The First Dish I Ever Cooked: Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

If you had a conversation with my mom about my teenage years you would probably walk away thinking that she should be put on the fast track to sanctification and that man, I was kind of a brat. I'm not sure if 'brat" is exactly the right term, but I did have a cavalier attitude about most things, and this includes school and my personal safety. Like most young people I thought I was invincible and could do anything. This attitude meant that I thought high school attendance was flexible, speed limits were simply a suggestion , and that the only good food existed in the form of Reese's peanut butter cups and Jack In the Box containers, oh yeah, and that adults were complete idiots. I know I wasn't alone in this line of thinking, these are all pretty standard reasons for why most people can't stand teenagers. It took a few years and some hard life lessons for me to realize that I couldn't just run through life doing whatever the hell I wanted or saying whatever the hell I wanted. For the most part, I now think mainly good things come with age and maturity, but there is a little part of me that wishes I still had a little bit more of my spirit before it was tamed. Not the reckless, ignorant part; but the confident part, that narcissistic (in a good way) thing that only young people possess. That brief moment in time where you think you can do whatever you want to, be whatever you want to, all because you want to.....

This was the kind of confidence I had the first time I decided to cook a meal. I had collected cookbooks long before I ever thought about actually putting them to use, I just liked reading them. Then one day, I was flipping through a book on Italian cooking, and I came across a recipe that sounded good. Right then and there I decided I'd make it for my high school graduation party. I didn't know how to cook at all, but the meal turned out great. Yes, this was probably due to luck and good ingredients, but I think it also had a little to do with a confident spirit. From then on, I started cooking all kinds of things, some great, some terrible! (I once made fish and chips that were completely inedible and homemade aioli where I didn't peel the garlic cloves! Yikes is right...)  The other day I was at the farmer's market and bought a bunch of fresh asparagus and started contemplating what to do with it, when I remembered this old recipe and decided to revisit this meal again. The recipe turned out just as good as I remembered; which I like to think was due to a different confidence, one learned over years spent in the kitchen, prepping and executing. However, I know I don't know everything about cooking yet, I don't believe anyone ever can, for there is always something new to learn. So this summer I made a promise to myself to be more confident and experimental in the kitchen. I have a couple ideas, one of them being that I am going to try canning. The process intimidates me, (fear of botulism; hello East of Eden.....) but I hope to tackle the task with a bit of my old youthful fervor! How about you? What intimidates you in the kitchen? How did you try and overcome your culinary fears? What was the first meal you ever cooked?

Fettuccine with Asparagus
Adapted from "The Italian Collection" by Food & Wine Books
Serves 6
1 pound this asparagus
6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced and cut into thin strips
1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and then chopped. (I use Muir Glen Organic for quality flavor.)
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Snap the tough ends off asparagus and discard. Cut the fresh spears into 1 inch pieces. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the asparagus just until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in a colander, shocking them with cold water. (This stops the cooking process.)

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, usually 8-10 minutes, then drain. While pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan, melt 4-6 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, turn the heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 Minutes. Add asparagus and cook a minute or two more until heated through. Add sauce to pot with pasta, adding Parmesan and a tablespoon more butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. It is important to mix pasta and sauce together for about 30 seconds as this ensures that all the flavors develop and that each piece of pasta is coated with sauce! Serve with a crisp white wine and enjoy!

Twitter

Admittedly Twitter intimidates me. However, I think it can be a great tool for sharing inspiration, ideas, and news for all things food related, so I joined. If you are on Twitter follow me @luluscocina and maybe you can help me figure out how this thing works too!

