Fudge Cardamom Pistachio Brownies

I was inspired to make these after having some chocolate cardamom ice cream at work. The flavor combination just worked for me so I eagerly looked online to see what kind of dessert has been previously made with the two ingredients. Then these brownies just popped out at me - seeming easy and with relatively few ingredients. I figured I'd go back to my days of grade school when I would bring in oreo brownies for my classmates on my birthday. Now - a few years later - it was a slightly more grown up brownie, brought to my co-workers...

Fudge Cardamom Pistachio Brownies

10 Tbs. butter
8 oz. quality dark chocolate
10 cardamom pods, deseeded
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract)
5 Tbs and 1 tsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted pistachio nuts
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 Degree F. In a large microwaveable bowl, break the chocolate pieces and cube the butter. Stick it in on medium heat for three minutes until lumpy but melted. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.

Grind the cardamom seends with a pestle and mortar until powder-like. Add this to and the vanilla to the chocolate and mix thoroughly until smooth.

Now, lightly beat the eggs and stir them into the chocolate along with the sugar. Then fold in the flour and the peeled pistachio nuts gently.

Pour batter into a greased square baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes (I recommend about 10 minutes more).

I was very pleased with the flavor of the brownies. Cardamom and chocolate are a killer combination, meant for the slightly adventurous palate. There are two main changes that I would make to the recipe:

1. Cook for a little longer. The brownies turned out precisely how they looked in the original blog that I pulled this recipe from. They are fudgy, almost underbaked. I personally like it a bit gooey and this wasn't to the point where it was oozing or anything - but it is definitely all about a taste preference and in my opinion, they could have used a few more minutes.

2. Use salted or roasted pistachios. They seemed to get a little lost since they have a subtle flavor. Roasted or salted nut would have added another dimension to the brownies.

It is key to use too chocolate - I think I spent about $6 on my chocolate - maybe even more...so these are a bit more pricey than the boxed store-bought brownies but they are (almost) as easy to make and quite delicious.

Summer Vegetable Ragout with Exotic Curry Sauce

The impetus behind this meal came from a very special visitor who was not familiar with Indian flavors.

(please disregard terrible post-gym, pre-shower picture)

This recipe immediately popped into my head since I had run across it just the previous week and had already planned on making it in the very near future. Though this is very far from any sort of authentic Indian dish - the use of curry and some exotic spices (i.e. lemongrass) takes a relatively simple mix summer vegetables and brings it West (or East depending which way you fly!) to Asia.

The recipe is written out to be a vegetarian meal, however, comes with the suggestion of adding shrimp or lamb for those requiring a bit of meat. Rather than shrimp (Derek is "allergic") we chose to pan-fry some scallops to put on the side. Though I wanted to keep this dish vegetarian, you will never see me object to scallops - perhaps the best meat product known to man.

Derek started the meal off with a simple appetizer portion of spearfish (otherwise known as marlin) that was poached in a coconut, pineapple, curry liquid. It was good - but not great. I guess I'm not a huge fan of marlin, it's a bit fishy for my taste.

I took the lead on the main dish and followed the recipe (for the most part).

Summer Vegetable Ragout with Exotic Curry Sauce

Ingredients

Curry sauce:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, coarsely chopped and pounded with meat mallet to flatten slightly
1 1-inch piece unpeeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons curry powder (Derek made his own - our place reaked of Indian spices)2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups fresh carrot juice

Vegetables (my comments in bold)

1 1/2 pounds eggplants (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes (used 1 "large" chinese eggplant)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided (probably used a little less - maybe 3)
1 pound assorted summer squash (such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, and pattypan), cut into 1-inch pieces (used two squash - one green, one yellow)
1 pound green beans, haricots verts, and/or yellow wax beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths (used perhaps 1/2 lb)
4 ears of corn, husked (used 1 large ear)
1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained (omitted due to scallops)
2 cups (packed) arugula
1/4 cup torn fresh basil (omitted)

Directions

For curry sauce:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, lemongrass, and ginger; sauté until slightly softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add apple and curry powder; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then flour and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in carrot juice; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to generous 2 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce through fine strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids in strainer. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

