tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21841005846370618162024-02-19T22:39:06.851-08:00Jamie All WeekExperimenting Jamie Oliver's recipes every weeknight for one monthDiane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-61510741598461879572009-08-10T17:30:00.000-07:002009-08-10T17:35:01.429-07:00<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2645/3787560671_eb5a44a771.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="139_3912" /><br /><i>Curried Cauliflower Fritters with Parsley and Lemon Juice</i> <br /><br />When it comes to cauliflower, I am always torn. Cauliflower always presents itself as a paradox of sorts. From the way it smells to the way it looks to what I expect it to taste like–all scenarios, without fail, result in unexpected satisfaction and enjoyment. I liken the experience salad-making. My self-assembled salad never tastes as good as one prepared for me by someone else. Aloo gobi via Bombay Grill (local Indian spot) is infinitely better than <a href="http://jamieallweek.blogspot.com/2009/06/aloo-gobhi-on-its-way-to-oven-for-some.html">the one I made at home</a>. <br /><br />My Hamlet moment came when I was at the farmer’s market and was presented with the most anatomically correct cauliflower with a delicate, beautiful green stem. “To cook, or not to cook…” The question loomed. Luckily, I was only contemplating Monday night dinner and not death, so I bought it. Life is all about trials and tribulations anyway. And by trials and tribulations, I mean “possibly vomit-inducing foods”. <br /><br />And as usual, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Jamie Oliver</span> comes to the rescue. I scoured his books/website for the perfect recipe, one out of left-field that wouldn’t completely disguise the cauliflower’s flavor and texture. After all, this little guy was farmer’s market-fresh! <br /><br />His <a href=”http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/curried-cauliflower-fritters”>curried cauliflower fritters recipe</a> jumped out at me. My spice cabinet is rampant with Indian spices, and this dish called for black mustard seeds, whole cumin seeds, and turmeric. This was also a great opportunity for me to test out my new mortar and pestle! Nerd alert!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/3787561365_d76cb95b58.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3875" /><br /><i>Me and my roommates spice cabinet, after our journey through the Spice Route</i><br /><br />The batter was incredibly easy to whip up. The infusion of beer and flour reminded me of the beer-battered fish I made for tacos one night. With the addition of spices however, this version had way more depth and character. <b>Side note:</b> I think I may try this batter out with fish and tofu next time. <br /><br />Deep-frying the cauliflower was probably the only tedious part. <b>Tip:</b> Get a <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/6-diameter-Bamboo-Skimmer-Strainer/dp/B00012F3U4”>spider</a>, those brass mesh skimmers popularized by Chinese cooks. It will take the load off of lifting deep-fried foods out of blistering hot oil. Yes, I said, “blistering”. Mind the hot oil, people. <br /><br />Anyway, I was really satisfied with the results. Shockingly enough, the cauliflower as prepared by moi, tasted good. No, not just good. Delicious! With a bottle of Duvel and some squirts of lemon, the pub-friendly cauliflower fritters were just the thing to have on a Monday night–in front of the TV of course. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2649/3787560301_1beaa6db9b.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="138_3877" /><br />When I see this photo, Michael Jackson’s “Gonna Be Startin’ Something” comes to mind. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2437/3787560407_e13dab8949.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3881" /><br />Up close and personal (and spicy!).<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/3787560217_f793c2d35e.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="139_3901" /><br />I may have to just use this as a stock photo for recipes involving cake/pancake batter or custard. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/3788370052_c8335c3241.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="139_3920" /><br />Screw Monday night yoga classes. Here’s to my current “work hard, play hard” mentality. <br /><br /><u>RECIPE</u><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />•1 cauliflower<br />•flour, for dusting<br />• vegetable oil<br />• optional: a small piece of potato, peeled<br />• a small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked<br />• sea salt<br />• 1 lemon<br /><br />for the batter<br />• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds<br />• 2–3 dried red chillies<br />• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns<br />• 200g self-raising flour<br />• ½ teaspoon turmeric<br />• 350ml cold beer<br />• sea salt</span><br /><br />Trim the bottom off the stalk and break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Slice up the stalk into 2cm pieces – this way it will all cook at the same rate. Wash the cauliflower, drain it and pat dry with kitchen paper. Place the cauliflower pieces in a bowl and dust with a little flour.<br /><br />Pour the oil into a deep saucepan – you want it to be about 10–12cm deep – and heat it to 180°C. If you don’t have a thermometer don't worry, just drop a piece of potato into the oil. When it floats to the surface and starts to sizzle, the oil will be at the right temperature so remove the potato from the pan.<br /><br />Shake any excess flour off the cauliflower. One by one, dip the pieces into the beer batter, then carefully place them in the hot oil, moving them away from you as you do so. Make sure you stand back so you don’t get splashed. It’s best to fry them in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan (but serve them as soon as each batch is ready). Each time a batch of cauliflower is nearly ready, add some battered parsley leaves to the pan and fry for 40 seconds (you want to serve them scattered over the fritters). Fry the pieces gently, turning them a couple of times with a slotted spoon. When they’re browned and crisp, lift them out of the oil, allowing any excess to drip back into the pan, and drain on kitchen paper. Dust with sea salt and squeeze over a little lemon juice.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-27216268882862712602009-08-03T17:53:00.000-07:002009-08-03T17:59:35.689-07:00I'm back!<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3785948411_d0a7f81972.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3607" /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><a href=” http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/salad-recipes/farro-salad-with-roasted-veg-insalata-di”>Insalalata di faro con verdure</a> </span><br /><br />My boss, Katie, has built and impressive track record of cooking during the week, despite her stressful job which often results in late nights at the office. Somehow, she still manages to chef it up in the kitchen. As her assistant, I reap the benefits of her culinary adventures (today, it was a blueberry tart with a crust made from scratch). Recently, she had a farro epiphany that inspired her to make a grilled vegetable farro salad, which she shared with me and which I fell fast and hard in love with. I decided to try my hand at a similar recipe, by <span style="font-weight:bold;">Mr. Jamie Oliver</span>, that required roasted vegetables and farro. <br /><br />Farro is a grain similar to barley; it’s an ancient spelt grain that used to be ubiquitously grown in the BCs but now, mass produced only in Italy’s Tuscan region. Most of the time, farro requires overnight soaking before cooking, which yields a firm chewy texture. Good things don’t come easy folks. Semi-pearled farro (which can be used immediately) is hard to find. But regular farro is only slightly more available and can be purchased at specialty food stores or Whole Foods…which…kind of sucks. Clearly the demand is not there. So loyal readers/fans-of-ancient-food-consumption, please write your local market and “demand” that this old-school wheat be on the shelves!<br /><br />If finding and cooking the farro was an episode of <span style="font-weight:bold;">the Wire</span>, chopping up the veggies was like watching a candle burn out. Slow. Monotonous. Boring. But I was excited about summer vegetables like eggplant, fennel, and bell peppers, I had stocked up on for the salad. I grilled the veggies with garlic and red onion, tossed everything with the cooked farro, and dressed the salad in heaping spoonfuls of olive oil and lemon juice. Unfortunately I was kind of a miser with the herbs. There just wasn’t enough in the salad. While eating the salad, I felt as uncomfortable and annoyed as I did when I forgot to wear my socks during gym class in 6th grade. Something was clearly missing. In 6th grade, it was the socks. But on this particular night, that something was my culinary competency. <br /><br /><br />Overall, this was a fantastic summery dish. It’s healthy too. Maybe a little too healthy. It could have definitely used a glass of Pinot Gris on the side, or maybe just a juice beef burger. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3785927043_3dfef2df60.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3565" /><br />Japanese eggplants that my mom picked up at the local farmer’s market.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/3785926123_83651cfae8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3564" /><br />Cutting into the fennel, I could already feel the anise-y crunch to come.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/3786738044_337c311afb.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3589" /><br />A colorful mélange of chopped vegetables. It’s like, a party in a baking dish. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/3786738794_3337ece278.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3599" /><br /><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farro”>Farro, a delicious wheat grain, that is not oft used at home here in the States.</a><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3785930691_21af421178.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3602" /><br />This is what I’ve dubbed a “party in my mouth”. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/3786740986_9b9b8fd5ee.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3611" /><br />Blueberry scones from the <a href=” http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Lunch-Tea-Little-Bakery/dp/0714844659”>Rose Bakery Cookbook</a>.<br /><br />PS. This is my friend Jeanne's <a href="http://www.jeannekelleykitchen.com/Site/_Blog/Entries/2009/7/7_Wheatberry_whatever_salad.html">farro salad</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6udcaRoY665_g34_K3PgW7e_pfMUjPZeBZ6w2Dcsm3yQSFmvjmi-jJFNDyEbfi3_cn8kBhe45lUXlK5a6xT7iPUB80IyE4bnR2eIux7lHIC5sLcMBBLv-QAMQM6281F0Tt6rnFK2Hg/s1600-h/IMG_4355.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6udcaRoY665_g34_K3PgW7e_pfMUjPZeBZ6w2Dcsm3yQSFmvjmi-jJFNDyEbfi3_cn8kBhe45lUXlK5a6xT7iPUB80IyE4bnR2eIux7lHIC5sLcMBBLv-QAMQM6281F0Tt6rnFK2Hg/s320/IMG_4355.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365906824775941090" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-87457085385326142042009-07-27T18:48:00.000-07:002009-07-27T19:02:04.179-07:00guest blogger / Robert Festino<span style="font-style:italic;">Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been busy working on other projects. Lucky for me, my friend, photographer and graphic designer <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.mangeleno.com">Robert Festino</a></span> decided to give a Jamie recipe a shot. </span> I'm annoyed that his photos are so much better than mine! Read his account below. - DC<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3430/3763007849_5d868dc685.