New Job

Although I am taking an embarrassingly long time to post anything on my lovely little food blog, I just wanted all of my loyal readers to know (yes, all four of you) that I have recently taken on another writing gig. I am now the Austin French Restaurants Examiner for www.examiner.com. I am just getting started (I actually submitted my first article for review today), but I am pretty excited about the possibility of having my writing exposed to a wider audience. I will probably post my articles, especially since they will all relate to food, on my blog as well and I will attempt to continue writing about my personal culinary adventures. Hopefully, I will do said writing more often than, I don't know, once every couple of weeks. Geez. For someone who hopes to be a food writer and for someone who does actually eat every day, you would think I would find more time to post on here than I actually do. Oh, well. Perhaps I will have a little tidbit for you all in the next day or so - I am planning a creative use of leftover black beans for dinner tonight. It shall be in the vein of Cuban black beans and rice with fried plantains, but since I am doing all of this recipe-less, I am not entirely sure how it will turn out. No worries - we went to a birthday party this morning (yes, I made the cake) and I walked out with a lovely box of extra pizza. Should dinner be less than delectable, Domino's will sub just fine. Until next time, my friends!

Breakfast for Dinner

As I was making my grocery list this morning, I asked my daughters what they would like to have for dinner this evening. As per her usual request, my oldest shouted, "breakfast for dinner!" before her younger sister could even think of a particular food she would like to eat. Immediately following the first shout was, "bacon and eggs for dinner!" (My kids both could live on bacon alone.) I didn't even really have to hesitate before I agreed because, I too, love having breakfast for dinner. There is just something about flipping a meal on its head - particularly breakfast - that appeals to me. Apparently, I have, much like my own children, always loved breakfast for dinner nights. Ours usually was bacon and eggs with a little stack of toast that had always been freshly and generously buttered by my mother before she set it on the table. Ahhhh......the simple pleasures in life. In any case, since I am a chef and since I don't do anything, food-related at least, particularly simply, I asked my daughters if they would like plain, old bacon and eggs or if they would like.....wait for it.....breakfast quesadillas! I guess I sold it well, because they agreed quickly to the new menu item. Score!

Now, I have to give credit where credit is due here. I did not come up with the idea of breakfast quesadillas. I had breakfast with my dad a couple of months ago at Austin Java, a local coffee shop/cafe, and spied this on the menu. I thought it sounded really interesting, so I ordered it and ended up enjoying the heck out of meal. This is not a hard concept really - it is basically a potato, egg and cheese breakfast taco rejiggered into a....you got it....quesadilla! The tortilla was crispy, the eggs fluffy and hot, the cheese gooey and melty and the potatoes lightly caramelized. (By the way, Austin Java also has amazing salsa which was served with this dish. I am a bit of a salsa snob and I LOVE theirs.) Anyway, I decided to rip off their menu idea and try it at home.

I started by nuking a couple of red potatoes in the microwave for about two minutes per side. Basically, they were all but cooked when I took them out, scorching hot, four minutes later. I cubed them while I heated some canola oil in a skillet, then sauteed them for a couple of minutes until the cut sides turned a gorgeous crunchy brown. I pulled them from the heat, parked them in a bowl and used the same skillet to scramble a few eggs. While the eggs were cooking, I put some whole wheat tortillas down on a griddle, sprinkled them with cheddar cheese and then ladled the mostly set eggs over the top. I dotted the tops of the eggs with the cubed potatoes, crumbled some turkey bacon over that and finished them all with another dusting of shredded cheddar cheese. I pressed a second whole wheat tortilla over the top and....viola! Breakfast quesadilla! (Note: this all took a little bit longer than I had originally anticipated, so the bottom tortillas got slightly more browned and quite a bit crispier than I would have intended. Nevertheless, the end result was very tasty.) I cooked the first side, as I said, a little longer than I should have, but ultimately flipped them over easily since the cheese acted as a bit of a glue holding it all together, cooked the other side for a couple of minutes and served them cut into wedges. I even had some salsa (not as good as Austin Java's, but still) to eat with mine.

