tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172710322009-07-02T14:25:49.364-05:00A Cook's JournalTonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.comBlogger237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-39116144156479876282009-07-01T19:51:00.001-05:002009-07-01T19:55:27.069-05:00

Evanston Farmers Market June 27th.

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-11692547840099133182009-07-01T17:34:00.009-05:002009-07-02T14:25:49.582-05:00

There's a chef's booth at the Evanston farmer's market where each week a chef demonstrates a recipe made of a seasonal ingredients. This week it was this salad made of snap peas and radishes - both very abundant at this week's market. I tried a little sample and was pleased with the crunch and the bright dressing.Most notable about this salad is that the snap peas are sliced on the bias. They

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-80535405568296764532009-06-18T18:22:00.006-05:002009-06-18T19:59:10.096-05:00

This one is as much for my benefit than for yours. I clipped this from the Food Section of one of our local papers, either the Trib or the Times, I can't remember anymore. It is from a couple weeks ago. Chances are highly likely that I will lose this clipping, as I do all clippings. So I figured it would be a good idea to type it in here so I have it for posterity. It's a really good recipe.

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-38812593096649569712009-06-08T08:50:00.009-05:002009-06-09T14:34:35.743-05:00

From wikipedia: "The yardlong bean is also known as the long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, snake bean, or Chinese long bean." Contrary to the description, the long beans I buy are usually only a foot-long. They can be found at markets specializing in asian produce. I'm lucky to have one of these down the block from my house. (You can find them at Fresh Farms on Touhy too.) These beans may look

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-43923457589550588032009-06-06T11:01:00.002-05:002009-06-06T11:09:06.764-05:00

It's hard to take pictures of the bounty when my arms are burdened with bags. I'll try to do better next week. The market was gorgeous today. Strawberries were the star. But spring is about green, so the best deals to be had were greens, lettuces, asparagus, onions, radishes and other cool weather crops. I love how the market changes color as the season progresses. Next will come the blues,

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-66980043840764797852009-06-04T17:52:00.006-05:002009-06-04T18:23:27.257-05:00

Lately this has been my go-to recipe when I can't get to the market or fail to take out anything from the freezer to defrost. Basically I'll just go through the veggie drawer, gather up what I've got and toss it up into a stir-fry. You can use any vegetables + thin-sliced green onion, and minced garlic and ginger to taste. My basic sauce is:1/4 cup cool chicken broth or water1 tsp. corn

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-50557644705964218962009-05-02T10:27:00.008-05:002009-05-02T10:58:01.648-05:00

This is my second post on frittata I won't talk much. But I wanted to post about it again because I really like this recipe from Marcella Hazan . If you look at frittata recipes, you'll find they often call for a 10-12 eggs which is crazy if you're cooking for two. This one only uses 5 eggs and I usually eliminate one of the yolks (two, if Steve isn't looking.) It theoretically serves 4-6 (

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-76910176880493065092009-05-01T16:16:00.005-05:002009-05-01T16:31:50.187-05:00

My husband and I love any sort of spicy seafood soup . So when I saw this in the May issue of Bon Appetit, it went right in the must try stack. What also appealed to me is that this curry is a one bowl meal. Bok choy and carrots are also included in the mix. I used mussels, shrimp and bay scallops (the little ones.) And I halved the recipe. And since I only needed enough seafood for two, it

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-32444643716496597812009-04-19T20:34:00.005-05:002009-04-20T20:39:51.904-05:00

I'm very happy with how this salad dressing turned out. You never know what you're going to get with a Caesar Salad dressing. I guess because everyone's taste is different. I modified this slightly by halving the recipe: using 1 tsp of mustard and about 1/2 tsp squeeze of anchovy paste and halved the rest of the dressing ingredients for a 2-person portion with a little leftover.Other than making

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-46964126680344706112009-04-19T19:04:00.003-05:002009-04-20T13:42:30.035-05:00

Mexican Black Bean Burgers - Fine CookingPosted using ShareThis

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-14757622815114129992009-04-19T09:51:00.010-05:002009-04-20T13:43:14.140-05:00

These black bean cakes are from a Fine Cooking (94) article on alternative burgers. The recipe is from John Ash, a chef known for California cuisine. You might think that there's little to get excited about when talking bean cakes, but these are anything but blah. They have poblano chiles, green onion, cumin and chile powder mixed in with the beans so they're really flavorful and they will

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-70388282550959495262009-04-17T09:07:00.008-05:002009-04-19T09:50:19.615-05:00

Here's a nifty little salad I copied from Whole Foods deli. It is comprised of wheatberries, dried currants, toasted walnuts, Fuji apples and a vinaigrette made from apple cider vinegar. It is crunchy, tart and very satisfying. A wheatberry is the whole wheat kernel, just stripped of its outer hull. It's a whole grain, full of fiber, and when it's cooked it has a chewy, but not crunchy texture.

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-77901540539193288662009-04-15T19:49:00.006-05:002009-04-16T20:42:22.394-05:00

This salmon recipe is dynamite! I mean literally smoking, explosively hot! I got this from James Peterson's Fish and Shellfish and in the preface to the recipe he recommends a stronger flavored fish so as to stand up to the bold flavors. The basis of the sauce is red curry paste and coconut milk. It also has some peanut butter and basil, mint and cilantro. The combination of herbs make this dish.

