Forward Momentum.

Some news:
I will no longer be working 3-4 nights at the bar. Frees up an immense amount of time for me each week. I have some big plans ahead for this little blog. The lists of things I want to do, cook and create can finally be started.
As you were,
-A

Miso Glazed Salmon and Roasted Squash with Blood Oranges

A few weeks ago, Gavin and I hopped on our bikes and road downtown for dinner. We tend to be a little provincial when it comes to dining, and stick with the many wonderful restaurants in our area of Northern Liberties/Fishtown. It was time to try something new. It was a lovely evening out together, however, aside from the company, the meal was rather unmemorable. The only dish that was worth noting was the miso-glazed salmon. Not to be a total grump, but it wasn't so good that it made me want to replicate it. It was more Hmm, I think I can do this. And for the price of one entree, I made dinner for three. Start with the squash, finish with the salmon.

Miso Glazed Salmon and Roasted Squash with Blood Oranges

Serves 4


Squash:

• 1 large butternut squash
• Olive Oil
• 3 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp allspice
• 3 blood oranges
• Fresh chopped basil

Salmon:

• 3 tbsp white miso
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp orange zest (from blood orange)
• Four 8-oz. servings of sustainable salmon filets (I used line-caught wild Alaskan Salmon)
• salt & pepper
• Vegetable Oil

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the squash using a durable vegetable peeler. Split in half and remove stringy flesh and seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/2" cubes and lay out on roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and add brown sugar and all spice. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender. Peel and dice the blood oranges and chop the basil, set both aside. While this is roasting, start the salmon. 

Mix the miso, sugar, vinegar and oil in a bowl- set aside. Add vegetable oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Season the salmon with salt & pepper. Once skillet is hot, add filets to pan skin side up and sear for 2 minutes. Remove to a pan, skin side down, and spoon the miso glaze over the filets. With the squash still in the oven, place the salmon on the top rack. Bake the salmon for 3-4 minutes. Switch the oven to broil (if you are able) and broil for roughly 4 minutes; the glaze should begin to blister. Remove the salmon and squash from the oven. Plate both, adding the blood oranges and basil to the squash. 

Cheers!

-A

Coq au Vin

You should know something about me... I live for dinner parties. It's the highlight of any week. Far more intimate than any restaurant, a good time to slow down, connect with friends. My rule is: If I am cooking, you bring the drinks. Which is a great rule to have, and I have very generous friends. So the past two weeks my kitchen table has been the island of misfit wine bottles.

So, I decided to try my hand at Julia Child's Coq au Vin, or Rooster in Wine. When cooking with wine it is important to NEVER cook with wine you wouldn't drink, white or red.

I paired the chicken with sauted mushrooms and fresh english peas, caramelized onions, and roasted brocolli and raddishes.

Coq Au Vin

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking; serves 3-4

• 3 strips of bacon, cut into strips
• 2 1/2 lb frying chicken (I used chicken thighs)
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup cognac (I used Hennessey)
• 2 1/2 cups full-bodied wine like Beaujolais or Chianti
• 1 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato past
• 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and place a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon strips and cook until cripsy, set aside. Place the chicken in the bacon fat and brown on both sides. Season with salt & pepper, and return bacon to the pot. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 15 minutes, flipping the chicken once. Uncover the pot and add cognac. Using a match, and turning away your face, ignite the cognac- will not be too dramatic. Shake the pot to put out the flame after a few seconds. Add the wine, stock, tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes.

Serve with the sides of your choice.

Here's my problem: Braised meats, one of my all time favorite things to cook/eat, are delicious, but not too photogenic. You will just have to take my word on how satisfying this dish is.

 -A

Seared Scallops with Orange Gastrique

I have been holding on to this recipe for a while, waiting for the weather to break. For some reason, seafood just tastes better when sitting outdoors in the warm night air, sipping a crisp, cool glass of Vino Verde.
The meal started with a trip to Ippolito's. I cannot praise this store enough, such a selection, such a helpful staff! I purchased New Jersey Dry Day Boat Scallops. I learned that the 'dry, day boat' refers to the boat trip and scallop harvesting: the scallops were caught during a single-day boat trip from a local source. This means that no chemicals were added to preserve, and they were not part of a trawling, multi-day fishing trip. Quick, local, additive-free: that's good seafood.
Gastriques are a reduction sauce in which sugar and vinegar react over heat to lightly caramelize. The caramel is then cooked with the stock or other liquids, in this case orange juice. Not as syrupy as an agrodolce, but an excellent pan sauce to accompany a protein like duck or seafood.

Seared Scallops with Orange Gastrique
Adopted from Bon Appetit, serves 4


Gastrique:

• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock

Scallops:

• 20 large sea scallops
• 2 tbsp canola oil, or sunflower oil*
• Salt & pepper

*The smoke point is higher for these oils than Olive oil, so it can withstand the heat of the skillet, but olive oil will work

Start by rinsing the scallops and thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly dry with paper towel so there is no moisture in the scallops.  This will allow the scallops to caramelize and get the desired crispy, browned layer.  Season with salt & pepper. 

Place sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar begins to melt, stir until it dissolves. Without stirring, allow to cook for 3 minutes until golden brown- not burnt. Add the vinegar, which will cause the mixture to harden. Stir so the caramel mixture melts, about a minute. Add the orange juice and boil for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and allow the mixture to cook down for roughly 15 minutes; gastrique will coat a spoon when finished. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the pan to get HOT. Place the scallops in and sear for roughly 2 minutes per side. Serve with a small amount of gastrique. 

