Beef...It's What's for Dinner

As previously mentioned I have been working very hard to cut back our intake of animal protein, red meat in particular. In the June issue of Environmental Nutrition (thanks for sending Joanne!) there was an article called Meatless Mondays, about how even cutting meat out of your diet one day per week can have an impact on your health and the environment. Here is an excerpt:

"Why aim to eat less meat? Research shows that vegetarians have lower rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers (breast, colorectal and prostate). Plus eating less meat can help control body weight, because the additional bulk produce and whole grains add to your diet helps keep you fuller on fewer calories. Indeed, vegetarians weigh less, on average, than meat-eaters."

Having said that, when you are craving a big, juicy, flavorful steak there is no frittata or veggie burger on the planet that will satisfy you. So today, I gave in to my craving and picked up two fat rib-eye steaks from the farm stand (hey, at least I went with locally grown meat, right?).

Of course, you can always sprinkle them with salt and pepper, toss 'em on the grill, and serve with a douse of A1 and some potatoes, but I've recently been experimenting with preparations that are still very easy, but offer much more flavor. The recipe below is from my favorite cookbook of all time - Simple to Spectacular by Jean Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman. I'll share more on this cookbook at another time because it is truly a must-have for anyone that likes to cook.

I served the steaks tonight with a huge platter of roasted veggies - drizzle olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and herbs over quartered mushrooms, wide slides of red pepper, chunks of red onion, and asparagus and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until tender (some veggies cook faster than others so keep an eye on them and pull those out as needed). I also made baby artichokes for the first time using a variation of a recipe found on Simply Recipes. I love artichokes but the are an awful lot of work. For the baby artichokes, I trimmed all the tough leaves off to get to the soft, pale green leaves, quartered them, and braised them in about 2 cups of water for 5-8 minutes. I then drained them, put them back in the pan with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and a few pinches of Herbs de Provence. I topped them with shavings of Parmesan cheese. Yum!

Louis Outheir's Steak with Red Wine and Garlic

1 1/2 - 2 bounds boneless rib-eye or sirloin steaks, about 1 inch thick

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

5 Tablespoons butter (sorry Deb - this one is most definitely not low cal)

8 Cloves of garlic, peeled and slices thinly

2 Cups plus two tablespoons sturdy red wine

1/2 Cup chopped parsley

1. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Put the oil and 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-12 inch skillet and turn the head to medium-high. When the butter melts, turn the heat to high and add the steaks. Cook until almost done, 3-4 minutes per side for rare. Turn the heat off and transfer the plates to warm platter in a very low oven.

2. Pour the fat off the pan and return to the stove over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of the remaining butter to the pan; when it melts, add the garlic and turn the heat up a bit. When the garlic begins to brown (about 5 minutes) add 2 cups of the wine and turn the heat to high. Reduce by about two-thirds until the mixture is thick and saucy. Season with a little salt and plenty of pepper, then stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. When it melts, add the parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons of wine.

3. Add the steaks and any accumulated juices to the pan, turn once or twice, and serve.

Gardening in Small Spaces 2

Today was day two of operation vegetable garden. It was a bit of a challenge because the weather couldn't make up it's mind...started off sunny, then clouded over and got very dark, sprinkled a little....then sunny again. All day. This made it tricky to make progress because we were continually packing up and going inside, then dragging all the supplies back out again.

As promised, here is a picture of the project. I was actually very surprised at how easy it was! We purchased the stone from Landscapers Depot and got all the other supplies at Home Depot. I think the raised bed is a good idea if you live near a wooded area because we have a lot of deer and other critters, so I am hoping the face that the bed is so high, coupled with the fact that it is right up against the house, will help keep the critters at bay. Now it's time to let the mortar dry and settle in a bit, and the next step will be to fill it with soil and plant the veggies!

Gardening in Small Spaces

Today we officially launched our first masonry project - a stone-wall raised planting bed for a small vegetable garden. I am pretty excited about it. I have always wanted a vegetable garden but living out here in the burbs I can't exactly have a full-fledged farm in the backyard. So, I decided to get creative and marked off a spot for an 8x4 foot raised planting bed. This is something that anyone can do...even people with the smallest yards. I wanted it to look nicer than a plan wooden bed and incorporate it into the backyard, so I decided on colonial greenstone as the medium. The stones are so pretty - greenish, grey bluestone - and blend well with the color of the house, and will also blend nicely with the bluestone patio once that goes in. Since we have such a small back yard, our goal is to make it as usable and private as possible.

