Sweet and Yummy

I love making all kinds of panna cottas. Panna cottas are silky and luxurious and are super easy to make. I ate a yummy and beautifully plated panna cotta at a new upscale restaurant in Cambridge not too long ago. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty good but a homemade panna cotta can measure up to a restaurant panna cotta any day. And a homemade one will costs a fraction of what you pay at a restaurant. All you need is really good cream. I brought this dessert at a friend's party. :-)

1/2 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin
2 small cans of Nestle Media Crema or table cream
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 cup of sugar(more if you like it sweeter)

Combine everything except for the unflavored gelatin in a medium sauce pan.
Simmer for 20 minutes until everything is well combined. Slowly sprinkle the gelatin into the hot liquid. Stir to combine. Do this slowly because you don't want the gelatin powder forming into tiny clumps. Transfer into ramekins or molded containers and refrigerate for at least 16 hours.

This is such a rich dessert so I made a passion fruit caramel to go on top. The acid in the passion fruit gives this panna cotta a little more edge. Reduce equal parts of sugar and water, until mixture starts to caramelize. Making caramel takes a lot of patience so be patient. Carefully add unsweetened passion fruit juice to the caramel and stir to combine. Cool overnight and then drizzle on top of the panna cotta before serving. Bien Provecho!

His Birthday. :-)

For my husband's birthday weekend this year, I surprised him with a special eight course dinner on the eve of his birthday.

The first course is a "A Study in Olives." I made most of the food from scratch except for the green and black tapanade, and a couple of other items like the kaiso salad and of course the cheese in the cheese course. The Tapanade/Olives are from Whole Foods Market.

The Second Course: Cold Bing Cherry Soup with Kirsch. This is a double shot of cherries in the form of Bing cherries and Kirsch or Kirschwasser ( a cherry liqueur from Germany ). I first discovered cold soups during a cruise with Celebrity Cruises. The Cold cherry soup was the best one we had there so I recreated it for my hubby on his birthday. The taste is similar to a Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup but with an extra kick.

The Third Course: Salad Greens with fresh water chestnuts, slow roasted beets and Chinese plums. I dressed the salad with a Maile Dijon vinaigrette.

The Fourth Course: We love Sashimi and so I made him checkered Hamachi(yellow tail) and salmon sashimi plate with Kaiso seaweed salad. I purchased the kaiso seaweed salad along with Grade A raw fish from a local Japanese market.

The Sixth Course: Mussel and Saffron soup. I made the mussel infused Spanish saffron broth and then made a roux in a separate pot. I added the broth, lots of cream and tender mussels and spices to the roux.

The Seventh Course(Main course): Twiced cooked pork belly with roasted garlic mashed potatoes. This took the longest to make. I bought a huge slab of fresh rindless pork belly from one of my favorite local butchers and braised it in juniper berries, allspice and other aromatics for hours. Then, I cooled it down, rubbed it with LOTS of Maile whole grain Dijon mustard and other pork friendly spices like oregano. I baked it in a 350 degree oven until it was golden brown. Three cheers for pork belly.


The Seventh Course/The Cheese Course: We love the Cheese Course at L'Espalier and Adjour'hui so I included a cheese course in his birthday menu. I picked two cheeses, one of which he is familiar with and loves -- Gruyere. The other one is an amazing and very creamy "double cream" blue cheese called St. Agur from the Basque region of France. I added gigantic fresh blackberries and homemade honeyed quince chunks.



The final course -- I kept the dessert course simple. This homemade chocolate malt pudding is made with lots of melted Dove chocolate bars and malt milk powder. I garnished the pudding with "white chocolate pearls."


Tonight's cocktail : I made my version of a Cape Cod Cocktail with Nantucket Nectar Cranberry juice, Smirnoff Vodka, Gran Marnier and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Figs and Prosciutto

I first had the fig-prosciutto combination at a popular eclectic pizza joint called Figs in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Figs is the brain child of celebrity chef Todd English. Figs is a few steps from English's flagship restaurant Olives(another favorite in Charlestown). When we crave for a "different" kind of pizza, we head over to Figs. Figs offers a delicious figs and prosciutto pizza. The marriage of figs and prosciutto is a classic sweet and savory combination. I used these two ingredients in our appetizer the other night.

Slice figs and top with Prosciutto di Parma and brown sugar.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until the brown sugar caramelizes on top. The prosciutto will crisp up and mingle nicely with the figs and brown sugar.

