pork with corn & avocado salad

This dish has become a new summer favorite of ours. 

Chili-Lime Pork Chops with Corn & Avocado Salad
to serve 2 you will need:

2 pork chops (0.3 to 0.5 pounds each, depending how hungry you are!)
1 jalapeño, diced
4 bunches green onion, chopped
1 handful cilantro, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 cans corn, drained
1 avocado, sliced
olive oil
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
paprika
salt and pepper

In a mixing bowl combine olive oil, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.  Add pork chops and turn until coated.  Cook in a skillet or grill pan over medium high heat.

Combine corn and jalapeño in a skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally until warm.  In a mixing bowl, combine green onion, cilantro, and the juice of 1 lime.  Add corn mixture and avocado.  Salt to taste.

Serve pork with corn and avocado salad, garnished with extra lime wedges.

Note:  inspired by a recipe found in Martha's Everyday Food

warm pasta salad

I haven't been good about posting lately, partly because I have been busy with some life / schedule changes (new job - yay), and partly because there's a new (hand-me-down) camera in the mix yet no more Photoshop.  All in all it's thrown off the rhythm I was trying to get into.  I'm also in the midst of a few home projects, none of which are finished or ready to share.  But we haven't missed a beat in terms of trying new recipes! Here's one we made last night:  

Warm Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Poached Eggs  
to serve 2-3 you will need:

1/2 lb pasta, we used bowties
3-4 genrous handfuls of arugula or other wilt-able green like spinach
3 medium tomatoes, roasted
1-2 eggs per person, poached
fresh cheese, we used Parmesan
olive oil
salt and pepper

This is pretty simple.  Roast the tomatoes first, since this takes the most time (see how here) using a little extra olive oil.  Cook pasta according to instructions, drain, and set aside to cool slightly.  When tomatoes are done, drizzle olive oil goodness over the pasta and toss with greens and cheese.  Poach the eggs*.  Serve the pasta topped with tomatoes, eggs, and some extra pepper.

*I tried poaching eggs for the first time last week.  It's a lot easier than I thought.  If you don't know how, these instructions worked for me.

sitges & barcelona {photodiary}

I know I'm so late with this, but finally getting some warmer weather in Boston has me thinking of our trip to Sitges and Barcelona back in September.  I even wrote most of this back in September, just never got around to posting.  Well here it is:

One of the perks of having been a consultant is the travel.  Not the weekly boring stuff, but the global trainings in Europe. Work has sent me to Nice, Prague, and now Sitges for training, and I have taken full advantage by tacking on vacations following each - Cinque Terre and Rome after Nice, Venice after Prague, and most recently a few days in Barcelona.

Day 1 of vacation - Friday

Training finished around 4pm and after rounds of goodbyes it was officially vacation time!  Adam had flown out to join me, and after a day at the pool was showered and ready to party.  I smuggled some final snacks from training (leftovers) and we headed off into Sitges to explore the beach, the city, and find some good food!

white pizza {bacon, pear, blue cheese // 3 cheese + spinach}

I don't think I've really written about it yet, but Adam and I got a pizza stone as a Christmas gift.  It has really changed our weekly cooking routine since it's easy and quick and allows for a lot of experimentation.  It's a lot of fun too, now that we have the technique down.  We started out by recreating some of our old favorites, but have recently gotten into making 2 smaller pizzas rather than one large one.  We like the crust better this way (crispy and thin) and the variety is fun!

Since this week's dinner lineup has a lot of tomatoes, we went for white pizzas last night.

Bacon, pear, and blue cheese on one and 3 cheeses and spinach on the other.  We use Trader Joe's premade dough since it's easy and inexpensive, but you could of course make your own.

Bacon, Pear, and Blue Cheese Pizza
pizza dough
5 slices bacon
1 pear, thinly sliced (you prob won't need an entire pear)
crumbled blue cheese or Gorgonzola
ricotta
balsamic vinaigrette* 
olive oil
salt + pepper

Cook bacon until crispy.  Set aside to drain on paper towels, and break into bite-sized pieces when cool.  Roll out dough.  Thinly coat with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.  Add layers of ricotta, blue cheese, bacon, and pear*.  Bake at 450-500 until crust is golden.
*We didn't do this, but next time I'd coat the pears in balsamic vinaigrette to add a bit of acid (as they say on all the cooking shows) and to get a bit of caramelization on the pears.  Yum.   

