A Little Valentine's Sugar

A little visual nosh from some of my favorites to get you Valentine sweet hearts in the celebratory mood.  However you decide to mark (or abstain from) this holiday, enjoy yourself (at the very least it's the weekend, right?)!

I'm off to San Francisco for a much needed weekend get away with my hubby.  Post will resume Monday.

Images, from top:

clovesandcream.com, yummy cherry kiss cookies.

katespade.com, visit to send this & many other sweet free Valentines e-cards.

tiny-morsels.blogspot.com, via thekitchn.com, adorable polenta pizzas.

thekitchn.com, endearing little figs.

bread-and-honey.blogspot.com, pink party!

Simple Supper: Sweet Pea, Spinach & Basil Bisque

Thursdays are my favorite. Maybe because the weekend's just around the bend or the extra time I get to spend with Ray. Maybe it's because things like this are on TV, probably the latter, but whatever it is, I always feel compelled to make something really yummy on Thursday nights.

Carrying on with the apparent soup bender I've been on this month, I made a batch of sweet pea, spinach, & basil bisque. A shade of green almost electric, the color of this soup is so amazing! Cream & peas give it a sweet, hearty bite & the basil contributes a nice piquancy. Try topping your bowl off with a dollop of mint cream -- the interplay between the cool tinge of mint in a hot bowl of soup is fantastic.

Sweet Pea, Spinach & Basil Bisque
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 16 oz. bag frozen peas
2 c. baby spinach, washed
3/4 c. chopped fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 c. chicken (or vegetable) broth, divided

1/2 pint cream

Place a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil, butter, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peas, spinach & basil. Heat until the peas are thawed & the spinach is slightly wilted.

Place the pea mixture in a food processor. Add 1 c. of the chicken broth and pulse until pureed, adding more broth, if necessary, to puree. Return the pureed mixture to the pot. Stir in the remaining chicken broth and cream. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until hot, but not boiling.

To serve, place the soup in bowls. Top with a dollop of Fresh Mint Cream.

Fresh Mint Cream
1/2 c. fresh mint, minced
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 2 c. half-and-half
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients & whisk together.

Smitten: MOMA's Destination Seoul

Seems as if it's been ages since my last smitten post!  I guess I just haven't fallen quite as hard lately.  Well, MOMA's new collection highlighting "products from young, emerging Korean designers ... [that] reflect Korea's cultural interest in color and nature" has undoubtedly snagged my heart strings. There are so many whimsical, tongue-and-cheek goodies in this well curated compilation: a gilt shopper, a  trompe-l'œil toast sponge, bird & cloud shakers, even a farfalle jewelry collection! You may have missed the deadline to snap these up for your Valentine (unless you're a lucky New Yorker) but hey, better late than never, right?

From top left:

18L Gold Bag, $16

Sandwich Sponge, $10

Bird & Cloud Salt & Pepper Shakers, $38

Farfalle Brooch, $70

Images, MOMAStore

Valentine's In

More often than not, the mention of Valentine's Day is accompanied with a grumble, frown, or snarky rebut. Yes, it's clearly a transparent vie for your purse strings & pocketbooks, but I just can't help getting a bit excited about it. I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a romantic.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to dig your self into debt on pricey restaurant tabs, fester with gobs of people impatiently waiting for a table, or buy a ton of stuffed animals to enjoy yourself this holiday. In fact, my most memorable Valentine's Day involved no such pageantry, just a nice supper in with my sweet, sweet boyfriend (now husband). So, for you amorous folks still celebrating this silly little holiday (myself included) here are a few recipes to impress without maxing out the plastic or spending hours in the kitchen.

Beef Carpaccio
This quickly seared dish is so enchanting. The bright red and green look so pretty nestled against one another & the flavor is so buttery & light. It's the perfect dish to kick off your lovey-dovey evening.

Here's Giada De Laurentiis giving the run down on this treat. If there ever was a chef to muster up, eehhem, 'romantic' feelings, she's the one.



1 (10-ounce) piece beef tenderloin
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c. lightly packed fresh arugula or fresh baby spinach
1/2 oz. shaved Parmesan
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Tie the beef tenderloin with kitchen twine to help maintain its shape, then freeze the tenderloin until frozen (this ensures that the center stays rare when cooking a small piece of meat). Then, heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a heavy small skillet over high heat. Rub the frozen beef with salt and pepper.

Add the beef to the hot skillet and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes total (the beef will be just barely seared on the outside but will remain rare). Return the beef until to the freezer until it is almost frozen, about 1 hour (this makes it easier to cut into very thin slices).

Using a large sharp carving knife, slice the beef as thinly as possible. Be very careful when cutting, last time I made this I cut a chunk out of my finger - ouch! Arrange the arugula and Parmesan shavings on a serving platter and lay the beef slices on top. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Grilled Artichoke Halves with Lemon Butter
It's surprising how many people find preparing artichokes daunting. These savory thistles are really a snap to make - you just have to know the propper way to clean them. The lingering flavor of artichokes & lemon do something spectacular to the pallet - perfect for a date night!



1 lemon
1 large artichoke (look for one with tightly closed leaves)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 stick butter

Bring enough salted water to cover the artichoke to a boil. Add the juice of 1/2 of a lemon to the water. Clean the artichoke according the the video above. That is, trim 1" off the top & bottom then sip the tops off of all the leaves. Then place in the boiling water until the stem is tender enough to pierce (about 13 minutes or so).

