Here's to you Captain Vegetable (Part 1 of a few, I'm sure)

Ah, the noble carrot, that passionate parsnip, you rugged rutabaga. Yes, the vegetable kingdom is wide and marvelous. Though we might not always think of a head of cabbage as being the most important thing in the refrigerator, there are many people around the world to whom these particular items are the bread and butter of their diet.

I am not one of them.

I am a carnivore, I like meat; but I am one who respects the vegetable, as meat is costly and you can only eat so much of if before you are...let's say, plugged up. Take my recent kick.

Salads.

Simple I know, but I'm really into salads of all kinds at the moment, preferably of the veg variety, with added proteins (as opposed to a mayonnaise salad like ham salad). The desk job I work part time has a fantastic cafe with a huge salad bar, lined with a daily variety of vegetation and proteins, as well as a hefty selection of different cheeses and crouton like toppings. I'll create a little mosh of regular lettuce, fresh spinach, carrots, and cabbage, as well as the occasional string beans, or kidney beans, et cetera. They have an array of chopped meats and cold fish as well. My protein of choice is the egg.

I could go on and on about eggs, so let's leave that for another time.

But eggs are darn good in a salad, the French knew it, and their nicoise salad (yes, named for Nice) is a fine example.

The Greeks have one of my all time favorites, Horiatiki is really the only kind of salad you get in Greece. I mean of course they have other kinds, but this it THE salad. Comprised of cucumber, ripe tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, mixed with salt, pepper, dried oregano, and olive oil. I believe that the woman who cooked for us while we lived in Greece also added white wine vinegar to the dressing. But that was it; so simple, so fresh, and it would keep for a long while, already dressed, unlike lettuce, which wilts after a time. We had this salad every day; it is a staple, and one of the things the husband and I missed most after our residency in Greece came to an end.

Every culture has it's version of a salad like this. I mean, the Italians put tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella together, and it's become posh nosh in our young country. And people have been eating these types of salads for centuries, long before ranch dressing came into being--because they were healthy, and made of practical, on hand ingredients; and they were and are really, REALLY good.

Not to mention healthy. And fun!

I bet some kids out there would rather put together a colorful salad than finger paint. I know I would. Finger painting is messy and the red color always smells funny. Not to mention you cannot eat finger paints that you find in the art department at Target. That is a huge downer. Definitely should make one rethink finger painting altogether.

Anyway. Here's to you, you saucy salad (and sometimes not so saucy, depending on your taste). May you continue to reinvent yourself and cleanse our pallets; help us stay fit and keep our innards regular.

Primal Steer

Here in the land of beef, there are cows a plenty and as much meat as you can fathom. Just because the price of moo-moos has gone up in recent times doesn't make it any less delicious, or less craved. Or carved.

The husband comes from a farming family, many of which to this day raise beef cattle, and have on occasion provided us with cuts of amazing beef from their grass fed creatures. There is no comparison between this prior mentioned meat and what you get at the stores, even the best butchers. The fresh-factor is incredible. As soon as I am allowed to purchase a deep freeze, we will be purchasing a quarter or even half a cow for our very own, and then there will be beef a plenty for 6 months or more. Prime Partying!

I had never actually had home cooked prime rib before last night. This cut of meat is more expensive than the tenderloin, it seems--or at least close in price. It was almost 10 lbs for the 9 family members that were at table. You have to realize there were 5 men at the table, all of whom are exemplary eaters. We had only a little left in the end for treats today at lunch. As the chefs du jour, we chose a potato gratin, potatoes with 4 cups of cream, garlic, thyme and chives to go along, and a simple salad with homemade dressing. The Roast was cooked bone in with a crust of fresh horseradish and garlic, which was not curiously strong at all until after it was cooked for 2 hours. It was a perfect med-rare, and it was silent round the table after serving time. We did an accompanying mushroom sauce for the topper.

We brought a couple of bottles of the vine with us, and this year's beaujolais nouveau went along like a song.

This new holiday tradition in the husband's family's house will be much missed next year when we're with mine in Kansas, so we'll be expecting the P.R. at Thanksgiving, instead of the noble bird.

Happy Holidays to all!

Oooooooklahoma...

The Holidays are notorious for great food and time spent with family. They are also accompanied by frequent visits to other friends and families, and not a lot of time for relaxation. However, when we go stay with the husband's fam, it's quiet and peaceful, perfect for two city dwellers to kick back for a couple of days.

I have braved one of the things I fear most and have flown to western Oklahoma with my husband for the festivities. I hate flying, though one of the airports did have an Au bon pain.

Let's back track.

We had Christmas Eve at home in Chicago. I sing at a midnight service on Christmas Eve, so it limits us to when we can get to the homesteads. Christmas Eve for us was filled with more eating out than in as we were burdened with laundry washing and packing.

For a late breakfast/brunch, a favorite in Lincoln Square: Cafe Salmarie. The husband wished for (as Wooster puts it) E&B. And I just couldn't undo the lovely cleaning that he had done in our kitchen so didn't care what I ate as long as it was good and made for me somewhere else. And these guys, creators of prime pies, cakes, tarts, and breads, didn't disappoint. Corned Beef Hash with poached eggs. They make it all in house, and I highly recommend heading over there for an indulgence. You rarely find the hash on menus done as such.

I thought the eggs, cooked perfectly, could have been salted just a tad more, but the hash was perfectly seasoned, and cured really nicely, with home style potatoes instead of the traditional shredded. The Coffee here is lovely and they have great chilaquiles as well.

Dinner was simple, a little husband sauteed manchego and breadcrumb encrusted chicken with sweet potato fries and corn; and then it was off to sing.

