THE LADY OF SHALLOTS

I wouldn't classify myself as a huge carnivore, but when I do eat meat, I like it to be good quality meat. I buy most of our meat at our local farmer's market which a) keeps us from eating too much meat due to the expense and b) makes me much more conscious of the meat's quality, how I cook it, etc. These pork chops come from Stillman's Farm , and they were, like everything I've ever purchased from Stillman's, absolutely amazing. So, when meat is fresh and of high quality, I tend to go for minimalist recipes that enhance the meat's own flavor (sometimes a challenge with pork). I had some fresh sage that I picked up at the Farmer's Market, and so a little googling brought me to Josh Friedland's wonderful blog, The Food Section . Friedland summarized the recipe for the pork chops from Suzanne Dunaway's Rome at Home . I followed his directions with one tiny addition: white wine in addition to the lemon juice. I did need more liquid after the fi

I currently have us on a "meat every-other-day" plan, but my low blood sugar requires protein in almost every meal. So...I am working very hard to find ways to incorporate beans into our diet. I'm not a big fan of beans (kidney, pinto, black-eyed, lima, you name it). I tend to tolerate them, and really only enjoy black beans in Mexican food. But in my quest for optimal health, it seems practical to find a way to eat them more often. This recipe comes from one of my most-used and most-loved cookbooks, The Cook's Encyclopedia of Thirty Minute Cooking by Jenni Fleetwood. I don't really care about the "thirty minute" part (usually), but I love the variety and ease of the recipes. In addition to blanched green beans (which I love), mixed canned beans (I used pintos and black beans), celery, onion (I used red), tomatoes, fresh parsley, I also tossed in a can of whole kernel corn....mostly for color, but I really liked the little bit of sweetness that it adde

If you haven't read How to Read a French Fry and Other Stories of Intriguing Kitchen Science by Russ Parsons, Food Editor for the Los Angeles Times , you really should. Understanding the science behind cooking is half the battle and makes it a lot easier to experiment when you have some inkling of what might happen when you cook with a certain oil at a certain temperature. Chemistry aside, Parsons also includes some VERY tasty recipes--including the White Bean crostini (p. 191). Pasta pomodoro, heirloom tomato salad & white bean crostini The white bean puree is incredibly easy, and the only "special" ingredient is white truffle oil. Parsons writes helpful hints, as in this caution about truffle oil: "Too much, and it smells like hair tonic." I haven't finished reading the whole thing, but I've used several recipes from this book and recommend it! Parsons' writing is very accessible, "user-friendly" and humorous!

Saffron Risotto-stuffed Calamari with Tri-Colored Pepper & Zebra Tomato salad I picked up this little bargain cookbook quite awhile ago, and let me just say now, for the record, I don't know how on earth Amazon sellers would justify asking $57.95, and no...wait for it.. $135.71 for a cheap, paperback 64 page Könemann cookbook. That's disgraceful. I think I paid $4 at most. At any rate, I digress. I've made several recipes from Anne Wilson's Meze: Mediterranean-Style Eating , and while many of the recipes are labor-intensive (and some are missing list ingredients, ahem), most everything I've made has turned out well, including my first try with dolmades. So tonight I decided to try the Saffron Risotto-stuffed Baby Squid, given the presence of calamari in my freezer and my great love for risotto. I left out two of the main ingredients for the risotto (leeks and fennel) and substituted a few other ingredients: Saffron risotto-stuffed calamari (adapted from Ann

Tonight's installment of The Lady of Shallots "Summer Salad Marathon" was inspired by two recipes. The first was this " Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Grapefruit, Avocado, and Watercress Salad " from Real Simple (March 2008). The second was this recipe for Seared Ahi Tuna from SimplyRecipes.com. I made only one minor adjustment to the tuna marinade, and that was that I used powdered ginger out of necessity. I marinated the tuna for two hours and it was terrific. As for the salad, I obviously left out the mahi-mahi (and substituted the seared tuna), left out the avocado*, and added fresh chopped cucumber from my neighbor's garden (a gift, not stolen). I used the dressing as stated in the recipe. This was a terrific and healthy meal for a very hot and humid summer evening. The sweetness of the grapefruit and the honey-lime dressing balances the slight bitterness of the watercress very effectively and is just gentle enough to support the tuna without overshadowing

It is very hot here, and that means I like to keep as far away from the stove/oven as possible. So that means we've been eating a lot of salad. I find salad making very tedious and usually delegate that chore to my husband. However, when the main dish is a salad, I find ample opportunities for creativity and experimentation. I started with this recipe from Real Simple (August 2008), Chicken Salad with Potatoes & Arugula , but found that I was without arugula and just simply not in the mood for potatoes, so I lifted the dressing and the rotisserie chicken, substituted dried tarragon for fresh, and turned it into Chicken Pasta Salad with Hearts of Palm INGREDIENTS: 1 package fresh or dried pasta (I like rotini or some other shape that will capture the goodies) 1 rotisserie chicken (or chicken leftovers)--you'll probably only need half a chicken's worth 2-3 large hearts of palm, sliced 1/2 cup walnuts (optional) 1/4 cup EVOO 1-2 tablespoons champagne white wine vinegar