Vacations

Bodega Head

The past few weeks we have been fortunate enough to take in a couple little vacations, one to Bodega Bay/ West Sonoma/ San Francisco and the other to the Oregon Central Coast . When we have been home I have been making really healthy, easy dishes to try and counterbalance all the extra indulgences and imbibing we have been doing on our travels. With no new recipes to post, I thought I might share some of the places/treats/drinks we enjoyed during our getaways. I have to confess that by doing this post I am also satisfying my own desire to rehash my vacation food memories. Hopefully these memories will stay in my head a long while, because my only regret is that I didn't take more pictures of the food. The thing is, if I am truly enjoying my food, the last thing on my mind is to stop stuffing my face and whip out the camera.  When I am tempted to do this in a restaurant there is also the thought lingering in my mind that I don't ever want to be THAT girl. You know the type, the girl who whips out her camera and starts snapping away before she has even tasted the food, all with blogging, tweeting, facebooking, or  yelping in mind? In my book, nothing is more mood killing then when you are sitting there enjoying yourself and the flash of a Nikon goes off in your face. Some places food picture taking is acceptable, outdoor markets, most brewpubs are so noisy nobody really cares, and your own home. However there are some places where it is not acceptable behavior, for example, the Casino Bar in Bodega where we had one of our best meals; I would have been 86'd immediately had I whipped out my camera to document it. So although I can't leave you with a lot of "food porn" pictures,  I can post scenery ones, in hopes that this will entice you to try some of these places for your next getaway .....

Sonoma Coast:

Occidental, Ca

St. Theresa of Avila Church , Bodega, Ca

Ferry Plaza Market Building, San Francisco, Ca

Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, Ca- Our first stop on our way west to Bodega Bay. Don't go here for the food or atmosphere, go here for beer. A 16 beer taster? Sure, why not? "The River" has so many interesting and tasty beers on tap it is hard to choose a favorite, but mine was the Belgian brewed "Damnation", and the hubby's was the Sour Belgian "Redemption".

Spud Point Crab Company, Spud Point Marina, Bodega Bay, Ca- Two words: crab sandwich. This sandwich might actually be the best thing I ever ate. I even moaned out loud, and my table manners are better than that. Tons of pure crab, no fillers, lightly dressed in red pepper mayo, stuffed in between in two thin pieces of toasted french bread.....so perfect I had one two days in a row!

Gourmet Au Bay, Highway 1, Bodega Bay, Ca- This wine shop gets a mention, not for the excellence of their wines, (they were hit or miss) but for the location, cool "wine surfing" concept, and friendly owners. They have a lovely back deck where you can sit out over the bay and enjoy your wine.

Casino Bar & Grill, Highway 12, Bodega, Ca- Funky old saloon right next to the St. Theresa of Avila Church from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. On certain nights, talented chef Mark Malicki comes to the bar and cooks a set menu of his own creation. What you get is gourmet food at pauper's prices. On the night we visited, we ordered the Crab Cobb Salad, Fishermen's Clam Chowder (with clams in shell, and short ribs with potatoes and creamed spinach. Grand total? 30 bucks! The food draws in an ecclectic group, to our left were locals and bikers, to the right were ladies who lunch. Coors Light and white wine spritzers all mixed together! The bar owners are super welcoming, but be aware that this is a beer, wine, or straight up liquor establishment, don't go in expecting or wanting to order a specialty drink, there are no cocktail shakers or glasses in sight. The poor guy next to us made the mistake of ordering a gin martini and he got a shot glass with ice, gin poured over, and a martini olive on top! When in Rome........

Hog Island Oyster Company, Ferry Plaza Building, Embarcadero, San Francisco, Ca- The original Hog Island Oyster Farm is located in along Highway One in Tomales Bay, Ca. Picnicing outside eating oysters along the Pacific sounded wonderful, but I get easily carsick. Not wanting to upchuck the schucks so to speak, we decided it was best to visit their space in the Ferry Plaza building in San Francisco. There are an overwhelming array of food establishments in the Ferry Market, but I was extremely pleased with our meal at Hog Island Oyster Company. Sipping Pinot Grigio and slurping up fresh oysters while looking out over the bay was the perfect way to end our vacation.

Oregon Central Coast

Gleneden Beach, Oregon

I got a chance to spend Mother's Day weekend at the Oregon Coast with both my mom and grandma. Since my family lives in California, the last time I got to see them for Mother's Day was over ten years ago!  We prepared most of our meals at the beach house, prefering to lounge with a glass of wine and eat at our leisure, rather then rushing around trying to get everybody up and out the door before breakfast hours were over. This didn't mean that the food we ate wasn't special or restaurant worthy though, it was just simple. Breakfasts of fried eggs and thick cut Pendelton bacon, dinners of fettucine pesto, butter lettuce salad,  barbecued oysters, tri-tip, and shrimp cocktail, and bay shrimp melts with beer-steamed clams , we really took advanatage of Oregon's bounty and our time together. However, we did eat out a few times, and had a noteworthy lunch at these two places:

