Kitchen Wishlist

Well, every girl has her wishlist, especially the kitchen fiends. I am going to start mine short and simple: 3 coveted appliances I long for in my kitchen.

1. the Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer -

I borrowed this picture from Design*Sponge because, well, she makes it look so homey on her countertop. I love the vintage look of the pistachio color - classy and sweet, but not overly pretentious like the Paula Deans and Giada de Laurentiis of the world (actually I really like Giada). Mom has a miniature KitchenAid and I love going home to use it - it made my two wedding cakes so much less stressful, it makes baking cookies a cinch, and it is perfect for things like mixing up big batches of aioli or cold sauces. Oh, KitchenAid, you last for years and you make the homemaking life easy, and you are compensated for it generously. At $349.99 a pop I will be waiting for you on my wedding registry or my magic lottery numbers (who is to say which will come first?).

2. Taylor Digital Measuring Cup Scale -
A nice accomplice in the kitchen because well, it measures dry AND wet ingredients. It switches to almost any needed measurement unit - I love the precision of a digital scale and having the certainty of knowing my measurements are on while baking. Of course, it could never take the place of having cute measuring cup sets laying around the kitchen - it is more like an added convenience/indulgence. But aren't all wishlist items?

3. Williams-Sonoma Ravioli Maker -

Since working at Villa Tronco, my craving to make homemade raviolis to freeze, to give away, to have fun parties this coming winter, has gone from 0 to 60. I thought homemade raviolis sounded whimsical and fun, but pointless. Now that I make raviolis by hand on a regular basis, my opinion has changed. It is not just whimsical and fun, it is essential. That Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter recipe I have had on file for over a year? Done. Give me this ravioli press and a rolling pin, and I can even make do without the Pasta Machine. Raviolis stuffed with portabella mushrooms? Yes. Raviolis stuffed with fresh and aged cheeses? Yes. Raviolis stuffed with meatsauce? Yes. Buy me this press for a mere $25, say the word, and your greatest desired ravioli will be my command.

Sauteed Zucchini & Squash with Almonds and Garlic

One of my favorite blogs to visit is Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks. A beautiful photographer, a well-traveled writer and an accomplished home cook, her blog began on the premise that "when you have 100 cookbooks, it's time to stop buying and start cooking." Her recipes are all vegetarian with a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/fresh off the farm feel. Yesterday's post was her "Skillet Zucchini" - a saute of thinly sliced zucchini, squash, garlic slivers, almonds and fresh dill. Those ingredients together really intrigued me, so for dinner at work last night I tried her recipe and tossed it with fettucine. She uses it as a side, as a main component, or even on a hand pie. I loved it tossed with the pasta. The sweetness of the lightly seasoned squash and the garlic were the perfect combination with the nutty flavor. I used toasted slivered almonds which was a change from her whole raw almonds (we only had slivered in the store) and I could not put my hands on some fresh dill - I can't wait to try it again with the dill next time.

Easy, simple, healthy - throw some olive oil, the thin slices of zucchini and squash with some salt and pepper into a cast iron skillet or saute pan. After the squash has cooked for a minute or so, add the almonds and garlic slivers - cook until squash has softened and garlic is a light brown/golden color (do not add the garlic and almonds right away or they will burn). Serve with brown rice, pasta, as a pizza topping, on a savory pie crust, or as a side to a fish or grilled meat. So light, fresh and tasty!

Grilled Grouper and Asparagus over Lemon-Saffron Risotto

This week marks my last official week as Villa Tronco's intern (though thankfully I have been asked to stay on as a cook!), so Chef promised me that my treat this week is to come up with all of the daily specials. Last week was a long, hot week (our kitchen gets up to 130 degrees some nights when it is hot outside - which is ALWAYS in Columbia) and it was the best encouragement to receive at the end of my summer there. So I came up with some tasty specials, one of which I have documented on my camera and want to share.

We always get fresh fish each week and this week we have Grouper - a hard fish to grill because it is so flaky, but I love grilling fish because it is always preserves the flavor so well with a little smoky hint, and you can season it minimally and keep it healthy. Grilled asparagus? Of course, because all vegetables are better grilled than cooked by any other method. Saffron comes from a beautiful flower and is the most expensive spice on the market - it takes a lot of harvesting for a single pound. It is a red, short thread-like spice and a little goes a long way. It has a distinct, bitter taste, but when combined with lemon and the starches from the risotto, it takes on a delicate flavor (much like how lavender tastes in baking - not the same flavor but the same delicate hint on the back of the throat) and it is perfect for a summery version of risotto.

Grilled Grouper & Asparagus with Lemon-Saffron Risotto

For the risotto:

Prepared risotto (slow-cook Arborio rice in chicken stock and water, adding more liquid each time the water is absorbed/evaporated until risotto is almost al dente)

In a separate saute pan, add butter, 2 lemon wheels, saffron threads, s & p, and heavy cream. After this reduces a bit, add in risotto and cook until cream mixture is completely reduced.

Grouper:

Lightly season grouper filet with olive oil, s & p. Do the same on the asparagus. Throw your grouper on the grill, being delicate and flipping from back to front for quarter turn if you want grill marks - finish in the oven if you need to finish cooking through. Time your asparagus on the grill with a few minutes before the grouper is ready.

Plate risotto, and set grouper filet on top with the grilled asparagus spears.

