The End of Week Forty-Two
Forty-two down, at least ten more, to go. I say at least, because we will have been banking a few sessions every month... I don't know what the final count will be, but we're going to have some maintenance sessions we can schedule as we like...
Weight-wise, we're pretty much into maintenance mode there, as well - we've both lost our original goal weight plus a few. I think we'd both like to drop a few more pounds, but there's no rush. We're feeling great and enjoying our new-found energy. The original goal was weight loss - we've achieved that. Now... It's all the other stuff - muscle toning and training, the cardio... all the stuff I mocked for years. I hate to admit that I actually feel good after our workouts - but I actually feel good after our workouts. It's strange watching muscles grow and improve, see how repetitions peak and then improve. Just seeing how everything improves. I really had no real faith that we would see a lot of improvement. I was very wrong on that point.
We've also cleared out the closet. It was rather shocking how big some of those clothes were. The only thing we haven't tossed, yet, are our suits and sport coats. I'm not sure if they can be tailored to fit the new us, but I'm not tossing them, yet. We don't need them right away, so we shall see... I'm thinking that if we can each get everything tailored for less than the cost of a new suit, we're on the plus side. We shall see...
And on to dinner...
Our friend, Susan, brought us fish that friends of hers in Alaska caught - so, tonight, we went with Pacific Northwest Halibut.
I saw a recipe in Fine Cooking that was basically fish poached in a tomato and fennel sauce. I had fish, fennel, and tomatoes - so I went for it. Naturally, I switched things up a bit, but that's the fun of cooking!
We've been watching a few different food shows on Netflix and an underlying theme with all of these chefs is cooking in the moment - using what's in front of you, not really writing recipes, and not trying to make the same thing over and over.
My kind of cooking!
I broke out my mandoline and thinly-sliced up a half of fennel bulb. Into the skillet it went with olive oil and minced garlic. When it started wilting and the garlic was fragrant, I added a cup of white wine - Sicilian, that I got from NakedWines.com. Then, I added a can of whole peeled tomatoes that I had roughly cut, along with fresh herbs out of the garden - two types of basil, oregano, thyme, and mint. I tasted it and added some crushed red pepper, because everything is better with crushed red pepper.
Meanwhile, in another skillet, I sauteed mushrooms in olive oil. When they were looking good, I added a healthy splash of dry Marsala and then added about a cup of cooked orecchiette. It may be the least amount of pasta I have ever cooked in my life.
I let all of that cook together and then added the fish to the tomato and fennel, covered it, and let it cook for about four minutes.
Onto the plate went the mushrooms and orecchiette, and on top of that went the halibut, tomatoes, and fennel.
Topped with freshly grated pepatto cheese.
This was definitely one of those meals you really want to eat. The fish was perfection. Absolutely no fishy smell - it was just rich and flavorful. The slightly-spicy fennel and tomato was the perfect foil for it all, and the mushrooms and orecchiette added that umami balance.
So here's to fun TV food shows, exercise, fish from friends, and losing weight - not necessarily in that order.
Life is good...
Baked Cod
As much as we both love fish and seafood, we really don't cook it often enough. It's a bit ridiculous, too, considering the amount of good seafood available around here. To help rectify that sad fact, I'm off to Reading Terminal Market tomorrow morning where there are two fish mongers. I'm going to have some fun!
It took moving east to know that Reading is pronounced REDing. Playing Monopoly on the west coast, we took a ride on the REEDing - as in read a book. Pronounced like it's spelled. Blame the British...
But I digress...
Reading Terminal Market is my go-to for Martin's Sausages, and I love just meandering around and picking up a few things here and there. Downtown Cheese is always one of my stops and a cup of Old City Coffee usually starts my shopping morning. I'll usually grab some fresh fish, a bit of produce, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I lead a rough life.
And it was rough eating dinner, tonight... Moist, succulent baked cod on a bed of vegetables. Rough, indeed.
I started off with celery root, fennel, onion, garlic, green beans, and mushrooms. I put them into an oven-proof braising pan and sautéed them in a drizzle of olive oil. I added some salt, pepper, dill, and thyme. When the veggies started to brown a bit, I added about a cup of white wine and let it cook down.
I then added the fish fillets on top, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a thinly-sliced lemon on top of the fish. Into a 375°F oven for 10 minutes.
It worked. Really well.
Shrimp Ravioli with Limoncello Sauce
Homemade shrimp ravioli with a sun-dried tomato pasta, topped with a limoncello sauce. If dinner, tonight, was a reality TV show - I won with a unanimous decision.
