dkennedy's Profile
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
Going a little off course again tonight. Dinner is being pulled from the pages of Cod and Country. While I'm not cooking out of a Spanish cookbook, the recipes could be interpreted as Spanish inspired, at least that is what I'm telling myself. As my trip grows closer (we are leaving on Friday), it is becoming clearer and clearer I will not be able to make my way through any more Moro recipes. At least, not until I get back! Tonight I'll be serving salmon poached in red wine sauce, accompanied by roasted pears and a warm, lentil dish which calls for smoked paprika.
Though I won't be cooking again until mid-June, I'll be reading everyones' posts, provided I get internet access where I am staying in France. Au Revoir.
The Cookbook of the Month for June 2012 will be: The Homesick Texan Cookbook, by Lisa Fain
Me too.
The Cookbook of the Month for June 2012 will be: The Homesick Texan Cookbook, by Lisa Fain
See, this is what is so fantastic about COTM club. I would have never in a million years chosen to make the Tex Mex Squash Casserole. But after your post, I looked at it with new eyes and I am intrigued - a family favorite? I look forward to being persuaded.
By the by, I posted a bunch of notes on EYB about the dishes I have tried out of this book. When the thread goes up, I will cut and paste my notes into the various categories - but I may not get to doing this until mid month because of my trip. Enjoy Homesick Texan without me until I return!!!! I can't believe it won on a month I'll only be able to participate 1/2 the time. Ironic.
June 2012 Cookbook of the Month Voting is Now Open!
Her blog is pretty comprehensive. You will have no problem only cooking off the blog.
June 2012 Cookbook of the Month Voting is Now Open!
MUST.....CHIME....IN.....
I know I vowed to keep out of this race, but I just have to vote for HOMESICK TEXAN. Love, love, love this book. Plus, the blog is indexed on EYB so pretty much everyone will be able to access the recipes.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Soups, Vegetables, Starches, and Legumes Thread
It was!!
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Soups, Vegetables, Starches, and Legumes Thread
Taking a break from my Spanish meals to have good ol steak and potatoes. Making marinated rib eye with gorgonzola sauce, sautéed mushrooms, and oven roasted potatoes. I could kick myself for not making the patatas bravas but it is too late to amend the menu. Hope to be back on course as of Thursday night.
June 2012 Cookbook of the Month Nominations Are Now Open!
Me too. I have only 5 of them at this point but if motivated to cook out of them, I'd be willing to acquire the rest.
June 2012 Cookbook of the Month Nominations Are Now Open!
BC, I know I am sitting this one out, but if you are considering small plates for next-next month, consider a street food month: A personal favorite: The World of Street Food by Troth Wells.
I am a big fan of street food! I have 3 street food cookbooks and I love them all.
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
Blue room,
This lentil dish is a "small plate" item. That is the way it is served at the restaurant, but at home I usually serve it as a first course or as a side dish. It is to be eaten with a fork.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Tapas and First Courses Thread
I chickened out of trying these the other day. Made the easy shrimp dish from FOS instead. Will try this one next week. Thanks Qianning.
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
Mutumma (Lamb Stew with White Beans and Coriander) p. 221 Casa Moro
Reporting back about how the stew came out: I really liked this dish. Wanted to love it, but something was missing. The paprika was wonderful. Next time I will start with an anchovy (in place of some of the salt). I learned this trick from a Jaime Oliver recipe and I really have seen it make a difference in my lamb dishes. Don't know why I didn't think of doing it here. The cooking time was perfect, the meat became fall apart tender. Maybe soothing acidic added near the end to cut the fatty richness of the lamb. A splash of sherry vinegar? A squirt of lemon?
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
Mutumma (Lamb Stew with White Beans and Coriander) p. 221 Casa Moro
You might recall that during March's nomination thread I mentioned taking Casa Moro on loan from my local library. I instantly became smitten. I think that is how the discussion about the various Moro cookbooks was spawned. Much to my surprise, Moro ultimately won this month and I couldn't be happier - or more motivated to cook! I have already surpassed my usual participation and it is only the 11th. Yesterday another copy of Casa Moro became available and my local library so I decided to check it back out.
I paged through it last night while enjoying an episode of The Big Bang Theory. This dish sounded too good to pass by.
It's on the stovetop right now and my house smells divine. It was super easy to prepare so if it is 1/2 as delicious as it smells it will become a regular around here. The recipe calls for dumping the following into a large pot: 1 kg. boneless lamb shank (or shoulder), stalks of 2 bunches coriander, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 3 T. olive oil, 2 t. sweet paprika and 1 t. hot paprika, 3/4 lbs. chard, s and p. Cover and cook this over low heat for 2 1/2 hours. That is the point I am at right now. After 2 1/2 hours add cannellini beans, the tops of the coriander bunches, and another 3/4 lbs. chard. Cook for 20 more minutes.
For mine 1 used lamb shank (boneless), 1 t. smoked paprika, 1 t. bittersweet paprika, and 1 t. sweet paprika. I also used 1 can precooked cannellini beans. Can't wait to try it!
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
And then there're the completed dishes that I think are terrific, and my family doesn't quite "get"! I come across this reaction far too often.
