no sex, no drugs, no wine, no women

sushi etiquette. a video lesson on sushi eating brought to you by me from devour.tv. because etiquette is important. my bet is you’ve been doing most things wrong. watch & learn, baby, watch & learn.

watch sushi etiquette video now.

cuban black bean soup

black bean soup. this recipe comes from a cookbook i had to have, Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka. i don’t even remember why i had to have it. but, i do remember i really like this cuban black bean soup recipe and i refer to her cookbook often. the black beans are not soaked first, which is fab, because i rarely know i want black beans two days before. don’t be afraid of the copious amounts of garlic and olive oil or the added sugar, i was scared at first. the soup is yummy to the tummy and full of flavor. it’s not the standard, boring, black bean soup that many of you have tasted and lead you to believe you don’t like black bean soup. make this one, it will forever change your pea mind on black beans.

1 pound dried black beans
2 bay leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, cored, seeded deribbed and cut into ¼ inch dice
2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped
2 onions, coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (i used fresh thyme)
1½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt

for serving: sliced red onions, sour cream, optional

below is the original recipe from the cookbook Vegetable Love. my notes appear too.

in a medium stockpot, bring 12 cups of water, beans and bay leaves to a boil. lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the beans are tender. add more water is necessary to keep the beans covered.

meanwhile, in a medium (i used a large) frying pan, heat the oil over medium beat. stir in the peppers, shallots and onions. cook, stirring frequently, for 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. (note: more like 15 minutes for translucent onions, don’t up the heat, you have to be patient with this step) stir in the garlic, cumin and dried and fresh oregano (thyme) and cook for 2 minutes. remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. purée in a blender. (see photo for purée in blender)

when the beans are almost done, stir in the purée, sugar and salt. continue to simmer until the beans are very tender, another 20 to 30 minutes. adjust the seasonings.




note: a great reason to have herbs growing indoors. i have thyme & parsley to snip when needed! pictured here, tender thyme.

Around the World Thursday

Morocco. Forty Two at the Clinton Presidential Center (whew, long name), a shape-shifting restaurant located in the basement of the Clinton Library recently held a Moroccan themed dinner/night of entertainment. Around the World Thursday, as the events are called, have been cooking for quite a while. here’s the 411; the third thursday of each month, Forty Two holds a reservation-only, themed dinner night. doors open at 6:30p, dinner is served at 7p. the dinner cost $27.95 and includes; 1 glass of wine or soft beverage, a 5-course meal, live music and perhaps a show. this evening kicked off with mike selig (ex chef/owner of tits-up Vermillion) introducing chef jason peck and describing the evening as a “version” of Morocco. a solo guitarist played throughout the dinner but a grand finale belly dancer stole the show. food and entertainment lasted until nearly 10p. the food was definitely different ~ a culinary adventure, for sure. i could describe each dish, but, since this was one night in morocco, & chances are, you’re not going to be able to order up any of the dishes for yourself, i will just say that the evening’s experiences enticed me to try another Around the World Thursday. go on, do something different. i’ve already reserved my spot for a future 3 thursdays.

Forty Two at the Clinton Presidential Center
1200 President Clinton Avenue



501-537-0042

baby back, baby back, baby back ribs

baby back ribs. this emeril recipe was featured on the martha stewart show and since the ribs were on sale at whole foods, this was the recipe to try. the original recipe is for “wet” ribs. we decided, after we tasted them, they did not need the bbq sauce. we ate ‘em “dry”. these ribs were super easy to prepare, fall off the bone tender, highly seasoned and decidedly better than any restaurant ribs we’ve tried. the spice blend is a good all purpose blend for meats or, do as i did, and add it to potato salad, you’ll definitely have enough spice blend left over to experiment. here’s how to make the spice blend and the ribs;

emeril’s spice blend

combine in a cute container with a lid;
8 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne,
5 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
6 tablespoons salt
2 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
2 ½ tablespoons dried thyme

ribs~you'll need;

2 racks baby back ribs
6 tablespoons emeril's spice blend
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt

you’ll do;

Preheat oven 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan twice. Line the aluminum foil with an equal sized piece of parchment paper. (You will be folding this over the ribs and sealing it.)
Place ribs, meat side up, in an even layer on prepared baking sheet; set aside. In a small bowl, combine emeril's spice blend, salt, pepper, and celery salt; stir to combine. Divide seasoning evenly between both slabs of ribs, coating well on each side. Fold the extra length of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil over ribs and seal tightly on all sides. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until ribs are very tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours.

set out a roll of paper towels & eat.

eggcellent!

