spaghetti alla carbonara

spaghetti alla carbonara. tom cruise proclaimed to oprah that this dish is his fav to make. but, i digress. baffling to me that i’ve never made it. this recipe is so simple, so quick and so delicious - it seriously comes together super quick. it doesn’t need any additional salt, there is enough salty taste from the bacon. do yourself a favor and freeze your bacon a bit to make it easy to slice. most of the ingredients you should have in the kitchen already. i used quinoa pasta, semolina pasta is SO yesterday. there is no taste difference from the semolina (traditional everyday) pasta to the quinoa pasta, but, quinoa pasta is easier to digest. that means it’s better for you. make this tonight!

adapted from 20 Minutes or Less

from the book
20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast
by Emeril Lagasse

you'll need:

8 oz quinoa spaghetti pasta (sold at whole foods) or stay un-hip and use semolina pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 oz bacon, ¼ slices (that'a ¼ of a 12oz package)
½ yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, put thru a garlic press or finely minced
2 egg yolks, use your hand to separate yolks from white. you do not want any whites.
½ cup grated parmigiano cheese
black pepper, freshly ground
handful of kosher salt for pasta water

you'll do:

bring a large pot of water to a boil. when it comes to a boil, add a handful of salt. add pasta and do not overcook. meanwhile-

heat the oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. add the bacon and cook until almost crisp. add onion and cook until soft. remove from heat and add garlic and stir.

reserve 1 cup of pasta water. drain pasta in colander and return pasta to pot. turn on high heat, add the bacon, onion, garlic mixture and stir until the pasta is coated and mixture is heated through. TURN OFF HEAT.

whisk egg yolks and add to the pasta along with grated cheese. add a bit of pasta water to the mixture to help coat all the spaghetti with the mixture.

add pepper and serve immediately. this does not hold well. so EAT!

if you must reheat: add 2 tablespoons water and cover with cling wrap. microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. reheating results were pretty good, but was much better 1st time around!

kiwi juice

kiwi juice. thick and tart. it’s amazing how the jack lalanne juicer perfectly separated out the seeds. fun.

the house

the house. i’ve been trying to get to the house for a month. i’ve heard that it’s pricey. i’ve heard that the kitchen can get backed up. i’ve heard that the kitchen is closed when it’s suppose to be open. i heard that the green curry bowl is good & but expensive for the portion. so, to see for myself, i ordered up the diamond beer battered fish & chips for $12.95. yeah, i think that’s pricey for lunch too. three cod fish fillets arrived on a brown paper lined plate. it looked puffed, pretty and fried to perfection, but, upon the first bite, i found it was greasy and bland. the fries were a bit limp and certainly not cravable. for $14.28, i can find a better lunch. if you want a laugh or a fright, read tait’s recent review titled “You wouldn't beleive [sic] what I saw‎”.
 
The House Restaurant Cafe and Bar
722 North Palm Street
Little Rock,
(501) 663-4500‎

warm choco pudding cakes!

warm chocolate pudding cakes. i saw these little cakes on everyday food and since it is a 5 ingredient recipe and no hand mixer or kitchenaid, i was in. i don’t bake. and, i over-baked these, but you don’t have to, pull ‘em out at 27 minutes - you won’t be sorry. super simple recipe and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry now. i topped mine with homemade whipped cream and strawberries. sorry, we ate ‘em before the photo op. you’ll have to use your imagination. here’s how;

you’ll need:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus more, room temperature, for ramekins
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for ramekins
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

you’ll do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter four 6-ounce ramekins, then coat lightly with sugar, tapping out excess. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Microwave until melted, about 1 minute; stir until smooth. Or, melt mixture in a heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, yolks, flour, and salt; add chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Fill each ramekin three-quarters full with batter; place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Bake until center of a cake is soft but not wet when pressed, 27 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve cakes warm.

chicken and watercress salad

chicken and watercress salad. this is a fast, tasty meal that is light yet super satisfying. slice, pound, season and oil the chicken in advance and this meal will fly to the table in under 30 minutes. say hello to spring and make this for dinner tonight!! here's how; 

- ADAPTED from everyday food

you'll need:

¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for vinaigrette
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
salt and ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 bunches watercress, about 6 ounces, thick stems removed
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
cayenne, a pinch
honey, about 1 tablespoon

lay chicken flat. holding a sharp knife parallel to work surface, split each chicken breast in half horizontally. cover with plastic wrap and pound each piece with the flat side of a meat mallet until ¾ inch thick. sprinkle each side of chicken breast with salt, pepper and ground cumin. place in a shallow dish and bathe each side of breast with ¼ cup olive oil. cover & set aside to marinate. you can do this a day in advance or 30 minutes before grilling.

in a large salad bowl, make vinaigrette dressing using 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt and a dash of pepper, ground cayenne, ground cumin and honey to taste. (i used about 2 tablespoons!)

wash & spin dry watercress. slice radishes on a mandoline. set aside.

heat grill to medium-high.

scrape grill to clean. grill chicken until cooked through, 2 minutes on first side and 1-2 minutes on the second side. remove from grill to a plate and cover with foil or put in a warm 200℉ oven while you complete the salad.

peel and dice avocado.

add watercress, radish and avocado to bowl with dressing and toss to combine.

place chicken on plate and top with watercress salad.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

roasted red pepper soup. this soup is a year round staple. keep a look out for sale red peppers and it's no problem to use red peppers that are a bit past their prime. don’t even try to skip roasting the red peppers. the results will be; you picking pepper peels from your mouth, how do i know? ‘cause Copper Grill served it to me that way. this soup is simple, sweet and delish, here’s how;

ingredients:

5-6 red peppers, roasted & peeled, juices reserved
1 onion OR 2 shallots, diced
2-3 ribs celery, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 box chicken stock OR veg stock
salt to taste
1 cup cream or half & half (or as much as you want)

heat butter & olive oil in large dutch oven. sauté onion or shallot for 4 minutes, add celery, sprinkle with salt and cook for 2-3 minutes more. add ½ the stock and partially lid  the dutch oven and simmer on med-high heat for 20 minutes. add roasted red peppers + juices, replace lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes. whiz with an immersion blender, or in a blender then taste and adjust salt. before serving add cream warm through. do not boil.

how to roast red peppers

preheat broiler. place oven rack near the bottom of oven. cut off tops & bottoms of red peppers. slit pepper down side and then place knife parallel to cutting board and slice out ribs and seeds. place tops, bottoms and whole unrolled peppers on foil lined sheet pan. broil, skin side up for 10 minutes, rotate sheet pan and broil for another 10 minutes until skins are charred black. place hot roasted peppers in a bowl covered with cling wrap until cool. when cool, remove skins, saving all pepper juices in bowl.

it's Grass-Tastic! INGREDIENTS UPDATE

edible grass. not sure why there is a need for edible grass, but here it is, straight from germany. the label states: green apple flavored easter grass. NEW & IMPROVED FLAVORS! i rarely find myself in michaels...but saw this & bought it. it comes in several colors and uhm, flavors...at $2.99 an ounce, it better be, as promised, Grass-Tastic!

ingredients:   potato starch, corn starch, artificial flavors, maltodextrin, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, artificial colors, yellow 5, red 40, blue 2. phenylketonurics: phenylalanine, may contain wheat. www.galerieusa.com

make your own eco friendly cleaners!

eco friendly cleaners. it all seems too easy. save a couple spray bottles and add items you most likely have around the house to make cheap, effective, eco friendly cleaning products. here are recipes for a window cleaner & a surface cleaner. the window cleaner makes a squeaky clean sound and dries super quick thanks to the rubbing alcohol. the vinegar based surface cleaner softened harden splats in the kitchen more quickly than the store bought cleaner. white vinegar is a germ and bacteria killing anti-fungal. spray or pour full strength vinegar on cutting boards to sanitize. & don’t worry, the vinegar smell vanishes when the spray dries. lemon juice is used as a non-toxic bleach, grease-cutter and stain remover. yes, there are hundreds of homemade cleaner recipes out there...try those or make these, i am sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Homemade Spray Surface Cleaner Recipe
Mix in a sprayer bottle:
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons (or more) lemon juice

oh, & in case you missed mb's video link a few posts back, click here to watch.

mississippi gulf

biloxi. LRB went on the road and is throwing out a few biloxi/ocean springs food tips. next time you are on the mississippi coast, try my picks.