It was actually easier than I thought. We dug out the top soil in the area marked for the planter, laid a foundation of crushed stone, then layered the stones with Quick-crete mortar. We got about 1/2 way done today and are hoping to finish tomorrow if the rain holds off. I'll post pictures and an update on the project tomorrow.

Restaurant Review - Cava

Wine night this week brought us to a place we had been wanting to try for a while: Cava. Cava (the word Cava is actually the name of a drink - the Spanish equivalent of champagne) is a tapas restaurant located down a quaint brick alley in downtown Portsmouth. I have to say I am very torn about this one. As a lover of all things Spanish and, in particular, Spanish food, I really, really wanted to love this restaurant. Let's start off with the positives:

1. The decor and ambiance: The decor was modern and sleek, but somehow manages to be warm at the same time. Most of the seating is bar seating, either overlooking the chefs in the kitchen (which I love), or in a small wine bar area. There is also a nice brick courtyard which I'm sure would have been lovely had it not been unseasonably cold and raining cats and dogs. The ambiance is great...think of a cozier, more intimate version of Prezza in the North End, but with a bit more character. Especially nice for Portsmouth area restaurants.


2. The wine list: While on the pricey side (see more on that below), it has a very nice selection of Spanish wines, some of which are pretty rare and hard to find. They have a huge selections of wine by the glass, and also offer 2oz and 4oz tasting portions if you like to sample a flight. I had a Verdejo blend that I really enjoyed, especially since I can't usually find Verdejo in this area.
   
3. The food has a lot of potential: Generally the consensus was that the food was very good, our problem was with portion size and price (again, see below). Three of us shared a plate of serrano ham and manchego cheese crostini, a crab and avocado dish, and prawns in a tomato-garlic sauce. All tasted very good, but on to the cons......

The portions were so small that after those three dishes not one of us had made even the slightest dent in our appetite....the portions literally afforded us two small bites each of each dish! And they were expensive!!!! Everything was extremely expensive, including the wine. I will be the first to admit that I probably spend way too much money eating out. I have no problem paying what some would consider exorbitant prices for an exceptional meal. However, I need to feel like the value is there, and with Cava it felt as though they just didn't get the price/portion balance correct. This is a really unfortunate situation, because the food is great and there are no tapas restaurants anywhere near Portsmouth. For a place so warm, I thought the service didn't match...so that was disappointing as well.

So, in summary, I was deeply saddened by this experience. For a restaurant that has so much potential, I just don't see how they will last very long trying to charge Boston prices for tiny portions in Portsmouth. We decided we will give it one more go on a night when we're not particularly hungry.....kind of a sad statement for a restaurant.

Epcot Food & Wine Festival

Held annually each fall (usually mid-September to mid-November), the Food & Wine Festival held at Walt Disney World's Epcot themepark is truly an event not to be missed for any everyday gourmet. In addition to the usual "countries" represented at Epcot (France, Morocco, Germany, Japan, Italy, Mexico, China, Norway, UK, Canada, etc.) they bring in booths from all over the world, each offering 2-3 tapas style tasting portions of local cuisine as well as tasting portions of local wines and beers. Past countries added have included Australia, Spain, South Africa, Greece, Poland, and much more. In addition to all these great eating and drinking stations, they offer free events and classes, like wine tasting, food & wine pairing, and chef's demonstrations. There are also special fee-based events like the Party for the Senses - a Saturday-night extravaganza where they bring in some of the best chefs and wineries from around the world for an all-you-can-eat/drink party in a whimsical setting, punctuated by ongoing Cirque de Soleil performances.

Here were some of the highlights food-wise from 2008:

• Beef with Chimichurri sauce and mashed potatoes from Argentina


• German sausage in a pretzel role from Germany


• Pierogi and keilbasa from Poland


• Greek salad and spanikopita from Greece


• Chorizo quesadillas from Mexico


• Empanadas from Brazil


• Cheddar cheese soup from Canada


• Gumbo from Louisiana

Perhaps the most annoying thing about the event is that you can't find a lot of details about it online...although based on the crowds the word is definitely out. You'll want to go on a weekday when it is slightly less crowded. Can't wait to attend this year's event with some new recruits!