Verdict: the girls loved the breakfast tacos with a twist! Breakfast quesadillas were a hit tonight! As a matter of fact, my oldest kept saying, "mmmmm.....potatoes. I LOVE potatoes!" Apparently, that girl doesn't get enough tubers! So, another successful experiment this evening. I don't think it will take the place in my heart of that little buttered stack of toast, but it will probably come pretty close. Potatoes are delicious. Until next time, friends!

Less Complaining, More Cooking

So, I am sort of over my disappointment at not being chosen as a finalist in my last cooking contest attempt. It's cool, man. Really. Since I have moved on, I have decided to get more creative with my own cooking at home (trying to keep it as much in check as I possibly can so my kids will actually eat the food) and I have found a couple of other recipe contests to enter as well. So, to the creative cooking side of things, I present: Thai-inspired coconut shrimp pasta!

I started this dish in a completely different region of the world: Brazil. How do Brazilian and Thai cuisine intersect, you may ask? Well, in my head, of course! Last semester, one of my classes was International Cuisine and we were each assigned a former colony of the Portuguese empire. (Confused yet? I know this is convoluted, but stick with me, here.) In any case, one of the regions was Brazil and my classmate found an amazing shrimp soup called, Shrimp Moqueca. It is such a simple soup, yet so amazingly full of flavor that all of us fell in love with it immediately. It starts with a base of onions, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes and chilies and is finished with coconut milk. The shrimp are simmered in this deletable concoction and the soup is served and finished with cilantro. Seriously - it is lightly sweet with a hidden spice that is not only surprising, but is also an incredibly delicious way to cut through the richness of the coconut milk. Yum.

Ok, so I considered making this soup because my kids LOVE shrimp and because I LOVE this soup. Then, I started thinking - they don't like spicy things and I don't like using full fat coconut milk. What to do? I definitely wanted to have a tomato, garlic, bell pepper base (mostly because I had a bell pepper that I needed to use), spiked with a teeny amount of spice and laden with light coconut milk. So, then that got me thinking about other coconut milk-based sauces and I remembered a Thai green curry recipe that I found on The Best Life website (www.thebestlife.com). That recipe called for (duh) Thai green curry, which I did not have and did not want to purchase. (Have you looked at the sodium levels on that stuff? Atrocious.) Anyway, what I came up with was a bit of a hybrid between these two recipes, as odd as the Brazilian-Thai combination might sound.

I started by caramelizing a small red onion in about a tablespoon of olive oil, with about a teaspoon of granulated sugar (to facilitate the caramelization). Once those were nicely browned, I added diced green bell pepper and sauteed the two together for about five minutes. I added a smidge of chili-garlic sauce and heated that with the vegetables, briefly. I then added a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic and allowed the liquid to reduce for a couple of minutes. All the while, I had a pot of boiling water going on the back of the stove, to which I added a couple of strips of lime zest. Once the water was nicely perfumed, I removed the lime zest and added a box of whole wheat linguine (standing in for Thai rice noodles). When the sauce reduced to the consistency I was looking for, I added about a tablespoon of Thai fish sauce, squeezed a whole lime into it and then added about a cup of organic, lite coconut milk. Immediately, the sauce bloomed into this gorgeous dusky rose, with peaks (pun intended) of bright, verdant green and deep, brick-red bubbling around in my pan. I am not sure there is anything better than a tomato cream sauce and this coconut one was no exception. I added the (previously frozen, peeled and de-veined) shrimp to the mix and let it simmer in the fragrant, sunset-colored liquid. By this time, the lime infused linguine was just about al dente, so I drained that and, as the shrimp began to turn opaque, threw it into the pot to finish cooking. I sprinkled the top with chopped cilantro and Thai basil (from our garden), mixed and served it.