An Unforgetable Dinner

I celebrated my birthday earlier this month. One of the surprises I got for my birthday is a special dinner lovingly prepared by my husband(I'm not the only cook in the family). Our son visited his grandparents that weekend(it's great because my parents live close by!)

He surprised me with lobster thermidor -- one of my favorite preparations for lobster. Lobster Thermidor is a labor of love. It took him hours to make this dish. I'm not exactly sure how he made it -- I was not allowed to help :-) Six pounds of live lobsters were sacrificed in a rich creamy cheesy sauce. They met their demise in the most glorious way.

He also baked a delicious coconut cake from scratch. Heaven.

Gourmet Comfort Food

Sometimes I like simple things to eat with just two or three ingredients. Take this snack for example: slices of delicious Fuji apples and Gruyere cheese. How can something so simple taste so darn good? There is nothing like good comfort food. Here are two yummy dishes using one of my favorite cheeses in the whole world -- Gruyere. Gruyere is an essential ingredient for great fondue because it is a fantastic melting cheese. It's takes mac n cheese to a whole new level.

Penne for your thoughts? Here is a baked gooey pasta casserole made with three kinds of cheese. Our little guy loves this pasta dish. It's a trio of three amazing white cheeses -- Parmigiano-Reggiano, Provalone and Gruyere. Fontina would be another good cheese to add. I melted all three cheeses in heavy cream and whole milk and folded the cheese sauce to the cooked penne. I topped the pasta cheese mixture with fresh bread crumbs and more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I baked it in the oven for 40 minutes until the crust turned golden brown.

My husband told me that this is the best ham and cheese sandwich he ever had in his life. I had a lot of help from Gruyere cheese. Anything with this much fat has to be good!

2 pieces of thick white bread
1 slice of really good ham (about 3-4 ounces)
4 ounces of Gruyere cheese
lots of butter.

Butter both sides of your bread. Put the ham and cheese in between two slices of bread. Using a non-stick pan on medium heat, fry the ham and cheese sandwich. Use a spatula to press down or flatten the ham and cheese melt. Wait for a few minutes until bread is golden brown before flipping it over . Brown the other side. Enjoy!

Stone Fruit Compote and Honey Labne Parfait

Last year, my good friend Mikell introduced me to Labne, a thick, silky and delicious Middle Eastern style yogurt(very similar to Greek yogurt). It is commonly used as a spread or dip for bread. It's a good low fat alternative to cheese. I also saw labne make an appearance on my dinner plate at one of Boston's high end restaurants last week. I recently created a labne parfait as the curtain raiser for last Sunday's brunch. I flavored the labne with honey and cardamom. My hubby loved it. This is a yogurt parfait for two:

For the fresh stone fruit compote:
2 peaches stoned, peeled and diced into small cubes
3 plums stoned, peeled and diced into small cubes
1/3 cup of tropical orange juice( I used a guava, mango and pineapple cocktail juice)
1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest( just the orange part -- the white part is very bitter)
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract(Bourbon or Tahitian)
1 -2 teaspoons of sugar

Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until fruit is tender.

For the Labne with honey:
1 cup of Labne
6 green cardamom pods in a tea filter paper
3-4 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of milk

Combine the Labne, honey and milk. Steep the cardamom "tea" in yogurt. Refrigerate overnight and remove cardamom tea bag before serving. Put some fruit compote in a serving glass and then top it off with some Labne. Bon appetit.

Burrito time!

I first had burritos in a little hole in a wall taqueria in Somerville, Massachusetts. It's a place where you can get authentic Mexican Food and practice your Spanish at the same time. Making homemade burritos is fun and easy. It involves an assembly of ingredients that were simply made for each other.

Beans: I like to use South American Grade A dried black beans. You can use canned beans if you like. Soak the dry beans overnight and then simmer them with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, beef bones and a bay leaf until the beans are tender.

