hello, again

it's been 4 months, nearly to the day. i know a lot of you aren't reading anymore, or should i say i know that many of you probably don't have me in your reader feed anymore since there was nothing more to read.

at first i was going to blame it on work, and say it's not my fault, i was in the philippines responding to the emergency after typhoons pepeng and ondoy. and i was, but that was back in october and only for 4 weeks. so what happened to the other 3 months?


(for my other photos from the philippines, they're all on flickr).

and then i was going to blame it on this sort of late-early life crisis i'm having. you know the kind where you go wtf am i doing with my life? and perhaps it coincides with me coming back from the philippines because after i read this beautiful writing, i was left with that painful feeling that even though everything i've been doing for the last several years has me on the path to the success i've always envisioned for myself, now that i can see it closer, that version of success doesn't really seem to be what i want, afterall. or when i think about it honestly, that version of success doesn't match with what makes me happy, day in and day out.

but i'm still here, cooking and taking photographs, and occasionally baking. and what better way to start off this little blog again, then by sharing a quick and easy hors d'oeuvres that could easily start off your new years eve party coming up (we made them to start off our christmas eve dinner). i found these on smitten kitchen, who happened to find them on the nytimes. they just looked so good on her blog i knew i had to try them.

i made slight variation here and there, sometimes based on what we had in the fridge (sour cream instead of heavy cream) and sometimes based on the "classic" french method mr. mimi knows best (see note below). but they disappeared as soon as they were done. so easy, delicious, and does exactly what an hors d'oeuvres should -- whet your appetite for the next course!

so let these tasty creamed mushroom toasts whet your appetite for my blog again. i promise i'll be back soon with the rest of the holiday dinner, and lots more kitchen adventures for next year!



creamed mushrooms on chive toast: serves 2-4 (it served 2 of us gluttons, but you could, i guess, serve 4 people with this recipe)
adapted from smitten kitchen

note: this mixture is basically a standard duxelles. the original nytimes article, and smitten kitchen's recipe, has you chop the mushrooms to 1/4" and then cook. but to prepare this in the "classic" french method, the mushrooms are roughly chopped (or even not at all if they're small enough) and then after cooking, finely diced. the reason for this is because of the relative high water content of the mushrooms. cooking them on high heat nearly whole (or in bigger pieces) will make them brown nicely and sear in this moisture. i'm sure another reason is because the french like to make things more complicated than they seem, bien sûr! :-)

1/2 lb cremini and shiitake mushrooms
2 tbs butter
1 large shallot, chopped
2 tbs dry white wine
1-2 tb sour cream
salt + pepper, to taste
challah or brioche bread, 4 slices about 1/2" thick and then cut into points or other shapes
1 tb chopped chives

1. brush off dirt from mushrooms, de-stem, and chop mushroom caps.

2. melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat, add shallot and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. turn heat to high, add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes. mushrooms should be soft, and a deep golden shiny color. add wine and de-glaze, reduce until almost dry, about 2 minutes.

3. put the mushroom-shallot mixture back on the cutting board, and finely dice. return to the skillet on medium heat. temper sour cream and add to mixture (you could use regular heavy cream instead). season with salt and pepper.

4. toast bread (technically this should be a "buttered" toast recipe, but because challah or brioche is so rich already, we just toasted them and didn't butter. if you're using only white bread, you probably might want to add some butter after toasting). top each toast with mushroom mixture and sprinkle with chives.

best turkey burger for the end of summer

this relentless head sinus cold couldn't have come at the worst time - new york city weather has just been shamelessly gorgeous the entire week!!

but i've gone through three boxes of tissues. one pack of ricola and albuterol. lots of vitamin C and zinc. countless pill popping. add on to that ... the stress of getting everything ready for mr. mimi's big surprise party last weekend, all the math work i'm supposed to be doing for my economics class, the mess of papers on my desk (i hope there isn't anything important in that mail), i haven't played tennis in eons, i want to start training, et je veux prendre des leçons françaises ... what i need is a vaca and a detox, stat!!

well, the vaca is long over and the detox isn't going to be until next month. so i have to comfort myself by giving you a recipe to enjoy those last days of summer grilling. i have to admit that since i've been selectively eating meat again, the thing i seemed to most enjoy - you know, eating sensually with all five senses - were the hamburgers!



