Archives 'Single Serve
Because one isn’t always the lonliest number…
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Young & HungryIf you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen! |
| 30 December |
It’s that time of year again. The holidays have come and will soon be gone leaving us with new memories, toys, and a lot of cold days to resolve everything that got lost in the shuffle. There will be resolutions to eat right, save money, and work out, among other things. But, in response to these three that frequent everybody’s To Do list, I bring you this soup! It’s hearty, healthy, and will keep you toasty and warm during the chilly days to come.
| 18 November |
Did someone say more pumpkin please? Ok, if you insist. I know I have failed to deliver as much pumpkin as promised this year, but here’s to making up for it. The inspiration for this recipe came to me on the cold rainy night before Halloween. I had leftover sage and sausage and probably could have made use of the 4 fresh pumpkins purchased for our Halloween party the consecutive night, but opted for the easy canned variety. Speaking of, I have a number of Halloween party recipes in store for you, but at this point they’ll have to wait for next year… In the meantime I hope you enjoy my Little Miss Piggy Pumpkin Pasta named after the muppet most resembling me this holiday season. Eh, I’ll pick a new one come New Year’s!
| 26 September |
With the cusp of fall most people are filled with the anticipation of the upcoming football season, planning their lives around tailgates, and perhaps even turning to sites like this one for game time recipes. I, on the other hand, become once again infautated with pumpkin, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbuck’s, the drink that christens the season. That’s not to say that I haven’t grown to like football too, at least the events surrounding it. And so I frequent bars to watch the games yelling “Go Deacs” and “War Eagle” while furiously shaking friends’ “lucky shakers” and earning more points on my Passport Card. Then I stare blankly at the screen plotting my next taste of pumpkin until it’s all over and the fate of the night is decided.
Last fall I was lured in my a multitude of new pumpkin treats, but one that particularly caught my attention was William Sonoma’s Pumpkin Curry. Now I am a loyal fan of Curry Simple, generally the peanut-esque Massaman variety, but this was a delicious substitute. I found it to be lighter than most curries with just a light hint of pumpkin. Anyway, you can use the same recipe using Curry Simple’s pre-made mix while you wait anxiously for William-Sonoma to bring the pumpkin back.
| 23 August |
For those of you that live alone, skip to the recipe or, if you’re lonely, keep reading with a reminiscent heart. Now, to the readers who cohabitate, let us reflect on all the lessons learned from roommates past. There was my first roommate from West Virginia who taught me that most of the rumors about people from West Virginia are not in fact true, most. She also tried to teach me how to shotgun a beer in our freshman hall’s bathroom to no avail. My next roommate taught me a lot about boys, you could call her a boy magnet of sorts. She had flirting and the fine art of dating down to a T, ahh that was a fun year. Next I went through an assortment of roommates traveling abroad to Florence and west to UCLA. They taught me a myriad of things from the greatness of In-N- Out to how to appreciate a fine wine. I learned to recognize cheeses even though they mostly look and feel the same, that the only thing Italy got wrong was that they forgot to put the gelato between two freshly baked Diddy Riese cookies, and to appreciate tofu – the other white meat? Finally, they reminded me how to swim laps to work up an appetite for aforementioned good eats, particularly during water polo practice.
My current roomie has followed suit bringing an entirely new set of lessons to the table, my favorite of which are probably from her Mom’s organic garden which turns out by far the best tomatoes and blueberries I’ve ever had. When she’s not feeding me my veggies, however, we take delight in our love of mayonnaise and late night pizza. Not at the same time of course, usually. She also has taught me that impromptu infomercial purchases can, in time, earn their keep. And so, we were happy when we were able to use both the Chop Wizard and the mass quantity of mayo in our kitchen for this recipe. The ShamWow, however, I fear will never see the light outside our laundry room… Here’s to a Snuggie come Christmas.
| 3 August |
Wherefore art my beloved pan?
Sleeping soundly in my kitchen
In the dark cabinet it’s hidden
Hiding from the light of day
It is safely tucked away
Waiting just to see the light
And satiate my appetite
What fine feast will be up next
Perhaps the tuna it likes best?
Take me out you silly girl
Trash the fried food lest I hurl
Why go into the light of day
Forced to chased the bugs away
When you have me to grill you right
Satiate that lusty appetite
All you need is some meat
To whip up a tasty treat
Or some veggies from the market
Will complete your evening banquet
You save me from mosquito bites
When favoring some lite delights
Alas there is some use for man
To flip and baste while I do tan
Prepare for you something I will
As long as your masculine duties fulfilled
My skills were honed on the island
Where the grill was fully manned
But now an army I have none
And so the battle’s to be won
Yes I’ve seen you try to ignite
That flame which burns in you so bright
But fire lady… stay away
You’ve yet to see another day
Stick with me I’ll treat you well
Soon you’ll hear that dinner bell
Ring with opportunity
Here to feed you so hungry
And for the night now you are free
To try a dessert recipe
Square or round we care not
This grill pan will not be forgot
For forever we will be
Cooking in perfect harmonyTo bring these recipes to you
Dear reader something fresh and new
Winter spring or chilly fall
The weather no need mind at all
For you now can feel the thrill
Charred nothings from your Calphalon grill!