For vegetables:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplant cubes in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil (I sprayed liberally with misto) and toss to coat; sprinkle with salt. Spread eggplant cubes in even layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Toss squash and remaining 2 tablespoons oil (again, used the EVOO holding misto) in same bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash in even layer on another large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash and eggplant are light golden and tender, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes for squash and 40 minutes for eggplant (I did both for about 25 minutes total - the chinese eggplant seemed done). Remove baking sheets with vegetables from oven and set aside. Fill large bowl with water and ice. Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on size of beans. Using tongs, transfer beans to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Maintain boiling water in same pot; add corn. Cook until corn is just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain corn. Cool slightly. Cut kernels off corn cobs; discard cobs.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix garbanzo beans into vegetables; bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. (omitted this step since I did not use beans)

Combine vegetables and hot curry sauce in pot, heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in arugula and basil (omitted basil).

We served the dish with the seared scallops - EVOO, salt, pepper, hot pan, about 2 minutes per side - done - and some brown basamati rice.

I am a sucker for summer vegetables so any dish that combines them in some delicious way is A-OK for me. My only change and critique would be that it was super carroty with the fresh carrot juice. I would have maybe preferred a simple vegetable stock. It wasn't bad but you have to be a fan of carrots. The corn is a MUST - I loke the sweet pop of flavor amongst the tenderness of the eggplant and zucchini and the crunch of the green beans.

I'll keep this vegetarian next time I make it and will use the garbanzo beans. I'm not saying that the scallops were not delicious - they were - however, they were sort of a side item of the dish. For a complete one-dish meal, the addition of chickpeas and perhaps the exclusion (or maybe half/half with vegetable stock) of the carrot juice - it's expensive anyway - will be quite good.

Wine? Beringer Pinot Noir - nothing special.

Sea Bass with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette, Stuffed Summer Squash and Fried Zucchini Blossoms

This meal was a true Farmer's Market inspiration. Each component was carefully selected from the multitude of fresh meat and produce that arrives at the Fort Mason Farmer's Market every Sunday. It has become a recent tradition of mine to wake up Sunday Morning and walk down the street to where tons of local vendors have set up stands selling their freshest goods. I make my first stop the Reader's Cafe (formerly just another tent, now a real cafe) to grab a cup of Blue Bottle drip coffee - now $2.50 a cup rather than the previous $2. After a decent wait for the freshly made coffee, I take my coffee to go and start perusing through the market.

While snacking on my breakfast of samples - fresh fruit, cheese, baked goods, I try to decide what stands out to me as my key inspiration for cooking. This week it was the corvina sea bass. The man behind the counter informed me that they had caught the fish the night before and had fileted it that morning. It is sold in little ziplock bags in individual portions, so it was easy to pick out exactly what I wanted. I ended up getting probably a little more than I needed to - and realized that when the total bill was $27 for two pieces of fish. Better make this meal GOOD.

Next stop was to the veggie stands to pick something out to accompany my pricey fish. Two things caught my eye - the first being globe squash - with a sign next to it recommending to stuff the vegetable.

The second "vegetable" of inspiration was squash blossoms. Actually not a vegetable at all, these are the flowers of the zucchini plant - so I deemed this an OK compliment to the squash - not sure yet of how to prepare them.

With my findings in hand, and a stomach satisfied from samples, I treked back to my apartment to come up with a game plan for the evening meal.

The focus was simple and fresh - well for two of the dishes at least.

The Main:
Sea Bass with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoons drained capers

2 5- to 6-ounce sea bass steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)

Preparation
Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic clove and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh basil and capers. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Season sea bass steaks with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, dividing equally. Grill steaks in grill pan over medium-high heat until just cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Rewhisk remaining vinaigrette; pour over fish. Garnish fish with remaining basil and serve.

Side #1
Stuffed Globe Squash

Ingredients

Globe Squash
EVOO
Garlic
Red Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Dry Vermouth
Red Chili Pepper Flakes
Basil
Salt
Pepper

Remove the top from the squash and scoop out the inside, leaving at least a 1/4 inch thick shell. Chop up the meat into small diced.

In a pan, heat the EVOO over medium to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.

Add the red chili pepper and zucchini meat and cook for about 3-5 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes and dry vermouth. Cook until the tomatoes begin to soften.

