Birthday Nosh

To celebrate my 36th birthday I decided to cook for my friends. I had plans for a big sushi dinner but at the last minute thought it would be nice to invite my friends to my place, cook, eat, drink and gossip. An easy evening that would allow me to neither drive nor put on shoes. Perfect.

Because this was a last-minute plan, I decided not to try too many new recipes but stick to a few old favorites that I know my friends love. There are two things I make that always have them drooling (literally - what can I say? they are a special bunch). One is my GRILLED SHRIMP which is the simplest thing in the world to make and the other is EDAMAME HUMMUS. Again, both always elicit excitement from my friends so I thought I would share the 'recipes' here. The shrimp is marinated in garlic, olive oil, and whatever herbs I have on hand and grilled just long enough to cook through. The worst thing you can do with shrimp is over-cook it. The edamame hummus is a creamy, delicious dip that can be served with just about anything.

Another delicious creation I made is my variation of GREEK CROUTES. I have this lovely cookbook called 'The Complete Book of Vegetarian Cooking' which I rescued from a used book store in my neighborhood. Although the title is hyperbolic, it is a good book with nice photos and some great recipes. The Greek Croutes is an open-face, warm sandwhich with broiled vegetables and melted cheese. What's not to like? For my purposes I altered the recipe and turned in into an appetizer. It works. Instead of country white bread I use a black olive baguette, sliced and toasted, and cover it with vegetables and goat cheese. Honestly, I kinda took away the Greek. But it does have a Mediterranean lilt to it overall.

I must note, before I start throwing down recipes, that I rarely follow the exact recipe I am given. I make many adjustments, concessions, etc to get it to where I want it. So, these 'recipes' tend to be a bit free-form and do not always give exact measurements. For me, cooking is about experimenting and taking some chances. Also, I like to make things easy, uncomplicated. So, if I can substitute 4 ingredients for 1 (see prepared Tahini Sauce) I am going to do that.

The recipes follow in their own posts.

Grilled Shrimp

Ah, the GRILLED SHRIMP. Like I said, this is the simplest thing to make and I am always amazed and delighted that when my friends eat it they think it is the greatest shrimp ever made. The simple things...they are the best, right?

GRILLED SHRIMP

16-20 uncooked frozen shrimp, shell on

5-6 cloves of garlic (or more!), minced

2 tbl herbs de provence

salt and pepper

1/4 olive oil (extra virgin)

*I think the key to these shrimp are to thaw them in the refrigerator as long as possible, preferably overnight, while covered in the olive oil/garlic/herb mixture. The water that comes off the frozen shrimp creates a marinate that seeps into the shrimp and keeps them juicy. If you do not have time to completely thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator, keep them in there as long as possible them pull out and have them sit on the counter for a while.

Dump the frozen shrimp into a large bowl, big enough to stir them up every so often without them falling out and ending up on your kitchen floor. Douse the shrimp in olive oil, about 1/4 cup, add in the minced garlic, herbs de provence, salt and pepper. Stir it up. Place into the refrigerator to thaw.

Once the shrimp are thawed, let them sit out for a while to get closer to room temperature. Not warm - just to get the chill off from the refrigerator.

Grill the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes per side. Do NOT overcook!! This is the surest way to loose the soft and juicy consistency of the shrimp.

Server warm or at room temperature with anything your hear desires. Seriously, these shrimp go with anything: pasta, salad, as an appetizer, etc.

*A note about indoor grilling. I have a fantastic indoor grill that I have been using for 8 years. It is small enough to sit on my counter but big enough to cook 2 big steaks, 4 hamburgers, 20 shrimp, and so on.

Check it out:

http://www.ikitchen.com/31605a.html

What lies ahead....

For me, the older I get the more significant birthdays become. Every year I become more and more introspective, deciding wether or not I have done enough with my life thus far. Well, I will not bore you my findings but I will say that my goal for this year is to EMBRACE IT. Whatever that means, whatever that implies, I am going to do it. If life gets better or worse I am going to try my best to face it and embrace it. Wow, I sound like a loon. I don't even watch Oprah!

My Mom and Mark sent me this gorgeous bouquet of flowers today - thanks to them! My sister, Carian, made me a great CD that I played during the dinner party. Amie and Bruce called to wish me happy birthday. My Dad called and my sister, Casey, was the first to wish me happy 36. Thank you all!!!! xoxo

Texas!

I recently took a trip to North Texas to visit my cousin Amie and her kids Bruce and Kate. It was a fun trip, relaxing and easy. Exactly how a trip to see family should be! But seriously, how can you not have fun hanging out with these adorable creatures? Bruce will be 5 in December and Kate turns 2 in January. My cousin is a GREAT Mom which is evident after spending just ten minutes in their house. I am happy to get the chance to spend some time with them.

Oh, and then there's Baumer...

Providence Chicken Salad

While I was in Texas, my cousin Amie had a house warming party to celebrate her new home in Providence. We decided to whip up a few hors d'oeuvres style dishes to serve. I do not remember how we decided on Chicken Salad but what resulted was a really good version. We served it as a 'dip' of sorts by putting it in a bowl and surrounding it with various crackers. It worked. And, as always, I improvised on a recipe found from somewhere on the web and am now giving it its own name in honor of the place where it was created - Providence. Sounds delightful, does it not?

PROVIDENCE CHICKEN SALAD

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, broiled and chopped or shredded

2/3 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise (we used fat free and it was actually good! I think any variation on mayo would work, including the non-dairy versions)

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 celery rib, diced into small bits
2 or more tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 cup dried cranberries or cran-raisins
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or terragon or champagne vinegar)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or herb or your choice1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper1/8 (or less) teaspoon cinnamon *A dusting of cinnamon is good, do not overdo this or the cinnamon will over-power the salad.

Stir everything together, tasting as you go. You may need to add more seasoning or moisture depending on the outcome of your chicken.

This will make about 4-5 sandwiches or a generous bowl of salad that can be served with good crackers, crusty bread, or pieces of sturdy endive.

Food Porn

Just a few of the new used books I picked up today in Denton, Texas. I could have bought twenty more if it were not for those utterly unfair airline weight restrictions.

Silver Spoon is a book I have been eyeing for a long time. Finally, it is mine. 2,000 recipes and buckets of info. This will be open on my kitchen table for quite a while.

Sacred Food is a gorgeous book presenting important food made for important times and spanning several cultures. A great find.

And seriously, I want to be Jay Rayner. Traveling the globe in search of Proper Dinner. Lovely.









Thank you, RECYCLED BOOKS! Honestly, one of the best used bookstores I have ever had the pleasure to explore.

Check out their site:
http://www.recycledbooks.com/

Boxcar Child

One day in the near future I will disclose the location in which this photograph was taken. For now, use your imagination.

Update...As significant time has passed I can now disclose this 'secret' location. This was taken on a train ride through the Czech Republic, leaving Prague and headed to a tiny town I barely remember. My friend and I were in search of the "bone church".