Rice: I use Jasmine rice to make my Arroz Mexicana or Mexican rice. Why Jasmine rice? I like the scent, flavor and texture of really good Jasmine rice. Saute finely chopped garlic and onion in a couple of tablespoons of achiote infused extra virgin olive oil(steep the annato or achiote seeds in extra virgin olive oil). Add cumin, Ancho chili powder, adobo seasoning and 1/2 cup of tomato puree to the pan. Then, saute 1 cup of rice with the oil and spices until every grain is orange. Add 1 and a half cups of chicken broth, cover the pan and cook the rice for 20 minutes.
Meat: I usually like slow cooked carnitas for my taco and burrito filling. For this weeknight burrito, saute ground beef and taco seasoning until the meat turns brown.
The rest of the crew: large tortillas, salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, and Mexican cheese blend(asadero, Monterey jack, and so on) and anything else you like in your burrito..guacamole perhaps? Oh yes, don't forget wedges of fresh lime.

Let's wrap and roll...
Lay the tortilla on a flat surface. Arrange some of your fillings on the middle of the tortilla. Take the tortilla end closest to you and pull it over the filling. Fold about 2 inches of left and right sides towards the center of the tortilla, creating a pocket. Roll the burrito tightly until you end up with a wrap.

What do I like to wash it down with? How about some Horchata, a refreshing Mexican rice drink with vanilla, cinnamon and sometimes almonds or caswhews. I like to garnish mine with fresh whipped cream, cashews and a Mexican Chocolate cake.

Happy Holidays to all!

Have a wonderful and memorable Christmas and New Year.
May you have a holiday full of good eats and sweet treats.


Sincerely,
Jen :-)

Pumpkin Braised in Thai Red Curry Sauce

I love making Thai food any day of the week. This is a Thai red curry pumpkin recipe that hits all the sweet, salty and spicy notes. This recipe also makes good use of wonderful locally grown New England pumpkin.

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil

3 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 medium onion roughly chopped into chunks.
2 pounds of pumpkin flesh cut into small chunks( you can substitute butternut squash).

1 teaspoon of finely slivered ginger

1 teaspoon of finely slivered galangal

2 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste

3 kaffir lime leaves

1/2 pound of snake or long/yard beans cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock

1 can of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Using a large fry pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Saute the garlic and onion for a few minutes until fragrant. Add ginger, galangal, red curry paste and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pumpkin, kaffir lime leaves, long beans, coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, brown sugar to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 20 -30 minutes until the pumpkin and long beans are fully cooked. The pumpkin will help "thicken" the sauce. Correct seasonings with salt and pepper.

Silken tofu with brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls

From Street fare to breakfast flair: Taho
Taho or steamed silken tofu with brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls is a very popular type of street food in the Philippines. When I was growing up in the Philippines, the taho vendor would make his rounds in my neighborhood every morning and my brother and I would buy a couple of huge bowls of his yummy concoction. A few weeks ago, I surprised my parents with my homemade taho. They said it's better than what they used to have back home.

I cooked the tapioca pearls and tofu separately. I boiled the tapioca pearls or "sago" until they were translucent and chewy/gummy in texture. Water naturally forms when you steam your tofu. Drain tofu and discard water before serving.

I made a brown sugar simple syrup or "arnibal" by boiling equal parts of brown sugar and water and then reducing it in half. I added good quality vanilla flavoring( use bourbon or Tahitian vanilla) to the syrup.

Ladle tofu first in a serving glass or bowl. Add tapioca pearls and then add the warm syrup on top.

Gambas Al Ajillo

Gambas Al Ajillo or shrimp/prawns with garlic is a simple and easy recipe that remind me of those delicious little plates of Spain called Tapas. Here is a quick and easy recipe highlighting the flavors of Spain: good extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, and fresh shrimp.

1 pound of large shrimp (shell on and deveined)
2 tablespoons of roughly chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley(just the leaves)
2 cloves of freshly minced garlic
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

A pinch or two crushed chili flakes
kosher or sea salt and freshly cracked peppercorn

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large fry pan. Saute garlic, crushed chili peppers and parsley for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and garlic is lightly toasted. Add shrimp and stir fry until shrimp is fully cooked(another 5 minutes or so). Season with salt and pepper. This is another peel and eat shrimp recipe so peel, eat and enjoy. Bien provecho!

Lentil Soup, Two Ways.

My husband loves lentil soup and I love making it for him. I like to make Tibetan and European style lentil soups and sometimes I create lentil soups that don't belong to any specific cuisine. Lentils are super healthy, flavorful, versatile and cheap! These soups were totally impromptu and both were well received by the family(the little guy included). Here's a quick summary of lentil soup, two ways.