Olive Tapenade

I have so many half-written blogs sitting in my drafts, so I decided to just start small at revamping my blog and give you a little something I tried to teach myself on a slow night at work this week. A monsoon outside of the restaurant left us with canceled reservations and virtually no walk-ins - with lots of free time on my hands I got to play around with pizza combinations I have seen on other restaurants' menus (tried marinara base/Prosciutto di Parma/sun-dried tomatoes/spinach/mozzarella - mediocre, could only taste tomatoes and no real prosciutto came through) and also tried to emulate my chef's olive tapenade. Olive Tapenade is a favorite of mine from my mom's dinner parties - she would buy huge jars of the best tasting olive spread, and a few weeks back our owner came in the kitchen hungry so Chef whipped up some olive tapenade. Something I am learning in Italian cooking is that unlike French cooking (which I LOVE. I love butter, I love sauces) there is a huge emphasis on using high quality products and preserving their own flavors, textures and the tasty simplicity therein. I think spreads like this, with minimal additives, is a perfect example of a food that preserves an ingredient's original flavor. I don't know exactly how Chef made his, but mine goes a little like this:


Olive Tapenade

handful of Picholine olives (green, unfermented, brine-cured Italian olives. mild, soft texture, a little sweet)
handful of Kalamata olives
handful of ripe black olives
any other olives you have your hands on
3 pepperoncinis
garlic, minced
a handful of capers

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend - taste, add a little cayenne if you want it spicier or some more pepperoncinis. This tapenade is very olive-y with just a little kick from the brine and spice of the pepperoncinis. Serve with crostinis drizzled in good olive oil and salt and pepper!

summer picnic

I still have a "Blogging for a Budget" post in mind, but I have had so much going on that (wisely) the food blog has been put on the back burner (!). Yesterday my friends and I celebrated the 4th by relaxing and floating down the river in rafts - it took us 6 1/2 hours to go a distance that usually takes 4 hours, but linking up to each others' rafts and carrying a raft full of ice and beer was well worth the longer trip. We all got light tans and had an incredible time, followed by a cook out where the boys showed off their grilling skills. Thank you to the men for relieving the ladies of cooking meals and paddling rafts.

Tomorrow Andrew and I resume our weekly date nights/days! He just started a new job as Director of Theatre Operations at the Nickelodeon Theatre, a local arthouse cinema here in Columbia, and the transition into long hours (for both of us) has been hectic. So tomorrow we are getting back on the right foot and heading to Riverbanks Zoo for the morning and a picnic by the river at lunch. This afternoon I made a trip to the grocery and stocked up on some good breakfast foods and a few things for tomorrow's picnic. Some tastes buzzing around in my head as I shopped: fresh, Italian, summery, sweet, salty, PICNIC!

The menu: French bread, course ground mustard, muenster and gouda cheeses, cold cuts (Pancetta, Prosciutto, Lebanon Bologna, Genoa Salami), strawberries, Black Mission figs, petite dill pickles, Nutella (!!!!), and a little something I ordered from Green's last week - Sofia Mini Blancs, which are miniature cans of sparkling white wine (with straws! Think Capri Suns for Adults).

Mmmm...I can't wait.

blogging for a budget

As I continue to think of ideas and topics to write about, a lot of times I feel drained of new ideas or new recipes or new topics of interest. This blog is a fun and much needed outlet for me, but sometimes I just don't know what the people want (and as we know, you gotta give the people what they want). I have been voicing my concerns and Andrew suggested I do some blogs along the lines of budgeting - how to eat off of $x in one week? or how to throw a dinner party for $40 or less? - and so I am going to be thinking about those things and planning to do some blogging in the near future on menus to create for a certain budget. What are some realistic budgets? what are some realistic scenarios? For me, I love cooking for 2 and I love cooking for 15 - sometimes 15 is easier than 2, so I will try to talk about how to cook small portions without having a lot of waste. Get ready, and give me some good ideas!

Minty Orange Granita

Mmm...Summer. It's the time for cold treats, grilled meats and veggies, hanging out late and windows down. And also, granitas. Like Italian ice, the granita is a flavored, icy dessert that melts in your mouth and refreshes. It originated in Sicily, though you may also hear/see the French name, granite. The basic process is to create the liquid mixture with which you wish to flavor - usually starting with a simple syrup (sugar dissolved in water, equal parts), a juice, a liqueur, or an infusion - and then gradually freeze it in a shallow dish.

Sunday night a couple invited Andrew and me over for dinner and they served us the most amazing meal - grilled chicken and fresh veggie kebabs, (squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini) homemade bread and baked (on the GRILL!) potatoes and a yummy salad. They covered the entire meal, so what else could we offer? Wine and beer and cider, and a granita, of course (a few days after this Villa Tronco served a watermelon granita - so sweet, so good. I may try that next).

Minty Orange Granita

1 c. sugar
1 c. water
2/3 c. orange liqueur (I used Patron Citronge)
2 c. orange juice
fresh mint leaves

Make your simple syrup - heat sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Let cool for awhile and then add in the orange liqueur, orange juice and mint leaves (or you can add in the mint leaves to the simple syrup for a stronger taste). Pour into a shallow dish (I use a 13x9 pyrex dish) and leave in freezer for a couple of hours. Check on it - when it is basically frozen solid use a fork to scrape into ice crystals. Keep frozen for as long as you need to obtain the right crystalline consistency or until you are ready to serve, just make sure the ice is shaven into light, fluffy little crystals. Serve with a sprig of mint (and in a pretty glass)!