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="137_3796" /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Robert's take on Jamie's South American Fishcakes</span></span><br /><br />Fishcakes, fishcakes, rolly polly fishcakes! Okay, I don't even know what that pop culture reference is at this point, but I cannot get it out of my head. The other night I was starved for something A) fried B) bites sized, and C) from the seafood counter of Whole Foods market. I had just made some wonderful baja style fish tacos a few weeks before and craved the same. Since I'm in need of improving on my culinary repertoire I wanted to make something new this time. This is where <a href="http://jamieallweek.blogspot.com">Jamie Oliver and Diane Chang</a> enter the picture. Fishcakes, fishcakes....<br /><br />I looked up Jamie's recipe for <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/south-american-fishcakes">South American Fishcakes<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></a>. No surprise to anyone, this recipe completely fit the bill. Jamie recommends haddock, but I picked up tilapia. Sure the flavor profile would be different, but it's supposed to contain much lower mercury levels, and I really like tilapia. Okay, enough of that business. Let the cooking begin.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3555/3762985667_afd60b4668.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="137_3765" /><br /><br />Prepping the ingredients here is really fast. First I started boiling my big pot of water. I quickly threw my bay leaf covered fish fillets onto a bed of milk and into the oven. The idea of cooking fish in milk was curious to me, but who's to question these things in life? I assumed it added flavor and moisture to make the fish more fibrous in the mixture. He calls for baking them 15 minutes in a 375 F˚ oven. While that was happening I grabbed my knife and started chopping and peeling. I don't own a peeler so my knife skills on the potato, which are lacking, came back to haunt me. I've peeled many carrots with a knife. Peeling potatoes should be no problem, right? Well, let's just say it was a time suck. We only had 15 minutes here! So after dicing them and throwing them into boiling water, I hit the rest of the ingredients with my knife. All chopped and ready to go, lovely.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2508/3762987287_89c65f7bfe.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="137_3770" /><br /><br />The fun part is mashing everything together in the bowl. I love this stuff. After that, I actually placed the bowl in the fridge for a while. I was in need of a nap. Sorry, I had a long day. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/3763784046_5398237ea2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="137_3767" /><br /><br />Awake and ready to get back at it, I heated the sunflower oil. Then floured my cutting board and started rolling out the little palm sized cakes. This, again, was fun. The first few formed nicely. The fourth bunch were a little tricky. You definitely want to keep your hands well floured in order to avoid stickiness. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3440/3762986953_852b5a2820.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="137_3786" /><br /><br /><br />Watching the cakes fry for five minutes is where the real fun began. I did four at a time. They came out golden brown, perfect. Honestly, I recommend this dish to anyone, even the novice cook. I am experienced enough in the kitchen, and frying, which once was a challenge is no longer one, but these cakes are so well formulated that there is no chance of them falling to bits within the pain. The consistency is that solid.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2627/3763784914_e791c88a45.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="137_3783" /><br /><br />Eating them was exciting. I paired 'em with a Pinot Grigio.<br /><br />Oh, now that I think of it, the original verse was FISH HEADS, not cakes. Gross! Jamie's (and mine) FISHCAKES, delicious. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2544/3763805178_cf7511f6e7.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="137_3799" /><br /><br />By: Robert FestinoDiane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-34884906010710755052009-07-20T18:43:00.000-07:002009-07-20T19:10:33.546-07:00<u>FARMERS MARKET REPORT</u><br /><br />This past weekend, my friend Robert and I went to the Santa Monica Farmers Market to do some shopping. Well, I shopped and he played with his camera. The trip was such a success, meaning such a money-suck, that I will be doing group trips to the local farmers market every Sunday starting from now on. So if you are interested and in the Los Angeles area, give me a holler. We can ooh and ahh over the season's bests together. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3499/3740097283_dde8a142f3.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3847" /><br />Watermelon salad, anyone?<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3473/3740096011_f1232c246c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3854" /><br />Stone fruit du jour. Picturesque white peaches. Truly. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2594/3740889150_f73e43a41b.jpg" width="500" height="360" alt="138_3853" /><br />Bounty for my soon-to-be assembled farro salad.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/3740096831_47339365fa.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3863" /><br />I wasn't at Scarborough Fair. I was at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/3740097569_88571f7dfd.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3849" /><br />Aubergines or eggplants, call em what you will. They taste great grilled, steamed, sauteéd, raw, how-eva you like them. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2491/3740096403_56e2ce9862.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3862" /><br />Pretzel roll, not doing a yoga pose but kind of just being round and plump and delicious.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3740889966_0ff3c719f5.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3850" /><br />Peep show. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3740097877_b452e99a6b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3873" /><br />Ever seen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096320/ ">Twins</a> with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito? This is the tomato version.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3437/3740891002_a6baeaf48d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3851" /><br />Thank you and good night. <br /><br />While I was mostly impressed with the market's offerings, I was disappointed by the lack of essential ingredients like ginger, garlic, shallots, and red chilies. There was definitely an emphasis on fruit; tables of various stone and citrus fruits were on display. I did pick up an interesting cabbage/radish hybrid called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphanobrassica">raphanobrassica</a>. The vendor suggested that I shave it into salads. I think I might include it in my highly-anticipated <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/salad-recipes/farro-salad-with-roasted-veg-insalata-di">farro salad with roasted vegetables</a></span>, via jamieoliver.com. <br /><br /><br /><br />images courtesy of <a href="http://www.mangeleno.com">Robert Festino</a> <br /><br /><br /><u>LOCATED</u> <br /><br />Santa Monica Farmers Market<br />1901 Main St # 2<br />Santa Monica, CA 90405-1082<br />(310) 458-8712Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-79140773091223721382009-07-17T20:07:00.000-07:002009-07-18T10:26:02.957-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/3720339753_8074e4813b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3840"/> <br />Organic + farmers market fresh <a href="<br />http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/roasted-carrots-and-beets-wi<br />th-the-juici"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Roasted Carrots and Beets and the Juiciest Pork Chops</span></a><br /> <br /><br />First off, you're probably thinking "pork chops, again?" (<a href="http://jamieallweek.blogspot.com/2009/06/lovely-pork-chop-with-bay salt.html">See this post.</a>) Cooking and blogging about bone-in pork chops two times in one month might appear suspiciously unoriginal, but I swear I'm no one trick-pony. I<br />just happened to have beets and carrots from the farmer's market lying around that day and that needed to be used immediately. As bad as I am at this, I attempt to use veggies the day of purchase in order to maximize the freshness. Actually, I usually suck at this so it was time for me to shape up. <br /> <br />Here's the thing about beets. I love to eat them, but I hate cooking with them. The long scraggly leaves, the dirt that collects in the crevasses all these factors leave me feeling lazy and uninspired. All the peeling and slicing and boiling and dot dot dot. With that being said, the beets I saw at the farmer's market last weekend were gorgeous: Robust, with healthy green leaves, unusual for beets sometimes. So I bought some, not knowing what would befall upon one of my weeknight meals until I found Jamie's pork recipe. My last "Jamie" pork was such a success that this one seemed like a smart investment. This project has turned me into a day trader I tell you.<br /> <br />The sage + pork combination was going to be a surefire winner. Sage is so good with most meat dishes. It's kind of woodsy and savory. Burn it and you ward off evil spirits, or something of that auspicious nature. Press it onto a pork chop, and you get a fatty, juicy decadent dinner entree. Sage is awesome and in my own kitchen, a very underrated herb. <br /><br />The carrots and beets were roasted until glazed. The carrot was dressed in an orange juice, garlic and thyme mixture while the beets were dressed in balsamic, garlic, and rosemary. I think Jamie did this so both would achieve similar levels of sweetness. And the sweetness was just enough to balance the natural saltiness of the pork loin. <br /><br />Overall, this dish was good, but maybe it lacked a little oomph for a Monday night. Back to the drawing board, I guess.<br /><br /> <br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2668/3720339231_15f655b1f5.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3815" /><br />Here I am, chopping off my thumb, as usual.<br /> <br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3418/3720338785_ed7d51e142.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3824" /><br />Segregating my root vegetables.<br /> <br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/3720338983_7a62c2680b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3830" /><br />I always cook my pork under the guise of the yin-yang symbol.<br /> <br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3720340073_d14d1eee9b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="138_3833" /><br />The directions said to deglaze the pan with lemon juice, giving me delicious<br />citrusy crispy pork bits to spoon over my dish. Perhaps, my favorite component of the dish.