I don't often swoon when eating something, but this was totally swoon-worthy. I didn't want my plate to ever empty. Chunks of shrimp inside perfect pasta pockets topped with butter and limoncello and mascarpone. Everything about it screamed delicious.
The filling could go into anything, from a cannelloni or manicotti to a stuffing for fish and the pasta dough could be spinach, plain, or even lemon-infused. And the sauce... the limoncello was perfect, but a red sauce would work, as well. It's one of those dishes where each individual part was perfect - and any one of them could be used with something else and still be perfect.
The perfect meal.
Shrimp Ravioli with Limoncello Sauce
Pasta Dough
- 1/4 (generous) cup finely minced sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- Fine sea salt
- 2 cups flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
Shrimp Filling
- 1 lb of medium shrimp cut into small chunks
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice + grated peel of one lemon
- 1/4 cup ricotta
- 2 heaping tablespoons mascarpone
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 2 teaspoons, chopped parsley
- Salt/Pepper to taste
Limoncello Sauce
- 4 tbsp limoncello
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 3 tbsp. mascarpone
For pasta dough:
On a clean work surface, mound 2 cups flour and form a well in the center.
Add 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, and sun-dried tomatoes into the well. Using a fork (or your fingers) gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour . Continue until the liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes.
Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested:
Take the dough and divide into 3 equal pieces (cover the other two and set aside)
Set the rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
Roll dough through the machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn the dough this time) until pasta sheet is a scant 1/16 inch thick.
For the filling:
Quickly sauté garlic and onion. Add seafood and parsley, toss til coated, then let it cool.
Add the ricotta, parmesan, and mascarpone. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cut dough into 3" squares and place a heaping teaspoon of filling on top. Brush top with egg wash.
Fold into a triangle and crimp edge with a fork. Place them onto a sheet pan lightly dusted with flour.
Cook in lightly boiling water about 3-5 minutes.
For the sauce:
Simmer the limoncello with the lemon juice. Stir in butter to melt, then add the mascarpone. Add a bit of salt & pepper, if desired.
You do not want or need a lot of sauce - it is buttery-rich. It's also not designed to be a smooth cream sauce - it's a flavored butter sauce - so less is more.
What I really wanted was more. And more.
It really was a perfect meal.
The End of Week Thirty-Two
Well... it appears that my body has found its optimum weight - 190 lbs. That, of course, is not my personal optimum weight, so I need to change things up, a bit. Victor dropped another pound, so he's doing okay - after going through this a few weeks ago.
It's funny how the body reacts to things... how it gets comfortable at different weights... I was at 165 for the better part of 20 years, and after quitting smoking the first time, hit 200. After quitting smoking the second - and final time - I made it up to 230 and stayed there for the longest time before inching my way up to 240.
I'm 50 pounds lighter than my all-time high with another 20 to go to meet my optimal weight. These are probably going to be the difficult twenty to lose.
In the grand scheme of things, it all centers around my love of food. People are divided into two groups - eat to live and live to eat. I live to eat! I can’t seem to get enough of new foods and flavors, of new ideas and old standards. I just need to keep working on eating less of everything. Of cooking less. Of not thinking I have to clean my plate.
I'll get there. And I'll get there because we're not dieting - we're eating what we want - within reason - but we're not denying ourselves, not making some foods bad and some foods good. We're being realistic. We're in it for the long run.
And the long run around here is going to include pasta - especially homemade pasta.
I saw a shrimp and lentil cannelloni recipe on La Cucina Italiana that looked interesting. Looked interesting, because the site is in Italian. My knowledge of the Italian language is pretty sparse, although I'm getting better in the culinary end of things.
One of the benefits of having cooked for so many years is learning culinary terms of other languages. Of course, it can also make one a bit cocky. I have done more than my share of French cooking in my time, and the first time we went to France I was pretty confident I could order any meal. Needless to say, when presented with an actual French menu, my American Kitchen French was no match for the real thing. Live and learn.
Nowadays, I rely on Bing or Google to translate the pages.
What I see when I first get there...
