Wouldn’t you like to add some flare to your breakfast? What if you’re having people over for brunch, do you really want to serve plain old eggs and pancakes? Well, now you don’t have to! I read about a cute little gadget over at Coffee and Vanilla. You can now shape your eggs or pancakes into little flowers! How adorable is that? :)

You can also buy hearts, circles, or stars…right from Coffee and Vanilla’s Amazon store! Very cute!

Adios! Le ve cuando vuelvo de Argentina!
(Bye! See you when I return from Argentina!)

The best kind of houseguest ... brings chocolate.  A stellar houseguest brings GREAT chocolate.

We had a visitor from New Zealand recently who ranks at the top of my list.  She cleaned up after herself, didn't stay too long, was friendly to our unruly dogs, but best of all, she brought us some of the best, swear-to-god TO-DIE-FOR chocolates from the Chocolate Boutique in New Zealand. 

They were tasty and SO pretty.  Little swirly decorations and fancy shapes, melt in your mouth chocolate, and different flavored fillings and centers that were just right, not too sweet, truly something amazing. 

I would love to show you what they looked like, but unfortunately, this is all that's left:

Ok, I'll fess up, I'm the nibbler.  But I was polite.   I waited until the hubs wasn't looking.  And as you can see, I didn't leave too many bones in the boneyard.

I found their website here.  Now I just have to see if they'll deliver.  Overseas for less than an arm and a leg, intact, not melted, even when shipping to Arizona in the summer?  Oh well, that's probably asking too much.    

It's not often that the tofu brightens up the salad.

To raise funds for victims of Cyclone Nargis, which made landfall in Myanmar in May 2008, this food bazaar presented many authentic, home-cooked flavors little known outside the local Burmese community. (Other food bazaars may follow in the coming months; you can also make a donation through the Moegyo Humanitarian Foundation, which organized the bazaar, and many other organizations.)

Shan tofu, a very firm bean curd popular with that Burmese ethnic group, is made from chickpeas or yellow split peas rather than soybeans; this version ($3) picked up faint citrus notes from thin slices of lime leaf. Also shown below: cold, glutinous rice Shan noodles ($3) topped with meat sauce; sour and spicy fried sorrel leaves ($4); tilapia ($5) wrapped in slightly bitter, waxy noni leaves; a few of the many other enticing dishes I didn't find room for that day; and a pancake with coconut and sliced almond ($2) for the road.

Burmese Food Bazaar
In the cafeteria of P.S. 150, 40-01 43rd Ave., Sunnyside, Queens
June 2008

Jeremy and Autumn came over for dinner tonight and we enjoyed this Salmon Chili, adapted from a recipe in the McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Cookbook. It’s one of those healthy-but-hearty dishes that we really love. The salmon and the white beans (instead of the more-frequently-seen kidney or black beans) lightened the dish and made for a nice flavor combination. There’s a bit of Tabasco and chili powder for some kick, but this definitely isn’t a very spicy combo.  We served it with Broccoli with Turmeric and Tomatoes.

Jeremy says:

This isn’t from your fire-blasto hot chilis book, is it…

Chris says:

Great Bowls of Fire? Nope… definitely not kick-in-your-face-and-rip-out-your-tongue hot.

Autumn says:

This is really good, you guys…

Jeremy says:

Muy bueno!

Lisa says:

I love it — but dammit, I had too much bread before we sat down… although now I get to have an awesome lunch.

Chris says:

I’m glad these bowls are small; otherwise I’d feel bad about going back for thirds.

Salmon Chili
1/2 lb dry white beans
4 cups vegetable broth
1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1/4 cup each red, yellow, orange bell peppers
3 tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup white wine
28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp freshly chopped basil
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tsp dried thyme
1 lb salmon, diced into 1-inch pieces

Soak the white beans in water overnight. Drain, then cook the beans in 2 cups of the vegetable broth (enough to cover) until tender, about 25 minutes. If you start running out of liquid, add water.
Saute the onions, celery, and peppers in the olive oil to soften. Add the garlic and cool for 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Drain the cooked beans and add to the pot along with the Tabasco, tomato paste, the remaining 2 cups vegetable broth, and herbs and spices. Simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Add the salmon and simmer for another 3-4 minutes until just cooked through. Stir carefully to incorporate the seafood without breaking it up too much.