Remove from heat and add the basil and season with salt and pepper.

Spray globe shells with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the globe shells with vegetable mixture and bake in a preheated oven (375) for about 20 minutes.

Done!

I had about a 2:2:1 ratio of tomato:zucchini:onion and used one garlic clove, generous splash of dry vermouth.

It's really whatever tastes good to you!!

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

24 zucchini blossoms
3⁄4 lb. mozzarella
12 anchovy filets
4 eggs
1 cup flour
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
Salt

1. Remove stems and stamens from zucchini blossoms; wash blossoms and pat dry.

2. Cut mozzarella into small dice, coarsely chop anchovy filets, and combine in a mixing bowl. Stuff each blossom with mixture and twist petals to retain stuffing.

3. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Pour 1 cup flour with freshly ground black pepper into a second shallow pan. Heat 2 1/2" vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat until very hot.

4. Working in small batches, dredge each stuffed blossom in flour; dip into eggs, turning to coat well, then dredge in seasoned flour. Fry blossoms, turning frequently, until crisp, 3–5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

This meal required a good bit of preparation with three main components. However, each component was relatively simple. I was pleased with each recipe and for the most part - with each execution.

I have to say - my globe squash was really good! I think it is such a fun side item to have - like a mixed bowl of goodness all packaged up in a decorative and edible shell. I didn't follow a recipe for this one - just put in what tasted good! I think the red chili peppers are a must - adds a perfect little kick to the dish.

The zucchini blossoms were amazing. I had never had them before and though they weren't the healthiest dish on the menu, they were such a fun and fairly easy impressive side.

Finally the fish - besides the fact that I had purchased a bit more fish than I needed - I enjoyed the flavors. The intense fresh lemon with the salty capers is a classic mix. Sadly, this dish seemed to leave Derek a little depressed because he "overcooked" the fish. He followed the cooking temperature directions to cook until the fish reaches 160 degrees. This is too high. What a fish that could have been eaten as sashimi - freshly caught the day before - there is no need to fully cook the meat. That's the great thing about getting fresh fish! Mind you, I didn't complain or get sad at my fish like Derek did, I rather enjoyed it - however, it certainly wasn't perfectly cooked and for $27, that's a shame!

French Dip Sandwiches

While in Maui, one meal that Derek and I really enjoyed was a simple sandwich from this little deli and bakery in downtown Lahaina called Banyan Tree Deli & Bakery. They had homemade fresh rolls that they stuff with freshly cut deli meats, lettuce, tomatoes, and best of all - sprouts! On the side, they served a fabulous jus that I made sure to dunk each bite into - it was a fabulous combination. The combination was not foreign to me - I've had a french dip sandwich or two in my life. The odd part was that I had ordered a turkey sandwich - no roast beef in site - and the result was just fabulous.

This wet my appetite for the more familiar french dip sandwich that I remember having seen slow-cooker recipes for in one of my recipe browsing sessions. Thus, I dusted off the old crockpot, dented and looking far too used for how little use it has actually had, and stuck Derek with the task of making the meal (who really wants to cook before work - even if only throwing ingredients into a crockpot).

Here is the basic recipe that we followed - from Allrecipes.com

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Note: this is the original recipe, we scaled this down for just under 2 lb. of meat

Ingredients

4 pounds rump roast
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
6 French rolls
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1.Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.
4.Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.

From the pictures, you can tell that the meat is not super tender. It was by no means dry but I think the recipe could be improved with the following:

- NOT starting the roast on high heat - Derek started the roast around 1:30 PM...therefore, he put it on high for the first four hours or so.
- Pan-searing the roast before putting it in the slow cooker - this would trap the juices in.

Regardless, I found the sandwiches to be delectable. Dipping the crisp but not over toasted bread (an Acme Bread torpedo roll - freshly made that day) into the jus, that I must admit, I sipped on after finishing the sandwich - and justified my actions with the fact that it is essentially french onion soup - the taste was just killer. Juicy, crunchy, meaty...and EASY. Slow cookers are fabulous because you just throw ingredients in and leave it for the rest of the day. You come back at dinner time, spend a few minutes doing the last minute steps and you're ready to eat!!