The taste....well, the taste was pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. It was everything Thai food should be - lightly spicy, barely sweet, slightly tart and oh, so savory. The anise flavor of the basil and the herbal pungency of the cilantro set off all of the other flavors, which rather than fight each other to assert themselves individually, married together in a lovely fashion to create what I now realize was true fusion food. I mean, I started in Brazil, jumped over to Thailand and managed to bring in a little of Italy as well. How crazy is that? Wait. I think I mean, how crazy delicious is that?!?

Don't Put All of Your Eggs in One Basket

Another quick entry for today: I have learned a valuable lesson. I recently entered a cooking contest, to remain unnamed here...cough...Cooking Light....cough. I developed a brownie recipe that I felt was fairly unique (and no, I am not going to give it away here - sorry). No, I felt like it was EXTREMELY unique. Anyway, I used several of the sponsor ingredients and produced a delectable treat that was satisfyingly delicious AND quite healthy to boot. Seriously, I thought I had it in the bag until yesterday when I was....spoiler alert!...NOT chosen as a finalist. Man! What a let-down! You know how it is (well, maybe you don't) - you see an amount of money offered in a contest and think, "hey! I could TOTALLY win that! Now, what would I do with all that cash?" Talk about counting your brownies before they were baked....sigh.

I perused the finalist selections this morning (and please do so yourselves if you see fit) and have (sort of) figured out that the sponsors were probably looking for something a bit more straightforward that would showcase their individual ingredients rather than what I created. That is okay. If I knew any of the finalists (which I don't), I would want to wish them a hearty congratulations and best of luck in this voting portion of the contest. I am disappointed, but am still the proud owner of a signature, healthy brownie recipe with a couple of unique and totally unexpected twists. Anybody need one of those? My creative genius could totally be bought for say, $20K (the prize winnings for the grand finalist in the original contest). No? Eh, I understand. I'll just keep all of those tasty brownies for myself then. Until next time....

Well, that didn't take too long...

Hello there! I know I have not written anything in an embarrassingly long time. My excuse: I was on vacation with my husband in Belize. I had hoped to have a full recount of all the amazing Belizean food that we ate while we were down there, complete with pictures no less, but the truth is, we stayed at a resort that seemed to cater to American tourists rather than stay true to the dishes that make up the culinary traditions of the tiny, Central American country. Now, to be fair, they did have a couple of things that are staples of the Belizean table (and bar, for that matter) that we became so enamored with, that we bought and brought home with us as our "souvenirs".

The first is Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper Sauce, which we purchased in its "mild" version. What is interesting about this stuff is both the incredible heat it packs, and also the fact that carrots are included in the ingredient listing. Carrots, you say? Oddly enough, I found that the cooks in Belize were apt to throw carrots into just about any dish that showed up to tempt our palates: from tuna noodle casserole (I told you it was Americanized food) to the incredible conch ceviche (which may or may not have given my husband violent food poisoning) that we snacked on in the bar one afternoon. In any case, for a pepper sauce that is manufactured in Belize, having a carrot base for the fiery condiment makes more sense than not. The sauce is tasty - really, really spicy, but flavorful as well. It does not seem to have the same acidity that a vinegar based Tabasco sauce does. Don't get me wrong, I like Tabasco sauce, but this is a more subtle flavor - maybe tempered a little by the sweetness of the carrot base. The heat...well, the heat is kind of "burn your face off" heat, as opposed to the lower burn of a Tabasco hot sauce, but it is delicious and definitely something I have been adding to soups, quesadillas, fajitas.....well, pretty much anything that needs a kick.

The second staple that we transported home, is Kuknat Coconut Rum, also made in Belize. Now, my sister informed me, upon our return to the states, that we have coconut rum here as well, but, typically eschewing rum myself, I had no idea. It was not until we were on an island vacation, drinks made with local booze included, that we actually tried this clear and delightfully scented rum. (Just as a side note here: I love the smell of coconut. It is one of those things that I like the scent of more than I do the actual flavor of the raw product.) In any case, the coconut scent and flavor of the rum is light, but definitely perceptible, even when combined with Coca-Cola to make a most venerable tropical mixed drink - Rum and Coke or even, with a lime twist, Cuba Libre. Like I said, we liked it so well that we decided to bring some home - thinking all the while that we had found a new, as yet undiscovered by our non-Belizean traveling friends, liquor.

