SHRIMP IN MOROCCAN-STYLE TOMATO SAUCE

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

When we left for LA I waved goodbye to all my cookbooks except one: Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times. It seemed like the perfect guide for our stay here, when we’d face longer commutes and a busier overall schedule. I’ve already made quite a few recipes from it, and this simple shrimp recipe is a fine example of its utility: the dish was ready in minutes and perfect for a weeknight dinner. Throw on some white rice, whip up a salad, unleash some tropical music (we’ve been listening to this quite a bit lately), and rock the casbah!.

SHRIMP IN MOROCCAN-STYLE TOMATO SAUCE
(Mark Bittman, visit his website by clicking here)

2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs minced ginger
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 + 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp lime zest
1 can tomatoes, diced (28 ounces)
salt and black pepper
1 + 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp
fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the ginger and saute for 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, and lime zest and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the mixture is almost dry – about 15 minutes (I opted for leaving a little bit more saucy, so I cooked for less than 10 minutes).

Add the shrimp and stir. Cook until done, less than 10 minutes in very gentle heat. Taste, adjust seasoning, sprinkle fresh cilantro leaves and serve over white rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Two details make this recipe shine. First, the ginger is minced, not grated. I confess that when I read the recipe I rolled my eyes – why mince ginger if you can grate it, Mr Bittman? – but, my Microplane is bigger than our kitchen sink, so I succumbed to the idea of washing a knife instead. 😉 Well, from now on I’ll be mincing ginger with a smile, because I loved its intense flavor in each bite, making a huge improvement over grating.

Secondly, he lightly toasts the spices in oil, a common technique in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, that also pumps the flavor to another level. Don’t omit these steps, because they make this dish surprisingly tasty. Shrimp (and seafood in general) is indeed the busy cook’s best friend!

ONE YEAR AGO: Golden Zucchini: A taste of yellow

CANTINHO BRASILEIRO

CAMARAO EM MOLHO DE TOMATE AO ESTILO MARROQUINO
(Mark Bittman)

2 colheres de sopa de azeite
1 colher de sopa de gengibre picado
1 colher de sopa de cominho
1 + 1 / 2 colher de chá de semente de coentro moida
1 colher de chá de raspas de limão
1 lata de tomates picados (cerca de 2.5 copos)
sal e pimenta preta
750g – 1 kg de camarão descascado
coentro fresco (opcional)

Aqueça o azeite em uma frigideira, adicione o gengibre e refogue por 1 minuto. Adicione o cominho, semente de coentro moida e raspas de limão e cozinhe por 30 segundos, mexendo sempre. Adicione os tomates, o sal e a pimenta, misture bem e deixe ferver. Abaixe o fogo e cozinhe até que a mistura esteja quase seca – cerca de 15 minutos (optei por deixar um pouco mais liquido, cozinhei menos de 10 minutos).

Acrescente os camarões e mexa. Cozinhe até que mudem de cor, menos de 10 minutos em fogo bem suave. Prove, ajuste o tempero, adicione o coentro fresco imediatamente antes de servir, de preferencia com arroz branco.

13Sep2010

SEMOLINA BARBECUE BUNS

Posted in Breads by sallybr

Before we left on our journey to L.A., I had this bread in my “to bake soon” list. Life got impossibly busy, but I didn’t worry too much, because I knew it would be a perfect bread for the nano-kitchen: minimal kneading, and doable in our toaster oven. Several of my virtual friends made this bread and raved about it, but that’s a no-brainer: Dan Lepard is the man behind the formula. 😉

SEMOLINA BARBECUE BANS
(from Dan Lepard – The Guardian website)

75g semolina or cornmeal, plus more to finish (I used fine cornmeal)
150 ml boiling water + 200 ml warm water
25g unsalted butter
1 tsp honey (I used agave nectar)
1 Tbs yogurt
1 + 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
450 g bread flour
(olive oil for kneading)

Spoon the semolina into a mixing bowl, pour 150ml of boiling water over it, stir well and leave for 10 minutes. Use a fork to mash the butter, honey, yogurt and salt into the mixture, then slowly work in 200ml of warm water, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in the yeast and flour, work to a smooth, soft dough and leave for 10 minutes.

