Lick the Spoon - San Marzano Tomato Sauce

Lately I've been trying to make a concentrated effort to schedule things into my day aside from work; namely, cooking and having some sort of a social life. To that end, I've accomplished several things in the past week:

• Attacking a Lamb Ragu recipe I've had in my recipe file for the past year or so
• Driving up to Sacramento to visit a dear friend
• Visiting the apple orchards on Apple Hill with said dear friend to try my first ever apple cider donut, oh so good!
• Wine tasting for the first time in Amador, even the first rain of the season couldn't put a damper on this
• San Marzano Tomato Sauce from scratch

I've been meaning to make San Marzano sauce for ages, and just never got around to it. Once I did, I finally understood why people say that these tomatoes make the best sauce. So, so good. It was such a comforting thing to have it simmering away on the stove all day while I worked, taking a break every so often to stir the bubbling sauce and inhale the savory fragrance. By the time I finished work I was practically crazy from the heavenly smell, I couldn't wait to dish it over fresh pasta...but I must admit, I snuck in a few spoonfuls before the pasta was ready. This sauce is so good, you'll literally be licking the spoon.

More on the apple excursion later, in the meantime, make. this. sauce.




San Marzano Tomato Sauce

12-15 San Marzano Tomatoes
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 small to medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 dried bay leaf
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher Salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and in the meantime, score an "X" in the bottom of each tomato and set aside a large bowl of ice water. When the water is boiling, slide each tomato into the water, blanch for about 30 seconds, and then remove the tomatoes and stick them into the ice water bath. Use your fingers to peel the skin right off. Set the peeled tomatoes aside.

Over med-high heat, saute the onion in the olive oil until caramelized. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper; stir to combine. Simmer on low for about an hour or more , stirring once in awhile, and tasting as you go for seasoning (you can simmer for several hours for a deeper flavor) Remove bay leaf. Taste for salt & pepper, and add more if desired. Serve over pasta, or jar to save.

Coming 'Round - Cream of Cauliflower Soup

I kept the sickness at bay for a good couple of days, enough so that I could enjoy beer with friends, the farmer's market and the long awaited Arcade Fire concert at the Berkeley Greek. Finally, this morning, it caught up with me. The aching neck and aching bones wouldn't be denied. There was only one thing to do: make a big pot of comforting soup and climb into bed.

And so I thumbed through the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook, and stopped on the Cream of Cauliflower soup recipe. It just sounded right; rich and velvety, comfort in a bowl. It doesn't matter if you're not exactly crazy about cauliflower, you will love this soup. It's just rich and creamy goodness. So good, it made me forget my aching bones for awhile. It came together easily, and made my apartment smell amazing. It's the perfect thing for a brisk fall day. Outside, the wind has picked up, and the leaves are swirling around in the street. The fog is low, and slowly rolling in from the other side of the bay. You can smell fall in the air. It's arrived. And this soup is the perfect greeting for it.

I've really come around to fall. I've pulled out the back issues of gourmet and am spending some time going over the best of the season, marking the recipes I have yet to make, and being reminded of a few old favorites that I haven't made in a year or so. I'm feeling good about it. As long as the next recipes live up to the standard this one has set, I think the transition will continue to go well.




Cream of Cauliflower Soup
adapted from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home

2 heads of cauliflower (4-5 lbs)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
3/4 cup coarsely chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
1/4 tsp yellow curry powder, or madras curry powder
Kosher salt
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups water

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut out the core. Trim the stems and reserve them. For the garnish, trim 2 cups florets about the size of the quarter and set aside.

Coarsely chop the cauliflower and the stems into 1 inch pieces. Melt 3 tbsp of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, leeks, curry, 2 tsp salt, and cauliflower. Cover with a piece of parchment paper, cut into a circle with a small hole in the middle. This acts as a parchment lid for steaming the cauliflower. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard parchment lid.

Pour in milk, cream and water, and increase heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam from time to time.

Using a hand-mixer (or a blender in batches) puree the cauliflower on the lowest speed, slowly increase until the consistency becomes smooth and velvety. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Transfer to a large saucepan and keep warm.

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the vinegar and the reserved cauliflower florets and blanch until tender, 4-6 minutes. The vinegar will help keep the cauliflower white. Drain.

Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns a rich golden brown. Add the florets and saute until a rich golden brown, set aside.

To serve, reheat the soup. It should be thick, but if it's took thick for your taste, add water to thin it to the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour soup into bowls and top with cauliflower garnish. Serve hot.

Ch-ch-ch-changes! - Creamy Tomato Gazpacho

Two weeks ago, this was my view from the Washington/Dulles Airport:





I was in Washington D.C. for less than 24 hours for a job interview with LivingSocial.com...several interviews in fact. It was a complete whirlwind, but I'm happy to say that they went very well! Today I gave notice at my current job. As of August 9th, I am the Oakland Account Executive for LivingSocial. I'll be scouting out my city and other parts of the Bay Area to find the things I love to do and share. They're going to pay me for that. Crazy.


There's something unbelievably frighting and exhilarating about taking a new job. A leap into the unknown. You never know if you're making the right choice....you just have to go on instinct. Mine is telling me to leap. I'm overwhelmed, nervous, excited, relieved and, of course, I feel incredibly lucky to have the chance to move on to a new opportunity, especially with the economy being what it is.


I'll be working from home and able to set my own schedule. It means that I'll have more time to take the classes I want to take, to do all those extra activities I've been thinking about, to go the gym at 10am if I want, and, more time for this blog. To be able to photograph during daylight hours! I can't tell you how exciting that is. Even to just be that person in the coffee shop working on their laptop at 11am. I have always mocked that person...yet secretly, I always wished that was me.



And now it will be.



Crazy.



In a few weeks, I head back to D.C. to start my training. I plan to take a long vacation in the meantime. Get my head together, visit with family and friends, enjoy a bit of free time, and get my apartment in shape for the work-from-home transition. Wish me luck! Here goes nothing...



This NY Times recipe for Gazpacho came at a fortuitous time. The evening before some friends and I had shared an unbelievable bowl of Sungold Tomato Soup at Boot and Shoe in Oakland, and I couldn't get over my tomato soup craving. I had a pound of cherry tomatoes in the fridge, along with all the other ingredients laying around the kitchen. It called out to me. I made it in about 20 minutes for a weekend lunch...savoring the fact that making my lunch with care at home will be a regular occurrence soon. It was delicious, creamy, savory and tangy...everything I want a soup to be.






Creamy Tomato Gazpacho
adapted (slightly) from NY Times

1 lb cherry tomatoes (I used red, but the sungold would be amazing in this soup)
1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10-12 basil leaves, roughly chopped, reserve some for garnish
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 ice cubes
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 3/4 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
pinch of Cayenne pepper

Blend all of the ingredients in a food-processor, blender or with a hand blender. Puree until smooth. Taste, and season with salt and/or vinegar if needed. Pour into bowls, garnish with basil and serve.

So Spoiled - Bolognese Sauce

February in the Bay Area. It's a bit unreal actually. The trees are bursting into blossom, the hills are a bright and verdant green, the temperature hovers around 65 or so, every so often creeping it's way up to 70, and the chill of the winter sun starts to subside a bit, giving off a warm, gentle light that promises spring is just around the corner.

We're spoiled here. A light sweatshirt or sweater will do when walking around town. The farmer's markets are open year round, and the outdoor German beer hall, The Tourist Club on Mt. Tam, never closes. Even in the dead of a Bay Area winter.

To be fair, it was a bit cold on Mt. Tam yesterday. A jacket was required. But once you scrounged out a patch of sun on the big wooden deck, it was warm and beautiful.

The Tourist Club happens to be my favorite Bay Area hike. I'm a fan of destination hikes. Especially when they end in tasty and refreshing beverages. It just makes it all seem worth it. And if the beer wasn't enough, there's the view.

Not bad, eh? The picture doesn't do it it justice.

So, after a decent hike, and a pint of beer, the chill in the air gained a bit of a bite. Clouds were rolling in and the forecast called for rain. I knew a simmering bolognese was in my future.

I've been craving Italian food lately. Actually, I almost always crave a bowl of pasta and a good sauce. There's something so right about it. I turned my attention to my Le Cruset, laundry and the Olympics. A pretty good Saturday evening, if you ask me. I'd had more than a few nights out in the past week and I was dying to stay home and relax. This bolognese really hit the spot.

I sort of riffed off Macella Hazan (for her inclusion of tomatoes and her pinch of nutmeg) and Mario Batali (for his use of garlic). I wouldn't call this sauce strictly authentic. That would require less tomatoes and zero garlic, I think. Two things that, in my mind, always enhance a sauce. I really couldn't have been happier with the results. The epitome of comfort.

Bolognese Sauce
adapted from Marcella Hazan & Mario Batali
serves about 6

4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lb ground beef
1 cup milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 whole nutmeg, or a pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 tube tomato paste
1 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes, diced or torn into pieces, with juice
1-¼ to 1-½ pounds pasta, cooked and drained
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Parmesan for topping

Heat oil, butter and chopped onion in a heavy 3-½-quart pot and turn heat to medium. Cook and stir onion until it has become translucent, then add chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat well.

Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble meat with a fork, stir well and cook until the beef has browned, and the red color has disappeared from the meat.

Add the milk and simmer gently, stirring frequently until the liquid has evaporated. Add a tiny pinch or grate of the nutmeg and stir.

Next, add the wine. Let the liquid simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste, and stir to coat all ingredients. Once the mixture beings to bubble, turn the heat to low and continue to cook at a low simmer for 1 1/2 hours. If time permits, simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Taste for salt and pepper. Cook pasta in salted water according to directions. When pasta is cooked and drained, add half a tablespoon of butter to the pasta, top with sauce and Parmesan. Serve while hot.

Comfort in a Spoon - Marcella Hazan's Tomato, Onion & Butter Sauce

The first time I left the country, I was gone for a couple of months and towards the end of the trip I was incredibly homesick. It wasn't that I was having a bad time, on the contrary, swimming through the Mediterranean, hiking through mountain ruins and eating the best food I had ever had, I was truly having the time of my life. But I was so very far from home. I remember calling my best friend from the boat headed to Corsica. The minute I heard her voice I burst into tears, my phone card ran out two minutes into the conversation. These were the days before there was an internet cafe on every corner. I felt so removed. The next time I traveled so far away was different. I was studying in Oxford for the summer, and I was well equipped with internet and phone cards. The only times homesickness struck was when I was alone on a train, or at the end of a long day trying to fall asleep. That's when I would put on the same four Elliott Smith songs. They became a blanket of comfort around me, either lulling me to sleep or just feeling familiar while I was so far away from everyone I knew and loved. To this day, whenever I hear one of those songs, I start to drift into a sleepy haze, and the memories of my time away come flooding back.

I'm not really sure why this sauce reminded me of that. Maybe it's because this sauce is comfort in itself. The taste of it, so familiar and reassuring. Nothing bad could happen to you with a bowl of this in front of you, the smooth velvety texture and the soft rich taste. Comfort in a spoon.


Every food blogger and their mother has been talking about this sauce for a few years now, but actually, it's been around for ages. It's a Marcella Hazan recipe. Hazan is basically the Godmother of Italian cooking. Her book, "The Essentials of Italian Cooking," is a staple for all culinary bookshelves. At first glance, this sauce doesn't look like much. But looks can be deceiving, and the payoff of this recipe is in the taste. How is it possible that three simple ingredients can produce such a delicious result? I can't explain it. It's some kind of Italian culinary alchemy. But did you see the part where I said three ingredients? Yeah. That's right. Three.

And I'm guessing you already have them in your kitchen.

You have no excuses. Go.

Marcella Hazan's Tomato, Onion & Butter Sauce

1 28 ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes (you can also use boxed, diced tomatoes)
5 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half (discard the peel but keep the root on the onion)

Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once the mixture is bubbling, lower the heat and simmer on low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pan to release the juices. You'll see little bubbles of fat start to move to the top. Remove the onion, salt to taste and serve warm.

Before Today - Persimmon Jam

Recently a co-worker of mine mentioned that she had a tree full of persimmons. Trouble was, the tree hangs over her neighbors yard and the fruit inevitably ends up on the wrong side of the fence. She said I was welcome to the persimmons if I brought an apple picker and was able to get to them. I called Leah, and we headed over this morning, apple picker in tow.

At this point I should mention one tiny detail. I don't actually like persimmons. Well, actually, that's not quite correct, I didn't like persimmons before, before today that is. Before today, I'd only ever had them in cookies or in persimmon pudding, neither of which were favorites of mine. The trouble is, persimmons are extremely hard to ignore at this time of year. They seem to be everywhere. It seems there's at least one persimmon tree in everyone's yard, heavy and practically groaning with fruit. The farmer's market is overrun with them. And the thing is, they're so beautiful. You can't help but admire such a exotic looking fruit. I only wished they tasted as good to me as they looked.

My co-worker mentioned she was going to try to make a chutney with them, and on the drive back home I pondered what to do with mine. "Jam!" Leah said.

A good idea. And so that's exactly what I did.

I cut off the tops of each fruit, peeled them, chopped them and removed the cores. I tasted one of the pieces raw, skeptically. No good. Too sweet and just not much going on. I dumped them into a saucepan with some sugar and lemon juice, and turned up the heat. Five minutes later a delicious smell permeated my apartment, and I knew I had something good going on in that pan. Some kind of magical alchemy had occurred and the persimmons had been transformed into something sweet, tart and slightly early. The taste reminded me of fresh apricots. Once the jam was finished, I sterilized a couple jars, ladled in the jam and sealed the jars.

It was so easy to make, I even set aside a couple jars for friends, and one jar will come with me to Portland for Thanksgiving, to be served alongside some cheeses, or to be spread on toast the morning after. But, the best part is now knowing what to do with that gorgeous orange fruit.


Persimmon Jam
makes 2 small jars

5-7 Fuyu persimmons
1/3 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Peel persimmons, remove top and cores. Chop into small pieces. Put persimmons into a medium saucepan with sugar and lemon juice. Turn heat to medium and cook, string occasionally for 25 minutes, until fruit has broken down. Ladle into jars. If you decide not to seal the jars, jam will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Going Up - Ginger Chicken Soup

As an actor onstage, the absolute worst thing that can happen to you is to either miss your cue or "go up" on your lines, meaning to forget them completely. There is nothing more terrifying than this prospect. It strikes fear in the heart of every actor, and each can give you their own personal horror story of when their number was up. How long those seconds seemed to stretch out across time, how terrified their co-actor looked across stage realizing what was happening and being unable to help them through it. How quiet the audience got, and seriously, how those 10 seconds seemed like hours.

Tonight, my number was up. Luckily it was a dress rehearsal and there were only a few donors in the audience, but nonetheless, it was certainly the worst bout of forgetfulness I've ever had onstage, and it was simultaneously mortifying, frustrating and terrifying. There were no words, none, just some sputtering and gasping, "buh...gah...eh...uhhhh....." and then there was silence. When the words came, they were not the lines I should have been speaking. I simply couldn't get back on track. This went on for about 30 seconds. Or basically eternity. Luckily my fellow actor was able to step up quicker than I was. She saved the scene.

I've never been so glad to get off stage. Not even when I had the stomach flu during a high school musical. Buckets waiting in the wings and all.

Generally you have to have at least one bad dress rehearsal to feel really good about a show. I don't know why, it's one of those old theatre superstitions. Let's hope to god this will do it for me. Because that sucked.

So I came home and made comfort food. Ginger Chicken Soup and Sourdough Bread. I wanted something homey, but with a fragrant twist. When I couldn't find just the right recipe, I improvised. I have to say, I'm pretty excited about the results.

Hey, if I can't improvise on stage, at least I can do it in the kitchen.

Ginger Chicken Soup
adapted from Real Simple

2 tbsp olive oil
1 5-inch piece fresh ginger, minced (3 tablespoons)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb fingerling potatoes
2 32-ounce boxes low-sodium chicken broth (8 cups)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (2 cups)
1/3 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced

In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the parsnips, turnip, carrots, potatoes, broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the chicken, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the edamame and scallions, and let sit, covered, for 1 minute.

Kitchen Disaster - Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Tonight is basically a tale of kitchen disaster. Not the quiet night of a long bike ride, soup and some armchair reading I wanted it to be. The soup plan went awry when I hit the handle of the very full stock pot with my elbow and it went crashing to the floor. Soup. Went. Everywhere. My white cupboards stained an embarrassing red, the steaming liquid seeping into the cracks of the floor. It was a mess. So that batch was a loss. I took a few breaths, cleaned it up and started a new batch, determined to have my roasted red pepper soup. I seem to have these major kitchen spills/disasters about once every couple of months. Last time it was a full pot of orzo, just cooked. Soup is worse. Much messier.

Roasted Red Pepper soup is my best friend Lauren's specialty. She got it from her Aunt, apparently it's a specialty at her New Mexican Restaurant. It's become a bit of a tradition to make a batch of this around New Year's. Typically our group of friends head up to Tahoe to stay at a cabin and hole up for a weekend of sledding, snowshoeing, eating and intense games of Monopoly and Risk. This soup comes together so quickly, and is so comforting and filling with a slice of good crusty bread, a crunch salad and a glass of red wine. It's our first task on our first night at the cabin (after building the sled run and icing it down of course) and I look forward to it every year.

But why reserve it just for the months of December and January? That doesn't seem fair. Poor neglected Red Pepper Soup. You are not just for the winter months. You'll do just fine on a crisp October evening.

Well, when you're not all over my floor that is. I much prefer you in my bowl, and not all over my cabinets.

Lauren's Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Can easily be made vegan by using olive oil in place of butter, omitting the cream and using vegetable broth or water in place of chicken broth.

2 16oz jars roasted red bell peppers
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 tbsp butter
4 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup cream
salt to taste
basil & Parmesan for garnish

Drain and rinse the peppers, set aside. Saute onion in butter until soft and translucent. Add the peppers to the onion and saute about 5 minutes to help break the mixture down. Add to cuisine-art and blend until mixture is well combined. Add to a stock-pot or large saucepan with chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the paprika, cayenne and salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir. Dish up and garnish with basil and Parmesan.

Birthday Tacos - Pork Chops with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce

This Saturday was the birthday party to end all birthday parties. Lily turned 30, so we celebrated in style, with back-yard karaoke and a honest to goodness taco truck that drove up and parked in the driveway. Let me tell you, the combination of a couple al pastor tacos, some Mack the Knife and birthday cupcakes and beer make for one of the best Saturday night's in recent memory. Thanks for turning 30 Lily! Can we do this again next year?

Sunday was filled with rehearsals, photo shoots and some weekend work tasks. Oh yeah, rehearsal...did I mention that? I'm a sometime-actor on the side, working with a local company that produces in the basement of a pizza parlor. Pizza, beer and couches while you watch theatre (theatre simply doesn't get better than that) and it's a good time. The current show is a comedy, and also a world premiere. So far so good, although the guy I play opposite of spends the entire show nearly naked. A bit distracting, I must say. Not that I'm complaining. Anything for comedy, eh?

Point being? Things are going to get a little crazy around here. And by crazy, I mean busy. From work to rehearsal, it makes for a very full day. Sadly there's not a lot of time for cooking. I'm learning to try and enjoy the boxed Indian lunches (meh, not so much) but I did make it a point to promise my stage manager a batch of cookies on Wednesday. So I'll take some time out tomorrow to bake. After that, cooking will have to wait till the weekend.

So that's how it's going to be for the next few weeks. In the meantime I hope to have some guest posts, lots of weekend dishes and then, there's this deliciousness. I'm telling you, you may feel wary of this sauce, it may not sound appealing, but I promise, it most certainly is. You can substitute chicken for pork, both would be terrific, but the sauce is the star. It's so easy and perfect for fall.




Pork Chops with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine
Serves 4

4 Pork Loin Chops (boneless)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp plus 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp grainy mustard
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Heat the oven to 350. Season chops with salt and pepper. In a large oven-proof skillet, brown the chops in olive oil over medium-high heat on both sides. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the dijon mustard, grainy mustard, maple syrup and broth in separate skillet. Boil the mixture until reduced by half. Add the butter and transfer the chops to the sauce skillet. Continue to cook in the sauce until done. Serve over bitter wilted greens.

In the Air - Salmon with Curried Yogurt Sauce

Tonight as I walked home I smelled it in the air. Fall. The very first scent of it. It went very well with a large harvest moon and a pumpkin patch, grown overnight it seems at the corner of 51st and Telegraph. Hello, October. So far your days are warm and your nights crisp. The sweaters are coming out along with the coats, and I'm having visions of gnocchi with crispy fried sage and brown butter. Something warm and comforting while the wind picks up outside.

Speaking of wind, last night, after a dinner of pho in the Sunset district, we headed up to Sutro Tower to check out the view. Sutro Tower is a major landmark in San Francisco, it can be seen from practically everywhere, towering over the city. I'd never seen the view from there. We took the motorcycle up to the top, and thank goodness for helmets and motorcycle jackets, which seem to be the perfect wind protection! The wind was so strong you could lean into it and still be held up. The helmets kept us warm, as did the jackets. The city shone below, streets laid out in perfect rows of light. Planes from both Oakland and SFO stacked up in the sky, one after the other. It was something to see.

One more summer recipe. Awhile ago I posted a recipe for fish cooked in parchment. This is a good way to dress it up a bit. It's also pretty healthy. It also happens to be my entry in the recent recipe contest for thekitchn. I couldn't post the recipe in full till now. Another continuation of my curry obsession.

Tomorrow, a fall dish. I promise.

Salmon in Parchment with Curried Yogurt Sauce

For the Salmon

2 salmon fillets (I used wild king salmon)
1 tbsp basil (chopped)
6 lemon slices
salt & pepper for seasoning the fish
2 sheets of 15 inch parchment

For the Curried Yogurt

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic (finely minced)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cilantro (chopped)
1/2 tsp mint (chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 400. Place each salmon fillet in the middle of your sheet of parchment. Make 3 deep slits with your knife in each fillet. Stuff the slits with the basil. Season the fish with salt and pepper and lay the 3 lemon slices on top of each piece. Fold the parchment paper in half and cut into a large half circle, discarding the cut scraps of paper. Place the fish on one side of the half circle, fold the other side over so the cut sides meet, and roll and press the open edges together until it creates a sealed package for the fish. Set each parchment package on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, curry, cayenne, garlic, salt, cilantro and mint together in a medium bowl. Set aside. I like to blanch green beans, zucchini and carrots to go under this dish. A bed of arugula is delicious as well.

Once the fish is cooked, cut through the parchment, remove the fish and top with the curried yogurt sauce.

Guest Post by Leah - Summer Tomato Sauce

What? You think I'd give you meatballs without a recipe for sauce? No way. I leave you with a guest post from Leah. And by the way? If you have access to the Dirty Girl Dry Farmed Tomatoes she recommends, I highly suggest you pick some up right away. Just leave a few for me.

Summer Tomato Sauce - Guest Post by Leah

A few weeks ago I was visiting a friend in Brooklyn. She was living in an old Italian neighborhood – the kind where the old ladies sit in their lawn chairs on one side of the street and yell things back and forth with their men who “take meetings” on the other side.

One day, when my friend and I were walking back from a long day traipsing through the hot and muggy city, Viki, a 60+ white haired lady with a classic Brooklyn accent, yelled after us, “You gals want a tomato?"

Had I heard this dame correctly, was she offering us a tomato?

Yes, yes she was.

She pushed a tomato that looked a lot like herself: plump, bright and red. It was tangy, juicy, and deliciously cool and it came directly from her very own garden. It was summer incarnate.

Viki doesn’t eat the tomatoes herself. But her husband Mario told me that she does make a mean sauce.

When Elissa suggested making pasta with tomato sauce and lamb meatballs for dinner, it sounded perfect. I normally think of this as a cold weather meal, but it is certainly NOT cold here. In fact, it is downright hot. With some olive bread, a caesar-ish salad and a sauce made from fresh and tangy tomatoes, the delicious comfort of this dinner made everything seem a little better. Plus, I knew there would be some jug wine from Preston, and good teamwork-cooking involved. The thought alone brought me to my happy place.

I think it might have even made Viki smile.

This is a very simple tangy tomato sauce. If tomatoes aren’t in season, you can use canned tomatoes. I like to cook my pasta until just before it is al dente in salted water and then finish the last little bit of cooking right in the sauce so that the flavor really permeates.

Light and Tangy Tomato Sauce

3lbs fresh tomatoes (we used Dirty Girl Farms dry farmed tomatoes)

1 medium white onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 can tomato paste

1 fresh red chili (jalapeño) cut in half with the seeds removed

1/2 cup Olive Oil

Salt to taste

½ tbsp Fresh Oregano – chopped (can use dried)

2 tbsp Fresh Basil – chopped

Peel the tomatoes by scoring an X in the bottom of each tomato. Bring a pot of water to a boil (you can save this water to boil pasta if you want) and drop each tomato into the water for about 30 seconds. Transfer the tomatoes with a slotted spoon or tongs into ice water. The peel should slide right off the fruit.

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a sauce pot for 5-7 minutes or until translucent. Squeeze the peeled tomatoes into the onion and garlic mixture. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomato paste, and drop in the chili halves. Add chopped oregano. Salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes to 3 hours.

If the sauce is a little thick, you can thin it out by adding ½ -2 cups of the pasta cooking water.

Another "What to do With Tomatoes" Post - Erika's Homemade Tomato Salsa

You can search high and low for the perfect salsa recipe for years and not find the one that's exactly to your taste. Salsa is the Meryl Streep of dips. Totally and completely versatile. You can use just about any base you like, be it mango, cucumber, melon or tomato. Sweet or spicy, there are just so may ways to go about it.

I found my definitive salsa on my Sister's porch in Ashland while visiting several years ago. I'd brought some friends along, and we were enjoying the sun and munching on chips when Erika decided to whip together this salsa. One taste and we were sold! I don't feel much of a need to keep searching anymore. This is it for me. Though once again, it's one of those dishes that really only makes sense when all the ingredients are at their peak, and the outside temperature is above 80 degrees.

I made this last night alongside my favorite fish tacos. I don't want to brag, but the person who shared alongside them said something along the lines of "These might be the best fish tacos I have ever had." They also moaned a bit upon tasting the salsa. I highly suggest running out to the store and making them both at your earliest convenience. A perfect summer dinner.


Erika's Homemade Salsa

4-5 good heirloom tomatoes, chopped (I mixed in cherry tomatoes as well)
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 sweet onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or diced
1 jalapeno pepper (seeds removed and diced)
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and a little bit of sugar to taste

Mix everything together and serve with chips, in tacos or whatever you like.

Lonely Basil - Basil & Almond Pesto

It is always the case with Basil. I buy it to use a bit in one recipe, and then tend to forget the sad little bunch wasting away in the fridge after having used only a few leaves. This is why I'm carefully tending my own small pot of basil, hopefully to use only what I need this summer. So far this tiny little pot has been giving me a run for my money. I've never claimed to have a green thumb, and tend to be quite suspicious of any living green type thing that enters my apartment, but as of yet, I have only almost killed it once! And that was due only to an abnormal heat wave in April! So you see, I really can't take all the credit, and after shriveling sadly in the heat it came back quite nicely in a cold water bath. Success! As you can see, it's still too small for culinary use, and so, until my plant has sprouted the proper amount, I buy my basil, and do my best to not forget about it...

Small but (soon to be) mighty!

And then I open the fridge a few days later, and there it is. The store-bought basil, looking so forlorn and alone on the shelf. Pesto came to mind, but I was out of pine nuts. And so, I decided to experiment. Pesto with almonds! It turned out quite well, if I do say so, and I've been scooping it onto pasta with a bit of goat cheese and lemon. Delicious!




About 20 raw, unsalted almonds
1 bunch basil
a few glugs of good olive oil, enough to make the mixture wet.
1 large clove of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

I look for any excuse to use my hand blender, which worked perfectly for this recipe. So much easier than a regular blender, or lugging out the food processor. Throw all the ingredients together, plunge in the hand blender and blend until well mixed! Taste for salt, add as needed.

The Best Salad - Mom's Salad Dressing (Basic French Vinaigrette)

My Mother always makes the best salad. Everyone says so. No one ever offers to take this dish at potlucks, they leave it to the professional.

Not that my Mother was a professional cook, not at all. She has a fairly standard repertoire (be it chicken, pasta, steak or her famous pecan sandie cookies) but it is always delicious and comforting. I think that's true for many people. In the end, the things we really crave and what feels most nourishing are the foods that were cooked by our Mothers. And for me, tasting her salad dressing when I'm home always signals that I am indeed, at home. Tucked into the table with a glass of red wine, the people I love and the most loyal dog of all time curled up under my chair.

Mom's Salad Dressing (or your basic French Vinaigrette)

2 parts good olive oil (I suggest Bariani which can be found at Whole Foods)
1 part red wine or sherry vinegar
1 clove chopped garlic (I don't care what Anthony Bourdain says, I love my garlic press and use it constantly)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl with a fork. Dress almost any manner of salad. Especially delicious on baby arugula, butterleaf, mixed greens, chopped romaine. I like to toast up pumpkin seeds or pinenuts and finely slice red onion to go in the salad. Also great with thinly sliced cucumbers, apples or pared grapefruit.