Tidal Raves Seafood Grill, Highway 101, Depoe Bay, Oregon- Tidal Raves holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons, a major one being that I have had the chance to break bread here with many people I love. The food is always fresh, delicious, and reasonably priced. I also think this restaurant has the most spectacular dining view on the Oregon Coast, and I would even venture to say the entire state. I reccomend the calamari, pan fried oysters, and Seahawk Bread for appetizers, all of their outstanding soups (personal favorite: Smoked Salmon chowder), cioppino, and pan fried snapper topped with shrimp salsa over a potato/smoked salmon cake. For dessert, try their bread pudding with bourbon sauce, it is so so good!

J's Fish and Chips, Highway 101, Lincoln City, Oregon- A little hole in the wall in a rundown shopping center, it's not much to look at, but the place serves up great fish and homemade chips. The Fish is fresh, and the panko breading is crisp and not too thick, no soggy breading here! Try the combo basket or the super fresh halibut!

Random Food Finds
If there are two things that really get me excited it's good beer and cheese. Here are some from our trips that made me happy!

Beer:

Damnation, Russian River Brewing Company
Cappucino Stout, Lagunitas Brewing Company
Racer IPA , Bear Republic Brewing Company
Boont Amber Ale , Andersonville Brewing Company
Tsunami Stout, Pelican Brewery

Cheese:

Mt. Tam Triple Creme Brie, Cowgirl Creamery
Pt Reyes Blue, Point Reyes Cheese Company

Vintage Extra Sharp White Cheddar, Tillamook Cheese Company

Chicken with Tomatoes, Dried Apricots, and Garbanzos

This past March in the Pacific Northwest has been an especially soggy one. There (may) have been one whole day without raindrops but don't quote me on that. Now that April and spring have officially arrived I am hoping for a few more clear days, but I know the weather won't really be balmy until July. In Portland, summer and (gulp) bathing suit season come later then where I grew up in Central California, where it is definitely bikini time by Memorial Day. However, I'm okay with that this year especially after just having a baby. I need the extra time. So I've been trying to focus on meals that have lean proteins and healthy ingredients. You know a little less carbs and cheese, a little less (fat) action. This is particularly hard to do when one is in the middle of a cheeseburger obsession, but I try......

These ingredients sounded a little strange together at first, but they actually pair very nicely , creating a great balance of sweet and savory. This recipe is healthy, but doesn't sacrifice on flavor at all. Serve with a nutty couscous. If your grocery store carries them, get dried Turkish apricots from the bulk bins. I prefer their less sweet, jam like flavor over regular dried apricots.

Chicken with Tomatoes, Apricots, and Garbanzos
Adapted from Sunset Magazine
Serves 4
4 Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots (Turkish, if available)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Kosher salt and pepper
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add cumin, coriander, and cayenne; cook 1 minute to heat spices, stirring constantly. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add tomatoes, apricots, sugar, and garlic to pan and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and return chicken to the pan. Cook, covered until chicken is heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in garbanzos and parsley and cook until heated through.

BBQ Chicken Cheddar Burgers with Spicy Slaw

Cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers. That seems to be all I can think about these days. I finally know how Jimmy Buffett felt when he wrote his slightly annoying but catchy little ditty "Cheeseburger in Paradise." He was obviously in the middle of his own cheeseburger obsession and also probably really stoned, so maybe I don't Totally know how he felt, but I finally get this whole cheeseburger thing.

Born and raised in California, I was fortunate to be well accustomed to the whole In n Out burger phenomenon, but I was always more interested in their animal fries than their double doubles. I just was not a burger girl, ground beef really wasn't my thing . Maybe I had just never had a really good one? Maybe I just preferred having tri-tip at bbqs? Who knows, but thankfully (and not so thankfully to my wallet & waistline) I've had the privilege of tasting some delicious burgers in recent months, and this has turned me into an unabashed cheeseburger lover. Where I live in Portland, Oregon there seems to be a bit of a burger boom right now, which has only been aiding in my burger addiction. My ultimate favorite place to get a cheeseburger is at Lucy's Original food cart. My favorite menu options are the Messenger (blue cheese, apple butter, bacon, & arugula) and the Pineapple Express (cheddar, grilled pineapple, bacon, sriracha mayo, & peanut sauce). Insanely good. For a little finer dining, the burger at Tasty N Sons & Toro Bravo is top notch. If I'm in the Pearl, and in the mood for a more fast food type atmosphere, I also really like Little Big Burger (think perfectly cooked french fries spritzed with truffle oil!).

