My yelp career

In an effort to give back to the yelp community, I've started to review restaurants and local businesses. Since my job is probably going to take over my life for the next 6 months to infinity, I'll probably have more time to review restaurants than actually post recipes (sad, I know!). Still, I will link to my reviews in case you care to check out what I think about everything & anything!

Recently reviewed:

Afrah - Middle eastern/lebanese.
5 stars

Oishii Sushi - Japanese
4 stars

York Street - amazing, modern american
5 stars

The Jalopy (Austin) - Rotisserie chicken paninis
5 stars - if only I give more....

I don't only give good ratings..

Deep Sushi - sushi bar
2 stars

Banh Mi Ba Lee- Vietnamese sandwiches
3 stars

I'll keep linking my reviews - let me know if they are helpful!

Perfect poached eggs

Breakfast - I can't find the words to describe how much I love this meal. I used to skip breakfast in lieu of coffee and perhaps a piece of toast. Then two important people in my life made me see the endless possibilities for this meal. Both my boyfriend and my sister are breakfast aficionados. In particular, they like eggs. Fried eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs... runny yolk - always, please.

After a long battle to learn how to poach "pretty eggs" - you know, restaurant style - I've finally mastered the art. It's not that hard, but sometimes I think my lack of coordination impairs me in the kitchen :P

For anyone else who has struggled poaching eggs - this is the post for you. It's nothing new - I didn't reinvent the poaching wheel. It just works for me.

Poached egg

Ingredients:
Egg (organic, cage-free & fresh!)
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I've used other kinds when not available)

Tools:
Small pot
Ramekin or small cup/bowl
Bowl of cold water (if you are poaching multiple eggs)
Slotted spoon (it's almost impossible to get the eggs out of the water without one)

Heat water until it's just about to boil, but not boiling. If you have a thermometer, 180-195F is perfect. Add vinegar.

Crack your FRESH egg into a the small bowl. It's important to have a fresh egg because the whites will cling to the yolk better and thus stay together as you poach.

Create a whirlpool in your hot water with a wooden spoon. Don't be shy with the speed of your vortex, you need this motion to encourage the egg whites to wrap around the yolk. This step is the KEY to a "pretty" poached egg. So, create your whilepool and then pour your egg into the center from the ramekin. Do this as close to the water as you can to keep everything clean.

Set a timer for 4 minutes and wait patiently.

With a slotted spoon, remove your beautiful bundle of egg-iness and place into the cold water bath. Then, poach the rest.

Once you are down poaching like a maniac, you can warm up all the eggs together in hot water for 30 seconds. This way- you can serve everyone at the same time!

Long live eggs!

Piquillo "Rouille"

I put quotes around "Rouille" because technically, I did not make a traditional Rouille. What is Rouille? you ask. According to wikipedia, it means "rust" in French and is a spicy saffron-y cousin of aioli (mayonnaise). To me, it holds much more appeal than mayonnaise ever will. While you have to be careful not to separate your concoction, fresh Rouille will be a staple accompaniment to seafood dishes (like mussels) in my kitchen. This recipe was adapted from F&W magazine.

My crime in making the "Rouille" - I did not use saffron. Oops? Maybe next time.

Piquillo Rouille

Ingredients

1/4 cup homemade fish stock (plus 2 tablespoons to dissolve saffron)
Large pinch of saffron (in my kitchen, you can omit this)
One 1/4 inch slice of peasant bread, no crust
1 egg yolk - fresh & organic for best results
1 jarred piquillo pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, smashed in mortar & pestal or chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Dash of Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation

I had a little trouble using Poin's food processor for the job because it was too big. I ended up using the mortal and pestal, which I read is an option. If you have a smaller food processor, I think it would work or just use the M&P from the beginning.

So, if you are using the saffron - heat 2 tablespoons of fish stock in the microwave for 30 seconds and add the saffron to dissolve.

In a large bowl, soak the bread in the remaining 1/4 cup fish stock.

In the food processor or M&P, puree the soaked bread, egg yolk, piquillo pepper, garlic and lemon juice until smooth. Add the saffron stock. With the machine on, SLOWLY, and I repeat, SLOWLY pour in the olive oil. Seriously, if you do it too fast, then your Rouille will separate and you'll be heartbroken. If you are using the M&P, add the olive oil little by little and mix well before adding more.

Season with cayenne and salt and serve!

This will keep for a few days, but don't wait too long to consume because the flavor changes after 1 night in the fridge and the raw egg is (sorta) a hazard.

Fennel Mussels

I may be behind the curve, but I recently discovered that Food & Wine magazine is quite the publication. I picked up a copy at CM the other day and found a myriad of interesting recipes. When I read an article on a Sonoma winemaker who "forages mussels from the nearby coast," I was instantly attracted to the idea of cooking my own. Poin and I tend to judge restaurants on how well they make mussels, so I decided to put myself to the test. Turns out... mussels... ain't that hard! And... bonus ... $12.00 will feed two people easily - much cheaper than ordering a bowl at a good restaurant. Btw - for Dallasites, The Grape makes a scrumptious batch.



