2008-07-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

So this looks like a cake, BUT look at it now...
Psychologically I'm more comfortable eating this cake if I'm told it's a pudding. It's only chocolate merangue for the layers, top, and perimeter, with chocolate mousse filling. It tastes GREAT, very chocolaty, but the consistency didn't meet cake standards. Also, by day two you're dealing with softened merangues (which, again, taste GREAT but don't help the lack of cake structure problem). Maybe someone else has some ideas about how to fix the situation with this cake...

Devil's Food with Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-07-05T09:33:00.001-07:00

Ok, you caught me, this really isn't cream cheese frosting at all. It's some marshmellowy stuff, but I really think this cake would be better with cream cheese frosting instead. The devil's food is really good here, and the frosting just wasn't matching up. A good garnish for this cake would be a chocolate clay rose. You mix chocolate and corn syrup and let it sit, then mold it to make petals and walaa, a rose. My chocolate clay didn't come out so well, so that never made it on the cake. Live and learn. One might also want to play with the name of this cake, I was thinking zebra cake? I'll show you why...See? its those stripes. Well I'm not going to give away Dorie Greenspan's secrets, you'll have to buy the cook book BAKING: From My Home to Yours, to get the recipe. But this chocolate cake recipe is DELICIOUS. Maybe the best I've ever had. Over and out - Katie.

Peace Orange Muffins for Two

2008-07-02T04:42:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I see a piece of fruit and just think of the endless possibilities. This morning, my sister Katie was sleeping in, and I wanted to surprise her when she woke up. I wanted to make a sweet, no yeast bread, but I only wanted to make small portions in the toaster oven (my new found energy saving technique). So I created the muffin-bread-cake combo and it turned out great. It was moist with just the right amount of sweetness and little bursts of tart peach. The recipe was simple, I was inspired by the raspberry pecan bread at Baking Bites and altered it a bit to serve two.

Peace Orange Muffins (makes 2 muffins)
1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup sugar (2 Tbls)
1/8 tsp baking soda ( I used half of a 1/4 tsp to measure this)
1/8 tsp baking powder
small dash salt
1/8 cup orange juice (2 Tbls)
1/8 cup egg (again 2 Tbls)
Fruit: I chose cubed peaches.

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl. Then mix in orange juice and egg. Stir in the fruit pieces. Put in a small muffin tin and place in toaster oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until slightly brown around edges and a toothpick comes out clean. Toaster ovens vary considerable so keep an eye on them. If you like your muffins on the large side and don't want to use a toaster oven, then I suggest doubling the recipe.

Vegetable Lasagna

2008-07-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Today's Vegetable Lasagna was inspired by two of my favorite food bloggers and our inspiration for this blog, Two Fat Als. These two have been cooking up a storm ever since they started dating and ever since the initiation of their blog, I've been in blissful food heaven. I've made many recipes from their repertoire of tantalizing dishes, but this was one of the more intensive recipes for us to try. Alanna has touted this recipe as no fail, and since it was my first lasagna, I reasoned that it was my best bet. Because I don't really like to fail in the kitchen, and I was hosting one of my best college friends for dinner, it seemed challenging but with a bit of a safety net. As I embarked on a journey of roasting and layering, I soon realized that with fresh ingredients and the right flavors, it would be difficult to mess this one up. As it turns out, this dish was a hit. We loved the cornucopia of the veggies, and my urge to sneak in a layer of meat was put to shame with this vegetarian masterpiece. So here is the recipe from our favorite foodie muses.

Applesauce Spice Bars

2008-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Our first recipe from Dorie's Baking book is the Applesauce Spice Bars recipe mostly because it didn't take much time and they looked scrumptious in the picture. The recipe was simple because the batter comes together in one saucepan. Plus, I love raisins, and this recipe definitely calls for it's fair share of raisins. In my opinion the bars didn't need the glaze, they were pretty sweet on their own. But if you're a fan of the extra sugary kick, then by all means pour it on. Also, the recipe seemed to be more of an apple spice cake than a bar, but they were tasty nonetheless.

