That platter you see there marks my very first shrimp boil.  First time making a shrimp boil, first time eating one.  Even so, a shrimp boil was one of those recipes that I had a strong connection to before I’d even tried it.  Do you know those recipes?  You can  just picture it, taste it, feel yourself hovering over the pot.  This recipe conjured visions of bare, sandy feet and tanned, happy faces and rolled up sleeves and newpapered table tops littered with cobs stripped of their kernels and pink shrimp shells.  Cold beers would be plentiful, to wash it all down, and each of the many people around the table would clutch paper napkins, swiping away the dribbles on their chins from time to time.  An old radio would be tuned to the oldies channel and salt water would hang in the air.

By the time I got done day dreaming about the recipe, I practically owned a little cottage on Cape Cod.  I could sail with my eyes closed.  I’d spent my childhood sporting clamdiggers and feasting on lobster rolls.

In reality, of course, none of these things are true.  In reality, as I said, I’d never eaten nor made a shrimp boil.

Heck, in reality, my spice collection didn’t even include a tin of Old Bay.

In reality, it was just Kevin and I partaking in this maiden shrimp boil at the end of a midweek summer workday.  I barely had time to kick off my pumps before dinner, let alone stroll along the beach, sanding up my feet.  There was no newsprint, no suntans, no oldies.  But Kevin’s shirtsleeves were probably rolled up and there might have even been a cold beer.  And, by the time we worked our way through the platter, there were stripped cobs and emptied shells and shiny chins.

We two swapped stories about our days, sank bank into a couple of deck chairs and fell into a quiet as the sun slipped away.  It might not have lived up to the little shrimp boil vignette I’d cooked up in my head, but, even in reality, the meal and the night were delicious.  If you have to spend a summer day at the office, it might as well end like this.

Shrimp Boil
Martha Stewart Living

2 lemons, halved, plus wedges for serving
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 large garlic head, halved horizontally
3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 dried red chile
Coarse salt or sea salt
8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
1 pound new red potatoes, unpeeled, halved if large
4 ears corn, husked, halved crosswise
1 pound unpeeled large shrimp, shells slit lengthwise from top to halfway down back, deveined
Hot sauce, for serving

Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts water. Squeeze lemons into water; add rinds. Add bay leaves, seasoning, garlic, onions, chile, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Add potatoes; simmer 12 minutes. Add corn; simmer 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cover, and simmer until opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer ingredients to parchment paper or a bowl. Sprinkle with salt; serve with lemon and hot sauce.

I’m down to five full study days left before the bar exam, folks. As the X in “T minus X days” continues to shrink, I am pulling out all the stops. And I don’t just mean studying night and day (but there’s that too). For instance, I’ve started searching for good omens everywhere—a lucky penny! I’m going to pass the bar!—and even lodging wishes every time the clock hits 11:11, 2:22, etc. (a habit I took quite seriously during high school, even though the success rate was desperately low). I haven’t gone so far as carrying a rabbit’s foot (because, um, ick) or hunting for four-leaf clovers, but I haven’t ruled either option out.

And then there’s the food. That’s right: I’ve even managed to find a way to make our meals a part of my bar preparation. For one thing, I’ve definitely been eating energy-rich meals and snacks. And, though I didn’t realize it last week when we made the dinner you see pictured here, I think it too did its part. It’s fish, after all, and haven’t you heard? Fish is good for brain power! In other words, I ate grilled tuna two weeks before the bar. Ergo, I’m going to pass the bar!

(Click “more” for the rest of the story, more photos & the recipe.)

Okay, so maybe the fish alone won’t do it. I’m a little dubious about the truth of the brain power claim. But that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to give it a try. In fact, I foresee a seafood-laden weekend ahead. To hedge my bets, though, I’ll be supplementing the omega-3 helpings with a steady diet of delicious flashcards.

Even if this tuna has no special bar-exam-passing powers, I still recommend it. It’s super fast and fresh and light and requires no indoor heat whatsoever (unless you’re using a grill pan, which would work well too). In other words, it’s late-July-appropriate. The original recipe called for kebabs, but I couldn’t bear to hack up the gorgeous tuna steak. So we took the peppers and onions that we were supposed to thread onto skewers with the tuna and tossed them in sesame oil, grilled them and scattered some toasted sesame seeds on top. Meanwhile, the tuna took on the bright, bold flavors of its marinade, which kept things interesting without masking the flavor of an excellent piece of fish. Really, I feel smarter just writing about this. Now, back to studying ….

Ginger-Chile Grilled Tuna Steak
Adapted from Bon Appetit

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds 1 1/4 -inch-thick ahi tuna
cilantro & lime wedges, for garnish

Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; season to taste with ground white pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons marinade to small bowl and reserve. Add tuna to remaining marinade in medium bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes.

Prepare a grill.