Julie's Black Bean Salsa

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Julie. I first had it when she brought it up to the island last summer, and tried making it myself this weekend when an impromptu neighborhood lobster bake sprung up at my house. Very tasty and a nice twist on traditional salsa served it with both tortilla chips and pita chips, and I used Frank's Red Hot sauce instead of Tiger because it is what I had on hand.

Big thanks to Julie for sharing this great recipe!

1/2 c. each sugar, white vinegar, vegetable oil
3T Tiger sauce (can usually be found in the hot sauce section)
1/2 c. of each chopped (purple onion, red pepper, yellow pepper)
1 can washed and drained black beans
1 can drained shoe peg corn

Mix together and marinate overnight or for 4-6 hours. Tastes yummy with Tostitos Lime flavored chips.

Magical Mallorca

This is my first travel-related post and it is about my favorite place in the world that I have found so far. I love to travel and explore new places - I've visited 80 different cities in 19 different countries. Unfortunately the majority of my travel is for business, not pleasure, but I still try to find time to explore when I can. It is a full-sensory experience that takes over your body as it experiences new sights, smells, tastes, and sounds.

I've spent a lot of time in Spain over the years, having visited in high school, lived there during a semester in college, and most recently was there for a business trip to Barcelona. I adore Spain and the Spanish culture. They have a saying there, "Americans live to work, Spaniards work to live," that is reflected throughout their society. What other culture has so fully embraced the idea of a 3 hour lunch break and mid afternoon nap everyday?

So, on to my favorite place: The tiny village of Deia in the mountains of Mallorca. I don't know why exactly, but I have never experienced such calm in any other location in the world. It is spectacular, set up in the mountains, with sweeping views of the Mediterranean below. It is a quaint, off the beaten path spot that has so much to offer. Just breathing the air there makes you feel better, as it is scented with jasmine and citrus from all of the orange and lemon trees that cover the landscape.

I stayed at the Hotel Es Moli (www.esmoli.com), an elegant, small, boutique hotel that had an amazing view of the town and sea. The hotel had a large pool that was actually filled with naturally running spring water that was the same water as the towns drinking supply. The feel of the water on your skin was incredible. The hotel also offered plenty of amazing gardens and terraces from which you could observe the view.

The center of Deia was just a short stroll from the hotel, with plenty of amazing tapas bars, a few small shops, and the Residencia Hotel - one of the most exclusive (and not to mention expensive) hotels in all of Europe. Folks like Sting, Tom Hanks, and Gwenyth Paltrow are regulars but unfortunately there were no stars spotted during my visit. The town is basically one long winding road that leads up to a 17th century chapel on the top of the hill. Wandering through the center of town, exploring the narrow cobblestone streets and alleyways, I felt like I was a character in a novel, or some Under the Tuscan Sun-like movie.

The food in Spain is amazing, and the town of Deia has so much to offer in this area as well. I had the meal of a lifetime at the hotel's restaurant the first evening there, and spent the second evening on the outdoor patio of the best tapas bar in town, nibbling acorn-fed serrano ham and sipping a lovely glass of Verdejo.

Deia is about as far from a tourist trap as possible, so it is still largely undiscovered by most. My hope is to return soon to spend as much time there as possible before others discover this magically place.

Bring the Beach Home

With the nice weather FINALLY upon us, I find it is a great time of year to update your home with small touches that makes it feel like summer time. Why does Christmas have to be the only season we go out of our way to decorate our homes?

Personally, I like to switch it up for the seasons. I don't like to spend a lot of money, so I get creative to decorate for the season on the cheap. In the fall, you'll find about 50 pumpkins and gourds all over the place to give the house a rustic and fall-themed feel totally on the cheap - I usually spend less that 30 bucks. In the summer, I leverage shells, sand and lanterns to give the house the feel of a beach house.

Throughout the house, you'll see a combination of shells I've acquired while on vacation over the years, augmented by sand and shells acquired for little dinero at a craft store like Michael's or AC Moore. I fill all the hurricane candle holders I use all year round (purchased at Target but looks just like Pottery Barn) with a bit of sand, a scattering of shells, and a pillar candle to bring the seaside to the table in the open foyer. I fill large glass vases with smaller shells and place them all over the house. In the family room (shown here) I bedeck the mantle with shells, starfish, and votive candles, and put lanterns in front of the fireplace to add ambiance even during a season when the fireplace is not in use. Lanterns like this go for $40+ at Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, but I purchased these at Marshalls for $12.99! I purchase super-cheapo, ivory, unscented pillar candles and viola! - I'm in the perfect beach-side retreat right in my living room!

