What's for dinner....Scallops

I was just on the east coast and cooked this for my family.  We had an amazing seafood night (pics to come).  This, however, is a great go to dish for entertaining.....it looks pretty, all professional and fancy, and tastes so good, you're friends will be impressed. Promise.

To get a good sear on the scallops two things must happen....

They must be DRY.  When I get them home from the store, I place them on a plate between paper towels. This gets all the excess moisture out of them.  This, my lovelies, is a key step. Also make sure they aren't super cold. Set them out for a few minutes.
Second, the pan must be hot.  Cold scallops in a cold pan equals no good. No sear. No carmelization. Don't do it.

Season the scallops with salt and pepper and place in the pan that's been drizzled with olive oil. Sear for a minute or two on each side. 

 Meanwhile have you potatoes or parsnips or cauliflower boiling in water for you mash base. This time I used potatoes and a few parsnips. Mash, add butter, cream....all the good stuff. Season. Potatoes love salt and under salted mashed potatoes are blah. Keep salting, keep tasting. For really smooth potatoes like you see at restaurants, use more butter and blend with a mixer, handheld or upright.

For mushroom topping......chop mushrooms into tiny pieces. Any mushrooms work, I like to use a few different kinds for texture.....brown button, shitake and oyster but use whatever. In a hot pan with a bit o butter and olive oil add chopped garlic and shallots. Add mushrooms.

Don't stir around. Let them brown. . Now, you can skip this step if ya want less calories but it adds a bit of richness and who the hell cares..... add a bit of cream (FYI I did not use cream in these pics). Sprinkle with chopped parsley and a drizzle of truffle oil and top the scallops with the mixture.

Now listen...."Oh my god, you're such a good chef, this is amazing , best scallops ever" etc.

My Thanksgiving.....

marinating the turkey breast the night before

stuffing butter under the skin

making gravy

pretty bird

butternut squash roasted with rosemary

Pasta Class at The New School of Cooking

Making pasta dough myself has always been a hit or miss process as I am self taught through reading books.  Wanting to make sure I know exactly what I'm doing, I wanted to take a class to get the dough right every time.  This class was super fun, informative and made the process pretty foolproof....and of course now I NEED the Kitchen Aid mixer pasta attachment. Hello family members and boyfriend!  Christmas is coming wink wink!

Here's what we made:

Leeks and shallots were sauteed and added to a cream sauce

ricotta, chard filling for ravioli

Fresh rolled out pasta sheets

Butternut squash filled and topped with rosemary brown butter sauce. Heaven. 

making raviloi

filled with mushrooms in a pancetta, pea cream sauce

filled with meat (pork and sirloin)

So fun to make. Even more fun to eat.

The New School of Cooking
Culver City, Ca
click here for website

Another easy dinner with stuff ya have lying around in the fridge.....Chicken Parmesean

Surely, if you read my blog, you know I hate following recipes.  I have learned to cook by tasting as I go, adding what I have or what I like and experimenting. Yes, experimentation....don't be scerrrred.

This chicken parm recipe requires no recipe AND it can be made in about 15 minutes.  (Did I mention Chicken Parm is Ryan's favorite food? Yep, it is.) Best of all, I didn't have to shop for any of the ingredients, they were in my pantry. Except the chicken...duh.


If you read my blog, you know I don't like to waste food and I try to repurpose it if I can.  I always turn my  old bread into breadcrumbs before it molds but is too hard for sandwiches.  Having breadcrumbs around is handy for so many things....if you didn't read the post,  check it . If you don't have breadcrumbs, try and keep Panko in your pantry. Panko is a fine Japanese bread crumb that gets really crispy.

I also always have tomatoes canned from the summer  (or from the store)  in my pantry to make a quick sauce.

All ya do is......
1. Pour the chopped tomatoes from the can into a skillet on med-hi heat
2. Add chopped garlic and a drizzle of olive oil
3. Add fresh or dried basil
4. Add salt and if you like spice like I do, cayenne or chili flakes
TASTE
5. Add a pinch of sugar or two if you think it needs a hint of sweet ( I love slightly sweet with a hint of heat)
Turn heat down and let simmer for about 15 minutes for flavors to meld.

