THE LADY OF SHALLOTS

flounder, sesame seeds (black & white), dark sesame oil, butter, soy sauce, sugar One of the reasons Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything is such an invaluable resource in my house is because I can use it for something I hate: cooking without planning. At this point in the semester, my mind is full of grading, student crises, and just getting through the next few weeks. So getting out to the Farmer's Market and picking up fresh flounder seemed like a huge accomplishment.  And then dinner time rolled around, and I realized I had absolutely no plans for that flounder, beyond consuming it. Enter Mark Bittman. How to Cook Everything has never failed me.  I went to the section on "Thin White Fish Fillets," which includes his mini-rant regarding why he's not a big fan of tilapia (who knew?). Almost all the recipes in this section had ingredients that I had on hand, but I finally settled on the "Crisp Sesame Fish with Soy Glaze," which was a vari...

I've taken on the challenge--yes, challenge--of making a "month of new easy dinners" featured in Real Simple's October 2013 issue . Why a "challenge" you ask? Well, the likelihood that I will cook five times a week is slim to none, for starters. In fact, I know very well I won't. So, this means I'll be cooking "most" of the dinners, but I am going to try to plan according to the weekly menus they propose. Already I've messed with Week One. I'm skipping the "Barbecue chicken sandwich with sautéed corn, edamame, and pickles" largely because a) I can't eat whole kernel corn and b) I'm trying to stay away from too many carbs (read: bread). So, that leaves for week one: Seared Fish with Tomatoes and Garlicky Escarole Lamb Chops and Parsnip Puree with Coriander Brown Butter Crunchy Dinner Salad with Prosciutto, Apple and Hazelnuts Cheese Ravioli with Kale Pesto and Roasted Carrots So I began "Week One...

First, the sole and the slaw: I had some frozen sole filets in the freezer, and was desperate for a quick and easy recipe, but something a little better than just butter and onions.  Enter Baked Sole with Lemon .  Now, I'm a little wary of About.com--perhaps unfairly--as I find one particular About.com site on a topic about which I think I'm rather authoritative, to be full of inaccuracies and astonishingly sophomoric given the supposed "credentials" of the "guide."But that is not of great import at the moment as we are talking about food--not this other subject that shall remain nameless. I really loved this recipe for the good balance of butter and lemon. I made two adjustments (for pragmatic what-I-had-on-hand reasons): shallots instead of onion (a common substitution here at The Lady of Shallots), and cilantro mixed in with parsley. The real annoyance with baking sole (or any other thin, flat fish) is that you basically have to watch it carefully ...

Well, I've been gone for a bit, and in the meantime I've been grieving the loss of my mother -- who passed in the beginning of June -- and trying to figure out the best way to get life back on track.  Cooking and eating seems to be a good place as any to start (to say nothing of the fact that I spent a month in LA subsisting off of martinis and snack foods--indulgences of grief). I've enjoyed using Pinterest for recipes because I am seduced by the photos.  Truly.  But I've started a board of the recipes that I've actually cooked, and I add little mini-reviews.  You can check it out (and follow, if so inclined) here . Now while martinis and snack foods are simply delicious, my personal trainer is going to make that weird face she makes when she's trying not to call me out on being lame. So, at least I can counter it with the fact that I a) am cooking again and b) eating healthy food! Below you will see Grilled Salmon Kebabs .  These get 4/5 stars from me....

In my quest to  lighten our diet a bit, I came across a recipe for " Clean & Healthy Avocado Pesto Alfredo " on Pinterest via The Gracious Pantry. I don't know what possessed me to pin it a few months back, being that the word "avocado" alone should have been enough to make me turn away.  Yes, that's right friends: I'm a native Californian pseudo-foodie who does not like avocados. It happens. I should say, however, that I adore guacamole, so really it comes down to disliking large slices of avocado. I can handle small chunks. Moving on. In short, this recipe is fantastic and I would absolutely recommend it for summer! I used a bit more lemon juice, and added some parmesan to the sauce during the blending phase, but no other adjustments. 2 avocados, lemon juice, basil + one immersion blender and it is the easiest sauce ever. I think I'd add a bit more basil next time, but that is really dependent on how much one likes traditional pesto. I ser...

So, as part of the Lady of Shallots Get Healthy in 2013 Plan, we are eating vegetarian at least three nights a week.  Tonight's dinner threatened to be too light, but I cut the liquid down a bit to make this soup a very hearty and wonderful meal in itself. I also like that it is seasonal, and if I had been very noble, I would have walked to the Winter Farmers Market this morning in 13 degrees to get local parsnips and carrots. Unfortunately, I sold out and let my husband go grocery shopping instead. I also apologize for the poor quality photos--I'm in need of a new card reader for my camera.  I did chop/blend in small batches, and added water in small portions until I had my desired consistency.  If I was serving this as a side, I'd add more water. I also added parsley and more pepper after I pureed it. Very well-balanced as the roasting makes the parsnips more interesting. Also, I was too lazy to make olive oil toasts, so fresh baguette sufficed. And...I used my...

Normally I'd make this in the summer, but holiday over-indulgence means healthy eating in January. The cannellini beans here provide just enough texture to make this a reasonable main course. The flavors are really well-balanced and the dressing is the easiest thing in the world: lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  The fennel keeps everything very fresh-tasting, and the lemon extracts some of the "fishiness" from the tuna. Be sure to rinse the beans (if using canned) and drain the tuna. Recipe HERE

This is primarily a cooking blog, but I've decided to start a new feature I will call "Memorable Meals." This will feature the occasional amazing meal I encounter at the many wonderful restaurants here in the greater Boston area. Our inaugural post features Journeyman Restaurant in Somerville, MA. Initially, the back alley entrance and low curbside profile kept this Somerville's best kept secret, but Journeyman has fast become a foodie Mecca with critical acclaim from a wide variety of sources. The food is prepared so expertly that even the most timid eater will want to step outside the box of culinary convention. The menu changes weekly, so if you are of the "variety is the spice of life" mindset, you will love this place. We chose the 5 course menu with pairings, which exists in both a vegetarian and omnivore version. A party of two is ideal here, especially if you are both omnivores. I went with the vegetarian version, but found that the staff was fl...