For a small investment and a lot of ingenuity you can bring that summer feel home. The summer season is so short here in New England, why not make sure every moment feels like summer in your home too?!?!?

Elevating Appetizers

With summer finally around the corner, most people are kicking up their social schedules. Backyard BBQs, post-beach bashes, etc. fill sunny weekend afternoons. While it is tempting to stick that bowl of chips with dip out and call that your first course, there are so many simple, easy appetizers that can be "assembled" with just a TINY bit more effort. Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, is a big fan of assembling meals and you see a lot of recipes in her cookbooks that require little actual cooking, and rely more on pulling together super-fresh, high quality ingredients instead.

Here are a few super-simple ideas:

Caprese Salad Bites

Slice grape tomatoes and mini-mozzarella balls in half, and skewer them with a piece of fresh basil onto a toothpick. Whip up lots of fresh basil, a garlic clove, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a food processor (or Magic Bullet!) and serve it as a dipping sauce on the side. How cute are these?

Lobster Salad "Teaspoons"

This is elegant and SO easy. Mix up your favorite lobster salad recipe - for me that is fresh lobster meat, celery minced as small as I can make it, mayo, salt and pepper. Serve a small scoop of lobster salad in an endive leave. The endive is both functional and tasty.

Antipasto Platter

The ultimate in assembly, it is imperative that you seek out the best quality ingredients you can find. You also want to pay attention to presentation on this one. When complete your antipasto platter should look like a work of art. I select two different types of meats and cheeses (usually a hard salami and prosciutto and one soft Italian cheese and one hard) and arrange them on a pretty platter with marinated artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, olives, and roasted red peppers.

Restaurant Review - Mission Oak Grill

This week my wine-night buddies and I hit the Mission Oak Grill in Newburyport. Bonta in Hampton, NH and Hagan's Grill, also in Hampton, had been our go-to locations until a recent turn of events. We were faithful, dedicated patrons of both places until some unfortunate incidents involving mealy tomatoes, disappointing cookies and milk, new chefs, and bad service. When I say faithful I am talking really faithful - like weekly patronage for 2+ years. I think we paid for our little waiter Zack's first year of college tuition. Note to Bonta and Hagans: When you have a formula that is working well, stick with it!!! We were going to give Bonta one more shot this week but decided to switch it up. We typically split a couple apps and get salad's as our entrees, so that is what we look for in a menu...and good wine of course!

Mission Oak Grill is located in an old, converted church right in downtown Newburyport. They've done a great job renovating the space, so the restaurant has an upscale steakhouse-type atmosphere, with an open kitchen so you can watch the action. I'd describe it as a steakhouse with a bit of Brazilian/Argentinian flair - instead of Bearnaise sauce, you'll find chimichurri sauce accompanying most steaks. They serve a wide variety of steaks and seafood, some grilled simply and some in more complex preparations. We picked it for Wine Night because of the large app and salad selection. There is also a half-price bar menu from 5-7pm Mon - Thurs, which is an incredible value. We split the margarita pizza off the bar menu which was large enough for each of us to have two slices plus one left over, for $4.50. The bar menu also has burgers, meatball sliders, sandwiches, and more.

The pizza was definitely tastey. Instead of regular tomato sauce they used a sun-dried tomato sauce, and added fontina cheese to the standard mozarella. We also split the crab cake appetizer, which was served with chorizo and a black bean-pineapple salsa. That got high marks too. For the salad course, two of us got a grilled shrimp caeser and one got the mixed greens, which had dried cranberries and nuts. The grilled shrimp caeser was good - large, fresh grilled shrimp, creamy dressing - but lacked, salt, pepper, or perhaps both. Still, we've had some really unfortunately shrimp caeser wine night situations (remember the Tavern anyone?) so all in all it wasn't bad. We rarely get dessert, but we had some good news to celebrate so we decided to splurge with a s'more brownie sundae. I'd say it was worth it - a huge, warm, rich brownie with a thin layer of chocolate sauce, sitting on a pool of melted marshmallow, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that was coated in crushed graham crackers.

Overall I would definitely recommend this place and will be back. With a menu ranging from tuna tartare and porcini-dusted scallops, to plain grilled steaks and chicken sandwiches, there is something for everyone on the menu.