Three Cheese + Spinach Pizza
pizza dough
baby spinach
1/2 white onion, diced
1-3 garlic cloves, minced (we used 3, and it was super garlicky)
grated Parmesan cheese
ricotta
mozzarella (fresh or shredded)
olive oil
salt + pepper

In a skillet cook diced onion in olive oil until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic and spinach, stirring until spinach is wilted.  Stir in enough Parmesan cheese to gain a slightly creamy appearance.  Set aside.  
Roll out dough.  Thinly coat with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt.  Bake dough alone at 450-500 for a few minutes until crust is slightly browned.  Top with layers of ricotta, mozzarella, and spinach mixture.  Bake a few more minutes until mozzarella is melted and crust is golden brown.  

paris {photodiary}

I was so good about getting the London photodiary up, but I have completely slacked on posting the end of the trip: Paris!

It's been a while (4 months) so I honestly don't remember all the details of what we did. I know we ate tons of yummy food (mostly sandwiches, pastries, and crepes), drank lots of delicious and inexpensive wine, and walked around a whole lot.  Exactly what I wanted!

cauliflower soup w bacon & parmesan

Check me out!  Already posting a new recipe for the month.  We've tried a few others too, which I'll add if they make it into regular rotation.  This one is for sure going to be repeated.  Soooooo good!

patatas bravas + skirt steak {barcelona inspiration}

One of our favorite things from our Barcelona trip (which I will write about soon!) was the food.  We had tapas at several places, and an item we tried and loved multiple times was bravas.  While we had them in many formats, they were generally some form of potatoes (fries, tots, roasted) with a thick & spicy tomato sauce and an amazing garlic aioli dipping sauce.  Another favorite was a simple skirt steak, topped with essentially the same tomato + garlic aioli combo.  

So of course we had to try to recreate this deliciousness.  


I was surprised at how amazing this was, even on our first try.  It was a little labor intensive for just one meal (yes, we ate it all in one sitting) but it was so worth it.  In order, here's what we did:

pastaaaa

We've added a few pasta dishes into regular rotation.  Both are super easy, super fast, and typically leave leftovers.  Both are also generally soft and squishy, which is important if you are having problems chewing.  Yes, that's me right now.  Ugh. 

Here are the quasi-recipes.  And as always, the ingredients can be found at your local beloved Trader Joe's.

//Capellini with Smoked Salmon, Spinach & Capers
The idea here is to cook up some pasta and then let the heat of the pasta do the rest of the work!  

bulgogi burgers!

Over the past few months, we have been searching for some new culinary creations which better accommodate the summer heat.  One of our new summertime favorites is somewhat of a Korean/American fusion dish, inspired by Vietnamese sandwiches.  I introduce to you: the Bulgogi Burger!  

For those unfamiliar, bulgogi is a traditional Korean dish simply described as marinated beef.  We typically eat it with rice, kimchee, and other Korean goodies.  But in its reinvented form, we have made it into an Asian fusion burger, complete with with cucumber, cilantro, and a fried egg.

Here is a vague recipe if you wish to try it yourself:

saturday brunch

Following a Thursday night Burrito Night (which is pretty much every week), the leftovers are repurposed for Saturday brunch!  We just scramble the burrito filling and any leftover rice with eggs + salt + pepper + shredded cheese.  Then hash browns on the side and lots of ketchup.  Delicious!  And super filling to get us through most of the day

anticipating restaurant week

So much eating!  So excited!  (Somebody did a ton of research & planning)

But for some reason gmail didn't think Top of the Hub was important to me..

friday night is...

...sushi date night! Complete with dirty martinis, fizzy moscato, and of course sushi! Another little "tradition" we love. Here's a selection of what we had last night (delivery from Fin's). Clockwise from top: Christmas maki, Idaho maki, Rainbow maki, Alaskan maki, and Mexican maki. Yum..




All served on the sushi dunk plates I got us for Christmas (from CB2). Aren't they fun?!

food from the week

I've gotten much better at photo-documenting my life - or in this case, the food I make / eat - but have not been keeping up with the posting quite as well. Here are some of the dinners from this week:

bowtie pasta with sun dried tomato chicken sausage and sauteed zucchini and onions
&
spinach, apple, dried cranberry, walnut, and blue cheese salad topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette

tofu fried rice with green pepper, onion, zucchini, and corn

roasted sweet potatoes seasoned with rosemary and sea salt
&
burgers topped with caramelized onions and muenster cheese on Portuguese rolls
&
baby romaine salad topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette and crumbled blue cheese

arugula and goat cheese ravioli and panko-crusted chicken tenders topped with sauteed balsamic onions and baby portabello mushrooms
&
parmesan asparagus

thursday night is...

...burrito night! It's a super-delicious weekly "tradition" we really love

ground turkey, onion, baby portabella mushrooms, green pepper, corn, plus lots of spices & seasoning

whole wheat tortilla, rice, shredded cheese

anddd fresh salsa, guacamole, and bbq sauce

The extra perk is the leftover turkey, veggies, and rice turn into weekend brunch (plus eggs, extra seasoning, and lots of cheese!) yum..

food adventures

We typically cook a lot, but have been trying to mix up the normal routine lately. Partly to help me remember - and mostly because I love food - I have decided to start documenting some of these food adventures. From earlier this week, a (very Americanized) veggie vindaloo with quinoa:

tofu, sweet potato, onion, cauliflower

plus tomato, chicken broth, and seasoned with curry & chili powders, mint, garlic, salt

And then yesterday, homemade mojitos!