Sometime in September~
Type of Lentils: French lentils (I love the way they retain their their shape and form even after you cook them for a long time.)
Flavoring agent: sauteed apple wood smoked bacon, cherry tomatoes
Aromatics: homemade sofrito(onion, garlic, celery, carrots, green pepper, flat leaf Italian parsley)
Spices: Paprika, cumin, and sumac.
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes


Sometime in October~
Type of Lentils: Organic black lentils
Flavoring agent: smoked turkey necks and homemade chicken stock.
Aromatics: Cajun trinity: onions, green pepper and garlic.
Spices: cilantro, chili powder, Mexican oregano
Cooking time: 1 and a half hours.

Macadamia and Panko Crusted Orange Roughy Fillets

During a trip to Hawaii, we stumbled upon a Macadamia nut farm on our way to the North Shore of Oahu. The farm had a store where you can sample and buy native Hawaiian macadamia nuts grown at that farm. It was kismet because I just love Macadamia nuts. This recipe is a way for me to use macadamia nuts in my everyday cooking.

Fish breaded and sauteed in oil is good. Fish sauteed in a macadamia crust is better. For this recipe, I used orange roughy fillets and coated them with crunchy and buttery macadamia nuts and Japanese Panko bread crumbs. The orange roughy's mild and white flesh is perfect for this dish.

1 egg beaten plus two tablespoons of milk

1/2 cup of Japanese Panko bread crumbs

1/2 finely crushed Macadamia nuts

3 Orange Roughy fillets

salt and pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sauteing

Green Onions for garnish

Beat egg with milk in a shallow dish and then set aside. Combine Panko bread crumbs, macadamia nuts, salt, and pepper on another plate. Dip one fish fillet in the egg mixture and then dredge both sides of the fillet in the Panko and macadamia nut mix. Repeat the process with the other two fillets. Saute the fillets in hot oil until both sides of the fish have a lovely golden brown color. Garnish with green onions and serve with lime wedges.

Fast Forward to Summer: Watermelon Grand Marnier Granitas

Watermelon balls

Watermelon Grand Marnier Granita

I usually like to cook with the seasons but I found a beautifully ripe watermelon at the market the other day so I decided to make something that reminds me of summer. Watermelon is one of those things that reminds me of Fourth of July picnics and endless summer BBQs. Watermelon is the main ingredient in this Granita. Granita is a type of flavored Italian ice or coarse grained sorbet and does not usually contain alcohol but this one did. I used the creme de la creme of triple secs, Grand Marnier. I found that if you limit the amount of alcohol you add to the flavored liquid, the granita will freeze nicely.

1 cup of pureed fresh watermelon
1-2 tablespoons of extra fine sugar
1 jigger or 1.0 fluid oz of Grand Marnier
1 jigger of Arbor Mist tropical fruits chardonnay or some other fruity chardonnay
1/2 cup of pineapple juice

Mix everything in a glass bowl. Pour into a plastic container with a tight lid. Freeze overnight in the deepest and coldest part of your freezer. Scrape flavored ice with a fork. Refreeze for another 6 hours or so before serving. Scrape ice again with a fork and then serve in margarita or martini glasses. It has a grainier or grittier texture than sorbet because the flavored liquid is frozen and then manually scraped or raked with a fork.

The Improvisational Salad of the Day: Iceberg Lettuce, mangoes, Mcintosh apples, and oven dried grape tomatoes.

Sweet Red Mangoes from Brazil

You can take the girl out of the tropics but you can't take tropics out of the girl. I can eat about 10 mangoes in one sitting. I love mangoes in salads too. It has the taste of perpetual summer and my childhood in the Philippines. This salad has another interesting addition --oven dried tomatoes, one of my husband's favorite salad toppings. When grape tomatoes bake in the oven with extra virgin olive oil and good quality coarse sea salt, they get a concentrated tomato flavor and a chewier texture. Yum.

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into big chunks

2 cups of hand torn iceberg lettuce

1 Macintosh apple cut into 1 inch cubes

Oven dried grape tomatoes, about half a pint

* Cut tomatoes in half

*drizzle with extra virgin olive oil

* liberally season with salt and pepper

*bake for 20 to 30 minutes until they shrivel up.

a couple of sprigs of chopped cilantro for garnish.

Put a handful of lettuce on a plate. Place apple and mango chunks and cilantro on top of the lettuce. Salads look pretty when they are pilled high on a plate. Arrange oven dried tomatoes around the salad. Dress with your favorite lime or lemon based vinaigrette.