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-45925473419303556552009-07-13T17:56:00.001-07:002009-07-13T18:02:30.711-07:00<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2438/3705735603_cf4eae19e6_b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3425" /><br /><i>The Best Chicken and Sweet Leek Pie with Flaky Pastry</i><br /><br />A wise man once said, “homemade pot pie is waaaayyyyyyy better than frozen pot pie”. And today, I can say that I whole-heartedly agree. <br /><br />Let’s backtrack. I didn’t grow up on the typical American diet, but rather, on my grandmother’s cooking, which is largely Sichuan with some Taiwanese strewn about. This happens when one is born and raised in the US, but under the strict surveillance of immigrant parents. But my parents weren’t totally heartless–I had my fair share of McDonald’s Happy Meals and macaroni-spaghetti. Oh, and microwaveable chicken pot pie, courtesy of Marie Callender’s. In my mother’s defense, she really tried her best to incorporate Western cuisine in our diet. But whipping up an American feast was not instinctual. And pot pie was one of those mythical dishes that seemed impossible to make. I mean, the buttery, flaky crust alone…how does one… <br /><br />With leftover roast chicken finding solace in my fridge, I decided that it was time to disturb the peace and make a pot pie. I had seen a gorgeous-looking chicken pot pie in the <u>Jamie’s Dinners</u> book that needed to be brought to life. The other challenge was to use everything left over from the last meal, which has been an uphill battle since I started cooking on my own. As you can see from the last post, I had plenty of purple potatoes and onions left. All I needed was some carrots for the mire poix, which was merely a quick visit to the market. But at the checkout counter, I suddenly remembered the other essential piece of the pot pie puzzle– flaky pie crust! I hurriedly grabbed the frozen <b>Pepperidge Farms puff pastry dough</b> and tried not to feel too guilty about the short cut. <B>EDITOR’S NOTE: </b>Jamie actually calls for packaged puff pastry in the recipe. Phew. <br /><br />Making pot pie isn’t as daunting as one would think. It’s actually kind of a meditative experience. There’s a lot of stirring and waiting involved. Basically, you chop everything up and cook it all together in a pot over the fire. I took a detour from Jamie’s original recipe since I was working with pre-cooked chicken, which clearly would yield no broth. I used boxed chicken broth instead, using more of the broth than milk. I figured that I’d at least try to make a healthy pie. (I always have chicken broth on hand- it’s such a great substitute for salt and butter and I often stir a little bit of broth into my cooked veggies.)<br /><br />After all’s said and done, the defrosted puff pastry was rolled out over the pie dish and the cooked chicken stew. With a little egg wash and fake knife-drawn lattice pattern, the pie was ready to be baked. And while it was baking and filling the kitchen with a scent that caused hunger pangs, I made a quick butter lettuce salad. <br /><br />When the pie was ready, it had a perfect golden brown crust. I was really impressed with how beautiful it turned out. At first it looked a little puffed up on steroids, but after a few pokes with a fork, the pie crust found its way back down to earth. <br /><br />Using my Alessi pie server, I served myself perhaps the most scintillating pot pie experience, ever. Maybe I was tipsy from all wine that went into the stew or maybe making my own pie was just that extraordinary of a feat, but I ate myself silly and have been dusting off my shoulder since then. I wonder if my mother would prefer it over Marie Callender’s? <br /><br />Maybe not.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/3706544078_1d5d0a3cb5.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3410" /><br />Choppity chop chop<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3514/3706543704_3a60860967.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3407" /><br />So. Much. Chopping<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2539/3705734595_39eb3d6d25.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3414" /><br />A colorful mélange of a delicious mire poix<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/3706544758_f28e8ca155.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3417" /><br />ROYGBIV vegetable action<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3438/3706545066_5f7fcd9e68.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3422" /><br />If you think Brits look doughy…how about this raw pie crust?<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3705736719_259fbfb6b5.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3428" /><br />Pepperidge Farms did not let me down!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2589/3705737175_a99e7fb9a9.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3436" /><br />I must say, this is the best pot pie I’ve ever had. Yes, I am patting myself on the back right now.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3705737647_890be26707.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3438" /><br />Now you see it…<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3705738003_cf10c256e8.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3439" /><br />And now you don’t. <br /><br /><u>RECIPE EDITED BY ME </u><br /><b>Serves 4-6<br />Olive oil<br />2 knobs of butter<br />2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed, sliced into ½-inch pieces<br />2 carrots, peeled, roughly chopped<br />2 sticks of celery, finely sliced<br />3 cloves garlic, smashed<br /> handful of thyme leaves<br />2-3 cups of left over shredded roast chicken <br /> leftover roasted potatoes/onions/veggies<br />2 tablespoons flour<br /> salt and pepper<br />1 glass white wine<br />½ cup milk<br />1 cup organic free range chicken broth <br /> chopped parsley<br /> <br />1 sheet all-butter puff pastry from package<br />1 egg (for wash)<br /><br />Preheat oven to 425˚F. Add oil to medium pot over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme and cook until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add flour and keep stirring. Add chicken and other leftover vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine, milk, and broth. Continue stirring and cooking for about 30 minutes until stew is thick. Stir it every so often so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of pan. Sprinkle chopped parsley before removing from heat.<br /><br />Pour chicken mixture into 9-inch round pie dish. Roll out pastry to about ¼-inch thick. Egg-wash rim of dish and drape over pastry. Use knife to trim edge of dish. Use back of knife to lightly criss-cross the top (this allows pastry to go crisp and flaky). Bake in oven until crust is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. </b>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-65633375417162414582009-07-10T14:36:00.000-07:002009-07-10T14:48:23.269-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3705732867_205d6ebbc7.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3399"/><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary Roast Potatoes deconstructed</span></span> <br /><br />This past weekend, I had the luxury of spending 4tj of July in the Bay Area, among the bounty of delicious foods and superb bread. I wouldn’t say that SF and/or Berkeley surpasses us in fine dining or ethnic foods, but Northern California bread is pretty hard to beat, especially with <span style="font-weight:bold;">Acme</span> doling out its beautiful baguettes. While this post is not entirely about bread (and mostly about chicken as you can see), it was the natural precursor to chicken consumption. How can one enjoy really fresh-baked, local bread without wanting some kind of equally fresh protein? <br /><br />I returned from 6 hours on the road with an Acme baguette and a hankering for some really good roast chicken. Roasting chicken has never been my thing. I always find chicken roasted at home to be too dry and bland. My friend Alice recently cooked up a pretty good bird that was juicy and lemony. I wanted to see what Jamie would do in my situation, so I decided to test his <span style="font-weight:bold;">Roast Chicken recipe online</span>. Lucky for me, a friend emerged from the woodworks with a desire to cook chicken as well. That friend and I decided that it would be “chicken” night at my house, though I felt it was more like Acme baguette-night with a side of roast chicken. <br /><br />Jamie says to go for organic, free-range chicken. We found one at Gelson’s that was the perfect size, enough for 2-4 people. A <a href=” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouquet_garni”>bouquet garni</a> was prepared in advance; it was some rosemary, parsley, and thyme, tied up and stuffed in the chicken cavity. We also cut up some lemon halves to be “jammed” inside the chicken. Jamie says that “the benefits of the hot steaming lemon going into the chicken are very obvious as the meat tastes amazing, and the chicken cooks slightly quicker because of it.” Everything else that happened was more spontaneous. I had to put the recipe down because what with poultry juice all over my hands, it seemed necessary to go with gut instinct from then on. A garlic, parsley, French butter compound was rubbed all over the chicken exterior and thinly sliced lemon was neatly inserted under the skin. Under the roasting rack and in the pan, we placed thinly sliced onions, more lemon, and purple potato pieces lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. The side veggies needed very little flavor enhancement. Chicken fat alone would be flavor enough. <br /><br />We popped the set up in the oven and during the 30 minute wait period, I cut up some Acme bread and made a grilled peach salad with leftover arugula, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, and peaches. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting too much from the chicken so I was sure I would be happy just with the salad and bread. But then…<br /><br />The roast chicken emerged from the oven and holy mother of God, it was glistening with juice and begging me to eat it. The slightly charred skin looked crispy enough for my tastes. And the smell of citrus drowned out any desire to kill off the rest of the bread. We watched in awe as the juice just squirted with each slice. Ok, that sounds a bit pornographic, but I was truly in an insatiable beast-state of mind. And I didn’t even describe the potatoes yet...<br /><br />The chicken dinner was simple, light yet hearty, and yielded enough leftover chicken for additional meals, and perhaps two of the best meals I’ve whipped up in ages… <br /><br />Stay tuned…<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3473/3706538334_ec9d4016a3.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3393" /><br />Sitting pretty on the rack; about to get some sauna work. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2517/3705731035_dd3f755d4d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3397" /><br /><a href=” http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/acme_bread_company.php”>Acme bread</a>, gazing up at me, wanting to be devoured. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2673/3705730111_1c1ee7c9e9.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3396" /><br />Almost being devoured!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3706542096_3f32959af7.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3398" /><br />Now, tell me this isn’t a Bon Appétit magazine cover shot!?<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2428/3706542954_1de159f30a.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3401" /><br />This was really tasty. Purple potatoes and onions with chicken fat, a sprinkling of sea salt, and tons of lemon juice! <br /><br /><u>SHOP AT</u><br />Acme Bread Company<br />1601 San Pablo Ave<br />(between Cedar St & Hopkins St)<br />Berkeley, CA 94702<br />(510) 524-1327Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-34570489790600790012009-07-06T18:45:00.000-07:002009-07-06T18:46:34.009-07:00<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/3693841511_ef4e906a95.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3198" /><br /><i>Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon was my ode to “breakfast for dinner” night.</i><br /><br />“Breakfast for dinner” is my specialty. Back in the day as a poor but resourceful college student, I balanced my checkbook by having breakfast foods for dinner. Savory oatmeal required very little ingredients to make, and really just a small saucepan and a wooden spoon to make with. Quaker oats, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a jar of furikake made for an indulgent weeknight meal. A bacon egg sandwich turned into a dinner-on-the-run. And if my checking account looked REALLY pathetic, I’d settle on a bowl of cereal. Despite the “need over want” scenarios, I didn’t mind eating out of sequence. Breakfast had always been my favorite meal of the day, anyway. It’s the most comforting, I think, and the only time when eating something sweet isn’t considered ruining one’s appetite or stunting one’s growth (thanks, Mom). Hurray for pancakes!