| 17 June |
It started off red, the color of love, and I think that that always stuck with me – risotto as a romantic food of sorts. I actually first made this recipe for a date and then used the success of that night as an antidote in our “Date Night” cooking segment. When I say it started off red, I mean we first made a red risotto tinted by tomatoes and red wine and studded with fresh green veggies. From there we progressed to the more frequently seen mushroom risotto which segued into more elaborate combinations such as fennel risotto and eventually everyone was plain sick and tired of eating risotto. Excluding me & Katy of course. It wasn’t until college that I came up with the idea to make orzo risotto, which I found to be lighter than the real deal and the perfect accompaniment to my all time favorite salmon recipe – think breaded, pan-fried, and drenched in a caramelized onion & sun-dried tomato sauce. What a lucky boy!
Why is risotto a romantic food you ask? I suppose it’s mostly in the process, which makes for a lovely team sport. Risotto needs TLC to turn out correctly, lots of attention, stirring, and butterly love. Not to sound cheesy, but the more Parmesan the merrier. And let’s not forget it’s rich, creamy, and luxurious nature!
| 20 May |
I recently decided to further explore spring’s bountiful flavors with a lovely and light watermelon salad. What follows is a conglomeration of many recipes I’ve seen recently as watermelon salads seem to be the “it” dish of the moment, though I can see why….spicy meets sweet meets cooling yielding an intensely refreshing dish perfect for cleansing the pallet. The vinaigrette is highly acidic, therefore cutting the sweetness of the watermelon and adding a nice tart finish. I highly recommend serving it (like the Italians do) at the end of the meal, just before dessert, although this is so satisfying, you may be inclined to skip dessert altogether.
A perfect spring salad.
| 4 May |
Nothing starts the week off right like a girls’ night IN and nothing makes a rainy Monday less manic than an inviting bowl of soup. I’ll admit that I had grand intentions of trying something new, specifically a kale and white bean soup from my newest monthly installment of Bon Appetite, but…after much deliberation, it just didn’t sound as inviting as my old Italian favorite Pasta e Fagioli.
Actually, it is my second Italian favorite right behind Ribollita. No, make that my third; I forgot Papa al Pomodoro. Both are Tuscan bread soups that were my “bread & butter” when studying abroad in Florence and both are peasant soups, generally made from leftovers. Tonight I have company, company who will be bringing bread from a favorite nearby bakery, Alon’s. So to avoid carb overload, I shall continue with my third favorite Italian soup.
Continue reading…
| 31 March |
Each year when spring is sprung I find myself abandoning my Italian roots and replacing my craving for hearty pastas and soups with lighter Asian dishes, particularly Vietnamese and Japanese. Pho, sushi, basil rolls, the list goes on. I don’t know if this switch in appetite stems from my time in Hawaii where it was obviously very warm and every Asian country is fully represented times ten, or perhaps it’s just my body saying “lay off the Bolognese - it doesn’t go well with your new bikini!” Either way I bid my dear pappardelle farewell, see you next fall.
My friend found this recipe for miso soup and we both immediately deemed it a must try and planned to make it for the finale of The Bachelor. There’s a lot to be said about the finale of the Bachelor, about how the bachelor dumped his fiance on national television, about how he did exactly what he said he’d never do after he lost at “The Final Rose Ceremony”, about the dress that Melissa wore to the “After the Rose” show and basically her wardrobe throughout the entire show, but I’m supposed to be writing about food so I’ll shut my mouth. Or perhaps I’ll just go fill it with a bite of the best miso soup ever!
| 25 March |
It’s that time of year again…I’ve begun asking around to find the grill in the closest vicinity to my condo that comes equipped with a man to umm “man the grill.” Unfortunately, this recipe is not actually the grilled kind of BBQ, but I would imagine that one could marinate the salmon & larger chunks of onions in BBQ sauce and cook them on the grill, basting as needed. Hooray for summer!
This recipe, in its native state, is actually salmon sauted with onions & BBQ sauce. While not actually grilled (barbecued), this recipe is quite good (as is everthing that comes from my mother’s kitchen) and it makes a fantastic post-work meal. Let us pause for a moment of honesty…as much as we love to cook, how often do we feel like doing it by the time we get home from a long day of work? Sorry to include you, dear reader, in this generalization rooted in my lazy nature, but the first thing I want to do when I walk through my door is eat. Waiting is last thing on my long list. It’s even behind laundry. I think this habit of a-lining it to the fridge the second my feet cross the threshold can be attributed to years of instantly gratifying “snack-time” after arriving home from school, but whatever the reason, after work my goal is good food fast. As long as I’m already sounding like an advertisement, these would pair perfectly with Katy’s Sweet Potatoes 2 Ways whichever way you prefer.
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