Upscale Dining

recently, an opportunity has come to try melisse, a michelin 2 star restaurant in santa monica that's supposed to be one of the best. after my somewhat disappointing experience at hatfield's last month, i wasn't that excited. this led to a discussion with friends about my inability to appreciate the creamy decadence and textures of fancy french dishes. i guess i'm still a little ghetto at heart :).

in the spirit of "finer" dining, i attempted a thomas keller recipe today from the ad hoc cookbook david gave me. it only called for a few staple ingredients, most of which i had on hand. simple food that tastes great- what's not to love? now if only i could go to yountville and enjoy the real deal...

wild cod en persillade
recipe courtesy thomas keller

one 2-lb piece of cod, skinless (i used wild mahi mahi, a more meaty fish, which i already had at home)
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tsp chopped parsley
1 TBS Dijon mustard
kosher salt
canola oil

directions:
1. remove fish from refrigerator and let stand for 15 min (i actually first marinated in a small amt of rice wine for an hour)
2. cut cod in large pieces (approx 6 cm each) and season both sides with salt
3. combine bread crumbs and parsley in a bowl. put mustard in a separate bowl.
4. preheat oven to 325 F
5. moisten the top of each fillet with a thin layer of water (i used rice wine) and then brush on a light coating of mustard
6. dip the mustard side of the fish into the bread crumb mixture evenly
7. heat canola oil in pan in med-high heat until it starts to smoke
8. then lower heat to med, and cook fish crumb side down until golden brown crust forms (~1 min)
9. transfer pan to oven and cook until fish begins to flake, approx 8-9 min (it took me ~10 min with mahi mahi)
10. serve with veggies

making whole wheat bread crumbs. yay for using unwanted end pieces :)

after coating
















a delicious way to end a relaxing day off!!

From Bombay to LA?

earlier this summer, i went with some co-workers to a special west side story screening featuring the LA phil at the hollywood bowl. the movie's a classic and the music was fantastic even from our nosebleed seats, but the best part of the night was definitely our pot-luck picnic! cous cous and pasta salads, grilled veggies, red wine, and fudge brownies were the perfect complement to tony and maria's tragedy.

my friend marie brought curry chicken salad from whole foods which was surprisingly awesome. i'm pretty anti-mayo in general, but couldn't taste it at all in the mix of spicy curry, roasted chicken chunks, nuts, and sweet raisins. since i'm always on the quest to make a healthier yet still tasty version (and budget friendly, the salad is $12.99/lb at whole foods!), i decided to give ellie krieger's recipe a shot.

curry chicken salad
courtesy ellie krieger

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or chicken tenders)
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (i used voskos greek yogurt)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup halved grapes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
mixed green salad
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. poach chicken in the broth (boil broth first, then add chicken and simmer, covered, for 8 min. turn the heat off and let chicken stand in the hot liquid, covered, until cooked through, about 20 minutes).
2. remove chicken from the broth and cool completely in fridge. cut into small chunks, ~ 1/4 inch.
3. in a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and curry powder.
4. fold in the chicken, grapes and cilantro. (i also added diced carrot and chopped celery for extra texture and nutrients :D). season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. in a separate large bowl, toss the greens with the oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper, to taste.
6. plate the greens. top with a generous scoop of chicken salad. add toasted almonds/nuts as desired.















verdict: satisfies the craving but a little too dense in texture. will probably use regular instead of greek yogurt next time.

Inspired Eating

after a much overdue visit to dre and ben in SD, i have been inspired to start logging recipes again. what prompted this venture back into the kitchen? a combination of discovering ben's penchant for healthy cooking, a desperate need for a break from CCU disasters, and of course, a taste of a fantastic meaty pasta that i can't stop thinking about!

short rib pappardelle at "cucina urbana" in SD- a sort of italian chow fun with wide, flat noodles and melt-in-your mouth chunks of beef bursting with flavor, topped with fresh parmesan. mmmm... now this is reason to dust off the pans, sharpen the knives, and fire up the stove.

since short rib pasta is new to me, i decided to give giada's highly rated recipe on FN a shot. luckily, the queen of everyday italian did not disappoint. the end result was a bit lighter than the restaurant version, with a little bite from the tomatoes and herbs. quite nice for a summer evening.

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
modified from Giada De Laurentiis

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)- couldn't find it locally, so used prosciutto
2 lbs of beef short ribs (i used boneless, lean cut)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-oz) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle (wish i had fresh, but just used some dry, whole wheat egg noodles)

Prep:
-Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Then, dredge in the flour.
-place onion, carrot, parsley, and garlic in food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse. (or if you are ghetto like me, chop and mix all by hand- yes, tedious :/)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in large heavy soup pot over medium heat (or just wok if you plan to use slow cooker). Cook pancetta/prosciutto until golden and crisp.
2. Remove the pancetta/prosciutto from the pan and set aside. (leave grease in pan for browning of short ribs).
3. Add short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides.
4. Add veggie mixture to the pot. Return pancetta/prosciutto to the pot and stir. Also add rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine.

**Here is where you can follow Giada's traditional method (below), or if lazy and pressed for time, cheat with the slow cooker and cook everything on high heat for 3.5-4 hours.**

5. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally.
7. (for both methods): Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste. (if using slow cooker, i'd turn it down to low heat here). Meanwhile, cook pasta until tender but still firm. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
8. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Top with fresh parmesan, as desired.

the meats- chopped prosciutto, boneless short ribs after dredging in flour














veggie mix by hand (note to self: must get food processor)





















done! serve with a nice glass of chianti for a perfect pairing. :)