<br /><br />I decided I wanted breakfast for dinner last week. I had seen an “English Breakfast” recipe on Jamie’s site but was picturing my painful morning meals when I studied abroad in Stratford-Upon-Avon one summer, many moons ago. So I looked up “potatoes” and found <a href=”http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/potato-cakes-with-smoked-salmon”>this</a>. I was sold on the combo of all of my favorite foods. I also like edible things, stacked neatly on top of each other. This required stacking four breakfast-appropriate items starting with the potato pancakes working all the way up to the dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche. I was thrilled!<br /><br />This recipe was a big fat winner. From start to finish, the steps were easy to follow. Timing was important however, what with boiling the potatoes until cooked but still firm, and boiling the egg until soft and runny, but not raw. I bought the smoked salmon from Trader Joe’s, but am feeling a inspired to try smoking my own next time (any suggestions, Jamie?). I opted for crème fraiche instead of sour cream since the former just is a tad richer in texture and flavor. And last but not least, the chopped green onion mixed in with the grated potatoes added a nice, spicy kick to the entire dish. Given my high tolerance for all things onion, I added a generous amount. The potato cake almost resembled a Chinese scallion pancake. It’s no wonder that when I re-capped the whole story for one of our food editors, she suggested I season the potatoes with some ground, toasted Sichuan peppercorns, next time of course because there will definitely be one… <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/3693838345_f75a1655db.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3186" /><br />Red-skinned and yellow-skinned potatoes; I don’t believe in segregation. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/3694644572_b4f634c03f.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3187" /><br />Grated cooked potatoes, chopped green onions, and a spoonful of flour, all about to become heavenly pillows of potatoe-y goodness.<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/3694645256_652a388e7e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3196" /><br />Version 1 (Day 1)<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3694648314_0fa63e53c2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3208" /><br />Version 2 (Day 2) I decide to integrate the purple potatoes into my cooking for a little party in my mouth!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3612/3694647832_f86e67a1bf.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3205" /><br />This is how I like to eat my meals–like a ravenous beast.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-55509668325705985062009-07-06T13:30:00.001-07:002009-07-06T13:30:31.698-07:00<b>Alhambra Farmers Market</b> Sunday Report<br /><br />Los Angeles farmers market-goers are never short of fresh fruit, produce, and these days, protein, bread, and tamales. I rarely miss the opportunity to find out what’s in season. Cooking with Jamie means cooking with the same type of farm-fresh, local ingredients. Jamie is always cooking from his garden and since my garden is limited to a small potted mint plant, I’ve had to familiarize myself with nearby markets for herbs, greens, and other seasonal loot. <br /><br />One of my favorite locations to shop at is the Alhambra Farmer’s Market, which is located deep in the armpit of the San Gabriel Valley, on the corner of Chapel and Main. My family and I have been shopping here since the early 90s. And while it’s not as fancy as the Hollywood market, it’s definitely got its own charm. There are two vendors that exclusively sell Asian-y produce like lemongrass, robust, rare greens, and juicy-looking bitter melons. You just have to watch out for the cute but feisty Asian grandmothers clamoring about (usually right by your ear!).<br /><br />Here are some photos: <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2434/3693837859_11cd191f08.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2985" /><br />various Asian greens <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/3694643010_58b538f702.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2983" /><br />peppers<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3693836663_20af5c6982.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2984" /><br />Snow White bok choy sprout and Taiwanese “A” choy <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/3693835993_a11b40a3a2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2982" /><br />jumbo leeks, yellow and red beets<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2592/3694640854_2802bbc368.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2981" /><br />cauliflower <br /><br /><br />Just signed up for the <a href=” http://www.scfcoop.southcentralfarmers.com/products/Weekly-CSA-Box.html”>South Central CSA</a>. I’m looking forward to finding out what my next box will bring! And will be working through Jamie’s glossaries in order to find out dishes will evolve from my grab bag-er-box of goodies…Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-83201954228042146492009-07-01T13:43:00.000-07:002009-07-01T14:20:44.908-07:00<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/3659424489_5cfa196532.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3055" /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">A meal fit for the Taj Mahal. Sort of. Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Gobhi, Stacey’s stove top rice and purchased naan.</span><br /><br />I’m a creature of habit. Once I find a recipe I like, I often stick with it, to a T. Then, when I feel totally comfortable, I might start doctoring it up with my own tweaks. I’ll also eat or make a winning dish a couple of days in a row. Sucks to be my kid. <br /><br />With that caveat in mind, my account of a somewhat unsuccessful Jamie experience will make more sense. <br /><br />Since I’m a tikka masala newbie (see previous posts), I decided it was necessary to restrict myself to what Jamie instructs in the recipe. There was that coconut milk addition that I was a bit wary of since most tikka masalas I have had were made sans coconut milk. And, there was a serving of water used in the dish that just seemed odd. With coconut milk in the mix, another “can” of water seemed like a superfluous amount of liquid. But, Indian cooking isn’t instinctual for me, so I erred in second-guessing myself. It didn’t help that I was chatting it up with Stacey while supposedly cooking in earnest. <br /><br />The whole over-submerging the meat in liquid was pretty much the theme of the night. Everything smelled great: the onions sautéed with the meat browned ever so slightly, the homemade tikka masala paste was flavorful, though not as spicy as I would like. Next time when I do this, I will probably use “REAL” chilies, and not the red jalapenos I get from Whole Foods. Those are terribly weak-sauce. <br /><br />I kept the tikka masala cooking for a pretty long time, but it didn’t reduce much. It felt a bit like tikka masala-soup and the heavy salting I did in the sautéing part felt null and void with all that water and coconut juice. When we “ladled” it over our rice, the watery particles took over the plate, which is nice if you like that sort of thing. I would have preferred something a little drier. All in all, with a little more salt to pass and lemon juice, the food tasted good. That store-bought naan really gave me the gut-bust though. I could barely move after the meal. I guess the beer didn’t help either! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sidenote:</span> I’m also a creature of perfectionism so due to my dissatisfaction with the turn-out, I will probably revisit this recipe. Sorry Jamie- hope I didn’t let ya down.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3302/3659422263_5df187d089.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3040" /><br />Chilies, spices, home-made tikka masala paste getting a good sauté.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2455/3659421815_3285d1e1d5.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3037" /><br />It’s rare that I get an action shot in the mix. Thanks Stacey. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3659422541_630288545e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3039" /><br />Berkeley looking for eats, and looking real cute while doing it. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2435/3659422953_cf1fa3a30b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3042" /><br />While I didn’t make my own naan, the one I bought from India’s Sweet & Spices tastes homemade. It had the most incredible chew and was slightly sweet. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2425/3660224582_1ed1cb0402.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3059" /><br />Devin, Stacey, and I are just tearing our food apart. The Taj Mahal beer in the back paired nicely with the food. <br /><br /><u>COOKED FROM</U><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3bPdoq6y9sUHdp_1E4S_eSSdlYTxMm6YhTxIWjuU3fTz3vQwH4nZHGXfSpPNtmYmy-BTV4dPdibHwawj2OrFsiPzyQFmpC9C8LfHjivRiF6B9JLx3B50mwZDnguutUSmhcKQNWv24w/s1600-h/519GqC4eKzL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3bPdoq6y9sUHdp_1E4S_eSSdlYTxMm6YhTxIWjuU3fTz3vQwH4nZHGXfSpPNtmYmy-BTV4dPdibHwawj2OrFsiPzyQFmpC9C8LfHjivRiF6B9JLx3B50mwZDnguutUSmhcKQNWv24w/s200/519GqC4eKzL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349452749815538882" /></a><br /><br /><br /><u>SHOPPED AT</U><br />New India's Sweets and Spices<br />1245 S Fairfax Ave<br />Los Angeles, CA 90019-4437<br />(323) 936-6736Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-74943512115530917162009-06-30T11:12:00.000-07:002009-07-01T14:17:34.404-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/3659426457_59a667e9f2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3041" /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Aloo Gobhi on its way to the oven for some quick braising. The cauliflower and potatoes have to get soft, but still firm to bite. </span><br /><br />Before I continue my long-winded story of how the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Chicken Tikka Masala</span> came to fruition, I’d like to discuss the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Aloo Gobhi</span> that was also whipped up the same night. Initially I was hesitant to try my hand at not one but TWO unfamiliar recipes on a school night. But what better way to challenge myself than to cook an Indian feast in someone else’s kitchen? <br /><br />And a challenge it was. Aloo Gobi is one of my favorite things to eat. It’s filling, flavorful, and the bright yellow hue (thanks to the turmeric) is mesmerizing. I’ve had the “pleasure” of getting this yellow hue on my white pants. But no pain, no gain right? Jamie’s recipe for Aloo Gobi looked easy enough; throw some cauliflower and potatoes together with some spices and ginger, and there you have it–a delicious vegetarian-friendly dish. I was especially excited about the lemon that gets juiced over before serving. Nothing like a little acid to complete a dish. <br /><br />The only thing that threw me off about this dish was the shredded coconut that gets added. From my research online, <a href=”http://www.indianchild.com/Recipes/gravies_and_masala/aloo_gobi_recipe.htm”> here </a>and <a href=”http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/04/07/aloo-gobi/”> here</a>, coconut doesn’t usually make any appearances in this dish. So with some more sleuthing, I found out that <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Indian_cuisine”>Anglo-Indian cuisine</a> is it’s own culinary category. Apparently, almonds and coconut are often added to Indian food in the UK. <br /><br />Would this be like dipping my French fries in Ranch dressing? <br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3637/3660219580_f029350776.