Overall - really tasty, all of the elements went so well together - what I would try next time is searing the meat prior to putting it into the crock pot.

Roasted Fennel Salad with Fried Egg

This was an odd night. Derek informed me that he would be going out with a friend at night and therefore, would not be joining me for the typical evening of spin class, dinner and frozen yogurt. This was fine – I carried on with my normal routine and came up with my own idea of what I wanted to make for dinner. Fast forward – Derek’s friend delays their outing, and then it is cancelled – leaving the two of us on separate schedules, still sharing the same house. Derek had take out and ate alone – and I took the second shift in dining solo with my own creation. The night did, however, come back together when he ran and got his own frozen yogurt so we could enjoy that together.

Perhaps this does not seem like an odd occurrence to most, but when you are used to cooking and dining together, or alternatively, being completely alone, the dining in shifts while still together is just a bit odd!!

Going for simple and without a need for ingredient purchase – I came up with the idea for a salad with a fried egg on top. Knowing that there should probably be a different ingredient in the salad besides lettuce and egg, I remembered we had some fennel. With our knives, it’s difficult to cut the fennel thin enough to be good on a salad, so it popped in my mind to roast it! There you go – salad of roasted fennel and fried egg with shaved pecorino romano on top.

Roasted Fennel Salad with Fried Egg

Mixed salad greens
Fennel bulb, cut into 1/3 in pieces (wedges)
EVOO
Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper
Egg
Butter
Pecorino Romano

To roast the fennel, spread out on a greased cookie pan and sprinkle with lemon juice and EVOO. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, until tender but not burnt.

To fry the egg, heat a mixture of oil and butter in a omelet pan. Once hot, add the egg and let fry for about 4-5 minutes, until the whites on top are no longer translucent. If desired, give a quick flip on the other side for “eggs over easy”.

To assemble, place greens on a plate. Sprinkle a little lemon juice and EVOO on top. Top with fennel. Place fried egg in center and season all over with salt and pepper. Shred cheese over the top and serve!

Alongside the salad I served a piece of toasted ciabatta bread with goat cheese spread all over it and topped with the chopped roasted red pepper.

I didn’t cook the egg properly, at least to my taste. I prefer sunny side up but for some reason tried the over easy technique. The yolk was only slightly runny and the white was a little rubbery. I wanted the yolk to act as a bit of a dressing for the salad so I’m glad I had put the lemon juice and EVOO on instead. My greatest discovery of the night was roasted fennel. I don’t think I’ve ever had it before and it was sooo tasty!! The anise flavor is subtle but still there – and it was tender and really just quite wonderful overall.

Not a gourmet meal produced by Derek but good enough for me :)

Roast Chicken with Broccolini

I guess I already broke my meat-free week when on Sunday I had halibut. However, I was then going to just stick with fish and vegetarian. This was then broken on Tuesday. I guess there is no point in making any type of dining limitation. Derek wanted to make a roasted chicken and there would be no convincing him that an eggplant dish would be better. Battle Chicken vs. Eggplant? Chicken wins.

The poor soul that was purchased was perhaps not so poor - the little guy had a nice life as a free-range, organic chicken (read more about it at http://www.maryschickens.com/). He was fed all vegetable products and was allowed to bask in the beautiful California sunshine (or so they say). Mr. Chicken was then simply and elegantly adorned with the finest herbs and lemons to take a final bask in the intense heat of the oven.

Perhaps that is bringing it a little too much to life - truthfully, I don't really like to think about what the little chicken did during his life - to me, his life begins and ends in the exact state that I see him when he is purchased in the store. However, it is nice to know that the chicken wasn't subjected to some of the horrible conditions that have been brought to light about the chicken farms. And they say that the free-range/natural chickens are not only better for you (no hormones and healthy diet) but that they also taste better.

Derek used the recipe entitled "My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken" from Epicurious as his base and then added a few additional ingredients to make it a little less simple.

Roasted Chicken with Thyme and Lemon

1 whole chicken (about 2.5 pounds)
salt and pepper
a few slabs of butter
fresh thyme
fresh parsley
1 whole lemon, cut into wedges

The following directions were followed with just these few additions:
- Stuff cavity with lemon wedges and a handful of fresh thyme
- Add a few pats of butter underneath the skin of each chicken breast
- Add some chopped parsley and fresh thyme underneath the skin throughout

Directions from Epicurious Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each.

