Potato Salad with Whole Grain Mustard, Scallions & Dill

Potato Salad with Whole Grain Mustard, Scallions & Dillfeatured

September 13, 2012 | 5 Comments

Potato Salad gets a bad rap. It’s too often laden with mayo, one-dimensional, and just way too heavy. Usually, after a few bites, I’m bored with it. That is, until I tasted the potato salad at Cochon Butcher in New Orleans. Now that potato salad kept my attention.

To be sure, it was rich (potato salad isn’t meant to be light), but it had other elements that jazzed it up.

Firstly, it was heavy on the mustard. The tang of the whole-grain mustard cut the richness of the mayo and left the potato salad feeling lighter than most. Secondly, elements of freshness — handfuls of scallions and dill brought some aromatic herbaceous flavor to the party. When you toss the scallions and dill together with the hot potatoes, you’ll get a nice fragrant waft of goodness.

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Skillet Chicken Marbella

Skillet Chicken Marbellafeatured

September 11, 2012 | 25 Comments

Cooking in my cast iron skillet…a new chicken recipe to get excited about…sometimes it’s about the simple pleasures in life.

When I stumbled upon this recipe for Chicken Marbella, I knew I’d love it. The combination of olives, prunes, and capers caught my eye, and indeed, it tasted just lovely. Little did I know, many before me have discovered the wonders of this dish. It is apparently one of the most popular recipes in the Silver Palate Cookbook. Well, where have I been?

Not to worry, I’m making up for lost time and have taken to making my version of Chicken Marbella frequently. What changes have I made? Well, mainly:

  • I don’t marinate the chicken (who has the time or forethought to marinate these days?)
  • I use my trusty skillet instead of a Dutch oven (for the record, I am accepting gifts of Le Creuset if anyone would like me to test this recipe using a Dutch)
  • I give the chicken a good sear in said skillet before it goes into the oven
  • And, I add slivers of onion on top which melt down and caramelize beautifully as the chicken cooks.

I stole the idea for adding the onion from another favorite skillet chicken recipe — this Tuscan-style number. In fact, this Chicken Marbella is like the Spanish Costa del Sol bestie to my Tuscan Chicken. Totally different flavor profiles, but similar preparations, and both are utterly delicious.

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High Five Fridays: Weekly Meal Plan (9.07.12), Tomato Tomahto

High Five Fridays: Weekly Meal Plan (9.07.12), Tomato Tomahtofeatured

September 7, 2012 | 0 Comments

“A tomato is an agreement between God and the month of August.” — Robert Reynolds

I saw this quote (thx @poeticappetite!) a few weeks back and loved it instantly. It’s so true. Ok, so August has somehow come and gone already, but I am still hanging on to my summer tomatoes as long as I can! Good thing here in SF, our Indian summer season is just beginning.

This week’s High Five is all about the glorious tomato. I live for tomato season. It means tomato pie and fresh tomato sauce and gorgeous sweet red beauties sneaked into every meal. Here’s some inspiration on how to make the most of your tomato bounty:

  1. Creamy Tomato and Crab Fettuccine. This sounds like the perfect luxurious meal to celebrate the last bits of summer.
  2. Savory Tomato Crisp. Roasted tomatoes topped with a pine nut and parmesan crisp topping. Oh hell yeah.
  3. Tomato Pesto. Love this creative spin on pesto. I’d toss this with orzo or slather it on a sandwich.
  4. Salt-Free Bloody Mary Soup. What a fun take on tomato soup! Diggin’ the fresh horseradish.
  5. TREAT YO SELF: Melon Gazpacho. That’s right, tomatoes are even sneaking into your sweet treat this week. I’m so intrigued by this late summer melon-stone-fruit-tomato concoction. Is it a salsa? A gazpacho? Why pigeon hole with labels. This sounds totally refreshing and lovely…especially with a spoonful of sorbet on top.
Post-Burn Glow + Rocky Road Rice Krispies Treats

Post-Burn Glow + Rocky Road Rice Krispies Treatsfeatured

September 6, 2012 | 8 Comments

I have been to Black Rock City and back, and after a gloriously long, steamy shower and a record breaking 16-hour recovery slumber/coma, I am still basking in my post-burn glow.

For those who have yet to experience Burning Man, it is hard to explain what this sweet beautiful journey is all about. It’s different for everyone … but I suspect if there is something you seek, you will find it somewhere dancing about the dusty playa.

For me, Burning Man is about letting go and “finding the ability to dream” … it is about human connectedness, radical self expression, participation. At every turn there are stunning displays of creativity, breathtaking artistry, inspiration, and ingenuity. Kindness and generosity and gifts of smiles amongst strangers abound, and the hugs! Burners really know how to hug.

And let’s not forget about the utter and complete FUN of this place. This was by far, the highest level of play I’ve ever encountered…

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