Mikey’s on the Bayou Oyster House
5600 Washington Avenue
Ocean Springs, MS
228-818-9194

located on the bayou, this building on stilts looks like the real deal. the oysters were cheap at $5 a dozen but they were small and on the dry side. they did get better as we ate through 6 dozen. and, no, we weren’t drunk. eh...you can find better eats elsewhere in the area.

Ocean Springs Oyster House Seafood Restaurant
2408 Government Street
Ocean Springs, MS
228-872-1792‎

located in an old strip mall 10 blocks away from the quaint downtown. medium sized, juicy oysters at $8 a dozen. the “pressed” shrimp po-boy was super tasty and seasoned perfectly. still not sure why it was smashed with tread marks across the bun - but, it was good. the gumbo was thin and watery. eat the oysters and the po-boy.

The Snow Shack
2321 Government 
Ocean Springs, MS

home of the “new orleans style stuffed shaved ice”, but, the shack was out of vanilla ice cream when we hit it, so, we didn’t get one. so you'll know: a stuffed shaved ice is said to be layers of flavored shaved ice, ice cream of your choice and shaved ice. sounds good, but...
i ordered up a strawberry shaved ice with sweetened condensed milk. the shaved ice isn’t as fluffy as our cajun snow, but, hey, refreshingly sweet fit the bill. it was good!

The TatoNut Shop
1114 Government Street
Downtown Ocean Springs
228-872-2076

there was a line out the door of this 6 table doughnut shop in downtown ocean springs. we were told by a chatty cathy in line that the doughnuts were made with potato flour. not sure if i’ve ever had a potato flour doughnut before, but, i am here to tell you these were the shiznit. i ordered up a plain glazed and chocolate covered tatonut. noticeably light in the hand, super tender and as chatty cathy claimed; melt in your mouth delicious. a perfectly frothed and perfectly sweetened carmel café au lait washed it all down. A+. don’t leave without eating a dozen of these.

Mary Mahoney’s Old French House
116 Rue Magnolia
Biloxi, MS
228-374-0163

YUM! white table cloth dining in an old house. seating is divided up into rooms of the house which makes for interesting things to look at while dining. the courtyard is secluded with a massive 2,000 year old live oak tree is an unexpected find across the street from the Hard Rock and Beau Rivage Casinos. you actually forget you are on a beach strip. the foyer wall is filled with framed photos of famous peeps with the owner.

this place serves up super delicious, old school cajun dishes using gulf caught seafood. i stuffed myself with broiled crab claws, gumbo (buy a gallon to-go for $50) and a snapper filet rolled around an au gratin of shrimp and crabmeat with a side of pasta topped with crawfish etouffée. broccoli and a salad were there too. yeah, i was stuffed. so delicious, i didn’t want any of it to be thrown in the trash bin. you must eat here!

look for Porter Avenue Bistro. we didn't make it there but the menu tempted us. it's a little off the beaten path from the ocean springs downtown at 503 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 228-818-2772

eco friendly clean!

LRB has made a decision to stop using cleaning products containing chemicals that destroy waterway eco systems. bad chemicals include; sodium, potassium, boron salts, enzymes, cellulose ethers, silicates, sulphates and, the biggest offender, phosphates.
 
these chemicals are in most dish soap, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. these chemicals contaminate the water supply when they wash down the drain. chemicals decimate fish populations and contribute to excess algae in waterways (a bad thing).

detergents are known to have a toxic effect on a wide variety of marine life. detergents ruin the protective external mucus layers of fish, leaving the animal highly susceptible to bacteria and parasites. other aquatic life are affected by the lower water surface tension caused by these detergents. when water surface tension is low, fish can easily absorb organic chemicals such as pesticides and phenols. 

with that said, martha would love to sell you expensive cleaning products made with natural ingredients. if you are lazy, give her your money. but, natural, eco friendly cleaning supplies can be made at home, by you, with vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, alcohol (vodka or rubbing) castile soap, borax, salt, citric acid (fruit fresh), hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, corn meal, olive oil, club soda and essential oils.

