Cena por los chicos y chicas!

The technique of how to make delicious Empanadas Costa Rican style was introduced to by my dear friend Rosita. She lives in Ciudad Quesada, San Carlos, Costa Rica and works at the Cross Cultural Solutions house as the cook. Rosita is the kind of woman that everyone wants as their grandmother. She is always singing in the kitchen as she prepares the most delicious food you can imagine. Her laugh rings through the kitchen as she enters every afternoon to prepare the mid-day coffee for everyone. After a leisurely break and chat with friends, Rosita sets about the preparation of dinner. She works all afternoon stirring, chopping, and sauteing the freshest ingredients into a fabulous dinner and then sings to everyone to come to the table. She greets everyone with a hug and pat on the shoulder and when she is thanked for her hard work, Rosita always answers, "Con mucho gusto" (With much pleasure). Although Rosita spoke only Spanish, unlike many of the people she served, her cooking, laughter, singing, dancing and smiling broke through the language barrier to form a connected relationship with all of us. So it is con mucho gusto that I share one of my favorite recipes!  

Empanadas de Rosita
(slightly modified)
Saute half an onion, garlic and cumin in oil. Add 2 T cilantro (preferable fresh), 2 T lime juice, 2T vinegar.
Add a can of black beans and smush with a fork while cooking on low until a paste is formed.

Mix together 1 cup of masa (corn flour) and 1/8 t salt. Slowly add water until a dough is formed.
Cut a ziploc bag into a circle. Form a 2 inch ball from dough. Press into center of plastic circle and pat until flattened into a 1/2 inch thick circle.

Cover center of circle with shredded cheese. Add a spoonful of bean mixture to center. Fold circle in half and press on the edge through plastic to seal edges. Fry in oil until browned and crispy.

Megan and Lilly-All Strings Attached, A Night of N'Sync, Wine, and Chowder

From this point on, this entry will read as a conversation between two friends whilst making dinner.

Mary Mudskipper: Hey CicadaLacewing, what would you like for dinner tonight

CicadaLacewing: I was thinking something with fish.

M M: Thats what she said...okay fish it is.

...a few hours later...

C L: Let's just go shopping and see what strikes our fancy.

M M: A fine plan. Shopping it is.

...a fine fall day falls upon us, calling for soup of course...

M M: How about fish chowder!!

C L: Sounds delish!!!!

M M: Okay we need some kind of white fish or scallops, corn, clam juice, sherry, shallots, garlic, onions, potatoes, and parsley. Off to thee market.

...a long walk with a heavily laden grocery cart and an epileptic haunted house later...

C L: Tonight might call for an N'Sync Pandora station-your thoughts?

M M: Throwback tunes and a bottle of wine = happiness.

...N'sync "god must have spent a little more time on you" cues up as we open Imagine Moore's Gratitude (props to Al). We are grateful for the company and jamz...

Simmer Shallots, garlic, and 1 large onion in olive oil (or butter or bacon drippings-highly recommended). Once translucent, add healthy splash of Sherry. Allow to return to heat. Add spices-Salt, Pepper, Fresh Parsley, Bay Leaves. Add 8 Oz. Clam Juice and Large can of Chicken Broth, bring to a boil.

...in the meantime, Christina Aguilara "What a girl wants", Backstreet Boys "I want it that way", Britney Spears "Sometimes"...

Add 5 small cubed potatoes (I used Yukon Gold) Allow to return to boil.

...Rock out to Dream "He loves Me not", Usher "Yeah", and another glass of wine...

Once Potatoes are softened (about 20 mins), add fish (flounder in this case) and 1 can corn. Return to heat. At this point, add the cream to make a chowder. Usually people use heavy cream. We forgot to put it on our shopping list and will be using sour cream and milk and butter instead. You do what you have to do when wine is the number one thing on your mind.

...Mandy Moore "Candy", 98 Degrees "because of you"...

C L: (in reference to "because of you") I don't know this song-what the hell is this?

M M: It's 98 Degrees "because of you"

C L: Oh no wonder i hate it, no talent ass clowns.

M M: You sound like your dad.