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3025" /><br />I felt like the “Take Home Chef”, packing all my spices to go.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/3659420209_5452b73a4c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3024" /><br />Farmer’s market-fresh cauliflower.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3660219936_608efc86f2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3027" /><br />Trader Joe’s-fresh potatoes; I decided to throw in a purple one for some color.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3660225004_561465b117.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3040" /><br />Like with most Indian dishes, the spices get cooked until fragrant. In mandarin, this is what is called “Bao Xiang”, or frangrance + explosion.<br /><br /><u>COOKED FROM</U><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3bPdoq6y9sUHdp_1E4S_eSSdlYTxMm6YhTxIWjuU3fTz3vQwH4nZHGXfSpPNtmYmy-BTV4dPdibHwawj2OrFsiPzyQFmpC9C8LfHjivRiF6B9JLx3B50mwZDnguutUSmhcKQNWv24w/s1600-h/519GqC4eKzL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3bPdoq6y9sUHdp_1E4S_eSSdlYTxMm6YhTxIWjuU3fTz3vQwH4nZHGXfSpPNtmYmy-BTV4dPdibHwawj2OrFsiPzyQFmpC9C8LfHjivRiF6B9JLx3B50mwZDnguutUSmhcKQNWv24w/s200/519GqC4eKzL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349452749815538882" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-61918709333559627362009-06-25T16:27:00.000-07:002009-06-25T16:33:24.524-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzpKhsBHoEhU7UQOh3D-xCVc7UKPfPMuzvyV1XDe_mYwFMzDgvhnziSlbjGRHhbQT05dxzVUCvssCE_Bfg3IdMyNMCqDvcDDSHQAgtDrmqugdPPDdUFUowrMaMQa4NTzpqGQ_ECNndA/s1600-h/BlueEggs.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzpKhsBHoEhU7UQOh3D-xCVc7UKPfPMuzvyV1XDe_mYwFMzDgvhnziSlbjGRHhbQT05dxzVUCvssCE_Bfg3IdMyNMCqDvcDDSHQAgtDrmqugdPPDdUFUowrMaMQa4NTzpqGQ_ECNndA/s200/BlueEggs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351411968793074594" /></a><br /><br /><br />Food extraordinaire and lauded cookbook author Jeanne Kelley reads my blog! Check out her <a href=”http://www.jeannekelleykitchen.com/Site/_Blog/_Blog.html “>website</a>-<br /><br />Jeanne’s pie recipes are incredible, by the way. Her cooking and eating philosophy is a lot like Jamie’s- garden-fresh, local, and delicious.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-2579021175037221102009-06-25T14:29:00.000-07:002009-06-25T14:31:44.613-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3659419849_2b3e97b673.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3019" /><br /><i>Tikka Masala Paste</i><br /><br />Here in Los Angeles, what’s considered good Indian food is often a shadow of what it could be. The curries are never rich enough, the tikka masala is always too sweet, the dosa tastes like soda crackers, and the list continues. I’m always picking up on the flimsiness in flavor, texture, and even color. And though I’ve never been to India, I have been to England and my taste buds don’t lie. Indian food in England is top notch. I was especially excited about the Anglo-Indian stuff–roast beef rogan josh with a side of Yorkshire pudding anyone? The best part is, Indian food that I ate frequently in London was astonishingly affordable. A student’s budget and the embarrassing exchange rate interfered with my aspirations to live and eat (and commute) lavishly. But Indian food (along with Sainsbury, fish & chips-joints) saved me from malnutrition. <br /><br />When my time in England was up, so endeth my Indian food indulgence. Then it was back to LA and all the subpar Indian restaurants. While there are some decent places around town, I’d much rather drive to Artesia or even Berkeley, to satiate my cravings. Yes. I have done that before.<br /><br />Jamie has published several Indian recipes. I was getting a little tired of the olive oil + red chiles + lemon + mint, so I decided to venture into some cross-cultural experimentation. In <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-Food-Revolution-Rediscover-Affordable/dp/1401323596">Jamie’s Food Revolution</a></b>, there is a chicken tikka masala recipe that looked doable for a weeknight. There’s also an accompanying recipe for tikka masala paste, which has become part 1 of my Jamie’s Indian installment. Rather than scoop the greasy stuff from a jar of <a href="http://www.pataks.com/">Patak’s</a>, I wanted to control the spice level of my dish. And, I never turn down the opportunity to get a little crazy with the mortar and pestle. I live watching things pulp. <br /><br />Indian dishes are heavy on spices. I love the flavor bombs in my mouth. I stopped by a local Indian market to pick up a few spices that I needed. The store always overwhelms me into buying spices that “I might need in the future”. <b>SIDENOTE:</b> I prefer buying spices at ethnic food shops or Asian and Latin markets. You get more for your money. Cardamom pods at an Indian market will cost you about $4.99 for a medium-sized bag. Chai or mango lassi for days!!! <br /><br />The first thing I did was toast the coriander seeds and fennel seeds. What I got was a brilliant savory scent that reminded me of Persian grilled meat. Then I combined the toasted spices with other ground spices, fresh minced garlic, chiles, and ginger together with a dash of tomato paste and oil. My kitchen started to smell like the Indian market did, which was a good sign! <br /><br />As soon as it looked ready, I packed it up to be used at my friend <b><a href=”http://houseonthehill.tumblr.com/”>Stacey’s house</a></b>, which is a whole other chapter filled will culinary trials and tribulations. Stay tuned! <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3659418069_d922842be0.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2994" /><br />Indian spices from a local purveyor. Whenever I see this picture, I think, “damn, that’s a lot of Tikka Masala Paste.”<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3660215896_8c53c6b0eb.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3001" /><br />Up-close and personal with coriander seeds and fennel seeds for the visually-impaired<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2439/3660217626_4945b5438c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3003" /><br />Toasted and ready to be pulverized<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3660217406_8ab9c16688.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3008" /><br />Easiest way to peel ginger is with a spoon. No more emergency room visits and bloody chopping boards. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/3660217966_1a38fea73b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_3010" /><br />Being organized in the kitchen is gratifying. Ok, who am I kidding, I do it for the photo op.<br /><br /><u>Tikka Masala Paste</u><br />2 cloves garlic<br />thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger<br />1 teaspoon cayenne pepper<br />1 tablespoon smoked paprika<br />2 teaspoons garam masala<br />½ teaspoon sea salt<br />2 tablespoons peanut oil<br />2 tablespoons tomato paste<br />2 fresh red chiles<br />small bunch of fresh cilantro<br />1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut<br />2 tablespoons almond flour<br />Spices for Toasting: 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted on dry pan over medium or high heat until golden brown and smelling delicious. <br /><br />Peel ginger and garlic and mince. Combine with toasted spices, spices, and grind until fine or whiz in a food processor until you have a smooth paste.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-50104679798922768812009-06-25T09:25:00.000-07:002009-06-25T09:26:12.046-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3654293960_51c7d89da2.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2945" /><br /><br />Saturday morning, I woke up to June gloom. I love the weird Southern California dreariness right now because it reminds me of Portland/San Francisco/London- weather. And this in turn, inspired me to make a hearty breakfast to kick off my weekend. <br /><br />My quest to use leftover produce ensued. Loosely inspired by Jamie’s <a href=”http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/asparagus-frittata”> Asparagus Frittata</a>, I decided to make a veggie frittata in my cast iron skillet. <br /><br />I dug around the fridge and not only did I find asparagus sans tips, but I found zucchini and a ton of herbs and leeks. Nothing like a leeky, herby, vegetable frittata! I contemplated throwing in strips of bacon but luckily for my arteries, I was out. <b>SIDENOTE:</b> My colleagues and I were discussing the top 10 ingredients to save a foul dish with and bacon was one of them–along with red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt…etc. <br /><br />I sautéed the leeks with the vegetables in a knob of butter until the leeks began to brown, seasoned the stir-fry with salt and pepper, and poured in the salted, whisked eggs (I used 6). And before I placed everything in the preheated oven, I sprinkled a bunch of parsley and chives on top. The skillet went in the oven and 15 minutes later, breakfast was ready. My roommate and I enjoyed the frittata together and for just a second, I felt like I was somewhere in the Italian countryside. <br /><br />And then I heard Lil Wayne outside of my window.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-27559756004167920732009-06-23T10:36:00.000-07:002009-06-23T10:37:58.798-07:00<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2440/3654294328_9fa04d6a76.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2909" /><br /><br /><br />After two weeks of nonstop kitchen work, I’ve amassed a produce-cornucopia in my refrigerator. Of course, dealing with leftovers is not something I’m normally very good at. Luckily, Jamie Oliver is. Most of his recipes are simple enough that they could be easily done up or abridged. I kicked off the last few nights of with pre-sliced, pre-washed ingredients from my fridge and a few canned goods I’ve been meaning to clean out of my pantry. With some inspiration from his salad recipes, I decided to make a (mostly) fresh faux tuna nicoise salad. <br /><br /><u><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">fresh faux tuna nicoise salad</span></u><br /><b>salad</b><br />1 head Romaine, washed<br />1/3 cup canned white beans, rinsed<br />1/4 cup diced red onions<br />1 can tuna in oil <br />1/3 cup sliced cucumbers <br />1/3 cup leftover thyme-and-garlic-roasted potatoes<br />mint <br />parsley<br />chives<br /><br /><b>vinaigrette</b><br />1 teaspoon Dijon mustard<br />1 tablespoon champagne vinegar <br />3 tablespoons olive oil <br />salt and pepper<br /><br /><br />Combine all salad ingredients. Add vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a glass of Zin (I’m on a Zinfandel kick right now).Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-50311376328653952712009-06-20T09:47:00.001-07:002009-06-20T09:49:37.681-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3600/3634424515_9bef694f4f.