farm fresh eggs. i just got back from an egg run. raymond & reba keep 70 chickens in roland. reba tells me the eggs i just purchased for $2 a dozen, were laid yesterday & today. i like it and you should too. why buy eggs laid by a tortured chicken from a chain supermarket when you can buy fresh, local, eggs from someone that really appreciates your business? here’s the drill; call raymond and reba and place your egg order a day before you would like to pick ‘em up. reba (and maybe raymond) will meet you at the walmart on hwy 10, near the garden center. pay her cash and she’ll hand over the eggs. in my case, all in a sturdy reusable bag. reba tells me to return the bag on my next order pick up ~ she’s that sure i’ll be a return customer. don’t forget to save and return your egg cartons too, that’s how reba keeps prices low. are you up for an adventure, some fresh eggs and a nice conversation that’s sure to put a smile on your face? good, call raymond & reba and place your egg order. now.

Farm Fresh Eggs
Roland, AR
868-9832

souper delicious!

cream of broccoli soup. believe it or not, this was my maiden voyage into cream of broccoli soupdom. somewhat surprised by the amount of milk & cream some recipes required, i adapted my own recipe and added a bit of veggie stock. don't get loco with the queso, the soup doesn't need it. sweet with my signature snap of cayenne, this soup was soul warming and, i am pretty sure, the best c.o.b.s. that you’ll ever eat. here’s how;

you’ll need:

2 pounds fresh broccoli (i bought broccoli crowns b/c they were on sale)
4 tablespoons butter
2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups milk, divided (use what you have on hand)
1 medium egg yolk, beaten
¼ cup flour
2 pinches of cardamom, ground
2 pinches of cayenne pepper, ground
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup veggie stock
⅓ cup Gruyere cheese (fresh, finely grated)

you’ll do:

1. cut broccoli into bite-size pieces. use tender leaves and stems. 
2. place broccoli and ½ cup of water in a casserole type dish, cover w lid or plastic wrap. steam the cut broccoli for 6-8 minutes in a microwave, checking every 2 minutes, just until bright green in color. do not overcook. 
3. cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for another 10 minutes or until the broccoli becomes AL DENTE.
   
   
4. mash the broccoli right in the dutch oven until no large pieces remain. use a potato masher. you will be met with some resistance. use your muscles, that is why you have them. mash until there are no pieces remaining that are too big to fit on a soup spoon. remove from dutch oven & place back into container you steamed it in. set aside.
5. while broccoli is cooking, add beaten egg yolk to 2 cups of milk.
6. put 3 tablespoons butter into the same used/dirty dutch oven, no need to wash it. melt butter and add flour. stir. as the flour begins to cook, add the egg/milk mixture into the saucepan. add the cardamom & white pepper. stir contents of saucepan constantly with wooden spoon until thick. lower the cooking heat.
7. empty the mashed broccoli mixture into the saucepan. stir until well-mixed. slowly stir in the remaining milk, cream & veggie stock. as the soup becomes warm, add the grated cheeses. taste, add salt and a pinch of cayenne.  
8. turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5 more minutes. do not allow to boil.

CB&G or keep your pants on anonymous

capital bar & grill. a great lunch spot. a fab dessert spot and wed-sat evenings, you get ted. i posted my cb&g dessert experience last october but since anonymous wanted more, here it is; m-f the cb&g offers a substantial lunch menu and one $8 plate lunch special that is not on the menu. i opted for the off the menu lunch special of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans all covered with a white gravy. i started it all off with an iced tea that cb&g serves with a tiny pitcher of simple syrup. that took care of the never dissolving sugar saga. yes, i am a real sugar girl. next up a mesclun greens with roasted beets, blue cheese and sorghum vinaigrette salad. a steal of a deal for $4. & if you weren’t told the vinaigrette contained sorghum, you wouldn’t know it. the chicken fried steak was large, super crispy and not at all greasy. the steak was tender, not tough, nor gristly, nor fatty, nor stringy. a nice cut of meat, perfectly seasoned and scrumptious. so scrumptious that i forgot to take a photo. a nice fellow working the floor went to the kitchen and snapped one for me. the potatoes were skin-on and a chunky, yet creamy, mash; all served up with a square of rice flour bread, which was a light-as-air and refined piece of cornbread. mmm. the service is impeccable. it’s the kind of service that can go unnoticed because nothing happened that you can complain about. here’s my advice, go to the capital bar & grill. notice the wonderful food, notice the near perfect wait staff and if you go when ted’s there, notice your foot  tapping under the table. Lee Richardson is the chef of both Ashley’s and Capital Bar & Grill. he participates in local Farm to Table dinners and is a staple at the CAFM (argenta farmers market) foodie fests. he can do no wrong. now, get off your ass & go to cb&g. thanks.

Capital Bar & Grill - inside the Capital Hotel

111 West Markham Street
Little Rock

374-7474