Braised Country Style Pork Ribs in Soy, Vinegar and Garlic: Adobo

The word adobo comes from the Spanish infinitive, "adobar" which means to marinate. Abodo is considered the national dish of the Philippines. It's the quintessential Filipino dish. If you pair it with white rice, it's a match made in heaven. This is one of the first dishes every Filipino cook learns how to master. Some Filipinos even have several adobo recipes. My paternal grandmother made one of the best adobo recipes I ever had. She made it with a lot of love and patience. It's pretty foolproof once you learn how to master it. I learned that really good abodo is not something you can rush. The adobo recipe I have grown to love is marinated and then braised in lots of freshly chopped garlic, soy sauce, salt, bay leaves, crushed peppercorns, native palm vinegar and a touch of brown sugar. I don't like repeats so I make this entree once or twice a month. When I crave adobo, I channel my grandmother and try make it really well. I prefer ribs or cut up Boston pork butt for my adobo recipe. I marinate the meat overnight and then cook it for two hours or until most of liquid have reduced down to a savory syrup. My grandmother made her adobo "dry" and this allowed the flavors to concentrate in the meat. If we have leftovers the next day, I like frying or quickly broiling the pork. Adodo always taste better the next day.

Philly Cheesesteaks, my way.

A Philly cheesesteak sandwich with a twist.

My version uses a different type of bread. I use Vietnamese baguettes. This type of bread is tradionally used in Bánh mì or Vietnamese subs. I use this bread because it is delicious and crusty. It stands up to the robust flavors of the beef, onions and peppers and never gets soggy. I use a tender and well marbled cut of beef and char it to perfection. This has no cheez whiz. I use colby jack and provolone, caramelized onions, green peppers and lots of mayo.

Young Coconut or "Buko" Panna Cotta

You might have seen them the last time you went on vacation. You probably even had one. It's the symbol of a holiday on a warm island paradise. What am I talking about? A young green coconut. It's the perfect sustainable cool drink that even comes with its own biodegradable container. All you need is a straw. I grew up with young coconuts or "buko", as Filipinos would call it. Now that I'm older, I still crave the sweet, distinctive flavor of young coconuts. During our trips to Hawaii and the Caribbean, we saw them everywhere. Young coconuts are sold to tourists thirsty for that real tropical experience. Unfortunately, coconut trees don't grow here in the East Coast. I buy them frozen. This is not the desiccated coconut you find in your supermarket. When I eat a young coconut dessert, I am temporarily transported back to the islands. Maybe that's why I like cooking with it.

Young coconut panna cotta is simply a creation of two of my favorite things: panna cotta and young coconuts. It's a perfect marriage of east and west. Panna cotta is one of my favorite Italian desserts. It translates to "cooked cream" in Italian. For this dessert, I combined traditional panna cotta ingredients like cream, sugar and unflavored gelatin with young coconut flesh and water. The coconut juice separates from the cream, creating a terrine. The result is a refreshing new way of eating a beloved classic Italian dessert.

Pineapple, White Asparagus and Mushroom Fried Rice

I love all types of fried rice. This one was inspired by some of our favorite Thai restaurants. It's a pineapple fried rice of sorts.

3 cups of cold Jasmine rice

1 cup of white asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces (just the tender non-fibrous part)

1 cup of fresh pineapple cut into chunks(you can also substitute a small can of pineapple chunks)

1 cup of white button mushrooms, sliced thinly

1/4 cup of diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup of diced yellow bell pepper

2 teaspoons of fish sauce

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of yellow curry paste or curry powder

3 tablespoons of peanut or extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup of finely chopped shallots

2 cloves of finely minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Using a large non-stick fry pan, saute mushrooms in oil until they start to caramelize. Add the white asparagus, yellow and green peppers and saute 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, turmeric, and yellow curry paste to the pan. Stir fry the ingredients for an additional 3 minutes. Bring your rice to the party and combine and mix with the rest of the ingredients until every grain of rice is mellow yellow. Add fish sauce and brown sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Corn, Hominy, Watercress and Sweet Italian Sausage Soup

During the colder months, I make a lot of soups. Luckily, I have lots of chicken stock in our deep freezer. I make my own chicken stock -- about nine or ten quarts at a time. Yes, it requires a lot of time and effort to make your own stock but it's worth it. Soups have that homemade quality to them. Today's soup is corn, hominy, watercress and Italian sausage. Hominy or dried corn is used in some Mexican recipes like Pozole. Hominy has a slightly firm bite to it and adds a great texture to this soup. The watercress leaves' peppery and bitter taste is a nice contrast to the hearty and rich broth.