When Life Gives You Lavender, Make Lavender Lemonade

There I was at Landscaper's Depot in Kingston, NH, all excited for our first trip of the season out to the nursery. It was a beautiful, perfect spring day. The sun was shining, birds chirping.....you get the picture. Apparently I was SO distracted by all the beauty around me that I mistakenly purchased lavender instead of the rosemary I was seeking to add to my herb garden. While they look similar, they smell vastly different, but I was obviously drunk on the sunshine because I clearly missed that fact. It wasn't until I was all the way home and entertaining the neighborhood kids with a taste test sample of my new herb bounty that I discovered the error. So, I did what anyone would do in that situation and tried to come up with a productive use for my new plant - Lavender Lemon Drops!!!

Of course, you can also dry it and add it to Epsom salts along with a few drops of lavender essential oil for a relaxing bath soak...but I'd argue the Lavender Lemon Drops would also be quite relaxing!

Base Lavender Lemonade Recipe - Add it to a cocktail shaker with vodka and ice, shake, and strain into a martini glass for a Lavender Lemon Drop Martini!

Recipe created by Chef Humphrey Morbeck

From the August 2002 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

Makes about 16 servings

3 cups sugar

7 lavender sprigs (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish*

2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 5 limes)

In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.

Ooh La La Frittata!

Once again on my quest for recipes that are meatless miracles, I have turned to the humble yet elegant frittata. The beauty of the frittata is that you can be as simple or as complex as you'd like. As long as you have eggs, you can basically work with anything you have in the fridge - red or green bell peppers, any type of cheese, greens, chicken sausage - you name it.

Inspired by the fresh pick'ins at my local farmstand, I decided to try this recipe from Bon Appetit (Feb 2008) and leverage their fresh picked asparagus and leeks. I used Gruyere cheese instead of the Fontina because I happened to have some in the fridge and it was excellent. A few other tricks:

• I omitted the butter and used a small amount of olive oil instead.
• I omitted the parmesan cheese.
• I find broiling very tricky to get right so rather than broil, I made it entirely on the stove top. I used my new frittata pan from Williams Sonoma (highly recommended) which is two interlocking pans that enable you to flip the frittata, but if you don't have a special pan you simply cook the frittata longer on one side, cover it with a dinner plate, quickly invert the frittata on to the dinner plate (you might want to loosen the edges with a spatula first to make this easier), then slide the frittata back into the pan you were working with to cook the underside. This is less complicated than it seems.
• I added some thyme from my herb garden. Asparagus and thyme work well together.
• You won't need a full bunch of asparagus and the thinner stalks work better for this recipe. Evaluate the stalks in your bunch, use the thinnest ones for this recipe, and save the thick ones for grilling or roasting another night. If you are working with thicker asparagus cook the asparagus first for a few minutes, then add the leeks to that mixture since the leeks won't take as long to cook.
• I left out the mushrooms because I have been doing the asparagus/shitake combo a lot these days and wanted a change.

I served it with stuffed tomatoes as a side dish - a super-yummy and very healthy concoction. I slice the bottom side of the tomato off so it can rest on the top side where it connected to the vine. I then scoop out the tomato innards (is there a word for that? "Guts" sounded too gross) and put them in a bowl. I mince some garlic and shallots and saute them in olive oil over med-low heat until they soften, then add washed, chopped greens to the saute pan. My current favorite is swiss chard because it is in peak season (don't use the stems!) but arugula, spinach...really any green at all would work. I saute the greens until they are very wilted, then I add them to the bowl with the tomato innards. I season the mixture with a little kosher salt and pepper, stir in a small touch of goat cheese (any cheese would do) to add a little creaminess to it, then stuff the mixture back into the hollowed out tomatoes and bake them in the oven at 350 for around 25-30 minutes. This is a great side dish to get creative with, or could serve as a nice lunch option when paired with a salad.

Frittata Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 12-ounce bunch thin asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms
8 large omega-3 eggs
1 cup diced Fontina cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in heavy broilerproof 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté 4 minutes. Add asparagus and shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to skillet; fold gently to combine. Cook until almost set. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Fontina cheese and Parmesan cheese over. Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Sale on Great Lounge Chair

I purchased two of these chairs during the Memorial Day Sales at JC Penney two years ago and they are my favorite lounge chairs. They aren't the best looking chairs out there (mine are beige, a slightly less offensive color than the blue shown on the website)but they fold up and they are light, so I just tuck them out of sight when not in use. They are seriously comfy - perfect chair for an afternoon of reading out on the deck.