Cannelloni con gamberi e lenticchie
INGREDIENTI
500 g latte
450 g gamberi rossi
300 g lenticchie piccole
300 g pomodori pelati
50 g misto aromatico (sedano, carote, cipolla tritati)
20 g scalogno
20 g burro
20 g farina
8 cannelloni secchi
aglio
peperoncino
timo
noce moscata
brodo vegetale
Cognac
vino bianco
limone
olio extravergine d' oliva
sale fino e grossoDurata: 2 h 20 minLivello: MedioDosi: 4 persone
Per la ricetta dei cannelloni con gamberi e lenticchie, soffriggete il misto aromatico in 2 cucchiai di olio con un pizzico di sale grosso e, dopo 2’, unite le lenticchie, una spruzzata di vino bianco e 4 mestoli di brodo. Cuocete le lenticchie per 1 ora, bagnandole con il brodo in modo che non si asciughino. Sgusciate i gamberi, eliminando il budellino nero e il carapace e tenendo da parte le teste. Mondate lo scalogno, affettatelo a rondelle e tenetene da parte un po’ da tritare.
Schiacciate uno spicchio di aglio con la buccia e rosolatelo in una padella con 2 cucchiai di olio, lo scalogno a rondelle e un pizzico di peperoncino per 1’; unite le teste dei gamberi schiacciandole bene, sfumate con 3 cucchiai di Cognac e, quando è evaporato, aggiungete i pomodori pelati, cuocete per 8’, quindi bagnate con un mestolo di brodo e proseguite la cottura per 15’. Filtrate il sugo al setaccio, quindi portatelo a bollore e fatelo restringere per 15’, regolandolo eventualmente di sale.
Frullate 200 g di lenticchie con 120 g di brodo, quindi passate al setaccio la crema per eliminare le bucce. Tenete da parte 4 gamberi interi e tagliate gli altri a pezzi; tritate lo scalogno rimasto e unitelo alle lenticchie intere e alla crema di lenticchie, aggiungete i gamberi a pezzi, qualche foglia di timo e amalgamate tutto. Dividete a metà i 4 gamberi tenuti da parte e marinateli con olio, il succo di mezzo limone, un pizzico di sale e qualche foglia di timo. Preparate la besciamella facendo sciogliere il burro in un pentolino, incorporate la farina, lontano dalla fiamma, quindi il latte, un pizzico di sale e una grattugiata di noce moscata, facendo addensare per 5’.
Cuocete i cannelloni in acqua bollente salata per 3’ e raffreddateli in acqua ghiacciata. Raccogliete la crema di lenticchie e gamberi in una tasca da pasticciere e riempite i cannelloni. Mettete in una pirofila uno strato di besciamella, adagiatevi i cannelloni ripieni, ricopriteli con altra besciamella, aggiungete un filo di olio e infornateli a 180 °C per 15’. Guarnite i cannelloni con il sugo, i gamberi marinati e, a piacere, con qualche lenticchia.
And then, what I get when translated:
Cannelloni with shrimps and lentils
INGREDIENTS
500 g milk
450 g red Shrimp
300 g small lentils
300 g peeled tomatoes
50 g mixed aromatic (celery, carrots, chopped onion)
20 g shallots
20 g butter
20 g flour
8 Dried Cannelloni
Garlic
Chili
Thyme
Nutmeg
Vegetable broth
Cognac
White wine
Lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt Fine and largeDuration: 2 h 20 minlevel: Mediumdoses: 4 People
For the recipe of cannelloni with shrimps and lentils, saute the aromatic mixture in 2 spoonfuls of oil with a pinch of coarse salt and, after 2 ', add the lentils, a splash of white wine and 4 ladles of broth. Cook the lentils for 1 hour, wetting them with the broth so that they do not dry. Shelled the prawns, eliminating the black devein and the carapace and holding the heads aside. Wash the shallots, slice into slices and keep a bit of chopping.
Crush a clove of garlic with the peel and brown in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil, the shallots with washers and a pinch of chili for 1 '; Add the shrimp heads and mash them well, blend them with 3 tablespoons of Cognac and, when it is evaporated, mix the peeled tomatoes, cook for 8 ', then douse with a ladle of broth and continue cooking for 15 '. Filter the sauce through the sieve, then take it to a boil and make it shrink by 15 ', adjusting it eventually to salt.
Blend 200 g of lentils with 120 g of broth, then sieve the cream to remove the skins. Keep aside 4 whole prawns and cut the others to pieces; Chop the remaining shallots and add to the whole lentils and lentil cream, adding the prawns to pieces, a few leaves of thyme and mix everything. Divide in half the 4 prawns kept aside and marinateli with oil, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt and a few leaves of thyme. Prepare the béchamel by dissolving the butter in a saucepan, incorporate the flour, away from the flame, then the milk, a pinch of salt and grated nutmeg, thickch for 5 '.