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2908" /><br /><i>Shrimp and Corn Chowder with Parsley, Bacon, and Red Chilies</i><br /><br />As a child, I could never wait until Christmas to open my presents. Likewise, I was always greedily requesting my birthday gifts early in advance. I could never cut my mom a break. She’d find me rummaging through closets and other dark crevasses around the house for that “new Crayola box set” or “one year’s worth of Archie comics”. I think my unrelenting eagerness has been transfused to my diet. I have been impatiently waiting (since last fall) for all the summer fruits and vegetables to appear at the farmer’s markets. I’ve also been salivating over thoughts of watermelon salads, roasted artichokes, and corn chowda. I saw the most beautiful bunch of corn at the Alhambra farmer’s market almost two weeks ago and immediately snatched the remaining 5 cobs. This was pre-Jaime Oliver, mind you. I didn’t exactly have a game plan in mind for these succulent veggies. I just knew I wanted to revisit all the wonderful corn memories of summers past. <br /><br />After my asparagus soup-incident (blender set on high + hot soup filled to the brim = nightmare), I have been a bit wary of making soups. But with fresh corn loafing around in my fridge, I knew that I wouldn’t have better chowder than one made with good quality kernels. <b>Jamie has a corn and shrimp chowder recipe</b> that sounded tasty. The recipe calls for bacon. That’s the magic word. <br /><br /><i>I was secretly hoping that I’d have to use the bacon fat somewhere in the soup.</i><br /><br />I thoroughly read the recipe and found out that my gut instincts were correct: the recipe calls for rendering bacon fat to cook the potatoes and leeks in. <b>Oh my fug</b>. At that moment, the savory scent of bacon memories infiltrated my mind. Bacon, shrimp, corn, leeks, and potatoes– what could possibly go wrong? And in the end, [SPOILER ALERT] absolutely nothing did. <br /><br />My best friend Diana stopped by with ½ pound of already cooked shrimp. I was too lazy to de-vein and peel raw shrimp. Jamie never said not to cut corners, anyway. With the shrimp out of the way, the soup-making was incredibly easy actually. It’s about two steps short of salad-making. After cooking everything in my pot, I added the chicken broth and cream and let the flavors come together before whirring everything together, this time with my Hamilton Beach immersion blender. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it got the job done. Plus, it was nice to have chunks of potatoes and shrimp with each bite of soup. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/3635231618_a17f6f3124.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2885" /><br />An intimate experience with leeks.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3635232480_04d80c86af.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2891" /><br />This is what gives the soup flava.<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3634423381_e8990748ab.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2896" /><br />The potatoes trying to get up in the mix. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3326/3635234342_385edb0342.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2905" /><br />Obligatory action shot. Also pictured: Homestyle white bean spread + chopped salad, both loosely based on other Jamie-recipes. <br /><br /><br /><b>Shrimp and Sweet Corn Chowder</b><br />Serves 4-6<br />1 large leek<br />1 pound potatoes (I used new potatoes)<br />1 quart chicken broth, organic<br />olive oil<br />6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, free range or organic<br />12/3 cups frozen corn (I used fresh)<br />½ pound large shrimp, raw peeled (I used cooked)<br />11/4 cups heavy cream<br />sea salt & ground pepper<br />1 fresh red chile<br />6 cream or plain crackers<br />extra virgin olive oil <br /><br />Cut ends of leek, quarter lengthways, wash under running water, and slice across thinly. Peel potatoes and chop them into 1-inch chunks. Pour chicken broth into saucepan and bring to boil.<br /><br />Put a large casserole type pan (or pot) on high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Slice bacon and add to pan. Cook until golden and really crispy, letting all fat and flavor cook out onto the pan. Using tongs, remove and transfer bacon to plate, leaving fat in pan. Add leek and potatoes to pan and give them a good stir. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until leek has softened. Add corn and shrimp. Pour hot broth into pan with cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, halve seed and finely chop chile. Roughly break up crackers and place them on the plate next to the bacon. Take soup off heat and use a hand blender to ently whiz it up until you have a smooth but slightly chunky texture. Season more to taste. <br /><br />Serve with chile, bacon, and crackers. (not mentioned: Parsley, which I added) <br /><br /><br /><u>COOKED FROM</U><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3bPdoq6y9sUHdp_1E4S_eSSdlYTxMm6YhTxIWjuU3fTz3vQwH4nZHGXfSpPNtmYmy-BTV4dPdibHwawj2OrFsiPzyQFmpC9C8LfHjivRiF6B9JLx3B50mwZDnguutUSmhcKQNWv24w/s1600-h/519GqC4eKzL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3bPdoq6y9sUHdp_1E4S_eSSdlYTxMm6YhTxIWjuU3fTz3vQwH4nZHGXfSpPNtmYmy-BTV4dPdibHwawj2OrFsiPzyQFmpC9C8LfHjivRiF6B9JLx3B50mwZDnguutUSmhcKQNWv24w/s200/519GqC4eKzL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349452749815538882" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-61099428735236835412009-06-18T09:49:00.000-07:002009-06-18T09:56:50.319-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3552/3635231072_ae00b69e03.jpg"width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2878" /><br /><i>Salmon with Couscous, Asparagus Tips, Matchstick Zucchini</i><br /><br />When I’m alone, I usually opt for easy 2-step meals. Despite working at an award-winning, national food magazine, I often come home to unappetizing freezer-burned food and doggy bagged-goods. Yum.<br /> <br />Sometimes, I just skip dinner altogether.<br /> <br />J.O.’s <u>Jamie’s Dinners</u> cookbook has various recipes designed for the single, low-income folk. I shied from that section initially, not wanting to acknowledge my alone-ness. I avoided it the same way I avoid the self-help section in the bookstore, tiptoeing close by enough to see if I can catch some of the titles without getting caught. But then an image of <b><a href=” http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/salmon-and-couscous”>pan-roasted salmon over a bed of couscous</a></b> caught my attention. Salmon is a fish I rarely cook these days. It used to be a weeknight staple during my George Foreman-years in college. Remember those days? A little salt and pepper over supermarket salmon then tossed on the G.F. grill. Now that I’m embarking on my post-collegiate culinary practices, cooking protein on what is essentially a non-stick panini press just won’t cut it anymore. It’s time I duke it out with a real grill pan and some Atlantic wild caught salmon from Whole Foods. <br /><br />The recipe called for zucchini sliced into matchstick-sized pieces, asparagus tips, and fresh salmon of course. The fish and veggie combo is served over couscous dressed in lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh roughly cut-tomatoes–a true Medi spread. I was excited about adding the finely diced red chili pepper. <br /><br />Jamie is notorious for seasoning his food with red chili. Luckily, I picked up some red jalapenos at the farmer’s market over the weekend. (I realized later that having some on hand all the time is helpful since a lot of recipes call for red chilies). <br /><br />Though the whole dish was quite easy to put together but assembling the plate (so that it looked appropriate for the obligatory overhead shot) was difficult. There was an array of colors and textures and precisely what my grandmother would be excited to see on my plate. As she likes to tell me in her Sichuan-Mandarin, “Food should be about balance”. And I think I achieved it with this meal. <br /> <br /> <br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3397/3635229990_1b7268775d.jpg"width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2855" /><br />Farmer¹s Market/Whole Foods-fresh produce and protein.<br /> <br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/3634420227_98e97b5ea9.jpg"width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2858" /><br />I was so close to making sashimi.<br /> <br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/3635230586_30682ba716.jpg"width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2864" /><br />Couscous dressed in lemon juice, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and cilantro.<br /> <br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3397/3634420843_dc43da607b.jpg"width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2867" /><br />Almost at the finish lineŠ<br /> <br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3306/3634421301_2c1305f37c.jpg"width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2883" /><br />Trying a healthy dessert for a change. <br /> <br /><br /><u>COOKED FROM</U><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiyX-_StD67o2TLE_Rxr_j4D80_SP-riSWNLiPSqpb_60U98wWcPfNEUfTx1vl1PoGPfE6LYe1CyfvMpTuNSECM-XvX7-CAOTBhe-naUKacRC30GxqvBpmuss31eZjhZHB2Mi-O8XYg/s1600-h/jamie-s-dinners.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiyX-_StD67o2TLE_Rxr_j4D80_SP-riSWNLiPSqpb_60U98wWcPfNEUfTx1vl1PoGPfE6LYe1CyfvMpTuNSECM-XvX7-CAOTBhe-naUKacRC30GxqvBpmuss31eZjhZHB2Mi-O8XYg/s200/jamie-s-dinners.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348711251151757474" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-15753472540378033602009-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:002009-06-17T08:44:22.598-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYY5_qcvYh5uYhJ5HehomkYJOfihDLeprsAhiOauQoG9mV9xtYB4Ha5HjC9DkNqhVJEQamhBcbtl2zAhmd8lHOxinuGym-NJYyeH0GGXOY1Mgz7chRe81YrFAz4xiqPq4-j-rohjncQ/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 51px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYY5_qcvYh5uYhJ5HehomkYJOfihDLeprsAhiOauQoG9mV9xtYB4Ha5HjC9DkNqhVJEQamhBcbtl2zAhmd8lHOxinuGym-NJYyeH0GGXOY1Mgz7chRe81YrFAz4xiqPq4-j-rohjncQ/s400/Picture+2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348322674948953538" /></a><br /><br />I got twitted by <a href="http://twitter.com/jamie_oliver">Jamie Oliver!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/DJPANKO">my twitter</a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-28063248409195803382009-06-16T11:25:00.000-07:002009-06-16T11:31:52.558-07:00...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitEGoqllIu1CdF3ucrxHeNVtUbNzT_GkaP5itvZzf4zE7wO8vXbdpyLJCiWtUl5WIA20HPz4m6VxfLq4GgpYPbPu_bdsJ2SxkYJrYWKCilxnNQd5lOGgiz1u4DPmnirYbkoBI4gImMg/s1600-h/pbDVzqvOuoq5yrwuzj6BYluSo1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitEGoqllIu1CdF3ucrxHeNVtUbNzT_GkaP5itvZzf4zE7wO8vXbdpyLJCiWtUl5WIA20HPz4m6VxfLq4GgpYPbPu_bdsJ2SxkYJrYWKCilxnNQd5lOGgiz1u4DPmnirYbkoBI4gImMg/s320/pbDVzqvOuoq5yrwuzj6BYluSo1_500.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347994636205700530" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">omelette w/ farmer’s market baby yukon golds/substituted linguica for chorizo/rosemary/ eggs, parsley salad/shallot/olive oil/lemon/salt/pepper</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://strawhat.tumblr.com/">Strawhat</a></span> also cooking from Jamie.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-29598803129635175212009-06-16T09:55:00.000-07:002009-06-16T11:36:27.041-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3628541223_c3868a2305.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2848" /><br /><i>A lovely pork chop with bay salt, cracklings, and squashed potatoes. And reconstituted asparagus soup (formerly, very frozen).