Garlic, garlic, garlic!

Hello! I've mostly been doing old favorites this summer like tuna & white bean salad, or having cold meals like a sandwiches, or a hummus plate with olives and cucumbers. 

I was craving steak and found myself cruising Just One Cookbook. I had to do some extra shopping for this recipe, but it's totally worth it. 

I scaled the recipe down for one, but I will be making it again at full volume. It's too good not to share!

I will note there are a lot of steps, but none of them take a particularly long time. The whole recipe comes together in less than hour once your rice is at the right temperature. It tastes like it took much longer.

My kitchen is a mess, but this was worth it

Occasionally, I toy with the idea of retiring to Spain, but with the 8.5-month stretch of unemployment I had in 2022-2023, those plans are quite far in the future.

Not that I need an excuse, but it's a good one to explore the cuisine. I may have mentioned I found Spain on a Fork via a Facebook group for Americans in Valencia. I was looking for appetizers for a pasta dish with chorizo I plan to serve my favorite guinea pig and I came across chick pea fritters. To my endless delight, this is another recipe where I already had everything in the pantry.  Let's get to it:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 60 grams
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup beer 120 ml
• 1 shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 8 grams
• 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 1.25 grams
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1.50 grams
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 15.5 oz / 440 grams
• sea salt & black pepper

FOR THE AIOLI

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads
• 1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise 120 grams
• 1 tsp lemon juice 5 ml (I recommend a bit more)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15 ml
• sea salt & black pepper

Instructions

Add the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the middle, crack in the egg and whisk the egg, then add in the beer and whisk everything together until you a creamy batter

Add in the shallot finely chopped, finely grate in the garlic, add in the chopped parsley, sweet smoked Spanish paprika, ground cumin and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together until well mixed

Drain the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse under water, then shake off any excess water, (I tossed them with a paper towel as well) transfer the chickpeas into a bowl and using a potato masher or large fork, mash down on the chickpeas until they're semi-mashed. (I recommend the fork if your masher doesn't have a lot of surface area)

Add the mashed chickpeas into the bowl with batter and mix together

Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil

After a couple of minutes start adding in spoonfuls of the batter, all in a single layer and evenly spaced out, cook in batches, fry for 3 minutes per side or until golden fried, transfer into a dish with paper towels as you finish. 

I took a touch longer to get them fully crispy on both sides, but no more than a minute each.

To make the aioli, add in the cloves garlic roughly chopped into a mortar, along with the saffron and a pinch of sea salt, using a pestle pound down on the ingredients until you get a paste-like texture, then add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and season with a kiss of sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until you get a creamy sauce

I found there to be way too much aioli and I am not sure what to do with the rest of it. I'll figure something out.

Transfer the aioli into a serving dish and decorate the fritters around it, serve warm or at room temperature, enjoy!

Another thing to do with tinned fish, it does take longer than stated

I'm feeling rather pleased this week. This recipe as quite a find (I'll get into timing in a bit) and I found it when I was searching for something else (which I now forget). I chose to make it for two reasons: One, I had everything in the pantry. Two: It intrigued me because I don't always see recipes that use a considerable amount of shallots and Three: I wanted to see how the anchovies did with the sweetness of tomato paste.

Pretty damn well, I'm happy to say.

Our ingredients list (easily halved for those of us who live solo #StudioLiving)

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 6 large shallots, very thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced, 1 finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (taste often and adjust as necessary)
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste (I used more, which will not surprise anyone)
• 1 (2-ounce) can anchovy fillets (about 12), drained (I had a jar of Bellino and used those. Solid choice. Use your favorite whatever its container)
• 1 (4.5-ounce) tube or (6-ounce) can of tomato paste (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup) (Here's another happy thing. A whole can of tomato paste! Much cheaper than a tube of the double-concentrated, though I always have that around for those recipes that one just on Tablespoon)
• 10 ounces pasta (I had radiatore. I think farfalle would also work, a recommendation for occasional guest Ny. I love long pasta like the buccatini on Alison Roman's page, but my stove is rather small to handle the big pot needed)
• 1 cup parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
• Flaky sea salt

 Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium high (I actually used a saute pan, I usually do for pasta sauces). Add shallots and thinly sliced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Okay, here's where I get cranky. This is a bit too hot of a pan, IMO, and a bit too short of a time frame. I did this over medium heat, stirring every 1-2 minutes and occasionally taking a sip of wine. It took me closer to 40 minutues (and an episode of The Leviathan Chronicles podcast), but I got the shallots nice and brown and the kitchen smelled fabulous. 

2. Add red-pepper flakes and anchovies. (No need to chop the anchovies; they will dissolve on their own.) Stir to melt the anchovies into the shallots, about 2 minutes.