Cook the cannelloni in boiling salted water for 3 ' and cool them in iced water. Collect the cream of lentil and shrimp in a pastry bag and fill the cannelloni. Put a layer of béchamel in a baking dish, lay the stuffed cannelloni, cover them with other béchamel, add a little oil and inform them at 180 ° C for 15 '. Garnish the cannelloni with the sauce, the marinated prawns and, to taste, with some lentil.
It's a lot of fun figuring out what one is supposed to do. Most times, I rely on the picture and the base ingredients and then just make something up - as I did tonight.
When I told Victor of my plans, his first response was Do you want me to make the cannelloni pasta? I did answer in the affirmative. We tossed spinach and squid ink pasta back and forth and spinach won - because he then made ravioli that we're having tomorrow night.
Spinach Pasta
- 4oz spinach
- Fine sea salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
Trim stems from spinach, discard stems. Rinse leaves in cold water, do not dry.
In a medium saucepan with a pinch of salt, cook spinach over medium heat covered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain spinach and let cool, then gently but thoroughly squeeze out excess liquid and very finely chop.
On a clean work surface, mound 1 cup flour and form a well in the center.
Add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk and spinach into the well. Using a fork (or your fingers) gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour . Continue until the liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes.
Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes
After the dough has rested:
Take the spinach dough and divide into 3 equal pieces (cover the other two and set aside)
Set the rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
Roll dough through the machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn the dough this time) until pasta sheet is a scant 1/16 inch thick.
Cut sheet into 6" lengths, lightly dust both sides with flour. Layer sheets between floured pieces of parchment or wax paper.
Using the recipe as a guide, I made a filling of cooked lentils, tomatoes, onion, carrot, celery, fennel, garlic, brandy, and shrimp. I pureed most of the lentil filling and then stirred it back into the rest and added the chopped shrimp.
I then made the cannelloni.
Four fit perfectly in the 8" casserole.
Instead of the standard béchamel, I made a sauce of butter, flour, white wine, and clam juice.
Very simple - and very tasty.
It was covered and went into a 350°F oven for about 35 minutes.
It came out ooey, gooey, and really good!
Silky smooth pasta, rich and flavorful sauce and filling. The flavors all complimented each other really well. Every bite was fun.
We're losing weight, slowly but surely, and eating well at the same time. We're living life and enjoying it - without stressing over good foods and bad foods, ridiculous diets, and unachievable goals.
And, in the grand scheme of things, that's what's important to us.
Scallops and Bok Choy
It's been a while since we had scallops around here. Or, at least, it's been a while since I blogged about them.
We do eat dinner seven days a week, but there are those days when I just don't have anything to say. Strange, considering I never shut up, but you know what I mean. Some days are just uneventful.
Today's uneventful day was spent gathering up stuff to send off to my siblings. Somehow, I ended up with a lot of miscellaneous china pieces and different tchotchke's from my grandparents, uncle, and great aunts. I think I just happened to be around when my father was clearing stuff out - pulling things out of his trash heap saying you can't throw that away! I did not inherit my pack-rat gene from him...
We've used most of it over the years - platters, bowls, decanters, lots of decorative stuff from my great aunt who traveled the world - but it's time to see this stuff move on to another generation - we're not using it as we once did and it's a shame to see it just gathering dust. It's also a pain to keep dusting it.
I set up a web page with photos of everything and let them choose what they wanted. None of it is serious Antiques Road Show caliber, but a lot of it is also a bit too good to just drop off at the local Goodwill. And there is some family history involved...
Getting things boxed up and mailed meant I had a china cabinet that could be completely rearranged - so I completely rearranged it. Somehow, it doesn't seem like I have as much empty space as I should...
One thing that did see the light of day was a set of dishes I really like - and had been buried for a while. They're the dishes I used, tonight. We bought them at Sur La Table in Seattle 10 years ago and last year when we cleared out a half-dozen different china sets, they made the cut. We've both been dish and china fanatics over the years, but at some point, reality strikes. We're simply not going to keep using them, so it's better for them to see a new home.
Back to scallops...
It took me more time to cook the rice than it did to make the scallops and bok choy. For the scallops, I seared them in a hot pan with just a thing coating of olive oil, flipped them, and added soy sauce, chili paste, garlic, and a splash of rice wine. Done.
The bok choy went into a hot skillet - also coated with a thing olive oil film - and seared. Then I added a pat of butter, black vinegar, a bit of minced ginger, and crushed red chili flakes.
