Tomato coulis

Had dinner at a restaurant last week where something like this was served with bread. I recreated it in my own fashion yesterday. Very tasty, very fun, very expensive if you ask me to make it for you. LOL

1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 medium shallot, roughly chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded, roughly chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
olive oil as necessary
salt and pepper

Roast the tomatoes at 225 degrees for a few hours. Nuke the bell pepper for a couple of minutes to soften. Put them in the food processor with everything else and whir until combined but not thinly pureed. Spread on quiche, or toast, sauteed fish.

Shrimp ceviche and pasta salad (not for amateurs)

I'm into minimalist descriptions, so bear with me.

Shrimp ceviche: 21-30 size shrimp (1/2 lb. for two servings), shells removed, sliced in half lengthwise (across the back).

Drop them into boiling water for 20 seconds only.

Drain and rinse under cold water.

"Cure" them in the juice of 2 lemons and 2 limes, some chopped onion, a jalapeno (seeded or not), a bit of salt, for 30 minutes.

Toss them with: cooked pasta (5 oz. dry), artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, diced radishes, diced celery, a bit of salt and pepper (to taste).

Dress them with low fat yogurt, olive oil, coconut milk.

Prepare for heaven (in the culinary sense).

P. S. I got paid for making this.

One "hot" dog with Crout, please

Meet Sparky, my latest pet care client. He's 13 weeks old and possessed of all the qualities a King Charles Spaniel is famous for: affection, affection, affection, and near-terminal cute-itude.

Linguini carbonara

What an easy and satisfying supper. Serve it with a salad or other green vegetable.

Google will take you to dozens of variations of recipes to follow. I'm just here to remind you how wonderful carbonara is. My work is done.

Arugula pesto - are you game?

Arugula is not to everyone's taste. Those with taste, however, love it. 4 cups arugula packed, 2 Tbsp garlic, salt and pepper, 2 Tbsp pine nuts (or in my case, salted and roasted sunflower seeds), olive oil.

Put the pesto in the food processor, and the garlic, salt and pepper, and nuts. Drizzle in maybe 1/3 cup olive oil and turn on the motor. You are done.

Dress fish with it, dress pasta with it, or dress gnocchi with it. Or use it for hair removal.

Pork medallions

For those of you who would comment anonymously, save your time. You will NOT be published. You will NOT be read. To the rest of the bloggers who enjoy ideas, read on.




Time for a rant about brining. If you have not tried it with pork (any pork, all pork) you are missing out on a valuable technique for flavorful and tender meat. If you insist on cooking your pork until there is no trace of pink in it, go somewhere else now - this post is not for you.

Brine for one pork tenderloin: 2 cups water, 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp sugar; refrigerate for 4-6 hours; rinse well, dry and slice into the little gems you see above.

Saute in butter and olive oil (add some pepper and maybe paprika) for 3-4 minutes per side. The center should still be pink. It won't hurt you. If you need proof, send $20 to my PayPal account (id provided upon request).

Catfish on a Hot Tin Plate

Poached catfish

Okay, the plate's not tin. This is an unorthodox method of preparing this not-universally-popular bottom feeder. What you see above is two halves of a large filet. At the bottom of the fish (in the center where it's been cut) is a rather dense strip of flesh. I sliced that out with my sharp chef's knife (and some of you didn't think I was a sharp chef!).

Bring enough broth (must be able to cover the filets completely) to a full boil. Slide in the filets, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. My work is done here. I tried two garnishes: Cajun seasoning (as above), and some arugula pesto. The latter is my favorite.

Use wine or plain water if you wish (salt the water, though, or it will be very bland).