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Tuna Steaks Braised with Radicchio, Chickpeas & Rosemary

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Recipe from: All About Braising (By Molly Stevens)

tuna steak braised with radiccio chickpeas and rosemaryI would assume a variety of content is critical to have an awesome blog and increase readership especially when you are starting out. So, obviously, I was planning to post something else this week as I knew I shouldn’t keep cooking chickpeas and fish even though it’s not that far from the reality. But then I went to grocery shopping and found thick, red, perfectly-sized sashimi grade ahi tuna steaks (on sale!) so I had to drop everything and buy them to make this dish because that’s what I do now if I come across a good-looking tuna steak. This is such a recipe. It’s a game changer.

It comes from All About Braising, an award winning cookbook by Molly Stevens. I ordered it when I got my first set of Le Creuset simply because I just wanted to make sure I get most out of those heavy pots as they were quite an investment. Soon the book arrived – And it completely floored me with my economically-motivated intentions by opening up a whole new world of cooking possibilities.

Not only is it a collection of great recipes, some of which I can no longer live without, but also her precision and accuracy in describing both principles of the technique as well as subtle details of each steps are MIND-BLOWING. You are guaranteed to be successful if you do exactly what she tells you to do. I do just that, and let myself indulge in a fantasy of being a domestic diva as I take out my prized Le Creuset from the oven and witness complete transformation of what’s inside from assortment of ingredients to an amazing meal. I might even throw an apron on. All that while I am developing some serious muscle. Fantastic. Continue reading →

Noodle Salad with Fried Tofu and Spinach

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Recipe very slightly adapted from: Simple Vegetarian Pleasure (By Jeanne Lemlin)

fried tofu and spinach noodle salad

Where I grew up, we had a local tofu shop around the corner from my elementary school. Every morning when I walked to the school along with other students, we could see steam coming out of their kitchen window and smell cooked soy beans as they make fresh tofu from scratch. They would close when the daily batch was sold out since that’s all they had, and if you didn’t make it there by 4:30 or 5, you would most likely have to head to a super market to buy packaged stuff – So all the housewives in the area built the stop in their daily routine, including my mother. Their daughter, Fumie, was my sister’s classmate and tofu in my household always had a prefix of “Fumie’s dad’s” whenever it is served, often in miso soup or as is with simple toppings of soy sauce and grated ginger. The shop had been around for a long time in neighborhood, I figured, because Fumie’s dad was my aunt’s classmate, whom everybody in my dad’s siblings lovingly referred to as “the son of the tofu shop”.

Perhaps it is because of this sentimental and intimate relationship I had with tofu that I tend to get agitated when I hear somebody say they don’t like tofu. And usually I take it upon myself to attempt converting them without being asked to. I know. You’re welcome.  Continue reading →

Puerto Rican Fish Stew

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Recipe slightly modified from: http://www.eatingwell.com

Puerto rican fish stewI will be honest; I am not familiar with Puerto Rican cuisine. Actually, I haven’t even been to a Puerto Rican restaurant. I only decided to try this recipe because it has avocado in it, and I had a big jar of pimento-stuffed olives I bought by mistake that I didn’t know what to do with. I’m aware the statement is wrong in so many ways that it is making my qualifications as somebody who writes a cooking blog even more questionable. But all I have to say is that I’m now finishing the third jar of pimento-stuffed olives, and they are solely used for this dish in my house.

Rewound to a few months ago – I really didn’t expect much from this dish. Sure it includes a couple of things I didn’t think about adding to “stew” such as olives and capers. But other ingredients are fairly basic – Garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, and fish. Only spice/herb listed in the recipe are oregano and cilantro, while usual Latin American heavy hitters like cumin, chilli powder, or cayenne didn’t seem to have made the cut. I was skeptical but then thought: How bad could it be? I mean, you can’t possibly go THAT wrong with these. Plus it’s from eatingwell.com, so I get to be skinny at least (Isn’t that how it works?).

Shame on me.

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A Day-Old Bread, Chard and White Beans Gratin

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Recipe inspired by: Zuppa di Cavolo (Italian Cabbage Soup)

bread chard white bean casseroleI have had my fair share of a rock-hard bread loaf forgotten in the breadbox, but I never minded that much as there seem to be many usages for it – Famous panzanella salad and tomato & bread soup would be obvious and fun choices, whereas I could be more practical and make homemade croutons or bread crumbs to stock up in freezer.

Then one day, with another half loaf of old bread and some leftover ingredients, I almost accidentally put this together, adapting from a variation of Zuppa di Cavolo where the soup is ladled over toasted crusty bread. It INSTANTLY became my favorite way of consuming old bread – As a matter of fact, I like it so much that I now go so far as to let the bread go stale on purpose to make this dish.

But since I sort of made it up and perhaps tend to be overexcited thus somewhat incoherent when talking about it, I have had a hard time describing this dish to others and, consequently, convincing them how good it is – Even to my sister, who is actually married to an Italian (“So… it’s basically cabbage soup?” “No, it’s more like gratin. And bread becomes like French toast, but it’s savory and baked” “So it has eggs in it?” “No, it’s soaked in broth. And I put cheese on top. It’s soooo good! Make it. Make it TONIIIIGHT!!!” “Uhh… Okay…”). Continue reading →

Favorite Winter Salad – Orange, Avocado and Pomegranate

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Recipe inspired by: John’s pomegranate and the trick I learned to get the seeds out

orange and pomegranate saladOne usual hectic morning, I was in my office frenetically dialing in for the next conference call that I was already late for when a big, red, round object suddenly appeared between me and my phone. I looked up, and it was my co-worker John who just walked in to join the call, with his signature gentle smile, reaching out to offer me a gorgeous pomegranate that came from his backyard. “Pomegranate!” I squeaked. “You said you like it,” said John. “Um… hello?” perplexed voice came out of the speaker phone.

John remembered correctly. I enjoy eating all kinds of fruits but have particular appreciation for seasonal ones. Among winter fruits, a pomegranate is such a bright star – I cannot get enough of juicy, zesty, sweet, crunchy goodness of this salad, but I would also eat the seeds as is, sprinkle over yogurt, or mix in with couscous and nuts for pilaf. I love how they make everything a little bit more special, and the experience starts the moment you break the fruit – Seeing the creamy white inside filled with those sparkling garnet gems overflowing out of it virtually unleashes my inner princess, although in reality I’m most likely standing by the kitchen sink in my sweat pants with Hello Kitty slipper socks. Continue reading →