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 apple (chopped)
1/2 cup or more raisins
Glaze: 2 1/2 Tbs heavy cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the dry ingredients together. Melt butter in medium saucepan and then combine brown sugar until smooth. Add the 2 eggs stirring quickly. Add applesauce and wisk till smooth. Slowly add dry ingredients until no lumps are present. Mix in chopped apple and raisins and put in 9X13 in pan at 350 degrees F for 23-25 minutes. For the glaze, whisk cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla and pour over cooked bars.

Pasteis de Nata

2008-06-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Lisbon Portugal last week. After a visit to Belem and sampling their famous pasteis de Belem, we decided that we must try to recreate these small tarts of custard goodness. After making a cake with chocolate meringue (which will be posted soon), we had lots of egg yolks to use and the perfect recipe to use them. These custard tarts are simply decadent. They remind me of our trip to Belem, crossing under Lisbon's own Golden Gate Bridge, and entering the pasteleria crowded with hungry tourists waiting to indulge in the famous pastries. I got the recipe here. A light dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon is an absolute must. Enjoy!

Maryland Crabcakes

2008-06-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

I've been craving true Maryland style crabcakes for a LONG time. After going to school in Berkeley for 4 years, I've discovered that the Bay Area does not know how to make those lovely crab filled lumps of luscious goodness. All I get in San Francisco are highly breaded discs that taste like fried cornmeal. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Even the Maryland style recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit didn't impress me. I made my own Maryland style recipe and they turned out perfectly. I can't stress enough the minimalist approach when it comes to crabcakes. I also never put mayonnaise in my cake. It loads the cake down too much. Here is my recipe and I highly recommend it, especially for you bay area folk who have never had a truly divine crabcake.

Maryland Crabcakes

16 oz jumbo lump crabmeat
juice of a lemon
four scallions
1 egg
bunch of parsley
a lot of shakes of Old Bay
salt and pepper to taste
Tbs olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Make sure there is no shell in the crabmeat. Put olive oil in a non-stick pan. I used a stainless steel pan and they stuck, so I highly recommend non-stick. Form the crabmeat into a ball, place on the pan and press down with a spatula. Use the spatula to keep the shape of the cake. Cook the cake until brown on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Flip over and brown on other side. Serve with lemon. Other people like to serve the cakes with garlic aioli but I really like just lemon.

Grilled Pizza

2008-06-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about pizza a lot these days. I flew back from Spain into JFK and took the Vamoose bus which takes me back to the fam in Bethesda. I was looking for a quick bite to eat before I boarded the bus for my four hour ride down the New Jersey Turnpike. I dashed into this small pizza place near Penn Station and ordered a piece of veggie pizza. I've got to say, all those rumors about New York Pizza are true. Now, I swear by Cheeseboard pizza in Berkeley and am a huge fan of the California Gourmet style, but New York pizza is outta control good! So after my new discovery, I've had pizza on the mind. The crust is key, I don't have to tell you that, so my sis and I decided to take it to the grill and see what we got. It turns out we got something REALLY tasty. It was so good that we made it for lunch and dinner today. So here is the recipe and how we did it. The beauty of pizza is that you can add whatever you want on top, so we went to town.