After waking up at 3:30am to make a 6 am flight, I have to confess...nothing sounded better at 5am than a skillet burrito form McD's. I know, I know. Who knew. I did not however have McD's coffee, which I think is crap. The X-mas blend from Seattle's most notorious instead, which actually I think is not as xmasy as it could be, kind of bland this year compared to other roasts. At the Dallas airport changing planes there were yummy pastries to be had. I really prefer the Chocolate croissant the way the french do it and not like most American bakers, with actual pieces of bittersweet chocolate in the middle, rather than a paste of sorts.

The husband's mother is a great cook, and for lunch we had chicken and egg noodles with mashed potatoes, and green beans and stuffing, and dinner was chicken fried steak with all the fixin's. Our holiday meal is today, a we are awaiting more family to arrive.

When one is tired and burdened, a mother's cooking is in a class by itself. Warm and simple and just plain good. I have no idea how she makes any of the above, but I can say that it is no fuss, wonderful food.

Merry had a little lamb

Baaaaah said my din din.

Seriously though. Lamb, along with the pig, is a noble little animal. And I am very grateful for all the little lambs I have eaten in my life. Including the one (or several) that might have made up my dinner tonight. 

I have no idea where the idea to eat lamb came from way back in the ancient days. In all honesty, I think lambs are super cute, being a girl, I think I would be crazy not to think that. So it must have been a horrific accident that first brought a lamb to the table on a platter. But oh, how I am grateful for that day. Leg of lamb has long been a favorite of my mother's and therefore a typical dish at holiday dinners. She does hers as I like to, most simply, studded with garlic and sprigs of rosemary...whole. That means stuffing the little gem with hunks of goodness till it bleats happiness. And occasionally there is a red wine sauce to go along, but really it's nummy on it's own. In contrast, one of my family's dear friends hails from the merry olde, and does hers with the tradish mint jelly. It too is quite plate licking worthy. 

So how did this darling creature come to my table this evening? Chop-wise, coated in a mash of rosemary, thyme and 4 garlic cloves with olive oil to bind...and some salt. Trader J's has these treats at a great price, pack of four, and they're nice and big--perfect for two. I mashed everything with the mortar and pestle and coated the chops before searing. At least resting for 5 minutes for carryover cooking and re-absorbing of juices, they were a perfect medium rare. Delish. 

Accomp was roasted brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt and pepper, started at 375 for 20 min almost, then tossed, and cooked more at 350 for another 10-20 minutes, depending on your level of liked doneness.  And then I poured half the fat from the lamb on top of them for kicks. Usually I use bacon fat...but that was all gone due to the Tapas craziness on Sunday. 

We had a nice Catalan white with it, light and crisp, not too acidic. And now I'm eating Andie's Mints that my mother sent me for St Nicholas Day. 

P.S.

The husband is having an apple blossom for finals. He says he regrets being referred to as "the husband," much like one would label "the garden trowel," says he. Hence forth I think I might refer to him as "the trowel" for kicks....

In the beginning there was the pig...

I was told by a friend that I had to start a blog like this. I like food; I really, really like food. We eat out way more that we should during any given month, and make crazy elaborate dishes at home. However, unlike most people who simply enjoy this kind of thing (the cooking, the eating) I tend to think of these activities as almost religious experiences. It's a down right dirty obsession.

My choice of profession tends to add to, and diminish at the same time, my levels of engagement with food. I am, by trade, an opera singer, a very young one, but a working one none the less. So as an artist, naturally the wages are meager, and the cost of doing my work exceedingly high. But the places I go and the things I eat fuel my love for the culinary delights.

The husband says I have no concept of moderation when it comes to food. I beg to differ, I must have have some concept of moderation since I still have a figure. However, you have to agree with the man on some angles of his accusation. I am a pig when it comes to the good stuff.

Such as last night, with my homemade Sangria. Way too much of a good thing. But it was darn good.

I intend this to be a place of reflection and contemplation of all my culinary escapades, both at home and abroad. So let's begin...

Last night we made tapas (I have already mentioned the tasty beverage that currently is making my head pound). It was a celebration of my husband birthday and also an excuse to show off our moose-sized Christmas Tree. It really is lovely. The menu: Potato croquettes stuffed with manchego; Olives, cheese and meats; tortilla with onion; shrimp with garlic and wine; steaks with rosemary and garlic; Mushroom crostini; and bacon wrapped dates.

The potato croquettes were great, though they need a little spicing up for next time. But they tasted like potato as they should, and we fried them, so they were lovely and flaky-crispy. I am now a huge fan of tortilla (usually Egg and Potato). I have to say I cannot take credit for last night's creation as a friend helping us cook did the honors. Seared onions tossed with paprika, then covered with beaten eggs and then broiled. Amazing flavor. Will definitely be doing this one again. The shrimp with garlic was a little lacking, I usually add lemon, which we didn't think to buy, and reduce the sauce a little more. They would have been better served marinated and grilled like the steak. THE Steak: it was fantastic, another Oliver creation, and it was amazing; the sauce created with the mortar and pestle was so tasty. The mushrooms were awesome too, sauteed with sherry and garlic, should have used goat cheese for the spread on the bread with them, used garlic aioli instead, it was good, just not like goat cheese would have been. And the bacon wrapped dates are always really great, very popular, and so simple to do, just wrap 1/3 a slice of bacon around a date and pin it with a toothpick and bake in the oven for about 20 min total till crispy. Yum.


Overall the night was great! We had a lot of cancellations due to the near negative degree temps that night but all the same--those who came I think really enjoyed it. Viva las Tapas!


Tonight's menu: Electrolytes.