</i> <br /><br />After work, I have to compulsively remind myself that this project is meaningful and worth the laborious crafting of 1,000 mental grocery lists. You see, cooking every night kind of blows. Scratch that. Cleaning up after myself in the kitchen blows more. Regardless of the loathsome soaping and scrubbing, <b>jamieallweek</b> has allowed me to mature as a cook. A sprig of mint or squeeze of lemon here and there has become instinctual! I used to avoid mint and lemon because the two are decidedly very intense ingredients. But I’ve learned that a little goes a long way. The two, when combined, really brighten up protein and vegetable dishes. Yes, yes, I am patting myself on the back right now. <br /><br />This project has livened up my tastebuds. Jamie is adamant about using herbs in his food. I grew up on Sichuan-style cooking, and herbs never appeared in my diet (though I ate plenty of chilies, which my mom swears, stunted my growth). It’s fun experimenting with all the stems of greenstuff growing in my friends’ backyards (or in the produce section of Trader Joes). This is precisely why I decided to cook from Jamie’s <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href=”http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/pork-chop-with-bay-salt-and-potatoes”>best pork chops recipe</a></span>. The pork chops are seasoned with a ground bay leaf-fennel seed-salt concoction. Served alongside are “squashed” purple potatoes (I only had new) and a hard cider-mustard reduction (I only had apple cider vinegar). It’s not real-life cooking without the monkey wrenches! <br /><br />The rub was to be prepared in a mortar & pestle. Who knew an antiquated tool that my grandparents used during the Cultural Revolution, would still be relevant. Even in the time of food processors and the “bullet” (infomercial reference), it’s the easiest way to granulate large unmanageable particles. It’s an effortless way to muddle Thai bird chilies without being dangerously close to them (and then rubbing your eyes with the infected fingers, like I did once). Monkey wrench: All of the herbs I used in the “paste” were dried. So, using my common sense, I added a drop of olive oil. Hooray for paste!<br /><br />Fluke #2: With no hard cider on hand (thanks anyway Ben, I know you scoured the aisles!) and only apple cider vinegar to work with, the acerbic djion and vinegar combination would have pickled the pork. Kristina (guest #2) suggested sweetening up the sauce with some honey. Honey did the trick. The Sauce à la Moutarde-and-um-honey added a sprightly kick to the herby chop. With thyme/porkfat-roasted potatoes and wilted spinach alongside, the impressive pork chop-dinner was a success. And this is what I mean about becoming a better cook: Figuring out how to maneuver through difficult, unfamiliar terrains without completely derailing. Now, how do I incorporate that in other areas of my life?<br /><br />Sidenote: I’m lucky to have such thoughtful dinner guests. Amy brought cupcakes and bounty from her herb garden. Ben brought his own pork chop and potatoes and the vinegar I used to test my situational adaptability. And Kristina baked delicious filled cookies that she just drummed up the day of.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3628516595_1d80b34f87.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2815" /><br />Fennel seed, bay leaves, and salt working hard at becoming paste. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2436/3628517795_152000da58.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2819" /><br />Roasted new potatoes with pork fat resting atop. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3608/3629331052_238eea963e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2820" /><br />Two average pork chops hanging out with a fancy one. Long story. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3638/3629334568_ac20a76d01.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2852" /><br />Krim’s really delicious homemade blueberry jam- and habanero chocolate-filled cookies.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3629357478_5ed65b00ba.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2849" /><br />El fin.Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-48941748088160676432009-06-12T09:40:00.000-07:002009-06-12T10:06:07.332-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3360/3615472511_7524c9434a.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2810" /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Pizza Fritta x 2 (actually x 6, but other 4 are in bellies now, RIP)</span><br /><br /><br />Jamie makes EVERYTHING sound fresh and delicious, even something as boring as wilted spinach. And here’s the kicker: His recipes are easy to follow. He often avoids assigning exact measurements to ingredients; instead, he casually throws around words like “bunch” or “few sprigs” or “several”. The vagueness would make me panic a little bit in any other situation like with prescription drugs. After all, the subjective interpretation of these words can completely alter a dish’s flavor profile. But that’s precisely why Jamie free-floats his way through certain recipes. He wants the reader/home-cook to have a true sensory experience. Cooking shouldn’t be systematic. Cooking is about tasting and smelling and seeing and sometimes a lot of spilling (on yourself).<br /><br />His <a href=”http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pizza-recipes/fried-pizza-fritta”>Pizza Fritta (fried pizza) recipe</a> is a good wake-up call for these sometimes-dormant senses. There is minimal measuring involved (not surprising), aside from the pizza dough. I’d never made my own pizza dough from scratch and though I was tempted to purchase the pre-made dough at Whole Foods, I decided to embark on a richer experience of mixing and kneading my own. Plus, Jamie says his <a href=” http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pizza-recipes/pizza-dough”>pizza dough recipe</a> is “fantastic, reliable” and even appropriate for “bread”. You sold me, Jamie.<br /><br />Aside from working up a sweat kneading, everything in the crust department came together smoothly, pun intended. As unappealing as frying dough in 2 inches of oil sounds, the end result is a light brown, puffy disc that looks a bit like puri that tastes kind of like a donut, or, well, fried dough. <br /><br />Problems did arise when I was making J’s <a href=”http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/the-quickest-tomato-sauce”>Simple Tomato Sauce</a>. I have a predilection for sweet, thick tomato sauces, carried over from my childhood obsession with ketchup, and <a href=”http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/the-quickest-tomato-sauce”>his recipe</a> didn’t speak to my senses. The sauce I ended up with looked more like tomato soup, and my roommate suggested that I add tomato paste to it, which turned out to be a brilliant idea. Sorry Jamie. I probably should have used a shallower pan to cook it in because in my saucepan, it never quite reduced to a concentrated, “Diane Chang”-level sauce. <br /><br />Topping pizza is pretty intuitive. You top it with whatever you like to eat. I strategically arranged sliced mozzarella, cherry tomato halves, torn basil, oregano, sauce on my donut-crust. Then, I popped everything in the broiler for five minutes to seal the deal. <br /><br />Since it was pizza night, my friend Amy decided to dub it “Fattiest Meal Ever” by bringing us two giant cupcakes from <a href=”http://www.delilahbakery.com/”>Delilah’s</a>. And my jeans do not lie. Definitely fatty, but I’d like to just call it “sinfully delicious”. <br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2435/3616291702_a64a64c5ab.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2793" /><br />Post-modern pizza dough turkey.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3652/3615472977_f61b181569.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2797" /><br />What I should have done to my asparagus soup.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3615473353_ed42cc5bc6.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2802" /><br />The reason why my pants aren’t fitting today. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/3615473607_c9b8fc4e42.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2803" /><br />Wait, no, this is the real reason. <br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/3615474315_3d86942f58.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2814" /><br />See the above caption.<br /><br /><br /><u>SIDE-NOTE</u><br />A translation of Jamie’s pizza dough recipe that’s much easier to understand via <a href=” http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/10/jamie_olivers_pizza_fritta_fried_pizza.html”>Serious Eats</a>.<br /><br /><u>COOKED FROM</u><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-a93b0FDpBRU0BPjgiCzOW2tJyDq77ypwjp5vk3muKrxIZo85l447UqKsEqs3gfWlJiSjK2Iw2AVGd_9AM7DIx0j6keYJeskr1BEDRK9tVp4W-LbTMPef9IFYPbNKYY27yjmoMtwOA/s1600-h/jamie-at-home-book.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-a93b0FDpBRU0BPjgiCzOW2tJyDq77ypwjp5vk3muKrxIZo85l447UqKsEqs3gfWlJiSjK2Iw2AVGd_9AM7DIx0j6keYJeskr1BEDRK9tVp4W-LbTMPef9IFYPbNKYY27yjmoMtwOA/s200/jamie-at-home-book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345436882711985554" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-3708321574468000412009-06-11T14:43:00.000-07:002009-06-11T14:49:35.776-07:00J.O. Twittaz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHZpxOymJTlUchMKpItm9aG0adt-pv6PgtV0eqD7EYL3Ah0-n7MW4_4UbxedidA8fNAMDfYiEjjKy2SS8IX2qWYm9D1rcl482wG39WN6hPE1418BdSFbPCWE6wnMs_0BtHNJlcOSWeg/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 51px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHZpxOymJTlUchMKpItm9aG0adt-pv6PgtV0eqD7EYL3Ah0-n7MW4_4UbxedidA8fNAMDfYiEjjKy2SS8IX2qWYm9D1rcl482wG39WN6hPE1418BdSFbPCWE6wnMs_0BtHNJlcOSWeg/s200/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346189809858974434" /></a><br /><br /><br />Twitter pic<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubsITy0mmUM_qlWH8w2FKk1cgFsG93LabZ_SMYinLqNLacRiDNEEsfBzQfcJnT2cq7XCsxmJyv0w9zOV2XD0h-q_0aXStu18nl3lJPb3qPaGYTwymidx6ztJ6rWLNDdYbEy-QyRaDbQ/s1600-h/11829209.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubsITy0mmUM_qlWH8w2FKk1cgFsG93LabZ_SMYinLqNLacRiDNEEsfBzQfcJnT2cq7XCsxmJyv0w9zOV2XD0h-q_0aXStu18nl3lJPb3qPaGYTwymidx6ztJ6rWLNDdYbEy-QyRaDbQ/s200/11829209.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346189805930854642" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-22066856963178540532009-06-11T01:28:00.000-07:002009-06-11T01:41:51.300-07:00<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/3615472139_cdb771621b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2789" /><br />I'm not very good at poaching eggs, don't hate.<br /><br /><br />For the most part, I have a pretty nondiscriminatory palate. I can eat and enjoy most things. But I’m embarrassed to say that I have qualms about soup. Soup has always been a hurdle. I would cringe whenever the school cafeteria decided to serve grilled cheese with a side of tomato soup. During those lunches, I would try to barter for bags of Flaming Hot Cheetos or tamarind candy. Dinners were just as dramatic. My grandmother, who claimed that her daikon soup would “cure” me of my brattiness and simultaneously stimulate my growth spurt, would scold me for rejecting her steaming hot saucepan of Asian vegetable-goulash. And if her blood wasn’t boiling enough, I’d open a can of Coke and call it “soup”. An angry tirade in Sichuanese would ensue. <br /><br />Soup is always served too hot, or not hot enough; it lacks distinct flavors when the temperature is at either extremes. It’s like living in Manhattan. There are only a few occasions when the temperature is just right. And soup that comes silky smooth, as if it had been run through a sieve 5 or more times, loses its place in the “food” category. It becomes “beverage” or worse, “smoothie”. <br /><br />My Jamie Oliver soup experience was kind of a fluke. I picked up scraggly-looking asparagus at the farmer’s market and wanted to find an easy recipe that called for asparagus. His <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/creamy-asparagus-soup-with-a-poached-egg"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Creamy Asparagus Soup with a Poached Egg on Toast</span></a> came up, a sign that it was time to transform my aversion towards soup into something conducive to my learning. <br /><br />So zuppa it was! Jamie’s recipe is easy and seemingly healthy. I started by cooking a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirepoix">mirepoix</a> that consisted of leeks (left over from the fish dish), onions, and celery. Of course my house–and hair–smelled wonderful at this point. Every step that followed was straightforward and easy. <br /><br />The only mishap happened when the blender, filled with hot soup mind you, exploded. I guess I didn’t really pay attention in my Physics class because hot liquid + blender = scary. My kitchen counter looked like lawn mower-vomit. <br /><br />Though I’m not quite a changed woman, I do think that farm-fresh ingredients and plenty of good quality olive oil can heighten the quality of any soup. Maybe the painstaking process of blitzing the soup in a blender made me appreciate the finished product… I guess it’s kind of like dating. Yes, it's that <span style="font-style:italic;">other</span> painstaking process that I'm still trying to figure out.