C L, M M, and N'Sync: Hey Heyyyyy, Bye Bye Bye

Yum, dinner time

PS: Mary Mudskipper (Megan) and CicadaLacewing (Lilly) encourage you to watch Green Porno and choose your own green porno name (as we have done) at http://www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno/

PPS: Dan was not involved in the making of this post but his green porno name which he prefers to be called by from this point on is Atlas Parnassian.

PPSS: dont judge us, worship the great music of our past

PPPSS: J T: I'm bringing Sexy Back

taking the roasting pan for a spin

Loyal bloggoids,

To convince fall weather and fall smells and sights to hurry up and get here so I dont have to sweat my balls off as I ride my bike to class everyday....I decided to do a pork roast. The only piece of pork I had in the freezer was a Pork Tenderloin. C'est la vie eh? I marinated it (rubbed it down) with

-Olive oil
-Fresh Parsley
-Salt
-Pepper
-Cumin
-Soy sauce

Then, cubed and placed around the meat...

-2 large potatoes, peeled
-2 large onions, quartered and halved
-3 medium apples, peeled and cored
-1/2 a head of garlic, left whole to roast
I would have preferred to add some carrots but I was fresh out, however I did add one Peach which was about to expire and found that it added a nice sweet flavoring, however Dan wasnt sure if he liked it.

I salted and peppered these ingredients and added them around and over the roast. Then I poured on a little cooking sherry and a few tablespoons of butter. I covered the pot and stuck it in the oven.

The general rule of thumb (a direct quote from Thee Mark Smith) for roasts is to cook them about 15-20 mins per pound at 325. I didnt have a meat thermometer so I took his word for it and sho nuff, my 1.44 lb roast was done in about 35 mins.

A tip of vital importance...Let the pot stand for 12-15 mins after removing from heat. Important cooking continues to happen after removed from the heat. This is how you get that nice pink center that melts in your mouth. Try not to remove the top until it has set for a few minutes...if you can contain yourself. because it smells devilishly amazing.

Hopefully fall will come soon, but I hope you enjoy this meal on some frosty fall nights. xoxo

incentive to visit me in the city

Hello there lovely friends!! Last night after working a grueling seven shifts in a row I found what might be the best wine bar in NYC. Its called Casellula and after a sip of wine and a bite of cheese my worries melted away. We started with a bottle of French syrah and ended with a bottle of French Syrah Grenache both were delicious and went well with every cheese we tasted.

The Cheese-amazing. We started with a soft sheep's milk cheese that the wonderful staff chose for us it was paired with a preserved peach compote (delish). The next cheese was a Cabot cloth bound cheddar paired with a whiskey and honey soaked mustard seed. The cheese crumbled almost like a Parmesan but was much tastier and perfect with the mustard seed. Then we moved on to another staff pick-we weren't entirely sure what it was but it was fantastic. A semi firm cheese with an orange rind that was paired with a pine nut rosemary brittle which I will soon attempt to duplicate. We finished the cheese course with Mt Tam from cowgirl creamery paired with an apple compote and forced ourselves to take a fifteen minute break before our second bottle and our dessert.

The Dessert- Apple Pandowdy
Basically one of the best things I have ever tasted. Homemade cinnamon-y apple pie filling topped with a cheddar biscuit and as if that weren't enough to get your mouth watering add a scoop of maple bacon ice cream. So good we almost ordered two more for the table so we wouldn't have to share.

I will end this post by saying that I love you all and miss you tons. And hopefully Casellula is just one more incentive to come and visit-I have a futon and it's lonely. Come sleep on it.

Spark Your Lighters. Wave 'em Around.

A day at Monica's always just makes me wanna cook my brains out.

On the Menu:
Honey Spice Rubbed Chicken & Oven Roasted Potatoes..

Musical Delights: Chromeo i could be wrong (feat. the singer from vampire weekend & a tiiiight saxophone solo). Eating your vegetables & Listening to this song may be the best things you can do for yourself. It just makes you wanna wear shoulder pads and perform some kind of synchronized dance routine.

Wine of Choice: Wisdom then Change. Excessive, yet so so necessary.

