Weekend Meal: Shrimp, Fennel, Citrus

This is my ceviche inspired dish - I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 lb Raw Shrimp (shell on = better flavor)
1 Grapefruit
1 Orange
2 Key Limes
3 Bulbs of Fennel
1 Teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup cilantro
1 Tablespoon Dill
1 Scallion
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Baguette
Kosher salt + cracked pepper

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat:

Throw the shrimp on and cook them in their shell until they turn pink:

 

Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them to the side to cool.  Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, slice the fennel and place it in the pan.  Next, sprinkle the fennel with cumin:

 

Let the fennel get good and brown:

Remove the fennel from the heat and let it cool.  Start sectioning the grapefruit and orange, and be sure to get all the juices:

Squeeze the juice of the limes over the fennel:

Its time to chop the herbs and the scallion:

 

Whisk the remaining juices from the orange and grapefruit together with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste:

Take the shells off the shrimp, toss all of the ingredients together and pour the citrus vinaigrette over the salad.

 

 Serve with toasted slices of baguette.

And its that simple.

Enjoy!

~A~

Candlelight Dinner #2: Salmon With Mango Salsa

Mango Salsa:

1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro
1 Tablespoon  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher or Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper
Juice of Half a Lemon
1 Teaspoon Onion
Two Mangoes

Directions: Peel and slice the mango into cubes (this is the hardest part of this recipe).  Whisk lemon juice and EVOO, then add herbs, onion, salt, pepper, and mango.  Set aside.

Seared Salmon:
Salmon Filet (enough for Two)
Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:  Heat oil over medium heat.  Leave skin on the fish and sprinkle salt on the salmon flesh.  Lay fish in the stainless steal skillet with the flesh side down.  Once the fish is in the pan do not touch until it is done.  Cover the skillet, and when the salmon has changed from translucent the salmon is done - about 8-10 minutes.  Use a stainless still spatula to get all the golden bits up with your filet.

Plate the salmon and top the filet with the mango salsa.

Brussels Sprouts


1/2 lb Brussels Sprouts rinsed and cut in half
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese

Coat a skillet with olive oil and throw the brussels sprouts and salt in and cook until just soft and the edges chard. Plate and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

And there you go ... it is that simple.  This is Delicious...

~A~

Ron Paul Wins?

      In chess, a game is often won or lost long before it’s officially over. When that tide turns, it may take any number of moves to work out the impact, but the final result is inevitable. In other words, the battle has already been won, even though the doomed opponent may not even see it.

     I went to see Ron Paul speak at UCLA last night. Few in attendance (or elsewhere) believe that Paul can win the Republican nomination, yet the 5,800-seat stadium was full, with many climbing nearby trees just to catch a glimpse. I can bear witness to the fact that Paul’s supporters are continuing to show up in larger numbers than any of the leading candidates. Including Paul’s Tuesday stop in Chico, more than 12,000 folks came out to support Ron Paul in the last two days.

     On April 5, 2012, the day after setting two attendance records in a row, the only mention of Ron Paul on the Fox News site is an article (1) titled “Where’s Ron Paul? Campaign slows…”  The article flat-out lies by claiming that “the Ron Paul ‘revolution’ has gotten awfully quiet,” it “appears to be winding down on the trail,” and that “So far this month, [Paul’s] held just one [campaign event].” The sham of an article then poses this question: Why doesn’t Ron Paul quit? 

    Near the end of Paul’s 50-minute, no-notes speech, last night Paul provided the answer:  Ron Paul and his supporters believe that the ideas they hold cannot be stopped because their “time has finally come.”  As fellow Ron Paul champion Jesse Chapman put it, “Ron Paul can’t lose. He’s already won. He has won the battle of ideas.” (2)  You see, Paul understands what few politicians understand these days: good ideas are more powerful than people.  Rather than argue that he is better than President Obama or other politicians, Paul focuses his campaign on principles and ideas that are more powerful than himself. 

  If Paul, Chapman and the other thousands are correct, Paul’s campaign is simply the next move in the process of playing this game out to its inevitable conclusion.  So I pose a better question: Why quit a game when you’re winning? 