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-84233759836246929342009-04-01T19:33:00.009-05:002009-04-02T08:23:23.216-05:00

This recipe is a hybrid of the quinoa pilaf I talked about at the end of my last quinoa post and a recipe from this month's Body & Soul magazine. The magazine has a recipe for great looking poblano pepper stuffed with a mixture of quinoa, black beans, mushrooms and corn, and dotted with goat cheese. But when I read the recipe, the quinoa was just boiled and the salsa didn't appeal to me. I knew

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-83080543795917049452009-03-29T19:32:00.005-05:002009-03-31T15:55:49.661-05:00

This little number, Sear-Roasted Halibut with Blood Orange Salsa, from Joanne Weir, is from last month's issue of Fine Cooking magazine. It appealed to me because Halibut is just about our favorite fish and I was sure a citrus salsa would be good with the fish. Unfortunately, I used a piece of frozen halibut from Trader Joes and the fish component of this dish was lacking. Fortunately, halibut

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-48816133982642671982009-03-23T20:25:00.006-05:002009-03-23T21:19:32.913-05:00

If you haven't jumped on the quinoa boat, it's about time you did. This ancient Aztec grain is a complete protein and really, really good for you. I can't go into it all, but you can take a look here at its nutritional profile if you're interested. Quinoa is mild-flavored and very adaptable to all sorts of recipes especially as a substitute for rice. I've been playing around with it a lot lately.

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-81464647739396326242009-03-13T19:20:00.006-05:002009-03-14T19:53:54.064-05:00

In continuation of my Ellie binge...I really liked this Ellie Krieger recipe: Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes. It is somewhat of a complete dish that you could serve with just a green salad and some toasted french bread for a light meal. I think this would also be nice with some herbed orzo served alongside. Other than that, I don't have more to say. I think the picture speaks for itself. I

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-35401047543487834932009-03-13T18:45:00.005-05:002009-03-13T20:37:28.315-05:00

Another one from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, this Jerk Chicken was slightly disappointing. I've certainly had better versions of Jerk Chicken before. It was the sauce. I can't quite pinpoint it, but I think something was off balance. Not terrible, but it just didn't come together like a really savory, mouth-watering jerk sauce should. I loved the pineapple salsa with cucumber and mint

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-82042780876376422482009-03-12T20:30:00.007-05:002009-03-12T21:08:41.462-05:00

I know I've been a bit delinquent in my posting as of late (Whew! almost a month.) There's been a lot going on with family birthdays and big homework assignments and I just don't get a chance to write. I'm always cooking but sometimes I get in a groove where I don't have time to try new recipes so I don't feel there's much to write about.But tonight I did try something new and blog-worthy! It's

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-35671291374072047302009-02-14T09:35:00.008-06:002009-02-14T10:42:13.158-06:00

I've talked about the beet salad before on this blog. But I thought I'd bring it up again today because it is my Valentine's favorite salad and because, for their color, beets are frequently a feature in the Valentine-themed meal. And if you tend toward those ways, you could slice your beets and punch out little red hearts. As this is not my way, I'll just talk about the salad. The basic

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-60421372885793100502009-02-07T10:31:00.008-06:002009-02-07T14:10:03.049-06:00

I know he's not new or anything and I've enjoyed his shows. But ever since eating at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, I've been kind of enamored with him and his style of cooking. Our brunch was so over-the-top delicious that it propelled me into an infatuation with modern tex-mex. He uses all the familiar mexican ingredients but the combinations are bright and fresh and just a little

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-21087395038283124712009-02-04T20:08:00.008-06:002009-02-04T21:00:45.444-06:00

I'm a big fan of Ellie Krieger and her book The Food You Crave. I've had some great success with the recipes and I tend to go to the book when I'm looking for a not-too-evil meal. One afternoon at lunch, when I found myself with none of my usual lunch foods available, I went to her book looking for a healthy little meal. I came up with Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger Sauce. A recipe using canned

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-11882773532762410852009-01-21T19:14:00.008-06:002009-01-21T20:25:21.728-06:00

I've tried a lot of butternut squash soup recipes in my day and I'll be honest, there hasn't been many I didn't like. If they're pureed and seasoned right, well, I'm a happy girl and I won't complain. But one of the best I've ever tried is a gingery one from Vong's Thai Kitchen (VTK) in Chicago. It is so aromatic and delicious that I have to order it everytime I go. Recently I found the recipe

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-89449041453122518922009-01-11T18:47:00.013-06:002009-01-14T21:43:53.817-06:00

From the Chicago Tribune's Best Recipes of 2008 list, these are Jalapeno Salmon Burgers (scroll way down for the recipe) from the book, Fish Without a Doubt, by Rick Moonen. Since I already owned the book, I thought I should give these a try posthaste. And we really liked the way these little burger/patties came out. They tasted great. BUT they were a pain in the a** to make. There's salmon to be

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17271032.post-57062324200122712652009-01-10T15:54:00.005-06:002009-01-10T16:17:51.158-06:00

Over the years I've learned the hard way to read a recipe completely through from the get go. You never want to start working through a recipe and then come to a direction like "Refrigerate overnight." or "bring to boil and then cool" when you need to have dinner on the table in half an hour. So I'm giving you a little warning with this recipe. The salmon needs to sit in the marinade for 1/2 hour

Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928994510847141788noreply@blogger.com1