So for the chicken... I rubbed it up with a little cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, & chili powder. Drizzled a little oil & vinegar on top and popped the ol' gals in the oven. In the last ten minutes I poured a bit of honey over the top. I baked this uncovered til done. sticka fork in it.

The potatoes consisted of coarsely chopped onions, potatoes (obviously), apples, curry, chili powder & a touch of olive oil. Cover. Bake. Bam.

Also for all you party people:

Chromeo. bam.

Good Friday. Kanye, Common, kid Cudi & Friends.

This is for Dan with a big wave and a heeellllo.

((((Disclaimer: Colleen aka "the golden child" gave me the permish to mention songs even though this is a food blog. Since my nightlife currently consists of watching cupcake wars & searching for music online this may not be the last of the music links. Complaints can be directed to yourmom@gmail.com.)))

Miss you all more than words can express. love love love.

A Fiberous Day

Many of you have heard me speak with fondness of the fiber festival. Contrary to popular belief this festival does not involve beans and hearty cereals but sheep, llamas and lots of lots of yarn. So after an afternoon of purchasing an enormous box of raw wool, I decided to keep with the fiber theme and go after its other meaning.. food fiber. I stopped at the farmstand for apples for pie and picked up some squash for a Fine Fall Stew.

Cook on medium heat 5 cups of broth (I use salsa skimmings*), 2 cups of cubed butternut squash, 2 cloves of garlic, half a red onion, a Tablespoon of cumin. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until squash is tender.
Add 2 cups of chopped kale, a can of black beans (FIBER), a 1 cup of corn ( I chopped some right of the cob delissshhh!!). Salt and pepper to taste. Cook 10-15 minutes more.


*When making homemade salsa, skim off excess water that bubbles to the top when cooking down tomatoes. Keep in a jar or freeze and use for base for soups!!

Back by popular Demand...

I have not been cooking so much this weekend because my mom was in town. On the plus side, I went to some amazo Philly restaurants. Lets just say that Philly KNOWS food.

Friday PM, we sampled Philly restaurant week at Chef Joe Poon (yes POON) Kitchen. FOUR courses, sampling from his whole menu, we tried a total of 12 items i think! He was a crazy bastard but the food was good (yes I think we can and should swear Hannah).

Saturday PM we went to Parc, a brassiere bistro that sounds like it should be a quaint French place but is actually a colossal Restaurant biz mogul. Dan, Mom and I sampled Tuna carpaccio (an impossibly thin yet delish presentation) and all ordered the same entrée...Sea scallops braised with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, spaghetti squash, and pancetta. Yes, we could all definitely make that and definitely should.

Also, for brunch we went to a Gluten-free friendly (for mama) restaurant and I had a fish omelet, fresh squeezed Guava juice, and real Venezuelan cacao and coffee, complemented with Arepas...a Venezuelan corn patty. Now, help me Colleen if you know anything about these. The Arepas were so delicious; light and fluffy, while crispy fried, delicate flavor, mmmmm. They were also stuffed with cheese. yep. I could not even fathom how they were made, being that they were gluten free yet had the consistency of something created by flour...i could only imagine that they were made with potatoes. The waitress told us the secret of how to craft these amazing creations and I have to try it!

Arepas:

Boil fresh white corn with salted water. Drain and grind the corn with "a grinder" (food processor or by hand i do not yet know). Add water with salt as necessary to form a paste. Fry in corn oil when it has reached the appropriate consistency.

She said that corn meal sold in the US is not high enough quality to make the correct consistency. I looked up many recipes and they seemed to state that you could use cornmeal instead of crushing your corn but I think I will try the old fashioned way first and get back to all of you.

Another job for THE HOT DISH test kitchen....Colleen asked me for the Curry Mayo recipe from the grassroots sweet potato fry vendor. Unfortunately Grassroots ensued after I got the recipe from the vendors and I didnt write it down or remember it properly. The good thing is that I know what it tastes like and I pretty much remember the ingredients. Also, the vendor admitted that she just makes it to taste (even though it always tastes perfectly amazing) and doesn't have exact measurements.

But, never the less:

ingredients (in order of amount used from greatest to least)

-mayonnaise

-curry powder

-salt

-lemon juice

perhaps...

