THE LADY OF SHALLOTS

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...

MUSTARD-ROASTED FISH Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients by Ina Garten (New York: Clarkson/Potter, 2008), p. 136. As I've mentioned before, this is one of my absolute favorite cookbooks (received last Christmas as a gift from my wonderful aunt). I had hesitated with this one because I tend to find cream sauces and the like too rich for my palate (and my digestive system). However, Ina Garten has yet to fail me, and since I ate rather conservatively for Thanksgiving, I figured--why not? Well, the trick here folks is the crème fraîche. Don't get me wrong--low-calorie this dish is not. But the crème fraîche balances the mustard flavor perfectly so that it doesn't overwhelm the fish (she suggested snapper, I used tilapia) and it is much lighter than using traditional heavy cream or whipping cream. The fish almost poaches in the sauce, rather than roasts, so if you are looking for a crispy fish recipe, this is not it. The fish wa...