Last nights dinner was laughably effortless and yet my daughter asked for seconds (which never happens), so did my DH, and my son said make it again. Meanwhile when I do go through the effort to make a complicated, layered dish it is usually lost on the kids. Frustrating!
May 2012 Cookbook of the Month: "Food of Spain" and "Moro: the Cookbook"
My copy of Casa Moro just came in at the library. Tonight I am planning on trying a very interesting lamb stew featuring lamb shoulder, paprika, chard, white bean and coriander. Should I post in the Companion thread or in the regular Moro thread under the appropriate section?
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
Pollo al Ajillo, p. 220 Moro Cookbook
Well, my family ended up loving this dish though I can't imagine why. I thought it was just so-so.
June 2012 Cookbook of the Month Nominations Are Now Open!
I will be out of the country for the first 10 days of June and I am guessing there will be very little in the way of home cooked meals going on in our house during the following weeks. For this reason, I am going to sit this one out. I'll enjoy living vicariously through all of you while I read the discussion.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
Pollo al Ajillo, p. 220 Moro Cookbook
Although the reviews above are not all raves, I am going to try my hand at this recipe tonight. I have boneless, skinless chicken thighs defrosting in the sink right now and that is my main motivation for trying this dish. I am hoping that my family approves, because my dinner last night was a bust. No plan yet as to what to serve alongside.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
Well, my dinner last night was a total disaster - except for the shrimp dish. Thanks to Caitlin, my family at least had a pound of yummy shrimp to eat. I planned on making the clams with sherry as a starter (3-4 clams each); shrimp as the next course and a buckwheat noodle dish as the main dish. The buckwheat noodle dish was a complete disaster so that left clams and shrimp as the entire meal. The clams also turned out yukky (my fault, I did not rinse them well enough and did not add enough cooking liquid so the sauce was terribly briny). My son had 2 servings of the shrimp, as did my daughter, and DH and I drank a lot to compensate for the tiny portions we were allotted.
We did thoroughly enjoy the shrimp dish and this is a perfect recipe for nights when you only have about 5 minutes to prepare dinner. I will make it again and again I am sure.
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
I live in LA where we have a wonderful, unpretentious, Tapas Bar (no small feat in La-la land), called Cobras and Matadors. I have been going there for years and one of my favorite tapas is a Pan-Fried Lentil dish that is served warm. Here is my closest approximation of the recipe. Try it this month as an accompaniment to any of your other Tapa based meals.
Cobra and Matador's Inspired Pan-Fried Lentils
Ingredients:
1 cup small black lentils
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 oz pancetta, finely chopped
1 cup dry sherry
splash sherry vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
Place lentils in salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until not quite tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Using same heavy bottomed pot, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta. Cook until crispy. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, and lentils. Allow the lentils start to crisp up. When just about ready to serve, add the green onions.
Meanwhile, In a separate pan, cook sherry over medium high heat until reduced by half. Add honey and cook for about 1 more minute, stirring sauce constantly. You may also want to add a splash of vinegar (sherry or white wine vinegar) to give the dish that finished taste.
Pour the glaze over the lentils, and toss well, making sure the lentils are evenly coated with the glaze. Serve immediately.
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
Wow, Spainkitchen, thank you so much for posting this information on "Pimentón, in Translation." I look forward to reading your entire article on your blog.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
Thank you Caitlin, I am just about to start dinner. Great article too.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
So I have a pound of shelled, devained shrimp in my fridge right now but no copy of THE FOOD OF SPAIN, CLAUDIA RODEN, Shrimp with Garlic, p. 303. I get the gist from the reports above, but if someone wouldn't mind filling in the blank...I'd appreciate it. Specifically, how much olive oil and garlic are called for?
May 2012 COTM Spanish Month Companion Thread
The tuna I bought (Tonnino brand) is packed with oregano in olive oil. It is a glass jar filled with fillets of Yellowfin tuna and goes for $6.98 for 6.7 oz. I haven't tried it yet but I am hoping it is a step above the tuna I usually buy form TJs which, btw, is also pretty good.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
Oh sorry, Moro cookbook on page 213
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Soups, Vegetables, Starches, and Legumes Thread
Clams with Manzanilla, p 88, Moro Cookbook
I don't want to jinx it but I am on fire. I have never made this many recipes out of a COTM this early in the game - ever! I think this recipe brings me to number 7.
Steamed clams in sherry. I used Fino, as the back of the book described Fino and Manzanilla as being very similar in composition. These were by far the best clams I have ever made at home. A simple recipe, perfect for a week night fare, provided you could run by the fish market on the way home from work. I picked mine up just prior to picking up the kids from school, so they had to sit on ice in my car for an hour (it was a cool day so no worries). The clams were briny and buttery and I wish I had bought more.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Miscellaneous Thread
Sherry Vinegar dressing, pg. 258, Moro Cookbook
A simple vinaigrette but it worked well with the butter bean salad. I reduced the ratio of oil to 2 to 1 instead of 4 to 1 and I included the squeeze of lemon.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Miscellaneous Thread
Tahini Sauce, p. 255 Moro Cookbook
Perfect flavor and consistency. Made a batch to drizzle over the grilled chicken wings mentioned on page 39, but it tasted equally good as a dip for celery sticks and slices of grilled chorizo. Yum! Make this one!