-paprika

-garlic powder?

-pepper

I'll get back to ya'll after I have the answer. If anyone wants to attempt, feel free!

Now, time for dinner...Pestoooo!

Breaking the Fast in Stylee.

The long anticipated opening of Roots Cafe has finally arrived. One word: yum. After weeks of staring longingly at the bright blue building & regretfully informing people time and time again that no, the cafe is still not open; i was finally able to enjoy some tasty eats there.
We got a little sampling of homemade sausage spiced with ginger and also an apple bacon fritter with a maple bourbon glaze. Yes they both tasted as good as they sound.
Then for the main event my mom and I both got Croque Madame. For those familiar with the cult classic It's Complicated, it's similar to the dish that Meryl Streep makes Steve Martin when Alec Baldwin is creeping outside the window. She makes Croque Monseiur (sp?) which is a French grilled ham and Gruyere cheese. Legend has it that is was invented when French workers would leave their sandwich on the radiator on accident and they would come back to melted cheese in their sandwich. What makes a Croque Monseiur a Croque Madame is a poached egg on top (Yes I googled the above information...you know I can't resist a good bit of trivia). Anyway, it was insane. The bread was so perfectly flaky it tasted like a grilled croissant. Stuffed with the ham and cheese... there are no words. I've said it once and i'll say it again: Pigs know how to make a good cut of meat.

And also, I'm researching options for a pumpkin ale. Apparently there's much debate in the brewing world of canned vs. roasted fresh pumpkin. Who knew such an innocent looking vegetable could cause so much discord. I'll keep everyone posted as the saga unfolds.

sometimes I get spoiled by my husband.

so there's this fantastic amazing thing that Mr. F makes for me on special occasions... my birthday, mother's day, days when I tell him that I need this exact dish and if I don't have it I'll die. I think about it a lot, this one particular dish, and I think that is the hallmark of good fucking food (can we swear in this blog?). you think about it a lot. please make this for your loved ones:

Lemon Flounder with Garlicky Shrimp:

*Makes 4 servings, cut in half for 2 people but feel free to keep the garlic, lemon, and caper amounts that are listed for 4 servings. so delish*

1 package of cooked long-grain rice

4 flounder fillets*

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup pan-searing flour

4 tbsp. EVOO (rachel ray anyone?)

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 lb small shrimp, shelled and devained**

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup parsley

2 tbsp drained capers

1. Prepare long-grain rice according to package. keep warm.

2. season the fish with 1/4th tsp. salt and 1/8th tsp. pepper. coat both sides with flour and shake off excess.

3. heat 12-in. non-stick pan or skillet briefly over medium-high heat. add 1 tbsp. of EVOO and 1 tbsp. of butter. when that sizzles, add 2 of the flounder fillets and saute for 2 minutes per side. remove to a plate when those are done -- add 1 more tbsp of both EVOO and butter and saute remaining 2 fillets if you got 'em. take them off and put them on the plate.

4. add the shrimp and the garlic to the butter/EVOO mixture in the pan. saute for 2 minutes. stir it and flip the shrimp when they turn pink. add lemon juice, parsley, capers and the rest of everything else that you already measured out and didn't add yet.

serve the flounder over rice and spoon the shrimp and sauce over everything. smell. taste. die. thank me later.

*Mr. F uses tilapia sometimes with good results.

I learned a thing or two from Mr. F about scoping out fish from a market. make sure that the pieces you're getting are similar in size and color -- anything slightly gray tinted is bad. anything that smells like fish is bad. fish is supposed to smell like the ocean -- once it's come in contact with too much air then it starts stinking like nasty fish and then that's what it'll taste like. make sure the fillets you get are as even across the entire fillet as possible too -- if they get too thin towards the end of the fillet, for example, the end will cook faster than the middle and it'll burn.