Ah, well - so I am not a great bar tending adventurer. No matter because our mixed drinks will have the essence of the Belizean tropics while our mouths feel the fire of a typical table side Belizean condiment. No matter that we did not enjoy traditional Belizean fare while we were there either. I mean, what is having a chef in the family worth if not to research and attempt to recreate the cuisine of a underdeveloped Central American nation? Not to mention the fact that we will probably go back. When we do, I am sure great culinary delights shall await us. Until then, habanero pepper sauce and coconut rum will suffice for giving our Texas food and drinks a taste of Belize.

Yoga Diet - The First Week Part Deux

Ha! See, I told you I would have more posts coming on the "Yoga Body Diet" recipes! So, last night we tried Chicken and Zucchini Quesadillas which is supposed to be served with a mango-jicama salsa. Well, because I had planned to serve the quesadillas with a salad anyway and because I didn't really get the idea of a "salsa" lacking any spicy components, I decided to add the salsa ingredients to my salad. I did make the quesadillas as directed by the recipe....well, more or less that way. I used whole wheat tortillas, chopped zucchini, sliced poached chicken, reduced fat cheddar cheese (in lieu of the mozzarella written in the recipe) and added about a pinch of adobo seasoning to kick the flavor up a notch. (Oh, my God. Did I just quote Emeril? Is that even how you spell his name? I apologize - I really couldn't think of anything else to write right there. I won't do it again. Promise.) The quesadillas were sprayed with cooking spray and baked in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. The result was a crispy exterior with a juicy, gooey, cheesy interior that boasted perfectly cooked zucchini chunks (still bright green and crisp-tender) and a minute level of savory spice that satisfied my ever-cooling taste buds. (I still miss my peppers - don't get me wrong.) The salad was pretty incredible as well. I combined butter lettuce with fresh, homegrown tomatoes, ripe mangos, avocado, sweet and crunchy jicama, dressed with an exceptionally light lime, soy and agave vinaigrette. Damn tasty and freaking fresh. It made great leftovers for lunch today as well.

Tonight's dinner was the "Yoga Body Diet" version of pad thai, a dish that I often make, both from written recipes as well as new creations straight out of my own head. This one featured tofu and rice noodles, both of which I have managed to find products that were made right here in Texas! If I geek out about anything (science fiction, British science fiction, books - okay, I geek out about a lot), it is finding local food products in my local grocery store that can supplant items made in far off lands that previously represented my only choices. Anyway. So, this pad thai recipe had the noodles, the tofu, the egg, the lime, the fish sauce, the cilantro and even....a teeny bit of cayenne pepper! Oh, happy day! The tofu was just chewy enough, the noodles were slightly starchy, even retaining some al dente texture and the sauce was tart, slightly sweet, bright, fresh, piquant and herbaceous. All in all: a good pad thai in my book. (My kids, despite the multiple attempts at this dish, still are not Thai food eaters. I am still not willing to give it up. I will broaden their little palates, so help me God!)

Current score: two more tasty dishes! Tomorrow, if I feel up to it, I may attempt the intriguing Cherry Basil Granita for dessert following something called, "Tasty Tacos". Until then, my friends, bon apetite! (See, I left Emeril out of it - you can't go wrong with quoting Julia, after all.)