Not surprisingly, the chicken was very tender. I am not a fan of skin but I did try just a little bit and thought it had a great flavor. I would have liked a little bit more of a lemon flavor on the chicken but that's just my preference.

We served this with some simple roasted broccolini that was simply prepared with EVOO, salt and pepper. Derek mentioned that the veggies should have been blanched before roasting so they didn't dry out, but I really like the slight bit of crunch that they had - again, personal preference.

The surprise star of the night was the Terisa Napa Valley Chardonnay - $40

We pulled this wine out of our refrigerator not really remembering what it tasted like or where we got it from. This is what the website has to say about the wine:

"2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay is a pure expression of Chardonnay grapes, highlighting the character of the vineyard with layers of layers of flavor supported by light touches of French Oak and even lighter touch of butter. Aged 10 months "sur-lies" with hand stirring of lees every week. Terisa Vineyards' 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay has a luscious taste with a crisp and mouthwatering finish. A crisp acidity = great compliment with food"

Great compliment with food? I'd completely agree. It was also a perfect compromise Chardonnay between mine and Derek's taste (actually it's precisely what I love - so perhaps the fact that Derek loved it too was a bonus). After my first sip I remember why I had bought this wine in the first place - it was buttery from the start and then toned to a nice crisp, wonderful wine.

Pappa al Pomodoro

My most memorable meal in Italy is what is considered to be peasant food and was thrown together in a small kitchen nestled inside of a one bedroom – or really, studio – apartment in Florence, Italy. The evening began with three roses placed on a single bed, one for each of the girls that would be sleeping in it that night. No, it was not some sort of menage trios romance but rather a kind gesture from my sister’s Italian boyfriend at the time, welcoming my two friends and I into his home where we would be crashing for the next couple nights. This Italian man was not only a percussionist in a popular Italian reggae band, he was also a chef. A man that can pull out talents in both music AND food, well that’s quite a wonderful combination. While he did not serenade us that evening, he did cook what ended up being an incredibly simple and INCREDIBLY tasty meal. In Italy they call it Pappa al Pomodoro – essentially Tomato Bread Soup. The two key ingredients? Tomatoes and Bread. Though I was busy sipping on cheap Italian wine while he cooked and was not able to see how he made it, I fulfilled my role in completely devouring the soup, served with a simple green salad, Italian wine, and (likely) ended with gelato (isn’t that how every meal – i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner – is supposed to end? )

More than four years after my first and only taste of Pappa al Pomodoro, I inspired to try my own attempt at this simple soup. You may think, “tomatoes, bread, basil, garlic…simple, you can’t go wrong, can you?” however, this is the PERFECT example of how simple dishes beg for fantastic quality ingredients. If the tomatoes are sub-par, there is absolutely nothing that can cover that up. Thus, when I saw in our latest shipment two pounds of varied organic heirloom tomatoes – I was beckoned to pulverize them and turn them into a tasty Italian soup.

I used Mario Batali’s recipe on Food Network as my base - recipe link here and tweaked it – as always.

Pappa al Pomodoro

3 T. EVOO + more for drizzling
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
pinch red chili flakes
2 lb. tomatoes (mixed heirloom and cherry), peeled, seeded, roughly chopped, juices reserved
2 1/4 cups water
8 slices day-old ciabatta, cut about 1/2 in thick, torn into small pieces
1 cup basil, torn
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar
parmesan cheese, shredded

- Heat the EVOO in a pot over medium heat – I recommend using a ceramic dutch oven or something that will not react to the acid of the tomatoes. NOTE: Do not use aluminum or copper whenever you cook tomatoes – not even for the utensils. Aluminum is a reactive metal, so will react with the acid in tomatoes resulting in bitter flavors and duller colors for the tomatoes, and possibly damages and discoloration for your cookware.

- Add the onion, garlic, and chili flakes. Cook until the onion becomes translucent, making sure to stir every now and then to reduce any potential browning.

- Add the tomatoes and their juices (NOTE: to peel the tomatoes – just use a knife to put an X on the bottom of the tomatoes blanch them in some boiling water for about 30 seconds or until the skin start to peel up. Remove and let cool – then peeling will be easy!). Cook for about 7 minutes.