**remind me to write a post about shelling shrimp.

Marinades 101

As Meg and I drip dry last night, we chat about the great artist talk we had just returned from and decide that more of our friends will undoubtedly move here to experience things like that with us, once they come visit and realize this city's allure. We crack open two Genny Cream Ales as she begins dinner and I begin clearing some space for the woman to work her magic. She was confident in my dinner choice, and even let me help a bit. This is what I learned:

For a successful marinade you need three things: a base, an acid, and something sweet. What was our marinade and what was lucky enough to bathe in it? Well. Our marinade consisted of orange olive oil (base), lemon (acid), and orange juice (sweet). Throw cilantro in with a few spices and our lovely tilapia is as happy as his fellow sea-faring crab. Meg cooked this up with some rice and a delish mango salsa. M!

Cure for a Rainy Fall Evening

There is a chill in the air and a gray, drizzly sky that won't go away. Light some candles, turn on some Norah Jones, pour a glass of Pinot Noir and bake cheesecake for dinner....

Chocolate Coffee Cheesecake

• 2  cups  crushed chocolate graham crackers (about 18 crackers)
• 1/3  melted butter
• Combine and press into a pie crust. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes. 

 Blend together 4  (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened and 1  cup  sugar
Add:

• 1/4  cup  coffee liqueur
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon  instant coffee granules

Beat in 4 large eggs one at a time.


Reserve one cup of mixture. Put the rest in cooled crust.

Melt 4  (1-oz.) bittersweet baking chocolate squares. Add reserved cream cheese mixture and stir.
Add in lines across cheesecake and swirl with a knife.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave in for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven cool for one hour. Chill.

Enjoy! :)

Don't Know Y

Chicken Divan 2 ways/Red wine 2 ways

This blog makes me so happy! Almost as happy as enjoying good food with friends. Almost.

This recipe was inspired by James Brown Diner's Saturday breakfast special: Chicken Divan eggs Benedict. It ignited my taste buds and I had to make Chicken Divan, the last time having tasted this was at the Nazareth College Dining Hall surprisingly.

On Tuesday (the day this blog brainchild was conceived) I cooked Chicken Divan and served it with left over Bliss wine from Imagine Moore and a fresh salad. Another bottle of wine was required to finish the meal so I followed it with Wisdom from Imagine Moore. The recipe (which I pulled from a few different recipes) is as follows:

Chicken Divan

• 3 chicken breasts, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• fresh garlic (to taste or load it on if you're sick, ahem)
• 1 head of broccoli

• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• a few splashes of sherry
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (i know its cheating but i love the flavor)

In a large sauté pan simmer the onions and garlic with olive oil. Once translucent, add Chicken. I threw on some extra white wine that i had lying around too. Once chicken is cooked through add broccoli and cover to steam. In a saucepan make a roux with butter and flour (whisk till combined and thick), add chicken broth and spices. Bring to a boil, allow to thicken (continue whisking). Add Cheese, sherry and creamed soup and bring back to heat.

Place chicken/broccoli mixture in casserole or i used a 11X8 glass baking dish. Pour the creamed sauce over the mixture. Bake at 350 for 25 mins. I sprinkled some cheese on top and allowed to cool in the oven.

So the way that i did Chicken Divan the second way....

Leftovers!!! Just cooked up some spaghetti and heated them together. Added some more cheese, finished the red wine in our box-o-wine. deeelish. as Dan says...."this divan puts some meat on your bones, would be good during winter".

Also, for dessert: reading "For those who can still rid in an airplane for the first time" (aka: Quentin) Anis Mojgani.

Love to all of you. and wine. and sausage

Welcome!!

Nothing brings more comfort or cheer than enjoying a delicious meal with a friend. Some of the best moments of my life have included some good friends, good food and perhaps a glass of wine and some tasty tunes. As dreams and aspirations scatter friends apart to different corners of the world and as we grow away from family kitchens to our own little apartment kitchens, shared meals and cooking experiences become less frequent. Last night, I happily received a phone call from Philadelphia. One of my favorite cooking companions, Megan Mae, had come across a fabulous idea mid-culinary creation: a creation of a blog! It was a perfect way to share recipes, successful cooking experiences, songs to cook to, wine and beer pairings, and other culinary thoughts. So here it is, a forum to bring our kitchens closer together.  For as Epicurus wrote, "We should look for someone to eat or drink with before looking for something to eat and drink."
Enjoy!