You can check them out here:

http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=57087&CatID=57958&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=159841e&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=57087%7c57095&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=3&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=570875709557958

Eating Locally

No, I am not referring to eating out at restaurants close to your home (although we do a fair bit of that too), I am referring to canvasing your area for local farm stands and making an effort to purchase and eat food that is grown locally. True, it is not quite as easy as popping into your local Shaws and making one stop for all your grocery needs, but there are so many other benefits:

1. Locally grown produce tastes amazing. Take a farm stand tomato and bite into it, then bite into a tomato from Shaws - no contest. Because the farm-fresh produce tastes so much better, you have to do so little to it when cooking, which means you need less fat and complexity to add flavor.

2. It is "greener." There is an enormous carbon foot-print associated with shipping food across America. Next time you are at your local Shaws, make a point to check out where your food is coming from. Also, typically local farms are small, therefore they are dumping less pesticide and waste back into the environment than someone like Perdue.

3. We are what we eat. If we purchase steaks and chicken that have been pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, it makes sense to me that this eventually winds up in our systems. There is researched linked to the onset of puberty starting earlier and earlier because of all the hormones kids ingest today in their dairy products. How the animals are raised also makes a difference in the overall outcome of the meat product. Grass fed beef is leaner, higher in Omega-3's and has fewer calories per ounce than it's grain-fed counterparts. Eggs from pastured hens contain up to 20 times the amount of Omega 3's than their factory hen counterparts. Food for thought, no pun intended.

There are some downsides to this way of thinking - for example, you are limited to what is available at the farm stand...if a recipe calls for butternut squash and they are out you need a change in plans. But I've found my cooking to be so much better trying to stick with this approach. I am really lucky to have found some great local resources, but it took some time and some research, so don't give up too easily.

Here are my local favorites:

Tendercrop Farms: http://www.tendercropfarms.com/
This place is the best. I would go every day if I could. Located in Newbury, they sell their own grass fed beef, free range chicken and eggs, and pork/ham, along with a huge selection of vegetables grown on the premises or sourced from nearby places like New Hampshire or Maine. This weekend I scored their own steak tips, asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, swiss chard, and butter lettuce, and some greenhouse grown vine tomatoes from Maine. All their own veggies had been picked that morning. They also have a nice plant selection and very nice dried floral arrangements. I even bought one of their hams for Easter dinner and it was fabulous.

Cider Hill Farms: http://www.ciderhill.com/
Cider Hill Farms is located right here in Amesbury but has a much smaller selection than Tendercrop and does not raise their own cows, chickens, or pigs. Cider Hill does a better job with fruit when it is in season and has several "pick your own" crops, and they also do a better job with tomatoes in my opinion. The only problem is it is a bit of a tourist destination with tons of people coming in for apple picking, hay rides, goat petting, pumpkin patches, etc. and if you go at the wrong time the produce is really picked over and you'll find not a lot left.

Bob's Lobster: http://boblobster.com//
Bob Lobster is a funky little clam/lobster shack on the way out to Plum Island in Newburyport. We've stopped there for lunch once or twice and they serve your typical selection of every type of fried seafood under the sun (or ocean I suppose) lobster rolls, clam chowder, etc. But more exciting is their shop area. Bob is actually a real dude and a fisherman/lobsterman, so he delivers his catch daily to be used in the restaurant and sold in the store. Doesn't get any fresher or more local than that.

David's Seafood: http://davidsfishmarket.com/index.html
Bigger selection that Bob Lobster but cash-only business, which is a tad shady. The selection changes but they always have at least 4-5 different kinds of fresh fish plus shrimp, clams, and lobster.

Enjoy!

The Trader Joe's Treasure Trove

I love Trader Joe's, but let's face it, the stores are usually small and crowded, which makes it difficult to find all the neat Trader Joe's Treasure to be found. Inevitably I wind up at the check out counter being extremely frustrated and jealous having eyed something spectacular in the cart of the person next to me, sending me scrambling back through the store to try to find it while seriously ticking off the people behind me. Here are some of my latest finds that have been a big hit:

• Fresh shelled edamame - These are in the fresh vegetable section. No need to deal with thawing out and taking them out of the pod, these are fresh and already shelled. A fantastic healthy snack.