Give the dough three 10-second kneads on an oiled surface over 30 minutes, then leave, covered, for an hour. Roll the dough to about 25cm x 35cm on a floured surface, lay on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and leave covered for 20 minutes. Cut the dough into eight flat rectangular “rolls” but do not separate them, just make a deep incision all the way down the baking sheet. Leave, covered, until risen by half (I cut into six rectangles, and allowed them to rise for 25 minutes).

Heat the oven to 465F. Brush the tops of the buns with water, sprinkle with semolina and score a deep crisscross on top with a knife. Bake for about 20 minutes, until brown on top. Let it cool for at least one hour on a rack before amazing yourself at how delicious the rolls taste.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This bread is so simple to prepare that I am still a bit shocked by how good it turned out. If you haven’t yet been sold to the idea that minimal kneading makes excellent bread, this recipe will convince you. I didn’t roll the dough, just stretched it lightly to preserve as much as possible the airy texture acquired in the hour long rise.

Dan made this recipe with pulled pork sandwiches in mind, and the combination would deserve to go into the Sandwich Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, we don’t have any pulled pork at the moment, but the rolls still tasted awesome with ham, cheese and a slice of juicy tomato.

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting… the second bread from our Bewitching-Nano-Kitchen.

ONE YEAR AGO: Lavash Crackers

11Sep2010

SPICES? Did someone say… SPICES?

Posted in General by sallybr

We spent the whole of last Saturday meandering around beautiful LA neighborhoods, guided by the coolest couple in town, my stepson and his girlfriend. From their apartment in North Hollywood we hopped on the metro to Silver Lake, marveling at the stores of furniture, clothing, books, shoes and art, …when suddenly our guides mentioned a spice store…

You know what happens when a dog’s laying around in a pleasant state, minding his own business, and someone drops the word “cookie” in a conversation? The ears pop up, the head twists, and the inquisitive eyes tell it all: “Cookie? Did someone say … cookie”?

I didn’t wag my tail, but I was ready to “woof!” It wasn’t easy to control my enthusiasm because, after all, I’d left all my spices – three drawers of spices– 1,345 miles behind. And I needed a whiff of at least the basic aromas. Having visited Penzey’s in the Bay Area, I didn’t expect to be awed, but I underestimated: Spice Station is a fragrant dream of a store!

Inside a hidden courtyard, with doors wide open, enticing smells waft around and invite you to step inside and enjoy what they have to offer. Do you like masala mixes? I thought I knew them all, but a couple of theirs were new to me. Have you heard of Urfa Biber? I hadn’t. Care for special salts? You’re in for a treat of smoked and infused salts that you can sample at will (I brought home smoked Yakima Applewood). Dried peppers, curry mixes, barbecue rubs, endless herbs, seeds, pods, and a huge selection of teas. They sell a rare Chinese white green tea, “pai mu tan, ” that’s hard to find except from special tea importers (it’s my favorite!).

Not only does the Spice Station carry an amazing stock, but they’re all elegantly displayed in beautiful bottles, perfectly spaced on charming wooden shelves. The owners and staff are super friendly, knowledgeable, fun to chat with… and patient! The poor guy in charge of my order didn’t even blink at my long list of spices. He stood by the balance, weighing away, writing and labeling and moving to the next spice… and the next… and the next….