Have I made anyone hungry yet? Where are your "best" burger places? At home, what are your favorite special toppings or condiments?

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Burgers with Spicy Slaw
Adapted from Rachael Ray
I can't always go out for a burger, nor can I successfully recreate the above burgers at home. So when I am wanting cheeseburgers, I will usually make this version at home. The spicy slaw is really what makes this burger feel special. It would also work great on a french roll with some grilled chicken too, a la "bahn mi" style.

For the Spicy Slaw:

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon habanero hot sauce
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (if you don't like cilantro, substitute Italian parsley)
1/2 small red cabbage, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
In a bowl combine all ingredients and set aside. Season with salt and pepper.

For the burgers:

2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup bbq sauce
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into tiny diced pieces
4 kaiser rolls or pub buns
In a bowl combine chicken, bbq sauce, cheese, and salt and pepper. mix together and divide mixture into 4 patties. They should be about 1 inch thick. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat (electric skillets work great for this) Drizzle with olive oil if necessary to keep from sticking. Cook burgers about 7 minutes on each side until cooked through. Toast buns, top with burgers and spicy slaw!

Humble (Hangover) Biscuits

One Sunday morning we woke up feeling a little groggy after a particularly long game of Trivial Pursuit the night before and a little over indulgence with some Russian Imperial Stout..... (Aren't our Saturday nights exciting??)  I needed to find something hearty to fill our bellies with and I was out of bacon. Did you know that bacon cures everything? Really! It does! I decided to try this biscuit recipe off one of my favorite food blogs the Orangette. Molly Wizenberg's writing is so honest and thoughtful, if you haven't already done so, check her blog out! Like most recipes she posts these biscuits were delicious and super simple! They won't win any beauty awards, but it's the taste that counts! I have already taste tested them on my mom and good friends and they were a big hit all around. Serve with Jam!

Cream Biscuits
Makes 12

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon TABLE salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it really well. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl with a fork. Slowly add about a cup of cream, stirring. Gather the dough together, when it starts to hold together it's ready to knead. If it feels shaggy, add a little more cream. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about a minute. form the dough into a square about a 1/2 inch thick. With a knife, cut into 12 equal squares. Place on baking sheet and brush all biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes.

Stir Fry Sauce

During the Lenten Season, it's hard for me to think of tasty meatless Friday night solutions. We have meatless dinners, plenty of nights without even thinking about it, so what is my problem during Lent?  It must be that whole "you shouldn't eat meat thing" that makes me want it! The minute I know I can't use certain ingredients to cook with, I get immediate writers block of the culinary kind, sending me into a panic mode, and before you know it, I am reaching for the fish sticks in the freezer case of my grocery store. Um, yikes is right. Then I feel like a really horrible mother because what exactly am I teaching my daughter? Certainly not any type of problem solving, or creativity,  most certainly not that fish should taste like fish and last but not least "there go all my Top Chef dreams! Do you see how I can go from zero to sixty (in my head) sometimes with very little provocation? Yeah I know, I'm working on that whole "chill out" thing.....Thank goodness I have this tasty little sauce to fall back on, making many nights a lot easier, not just Fridays and helping to eliminate the mommy guilt.....

This sauce is wonderful with shrimp, chicken, tofu, or just veggies!

Stir Fry Sauce:

6 tablespoons soy sauce (I recommend Yamasa)
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth. then add the other ingredients and mix together well. Set aside.

For Stir fry:

1-2 pounds sliced, chopped vegetables. (Bok Choy, Red Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Broccoli, Carrot, Snap Peas)
3/4 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
( 3/4 pound firm tofu or 1 pound chopped chicken breasts)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
In a wok or large skillet heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp. Add vegetables. Cook 4-5 minutes until about done. Add stir fry sauce and continue cooking until heated. Serve with rice!