The Inaugural (and Lazy) Meatless Monday

I am completely exhausted. This morning I woke up very early to fly back home from an amazing vacation in New Orleans. On top of that I decided to be Wonder Woman and go to work on time as well. I was surprisingly productive at work considering, so I'm a satisfied tired. 

After all vacations, I need to eat something simple because I go out to eat for every meal and sadly I don't order salads. It's all so delicious, but it's also just an unsustainable diet-- that's why it's vacation! Needless to say, I wanted a low-maintenance and (somewhat) healthy meal my first night at home.

New Orleans reminded me that Mardi Gras is right around the corner (March 4) and the Catholic in me remembers that Lent is also (March 5). I like the challenge of it, so this year I will be pescatarian for 40 days and 40 nights. When I first thought of vegetarian meals, my mind went to bread-based dinners, like pizza and pasta. Historically I have used Lent in a productive way-- almost always related to weight loss-- so eating a bunch of carb-based meals every night is not something I'm trying to do.

But I'm tired, you guys. So I made Kraft Mac & Cheese and classed it up with a simple arugula salad with my favorite dressing as of late. It has lemon, olive oil, dijon mustard, a clove of garlic, and salt & pepper. There's no exact recipe, but you MUST make it. It'll change your life. Next week I promise I'll make something super fab like Indian or something!

I read, therefore I am hungry

As an avid reader, I used to read a TON of fiction. I still do, however, when a good non-fiction food book comes my way, I have to put my copy of NW by Zadie Smith down... for a while. I read cookbooks cover to cover, same with my issues of Bon Appétit. Here are (some of) my favorite food books/reads:

My Life in France by Julia Child

Until I read this book, I didn't realize how inspirational Julia and Paul Child are. First of all, not many people know much about Julia's husband, Paul. Civil servant and diplomat by day, gourmand and polymath by night. Their relationship is so touching because you can see in this book how much they loved and supported each other. He wrote about wishing he could take cooking classes with Julia, and joined a men's gourmet club as a way of taking part in his wife's massive culinary interests. Without Paul, there is no Julia.

On top of being jealous of their love for each other, I'm also jealous of how much fun and affordably livable Paris seemed for government workers in the 40s and 50s.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle

You can't mention Julia Child books without listing this as well. As much as I disliked Julie Powell's personality, I am so inspired to also cook my way through this book. When I have some type of food I don't know what to do with, I always consult this book for ideas. Always.

La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange: The Original Companion for French Home Cooking by Madame Evelyn Saint-Ange

Julia actually mentions this book in My Life in France, but I think she said it was out of print at the time... By a stroke of luck, my mom heard on NPR that it was going back into print, and promptly bought me a copy for Christmas. It's a great reference book to have, so I like to consult this as well for recipe inspiration.

Cooked by Michael Pollan

I'm a sucker for anything Michael Pollan-related. If you haven't read any of his work, get on it! He doesn't just write about food, but everything surrounding it-- agriculture, politics, social impacts.. everything. Read The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, and this one.

I devoured half of this mighty tome in about two days. The book is sectioned into four parts: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Each relates to an element of how to cook your food these ways. The fermentation chapter is fascinating! I finally made starter.. that is currently sitting in my freezer and I need to finally make bread. Baking is hard :(

Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink by David Remnick

This is a compilation of all of The New Yorker's articles about food, categorized by the focus, such as Dining Out, Dining In, Fishing and Foraging, etc. My favorite story so far was about the history of the beefsteak parties thrown in New York by groups like Tammany Hall as fundraisers. TL;DR version:  men are disgusting gluttons and women ruined it after joining by requesting formal attire and side dishes.

Lapham's Quarterly: Food

Another compilation of food-related writings. This is fascinating, because it's full of art, poems, short stories, essays and articles from any point in history and any place in the world. The feast scene in the Odyssey has new meaning when read in the context of this collection. I highly recommend this.

Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl

Layla gave me this book. I read it in a day. Then I gave it to my mother and she loved it and gave it to her neighbor. While I worry about making sure I get my book back (quite the feat), it makes me happy that this book is so good and that the people in my life enjoy it as much as I do. Ruth Reichl is the former New York Times restaurant critic and the last editor of Gourmet magazine. She also had a mother whose struggle with bipolar disorder affected the food she made. In a series of sweet and funny short stories, Ruth explains how she grew from having to eat rotting food her mother deemed edible to becoming a famous restaurant critic, through various jobs and experiences in food.

The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten

I could have used the book cover, but let's be real-- this is so much better. This might be the first food-related book I've ever read, and I couldn't be prouder. Though I no longer have my copy (see note above about getting books back), I am tempted to buy a new one. Steingarten is the food writer for Vogue and occasional Iron Chef judge. He's a prickly guy, but endlessly entertaining.

MAGAZINES: Bon Appétit, Lucky Peach (Their Apocalypse issue changed my life. Not joking!!!!)