Between tasting, choosing and chatting the time flew by, but, in this lovely environment the gentlemen didn’t seem to mind… 😉

So if you’re a spice lover then stop by Spice Station next time you’re in LA. If you’re far from LaLa-Land, then take a look at their Etsy store for your next order. I’ll be back by again and again… there’s a Vintage Merlot salt that’s calling my name! 😉

SPICE STATION
3819 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 660-2565

ONE YEAR AGO: The Lighter Side of Meatloaf

9Sep2010

YES, WE CAN (on the GRIDDLE)

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

I wish I could say that I made this dish, but the credit goes to my dear husband, who prepared petrale sole filets on our griddle, something we’ve never attempted before. Our default method for this fish is the classic “sole meuniere“, which is ready in minutes in a luscious butter sauce, with lemon, parsley and capers. Healthwise, it’s a bit of a wash: the fish is so light and healthy, but it’s swimming in butter… Nevertheless, the taste is awesome (worth every molecule of saturated fat it contains).

Seriously. this griddled alternative was absolutely delicious, undoubtedly also from the high quality of the fish. It’s so nice to have a fish monger nearby!

GRIDDLE-FRIED FILET OF PETRALE SOLE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

filets of sole
lemon juice
all purpose flour
salt and pepper
vegetable oil to coat the griddle
(small pad of butter, optiional)

Rinse the fish briefly, dry with paper towels. Sprinkle a little lemon juice all over the filets and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each filet in salted/peppered flour or very carefully shake the filets in a paper bag with seasoned flour.

Coat the surface of the griddle with a tablespoon of oil, set it at maximum temperature (ours goes to 400F), and cook each filet about 5 min per side, until both sides are golden brown and the fish is cooked through. In the last couple of minutes squeeze some lemon and drop a small pad of butter among the filets, if you like. Serve with lemon wedges.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: When your are fortunate enough to find fresh petrale sole, the less you mess with it, the better it will be. It’s such a terrific, delicate fish, don’t suffocate it with powerful flavors. We were amazed by how well the griddle fried it. In a sautee pan, even with high heat, the coating may become soggy. This doesn’t pose a problem in a classic sole meuniere, because the pan sauce coats the fish and distracts from the texture. Griddle-frying, on the other hand, resulted in crisp, dry filets that weren’t greasy, and the lemon juice sealed the meal. Amazing that we had to travel a thousand miles to a downsized kitchen to discover this way to cook a fish filet!

ONE YEAR AGO: Barm Bread

6Sep2010

THE NANO-KITCHEN

Posted in General by sallybr

I’ve been getting emails asking for photos of our new kitchen, and the challenges it presents. It took me a while but now I can finally introduce you to the nano-kitchen.

This is the entrance…

The microwave was already in the house, and living next to it now is our Breville espresso machine – we could not leave it behind, for obvious reasons. Nothing beats a nice capuccino to start the day. And no one makes a better one than my beloved private barista.

We have a great countertop area to work now, thanks to my stepson and his girlfriend, who just moved to a smaller apartment in LA, and had to get rid of their kitchen island – it has storage space underneath and a cool side storage for knives. Without it, we would be in real bad shape. Are we lucky, or what? Big thank you to C & C, the coolest couple in Los Angeles!

The trickiest part: doing the dishes in the nano-sink…

Another item we could not leave without: the Penguin carbonator! We go through at least two bottles of carbonated water each day, so we’ve been making our own for the past 2 years. No more wasting glass or plastic bottles of Perrier or club soda. Our Penguin goes wherever we go. We are forever in debt with our dear friend Marie-Louise, who insisted we should get one.

Some details to make the kitchen a bit more functional…

The dining table right next to the kitchen area… we turned the table sideways to gain space in the room, as it’s just the two of us here.

We love our window, and the sunlight that peeks through the living room, or should I say the “one and only room?” 😉

We’ve been here for 9 days only. I sometimes open the cabinets searching for my own china, my plastic containers to put leftovers in the freezer, or my lemon juicer (that I cannot believe I left behind). But little by little, the house on the hill starts to feel like home. Home is indeed wherever I’m with the one I love. And that’s the way I like my life to be.