- Add the bread and water and keep simmering for another 10 minutes.

- Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper.

- To serve, ladle the soup in bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (I used a mix of parmesan and pecorino romano) an drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Voila! Served with a simple green salad with balsamic vinegar.

I enjoyed this soup due to the fresh, simple ingredients. It wasn’t perfect though. I would recommend using either the canned (gasp!) San Marzano tomatoes or perhaps some cherry or plum tomatoes. The heirlooms were delicious but I’m not sure they were sweet and red enough for this soup. I added the balsamic vinegar at the end because I felt that it needed a touch of sweetness and the balsamic did the trick. I want to try this again with different tomatoes and see how it turns out. It’s a keeper recipe but is completely dependent on the quality of ingredients, so I’ll keep that in mind next time I see some beautiful bright red tomatoes in the store.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Passion Fruit Butter Sauce and Pineapple Swiss Chard

I laughed after taking my very first bite of this meal. Not because it was bad - quite the contrary. After 8 days in Hawaii dining at various restaurants, checking out local, fine dining, casual establishments, the best "Hawaiian" meal that I had came the day that we flew back into San Francisco and was cooked by our very own Chef Derek.

I was against this meal from the beginning as I had said the day before that I would be eating vegetarian for the upcoming week. However, I knew I would be coveting Derek's delicious halibut while sitting across the table digging into my mundane salad or soup...therefore, my plan for the week went out the door before it was even in place - good decision.

The star of the meal, the halibut, was purchased from Marina Meats just minutes before it closed at 7 PM on Sunday. We were lucky to purchase the final two pieces of halibut left in the case - it was as if they were saved just for us. I'd like to say that the macadamia nuts were straight from Hawaii but I would be lying. We made the mistake of not bringing anything back from the islands - nothing at all - and knew macadamia nuts are not a cheap item in the grocery store - such is life. $7 later for the nuts (not a terrible deal - surprisingly at Real Food Company) + $19 for the two pieces of fish + about $10 for the other ingredients for the meal (passion fruit juice, swiss chard, dried pineapple, panko breadcrumbs) comes to about $36 total, or $18 per person for the food portion of the meal. Add another $27 for the bottle of wine we are looking at $33 per person for an incredible meal - no tipping required! I can say with certainty that I spent at least double that for some of my meals in Hawaii and was not nearly impressed. This is why knowing your way around a kitchen is a great budget-friendly feat.

The recipes were simple and perfectly executed:

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut
from http://www.fishalaskamagazine.com/recipes/2004/9_04.htm

2 6- to 7-oz. Halibut Filets
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts—crushed
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 Eggs
1.5 tsp. Water (mixed with eggs)
Flour for dredging
Peanut Oil for sautéing
salt
black pepper

Place macadamia nuts and panko in food processor bowl fitted with a work blade. Using pulse, crush nuts and panko together until you achieve a medium coarseness. Do not over grind nuts or you will extract oil. Beat eggs with water until smooth. Heat a large saute pan or skillet on medium-low to medium heat. Lightly season halibut, dredge in flour, shake off excess then dip in egg mixture, then place in macadamia nut mixture and coat well. Press nuts on and lightly shake off excess. Add oil to pan and place halibut in pan. Let brown 3 to 4 minutes then turn over. Continue cooking halibut until golden brown on both sides—approximately 6 to 8 minutes total time. If using thick filets (one inch or more), finish cooking in a 350 degree F oven for 7 to 10 minutes.

Rather than the fruit salsa that accompanies the recipe, Derek came up with his own sauce, a Passion Fruit Butter Sauce:

1/4 cup passion fruit juice
3 T. butter
1/2 lime, juiced

Simmer juice and butter on the stovetop until it forms a silky consistancy - stir in lime juice to finish.