i never craved them before, but they were so good this summer, i just loved them. maybe it has to do with the context of lazy summer evenings with a grill and friends? how much of the food we like or don't like has to do with the memory of that food, with the context, with what we were doing or who we were with? it's like the memory of music, n'est-ce pas?



best turkey burger: serves 4
from martha's great food fast (2007, p. 123)

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey - note: try to get the best quality, from your local farm or farmer's market if possible, it truly does make a difference!
1/2 cup finely grated gruyère cheese
4 scallions, thinly sliced (we omitted b/c i hate scallions!)
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
salt + pepper
vegetable oil for grill

1. heat grill to high. in medium bowl, use fork to gently combine turkey with cheese, scallions, breadcrumbs, mustard, and garlic. season generously with fresh salt and pepper. divide the mixture evenly and gently form four 1-inch thick patties.

mr. mimi tip: in order to avoid the shrunken flying saucer hamburger syndrome ... while forming the patty, press the middle so that it is thinner in the middle and wider on the outside. then when the meat contracts while grilling, it will shrink to a normal hamburger shape.

2. lightly oil the grill. place patties on hottest part; sear until browned, 1-2 minutes per side. move patties to cooler part of grill and continue grilling until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes each side.

seven days until spring

and it couldn't come any sooner! i am a sucker for warm weather. and it's not just the cute cotton dresses, or the mister softee jingle, or those briny ocean waves. what i really also love about seeing crocuses, and longer days, and cleaning out the backyard ... are the first arrivals of the new local spring produce. one of the first to come bursting from the dregs of winter are artichokes. or fartinchokes if you really must know what the mimis call them at home. don't tell me i didn't warn you!

artichokes should be heavy, fleshy, and the leaves should be tight. they don't have to look pretty or unblemished, as the outside appearance of the leaves typically do not indicate its freshness. there are many ways to cook artichokes, but my absolute favorite is steamed. no matter how big, i can always eat an entire steamed artichoke all on my very own, thank you. back in the day i used to eat them with melted butter. but now i just make a super simple vinaigrette, heavy on the lemon juice, with just a bit of salt and pepper. wow. easy, easy, easy, but a great reminder that even sunnier days are yet to come!


tips for steaming and eating artichokes:

1. trim the stem, but not too short, so it can stand upright. run artichoke under water, rinsing the outer leaves and flushing the inside of the leaves.

2. set the artichokes in a large pot of water (about an inch or so covering the bottom of the pot). squeeze lemon juice directly over the artichokes, and add lemon slices (a few juiced), peppercorns, and bay leaves. be generous with the lemon; i typically use about 3-4 lemons. bring to a boil and cover to steam. make sure to keep watch that the water doesn't boil away and add more if necessary.


3. artichokes are done when the outside leaves can be pulled off fairly easily. it should be about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size.

4. discard a couple of the outer leaves if they are too tough. then pull off each leaf, dip into vinaigrette, and scrape the bottom of the leaf with your teeth. with a really delicious artichoke you can usually eat quite a bit of the inside of the leaf, not just the bottom part.


5. once down to the soft inside leaves, pull off and discard. you'll then have the fuzzy choke. scrape or cut if off with a small knife. you're left with the most delicious tasting "heart". dip into vinaigrette, close your eyes, and sail off to artichoke heaven!

sunday supper party

smoked salmon with caper berries and dijon

wow. has it really been over a week since i was last on here? sorry to all my faithful readers (all three of you!) there really is no good excuse. but you will be in for a treat as i have many juicy (and delicious looking!) things to post these next couple of days.

it took us awhile to feel like home here in the city. even with millions of people, it can get kind of lonely when you're first here and know no one. we feel fortunate now to have a great group of friends, but we don't always get to see them as much as we'd like. so we decided to start trying to throw more informal, casual supper parties (as opposed to the fancy, set the table to impress dinner parties) on a regular basis. too often we only host people at our apartment with our two big seasonal shindigs (summer solstice and holiday), and we may have temporarily lost the art of simply being at home, sharing good food, laughs, and wine with a small group of friends.