Transfer to a cutting board & let cool. In the meantime, heat your grill pan to medium & drizzle with olive oil. Once cool, slice the artichoke in half & remove the 'choke' (the thistly bit in the center) and a few of the inner most leaves with a spoon. Place on the grill and cook about 5 minutes on each side or until slightly charred.

Serve with lemon butter for dipping. To make the lemon butter, simple melt 1/2 stick of butter over low heat then infuse with the juice of 1/2 of a lemon. Optional: Add a clove of garlic and a bit of dill to it as well to intensify the flavor. A mayonnaise thinned with a bit of butter milk & dill makes a nice dipping sauce as well.

I adore cooking & spending time in the kitchen is no chore for me, but it is a holiday after all. Save yourself a bit of relaxation time & pick up your favorite gelato, chocolates, or baked treat for dessert. There, desert done. Now you can sit down & have another glass of wine with your sweetie!

Image, medcookingalaska.

Turkish Orzo

Sometimes it is just plain tough to come up with something to say about every dish I cook up. I quickly jotted down the recipe & typed 'broccoli, fig, & pine nut orzo' unable to really consider it anything else.  After looking at it for a moment or two it just looked so hum-drum. Ray suggested calling it 'Turkish Orzo' which sent me on a wikipedia jaunt.  

Turkey's cuisine isn't strictly uniform through out the country.  Each region has its own specialties & favorites.  I've got to throw my vote in for the South Eastern region.  It zeroes in on Baklava & kebabs -- yum!  However, if you had to nail a few key ingredients down, eggplants, green peppers, onions, garlic, lentils, pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts would definitely be among them. Parsley, cumin, paprika, mint, oregano and thyme are commonly used spices & herbs.  Yogurt, lamb, figs, & eggplant are chief in their cookery. 

The classic Middle-Eastern treat, Dolmas originated in Turkey (from the word dolmak 'to be stuffed'), too.  These stuffed grape leaves are one of my favorite things to much on & I always assumed they were Greek.  All in all, Turkish food isn't entirely unlike other Mid-Eastern varieties, but it looks like one worth greater exploring.

Turkish Orzo

2 - 3 c. cooked orzo (small rice shaped pasta)

1 c. broccoli florets

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 c. dried figs, chopped

1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

3 large fresh basil leaves, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. thyme

a scant pinch of ground clove

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 c. grated parmesan

In a large stock pot bring water up to boil & prepare the orzo according to package directions. Drain & set a side.  In the meantime, sauté the onion in 1 tbsp. of olive oil until it begins to brown slightly.  Add the pine nuts and sauté a minute longer.  Add the broccoli and sauté until almost cooked through.

Combine the figs, basil, thyme, clove, salt & pepper.  Toss the mixture and warm through.  Fold in the parmesan cheese & drizzle with the remaining oil.  Serve warm.

Chocolate & Cheese: The Perfect Couple

Two of my all time favorites happen to be cheese & chocolate. Both melty. Both dairy. Both a treat. Both oh-so-yummy! But, that's pretty much where their similarities end. Despite my best efforts, I've never been able to concoct a successful paring of the two (aside from chocolate cheesecake, but isn't that cheating?). Looks like I'd better give it another shot because Jamie Forrest of CurdNerds has just posted a suggested paring list on Serious Eats.  Here are some of his recomended cheeses to test drive with your favorite chocolates:

• Vermont Butter & Cheese's Bijou, a cute little button of an aged goat cheese, soft, subtle, not too musky
• Pierre Robert, the gold standard of Valentine's Day cheeses, a triple cream bloomy-rind cheese that goes great with champagne and strawberries
• Mahón Reserva, the aged version of Menorca's paprika-rinded sheep cheese, even nuttier and more caramelly than the original
• Valdéon, a Spanish cow's milk blue from Léon

Read the rest of her thoughts on the matter here.

Images, aldenteblog.com, foodsubs.com, starchefs.com

Simple Supper: Cranberry, Crusted Chèvre & Crisp Chicken on Maché with a Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

Oft over looked, the salad is one of my favorite meals, both to eat & to prepare. Honesty to the ingredients is somehow soothing to me & a salad is the perfect platform for quality ingredients. Choose from proteins, grains, fruits, legumes, vegetables .. pick you favorites .. you can't

go wrong. Just make sure they're the best you can find!

Experimenting with different lettuces brings new life to ordinary salads. Maché or Lamb's Lettuce has soft, buttery little leaves that make a hearty base. It's perfect with avocados, creamy cheeses, and chicken. So give the mixed greens a break. Next time you make a salad give radicchio, endives, dandelion greens, or baby spinach (to name just a few) a try.

This little maché salad is savory, a bit sweet, & absolutely delicious. Bright, clean flavors from the basil & cranberries act as a foil to the rich, buttery flavors from the maché, chèvre, & chicken.

Cranberry, Crusted Chèvre & Crisp Chicken on Maché
with a Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. Greek seasoning
2 c. maché (a.k.a. Lamb's Lettuce)
1/4 c. dried cranberries
2 slices chèvre, crusted in bread crumbs

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

2 tsp. fresh basil, minced
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Bring 2 tbsp. of olive oil up to heat. Meanwhile, rub the chicken breasts with the Greek seasoning, thyme, & garlic salt. Sauté over medium heat until the outside is golden (about 5 minutes on each side). Set aside and slice 1" thick diagonal slices once cool.

While the pan is still warm put the chèvre rounds & cranberries. Cook until the rounds until the crust has hardened just a tad & the cheese begins to melt.

Make a bed of maché & top with chicken slices, chèvre rounds, & cranberries.

To make the dressing:

In a small jar combine the dijon, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, & basil. Shake well until combined.