Dinner was served.
Spaghetti with Shrimp and Artichokes
I think spaghetti will always be my most-favorite type of pasta.
Growing up, 'pasta' didn't exist. It was spaghetti, elbow macaroni, lasagne noodles, or wide egg noodles. That was pretty much it. By the time I was 16 and was working at Pirro's, my repertoire expanded to rigatoni and mostaccioli. A far cry from the scores of pasta shapes available, today, at just about any grocery store.
Pirro's - where Barry, the owner - bought 3' long spaghetti noodles. They were awesome. About a third of the noodles in the boxes were still looped - which meant they were actually six-foot long strands! Really awesome. They're definitely something I wish I could find locally - and reasonably priced.
For all of the different pastas we buy - and the cupboard shows more than a few - spaghetti is still the favorite. There's just something about those long noodles that makes my stomach smile.
Tonight, my stomach smiled a lot - spaghetti and shrimp, with artichokes, cream cheese, and lemon thrown in for good measure. It was one of those throw-together dinners that was ready in the time it took to boil the water and cook the noodles.
First thing I did was set the water on to boil.
Then, it was chop a small onion and mince 2 cloves or garlic. they went into a skillet with a pat of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. The two mixed together really makes for a creamy and flavorful sauce.
I added about a half-cup of white wine to the pan and dropped in about 8 ounces of frozen artichoke hearts. The wine cooked down and I added a cup of clam juice. I cooked it down a bit and then added 2 ounces of cream cheese and the zest of one lemon.
Meanwhile, I cooked the spaghetti.
A couple of minutes before the spaghetti was done, I stirred in the shrimp and let it cook. Shrimp done, spaghetti done, I stirred the drained spaghetti into the skillet, tossed in some chopped parsley, and a bit of salt & pepper.
Dinner was served in under 30 minutes.
The flavors all played well, together. Lemony, creamy, a bit of wine and fish stock... and the shrimp was perfectly tender.
We'll have to see this one again, one of these days... And maybe I'll find those noodles!
Alaskan Cod and Fennel
I have often said that recipes are mere guidelines. They're ideas to help the creative juices flow - and tonight's dinner definitely fills that bill.
The latest issue of Fine Cooking magazine came out a few days ago and it did not disappoint. It's their 25th Anniversary issue with lots of fun recipes. One recipe that caught my eye right away was a whole fish stuffed with leeks and fennel.
You may have noticed that I cook a lot of leeks and fennel. They are two things I really do love - and besides tasting great, they're reasonably good for you, as well. The recipe came from their TV program Movable Feast - an interesting show that travels around the world and deals with some fun and innovative foods and cooks.
I'm not sure what country the original recipe hails from, but it has a delicious mojo de ajo on top, so it's most likely Mexico or Central America - on the other side of where that fool wants to build his wall.
What I knew I didn't want to do was stuff a whole fish for two people, but the fennel sounded too good not to make - so I thought of just layering things on the plate. Layering things on a plate really worked.
First thing I did was make the Mojo de Ajo to let it meld while making everything else.
Mojo de Ajo
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced, preferably on a mandoline
- 1 cup mixed citrus segments - I used oranges and blood oranges
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 6 tbsp key lime juice
- 1 small hot pepper, minced
Put the oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until the garlic just begins to turn golden on the edges, about a minute or two. Cool completely.
Stir in the citrus segments, juices, and minced pepper. Add salt to taste.
Next came the fennel and fish.
Cod with Leeks and Fennel
- 12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 small leek, white and light-green parts only, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- pinch dill
- pinch tarragon
- salt & pepper
- cod
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Drizzle sliced tomatoes with olive oil, a pinch of oregano, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper. Arrange on an oven-proof pan and bake about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the fennel.
In a bit of butter and oil, sauté the onion until just translucent. Add the fennel and leeks and cook over medium heat until everything is wilted and cooked - but not browned.
Increase the heat and add the wine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated.
Lower the heat and add the cream cheese. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of milk to thin. Keep warm.
Place the cod fillets on top of the cherry tomatoes and return to the oven for about 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked. It won't take long.
To serve:
Place the fennel on the plate, top with the tomatoes and then fish. Finish with the mojo de ajo.
This was one of those dishes where everything worked. The fennel had the most luscious creamy-lemony flavor and the mojo de ajo had sweetness and spice. The fish and the tomatoes paired perfectly with all of it. Lots of flavors and textures.