Dough:
1 cup bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup water
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp sugar

Toppings:

any combo of cheeses
delicious veggies
mushrooms
tomatoes
whatever your heart desires

In a mixing bowl or food processor with dough blade combine flours, salt, sugar and yeast. Add olive oil to measuring cup of water. Pour water slowly into dry ingredients while stirring or while food processor is on. Stir until dough forms and it comes away from the sides of the bowl. If it doesn't, add more flour or water accordingly. Flatten the dough ball a little on the bottom of the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap closely over the dough. Let is sit for 2 hours (or overnight). When it has doubled in size, punch it, remove it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and form four small balls. Flatten into 5 in diameter disks, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Then flatten into desired thickness for the pizza. Heat up the grill (we have a gas grill so we cooked it at 450 degrees F). Make sure the disks are floured enough so they can slide off the surface and onto the grill (we used a small cutting board). Slide the dough onto the grill, close the grill, and cook for about 3 minutes checking to see if brown grill marks are forming. Remove from grill and turn over. Brush the grilled side with garlic olive oil (olive oil and garlic powder for those of us less sophisticated). Then put on any toppings you chose. I suggest: first layer of sliced tomatoes, second layer combo of cheese (i used fontina, gruyere, and goat cheese), next grilled onions, mushrooms, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes). Then cover and cook for about 2 more minutes, until cheese has melted. It's best to use tongs to maneuver the pizzas. Take off the grill and enjoy!

Vegetable Gratin

2008-06-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to make this dish because it used summer vegetables and looked yummy. It was the featured recipe on cooks and there was a pretty good video on how to make it. I'd never made a vegetable gratin, or any gratin (the most famous is the potato gratin) but I thought I'd try it out. For a seemingly simple recipe, it's actually pretty laborious so I would suggest this only if you have the time to make it. The recipe is rather lengthy only because the water has to be removed from the vegetables and replaced with herbed oil. The recipe is from Cooks Illustrated. I would post the recipe but I'm not sure about the copyright laws so here is a link: Vegetable Gratin. The cooks website has a free video that is short and sweet that takes you step by step. It's worth the two minutes to check it out. Happy cooking!

Chorizo, Sundried Tomato, and Spinach Penne

2008-06-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is a trial dish for the summer menu being offered on West Howell Road as a pre-made dinner. After a thorough taste test during dinner tonight, the family has unanimously decided to pass the dish (with flying colors.) This dish turned out to be very flavorful both because of the chorizo sausage (adding a nice zip to the dish) and the use of milk and broth instead of ordinary water to cook the pasta. The milk makes the whole mix a bit creamier without making the dish heavy. With spinach, tomatoes, sausage, and pasta, the dish covers all important food groups creating a healthy one dish meal.

Ingredients:
- Tbs olive oil
- onion
- couple cloves garlic
- 1/2 sundried tomatoes
- 4 sausages (chorizo works well but whichever you prefer)
- 1/2 penne pasta
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bag spinach
- 1/2 parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in the pan and sautee the onion for several minutes. Next add the tomatoes, garlic, and sausage (out of the casing) and brown the meat completely. Put the raw pasta over the meat and add the liquids (milk and broth) cover and simmer until pasta is tender. Toss in spinach and cheese and cook until spinach wilts and cheese melts. Wala!

Blueberry Pancakes

2008-06-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

These pancakes marked the first McFadden family breakfast gathering in half a year. With Katie just back from Spain, and me recovered enough from my wisdom teeth extraction to chew, we set out for antioxidant heaven. We chose a recipe adapted from Milk and Cookies Hotcakes but used whole wheat flour and cottage cheese instead of yogurt for no better reason other than our lack of yogurt and my love of cottage cheese. Katie whipped the egg whites to soft peak perfection and we all gobbled them down. I had just enough time to sneak in a picture of the finished product right before is was consumed .

Blueberry Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-06-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

It's our first post and we wanted to kick it off with a bang. We found the best deal on blueberries at the store and we wanted to make something that would showcase our talent, use fresh ingredients, and taste delicious. This cake proved to be the perfect match. Cooking in the kitchen together, Katie and I are beginning to realize how my cooking skills and her baking skills are going to match up. There are going to be fights, brawls, messes, and making up (and lots of cleaning up). But we are going to learn a lot from each other and most importantly eat yummy food.

As it turned out, this cake came out beautifully and tasted equally as decadent. We got the recipe here.