TIP:
Listening to opera while cooking Italian food makes it taste MUCH more authentic as well. Promise.

   Then set up a dipping station.  Beat an egg for the egg wash, a flour station and a breadcrumb station.   Can't remember the order of what to do first?  Just remember : FEB.  Like the month.

Flour. Egg. Breadcrumb.
Pound out the chicken breasts so they are thin and cook quickly.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Flour the chicken breasts lightly. Dip in egg wash. Coat in breadcrumbs.
Place in a hot skillet with canola oil. DO NOT use olive oil. It burns too easily. Other oils, canola, peanut, vegetable etc have a higher smoke point. Olive oil is great for a quick sautee but not this.
Since the chicken is thin, it shouldn't take long to cook.  Once breading is brown and crispy, flip.

Now coat the chicken in your delicious, home made sauce  and sprinkle some mozzarella on top of that.  You can pair with spaghetti with is the usual combo or simply like I did with some arugula topped with sea salt and balsamic.

Feeling Southern: Shrimp & Grits

Let me start by saying that I have never made this before.  However, I am technically from the south (MD is S of the mason dixon line, still a stretch, I know) so I should at least try.  I never ate grits growing up, no one in my family ever made them. However, steamed shrimp, yes, pretty much a staple at any family gathering.  Cheesy grits with bacon just sounded so good to me, I had to have them for dinner.  So....went to the grocery store to buy shrimp. Check. Tried to find grits....some sort of quick cook variety. No luck. Hmmmmmm where were the grits?  I realized that grits were just cornmeal anyway and bought a big box of the white kind.

Cornmeal, Grits, polenta......can be very temperamental.  You don't want it to seize up on you.  To keep this from happening, you must add the grits to the boiling water slowly while you whisk.  Sometimes I have the man friend pour while I wisk, just to be sure.  So, boil water....about 5-6 cups. Salt the water. You need about 1  1/2 cups cornmeal added slowly to the water. Whisk, baby, whisk. Once it's all incorporated, you can use a wooden spoon, making sure to get the sides and the bottom stirred in so it doesn't burn.  Turn your heat down a bit.  It should be ok for a few minutes.....

 Sautee onions and leeks in olive oil. (green parts-make sure they are washed...leeks are dirty buggers)
Cook til onions are soft. Add shrimp  (my shrimp were marinating in white wine, olive oil, garlic and red chili flakes)  Salt those shrimps. CHECK YOUR GRITS AND STIR FOR A FEW MINUTES.

 Next, I added a touch of white wine to the pan, a bit of heavy cream and a teaspoon of butter. Cooked until the shrimp were pink so literally only a few minutes. To the grits, I added cream, (about 1/4-1/2 cup) Just add until consistency is creamy. Then about 3 teaspoons of butter cut into chunks. Finally, I added some white cheddar (see first pic) and cooked bacon that I crumbled. Total cooking time on the grits is about 25  minutes. Taste as you cook, add salt if you need to the grits. I can't stress this enough. Taste, taste, taste.

Pour the grits in a bowl and spoon the shrimp mixture over it.  This shit will make you wanna go to church on Sunday. Seriously, enlightening what butter and cream can do. Obvi, if you're crazy and don't praise the lard, you can omit the bacon. It seems to be hiding in my grits but it's in there.  Hallelujah!
If you find yourself speaking with a southern twang after this meal, just blame it on the grits.

Veggie Stew...perfect for the cold weather.

Sometimes I open my fridge to find it's pretty empty.  Bummer. No protein, no coca cola (my secret addiction), maybe a veggie or two ready to head to my compost pile.....In these instances, I try to make do with what I do have because I hate wasting food. I have learned to keep my pantry pretty stocked...it's contents? Penne Pasta, tins of anchovies, cans of garbanzo beans, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, dried beans, quinoa, nuts, Thai noodles, canned artichoke hearts, soba noodles, instant miso soup, cous cous....heck I can think of a few pretty awesome dishes I could make if nothing fresh was available to me.

