Balsamic Truffles & Gianduja Bars

I was scraping the bottom of the bowl with my fingertips shamelessly hunting down the last smudge of batter. Raw eggs be damned. I plopped a messy bowl in Ray's lap & generously offered him a lick or two. He accepted.

Balsamic Truffles, makes about 12 - 16
2 tbsp. good balsamic vinegar
8 oz. good dark chocolate
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. coco powder

Melt the chocolate with the cream over a double boiler (or in a microwave in short bursts). Add the vinegar & stir in. Let the mixture cool in the fridge for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Using a tablespoon (or any other spoon) scoop out a little bit & roll it into balls in the palms of your hands. You will get messy, promise. Roll the balls in coco powder.


Gianduja Bars, make 12
12 brownies (homemade, box mix or store bought will work)
1/4 c. nutella
1/4 c. toasted hazelnuts
1/4 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spread the brownies with nutella. Tops with hazelnuts & chocolate chips. Bake for 5 minutes or until the chips melt a tad. Refrigerate until the nutella topping hardens.

Sesame Snapper with Caper Remoulade & Dijon Green Beans

We're sitting on top of a messy shag run. Surrounded by books. Really too many books for such a tiny place. But I guess you can't expect much else when you're in the fog of grad school. Mess or not, we're saddled up to the coffee table sitting Indian style on the floor making the most of it. Eating crunchy fish, cheesy eggs, eggplant stir-fry, delivery pizza, lots of pizza, salads with capers, chili.

This has been the last two months. Many meals seemed unremarkable, so I kept them to myself. Well, myself & Ray, but he's a good sport. In the thick of it a nice dinner or two eked out. Things like: Parmesan Polenta with Egg & Roasted Mushrooms or Lamb Chops with Salsa Verde & Sauteed Eggplant. The Vanilla Bean & Butternut Squash Risotto was particularly good. Right now though, it's Sesame Snapper with Dijon Green Beans. These green beans, man, they're something.


Sesame Snapper with Caper Remoulade & Dijon Green Beans, for two
2 skinless red snapper fillets
1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. mayonaise
2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. capers
1/4 lbs. green beans
1 shallot minced
3 tbsp. dijon mustard
3 tbsp. olive oil, devided
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat & give the sesame seeds a swirl or two to toast them, about 3 minutes. Set the sesame seeds aside then, add a glug of olive oil & let it warm. Meanwhile, salt & pepper the fish. Toss the bread crumbs & sesame seeds together with a little more salt & pepper. Press the mixture frimly into the fish. Add the fish to the pan & brown, about 4 minutes on each side.


Meanwhile, blanche the green beans in boiling water, about 3 minutes. Drain & set aside. While the fish finishes cooking & the green beans cool, make the dressings. For the caper remoulade, combine the mayo, brown mustard, rice wine vinegar, capers, salt & pepper. For the dijon sauce (for the green beans), combine the dijon, remaining olive oil, shallot, rice wine vinegar, salt & pepper.

Toss the green beans in the dijon dressing & spoon a bit of the caper remoulade over the fish (or serve it on the side, your call).