so this past sunday was our first. we started casual with some smoked salmon with crackers, caper berries and dijon, and olives and grapes. for the main meal we wanted it in the style of the old italian mama sunday supper so we decided on a menu of (vegetarian) meatballs and eggplant rollatini. our friend C would bring the green salad. everyone would bring some wine. and yours truly would be making the desserts ... which will be posted about in the coming days.

but first, a whole hearted recommendation for these great vegetarian meatballs. even if you eat meat, these would be a great healthy choice, or a quick meal alternative. even though they're vegan, they have a great soft texture. if you were ever going to try to convince that diehard carnivore friend of yours, this would be the to try out on him or her!

as for the rollatini, i don't even like eggplant but these were delicious. and super easy to make ahead for a large dinner. i don't have an exact recipe (when mr. mimi creates things, it just happens) but this is the general gist, plus a few tips for using eggplant and standard breading procedure.

rollatini before being baked

eggplant rollatini: serves 8

4 medium eggplants (about 4 lbs)
16 oz ricotta
basil
4-5 garlic cloves
2 shallots
salt + pepper
olive oil
oregano, dried
hot pepper flakes
parmesan
shredded mozzarella
couple cups of homemade marinara sauce
flour / eggs, beaten / bread crumbs

1. cut ends of eggplant so you can stand it up on cutting board. then slice eggplant lengthwise about 1/4" thick.

sweating the eggplant
* eggplant tip: to pull out the bitter liquids naturally found in eggplant seeds, coat both sides of eggplant slices with coarse salt (kosher or sea). this will also work to tenderize it, and season it of course! you'll actually see the water sweating out. wait about 15 minutes, or longer if necessary, and then rinse excess salt with cold water.

2. make ricotta mix: sautée garlic and shallots until golden. fold into ricotta and mix with a handful of mozzarella and grated parmesan, salt and pepper, pepper flakes, oregano, basil chiffonade.

* basil chiffonade technique: if you cut basil like a typical herb in chopping fashion, you will easily bruise it. while this doesn't necessarily affect the flavor in immediate usage, it sure won't look pretty. and isn't cooking all about being pretty? well, at least the french thought so, and created the chiffonade technique, whereby you cut the basil in thin strips. take the rinsed leaves and stack them and roll them up like a cigar, or, ahem, like a herbal smoking somethin' or other :) with the tip of a very sharp knife, do a gentle rocking motion, letting the knife's weight do the cutting; that is, don't cut down. slice the basil as thin as you possibly can. it will become fluffy as the slices unfurl from the roll. there are other knife skills that can chiffonade in a more fluid, clean and gentle manner, but the rocking motion is easier to control for most home cooks.

3. lay out some of the eggplant slices, and spread an even layer of the ricotta mix on one side. make sure there is ricotta on one end of the slice.

4. proceed to roll them up. this is where that ricotta on the one end of the slice comes in ... when you roll it up, you'll use that ricotta on the edge to seal the roll. bread the rolls in small batches as you work.

ricotta mix on slices

rolling, rolling, rolling

* breading procedure: no matter what you're breading, the procedure is always the same. three bowls: flour in one, beaten eggs in another, and plain bread crumbs in the last bowl. and in case you're wondering, the old age is ... season the food, not the bread crumbs ... or at least, so says mr. mimi :) basically, just coat (with flour), dip all sides (in egg), and coat (with the crumbs). if you're making a lot of breaded items it's best to keep one hand dry, one hand wet (bakers know this rule well from julia). for rollatini, make sure to bread all sides, including the short tips (where the cheese peeks out a bit).

ready to bread

5. heat generous amount of olive oil in skillet over medium heat. generous because you're doing a pan fry, not a sautée. i never said this was a healthy vegetarian meal folks! place rolls gently in oil, making sure not to crowd the skillet. after a couple of minutes, check the ones that seems to be cooking the fastest and flip them with a slotted spatula (so the grease doesn't collect in the spatula and splatter), and brown both sides to golden color. drain on paper towel.

ready to fry

6. put in casserole dish, with marinara sauce, and shredded mozzarella on top. bake at 325F for 15 minutes. presto! sunday supper is served!

full disclosure: all these cooking tips, and those cute hands, come from mr. mimi :)

weekend cookbook challenge 24: veggin' out

over at sara's i like to cook, she's hosting the 24th edition of weekend cookbook challenge. this month's theme was "veggin' out" and i was excited to get back to my favorite cookbook, vegetarian cooking for everyone by deborah madison. we haved used this one quite a lot over the years, and it remains my faithful standby for delicious vegetarian cooking.