The fennel on its own was outstanding. I could see it with any number of dishes - definitely any seafood, but even like a cole slaw on a pulled pork sandwich.
It's only limited by your imagination...
'Twas The Night Before Christmas ...
... and more Ghosts of Christmases past have surfaced.
Coming from a large family, Christmas was anything but quiet. When it was merely the six kids, it was chaos and pandemonium. Imagine six kids attacking the tree looking for gifts with their name on it. A finite amount of space didn't stop us. At some point the parents would try to take charge and regulate things, a bit. It never lasted for long and only quieted down when the last gift was opened and the look of is that it?!? was shared by us all as we were surrounded by piles of boxes, paper, and bows.
One of my fond pyromaniac memories was burning all of the wrapping paper in the fireplace. Back in the day, anything burnable went into the fireplace - never the trash - and we had a fire pretty much every night. The colors of the flames when different colored papers were burning was better than a Presto Log!
Naturally, we'd over-pack it and the roaring flames would start licking the outside of the grate, reaching up towards the stockings. I remember the roaring noise it made and the heat felt across the room. Funny that I don't remember ever being told not to start a fire - only to be careful and don't burn down the house. Of course, these are the same parents who let me walk down to the corner Safeway store along 19th Avenue when I was a mere 4 years old. I think we grew up differently, back then - and that's probably not a bad thing.
One of my more fun memories is the one year my mother got so plastered she ended up going to bed before dinner was even finished cooking. My mom was not a big drinker and there really are only two times in my life I saw her totally over-the-top.
I was maybe 15 or so and the older folks started Christmas morning drinking a cross between a Brandy Alexander and a Grasshopper - brandy, crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream - with Christmas Brunch. At some point it became brandy in a snifter - that just kept getting filled. She was just sipping along, never knowing or realizing how much she was drinking. And then she went down for the count. I remember finishing the gravy and getting the meal on the table while she was led off to bed - waking the following day vowing to never drink, again.
My first Christmas away from home was in 1972. I spent it in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Nothing says Peace on Earth quite like being on an aircraft carrier in the middle of a war zone. On a side note... we were supposed to get the Bob Hope Christmas Show on our boat, but at the last minute, they moved it to the USS Enterprise - that had just arrived on station. They were the big, fancy, new nuclear ship and we were passé. They got Jill St. John. We got the New Christy Minstrels. Sometimes life really isn't fair.
Back home, the family grew, adding spouses, significant others, more kids, and grandkids. It only got louder and more chaotic. And more fun.
No one worried about chairs. You pulled up a piece of floor and sat. Or... did conga lines through the house...
Naturally, copious amounts of alcohol have never been a party to our parties... Much. This was the last time all six of us were together at Christmas - our house in San Leandro in 2000.
There's four of the thirteen grandkids missing, here, and, today, there's an additional fifteen or so, from them - mergers and acquisitions.
From that chaos we went to relative civility. Less kids and less chaos.
But still a lot of fun. And now there are a couple more little ones to watch with delight.
But even that fun has come to an end with Nonna no longer traveling the 90 miles north. It's a quiet dinner for two celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fish with a huge pot of Crab Cioppino, instead of the feast that Tom makes.
I definitely do miss that spread.
But... circumstances change and you have to adapt. We adapted by making Cioppino.
Every time I make this I make it just slightly different - more peppers, less peppers, with mussels, without mussels, lots of anchovies, just a few anchovies. This is readily adaptable to what you have and what you like.
Crab Cioppino
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 bulb fennel, chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bottle good Chianti
- 4 cups clam juice
- 1 No 10 can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 lbs dungeness crab legs and claws
- 1 lb shrimp
- 24 clams
- 24 mussels
- 1 lb Alaskan cod cut into chunks
- 1/2 lb calamari
- 1 lb scallops
- 1 jar anchovies
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes – more or less, to taste
- Greek oregano - we use our own we grow and dry
- Salt & Pepper
Get a large pot.
Saute onion, fennel, bell peppers, and garlic in olive oil until vegetables are quite wilted and beginning to get tender. Stir in the anchovies and red pepper flakes and cook until anchovies dissolve.
Add one bottle red wine – I use a really good chianti – and bring to a boil. Simmer about 10 minutes and add the clam juice.
Add the canned tomatoes, breaking them up as you add them.
Add a hefty teaspoon of Greek oregano, a hefty pinch of salt and a hefty pinch of black pepper. Bring to a boil, and then simmer about 30 minutes.
