Extra Schmaltz!

This recipe based upon one from the grand tome "A Mediterranean Feast". It is the rarest of the rare: a true half-hour meal. Great for the tired, the desperate, the hungry. The original recipe calls for a 6-7 ounce can of tuna, but the largest I found was 5 ounces, and that worked fine. You could double to 10 oz tuna if you want it more meaty. Pictured with a simple salad of arugula + spinach, tomato, tossed with salt, olive oil, and balsamic. Recipe 1 lb. farfalle (bow tie noodles) 1 5 oz. can tuna packed in olive oil (do not drain) Handful of fresh parsley leaves, lightly chopped 1/4-1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil 1/3 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly ground black pepper Salt to taste Salt the pasta water generously, and bring to a boil. Boil for the time listed on the box. Drain. Empty the tuna, including the olive oil it was packed in, into a large bowl. Add the parsley leaves. Dump in the noodles and toss. Add olive oil to your liking,...

It am sure it is no coincidence that the last blog post is about the same age as Zayn and Violet! Tonight I find myself with a lull in the toddler fray to post this lovely dish we had in San Sebastian, Spain. This recipe is adapted from  The Basque Table . The original recipe calls for Biscayne sauce, but that is a pain to make and it says you can substitute paprika. I used  La Dalia agridulce smoked paprika . Delicious and simple: a true 30-minute-meal. 1/3 c. olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 green peppers, sliced into strips 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into large-ish bite sized pieces 1-2 Tbsp. smoked paprika 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 lb. ahi tuna, cut into bite-sized pieces 3-4 c. chicken broth salt to taste Heat the oil in a cast iron pot. Add the onions and saute 5 minutes until starting to become translucent. Add the pepper strips and cook for 3 minutes. Add the smoked paprika, garlic, and tomato paste and stir to combine,...

$4.50/lb right now at Shuang Hur!

One of my favorite books is Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. It's a story about a crime, the road, the trials a family faces, and miracles. It takes place in Minnesota and South Dakota in the wintertime--the perfect setting for chowder. My recipe was inspired by this line: "Supper that night was Swede's favorite, a red-potato chowder Dad mixed up with hunks of northern pike. Seasoned with vinegar and pepper this was our king of soups; a person didn't even want to put crackers in it." I've kept the recipe humble and hearty, as would befit the story. You can doctor it up as you like (though I've probably included too many herbs as it is), but believe me when I tell you that it is irresistibly good even in its simplest form. 2 lbs red potatoes, skin-on and scrubbed 1 lb white fish 4 Tbsp. butter or bacon fat 1 small onion, diced 2 ribs celery, diced 1-2 qts water or fish or chicken broth 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp dill or dill seed (optional) lots of black pepper sa...

I often wind up with leftover pasta and struggle to find ways to use it. This recipe is a great way to use it with stuff you probably have around the house, and doesn't involve heating up the kitchen at all. If your noodles are stiff from being in the fridge, microwave them for a minute or run them under hot water before adding the dressing. I recommend using chunky-shaped noodles, but if you use spaghetti I would chop it up a bit first. If you don't have a green pepper, you could use celery or broccoli middles or any crunchy veg. Dressing : Juice of 1 lime or lemon 2 Tbsp. tahini 1-2 cloves garlic ~1/4 c. olive oil 2 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. white pepper pinch cayenne (optional) Salad : 2 -3 c. cooked pasta 1 can tuna, drained and in pieces 1 green pepper, diced 1/2 onion, diced chopped fresh parsley (optional but recommended) In a food processor or blender, blend together the lime juice, garlic, tahini, and seasonings (make sure the garlic is pulverized well). Drizzle in the oliv...

Behold my blurry food porn! Tonight's dinner, as Dan said, was "so good it would make Gordon Ramsay's bollocks tingle". After an exhausting trip to Chicago, eating overpriced and unwholesome food, I needed something to cleanse my body and soul. Something a bit fancy for Friday night, and a way to exercise my cooking muscles. An earlier meander through Wikipedia brought me to " dukkah ", an Egyptian condiment made of ground, roasted, seasoned nuts. I directed Dan to pick up whatever kind of fish looked delicious and he got some amazing ahi tuna steaks from Byerly's. Inspiration! I decided to combine the two. First I marinated the tuna in a simple combination of: Juice of 1 lemon 2 cloves crushed garlic salt and pepper dash of pomegranate molasses (you could use soy sauce + sugar) Meanwhile I made the dukkah: 1/2 c. nuts 2 Tbsp. raw sesame seeds 1 tsp. each whole cumin, corriander, fennel 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 1 tsp. dried mint 1 tsp. salt T...

A delicious and simple dinner idea--and with the benefit of requiring no wheat. I bread and fry the fish and serve it with corn tortillas, cabbage, avocado, and pico de gallo. Fish: Allow about 1/2 to 1/3 lbs. white fish per person. Shark or swordfish will be denser, cod or tilapia will be flakier, and halibut will melt in your mouth. 1/4 c. corn starch 1/4 c. yellow corn meal 1 egg adobo seasoning (I get it from Penzey's--one of my favorite spices!) ground cayenne or chipotle salt and pepper oil that gets good and hot (I use corn or grapeseed oil) Cut fish into 3-4" chunks that can easily be moved around in the pan. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle with seasonings to taste. Mix the dry ingredients in a pie pan, and beat the egg smoothly in another pie pan. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture and allow to sit for several minutes, while heating the oil good and hot. Dip the fish chunks in the egg right before frying. Fry 3 pieces at a time until brown and cri...