6 Servings

So, in an attempt to do my bit for the resistance against the intimidating onslaught of our CSA veggie bounty, I decided it should fall upon me to do something with the garlic scapes. I'd never even heard of garlic scapes until recently so I hadn't the first idea what to do with them. They looked a bit like spring onions that had been attacked by a crazed, curling-tong-wielding, veg-hating hairdresser. Thrusting that rather disturbing thought forcefully aside I did a bit of googling and came up with a very promising-sounding pasta dish - an adaptation of a recipe by Chef Dante Boccuzzi of Aureole, right here in New York. I made a few very minor adjustments to the recipe: obviously I scaled it down for two people rather than four, used about a half tablespoon of truffle oil (thanks Pasticerra!) instead of the truffle butter and I used a little more stock than Mr. Boccuzzi recommends. I also used crimini mushrooms (because that's what we had), and ziti instead of orzo. Other than that, I didn't mess with what turned out to be sheer pasta perfection.

Garlic Scape and Mushroom Pasta
serves 2

1 medium onion, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 ounces chicken stock
1/2 pound pasta (orecchietti or similar)
About 6 oz assorted mushrooms
3 garlic scapes (trim off the 'flower' at the end and chop the remainder into half-inch pieces)
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp heavy cream, whisked until slightly thickened
1/2 tbsp truffle oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus shavings
A slack handful of arugula

Over low heat, gently cook the onion in half of the olive oil, until it's tender. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat the stock in another pan. Add the pasta to the onions and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the stock to the pasta, cover and cook at a low simmer, Stir fairly frequently to make sure it cooks evenly. It takes about 15-20 minutes, but check it to be sure.

In a large skillet heat the remaining olive oil and sear the mushrooms and garlic scapes until golden brown. Add the butter and keep stirring until it browns a bit, then strain the mushrooms and scapes; set aside and keep warm.

Drizzle the truffle oil over the pasta, add the grated parmesan and the arugula. Give it a stir until the arugula just starts to wilt. Stir in the cream just before serving. Serve the pasta and top with the mushroom and scapes. Garnish with a few shavings of parmesan.

This method of cooking the pasta (absorption) was new to me. It involves using much less liquid than the old immerse-in-water-and-boil routine. The idea is to simmer slowly and let the flavours of the stock and other ingredients infuse the pasta. I have to say, it works. I gave the pasta almost twenty minutes, stirred it often, and it was not only beautifully al dente but also much tastier than pasta cooked in the normal way. As for those scapes, what a delightfully subtle flavour! The texture was somewhat like a more yielding asparagus but the taste... just a hint of garlic and a very slight saltiness which combined really well with the earthy mushrooms, the bitter arugula, the onion and the salty parmesan. And then the smooth (but not cloying) mouth feel provided by the butter, oil and cream made the whole effect a smooth, savoury joy.  Ann and I both agreed this dish was a major hit, and we shall be doing it for as long as the CSA keep giving us these delicious, curly little stalks of delight.

Drool-worthy pictures, pure summer inspiration.
July 2008 issue.
‘Nuff said.

For the rosemary sweet tart dough:

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (125 grams) confectioners' sugar
• 1 3/4 cups (255 grams) all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 8 tablespoons (120 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped

For the tart:

• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 1/2 cup whipped cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• 15 to 20 ripe figs, sliced
• 1/4 cup good-quality honey
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

_____________

• Sift together the confectioners' sugar, flour, and salt into a bowl.
• Place the butter in a food processor and process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Scatter the flour mixture and the rosemary over the butter, add the egg, and process just until the dough forms a mass; do not overmix. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Let the dough soften a little (this recipe makes enough dough for 2 tarts). Lightly butter a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.

• Dust a work surface and roll out the dough. Press the dough into the pan and roll the pin over the top of the pan to remove the excess dough. Prick the bottom of the tart shells all over with a fork. Chill the tart for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325'F. Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake the tart shell for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and continue baking for 10 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

• Whisk together the mascarpone, the heavy cream, the confectioners' sugar, and the lemon zest in a medium bowl until thick and smooth. Spoon the mascarpone mixture evenly on the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Arrange the fresh figs on top. In a small saucepan, heat up the honey with the sprig of rosemary and drizzle over the figs. Enjoy!