At this point you can turn off the heat and save it for later or bring it to a boil and carry on… My personal preference is to make it in the afternoon, bring it to a boil, and then and let it simmer a bit. About 30 minutes before adding the seafood, I bring it back to a boil.
In about 5 minute increments,
Add the dungeness crab.
Add the clams and mussels.
Add the cod chunks.
Add the shrimp.
Add the scallops.
Finally, add the calamari.
From start to finish on adding and cooking the fish should be about 20 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and add more red chile flakes or hot sauce, as desired. it should have a bit of a kick.
Ladle into large bowls – discarding any unopened clams – and serve with crusty bread.
Forget the napkins. Have several kitchen towels available. This is one messy meal as half of it is eaten with your fingers.
It came out perfect. really perfect. Really rich without being overly filling. And it had the perfect amount of spice.
This really is something everyone should make at least once. It is ridiculously easy and definitely feeds a crowd.
I had planned a roast for tomorrow night, but we're going to do this, again. It was too good not to!
Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Sausage and Langostino
I had to go down to the fish monger - Seafood USA in Wayne - this morning to buy clams, mussels, and cod for tomorrow's Cioppino. I had already picked up the other things I needed, but these were all fresh. The entire world seemed to be shopping for La Vigilia tomorrow, but I thought it wiser to face the crowds today than to face a bigger crowd, tomorrow. While the shop was busy, the folks were in good moods and I even ran into an old TJ's customer I'd known for years. We had a fun chat while waiting, I talked clams and smelts with another guy, and reminisced about fresh anchovies in Sicily with yet, another. Somewhat surprisingly for two days before Christmas, no one seemed to be in a huge hurry.
The folks behind the counter were friendly and efficient with lots of smiles. It was an actual pleasant shopping experience - something I haven't experienced many of these past few years - especially around Christmas.
I got home and gathered everything I need for tomorrow - I'm disgustingly organized, sometimes - and found I had more than the requisite seven fish for tomorrow. Now... that's not an issue, but part of the horde was about 5 ounces of langostino that really didn't need to go in - and could be reworked into tonight's pasta dinner.
They became part of tonight's dinner.
I cooked up two links of red pepper sausage from Martin's and added a splash of red wine and then a jar of Victor's homemade pasta sauce. I let it simmer a bit and then added the langostino just as the pasta was finishing cooking.
A sausage and langostino sauce over thick spaghetti - a perfect meal for a perfect day.
Tonight, we head next door to visit the neighbors, tomorrow morning is the gym, and then it's crab cioppino, Christmas, and total relaxation.
This is the way Holidays are supposed to be!
Shrimp Risotto
I was thinking seafood of some sort for dinner tonight, when I realized it's been a while since I made risotto. Time to combine the two ideas and make a shrimp risotto, right?!? Right!
Risotto really is one of the easiest dishes in the world to make. I think it has a difficulty-reputation because restaurants want to be able to charge a lot of money for rice. Even designer-rices are relatively inexpensive.
I like to use carnaroli rice for risotto - it's pretty much the top of the line risotto rice. Besides being a lot more forgiving, it's also creamier than the easier-to-find arborio. When I can find it, I'll also use vialone nano - another rice that hails from the north of Italy - but all you really need is a short-grained rice. Don't tell the food snobs, but you can even use a paella rice like calaspara or bomba if that's what you have in the house. You just don't want to use a basic long-grained rice like Uncle Ben's or something like jasmine or basmati.
From there, it's just a bit of technique. You start by cooking off your onions or other hard vegetables, add rice and cook it a bit until it begins to get translucent, add some wine, then hot broth by the half-cup, making sure it is absorbed before adding the next. Add other ingredients, as desired, a bit of grated cheese, and it's ready to eat! Maybe 30 minutes start-to-finish.
Shrimp Risotto
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 small bulb fennel, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup carnaroli, arborio, or other risotto rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups hot broth (clam, chicken, or vegetable)
- 1/2 pound shrimp
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp fennel pollen
- salt and pepper, to taste
Saute onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil and butter. Add rice and cook until translucent, stirring continually.
Add wine and cook until almost fully absorbed.
Begin to add broth by the ladle, stirring continually. Continue adding ladles of broth as the last one is absorbed, until rice is just tender. Run your spoon down the pan. When it leaves a trail, it's time to add more broth.
At this point, stir in shrimp and cook it in the rice. Add parsley and cheese, stirring well.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.
Totally simple.
I had leeks and fennel in the house, so I used them. You could use onions, or add mushrooms, or stir in peas. I had fennel pollen, but you can use Italian herbs, oregano, fresh basil if you have some...