Joan Didion's Mexican Chicken

I love when people move. One day in Philadelphia I found a box of free books on the sidewalk and picked out a few gems. My favorite selection is a copy of The Great American Writers' Cookbook. There are tons of recipes and I always end up pleasantly surprised at the author who contributed it. Some are written as recipes, some are written as essays on cooking the recipe.. it's just a fantastic read. If you can get your hands on a copy, I highly suggest you keep it.

Anyway, one of my favorite authors in the book is Joan Didion. I've made this simple Mexican Chicken recipe many times and it's officially in my regular mix of dinners. Nora Ephron called it "Joan Didion's Chicken Thing."

Joan Didion’s Mexican Chicken

Chicken breasts: 1 whole breast per person
Onions: ½ per person
Tomatoes: ½ per person
Fresh chiles: see below
Garlic: 1 clove per person
Salt & Pepper

This is very simple and takes about half an hour if you have cooked the chicken breasts ahead. If you haven’t, poach them in water with an onion, a carrot, celery tops, bay leaf, whatever; remove the chicken from the bones (I usually throw the bones back in to the pot to make stock, but the stock has nothing to do with the recipe) and tear into rather large bite-sized pieces. Set the chicken aside.

Slice the onions and sauté until limp in a little olive oil. Add the chopped garlic (if you’re doing this in quantity you cut down the amount of garlic) and the chopped fresh chiles. The amount of chile depends in the heat of the particular chile available; I use very hot small Serrano green chiles, and chop maybe three for six people. Chop the tomatoes roughly and add to the onion mixture. (The amount of tomato you use should also decrease if you make a large amount, or the sauce will be watery.) Add salt and pepper; cook five or ten minutes, uncovered, over low heat; add the chicken, mix thoroughly, and cook only until heated through. This can be kept warm for quite a while but if you keep cooking it, the tomato turns watery and the chicken gets stringy.

Serve with hot tortillas, a bowl of guacamole, a bow of fresh cilantro, a bowl of sour cream, and a fresh salsa. (The salsa is made by chopping up more chiles and mixing with a little chopped onion, a little tomato, some cilantro leaves and a splash of cold water.) The idea is to break off bits of tortilla and wrap it around bits of chicken and anything else you want and eat it with your fingers. I do this all the time as a main course, usually with a chilled cucumber or water cress soup first and a banana tart or flan for dessert.

Mmm Niçoise Salad

I've long heard of the deliciousness that is a Niçoise salad, but I've never had one until I made it the other night. I wasn't in the mood for a big meal for dinner, so I opted to make what would be the perfect dinner for a warm evening. It serves two for a satisfying dinner. Not to sound all Ina Garten, but I splurged on some fancy jarred tuna.. definitely worth it. A must make!

Tuna Salad Niçoise

(from Hungry Cravings)

12 ounces fingerling potatoes
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 7.8-ounce jar canned oil-packed tuna
Freshly ground black pepper
2 hard-cooked eggs
4 ounces haricot vert, trimmed and blanched
6 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 ounces mesclun greens
¼ cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives

Place the potatoes in a medium pot and add enough water to cover by several inches. Add several large pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a plate. Let rest for about 15 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle.

Whisk together the red wine vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, rosemary, and parsley in a medium bowl. Continue whisking while adding the oil in a thin stream. Drain the tuna and whisk the oil from the tuna into the vinaigrette. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the potatoes into quarters when they are cool enough to handle and toss with enough vinaigrette to coat in a medium bowl. 

Cut the eggs into sixths and flake the tuna. In separate bowls, toss the haricot vert, tomatoes, and greens with enough vinaigrette to coat. 

Mound the greens on a platter. Arrange the potatoes, haricot vert, tomatoes, eggs, olives, and tuna decoratively atop the greens. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.

The "Ma'am, your pants are about to bust. I swear," heard round the world.

I had a humbling moment the other night while out with friends where I realized I need to start getting into bikini shape after being on an indulgent bender for the past year. Lest I have to entertain the worried warnings from somehow well-meaning strangers in the future, I've put together a menu of healthier options for the week. Mainly I'm aiming to eat hardly any full-fat dairy or white carbs and more vegetables. Hopefully this attempt at a diet and working out at least once a day (pilates or running) will yield some results.

These are some recipes I found on my favorite site, Tastespotting (I have a ton of them). Since today was particularly hot in DC, most of these are salads, as that's what I have a taste for:

DIY Day Off! Homemade Ricotta and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Today I took off of work and decided to carpe the diem and make some homemade basics for the kitchen. Both were incredibly easy! Here are the recipes:

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes


Roughly 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
Olive oil
Salt
Oregano and other dried herbs
One clove of garlic

1. Preheat you oven to its lowest setting. Some ovens only go as low as 200 degrees F, but mine goes to 170.

2. Place the halved tomatoes face up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

3. Bake in the oven for about three to four hours. I baked mine for about three and a half.

4. When you remove them from the oven, taste one! They're delish.

5. Place into a jar.

6. Pour some olive oil into a bowl and add your herbs (however much you like, honestly) and a grated clove of garlic to it.