Shake it up

I made avocado shakes for the family the other night and it was a hit with everyone especially with the little guy. This quick recipe was inspired by our trips to the gorgeous beach of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. They call shakes licuados in Mexico and like many Mexican drinks -- this one had a touch of lime. Lime livens up your taste buds and prevents the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown.

6 -8 cubes of ice
2 ripe Haas avocados
2 cups of whole milk
2-3 tablespoons of sugar
The juice of half a lime.

Blend the avocado meat and the rest of the ingredients in a blender until smooth (for 3-5 minutes depending on what kind of blender you have). Pour into tall glasses and enjoy!

An American Breakfast with a Portuguese Accent

Today's breakfast was inspired by our travels as well as our trips to local diners. I took what I learned from our favorite breakfast joints to our own kitchen. Our weekend breakfast items all depends my own creative whim that day. The fresh ingredients also play a huge part. The ingredients tell me and inspire to prepare and transform them into something scrumptious. Variety is the spice of life so I make different breakfast foods inspired by different cultures and cuisines. So what is today's breakfast? red bliss home fries, linguica or Portuguese sausage and fried eggs.

Home Fries: The potatoes are peeled, cut and boiled for 20 minutes. I do this the night before to save some time in the morning. When you are ready to make home fries, fry roughly chopped onions until they are slightly caramelized and then set aside. The potatoes are then seasoned with smoked Spanish paprika, onion powder and garlic powder and pan fried with some extra virgin olive oil until you get that nice crispy crust on your potatoes. I add a tablespoon or two of finely chopped green and yellow bell pepper for color.

Linguica or Portuguese sausage: The linguica is beautifully seasoned seasoned with paprika, garlic, onions and salt. The linguica is pan fried until it is slightly charred and fully cooked.

Eggs: I like to make eggs many different ways but today we like our eggs sunny side up. I don't like the runny slimy film on top. The solution: cover the frying pan with a tight lid during the last two minutes of cooking and the steam inside the pan cooks the gently cooks the protein on top.

I always serve breakfast with seasonal fresh fruit.

Shrimp in Tamarind Broth

Tuesday

Friday

When I'm craving something savory and sour, I make shrimp simmered in tamarind broth or "Sinigang na Hipon", a traditional Filipino soup. It takes about 15 -20 minutes for me to make this tangy concoction. I make this soup with a pound of large fresh shell-on shrimp. The shells prevent the shrimp from overcooking and becoming tough. I love this soup so much that I made it twice last week. My husband says this reminds him of another favorite soup of ours, Thailand's Tom Yum soup. However, Tom Yum soup is flavored with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chilies while this one is flavored with sour green tamarind. My family have used guava, citrus and kamias in place of tamarind. There is no need to extract tamarind pulp because you can buy a tamarind soup mix(or guava soup mix if you prefer it less tangy) in most Asian supermarkets. This is a peel and eat shrimp recipe so put an empty bowl next to your plate for the shrimp shells. In the Philippines, soup is served and eaten throughout the meal. Shrimp in tamarind broth is never the opening act but rather takes center stage at our dining room table.

1 Pound of large shrimp.

1/4 package of tamarind soup mix or a little more if you like it extra tart

4 cups of rice water(reserved water from washing the rice)

1 medium onion sliced into 1/2 inch slivers

3 roughly chopped plum tomatoes

2 cloves of finely chopped fresh garlic

1-2 tablespoons of the best fish sauce you can find.

1-2 cups of broccoli, green beans or long/yard beans cut into bite size pieces.

Freshly cracked pepper to taste

extra virgin olive oil

Saute garlic and onions in extra virgin olive oil in a heavy duty pot until they are slightly caramelized. Add tomatoes and saute for five more minutes. Add the rice water, fish sauce and tamarind soup mix and cover the pot with a tight lid. Bring this to a boil. Uncover the pot and add shrimp and veggies. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and the veggies are tender-crisp. Season with pepper. Eat with freshly cooked white rice.