i poured through the pages, wanting to make something seasonal, and definitely something i haven't made previously. i found the perfect idea with her golden gratin of rutabaga, turnips, and carrots.

julienned vegetables
if your new year's resolution included losing weight, well unfortunately this recipe won't be for you! ms. madison does love her butter and dairy, and uses both copiously in many of her recipes. but it was a delicious, creamy gratin. and yet, there was no cheese, so (relatively) healthier than traditional gratins. she says it could be a main dish, but i think it's too heavy. it was, instead, a perfect side dish for us.

so here is my humble first post for weekend cookbook challenge 24: veggin' out!

golden gratin of rutabaga, turnips, and carrots: serves 4-6 as side dish
adapted from vegetarian cooking for everyone (1997, p. 280)

1 tb butter, and more for dish
béchamel sauce (instructions below)
12 oz rutabagas, peeled and julienned (for tips on julienning vegetables, click here)
12 oz turnips, peeled and julienned
10 oz carrots, peeled and julienned
1 small onion, diced
salt + pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1. preheat oven to 375F. lightly butter a gratin dish (2 qt). while the béchamel sauce is cooking, boil the rutabagas in salted water for 2 minutes and drain.

2. cook the onion in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, about 8 minutes. combine with the rest of the vegetables. season with salt and pepper and transfer to gratin dish.

3. use a ladle, and pour sauce over top. cover with bread crumbs and bake until bubbling and golden on top, about 45 minutes.

béchamel sauce

bubbly and golden

served with seared scallops

simple béchamel sauce

2 cups milk or vegetable stock, cold or room temp
4 tb butter
3 tb flour
salt + pepper
1/2 cup cream, optional

1. melt butter in a heavy saucepan. add flour, stir until it combines into paste (called a roux). it should look like wet sand. reduce heat to medium. slowly stir until it has a nutty aroma, about 5-6 minutes.

roux

2. whisk in cold milk until smooth. reduce to low heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. adjust thickness with vegetable stock.

whisking

3. season with salt and pepper. whisk in cream.

pointer: when thickening something (like a soup, sauce, etc) one item has to be cold or room temp and the other one has to be warm/hot. in this example, the roux is hot, and the milk is cold. however, if you pre-made the roux, you would have to heat up the milk before whisking in.

tools of the trade: using a mandoline

julienned rutabaga, turnips, and carrots

so your recipe calls for "julienned" vegetables. what to do? sure, you could use a knife and slice really insanely thinly. but the easier method is to use a mandoline. many people are afraid (and rightly so) because the blade is super sharp and one slip and that tip of your finger is out of here!!

but with a few pointers, you can be confident in using a mandoline. and impress all your friends! julienned veggies! waffle cut french fries! the possibilities are endless.

1. make sure the base is secure. this seems like a duh point, but don't go blaming me if your mandoline slips on the counter!

2. if julienning carrots, don't take the root off. using the root base gives you something to hold on to and keeps your fingers away from the blade.

roots are your mandolining's best friend

3. for bigger root vegetables, cut into smaller sections if necessary. don't try slicing up a huge rutabaga because it will be unwieldy.

4. don't keep a vegetable in a round shape. cut each side so you have multiple sharp, straight edges to use.

carrots cut on a bias for a straight edge

this short edge is sliced, not the long side

5. hold the vegetable with your fingertips, not with your whole hand. it's similar to knife skills. your fingertips create more stability. most mandolines come with some contraption to "safely" hold the vegetable. but it is very cumbersome and gives a false sense of security.

fingertips only!

6. go quickly!! this sounds counterintuitive to being safe. but if you go slowly, the vegetable is apt to get stuck in the blade, and with it, who else knows. if something does get stuck, don't use your fingers, but use another piece of vegetable to push it out.

fast and steady wins ... and saves your fingers!

7. don't slice away to oblivion and go trying to use every last scrap. keep your fingertips at least an inch away from the blade. then just use those scraps for compost or stock.

note: for the purposes of full disclosure, these pointers are courtesy of mr. mimi ... he is the professional here, i'm just the dorky blogger :)