Martha Stewart came up with this recipe. Probably in prison cooking for Lindsay Brohan while drinking Negro Modelo’s.
Music: Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo Definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. It’s a solid effort from start to finish and a stunning debut. The singer has such an interesting voice that blends so well with the music. On this track, he’s joined by a girl and I hope she sings more on the next album because it adds a whole new dynamic to an already perfect album.
Ingredients: Serves 4
2 Limes
2 Teaspoons fish Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon sugar
1 Pound jumbo shrimp, shells on
2 Teaspoons olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 1/2 Cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Cup of Unsalted Peanuts
2 Scallions, finely chopped
Directions:
Zest limes into a bowl. Squeeze in juice from 1 lime, and whisk in fish sauce and sugar.
Preheat grill to high. Brush shrimp with oil on both sides, and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Grill until pink and firm to touch. About 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Toss shrimp with fish-sauce mixture, cilantro, peanuts, and scallions. Juice remaining lime over shrimp.
Thank you to Martha and Lindsay for this recipe.
I found this recipe on The Kitchn and it takes classic macaroni and cheese to a new level. It incorporates many flavors/textures that blend perfectly for a delicious meal. I’ve changed a few things and simplified a couple of steps but the people at The Kitchn did a great job!
Music: Ali Farka Toure - Savane This is the last album by legendary Ali Farka Toure. It’s such an immense album, his guitar playing is at it’s finest and his voice is just perfect. Combined with the incredible songwriting this is a wonderful introduction to his work.
Ingredients: Serves 4
1 Pound Shell Pasta
1 Cup of Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup of Walnuts, crushed
2 Tb of Butter, melted
1 Tb of Olive Oil
8 Ounces of Brie, cut into small pieces
2 Ounces of Gruyere, grated
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Pound of White Mushrooms, quartered
1/2 Cup of Dry White Wine
1 Tb of Flour
1 Cup Whole Milk
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Cook Pasta, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet add oil and saute garlic for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and turn on medium-high and cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices.
Add the white wine and cook for another 2 minutes. Then remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Turn the pan down to medium. There should be some liquid left in the skillet. Add the flour and whisk until it begins to thicken. Turn off heat add the cheese and milk and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce begins to thicken.
Preheat oven to 350 and add the pasta, mushrooms, and the sauce from the skillet into a baking pan and mix together.
Combine breadcrumbs, butter, and crushed walnuts together in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the macaroni & cheese and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs begin to brown.
What a way to spend part of your saturday! I woke up early yesterday and went to a couple of stores to buy the ingredients for this tastebud trip. First stop was the wine store where the guy there introduced me to a really delicious Bordeaux for only $12. It was really perfect for this meal. Super Earthy with even some hints of barnyard, the Chateau Tire Pe Diem is made in the classic style of wine making. They don’t wash the grapes and they pick by hand, you get the true flavors of the vineyard it came from. It’s definitely for certian tastes as it has a distinct dirt flavor haha but it’s the kind of wine that a french farmer would use when making Beef Bourguignon.
This stew is so classically french it makes my mouth water thinking about it. If I could make a suggestion, it’s don’t skimp out on any step, it’s so worth it to not cut corners! I combined Julia Child’s classic recipe with this recipe that mentioned adding Barley.
Music: Beach House - Teen Dream I’ve never been a big fan of Beach House but I always felt like I should because it had everything I love; reverb-soaked guitars, perfect vocals, great pop hooks, keyboards, blah blah. Well, now I do. This album is so well crafted and perfectly recorded that it’s hard to find something not to like about it and Zebra is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time.
Ingredients: Serves 6
3 lbs of Chuck or Round Beef Roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 2”x2” cubes
2 Medium Yellow Onions, diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, diced
2 Carrots, chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
1 lb of White Mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 Bottle of Full Bodied, Earthy Red Wine
5 Cups of Beef Broth
2 Tb of Flour
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
1/2 Stick of Butter
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 tsp of Thyme
Salt and Pepper to Taste
3/4 Cup of Barley
Directions:
Prepare the beef and the vegetables. In a large skillet heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 Tb of Butter on Medium. Add a single layer of meat to the bottom of the pan and brown the beef on all sides. This should just take about 1-2 minutes on each side. It helps hold the flavor and juice of the beef in. Do this for all the beef and place in a casserole dish. Keep the juice/oil/fat in the pan because you will use that later with the vegetables.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toss the beef in the casserole dish with the flour, salt, and pepper coating all over. Place in the oven for 4 minutes so the flour can brown and then take it out of the oven.
Heat the skillet back up to medium and place all the vegetables except the mushrooms into it and saute for 5 or so minutes until the begin to brown.
Pour the browned vegetables into a large soup pot with the beef, broth, spices, pepper, and wine (saving a quarter cup of wine to deglaze skillet). Simmer for one hour.
Deglaze the skillet with some of the wine and pour the deglaze into the stew. Learn how to deglaze here.
Ten minutes before the hour is up saute the mushrooms in a skillet with olive oil and butter browning the mushrooms. Don’t overcrowd the pan when sauteing mushrooms. When these are browned add to the stew.
After the hour is up, add the barley and simmer for another 45 to 60 minutes or until the barley has cooked. The barley should be al dente and the beef should flake with your fork, then it’s done!
Serve and enjoy! I recommend having a glass of wine from the bottle you used to cook with mmmmmmmmmmmm.
I’m back! It took a few months but hopefully I’ll start posting regularly again. I made this for a winter potluck. Since it was a potluck I wanted to make sure that the food was vegan & gluten free. I decided to make a classic potato & leek soup and add roasted cauliflower to give it some depth in flavor and texture.
Music: Oh No - Dr. No’s Ethiopium What I love most about this album is Oh No’s ability to play with the rhythm. He takes samples from Ethiopian music from the 60s and 70s and crafts these great songs and just keeps bending the beat so perfectly. You can really hear that it in the track below.
Ingredients: Serves 6
1.25 Pounds of Potatoes or about 5 medium sized Russet (red potatoes are good too), peeled and cubed
3 Leeks, sliced thinly
1 Shallot, diced
1 Head of Cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Liter of Vegetable Broth
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon of Chili Powder
1/4 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes
1 Teaspoon of Parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with some olive oil and add the cauliflower to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley and drizzle with olive oil. Place in oven and bake until the florets are golden brown and the cauliflower is just tender when poked with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a soup pot heat oil on medium heat and add garlic and leek. Saute for 5 minutes and then add all the spices accept the parsley.
Add vegetable broth and potatoes to the soup pot and simmer until potatoes are tender.
Blend soup mixture in a blender to puree. Make sure to only fill blender half way when pureeing or disaster could strike.
Once soup is pureed, combine the puree with the roasted cauliflower in a soup pot and serve immediately.
We made this on a really cold day this weekend with a loaf of homemade bread. What a way to warm up! This is a hearty, healthy soup that tastes delicious.
Music: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa Another part of this meal that takes you to a warmer place. Warm Heart of Africa is an escape album that pleases from the first to last song. Another highlight of the year!
Ingredients: Serves 6
32 oz of chicken or vegetable broth
16 oz of water
14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
3 tbs of olive oil
2.5 cups dry small lentils
1/2 lb carrots, diced
2 red onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
parmesan for serving
Directions:
In a large pot heat up oil to medium and saute carrots, onions, garlic, and celery for 5 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add lentils, broth, water, and spices, and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer until lentils are cooked. Should take at least 30 minutes of simmering.
In last minute of simmering, add spinach. Stir in for 1 minute until spinach has wilted.
Serve and sprinkle parmesan over. Enjoy!