A Hungry Bear

pork chops saltimbocca

30. July 2009

I know I’ve shared a stuffed pork chop with you before. And since this was stuffed with prosciutto and fontina too, I know I’m veering into dangerous repeat-post territory. But do you see that picture? How could you not want to know exactly how to make that crispy prosciutto crust, with gooey fontina on the inside, with that salty lemon and crispy sage butter sauce?! I can’t keep this kind of goodness to myself.

Adapted from August 2009 Gourmet.

Grocery list: olive oil, 1 lemon, bone-in pork chops (2, 3 or 4 - adjust the following ingredients based on how many chops you need to make); per chop, you’ll also need 2 slices prosciutto, 2 sage leaves, 2 thin slices fontina cheese and 1 tablespoon of butter. (more…)

linguine with summer succotash

29. July 2009

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Seeing Food Inc. (twice in the past week) has made me more grateful than ever for our recent discovery of fresh vegetables delivered from a local farmer - and also more inspired to try a vegetarian dinner every now and then. The sauce for this dish is simply pureed fresh corn, with all the flavor coming from the basil and tomatoes. To add a little more protein, I threw in some fresh mozzarella ciliegine (the little mozzarella balls). If it’s too hot to cook wherever you are, try this recipe - it only takes about 10 minutes of active cooking.

Adapted from Epicurious.

Grocery list: half a package of linguine (8 ounces), 1 pint baby heirloom tomatoes, 2 small squash or zucchini (could also use green beans or sugar snap peas), 1 large bunch basil, 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (ciliegine or slices of whole mozzarella), 3 ears corn. (more…)

vodka thyme lemonade

24. July 2009

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Herb-flavored simple syrups, where have you been all my (bartending) life? Discovering this technique is one of the greatest breakthroughs in the bar - or in the kitchen - that I’ve had in along time. And it only takes a couple of minutes! My new plan is to make up a big batch of simple syrup, and divide it across 3 or 4 different small containers, each stuffed with a different herb, then try and make a new drink out of each. If that’s not interesting to you - just try this cocktail. It is so refreshing, so unique-but-not-too-weird, and definitely easy.

Adapted from foodandwine.com recipe archives.

Ingredients: Stoli Oranj (or another citrus vodka), one lemon, club soda, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, some freshly made and still warm simple syrup (i.e. 1/2 cup each sugar and water). (more…)

soupe au pistou

21. July 2009

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My mom used to make homemade vegetable soup as a way of cooking as many of our garden vegetables as possible (she was so resourceful - canning and freezing the vegetables in the summer, so we’d have them for soup during the winter!). I can imagine moms in France cooking this soup for their kids, without the American twist of adding ground beef.

I saved this recipe from a May 2009 issue of Gourmet, but only this past week did I realize that my CSA delivery had included almost every vegetable that it calls for. Finally, the perfect time to try it! (more…)

pork chops with tomato-peach compote

20. July 2009

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This is a really quick and easy way to use up some of the local fresh peaches, heirloom tomatoes and vidalia onions in abundance right now (there’s only so much peach cobbler a girl can eat, even for me). I made it with braised collards and kale - it was a southern meal, with a twist from the unexpected use of peaches.

Adapted from July 2009 Gourmet.

Grocery list: 4 bone-in pork chops (or 2 tenderloins, as in the original), 3 garlic cloves, 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, 1 onion, 1 large heirloom tomato (the baby tomatoes in the picture were backup - but I didn’t end up needing them), 2 peaches, 3 sprigs thyme, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar. (more…)

absinthe manhattan

17. July 2009

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The only time I’ve ever tried absinthe, I got in trouble for it. Last year I was stopping over in Dubai for a day at the tail end of a business trip, and I wanted to check out the Burj Dubai (the world’s tallest building, currently under construction). There was a cool “tourist bar” next door - the UAE, as a Muslim country, is only allowed to sell alcohol to tourists in venues with special licenses - and they had at least 20 different absinthe cocktails. The newly legalized version of absinthe, from what I understand, is similar to the old concoction in its licorice taste only - no hallucinations! No matter how many times I explained this to A, he was NOT convinced. So the only way to prove to him that the new absinthe is safe for happy hour is to make him a great drink at home with it.

I found this recipe featured as the cocktail of the week on Gourmet.com back in March (this variant of a Manhattan is actually called “The Waldorf”, invented by a bartender in Seattle).

(more…)

grilled halibut and vegetables provencale

16. July 2009

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My little container herb garden is growing like crazy these days, and I’m finding more ways than ever to incorporate them in unexpected ways (see this Bufala Negra drink for an unconventional way to enjoy basil). This recipe for grilled halibut and vegetables with fresh herbes de Provence caught my eye, as a way to use 5 different herbs that are growing outside my door. The original recipe is called “halibut brochettes provencale” - meaning you’d skewer pieces of fish and vegetables on kebabs and serve them this way with a simple sauce. I borrowed the technique but limited it to vegetables, and grilled the fish on foil. (more…)

southern fried okra

15. July 2009

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When I was growing up, I used to spend weeks with my grandparents, who live out in the country near the Pee-Dee River in NC. They grew almost all of their own food, and despite my Gramma’s attempt to cook healthier, my Pa-Pa always wanted his vegetables fried. These days, I take after both of them - I love fried summer vegetables but feel guilty eating them at the same time. There’s something specifically about okra that is amazing - the coating really sticks to the cut sides, making it extra crispy. I’ll try to find a healthier way to prepare it soon to share with you, but for now let’s start with my favorite!

Grocery list: about a pound of okra, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour (note: if you’re out of cornmeal, as I was, you can use all flour, even though it’s somewhat less authentic), 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch cayenne pepper, salt, peanut oil. (more…)

spicy peach chicken wings

14. July 2009

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I found this recipe in Gourmet a couple months ago, even before I started getting pounds of peaches in our weekly produce delivery. I would never have thought peaches and wings could go together, but they definitely do. The peach preserves give a sweet coating to the wings that caramelizes under the broiler, making these as juicy and crispy as if they were deep fried. Since they were ready in 30 minutes, with no mess and all from pantry ingredients, these are going to show up a lot at our house in the future. (more…)

muay thai mai tai

10. July 2009

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I have a very special drink to share with you for today’s happy hour. Today A and I are heading off to Vegas for a weekend of our 2 favorite things: eating and UFC. When I asked A for help figuring out a drink for this week, he pulled a dusty copy of “the bartender’s bible” off the bookshelf. Five minutes later he was pitching the idea of a “muay thai mai tai” to me. How creative is that??

I know a lot of places make very girly mai tais with lots of fruit juice. Fortunately I found a recipe for an authentic hawaiian mai tai that only mixes different liquors with a lime and a few drops of simple syrup. This drink is so strong, it’s definitely deserving of its new name. (more…)