I mentioned this dish before, a dish that Gjelina is responsible for.  Chickpea Stew
However, I also find that throwing whatever veggies you have handy makes a homey, comforting, winter dish.  (Almost as comforting as listening to a Kelly Clarkson album during a breakup)
The base of each stew is the same. Chickpeas (garbanzos) and Israeli (Pearl) cous cous.  A few months ago, I used okra, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. This week, I used butternut squash and sauteed kale.

Chop and sautee veggies in olive oil.  Squash is everywhere right now and the sweetness of a butternut squash works really well with the cumin yogurt.
Top with greek yogurt that you have added cumin to (and cayenne if you want some heat) .

Cuddle up on the couch and if you're like my sister, cry that Regis is leaving daytime television.

Things that happen in my neighborhood: The Red Hot Chili Peppers perform on a roof

I was on facebook when I read a post saying that in 5 minutes the Chili Peppers would be playing on a rooftop in Venice down the street from my house.  It was a weekend, so the bf and I grabbed our bikes and headed down the boardwalk.  We could hear them before we could see them....the music was loud and the people were starting to gather. We picked a spot close to the beach so we could look up comfortably and watch them perform.  They were actually filming a video for the song "Rain Dance Maggie", their new single.  In between filming, they actually played a few songs to the crowd.  Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Give it Away brought a bigger crowd and everyone was dancing.  The party lasted about 2 hours until the sun went down.  Super fun time. Check out the videos I took.....

Rage Area plays The Savoy at The New Noise Music Festival in Santa Barbara

Had a great time with the guys! Check out some footage of our trip......

The Panama Project: Bocas del Toro Part 8

The Panama Project: Bocas del Toro Part 7

One of my favorite ways to make potatoes...crispy Pomme Anna

Potatoes are, in fact, my favorite. As are nail decals, skinny boys and pomeranians on youtube.   Every time I make 'em mashed for dinner (the potatoes, not the pomeranians) , I make extra for breakfast the next morning.  There is nothing better than creamy, buttery, potato goodness (except pomeranian puppy videos on youtube) So homey, so comforting.......

However, I also enjoy the crispness of a french fry. Fried potatoes are just SO GOOD. So when I'm feeling in between and want the crispy outside with delicious inside, I make this dish. Plus, it looks so pretty it always impresses people. And it practically makes itself. I have no idea why this "Anna" person has a potato dish named after her, but she must have been pretty special annnnnd probably liked pomeranians as well.
The only work you do is the slicing.
You need to have a mandoline for this because you want your potato slices very thin. You need to see through them, like they could be potato chips. Put your mandoline on the thinnest setting and slice away. If you don't have a mandoline, put it on your Christmas list bc it will change your life. Seriously. Thin potato slices in just seconds  (if you do change your mind, you could throw them in oil and make chips, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with truffle oil or season with old bay. So many options but I digress.....)

Take a cast iron skillet and melt butter to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a few sprigs of thyme to the butter. Keep on low to med heat while you add the potato slices in a circle. When one layer is done, season with salt and pepper. Add another layer and this time spread around bits of butter (you don't have to butter every layer, it will be too much, every other is good).   Or melt some butter and drizzle that around every other layer.

Add layers and season.

 You need to have at least 5 layers......while you are layering, the heat is crisping and cooking the bottom layer.

 After you have enough layers, place in a 350-400 degree over for about 40 min. When browned and edges look crispy, it probably done.

 Here's the fun "ooooooo ahhhhhh" moment. Flip the skillet onto a cutting board. You might need assistance if the skillet is as heavy as mine.  Look how pretty.......

 Top and bottom are crispy and inside is soft and buttery.

 Sometimes I will drizzle with truffle oil........

And also, you may wanna click on this.  Cutest shit ever. 

POMERANIAN PUPPIES!