This took about seven minutes. I recommend smushing the anchovies a bit to help distribute them evenly from the get-go.  I also needed to deglaze the pan with a splash of the chardonay I was drinking when too much was sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

3. Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges and going from bright red to a deeper brick red color, about 2 minutes. (try closer to 6) Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container, leaving the rest behind. These are your leftovers to be used elsewhere: in another batch of pasta or smeared onto roasted vegetables, spooned over fried eggs or spread underneath crispy chicken thighs.

4. To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente (perhaps more al dente than usual). Transfer to Dutch oven with remaining shallot mixture (or a skillet if you are using the leftover portion) and 1 cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet to coat each piece of pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced and is sticky, but not saucy, 3 to 5 minutes. (The swirling looks cool if you want to show off, but really isn't necessary.) 

5. In a small bowl, combine parsley and finely chopped garlic clove, and season with flaky salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls, or transfer to one large serving bowl, and top with parsley mixture and a bit more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

It just sounded good in my head and I call it sunset pasta

Hello! It has been quite a while, but sooner or later, I will be back to post. Today's recipe features saffron.

Now I don't have to tell you saffron is not cheap, to put it mildly, so I don't have it often. That said, spices do go stale and as I get older I have learned that nice things don't always need to be saved for a special occasion.

Alternately, one can do something to make an ordinary day a special occasion. Like a random Sunday after a dentist appointment.

I had some cream in the fridge from a pasta dish I'd made a couple weeks ago (I'll blog that soon), and had the urge to do a saffron cream pasta. Then, out of nowhere, I got it into my head that tomatoes would be fun to add. Specifically, one of the small square baskets of grape tomatoes that were on sale, cut in halves or quarters, and lightly salted. This will make two generous servings.

I started with a shallot, 2 Tablespoons diced, and about 2 teaspoons olive oil in a 1-quart saucepan to sauté for about seven minutes, stirring constantly until it started turning brown. From there, I added

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk

The following ingredients went in one at a time with 5-10 seconds of stirring before I added the next:

• 2 generous pinches of saffron
• the aforementioned tomatoes
• 1/4 cup grated Grana Padano
• 3 grinds of black pepper

I let it cook down for a while, stirring every two minutes or so. In between stirring, I chopped 2 Tablespoons of fresh parsley.  Lately, I tend not to bother making a roux for cream sauces these days, instead taking the time to reduce the sauce while the salted water for the pasta comes to a boil. I had mushroom tortellini in the freezer. I added the parsley to the sauce when I put the pasta in the water. 

Between the tomatoes and the saffron, the sauce came out a rather pretty shade of sunset orange.

While the pasta was cooking, I filled a large bowl with baby spinach leaves and microwaved them on high for a minute. No water, no salt, just a quick zap is all that's needed. While I always reserve at least half a cup of pasta water to add to sauce, I didn't need any this time. Adding the drained pasta was enough and the sauce stuck nicely. It must have been some very starchy tortellini. I added the pasta to a bowl topping with a touch more parsley and more Grana Padano. I probably could have stirred the spinach in while it was in the saucepan, but I like serving things on a bed of spinach for some reason.

I'm quite pleased with this and it went pretty well with a glass of Chardonay. I did add another grind of black pepper, but I didn't want to add too much, or it would overwhelm the saffron.

Thank you for reading!

More experiments with tinned fish

I am employed again (yay!), and that means I've fallen behind on almost everything. Especially the laundry, but anyway...

I'm still experimenting with tinned fish and having a lot of fun with with it. I found this recipe searching for things to do with anchovies. Special thanks to my friend Allison for being a guinea pig. 

Our ingredient list:

• 6 oil-packed anchovy fillets
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed (always fun to take a mallet to something 😁)
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup walnuts
• 3 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
• 2 red Fresno chiles, split lengthwise, seeds removed
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 oz. finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
• 1lb. spaghetti
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

I did run into a snag when shopping: none of the places I get groceries from had Fresno chiles. I must have missed their peak season, which is a pity because I have other plans for a large amount of them.  Fortunately, I usually have a jar of Calabrian chiles in the fridge--this jar was chopped ones--so I used a heaping soupspoon full and then threw in a little more. 

Besides that, I found this was quite easy to make, which makes it good to have when company comes. You don't have to neglect them for long to cook.

Step 1

Cook anchovies, garlic, oil, and walnuts in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until walnuts are deeply golden and garlic is just beginning to turn golden, 4–5 minutes. (your kitchen is going to smell fantastic. My guest guinea pig was quite happy) Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until it turns a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

I let it cool closer to 15 minutes. I have had the experience of having too-hot things in the blender. You do not want to know, trust me. 

Step 2

Transfer walnut mixture (including the oil) to a food processor. Add chiles, lemon juice, 3 oz. Parmesan, and ½ tsp. salt. Pulse until a thick paste forms.

Step 3

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1½ cups pasta cooking liquid.