what you can do:

switch to a natural, chlorine-free, phosphate-free, non-petroleum based detergent. in a crunch, look for detergents with less than 0.5% phosphates.
 
buy pure soap or soap-based dishwashing and laundry supplies; unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.
 
measure laundry and dishwashing detergents carefully and use only the recommended amount or less. use the 'suds saver' on your washing machine if available - this recycles the washing water. (this is a big one. more cleaner isn’t better. use some elbow grease!)

what i am going to do:

make my own cleaning products. i will make & use the products and pass along information, like, if my homemade stuff actually works. here’s an easy start; we’ve all seen fruit & veggie wash at the store, it’s a rip off, don’t buy it. make it. here’s how;

Fruit & Veggie Wash: 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda in a clean sink topped with water. immerse fruits & veg.

Spray Bottle Fruit & Veggie Wash: add ⅔ of h2o and top with ⅓ apple cider vinegar or fill spray bottle with h2o and add 2-3 drops of chemical free dish soap

Chemical Free Dish Soap: combine 1 cup liquid castile soap with 1 tablespoon lemon juice

chicken tortilla soup

chicken tortilla soup. YUM! the soup is delish but the garnish of avocado, shredded white cheddar, cilantro & a squeeze of lime make the taste buds dance. i wanted to use some of that achiote oil i made (see arroz con pollo 2) and clean out the veg drawer. the tortilla chips thicken the soup. this recipe is a keeper. here’s how;

you’ll need: 

2 tablespoons achiote oil or olive oil
2 chicken thighs
1 onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 potato, diced
1 turnip, diced (optional)
1 dried chile, de-stemmed & de-seeded, snipped finely with kitchen shears
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
cayenne, a pinch
1 can tomatoes (14 oz)
1 box of chicken stock
1 cup tortilla chips, (dump out bag & use broken chips and crumbs)
1 can of hominy (big or small can, i chose big)

for garnish:
avocado, diced
white cheddar, shredded
cilantro, finely chopped
lime wedges

you'll do:

add achiote oil to dutch oven over med-high heat. add chicken thighs, skin side down, brown on both sides. remove from dutch oven. add chopped veg to dutch oven and sauté in stages as you add veg. add snipped dried chile, cumin, oregano chili powder, salt & a pinch of cayenne. add tomatoes, chicken stock and tortilla chips. add chicken thighs back to pot. bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer covering partially with a lid. simmer for 40 minutes. turn heat to low. remove chicken and let cool. add drained can of hominy. when chicken is cool enough, remove skin and shred chicken into bit size pieces. ladle soup into bowls, add chicken and garnish with avocado, cheddar cheese, cilantro & lime juice. eat with tortilla chips. YUM!

arroz con pollo, part 2

arroz con pollo. version II. for some reason i am obsessed with making the most authentic version of arroz con pollo that i can. this has taken some research. i understand homestyle recipes will vary greatly. i’ve compiled things from online recipes and tv cooking shows. this version has a more complex taste than my premier venture. this time, the chicken bathed in a homemade adobo marinade. adobo is a marinade for meats in the spanish-speaking caribbean and central america. the ingredients vary, but most have a base of oil, garlic and some type of acidic ingredient. i made a sazón seasoning. sazón means "seasoning" in spanish and it also refers to a seasoned salt that is used in puerto rican cooking. the seasonings add flavor and a subtle orange hue to many dishes. i sautéed it all in a homemade achiote oil. achiote oil is made from annatto seeds and used in the caribbean to add a yellowish-orange color to dishes. i bought the annatto seeds at a mexican grocery store. while making the oil, the house was perfumed with the scent of flowers! super traditional arroz con pollo calls for a wild herb called recao or culantro. not to be found around here, i ordered some seeds online from puerto rico. that will be for an up coming try. the rice should not be cooked into a gloppy mush, this means, rinse the rice and shake off excess water before you add it. i think marinating the chicken and rinsing the rice are two big secrets rosie perez tried to keep. so, now, you’re in the know. there are a couple steps to do before you begin cooking; make the achiote oil. marinate the chicken for 1-2 hours. the recipe looks intimidating, it's not...here’s how;



achiote oil 
annatto seeds, 1 package, about ½ cup
vegetable oil, 1 cup
mix the annatto seeds and oil together in a small saucepan. heat over medium flame until the seeds start to bubble. reduce heat to very low and let the seeds infuse in the oil for 5-10 minutes until the oil takes on a deep reddish-orange color. cool, strain and store in a jar.