7. Pour the mixture over your tomatoes and close the jar. You're done!

Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta Cheese 

recipe adapted from Evan's Kitchen Ramblings

3 cups milk

1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Juice of one lemon

1. Combine milk, cream and salt into a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

2. Line a colander with cheesecloth or a coffee filter or paper towels and place over a large bowl.

3. Once the milk combo comes to a boil, add the lemon juice and turn the heat to low. Simmer for two more minutes.

4. Off heat and let stand for five minutes.

5. Pour into lined colander and allow the whey to strain out for an hour.

6. Refrigerate! Though apparently it freezes well.

Nom away.

Dreaming about this salad.

Last night I set out to make this salad for lunch today. It was so good, I had to have some then and there! It was really hard to not eat the whole thing. A few things I had to change. I didn't want to use a second lemon, so I just used the juice of one and got away with it. I didn't have pesto, so I grated a half a clove of garlic in it. If you're not a big fan of garlic or onion breath, I recommend using one or the other. Because IDGAF, I used both.

Tangy Tuna and White Bean Salad

3 tablespoons lemon juice (I used a little less-- about one lemon's worth.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
1 7-ounce can of tuna, drained
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons pesto (I didn't have pesto, so I grated a half clove of garlic.)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons sundried tomato, diced

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pesto, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.

Add the drained beans, tuna, onion, parsley and sundried tomatoes and toss gently to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours to blend the flavors. Serve.

Enjoy like I did!

Valentine's Day Dinner

I decided to cook a nice meal for my boyfriend this Valentine's Day and settled on a Giada recipe for Brown Butter Risotto with Lobster. Here are some more recipes I was dying to make!

Devils on Horseback: Bacon-wrapped dates filled with goat cheese

Steak With Pesto Gnocchi

Maple Juniper Venison Loin with Chocolate Infused Red Wine Jus, Leek and Potato Mash

Baked Scallops with Cheese and Wine Sauce

The Terry Richardson of Food Photography

Kramerbooks for Brunch

My boyfriend and I have made Sunday brunch a tradition when we spend the weekend together. Luckily for us, DC is a huge brunch city.

I've been to Kramerbooks a few times and they were all delicious. It's definitely a District institution since it's opening in 1976. The front of the space is a great bookstore, with some of the best selections of new and old books on display in the window. Even if I'm just walking by, I pretty much drool at the books in the window.

Behind the store is the dining area, a small, bustling place on two levels with an outdoor space.

So, brunch:

For some reason, this place makes me want corned-beef hash every time. Naturally I got two eggs to go with it and I washed it all down with a Bloody Mary, as per usual. It was so delicious! I have never been so happy to eat beef for my first meal of the day.

This is what the boyfriend got. It's a proscuitto eggs benedict with asparagus. He gave me a bite, it was yummy. However, I hinted at getting a plate of bacon on the side, but he cited the proscuitto as being enough salty pig for him. Le sigh.

Brunch is the best! I feel like the weekend isn't a weekend without brunch, don't you agree?

photo

An idea for the next Fourth of July...

I decided to be a show-off this weekend and make some Jell-O shots for a Fourth of July BBQ or something. The funny thing is, I have never made Jell-O shots before so I really have no idea what brought it on. Without an event confirmed but plenty of hope, I began my Saturday afternoon by preparing to make a cross between these two recipes.

Not gonna lie, it was a tedious procedure. You basically make three different colors and kinds of Jell-O/gelatin/vodka/x-factor mixtures and keep them warm while adding a teaspoon layer at a time to a halved lemon rind-mold. Then, you refrigerate after each layer for ~10 minutes. Plain gelatin smells horrible, btw!

Overall, they were a huge success. Everyone loved them, they didn't taste like cough medicine. I'll probably make these again next year and make each layer thinner so more colors can make it into the rind. 

It was definitely a fun project that I think everyone should try! The smell of the cherry Jell-O made my mouth water with old memories. Seriously, when was the last time you had homemade cherry Jell-O?Enjoy, creepily, like I illustrate below:

A Recipe from the Pantry: Linguine with Fried Eggs

I came across this article not too long ago and there are several recipes I want to try. Finally, on this chilly President's Day, I woke up too late for breakfast and about on time for lunch. Naturally my first thought was eggs.

This is turning into a food blog FAST: My Mom's Heavenly Hamburg

This is my favorite-favorite thing my mom makes. I mean of all time. Okay, before I get ahead of myself,  this is called Heavenly Hamburg and it's basically a noodle, meat sauce, and cheese casserole. And I mean basically. It's really easy and after it's done, amazing. The best part is how much better it is reheated the next day. omggg, here we go: