Shrimp with Chive Butter

Here's a quick and simple dish for your next party, or a light Sunday lunch if you're like me. It's fantastically easy and quick and the flavor is awesome! I don't know what else to say about them, they are really good. So instead I want to talk about one of my favorite movies ever. Some people tend to think that I am a bit of a Scrooge at this time of year, but I'm not. It's just that, for me, the holidays are bittersweet. However, any time I pop in the movie Love Actually, I am reminded that it really is a time to celebrate and be happy with the people you love. I remember when I went to the theater and I was by myself watching the movie and laughing and crying like a baby. To this day, I still have the same reaction! If for some strange reason you have not seen it, please go rent this amazing movie. It will put a smile on even the grumpiest of faces, and lest I sound cheesy, it will warm your heart as well.



Shrimp with Chive Butter
(Adapted from Epicurious)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Juice from 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
18 uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied
Whole chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat broiler. Place mustard in bowl; whisk in lemon juice, then melted butter. Add chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange shrimp on broiler pan. Brush with some of butter mixture. Broil until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Arrange on plates and garnish with whole chives. Serve with remaining butter.

Rosemary Foccacia

For the last couple of months, I have been baking loaves of faster no knead bread almost every week. I have done it so often, I don't even need to look at the recipe anymore. However, I have been noticing other recipes for breads that I wanted to try. Natalie of the amazing blog Hot Off the Garlic Press, recently posted this delicious post-Thanksgiving sandwich, but the bread recipe is what really caught my eye. Yesterday was the perfect day for cooking and baking. It was cool and gloomy and rain was threatened. I really like staying in and baking on days like that. To me, it feels more like the holidays than the eighty plus degree weather that's expected in a couple of days. I know, I shouldn't be complaining...I'm going to Hawaii for Christmas, but still. Anyway, I cooked up a bunch of things and have some easy recipes coming up for holiday entertaining. I feel like the holiday parties just sneak up on you and then all of a sudden you have like four parties in one day. It's tough being so popular, but I manage ;) Back to the bread. It's a really simple and delicious recipe. I only modified it slightly by using some whole wheat flour and sprinkling the top with some kosher salt. It didn't get quite as brown as I wanted it so I think next time, I may play around with the cooking time. Focaccia is really an easy bread to make and takes way less time than even the faster no knead bread. If you haven't tried it, you should really whip up a batch soon.



Rosemary Foccacia
(Adapted slightly from Hot Off the Garlic Press)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package active yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup very warm water

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

In a small bowl, mix together the white and whole wheat flours. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of the flour, the rosemary, the sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons

of the olive oil and the warm water. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is soft, and leaves the sides of the bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 5-8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and springy. Take the first bowl and spray it lightly with cooking spray, then place the dough back in to rise. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until almost double, about 30 minutes. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Gently deflate dough. Make the dough into a big circle. Brush the remaining olive oil across the dough, while using your fingers, make little dents all the way across the dough allowing the oil seep in. Let the dough rise once more, about another 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400 and bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Grate the cheese on top right as it comes out of the oven.

Coxinha

A little while ago, a friend of mine asked (begged) me to make coxinha. What are coxinha you ask? Well, they are fried chicken pastries in the shape of little drumsticks (clearly mine don't look like drumsticks..I'm a novice!). This local restaurant make some of the best coxinha I have ever tried. Actually, I think they are the only coxinha I have ever tried. The ingredient list for these is simple enough, but the process can take quite a while. I definitely do not suggest making these after you have had several cocktails and nothing to eat all day except candy and popcorn like I did yesterday! Raul let me borrow his little deep fryer which made these much easier to make. Although I read the recipe completely through a few times, I still ran into some snags. The boiling of chicken and chopping is very straightforward. However, when it comes time to make the dough, that's when things get strange. I ended up just reheating the stock and chicken and stirring in the flour to make a dough. That's what I did when I made zeppole last year so I thought it would work with this. However, I found the dough to be extremely sticky and difficult to work with so I added much more flour to the mix. Also, in re-reading the recipe, I realized I forgot the egg whites. Even though I halved everything else, I ended up using much closer to the three cups of flour called for in the original recipe. Even with the halved recipe, I had about eighteen of these little balls. They are very filling so I suggest you make them for a party instead of your Saturday late night dinner. One last note. The chicken filling makes more than you will need for the recipe. I am saving mine to use in taquitos or quesadillas or something, so stay tuned!


Oh, I had the opportunity to go to a screening of the insanely amazing movie Milk the other day. if you haven't already seen it, I strongly suggest you get out to your local movie theater and catch this wonderful, inspiring film straight away!

Coxinha
(Adapted from Recipe Zaar)

1 1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 chicken bullion cube
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 -2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
Breadcrumbs

Cut chicken breasts into 2-inch cubes, and place in a saucepan with onion, garlic, butter, stock cube, salt and pepper and 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Strain the solids from the broth, retaining the broth and the solids. Finely chop the chicken to make the filling. Add the parsely and green onion to the chicken.

Measure the remaining broth into a saucepan. You will need 1 1/2 xups so make it up with extra water. Add the chicken mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Add all the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for one minute until the dough becomes stiff. Remove the dough from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Turn the dough out to a floured board and knead until the dough is smooth, adding more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Using your hands or a tablespoon, break the dough into pieces. Pat flat, and place a piece of cream cheese in the center of the dough. Fold the dough up around the cheese and roll in the breadcrumsb.

Deep fry for 8 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Drain on towels and sprinkle with kosher salt. Serve warm.

Penne with Pesto, Mascarpone, and Bacon

I cannot tell you how happy I am that it's Friday! I feel like this week was incredibly slow, but at the same time Friday arrived very quickly. Are you guys doing anything fun on your weekend? The next week or so I am trying to clear out my fridge and freezer. I mostly just cook for myself so if I make tons of food, I freeze it. Like this pesto from when I made pizzas last month. Yesterday's salad was the appetizer for this delicious and quick dinner, and I had enough leftovers for lunch. I loved the light creaminess that the mascarpone added and I felt that just the tablespoon of pesto was enough for the amount of pasta. I didn't want the dish to be drowning in sauce. I find that it is easier to cook the bacon and then chop it once it has cooled, but by all means, prepare it however you want. Or you could sub in sausage or tofu or whatever your heart desires. Alright, it's time to go get ready for work. Hopefully there won't be another strip club fire to make my two mile commute last two hours. Have a good one!



Penne with Pesto, Mascarpone, and Bacon
(Adapted from Carmen Cooks)

1/2 lb whole wheat penne
1 tablespoon pesto
1 teaspoon Mascarpone cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water just in case. Toss the pesto and mascarpone with the pasta. Add some of the reserved pasta water if the mixture is too dry. Stir in the bacon. Serve hot.

Fennel with Oranges and Pomegranates

I am experiencing a bit of writer's block. I wanted to write something nice and flowery about this salad, but my mind is drawing a blank. Instead I am going to ramble a bit about how much I love Mario Batali. When I first started watching Molto Mario back in college I didn't know much about the flame haired man with the funny shoes (pre-Crocs) who claimed he was Italian. But then I started really paying attention to the show and what he was actually saying. I learned a lot about food and cooking from him and the random guests he used to have on his show. Does anyone else remember Jake Gyllenhaal sitting at that bench? Well I recently came across this recipe and knew I just had to make it soon. I loved the combination of the citrus flavors with the anise-y fennel and sweet and tart pomegranate seeds. For me the crunch is always a big factor in salads and this is good. Really good. I wish Raul had found blood oranges, but I don't think they are quite ready yet. Also, I used shaved Parmesan instead of pecorino which at first seemed like a weird addition, but it really worked well with this. This is a great fall/winter salad!

Grammy nominations came out yesterday. Guess which favorite artist of mine scored four noms? You go girl!

Fennel with Oranges, Parmesan, and Pomegranates
(Adapted from Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home by Mario Batali)

Makes 2 servings

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, and several fennel fronds set aside
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A hunk of Parmesan for shaving

Slice the fennel into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Place in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the orange segments, pomegranate seeds, and fennel fronds and gently toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the fennel salad on plates. Shave the Parmesan over each plate and serve.

Frisee Lardon

I finally got the energy to cook last night, after a super busy day yesterday! I saved this recipe recently and I am so glad Daul finally delivered my farmers market goods so I could make it. It's heavily adapted from Nancy Silverton who is one of my Los Angeles heroes. I have yet to dine at either of the Mozzas or at Campanile (sacrilege, I know, but I like almost never go out), but from what I hear they are pretty fantastic and if this recipe is any indication of what I have yet to experience, I can't wait to go! This is a pretty quick and easy recipe to prepare. I left out the bread because I didn't have any and haven't had time to make any since I have been back. Such is the life of a Hollywood gal. Haha, yeah RIGHT!! In case you haven't noticed, I am quite the opposite of a Hollywood gal. This is such a good recipe to have on hand. It's a pretty simple combination of ingredients, but the flavors are out of this world. Some time I will have to try this with the bread suggested in the original recipe.



Frisee Lardon
(Adapted from Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book)

4 slices bacon, sliced
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, hardboiled
1/2 small head radicchio, cut into large pieces
1 small bunch frisee, core removed, pulled apart into small bunches
1 teaspoon bacon fat
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

In a medium pan over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain the bacon on towels and reserve one teaspoon of the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the Dijon mustard and balsamic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute and until combined. Remove the vinaigrette from the heat and stir in the bacon.

Divide the frisee and radicchio between two plates. Top with the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Top with sliced hardboiled eggs.

Pie Picture

I got back to town last night tired from the reunion and travelin. With almost five hundred items to catch up with in Google Reader and having to wake up early this morning, I wasn't much in the mood to cook last night. Here's a picture of a pie JenFinn made for the Thanksgiving potluck. I managed to snap a pic just before I had to leave for the airport. It's a caramel apple pecan pie (I think). I am sure one day she will send me the recipe. Enjoy and have a Happy Monday!!

Dumpling Noodle Soup

I survived the reunion!! It actually wasn't as hideous as I thought it would be. Haha. Anyway, right before the turkey holiday, rain was in the forecast. It was pretty much the first semblance of fall in our perpetually sunny So Cal year. Since work was dead, my boss let me leave early and I knew I was going to go right home, get in my pajamas and make this soup. I know it can sound kind of funky to be using ramen from college days, but you toss out that nasty "flavor packet" and cook the noodles in broth. I make vegetable broth every so often so that is what I used for this, but chicken broth is fine too. This is the perfect, inexpensive way to warm up on a (slightly) colder night. It's filling and delicious and you can customize this so may different ways. I was going to add some shrimp to this, but I found the dumplings and noodles to be enough. It reminded me of one of my favorite dining out soups which is the miso ramen soup from Chin Chin. This definitely rivaled that soup in flavor and the price was way better! I'm about to head back to LA so hopefully Raul completed my farmers market list and I will have delicious, fresh recipes to bring you the rest of the week. Is it just me or did this long weekend go by too quickly?


Dumpling Noodle Soup
(Adapted from Serious Eats)

Makes about 2 servings

2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 scallions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2-inch sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
4-5 dumplings, depending on size
1 package ramen noodles (flavor is unimportant as you toss out that packet)
1 bunch baby bok choy
Toasted sesame oil for drizzling

Bring the broth, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to a boil over medium heat. Reserve some raw scallions for topping the soup.

Add the noodles and cook for about 2 minutes or until they begin to loosen up. Add the dumplings and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until they are warmed through. Stir in the bok choy and cook for another minute.

Divide among soup bowls and top with scallions. Drizzle lightly with sesame oil.

November Daring Bakers: Caramel Cake (or Cupcakes)

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend with people you love and that you're eating too much!! It's also time for another Daring Bakers post. November's challenge was hosted by Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity, Alex of Blondie and Brownie, and Jenny of Foray into Food. Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go helped with the gluten free edition. The challenge, which I accepted, was to bake Shuna Fish Lydon's famous caramel cake with the optional challenge of making Alice Medrich's golden vanilla bean caramels from her book Pure Dessert.

Let me tell you, I was super deluxe nervous about making this recipe. Last month, I mentioned that I suck at candy making and this recipe called for caramel in several ways. There was caramel syrup in the cake and frosting, and of course, being the overachiever in the kitchen that I have been known to be, of course I was going to try making the golden caramels. My first concern was when to make the cake and how to make the cake. The original recipe called for a tall baking pan which I do not have. The other concern was deciding whether to bake the cake for myself or my friends. Luckily, JenFinn decided to host a potluck (which was one of our biggest) at the beginning of the month so the when was not so much an issue. To make this recipe more potluck friendly, I changed it a little to make cupcakes (which many Daring Bakers ended up doing). A little bit of research (and very helpful advice from my fellow bakers), turned me on to this article by David Lebovitz. I realized that my main problem when making the dreadful pepita brittle was that I was using organic sugar. In his article, David explains that one of the secrets to making caramel is to use a white, refined sugar. Lesson learned.

The first part of the recipe that I tried was the caramel syrup that was needed for the cake and for the icing. I found this to be quite easy compared to some of the other Daring Bakers. I have an intense fear of burning things, so I didn't let this syrup get quite as amber in color as others, but I also didn't burn it. I made the syrup the night before the cakes kept it in a jar in the refrigerator until I made the cakes (I still have some left!). Later that same night, I attempted the caramels. The recipe for the caramels calls for something called golden syrup. I have never heard of or seen golden syrup, but my trusty Google led me to a site that said you can use half light corn syrup and half honey to get something that resembles golden syrup so that's what I did. I cooked my caramels to 260 and then poured them into a pan to let them cool. I made two mistakes that night. 1) I really wish I had cooked the caramels to 265 to make a firmer caramel, the ones I made were very soft blobs, 2) I kept tasting the caramels (and burning my fingers) as they cooled. I could not get enough of the flavor of these things. SO INCREDIBLY GOOD! I have never been a huge fan of caramels, but if you get a chance to make these sometime, I strongly suggest you do so. Again, I wish I had cooked mine to a firmer temperature. It was kind of a bitch getting these into wrappers and they kept turning into caramel blobs instead of the lovely squares I cut them into, but all was forgiven once I popped the sugary goodness in my mouth.

The last two parts of the challenge were the cake itself and the brown butter buttercream icing. I found the cake recipe to be very straightforward and the easiest part of the recipe. The only thing I really had to modify was the cooking time because I made cupcakes instead of a full cake. The frosting was...interesting. The measurements were vague and many people were complaining of the overwhelming sweetness in the final recipe. I absolutely hate when things are too sweet so instead of the pound of confectioners sugar called for in the recipe, I only used two cups. I added the beans from a one inch piece of vanilla to give the icing some more flavor and those lovely flecks of vanilla. I also used about a teaspoon of sea salt to counteract the sweetness of the recipe. I topped each cupcake with a caramel blob and I think the flavors all complimented each other nicely.

And there you have it. These seemed to be a big hit at the potluck, but it could have been my friends lying to me, paired with the copious amounts of wine and the thrill of our monster version of Mafia, the game (to this day I maintain my innocence as a townsperson). Again, I hope you are having a most fantastic Thanksgiving weekend. I am off to my highschool reunion. GAH!! Has it really been 10 years already?!?! Enjoy the long weekend. If you would like to see how the other Daring Bakers interpreted this cake, check out the blogroll. To get the full recipes, please visit the sites of any of our hosts.

Pomegranate Cream Scones

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with candy kisses and tryptophan dreams. I enjoyed a wonderful time with family and friends and a fabulous mix of traditional Thanksgiving and awesome Ghanian dishes. A couple of days ago I got to leave work early. I cleaned and did stuff around the house (including watching Romy and Michele's in preparation for my night tomorrow), but then I was restless. I can never sit still so I decided to bake something. I realized that I hadn't made scones in a while and all of a sudden, I had a strong urge to make them. There is something about cutting butter into flour that is really comforting to me. I know, I am weird, but anyway...on to the scones. They are similar to the pound cake in that the juicy bits of pomegranate are so tasty throughout a fluffy and moist scone. This time I used lemon zest because I had a couple of lemons that were thisclose to going bad. This was a fabulously easy pomegranate recipe and I really love baking with those juicy seeds. The scones were moist and flaky and the vanilla sugar on top added a nice crunch. I really hope you are staying in somewhere nice and warm (versus being out in the crazy shopping day). If you are out and about celebrating Black Friday, I hope you are getting some wonderful deals. Happy Friday!

PS, Since I am away from my regular computer, it may take me a little longer to reply to comments, but I AM reading them and please know they are much appreciated as always!!



Pomegranate Cream Scones

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds from a POM Wonderful fresh pomegranate
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
Vanilla sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in lemon zest and pomegranate seeds.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and the cream together with a fork. Add to the flour mixture and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a round, about 1-inch thick. Cut into equal sized wedges. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.