Served with piquillo rouille and made with homemade fish stock.

Fennel Mussels

Ingredients

2 lbs of Mussels (Prince Edward Island or PEI)
1 head of fennel, cored and diced plus 1/4 cup of chopped fronds
1 medium onion (I used half of a large white), diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 3/4 cups of fish stock (or bottled clam broth)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

Preparation (less than an hour)

In a large pot, heat up your olive oil. Be sure to always heat your oil when cooking because if you don't, then your onions tend to soak instead of cook. Add the diced fennel, onions, and garlic and cook for approx 7 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour in the fish broth and bring to a boil. The F&W recipe calls for 1/2 cup of Pernod, but I omitted this b/c I didn't feel like buying it. Turned out fine!

Add the mussels, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Shake the pot as the mussels cook and try not to open the lid because the steam is important! After 5 minutes, you should find that all of the mussels have opened. Pile them into a bowl and discard any that stayed closed. Stir in the butter to the broth (don't worry, it's not very much butter!) and add the fennel fronds and parsley. Season with salt and pour broth over the mussels. Serve & enjoy!

Addicted to tomatoes

Drool. When i saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen's blog yesterday, I had a faint idea of the amazingness that slow-roasted tomatoes produce. Today, my taste buds delighted in the true glory of the tomato. Basically, when you slow-roast a tomato, you produce something similar to sun-dried tomato. Only, these are better! I'll never go back!

Seriously, these are like candy. Addictive crack-cocaine candy. I am salivating on the keys of my mac as I type. It took all my will power not to pop morsel after delicious morsel into my mouth before dinner. I can't wait to make these into a brushcetta or put them into my next pasta sauce. Or perhaps they'll accompany an omelet tomorrow? Who knows!

Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes

Ingredient
1 box of cherry tomatoes
Kosher salt
Finely ground pepper
Olive oil
**eassssyyy

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 225.

Cut tomatoes in half and arrange on parchment paper. Include a clove or 2 of garlic (I didn't have any!). Drizzle each tomato with a drop of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 3+ hours. I went grocery shopping and signed a lease for my new apartment and they STILL weren't done. Mine took about 3.5 hours.



Smitten Kitchen says you can store them in a jar in oil in your fridge. Other sources say you can freeze them too! Summer all the time!

Crimini Criminals!

I've been thinking about stuffed mushrooms for about 2 months. My fungi fantasies can be traced by to a fateful afternoon when Tanya and I visited one of our favorite eateries: Portabla. Discovered two years ago by Poin, Portabla has been a regular on our Austin go-to's. Their paninis are inspiring and the chicken salad is the best I've ever tasted. Anyways, I am digressing. On this glorious afternoon, John, one of the owners, was preparing a tapas plate for a catered event. He had a spare stuffed mushroom that he generously let me taste.... and I was hooked.

Fast forward 2 months, and I created my own delectable darlings. These would be great to take a party as an appetizer!

Spinach and Feta stuffed Crimini Mushrooms

Ingredients

3 shallots diced
1 clove of garlic minced
14 Crimini mushrooms, caps & stems
1 big handful of fresh spinach leaves (substitute with thawed frozen spinach)
1.5 ounces of feta (I used Bulgarian from Central Market, only $2.00 for a whole block!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350.

Remove the stems and dice. Saute on stems on medium/high heat with shallots and garlic for 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add spinach leaves and cover pan with a lid to wilt the leaves. Then saute together until spinach is cooked.

In a food processor, mix together sauted items and feta cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and place mushroom caps. Fill each cap with spinach feta mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes.



*These can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature. I warmed them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes and served. Yum!

After reflecting, Poin & I decided that they were pretty "f***ing" good, but could possibly benefit from sage and..... pancetta. Mmmm. pork.

Australia!

You know when you go on trips and you just crave food from home?

Well, I did not experience taste-realted-home-sickness during my time in Australia. I loved the produce there - almost everything is local due to strict quarantine rules. You can shop from markets more easily than visiting a (frowned-upon) supermarket. The approach to eating is less processed - across the board. Chain restaurants aren't popular and ethnic cuisine is on every corner. Authentic thai, halal butchers, fresh lebanese bread, flaky french pastries, and delicious coffee. Everywhere.

Australia may only conjure images of koalas and beaches, so I compiled images to illustrate the deliciousness I experienced. *I did take other photos of non-food items, btw!


Roasted pumpkin and feta on turkish bread with poached organic eggs. Sydney.


Fresh vegetables at the Victoria Markets. Melbourne.


Grilled lamb chops with cous-cous and butternut squash. Melbourne.


Lemon mojitos. Sunshine Coast.


Fish & Chips! Sydney (post 6 hour bike ride. no joke)


Lebanese Meat Pizza (Anthony Bourdain ate here!). Melbourne.


My knife skills! Melbourne.


Kangaroo Pizza. Kangaroo, btw, is a sustainable meat choice in Australia. Sydney.


Wine. Morning Peninsula.