I've been away on vacation/visiting family so I haven't posted in awhile. When I returned from my trip, however, I had a burst of great cooking experiences. Due to copyright issues, I won't post the recipes that are not otherwise available online (in which case I've linked to them), but I do have some pictures to share. First, I made Ina Garten's " Savory Palmiers " (or see Back to Basics , 43) for a social event. I approached this with some fear as every time I open a package of puff pastry I hear this in my head. This is since my last attempt to make baked brie, which came out more like an exploding puff pastry volcano of brie. However, much to my surprise, they came out pretty darn well! My favorite part of the recipe was making the homemade pesto. All pesto is NOT alike, and Garten's recipe (or see Back to Basics , 44) is by far the best I've ever tasted! Can you really go too wrong with homemade pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and

In my attempt to use up what I enthusiastically purchase from the Farmers' Market (not always recognizing that I am cooking for two--not a small army), I have started to devise multiple recipes that are "variations on a theme." Here the theme would be scapes and asparagus (asparagi?). For the second week in a row, I've come home with scapes and asparagus. Why? Scapes have a very short season and they are good. It is Spring and I can get local organic asparagus as opposed to asparagus that has been shipped from Peru (FAIL!) scapes and asparagi have similar textures/consistencies so they cook well together So, you may remember the Sautéed Asparagus and Garlic Scapes from my last blog post. This installment of Variations on a Theme brings you: Chilled Asparagus & Scape Salad one bunch fresh asparagus, with stalk ends trimmed 1/8 - 1/4 lbs. garlic scapes, cut into one to two inch pieces 3 tbls. olive oil salt to taste white pepper to taste 1/2 cup white cooking

One of the great joys of summer here in Somerville is the Farmers' Market in Union Square. Yesterday was the first market of the season and I made sure to get there as early as possible in order to have the best selection and avoid the afternoon rush. I'm a planner, so it is rare that I like to shop without an idea of what I'm cooking, but the Farmers' Market is a great motivator. I just picked up whatever looked good and figured I'd be creative when I got home. Yesterday's purchases included: fresh brioche, strawberries, garlic scapes, asparagus, fresh parsley , kale, and hot Italian lamb sausage from Stillman's Farm . Since the kale will keep for a bit (and I'll probably just make crisps anyway), I prioritized the scapes, asparagus, parsley and sausage. The results are the following three recipes! Enjoy! Linguine with Hot Italian Lamb Sausage & Parsley Serving: 2 generous portions 3-4 links hot italian lamb sausage, sliced 2 tbls. olive oil 3 tb

I don't make breakfasts worth blogging about very often, mostly due to the fact that my low blood sugar makes breakfast more of a necessity than a pleasure. That said, sometimes on the weekend I do get a bit creative. This was QUITE good and very easy. If you know how to scramble eggs, this recipe is more detailed than you'll need. As my husband remarked, this recipe probably "collides with most of the American Heart Association guidelines." Not for every day consumption. :) PANCETTA BASIL SCRAMBLE Serves 2 (serve with toast) 4 large eggs 2 tablespoons milk 6-8 slices pancetta 6 large leaves fresh basil, shredded 2 tablespoons soft cream cheese (diced from a bar) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter freshly ground black pepper Pan fry pancetta in skillet then set aside on a plate covered in a paper towel. Absorb the extra grease with paper towels. Reserve any brown bits and grease in the skillet. When pancetta has cooled, chop it. Whisk together the eggs and the milk, addin

Curried Carrot Slaw with Wild Rice Pilaf-Stuffed Chicken Thighs CURRIED CARROT SLAW This is a hit at every summer potluck/bbq, super easy to make, and extremely versatile as a side dish. It is my mother's recipe which I've doctored up just a tiny bit. INGREDIENTS 1 bag of whole carrots, peeled and shredded (tip: use the food processor!)* 1/4 cup t0 1/2 cup raisins 3-4 tablespoons shredded coconut (optional) 3/4 cup mayonnaise (you may wish to use less depending on your taste) 1 tablespoon dry mustard 2-3 teaspoons curry powder salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well! Chill for at least an hour. A few notes: you can make this up ahead of time, but do know that the spices and salt will draw a fair amount of liquid out of the carrots. For this reason, you may want to adjust the amount of mayonnaise you use. If I want it to have more kick, I use more curry powder. If I want a sweeter slaw, I include more shredded coconut. You can buy "shredde

At long last, I find myself back in the kitchen! For roughly a month, we have been dependent upon my husband's culinary talents, our local restaurants and take-out. It is amazing just how often a "granola bar" can actually constitute a "meal." So, tonight I cooked Jacqueline F.'s Pasta Carbonara ! I went to junior high with Jacqueline's sister (Monique) and through the wonders of Facebook, have been able to keep in touch with her. Knowing that I like to cook, Monique shared Jacqueline's blog with me and I'm VERY glad she did. I love how Jacqueline writes and the recipes strike me as pretty no-nonsense--major plusses for a food blog! I've been subjected to pasta carbonara in a heavy cream sauce before, so I was happy to hear that cream shouldn't even enter the picture (according to Jacqueline). I will admit that I felt a compulsion to add white wine--I didn't--but I wanted to. Perhaps it is some subconscious belief that wine will cu