The Improvisational Salad of the Day: Swiss Chard with Grape Tomatoes

There's a million ways to make a salad. My salad recipes usually depend on the fresh ingredients I have available in my kitchen that day. I also rely on what flavor combinations I think go well together. Fresh young Swiss chard is a good alternative to lettuce, baby spinach or mesclun greens. Swiss chard is considered a dark leafy green vegetable so you know what that means? It's really good for you. It has tons of vitamins(mostly Vitamin K and A). Today's salad is easy to assemble: First, rinse your veggies in cold water. Dry your veggies well (use a salad spinner for your greens if you have one). Combine torn fresh young Swiss chard, grape tomatoes, chopped yellow bell pepper and thinly sliced red onion. Top with your favorite salad dressing or vinaigrette. :-)

Massachusetts Masala

My Chicken Tikka Masala

I like Indian food a lot. The many flavors, tastes and textures in Indian food range from mild and rich like korma to assertive, spicy and savory like tikka masala. I love all kinds of Indian food -- Southern, Northern and even coastal Indian dishes like Xacuti. Authentic Indian food is one of those cuisines I have grown to love and their food appeals to both the vegetarian and carnivore in me. I've dined at more Indian restaurants than I can count . When I really like food I've had at a restaurant or at a friend's house, I try to recreate it at home.

I started making Indian food a few years ago. I experimented with a lot of different types of masalas and curries -- tasting, comparing and contrasting sauces over and over until the flavors were close to the original flavors. The local Indian markets provided a wealth of authentic ingredients I can play with. After countless hours of cooking, I can add Chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, dal makhani and kheer rice pudding to my culinary repertoire. My husband also makes a mean saag paneer with homemade masala. I'm pretty happy with the dishes I can make so far. When I make a big batch of any type of Indian food, I give some of it to my Indian neighbors. I will always be a student of Indian cuisine, learning as I go, because Indian food rocks.

Melt in Your Mouth Beef Marinated in Greek Oregano, Sea Salt and Tellicherry Peppercorns

Last night's dinner: Boneless beef ribs marinated overnight in Greek oregano, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, minced garlic, freshly cracked tellicherry peppercorns and a splash of red wine vinegar. I pan fried the boneless beef ribs on high heat until I got a nice sear on both sides of the meat. We also like this marinated beef on the grill. I served this with a Chinese celery and grape salad and Jasmine rice.

Two Cheese Penne with Crushed Aleppo Pepper

When I've had a busy day, I make one of my quick and easy recipes. This pasta recipe is one of my grown up versions of mac and cheese. I use cheeses that melt well like Colby Jack, Gruyere, or sharp cheddar. I even made this with goat cheese once. This recipe has crushed Aleppo pepper, a complex, moderately hot crimson red pepper from Syriah. Aleppo is available at Christina's Spice & Specialty Foods in Cambridge. Aleppo is one of my favorite peppers and gives any dish a little added "zip." Use your favorite type of pasta. I use Penne for this recipe because it is one of my husband's favorite type of Italian pasta.

crushed aleppo pepper

1 pound penne(or your favorite pasta)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of finely chopped garlic

1/2 cup of finely minced shallots

Freshly cracked black pepper (I like crushed Tellicherry peppercorns)

1/4 lb of Colby jack cheese

1/4 lb of Monterrey cheese

2/3 cup of sour cream (I never said this was going to be a low cal meal!)
1/2 teaspoon of crushed allepo pepper. You can substitute a couple of generous pinches of crushed red pepper. You can add more if you like it hot.

Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook your penne according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare your sauce: Using medium heat, saute your garlic for 2 minutes in a large fry pan. Add the shallots and Aleppo peppers and "sweat" onions and garlic for an additional 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on your garlic and shallots because you don't want them to burn. You want your shallots translucent and garlic slightly caramelized. Garlic and shallots sauteing in oil is one of the best aromas in the world! Add sour cream and stir for one minute. Add your Monterrey and Colby Jack cheese right in the pan. Allow cheese to melt into the sour cream. Stir occasionally. Using a bamboo skimmer/spider or a similar contraption, take out pasta 2 minutes before it reaches its aldente state and then add your pasta directly to the sauce. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce while absorbing its flavor. Fold the pasta into the cheese sauce. Add a little pasta water to the pan and cook for a few more minutes until it penne is aldente. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish and serve with your favorite side salad.