• Pineapple slices - Also in the fresh veggie/fruit section. These are the perfect dimension for snacking or grill them and dust them lightly with brown sugar for a quick and easy dessert.


• Pomegranate seeds - Pomegranates are super-healthy and tasty, but are a massive pain to eat. These seeds are easy to toss into salads, mix into yogurts, or eat as a snack.


• Ready to eat Fava beans and Beets - Both Fava beans and are also delicious and healthy but fall into the same category as pomegranate seeds. Anyone who has gone through the process of trying to cook with either ingredient knows that I am talking about. Also in the veggie section, Trader Joe's stocks pre-prepped, ready to eat fava beans and beets. I enjoy the beets warmed up and topped with goat cheese and thyme, and the fava beans shine in a simple salad with arugula, olive oil, and shavings of a good pecorino romano cheese (perfect paired with a light, crisp, dry white wine).


• Frozen Sea Scallops - In the frozen fish section, these are a versatile and easy weeknight meal option. They can be flavored simply and grilled or sauteed into more complex dishes. Last week I dusted them with some Cajun spice rub, tossed them on the grill for a few minutes, and viola! Dinner is served.


• Dog treats - For our furry babies, Trader Joe's Chicken/Beef Jerky treats are Davis's favorite and he also enjoys the Peanut Butter chews. They are made with human-grade ingredients so you can feel good about giving them to your pups, although watch the size because they might be too small for some larger breeds of dogs and present a choking hazard.


• Olive Oil - I like to stock many different kinds of olive oil. I buy really high quality olive oil for finishing dishes and salads, where the flavor of the olive oil is really a key ingredient in the dish, but stock lower quality olive oil for everyday saute use. I like Trader Joe's large bottles of their Italian Extra Version Olive Oil for the latter use. It is a good quality and reasonably inexpensive.

Dry Brining - It Works!

Yes, I am trying to stick to veggies and fish as much as possible but they had plump, fresh, organic chickens at the farmstand and I couldn't resist. I decided to try a technique I read about recently called dry brining. Wet brining has become all the rage lately - especially when talking turkey around Thanksgiving - but I find it to be a bit of a pain. For one thing, finding a vessel to hold the brine (usually a mix of kosher salt, sugar, and some aromatics) plus said piece of poultry that actually fits in the fridge when there is other stuff in there is a challenge. I've tried those brining bags, but they scare me - the last thing I want is salty, salmonella infested water leaking all over my refrigerator. Dry brining is easier, less messy, and doesn't take up as much space. To dry brine, you simply wash and dry the chicken, rub it down with a ton of kosher salt, then stick it back in the fridge wrapped in plastic for 24 hours. To prepare the chicken, wash and dry the chicken again then prepare as you'd like. I melted butter with minced garlic and tarragon and rubbed it up under the skin, over the breast meat. I used the remaining butter/herb/garlic mixture to brush over the skin, stuffed the cavity with chopped garlic, herb sprigs and season the whole chicken (inside and out) with kosher salt and pepper.

Zuni Cafe in San Francisco is famous for their brick oven roasted chicken and the chef, Judy Rodgers, uses this technique to produce a juicy, tasty chicken.

Restaurant Review - Jewel in the Crown (Newburyport)

Jewel in the Crown is owned and operated by the same family as the Passage to India restaurants in the Boston area. It has become one of our favorite restaurants - we were stunned to find such great Indian food out here in the burbs and have recently converted several friends into devotees as well. When people tell me they don't like Indian food, I try to convert them and this is a great place to do it. I even got my parents enjoying some Indian leftovers I brought home! Dry, overcooked meat is the kiss of death for Indian meals for me, but this place gets it just right every time. The food is flavorful and reasonably priced (we always have leftovers too!) and the restaurant is clean with a friendly waitstaff.

Best items on the menu:
Chicken Tikka Masala - I think this is the best I have ever had.
Chicken Saag
Kashmir Nan (Julie turned me on to this one)
Basil Coconut Shrimp or Chicken

Check it out when you are in the area: http://www.newburyportjewel.com/

Great Brunch Recipe

Found this one while I was digging through an old issue of Bon Appetit. Wonderful as a dish for brunch, or serve it with salad or soup for lunch or a light dinner. I made extra pistou and served it with tomatoes and mozarella. It would also be great as a flavor booster for soup or tossed into a pasta salad.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 small garlic clove
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
2 1/2-inch-thick slices brioche or egg bread, toasted
Parmesan cheese shavings

Preparation:

Puree basil, garlic, and oil in mini processor until very smooth. Season pistou to taste with salt and pepper.