Step 4

Scrape pesto into a large bowl and add butter, then pasta and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Using tongs, toss pasta vigorously, adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed (you may not need all of it), until glossy and well coated with sauce.

I didn't need any additional pasta water besides the original half cup. This emulsified beautifully. 

Step 5

Divide pasta among bowls. Season with more salt and top with Parmesan.

Optional Step 6

Do Ahead: Pesto can be made 5 days ahead. Cover and chill.

This was delicious, filling, but not too heavy, and layers of umami dancing on the tongue. I definitely will be making this again. 

If you try it, let me know!

Turn the world around: Something Briny

Many many changes happening: I just started a new onsite job after 8.5 months of unemployment and 2.5 years of working at home. As you might imagine, this makes for a lot of adjusting. Commuting. Shoes all day. Dry cleaning bills. Ironing. Figuring out what to eat without always having to dedicate an entire day to cooking for a week ahead. I don't want to make cooking feel like a chore.

I also strongly dislike eating the same meal two days in a row. Today, I put the following together, which should get me several lunches on alternating days for a while. Not to mention that between the olive oil and the brine, it's not going to go off quickly

Into a large bowl went

• 1 pound of Orzo pasta cooked al dente (any pasta will do)
• 1 small jar of Capers (rinsed)
• 6 ounces Kalamata olives 
• 6 ounces sundried tomatoes 
• 4 ounces Anchovies, drained 
• 4 Tablespons Olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 heaping Tablespoons dried oregano (just one of fresh)
• 6-8 ounces Feta cheese

While the pasta was cooking, I ran the tomatoes, the olives, and the anchovies through the food processor with a little bit of olive oil. Then all it took was stirring the mixture into the pasta, adding a bit more of the olive oil to help me distribute things evenly, then tossing in the cheese. 

This is tasty warm or cold .

Wait, I'm trendy? How did that happen?

My first exposure to anchovies was on a Domino's pizza when I was in college. I didn't care for them at all, and generally avoided them except in a Caesar salad for decades. Several years ago on a very snowy day, a friend served me a salad nicoise with anchovies I enjoyed quite a bit. This past Christmas at East Harbor Seafood Palace, (a delightful Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn), one of the dishes passed around was fried salt & pepper anchovies. These were deep fried anchovies and in the basket were some delicious salted chili pepper slices. I do plan to make salted chiles soon because how could I not?

Fast-forward a bit and I'm trying to a) live on a tighter budget than normal b) eat more fish.  I had recently become a fan of Trader Joe's smoked trout, and wanted to branch out a bit and use other types of tinned fish. So I found myself putting phrases like, "things to do with tinned fish" into search engines, not realizing just how popular tinned fish has become of late. One example is here on TikTok. 

I started with this recipe from the Food Network, and while my results weren't perfect, they were damn tasty, though this was fairly time-consuming. 

First and foremost, the artichokes went into a colander and I gave them a serious shaking and blotting with paper towels. Leaving them to drain,  I made the breadcrumbs.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 flat anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained and finely chopped (this is probably not news to many of you, but chopsticks are great for getting tightly-packed anchovies out of a jar)
• 1/4 cup panko  (I used rice cracker crumbs because my dinner guest is gluten-free. If I do this again, I will use 3 Tablespoons and use the coarsest setting on the grinder instead of a medium one)
• Zest from 3 lemons

Put the butter and anchovies in a small nonstick pan and cook over medium-high heat, swirling the butter and stirring the anchovies until the butter starts to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the panko and cook, stirring continuously and tossing, until the breadcrumbs are golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the lemon zest and set aside.  Easy peasy.

From there, I put the pasta water on to boil and while waiting for it, I grated the garlic with a microplane and chopped the anchovies for the sauce (full ingredient list below). Then I zapped the arichokes on one side in a sautée pan with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Notes for next time include a) more draining and blotting of the artichokes and b) more olive oil. 

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 flat anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, drained and finely chopped 
• 5 cloves garlic, finely grated 2 lemons, juiced (I also quartered a lemon to serve alongside, and I'm glad I did so)
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional

The artichokes got a bit scorched because I stepped away a little too long, so I deglazed the pan with some Pinot Grigio before I put the butter, anchovies, and garlic into the pan to complete the sauce. Once the pasta was cooked, I grabbed half a cup of the liquid (should have put in more) and threw that in the pan as well as the drained pasta.

This was rice/quinoa pasta and it soaked up that sauce like it was a premium two-ply paper towel in a television commercial, so while the flavors were there (it needed more lemon), the smooth velvety texture you get from a good emulsified sauce wasn't. I was a bit chagrined, but it still tasted pretty good, especially with extra squeezes of lemon and some red pepper, the latter of which was nowhere in the recipe.

You'll be seeing more from me with tinned fish. How do you like yours?