Yoga Diet - The First Week

So, I am now a little over the first week through the Yoga Body Diet that I was telling y'all about the last time I wrote. Although I was not technically scheduled to begin cooking from the book this week, I decided to eschew the traditional principles and advance myself to the point where I was allowed to begin eating foods designed for my pitta dosha. A quick review of the dishes this week will soon follow. Here are a couple of things that I have learned this week: first, although I would not have thought it possible, I have kind of managed to keep my food cravings in check. What I mean is that I usually crave salt, sugar, and spice (not necessarily in that order and often with the addition of alcohol to one or all of those three flavors), but I did not really have a problem with that this week at all. In fact, last night, as my husband was enjoying his weekly beer ration, I thought about having some chocolate - a couple of tablespoons of chocolate chips to be exact. At first, I decided that I really did not want any, but then gave way about halfway through the movie we were watching. I ate the chips, relished them even, but afterward, felt kind of empty. I was not upset with myself for breaking the diet, but I realized that, in fact, my initial instinct was correct: my body actually did not want the chocolate at all. Huh. Second, before I get to the actual food, I have also realized that being slightly hungry at the end of the day is not a bad thing. I actually feel more ready for sleep in that state (rather than overstuffed discomfort) and have actually slept better this week than several previous. Again: huh.

Okay. So, the burning question here is: how is the food and do the recipes work? The answer is: pretty good and yes, they do, for the most part. I started the week by making homemade granola: baked oats, heavily laden with cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla, augmented by pumpkin seeds and unsweetened coconut. It smelled incredible - a gorgeous combination of sweetness and spice, one that I thought would taste as good as it smelled for sure. Result: it tastes okay, but is nothing compared to its baking smell. If I could eat that scent - well, damn, I don't think I would need anything else for the rest of the day. That day, I also made Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oats and Coconut. This one was interesting - not a lot of ingredients, dry or wet, but the batter came together quickly and actually turned into something that closely resembled real cookie dough. Again, I baked these cookies which were spiked with cinnamon and coconut, and relished the scent alone. Fortunately, although slightly dry (especially four days after baking), they taste almost as good as they smelled. They are chewy, with a light crunch from the oats and coconut and have almost enough chocolate to be truly satisfying. Yum.

I have not really done anything as far as lunch goes this week, but dinner-time has been pitta specific all week long. We started off with Cream of Broccoli soup, made with (get this) goat cheese instead of cream. Oh. My. God. That was gooooooood. I actually don't care much for cream of anything soup (well, unless you count that cream of asparagus soup that I had - more than once in more than one country - when we traveled across Europe in the Spring of 2002. Incredible.), but this was tasty. My kids didn't care for it too much - my youngest held her nose the entire time she, literally, choked it down, but I thought it was heavenly. It was a pureed soup, so it retained a little of the grainy-ness inherent to broccoli florets, but the goat cheese mellowed the flavor and gave it just enough of a tart edge to make it really interesting. The second night was Fried Rice with Pineapple and Coconut: starring one of my dosha "power foods": tofu. Now, I don't mind tofu at all, but I do prefer it when the rest of the dish it is in creates a flavor palate that shines aside from its bland nature/texture/flavor. Despite the addition of fresh, gorgeous, juicy, sunshine-in-a-bowl, pineapple, this dish was, at best, blah. It featured short grain brown rice which had a chewy, satisfying consistency and called for snow peas (for which I subbed fresh green beans) which added an interesting level of crunch. Ginger and garlic provided the only means of seasoning on top of some shredded cabbage and toasted (which I lazily didn't do) coconut. "Meh" is about all I can say about that one.

Finally, for this post at least, we tried Roti Pizza. The book defines roti as a sweet-tasting Indian flatbread, but based on the fact that it is made from whole wheat flour, water and salt, I was not holding my breath for this "pizza" to turn out as anything besides edible. I am pleased to admit that I was incorrect: the dough came together quickly in the food processor, was fairly easy to roll out and, when topped with tomato paste, various delicious "power" vegetables like asparagus and artichoke hearts (two of my personal favorites), reduced fat mozzarella cheese and finished with fresh basil from our garden....well, it was, in fact, pizza! It was delicious pizza! The crust was chewy and, despite its humble beginnings and my extra low expectations, it held up very nicely to all of the toppings.

So, the score is: meh, tasty, yummy, blah and surprisingly delicious. More to come very shortly on more "Yoga Body Diet" Recipes.