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Posts from the ‘Main Dish’ Category

Apr 25

Chipotle chilaquiles (a tasty exercise in fridge diving)

chilaquiles_2

Fridge diving (aka “kitchen scrounging”) should not be underestimated as a handy skill, particularly for an everyday or last-minute dinner.  It can take a bit of creativity, flexibility, and technical skill to put together something delicious from what you happen to find around your kitchen, but often to very good results!  Maybe you find a head of cauliflower beginning to live out its last days in the back of your refrigerator, a stale butt of a baguette, and half a bag of pasta. (Penne with roasted cauliflower and garlicky bread crumbs, anyone?) Or maybe it’s an open can of coconut milk. A few spoonfuls of leftover salsa. Unidentifiable grains scooped out from the bulk bin at the grocery store. Read more

Feb 20

Chili beans with shredded greens

The weather here has been really lovely lately – a little unpredictable, but generally warm, sunny, and clear – and … wait. I think I’m breaking some cardinal rule by broadcasting what the weather is like here in Southern California in February.  I also probably shouldn’t mention that on Valentine’s Day we had lunch outside without jackets. But now it’s done, so I think we should just recognize that winter weather in Southern California is generally pretty awesome, and then move on.

What I was going to say was that on Saturday my good friend Nika drove up from San Diego and the weather was absolutely perfect for a somewhat challenging little hike in the Claremont Wilderness Park.  The recent rains left everything much greener than normal, and it was even warm (and uphill) enough for a while to hike in just a t-shirt.  We hiked around and talked about work, and travel, and college memories, and it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Onion

Shredded_greens

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Feb 1

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Taqueria night 2 of 2: Chipotle-tomato pork tacos with queso fresco and homemade crema, fried plantains with homemade cajeta

Two nights of authentic taqueria dinners. Why not? This post details night 2 of 2. 

Night two, quite different than the first, even with many of the same elements.

Mexican_dinner_4

Start out with some sweet, tangy Mexican sangria. Bring out more of those homemade tortillas, heirloom beans, and tomatillo salsa.  Then some slow-braised pork tinga, packed with chipotles and tomatoes and onions. Maybe some creamy, tangy queso fresco and homemade crema for topping your tacos. Later, whip up some quick fried plantains with homemade cajeta caramel and more of that homemade crema. Read more

Jan 31

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Taqueria night 1 of 2: Roasted mushroom and chorizo tacos with roasted tomatillo salsa

Two nights of authentic taqueria dinners. Why not? This post details night 1 of 2. 

Here are a few things I’ve learned recently:

  1. Roasting vegetables (or anything, really) with a bit (or a lot) of chorizo in the pan is a very, very good idea
  2. There really is something behind this pricey heirloom bean thing, and the “pot liquor” left at the end of the cooking process really is quite delicious
  3. When dry roasted, tomatillos dance around in the pan like Mexican jumping beans

All together now:

Mushroom_tacos

Earthy roasted mushrooms with chorizo and caramelized onions, simply prepared yet creamy heirloom beans, roasted tomatillo salsa, fresh homemade tortillas, and perfectly ripe avocado.  Tacos, my friends – mighty delicious tacos. Read more

Oct 3

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Mambo Italiano, part II

Lately I’ve found myself particularly drawn to the idea of themed meals. Some recipes, a carefully chosen cocktail, a bottle of wine, and appropriate music, and my kitchen is transported to another time and place.  This stems from the same sort of enjoyment we all get from looking at our glossiest cookbooks; those pictures provide a glimpse into the lives, the culture, the stories, and the rest of the context inextricably linked to the recipes and other food writing in the book.

I’m about to share with you another Italian menu, and it’s no secret that I’ve been spending a lot of time with our growing collection of Italian cookbooks.  It’s hard to stay away from scenes of sun-drenched hillsides, freshly caught seafood, rolling vineyards as far as the eye can see, and the ruddy, proud, happy faces of people engaging in the food traditions of their ancestors. It’s also really hard to stay away from this food.

Carbonara
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