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Young & HungryIf you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen! |
| 31 August |
There is a method to the madness that is making risotto, but that doesn’t stop the sparks of fear inside me & my classmates each time we see it listed on the board. It seems as though something with such a detailed regimen would be foolproof, but I’m pretty sure disaster can only be avoided with constant babysitting and knowhow from failures past. If you also take into consideration, however, that each individual prefers their risotto served according to their unique taste, then you’re pretty much reaching for the stars. That said, my chef’s stars are, after multiple risottos, within my grasp, so we will follow Guido’s guidelines in the following lesson.
| 10 August |
Oh salad, fresh salad, how I could write an ode to thee. After a week of cooking pasta fresh, stuffed & dried pasta, gnocchi, risotto, and pizza a salad actually sounds quite exciting. I know you, out there, are anxiously awaiting the aforementioned recipes, but first things first for us Americans that often preface our meals with leafy greens. Many Europeans actually finish their meal with salad as a digestivi, to freshen their breath, and for other varied reasons. Alas, I’m still American and prefer a big fat scoop of ice cream for dessert, but maybe I’ll at least day crave il formaggio , or cheese course, to round out a nice dinner.
These salads can, for the most part, stand alone. I’m taking creative liberty to mix and match recipes from different lessons throughout my studies thus far to bring you these salad selections. At this point I’m happy to have any vegetable that is placed before me, but these are particularly delicious.
| 30 June |
Finishing up my Middle Eastern series, here are two recipes for Middle Eastern-inspired dips, both great as either meal accompaniments or served as party apps, paired with pita bread and crudités.
| 20 June |
Falafel love
This falafel recipe is delicious, healthy, and couldn’t be easier, thanks to the aid of a falafel mix. Cheating? Maybe, but sometimes a girl just doesn’t have all day to make dinner…
| 15 June |
Great Success!
I relish the opportunity to cook family dinners and, given the fact that I just relocated to my hometown, I now have the opportunity do so more often. An innocent question posed by my mother, “do you want to make dinner tonight?” sends me off into a world of limitless possibilities and results in me furiously researching recipes, scribbling lists, buzzing to various grocery stores. I most recently decided to take my family on a Middle Eastern voyage, and will share these recipes with you in subsequent posts. Suffice it to say that dinner was exotic, delicious, and healthy, just three of many reasons why I love this style of Western Asian cooking.
| 5 May |
Work, errands, fun, meetings, extracurricular activities….who has time to make dinner? I threw this pasta together while trying to find creative uses for my co-op yield on a tight time budget. I did a quick sauté of garlic, mini peppers and grape tomatoes in olive oil than added in freshly cooked angel hair and a ladle of the salted cooking water. A handful of fresh arugula and salt & pepper to taste completed this vibrant yet super simple dish. Time for the next item on the never ending to do list.
| 29 April |
If this little app doesn’t scream Spring has sprung then I don’t know what will! These cherry tomatoes, stuffed with a mixture of various green veggies, are easy to pop in your mouth and would surely be a big hit at your next picnic, shower, or BBQ!
I learned how to make these in my vegetarian cooking class while studying abroad in Florence, Italy. I’ll never forget my shock and awe at the amount of flavor packed into such a small neat package. Those Italians really know how to work culinary magic on the simplest of foods. We worked our way through the end of summer and all of fall, veggie by veggie as they went and came into season to catch each at its very best. That’s how they eat in Italy, you know. If you get produce when it’s in season you capitalize on both taste and economics! Something we could all probably stand to pay a bit more attention to here in the states. Alas, we crave what we crave when we crave it and very often have the means to make it happen. That said, I hope you all take heed and try this recipe now before it’s too late!
| 21 April |
I told you guys I heart Asian food in the springtime! Might as well stick with the theme now… This dish is just as quick, easy, and healthy as the others and is brought to life by Trader Joe’s Curry Simmer Sauce, not to be confused with the ever popular coconut based Thai curry. TJ’s sells an Indian version that’s spicier than your average curry, but not so much that you can’t taste the cumin and clove-r flavors at play behind the scenes. I decided to go vegetarian this time around, but you could compliment or, dare I say, substitute the eggplant for a multitude of things including paneer cheese, tofu, or the chicken that’s recommended on the bottle. For garnish, I used some cashews that I found in our pantry and that were probably too…umm…old for my own good. That said, I think that cashews go well with peas and carrots and I’m still here to write the tale. The second time around I went the extra mile (to the grocery store) and got an avocado to brighten up the plate. Avocado and cashews are the garnish of choice for my all-time favorite Massaman curry. You could also chop some cilantro per TJ’s recommendation.
| 16 April |
Finding motivation in Katy’s soba noodle recipe and the half eaten bag of rice noodles sitting bored in my fridge, I decided to come up with a noodle bowl all my own! To begin I consulted my BFF Google. Google had lots of ideas including, but not limited to fried noodles, Singapore noodles, pho, and even drunken noodles?! Seeing as how I was staying in and trying to do chores, I decided to forego the latter. Wanting to also put use to the squash and carrots leftover from last week’s trip to the market made my Iron Chef challenge even more taxing. Dear Google forgot about the ever faithful and delicious Vietnamese noodle bowls! Alas, I did not. After entering my new and improved search criteria I was happy to find that I had all the makings of a…I won’t say traditional, but noodle bowl nonetheless! I’m a Google Girl in a Google World, but perhaps I’ll have to make friends with Bing next time I hit the kitchen.
| 14 April |
Healthy, fast, and delicious.
In my efforts to get creative (and a bit exotic) with my co-op rations, I created this recipe, a delicious and super healthy noodle dish incorporating buckwheat soba noodles with the delicious, organic Lacinato kale I found in my co-op crate. This recipe makes a good deal of food, enough for at least four, and is also good cold, so in addition to using up all of your produce, you’ll eat up all the leftovers, as well.
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