It's a very forgiving dish and a great way to use up leftovers!
The End of Week Seventeen
My first thought when starting this today was Janis Ian singing At Seventeen... It is second only to Society's Child as my favorite of her songs.
And those of us with ravaged faces lacking in the social graces...
There are so many songs out there from my youth that still resonate with me - songs that caused an aha moment and made something crystal clear.
The Unknown Soldier by The Doors, Say It Loud by James Brown, and all of the songs by The Weavers, Woody Guthrie, Peter Paul and Mary... Dylan...Joan Baez... I miss those days of actual radio and shared anthems by a generation we thought could change the world overnight.
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming We're finally on our own This summer I hear the drumming Four dead in Ohio
The good ol' days.....
Fast-Forward fifty years and that idealistic youth is now a senior citizen trying to get back into some semblance of shape. And, it's working - more or less. This week, a bit less.
On Monday, I strained my back on a leg press. I think I've mentioned a few times that I can't touch my toes and my overall flexibility pretty much sucks. I contorted myself into position - but I couldn't quite seat myself properly - and there went the back. The gym workouts have been a bit less strenuous because of this, so I'm only down a half-pound. On the bright side, that's pretty good, considering I didn't cut back on the calories to offset the ones I wasn't burning.
And... I'm now starting off with ten minutes in the sauna before my warm-ups to further loosen me up, a bit. It's working - along with a hot pad at home. Who knew that getting healthy could be so painful?!?
One thing that was not painful, however, was tonight's dinner...
I planned seafood, and I planned grits. I had the last of a bag of Anson Mills Antebellum Coarse Yellow Grits and wanted to use them up. They're excellent - and not something you want to have hang around because they're so much better fresh.
To switch things up, I decided that the fish should be something along the lines of a Moroccan-spiced dish. Fusion. With a cabinet full of herbs and spices, I made up a pseudo-Moroccan blend.
Moroccan Spice Blend
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp ginger
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1/2 tbsp cloves
Sift all ingredients together. Store in a cool, dry place.
It has a kick to it!
The rest of the dish was pretty basic - leeks, canned tomatoes, raisins, slivered almonds, and parsley with cod chunks served over a very basic buttered grits.
I cut the leeks in large rings and sautéed them - letting them fall apart if they wanted to. Added the spices, then the tomatoes, and the raisins and simmered it all. Next went in the cod, and then the almonds and parsley.
It came out really good. The grits really are spectacular and they were the perfect foil for a spicy fish dish.
I guess I'm just going to have to order some more - after I use up the last of the grits I have from Adluh, that is!
Here's to the coming week - a less-sore back and a more vigorous gym time!
Maybe I'll break 200!
Mahi Mahi
Back from Gentile's with lots of good produce. You can really see the difference in seasons - stone fruits are pretty much gone and apples are everywhere. Melons are slim and squash is a'plenty.
I do like the changing seasons and the changing produce options. It's fun to change things up and start cooking differently. That being said, our gas grill is covered and out of the weather, so we do tend to grill all year long - especially if it's blizzarding. There's something about thumbing ones nose at Mother Nature during a storm that appeals to my rebellious self.
Victor's going to make Pasta e Fagioli tomorrow night and he will probably be making butternut squash soup at some point this week, as well. It's great being married to a man who knows how to cook!
And we'll both be trying to keep the calories low and the flavors high. It's getting easier!
Tonight, we went with Mahi Mahi. I like to surround meaty fish with bold flavors, so leeks, fennel, onions, and tomatoes - nice Sicilian flavors - usually come to mind, first. And second.
20 minutes start to finish!
Mahi Mahi
- mahi mahi fillets
- 1/2 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 small leek, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
- oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
- chopped green onions for garnish
Sauté fennel, leek, and garlic in a skillet until veggies are limp and lightly colored. Add wine and cook down by half.
Add tomatoes with their juice and freshly-dried oregano if you're lucky enough to have some. Taste for seasoning and add a bit of S&P.
Bring everything to a boil and then simmer about 10 minutes.
Place fish fillets on top of tomato fennel mixture, cover, and cook until fish is barely done - about 10 minutes.
Plate and top with chopped green onions.
Quick and easy, with lots of flavor. And there's enough going on that it doesn't need a starch for a side dish.
These basic flavors work with anything, from fish to chicken - especially thighs - and pork cutlets or sausage. Add some peppers if you want to tweak it a bit.
Have fun!