Sunday Dinner

Yesterday was a fabulously warm Sunday. After an entire day of cleaning, dusting, and laundry washing, dinner needed to be hearty, filling, and no-nonsensibly good. Warm weather = grilling! I can't wait until the longer days allow for grilling and dining outside for hours to come.

We had sweet italian sausage and beef hamburgers with thickly-sliced, toasted bread. Grilled tomatoes, asparagus, and shrimp were perfect accompaniments.

Dessert was grilled pears with candied pistachios and Ben and Jerry's pistachio ice cream. Yum!

Let's hope there is a lot more warm weather to come!

Geoduck Three Ways

The Husband had the random desire to eat this oceanic animal this week after watching this video. After sourcing one from our local, newly-opened Asian market, The Husband proceeded to dismember and separate the edible and non-edible parts. It was at times disturbing and at other times my curiosity about the taste certainly took over.

We ate all of the geoduck raw.

As a public service announcement, do not eat this raw if the geoduck is dead. If you touch it and the long shaft does not contract... then proceed with caution.

We had the geoduck three ways:

1. Geoduck Crudo

2. Geoduck Sashimi with Wasabi Mayonnaise

3. Geoduck in Shoyu Broth

The Husband and I wondered who of our fabulous foodie friends would be willing to try this again with us. Would you? :)

Dining In: Washington, DC

This past weekend, I went to DC to visit a friend and we went to a delicious oyster bar/restaurant that I just had to share.  Hank's Oyster Bar has this casual yet frenetic energy with massive trays of raw oysters flying by every minute.

We had lobster bisque, new england clam chowder, a lobster roll with Old Bay french fries, collard greens, mac and cheese, and steamed mussels.  Since I was sick for over 2 weeks, we opted out of raw oysters as a protective health measure. I will definitely be returning for raw oysters during my next trip to the area.

We also went to Eastern Market, which is a cross between daily food market and artisan fair. I couldn't help but fall in love with these piles of Turkish yarn. The colors are gorgeous and so vibrant.

Tucked inside the market place was a bakery with this delicious apple pie. They sprinkled large sugar crystals on top to make the whole thing end on a sugary, crunchy note. The crust was perfectly baked and the filling was tart and sweet at the same time.

I will definitely be hitting up these locations on our next trip to DC and carting home at least an apple and pecan pie.

Dining In: Raleigh, NC

While shopping in Brier Creek, a friend and I stopped by Baba Grill. An unassuming Mediterranean restaurant tucked inside the massive shopping complex. What we found was a fabulously affordable and flavor-jammed lunch.

We had the gyros, lamb kebobs, greek salad, and a pistachio-filled dessert, which I don't remember the name of. On top of that, they make their pita bread FRESH to order. There is a man whose only job is to roll out the dough, sprinkle on sesame seeds, and pop the bread in the interesting-looking oven. It is thin, crispy, and super chewy.

This has got to be the best Mediterranean food I've had in the area.

Seafood Cioppino Stew

I am a huge fan of seafood stews and soups. Every time we go to any restaurant I always gravitate towards any type of steamy, hot, and ocean-y goodness.  With a few extra hours before The Husband got home, I decided to try this recipe.

As a note, I didn't have fresh shellfish or shrimp so I just used some fresh cod and then canned cherrystone clams and crab meat. Next time, I will definitely plan accordingly and buy some fresh seafood! As you probably see, the swiss chard made another appearance and it was a perfect stew vegetable.  Throw it in right before you finish cooking the stew to preserve its great flavor and texture.

Don't forget to serve with your favorite toasted crusty bread!

Valentine's Day Dinner

Just food. Enough said.

Bacon wrapped colossal shrimp + lobster tail + ciabatta and triple cream soft cheese + fresh made pasta + french berry lemonade = deliciousness and food coma.

Happy Valentine's Day! 

ps: Future post on pasta makers and making homemade pasta to come. 

Valentine with Cheese

I was sick for what seems like forever and had a few nights to myself the weekend before Valentine's Day. Making greeting cards has always been a great money-saving option, but on top of that you can add so much more personality to homemade cards.

The Husband and I like to leave little notes around the house that say "I love you like [insert] loves [insert]!" 

For example, "I love you like bears love honey" or "I love you like peanut butter loves jam." Quite cheesy, I know. (Hence the "cheese" in the blog title).  

This year I decided that our love for cheese (second cheese reference) couldn't be ignored. So here's the valentine I made The Husband. 

Sorry about the crappy picture lighting, but you get the picture ;). If you pull on the little heart, the crash-dummy mouse (helmet and all) goes flying towards the cheesy moon (the final cheese)!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

May you all feel as loved as the cheese. :)

ps: Full Valentine's meal post to follow!

Sun-dried Tomato and Artichoke Pasta

I've never made anything with sun-dried tomatoes because it always looked like too much work. On a whim, I bought some "dry" sun-dried tomatoes at Whole Foods for less than $3.

There is a restaurant/sports bar in Durham called Champps where I had a delicious "Roasted Artichoke and Grilled Chicken Penne" pasta. It was not a tomato-based sauce and neither was it cream-based. Instead, it was what I would describe as "broth-based," which is one of my favorites.

I made up this recipe based on a few recipes I read online on how to use sun-dried tomatoes. This recipe is one that you can easily prep the night before by creating your "mise en place" in advance.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup "dry" sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
7-8 cloves of garlic, minced
Handful of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup frozen spinach (fresh would work too)
5-6 marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
Pine nuts, lightly toasted
7-8 grape tomatoes, halved
4-5 servings of any pasta of your choice (rotini, farfalle, shells, etc)
1/4 dry white wine
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp+ extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. "Dry" sun-dried tomatoes need to be reconstituted. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a heat-safe bowl and soak in 2 cups of boiling water for approximately 1 hour then slice thinly. Reserve the liquid.

2. Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta until just before al dente. Try to time the completion of the noodles with completion of the sauce.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté garlic until fragrant. Add sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and artichoke hearts. Pour in dry white wine and a little of reserved sun-dried tomato liquid and sauté until everything is cooked.

4. Slowly pour in chicken broth and adjust amount based on how much sauce you need to coat the pasta.  Throw in grape tomatoes at this stage to preserve texture and shape.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste until sauce is the right flavor.  (I included some sugar because The Husband does not enjoy overly sour flavors.)

6. Strain the pasta and toss into the sauce mixture. Mix on medium-high heat and ensure pasta is cooked to the right texture.

7. Grate in as much Parmesan you'd like, toss in the pine nuts and serve immediately!

Sun-dried tomato and artichoke pasta with grilled chicken. Bon Appetit! 

It's a Tamale Party!

This weekend, my neighbor hosted a homemade tamale-making party. The first time I had a tamale was shortly after I moved to Texas from Jersey and it was a frozen HEB kind. It was quite possibly one of my least favorite foods. Little did I know that homemade tamales could be quite delicious, which I discovered during a trip to Miami a few years later.

I don't have directions for how to make tamales because all the supplies were prepped the night before. So that's something I'll have to investigate and get back to you later. We made a combination of queso fresco, veggies, chicken, and mole sauce fillings.

We made over a 100 tamales, which we happily ate and packed for our freezers.

Know someone who can make tamales? Try hosting your own party!