Add enough water to medium skillet to measure 1 1/4 inches. Sprinkle salt generously into water. Bring water to simmer over medium heat. Crack eggs 1 at a time and gently slip into water. Cook until egg whites are just set and egg yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Place hot toasts on plates. Top each with Parmesan. Using slotted spoon, transfer 2 eggs, well drained, to each piece of brioche. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Drizzle with some of pistou and serve.

Is there a Method to the madness?

I discovered Method a little over a year ago and have been hooked ever since. Method is a one hour workout that works your entire body. Set to loud, energizing music, the class blends pilates, yoga, Core Fusion, the Daily Method and ballet bar work. It's intense, but you see results quickly, and therefore it has a cult-like following.

This is the studio where I take classes: http://www.atozmethod.com/index.htm

I highly recommend it!

Window Box Herb Garden

No time or space for a full blown herb garden? Improvise!

I love cooking with fresh herbs. Herbs are a great way to add fantasic flavor to your meals with no fat and very few calories. However, space is tight in my backyard. We LOVE our house, but the way the builder situated it on the lot leaves a lot to be desired. We're working on putting in a fence and a patio, but in the meantime my herb garden had to be in window boxes.

I picked up these pretty window boxes at Marshalls and filled them with:
Basil - Caprese salad, pasta sauce, pesto, etc.
Mint - Mojitos! I also toss mint into salads and use it in vietnamese summer rolls.
Oregano - Great to flavor anything Italian. I use it in salad dressings, on roasted potatoes, roasted fish, and more. A quick favorite - chopped tomatoes and cucumbers tossed with olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh chopped oregano, and feta cheese.
Thyme - A must for roast chicken - add it to minced garlic and butter, melt the butter in the microwave, then rub the mixture under the skin and over the skin before roasting. Also great for potatoes and fish.
Tarragon - Lovely in salads, salad dressing, pasta salad, and a perfect compliment for most fish and chicken.

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome! I have been thinking about creating a blog for some time and finally decided to just go for it. I am very passionate about healthy living, cooking, fine wines, gardening, and travel, and I thought a blog would be a great forum to share recipes, tips, and ideas with friends and family.

I hope you enjoy!

More Fish - Less Meat: Great Recipe

I've recently made a pledge to eat less meat. After doing quite a bit of reading and research on the topic, I made the decision for the following reasons:

Consuming high amounts of animal protein has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

I believe anything the animal ingests winds up in your body so I am passionate about trying to eat only grass fed beef, organic, free-range poultry and dairy, etc., which is often hard to find.

Vegetable and fish based protein is lower in calories than animal protein.

So far this initiative has been going well. It has certainly forced me to get more creative with my cooking and seek out new vegetarian, fish and shellfish recipes, which is how I stumbled upon this one from last August's Gourmet magazine. It is truly a restaurant quality dish that is so simple to prepare at home.
Makes 6-8 servings, so I cut it back to 2 tomatoes, 1 fennel bulb, and enough halibut for two people since it was just Rob and I. I left everything else in the recipe as is and it was delicious.

Ingredients:
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, reserving some fronds for garnish, and bulbs (including core) cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 pound small (1 1/2- to 2-inch) tomatoes (preferably Campari), halved
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
3 (3- by 1-inch) strips orange zest
1 quart extra-virgin olive oil 1 (2 1/2-pound)
piece skinless halibut fillet (about 1 1/2 inches thick) Equipment: a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot (at least 4 inches deep)

Preparation
Simmer garlic, fennel bulbs, tomatoes, fennel seeds, sugar, bay leaf, zest, and 1 teaspoon salt in oil, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but still intact, 30 to 40 minutes. While vegetables simmer, rub fish with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and let stand 10 to 20 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon, then submerge fish in oil (if necessary, to lift level of oil, return vegetables to pot) and cover surface of oil with parchment paper. Cook fish over medium heat (without simmering) 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let fish cook from residual heat (still covered with parchment) until just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully transfer fish to a platter using 2 metal spatulas. Discard bay leaf. Surround with vegetables. Drizzle with some of oil and sprinkle with chopped fronds. Serve warm or at room temperature.