1 - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/04/paul-campaign-making-fewer-stops-but-still-rolling


2 - http://www.examiner.com/city-buzz-in-los-angeles/massive-crowd-shows-up-to-see-ron-paul-los-angeles

Star Sighting: Phil and Cam

So last night at the Edison, we spotted Phil (Ty Burrell) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) from Modern Family.  M being the great husband that he is got Eric to take a pic with me.  Unfortunately, M's iPhone doesn't have a flash - so the pic looks like it was taken from Mars, but anyway you can make out me and Eric.  Its a very sad picture, but a memory nonetheless:

Have a wonderful Sunday!

~A~

some great veggie dishes for your repertoire

A few month ago, an issue of Bon Appetit magazine featured Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli chef, based out of London.  Bon Appetit provided seven of Yotam's recipes, and while M was away for work I tested four of these vegetarian dishes.  Yummy...the way this man plays with texture and herbs is brilliant if I do say so.  My favorite of the recipes featured was the Quinoa, Fennel, and Pomegranate Salad, but really they were all uniquely wonderful!

Quinoa, Fennel, and Pomegranate Salad

Skillet-Baked Eggs with Spinach, Yogurt, and Chili Oil

Spiced Eggplant and Bulgur Salad

Salmon Steaks with Spicy Tomato Sauce


Bon Appetit!

~A~

Living in a Nutshell

For those of you who live in a temporary, small space,  I sympathize with you.  M and I have been living in the apartment we are in now for 2 and 1/2 years.  This is the longest I have lived anywhere for the last ten (10) years so making this place seem permanent (when it is in fact temporary), has been high on my list of priorities. 
Also, being as this place is temporary - I want to purchase items that can be taken and used in any other home that we have, not just the curtain location.

Here is a website I have found particularly original and helpful:  Living in a Nutshell.  The interior designer behind the blog, Janet Lee, has some really unique, pocketbook friendly ideas for any small space.  I love her shoe storage ideas.... check her out!

~A~

Do you know how to make a good steak?

I love me a good filet mignon. If you are anything like me, I buy my filets at the supermarket and leave it in the package in the refrigerator for a few days before I finally prepare it. At long last, the filet doesn't really taste that good when I finally decide to prepare it. And even though I pan fry it the crust isn't all that wonderful and the steak isn't that tender.

Recently, I started making excellent filets if I may say so myself.

Tip #1 -  When I was on a business trip just a few months ago, I complained to a colleague that I was unable to find a good filet mignon in California. He said, well where are you buying them? I gave him the name of a local chain supermarket. He said -- well that is your first problem -- you need to go to a specialty grocery store or butcher. Go to a gourmet grocery store and pay a little extra to get a good quality filet.

Look for one that has good marbling.  So what is marbling - marbling are little flecks of fat that basically melt during the cooking process and make the meat tender. You don't want to choose a filet with a lot of connective tissue because the connective tissue will not get soft and yummy. Also, silver skin will never get soft and tender either so that will need to be removed before cooking. The picture below illustrates the differences between marbling, silver skin and connective tissue.

Tip #2 - When you get the filet home from the supermarket - TAKE IT OUT OF THE PACKAGE. (I got this idea from Chef Ming Tsai). The package - is a breeding ground for bacteria. Yuk!

Place the parchment paper on a large plate, and lay the steaks on parchment paper. DO NOT COVER THE MEAT. Instead, sprinkle each side with kosher salt. The filet will last up to three days in the refrigerator stored this way, and the salt will: keep bacteria away from the surface of the meat, season the meat, and help you get a good crust once you cook it.

Tip #3 - When its time cook the meat, put the steak in the freezer for a few minutes so that the outside gets good and cold. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Then take an oven safe frying pan and heat it over high, with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Put up to two filets in the pan and cook on each side for 2 minutes. Then put the steak in the oven for 6-8 minutes for medium rare. (I took this tip from none other than America's Test Kitchen).

Tip #4 - After you take the steak out of the oven put a tablespoon of butter on the steak and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting in. Deglaze your frying pan with chicken stock or red wine and then pour a little of the juices over the meat before serving.

Follow these 4 simple tips and you will have a perfect filet!

~A~