sazón
1 tablespoon each of: ground coriander, ground cumin, ground annatto seeds or paprika, garlic powder and salt. mix all of the ingredients together and store the sazón in an airtight container. in recipes, use about 1½ teaspoons for each packet of sazón.
 
adobo marinade
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon salt
3 garlic gloves, put through a garlic press
mix marinade in a shallow food storage container with a lid or in a zip top bag. blot chicken dry and marinate for a couple hours. i left mine out on the kitchen counter. 
 
arroz con pollo
you'll need: 


4 chicken leg quarters, cut apart & marinated
2 tablespoons annatto oil (achiote oil)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced (i used tomatoes from a can, did not use juice)
4 cups chicken stock (or a mix of stock & beer)
10 small green olives with pimento, or 6 large
2 bay leaves
1½ teaspoons of sazón
2 tablespoons cilantro, culantro or recao (or skip, i did)
 
1 lb medium grain rice

first, make the achiote oil.
then, cut chicken into pieces, if necessary.
marinate the chicken. then,

in a dutch oven, over medium hight heat, fry marinated chicken in 2 tablespoons of achiote oil.

prep veg while chicken is browning on all sides. use a screen lid to prevent oil from popping everywhere.
 

transfer the chicken to a platter and pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

for sofrito: add the onion, peppers to the oil, cook over medium heat heat until soft but do not brown. add the garlic, then the tomato and cook for one more minute.

wash rice and drain off the water.

add rice to pot. stir. note the beautiful color!

return the chicken and juices to pot.

add stock (or mixture of stock & beer), sazón, cilantro or recao leaves, 2 bay leaves, olives. bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until liquid evaporates. then, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. check to make sure it’s not too watery. (you will see some liquid). cover and let rest for 10 minutes. serve.

La Perla Productos Latinos
9501 North Rodney Parham Road
Little Rock
501-228-2006

salad days

 

today is a salad gallery. eat great at home. pick up some artichoke hearts, dolmas (rice stuffed grape leaves) or olives from boulevard bread or the antipasti bar at kroger or fresh market, fry, poach or hard-boil an egg, shave some parmesan, make some ciabatta croutons or bacon bits, roast an acorn squash or top with some quinoa (did if go too far?). dress it all up with a homemade vinaigrette. the options are endless. and let’s face it, you’re not really making anything, you’re just throwing a bunch of things on a plate. look and learn, baby. now, go have a salad...at home.

soups on!

tomato basil soup. a cheap, quick and super simple soup. you’ve gotta try it. it’s creamy, rich and soul satisfying ~ & did i mention quick & cheap? if you’ve been to the chain la madeleine, it’s much like the one they served 10 years ago. way back then, i researched the recipe and committed it to memory. the internet recipes that are out there now are different. no matter, i never did do as the recipe i found 10+ years ago told me to do, which was use 1 stick of butter to a 46 oz can of tomato juice. i bet they do do that at the restaurant. buy the cheap tomato juice, no need for a name brand. i paid $1.48. don't blab to your guests how easy and cheap this is & they won't know. all you are doing is heating it. no kitchen magic going on. here’s how i do it, and yes, you can add a can of diced tomatoes too, that will add some lumps, but, there is really no need. you're gonna love this recipe. here’s how;

you’ll need: 
1 (44 oz) can of tomato juice, not v-8
3 tablespoons butter (or use up to a stick)
1 bunch basil, chopped finely, keep baby leaves for garnish
1 cup heavy whipping cream (more if you want!)
1 teaspoon salt
white pepper

you’ll do: 
in a large pot on med heat, add butter and melt. add can of tomato juice, stir to mix. when heated through, add salt & white pepper. add 1 cup of heavy cream heat through and add basil. taste and, if need be, adjust salt, basil and cream. serve. if i am eating alone, i add the cream to my serving bowl and not to the pot. that way i can add as little as i want. it’s a preference thing. but, go ahead, add the cream!