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3615471487_b471a14592.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2782" /><br />Anorexic asparagus mixing it up with the regular-sized crowd.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3616290274_7c0fc4fef6.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2783" /><br />Mire poix, sautéed until soft.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3616290774_7b63cdee8d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="IMG_2786" /><br />Post-blitz. <br /><br /><u>RECIPE HERE</u> <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/creamy-asparagus-soup-with-a-poached-egg"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Creamy Asparagus Soup with a Poached Egg on Toast</span></a><br /><br /><br /><u>COOKED FROM</u><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-a93b0FDpBRU0BPjgiCzOW2tJyDq77ypwjp5vk3muKrxIZo85l447UqKsEqs3gfWlJiSjK2Iw2AVGd_9AM7DIx0j6keYJeskr1BEDRK9tVp4W-LbTMPef9IFYPbNKYY27yjmoMtwOA/s1600-h/jamie-at-home-book.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-a93b0FDpBRU0BPjgiCzOW2tJyDq77ypwjp5vk3muKrxIZo85l447UqKsEqs3gfWlJiSjK2Iw2AVGd_9AM7DIx0j6keYJeskr1BEDRK9tVp4W-LbTMPef9IFYPbNKYY27yjmoMtwOA/s200/jamie-at-home-book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345436882711985554" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-59505750081867372412009-06-08T17:42:00.001-07:002009-06-09T14:06:54.609-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiEt2Q_YzE9E-MQENT3IELAgdyu292dDJej4HBqVcpc7rQ6l3jeAYmLMW6taTP40sNimfFIIQq8mhG2jF_b59iG0MUTzHY-dGG_LN4jlJdbY0MMiEmBnkkn7Bkf-ca2fU1UtpYuIFaQ/s1600-h/IMG_2776.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiEt2Q_YzE9E-MQENT3IELAgdyu292dDJej4HBqVcpc7rQ6l3jeAYmLMW6taTP40sNimfFIIQq8mhG2jF_b59iG0MUTzHY-dGG_LN4jlJdbY0MMiEmBnkkn7Bkf-ca2fU1UtpYuIFaQ/s320/IMG_2776.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345013337119094978" /></a><br /><br /><br />My mum’s a seafood gal. I hardly see her crave any other type of protein. As a child, my fantasy was always to eat a giant bloody steak with plenty of A1 instead of the steamed fish staple that always ended up on the dining table. In the same way I rebelled against her and got a tattoo, I tried to reject her influence over my culinary habits. Consequently, my body is permanently inked but devoid of necessary omega-3 fatty acids.<br /><br />For her birthday, I decided that I’d indulge her with something oceanic for dinner. The least I could do considering she’s dealt with my bad attitude and bratty tantrums for almost 25 years now. The <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Home-Cook-Your-Good/dp/1401322425">Jamie at Home</a> <span style="font-weight:bold;">cookbook</span></span> had the perfect recipe: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Roasted White Fish with Leeks</span>, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Incredible Smashed Peas and Fava Beans on Toast</span> to start. <br /><br />I picked up some fresh fava beans and peas from the farmer’s market. Fava beans are in season now as they start to thrive in late spring, and the ones I purchased were robust, with each pod looking like the arm of a tiny, muscular man. The peas were just ok. Both of these podded beans have such distinct flavors that I was concerned about mixing the two, especially uncooked. <br /><br />Jamie says to purchase a “white fish” and only suggests the “North Atlantic Cod” as an option. <a href=” http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx”>Seafood Watch</a> told me to avoid the Atlantic cod (like whitefish or scrod) as it’s currently an endangered fish. I guess I could have just tried it’s brutha from anutha coast, but I naively purchased monkfish instead. I figured that since I’d be roasting the fish, a steakier variety would stand up to the cooking method. Little did I know that monkfish was also endangered. My conscience suffered a beating once I found this out later in the evening. <br /><br />The recipe calls for a marinade that consisted of pulverized thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, sea salt, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil. It’s an incredibly easy way to dress fish, shrimp, chicken, and even pasta. I tossed the fish in the marinade, and surrounded it with steamed leeks, bacon, fresh rosemary, and thinly sliced lemons. Sitting in a pre-heated roasting dish, the fish sizzled slightly before I popped it in the oven and the fragrant citrus aroma wafted through my kitchen. While the fish was roasting, I dressed slices of toasted sourdough with the smashed peas and fava beans–which after being mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, mint, salt, and pecorino– tasted just like Spring or maybe just raw falafel. <br /><br />Overall, this meal was fun and easy to put together, especially with all the right ingredients on hand. My mum was a bit confused by the smashed beans/peas and suggested that it tasted like “farm”, whatever that means. She liked the fish, but she’s genetically engineered to, remember? Kind of the same reason why she loves me no matter what–even if I drive a brand new Volkswagon Jetta into a transit bus (yes, that did happen but I was 16). This means, I can’t confirm if this was a successful attempt or not. <br /><br />I guess mum and I will never really agree on everything but I’d say our contrasting palates is the least of my worries.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTX99n1O3woyWgGCFj5ZhX0O_GxA2uyDQ0s0lb_9rSjl3Fm1RbbWfztgqAi3H1WF6M-ggfNSPiEMrdn71LHr_kOv9l46GmAzAadpfZsp1BOcxmwRA4E1PtRvdwPA4-2FczLI-JsC73Nw/s1600-h/IMG_2741.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTX99n1O3woyWgGCFj5ZhX0O_GxA2uyDQ0s0lb_9rSjl3Fm1RbbWfztgqAi3H1WF6M-ggfNSPiEMrdn71LHr_kOv9l46GmAzAadpfZsp1BOcxmwRA4E1PtRvdwPA4-2FczLI-JsC73Nw/s320/IMG_2741.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345012659570386610" /></a><br />Shelled fresh peas and fava beans from the farmers market. Kind of a pain in the ass to shell. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAPRY2zWr3Wck11jlr2ba7UbP2yxyOEMbKkn0Z6yv-dtDW1_qMhFmsCH7Xp7pXP_pSO0vGH0BS2FkZ6rKIPdc5Zr7zM7xDKIgwH8BUF5jqJgj3ZkCkUjXtGEcKgR70GsPab-vWsGjCA/s1600-h/IMG_2743.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAPRY2zWr3Wck11jlr2ba7UbP2yxyOEMbKkn0Z6yv-dtDW1_qMhFmsCH7Xp7pXP_pSO0vGH0BS2FkZ6rKIPdc5Zr7zM7xDKIgwH8BUF5jqJgj3ZkCkUjXtGEcKgR70GsPab-vWsGjCA/s320/IMG_2743.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345012665575636866" /></a><br />Assorted herbs for lemony marinade and 7 oz. monkfish from Whole Foods. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNDgCGiqrZCI3INlQ8sTTRLovC1zgySSaa6WhjuUfGuGxQqpKnChEH0UNn1XsFmX_wIwNxKLaTRwM8VGbSkI5Vp6vl6y3VhtNeiOc3iUmzzqA-KO6b62bDKjRTN1jSuHtww5gwZjfTQ/s1600-h/IMG_2749.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNDgCGiqrZCI3INlQ8sTTRLovC1zgySSaa6WhjuUfGuGxQqpKnChEH0UNn1XsFmX_wIwNxKLaTRwM8VGbSkI5Vp6vl6y3VhtNeiOc3iUmzzqA-KO6b62bDKjRTN1jSuHtww5gwZjfTQ/s320/IMG_2749.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345012670866587410" /></a><br />Marinade after mauling (not the correct culinary term) the herbs with sea salt and drenching all of it in lemon juice and olive oil. Jamie says to do this until the salt “turns green”. I’m a very literal person and the salt never did get as Crayola green as I expected.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO5Ldr1nTVVkHzWHZrzUVVDlSf_NToiPEOUvXnsQQfpdJJbJnwy9jsuhR6FkYTfafKPG38cjOFVck9bNJ6aMRPJom8Zoh2xybknJa_UqliwWx4Do9pY5OPcH8IPaecFv136aqqIQoEw/s1600-h/IMG_2750.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO5Ldr1nTVVkHzWHZrzUVVDlSf_NToiPEOUvXnsQQfpdJJbJnwy9jsuhR6FkYTfafKPG38cjOFVck9bNJ6aMRPJom8Zoh2xybknJa_UqliwWx4Do9pY5OPcH8IPaecFv136aqqIQoEw/s320/IMG_2750.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345012680203219410" /></a><br />Monkfish getting ready for it’s hot tub soak. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFp3vUAoV75_1ulCW7VJwYy-pxRk-XvtDe6YtmJQWBYsJmVuKfldZdyDrxmywAiTy_DvBzS9Gw_b36dSlrXKH7TbPom3jb2ewV6OQOTh-oLBuiCnr8mcutkdU6H9up8hR4e3pB5eBvww/s1600-h/IMG_2761.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFp3vUAoV75_1ulCW7VJwYy-pxRk-XvtDe6YtmJQWBYsJmVuKfldZdyDrxmywAiTy_DvBzS9Gw_b36dSlrXKH7TbPom3jb2ewV6OQOTh-oLBuiCnr8mcutkdU6H9up8hR4e3pB5eBvww/s320/IMG_2761.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345012678431587042" /></a><br />The finished product in all it’s juicy bacon fat + lemony marinade glory!<br /><br /><br /><br /><u>COOKED FROM</u><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-a93b0FDpBRU0BPjgiCzOW2tJyDq77ypwjp5vk3muKrxIZo85l447UqKsEqs3gfWlJiSjK2Iw2AVGd_9AM7DIx0j6keYJeskr1BEDRK9tVp4W-LbTMPef9IFYPbNKYY27yjmoMtwOA/s1600-h/jamie-at-home-book.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-a93b0FDpBRU0BPjgiCzOW2tJyDq77ypwjp5vk3muKrxIZo85l447UqKsEqs3gfWlJiSjK2Iw2AVGd_9AM7DIx0j6keYJeskr1BEDRK9tVp4W-LbTMPef9IFYPbNKYY27yjmoMtwOA/s200/jamie-at-home-book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345436882711985554" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184100584637061816.post-50862309176148988612009-06-08T17:32:00.001-07:002009-06-11T09:25:05.597-07:00THE EXPERIENCE BEGINSAfter 5 consecutive nights of dining out, I finally exhausted my bank account and my stomach of convenient eating. Don’t get me wrong–I wasn’t throwing back milkshakes and burgers or Trader Joes’ frozen enchiladas (yum); I was having good quality cooked food at reputable restaurants known for using local and organic ingredients. But by the end of the week, all I had to show for a week of splurging on dinner was belly bloat and an embarrassingly sparse checking account. The over-glugging of olive oil and over-sprinkling of salt resulted in a sluggish, bloated version of me. <br /><br />Since then, I've decided that I need to upgrade my eating habits. I want to know what goes into everything I put in my body! Also, it's important to become better acquainted with LA’s vibrant farmer’s market scene. And, it’s an excellent opportunity for me to have dinner parties with friends. After all, I don’t think I’d be able to eat a whole roast pig on my own… although, if you give me some Sriracha…<br /><br />With guidance from Brit-born locavore and formerly very “naked” chef <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/">Jamie Oliver</a>, I will be translating his recipes into real life, edible eats during the weekdays (ugh, after work) for one month. This means that I will not be engaging in any restaurant or store-bought activities. I'm not exactly sure what this will mean for my mental well-being, but I know I will feel physically rejuvenated (side note: Jamie uses a lot of garden-fresh greens and lemon juice in his recipes).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefzrrMGWviEd3E3tt4oGBP3fmN8sWUS-vtkmj0R9vaYApPtGPsoLB_IJBo6Ju0ANJ-SturPjFS8ULzDR3aqyT2Kelx7ztCy_A6_SWAVO9pUw2PT9Wegn3U59OnD4idTWFCDrlXgSDag/s1600-h/n2500892_41975598_8649.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 184px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefzrrMGWviEd3E3tt4oGBP3fmN8sWUS-vtkmj0R9vaYApPtGPsoLB_IJBo6Ju0ANJ-SturPjFS8ULzDR3aqyT2Kelx7ztCy_A6_SWAVO9pUw2PT9Wegn3U59OnD4idTWFCDrlXgSDag/s200/n2500892_41975598_8649.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345441096709204818" /></a>Diane/ Cooking with Jamie Oliver, one recipe, one weeknight at a time.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11252525604284550689noreply@blogger.com1