-A

Coconut Quinoa Porridge with Mango

A lazy, sunny weekend afternoon is a rare, but valuable commodity in my book. Things have a slower pace, and everyone seems to appreciate this.

Adriane is busy planting our seedings, most of the heirloom tomato variety, as well as these adorable easter egg hatchlings. Josh is doing what he does best, chain-smoking and joking. And I am in the kitchen, my blender mixing away a batch of smoothies, while I cook.

Coconut Quinoa Porridge with Mango

Serves 4

• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 3 cups water (optional 1/2 cup cream)
• pinch of cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 mango, peeled and diced

Soak the quinoa in a bowl of water and let rest for 15 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the quinoa and rinse it. Place in a pan with the coconut milk and water over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce to low, add the brown sugar and cinnamon (Add in the optional 1/2 cup cream to make it more creamy). Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add additional brown sugar if you like and serve with fresh mango. 

Rise & Shine
-A

Roasted Asparagus and Poached Egg with Lemon Vinaigrette

It's time to put the potatoes and root vegetables away, Spring harvests are starting to arrive! The first signs of Spring started to arrive in my weekly CSA; delicate bags of fragrant herbs, fresh broccoli rabe, and vibrant little radishes. During yesterday's trip to the Italian Market in South Philly, every little produce stand had big, hearty bundles of asparagus stalks. Asparagus are just coming into season now, mid-April until June. It seems like every menu I read has specials showcasing asparagus. My food magazines had some asparagus recipe highlights as well, including a wonderful article in Bon Appetit from Melissa Hamilton, sister of the acclaimed author/chef Gabrielle Hamilton.

Melissa's article inspired me to whip up a light lunch using my fresh asparagus. This would be an excellent side dish or salad substitute as well.

Roasted Asparagus and Poached Egg with Lemon Viaigrette


Ingredients (for two)

• 1 bundle of medium sized asparagus
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• White Pepper
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

Dressing

• 1 small shallot, minced
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup of cider vinegar

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Clean and trim the asparagus. Place the stalks on a baking sheet and drizzle oil over them. Season with sea salt, but not too much. Roast for 20 minutes. 

While this the asparagus is roasting, make the vinaigrette. Whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.  

Fill a shallow pan half-way with water and 1 tbsp. white vinegar and bring to simmer over medium high heat. Crack eggs into two separate, small bowls.  Add to the water and allow to cook for 2 minutes, or until the egg whites take shape. Remove with a slotted spoon and dab with a paper towel. Full details on how to poach and egg can be found here. 

Plate the asparagus, splitting it up evenly and spoon some vinaigrette onto the stalks. Top each plate with a poached egg and season with white pepper. 

Oh, I also got my first paying gig to write about food/recipes for the examiner.com. It's a small step, but in the right direction. This recipe is duplicated here, but I will try my best to keep the recipes/articles unique for both sites.

-A

Roast Pork with Cilantro Sauce and a Paloma Cocktail

It's rare that I buy the ingredients without knowing their purpose, but I (impulsively) bought a 6 lb. pork shoulder from my butcher. I found an old recipe for a roast pork in a issue of Saveur that seemed up my alley. I trimmed the fat off and saved a roughly 2 pounds for another use, leaving me with a 4 lb roast. It was a hit at home.

Roast Pork with Cilantro Sauce
Adapted from Saveur (roughly 6 servings)

Pork Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. paprika
• 2 tbsp.  light brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  4-lb. piece trimmed, boneless pork shoulder
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 4 shallots, unpeeled and halved lengthwise
• 2 tbsp. canola oil

 Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 green cardamom pod
• 1⁄2 cup minced cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, 
•    and minced
• 3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste

Trim the pork, but not removing all fat. Put coriander, fennel, and cumin in an 8" skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling pan to toast the seeds about 5 minutes. Coarsely grind seeds in a spice grinder and transfer to a small bowl. Add paprika, sugar, and garlic and stir. Put pork on a plate and season generously with salt and the spice mixture. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Make the herb sauce while the pork is resting, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Put coriander, cumin, and cardamom in an 8" skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling pan occasionally, to toast the seeds for 5 minutes. Finely grind seeds in a spice grinder and transfer to a medium bowl along with cilantro, garlic, and chile. Using a fork, whisk in olive oil and season sauce with salt and set aside. I pureed mine with a hand mixer, your choice though.

Heat canola oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides for 5 minutes. Place shallots cut side down under pork. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork reads 125°, 50 minutes. Transfer pork and shallots to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. To serve, slice pork thinly and transfer to a platter along with shallots and sauce.

Paloma Cocktail

This drink is more popular in Mexico than the Margarita. My friend Sara whipped these up at a dinner party and they were so refreshing. It helps that they are easy to make. Grapefruit soda can be found at most food stores or in Spanish grocers.

Paloma

• 2 oz. tequilla, blanco or respoda
• grapefruit soda
• Juice from one grapefruit
• Kosher salt
• Lime wedge

Rim a high ball glass, or mason jar, with the salt. Add a few ice cubes. Pour the tequilla over the ice. Top with the fresh grapefruit juice and soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.

It is the perfect drink for this pork dish and will be a staple of my cocktail repertoire for the warmer months ahead.

-A