We served this with a side of our own creation consisting of the following (measurements are not exact):

Pineapple Swiss Chard

2 tsp. EVOO
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple (no sugar added)
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems removed, leaves slices into strips about 1/2 in. thick
1/8 cup white wine
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large pan (we used a dutch oven). Add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until onions are translucent. Add the pineapple and stir. Add in chopped chard and white wine. Stir until the chard starts to break down and wilt. Turn down the heat to low and cover. Let cook for about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I obviously loved this meal. It was relatively simple and was fabulous because it contained great ingredients and was perfectly executed. Derek made an observation that everything in the meal was organic or at least "natural" by food standards - maybe that had something to do with the final result.

The swiss chard was nice, though maybe a little spicy to be paired with the delicate fish. The pineapple plumped up and took in all of the flavors of the garlic, onion, and wine.

The fish - oh the fish - it was a melt in your mouth, lick your lips experience. I typically like small servings of fish because I get sick of eating it. This was a definite exception because I was actually sad when the meal was over.

I tried to take a picture of the fish to show how tender and moist it was - not sure the camera can do any justice:

I guess it is a good thing to know that I don't have to go out to a fancy restaurant and spend a bunch of money to get a truly memorable meal. This could have easily been a $36 dollar dish in a restaurant - for the fish alone - and I would have been happy to be served it at that price. That says something.

Kudos Chef Derek.

Garden Vegetable Ravioli in Tomato "Brodo"

Sometimes concepts SOUND better than they appear. And sometimes they LOOK better than they taste. In the case of this dinner, both controversies were in play.

Here is my inspiration recipe for this meal: Pasta with Corn, Burrata, Pancetta, and Chiles

I wish that that had ultimately been my dinner.

Instead, Derek went off exploring and found that recipe on another blog site which then lead him to the final recipe that we ended up making: Garden Vegetable Ravioli in Tomato "Brodo" - as you can see, on the original site HERE, it looks like a delictable dish - fresh, healthy(ish), capturing the flavors of the season.

Our ending result wasn't exactly that and I will attribute that to two main factors:

1) our bowls were simply horrible for the display and feasibility of this dish.
2) the past that we used was too thick and unforgiving that we had to cut larger than life ravioli (and with a pizza cutter at that)

I will not take responsibility for screwing this dish up because individually, the elements were really tasty. The filling for the ravioli was awesome and fresh, the soup/broth was so flavorful and light...if I had put the vegetables in the soup, and spread the goat cheese on a crostini rather than mixing with the vegetables, it would have been a perfect and well constructed meal. It was just that PASTA that got in the way of it all!

Here's what we did:

Ravioli Stuffing:
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cobs
3 baby summer squash, chopped
2 green onions, dark green parts removed, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
Small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 oz. (or so) package of Laura Chenel’s Chabis goat cheese
Sea salt, fresh ground black pepper

Chop each ingredient relatively small. If the pieces are too big they will poke a hole through the dough. Heat up a large saute pan and add two swirls of olive oil. Add the spring onion and cook for two minutes. Add the corn, carrots, squash, broccoli, sea salt and black pepper. Cook on medium-low for about 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Stir every few minutes so they don’t brown. Add chopped parsley, stir and turn off heat. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Empty veggies into a large glass bowl and gently mix in goat cheese until combined. Taste for salt and set aside.

Tomato Brodo:

FYI - Brodo is Italish for broth, so I've read...

2 ripe, organic tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
Extra-Virgin olive oil
Sea salt, fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup leftover homemade heriloom tomato sauce (just keeps making an appearance!!)

Set a large pot of water to boil. Using a sharp knife, make an “X” on the bottom of each tomato, just cutting through the skin. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, until the skins start to peel back. Transfer tomatoes to a bowl and cover with a cotton towel. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins. Crush each tomato with your hands into a medium pot set on low heat. Add crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of water, salt and pepper. Cook on low for about 25 minutes. (Here is where we added the leftover marinara sauce - otherwise, just up the amount of tomatoes like the original recipe calls for). Heat for another 5 minutes or so. Just before serving strain the broth into a bowl, leaving garlic and tomato seeds behind.

Ravioli: Purchased in full sheets from "The Pasta Shoppe" in Berkeley.

Directions:
Take about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling, and place it in heaps about 2 in apart on the sheet. Place a second pasta sheet over the base pasta and filling. Using a pizza-cutter (or ravioli-cutter if you have one), cut between the filling, creating individual ravioli.