Anddddd assorted deliciousness!

freshly-baked mini croissants, pita crackers, spinach & artichoke dip, prosciutto & mozzarella pinwheel, grapes, capers, homemade olive tapenade

ps. Still searching for the right chandelier to complete the dining nook...

actually there {28}

My actual birthday has come and gone and I must say I don't feel a bit older (just a bit tired, which is perhaps an indication of age..) After the weekend festivities I thought it would be a rather uneventful day, but there were a few surprises. I was ambushed at work with an assortment of cupcakes, cookies, and pastries (red velvet! yumm thanks guys), and the night was finished off with champagne and chocolate-covered fruit! Dark chocolate-covered pineapple is surprisingly more delicious than expected.

Once again I didn't document any of this, so instead here's me on my 2nd birthday:


ps. the "Korean" soup was good!

nearly there {28}

This year, my birthday - or rather, pre-birthday weekend - has been all about food! On Saturday, cocktails and cake at Sel de la Terre with great company (cake skills provided by Sarah). Sunday morning it was brunch at home comprised of bagels with cream cheese, lox, and capers + grapefruit + my typical tea.. super yum! (and even better because I didn't have to do anything but eat!)


And then Sunday night an amaaaaaazing dinner at L'Espalier. It didn't feel appropriate to take photos of all 6 courses (the Winter 2012 Degustation), so I snapped no food at all. It was amazing though, and great to finally see the new location after many, many visits to the old spot - primarily for Wine Mondays which they still have!

I am now attempting to make some kind of Korean beef stew but I really have no clue what I am doing, and in usual form am following no sort of recipe. I hope it's good, and at least remotely Asian-tasting...

cityofangels

(view from steve's deck; 3 wolf moon sighting in venice beach; more venice beach; family portrait; way too windy in malibu)

Better late than never, right? They aren't the most glamorous or artistic shots, but a snapshot view of my all too short but much needed trip to LA. Great times with old(ish) friends. Most activities revolved around eating and being lazy. Loved it.

Highlights not captured above include:

Umami Burger. By far the best burger experience in my life. Yes, that means ever.

White Russians on the porch with Steve.

Getting dragged to house class by Kamo, and the ensuing combination of calf muscle death and huge smiles.

Cooking Easter dinner with the boys + Kung Fu Panda.

deuxave

A little over a week ago I went to dinner at Deuxave. It was a little chilly, drizzling, and they didn't have blue cheese stuffed olives for my martini. But it was all-around one of the best dinners I've had.

I had...

Prime Beef Tartare & Wagyu Carpaccio
Scallops (with mushrooms, peas, and cumin carrot puree... way better than it sounds)
Vanilla & Olive Oil Parfait (pictured above, served with green tea cake, poached rhubarb, lychee sorbet, and lychee foam... yum)

Absolutely delicious and well-presented food, great company, a quiet little corner.

windy city (catching up)

I'm super behind with posts, but I figured it was time to fill in some of the gaps. A few weeks ago I squeezed a Chicago trip in between my usual LGA-BOS work route, and had exactly the weekend I needed. It was a few days of being pampered in a lovely boutique hotel, wandering like tourists, and fantastic dining (gorging?)
In that order...


.ACCOMMODATIONS.


We stayed in The James Hotel, a gorgeously-decorated and posh (but not ostentatious) boutique right by the Magnificent Mile. I was instantly in love, and became an even greater fan when I was upgraded to a one-bed apartment from a standard room. I wanted to steal all their furniture and decor. Was also completely inspired by the bathroom for a potential future reno of my own. Highly recommend it!


.WANDERING.
Nothing too special to report here. I've been to the windy city before, but it was fun to wander, take photos, ignore work emails, and pretend I'd never seen the Bean before. Weather cooperated more than anticipated, which was def a perk, although that extra pair of tights in my bag came in really handy.


.DINING.

Dinner at David Burke's Primehouse was definitely a highlight. It was the full dining experience. From the perfectly-made dirty martini (complete with blue cheese stuffed olives.. yum) to the popovers, the Caesar salad made in front of us table-side (yes, every ingredient of the dressing), the best steaks I've tasted in my life, a completely delightful waiter, and then a tour of the salt-tiled aging room to round out the night. Yes.

Additional stand-out meals included brunch at the Grand Lux and The Signature Lounge on the 96th floor at John Hancock for Naba & Bejan's "wedding anniversary".

Lazy days, good food, great company, and all sorts of relaxation. Just what I needed.