Cook the ravioli in boiling water for about three minutes. Strain the tomato broth and ladle into a bowl with a few of the ravioli. Garnish with fresh basil (we didn't have this so that added to the ugliness of our dish).

The final ugly duckling:

Haha I laugh when I see that. The ravioli just take over the bowl. And disappointed with the result, we did not try to clean up the bowl for its photo shoot.

My take on how we could make this dish work:

IF using pasta...roll it out a little more (or try to make our own) OR purchase wonton wrappers and make the filling as directed. Since Derek and I agreed that the tomato brodo was simply overpowering for the delicate flavors of the vegetables and pasta, instead, simply use some goat cheese with lemon zest and maybe a little vegetable broth or something to slightly thin it out (though not necessary as it will melt once in contact with the hot pasta).

IF not using pasta....throw the other elements together and it would be delicious.

Good idea, not so good result.

Red Curry Rice Noodles with Eggplant, Squash and Tofu

Having gone to SF Chefs 2010 the day before and sampled an over-abundance of food and drink, I thought to myself, "tonight - all I want is brown rice and tomato sauce" - something so simple that bland that could set my stomach back on track. For an idea of what I had put myself through the day before...

30 Restaurants - each with at least one to four bite sample of delicious gourmet cuisine to try - I tried all but maybe 3 or 4...that's at least 26 samples of this and that...lamb, shrimp, vegetable, dessert, cheese, soup with foam, gelee...

28 Wineries + Beer + Liquor - unlimited tastings. I'll leave it at that.

Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, Derek and I focused on the food and stopped for wine only to break up our eating binges. This was a delicious and incredible experience that wasn't AS gluttonous as I am making it seem (or perhaps it was and I can just handle it...) - still after coming home at 6 PM , taking a 5 hour nap (wtf) to wake for pizza and go back to sleep...somehow bland rice sounded great.

However, I knew my tatesbuds would not be as please if I served them rice – so I decided to kick it up a notch, use some leftovers and treat them to something a little more exciting.

Derek had made a fabulous homemade red curry paste the week before so with that and a little coconut milk left in our refrigerator, I had my alternative meal set: Red Curry RICE Noodles. I got the rice in there somehow.

I used the following recipe as my base: Eggplant and Kabocha Squash Red Curry

My recipe:

Ingredients:

4 ounces light firm tofu (first time trying, tasty)
1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 round summer squash
1 medium Chinese eggplant
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger juice
1.5 tablespoons dry vermouth
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 light coconut milk
Kosher salt to taste
1 block of rice noodles (not sure the size, it was a decent amount)
Green onion thinly sliced to garnish
Cilantro sprigs to garnish

Instructions:

1. Cut tofu into large dice and combine with soy sauce and fish sauce. Set aside.

2. Cut squash into bite sized pieces; reserve. Trim ends from eggplant and cut into bite-size pieces.

3. Add oil and curry paste to a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until paste sizzles and becomes aromatic - about 30 to 45 seconds. If the paste sticks to the pot, add a little bit of water and scrape to incorporate.

4. Add shallots and cook until partially translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger juice; when aromatic, add dry vermouth, broth, coconut milk and squash. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower heat and cook about 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Add eggplant and cook, covered, about 5 more minutes. Add water chestbuts and tofu along with any marinade. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until squash and eggplant are just tender but easily hold their shape - about 3 to 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt. Remove from heat until noodles are ready.

6. Meanwhile, soak rice noodles for 5 minutes in water that has just been boiled. Drain and set aside. When ready to serve, add noodles to the pot. Bring back to a simmer a couple more minutes, tossing noodles frequently until they absorb some of the liquid and are fully cooked but not too soft.

7. Garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serve immediately.

OK so not the bland rice dish that I had anticipated, but it was just enough pasta and coconut milk to be comforting without feeling gross and heavy again. I could have used even more red curry paste as it was so delicious but it asted more as a compliment and less of a POW - in your face curry, which was good for this evening.

This was also my first time having "light firm tofu" - and I'm not sure what makes it much different than the regular stuff - I am still somewhat exploring the tofu world.

I had leftovers two days later for lunch and was still pleased.

Yes I bought a bottle of $5.50 unflitered sake to accompany this dish...and yes, I felt a little bit ill again the next day :)