Grill the tuna to desired doneness, about 4 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Transfer to platter. Drizzle reserved marinade over; sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Mine is a family who likes to tease. And, when it comes to my mom, my sister and I can be a wee bit relentless. But we kid out of love, I assure you. For instance, we like to tease my mom when she sometimes inadvertently reenacts a scene from the movie What About Bob. Have you seen What About Bob? If not, close your browser, shut down your computer, and proceed to the nearest Blockbuster. Seriously. If you have seen it: so good, right? And, do you remember that scene where Bob (Bill Murray) wins himself a dinner invitation at Dr. Leo Marvin’s (Richard Dreyfuss’) vacation home? And Dr. Marvin’s wife, Fay, cooks up a feast, which is apparently the most delicious thing that Bob has ever eaten? Which leads Bob to dissolve into incessant “mmm’s” and “Fay! Fay! Fay!’s,” to the extent that Bob’s swoon eclipses the entire dinner?

Well, when my mom really loves something she’s eating, she has a habit of being very Bob: lots of oohing and ahhing. My sister and I of course treat this rather endearing habit with merciless ribbing. Clearly, we should be disowned.

(Click “more” for the rest of the story, more photos & the recipe.)

But, in the interest of issuing a backhanded apology of sorts, I have a confession. When Kevin and I ate this halibut the other night, I was a complete, total Bob. Just ask Kevin. I could hardly take a bite without being all “Wow! This is good!” or “This is going right into the rotation!” or perhaps even “I love this so much, I want to maaaarry it.” I think it’s really happening: I’m becoming my mother. But if that just means appreciating and reveling in good food, I suppose it’s not so bad.

And good food is exactly what this meal is: a bed of wholesome brown rice and steamed spinach, topped with a flavorful, meaty piece of halibut—all drizzled with a salty-spicy-tart dressing. It’s also ridiculously easy. Which will leave you with plenty of energy to fawn over the meal as you eat it.

Halibut with Soy-Ginger Dressing
Food & Wine

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup finely julienned peeled fresh ginger (1 ounce)
Six 6-ounce halibut fillets, skinned
Freshly ground pepper
Steamed short-grain rice and steamed spinach or pea shoots, for serving

In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring a few times until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, mirin, grapeseed and sesame oils, scallions and ginger. In a large, shallow dish, brush the halibut fillets with half of the soy-ginger dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours).

Preheat the oven to 450°. Transfer the halibut to a large, rimmed baking sheet and season with pepper. Bake the fish in the upper third of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until glazed and just cooked through.

Spoon the rice into shallow bowls. Set the halibut fillets on top and spoon the spinach alongside. Pour the remaining dressing over the fish, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve.

]]> http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2008/04/23/an-ode-to-bob-and-my-mom/feed/ 8 http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2008/03/12/sesame-crusted-tuna-with-ponzu-sauce/ http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2008/03/12/sesame-crusted-tuna-with-ponzu-sauce/#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:53:08 +0000 Kristin at The Kitchen Sink http://ourkitchensink.wordpress.com/?p=889

Today’s recipe is the kind of recipe that probably has Rachael Ray shaking in her boots. This recipe will see her 30 minutes, and raise it with its 10 minutes (max) results. Seriously, if you want to serve this with rice or steamed vegetables, I suggest you get a jump on those dishes, because this sesame-ensconced tuna will be done before you can say ohmygodthisisdelicious.

And, that’s what you’ll be saying. Trust me. It’s a recipe that is not only fast, but it’ll turned heads too, with its chic sheath of black-and-white sesame seeds. And, because looks are of course never enough, I can assure you that the recipe is as delectable as it is quick.

(Click “more” for the rest of the story, more photos & the recipe.)

It showcases the meaty, clean flavors of a good piece of tuna. And the sauce that you will drizzle across the barely-grilled steaks will highlight that flavor and offer brightness and tang. It’s the kind of recipe that belongs securely in your everyday repertoire.

Sesame-Crusted Tuna with Wasabi-Ponzu Sauce
Cooking Light

1 tablespoon chopped green onions
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/4 teaspoons prepared wasabi paste*
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Sliced green onions (optional)

Combine first 10 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle tuna with salt. Combine sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Dredge tuna in sesame seeds. Add tuna to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Garnish with green onions, if desired. Serve tuna with sauce.

* I couldn’t find wasabi paste, so I used an ample amount of red pepper flakes to jack up the heat in its place.

In honor of the final season premiere of HBO’s “The Wire,” which is set in Baltimore, I decided to make crab cakes for dinner last night. I suppose this is where I could use my The-Kitchen-Sink-Soapbox to expound about how this is the most original, heartbreaking and haunting show on television. I could treat you, dear reader, like I have treated friends and family over the past couple years—hounding them incessantly until they finally, finally NetFlix Season One. (And then there are those, ahem: Emily and Suzy, who are still holding out.)

But since this is a cooking blog, not a television blog, I’ll tell you about the crab cakes instead. Basically, I’ve never been all that satisfied with crab cakes I’ve ordered in restaurants or made at home. But I do love the crab cakes at Minneapolis restaurant Oceanaire. Luckily, my parents took a cooking class where they learned the Oceanaire recipe and can now recreate the meaty wonders at home.

But while I adore the Oceanaire crab cakes, both at the restaurant and at my parents’ house, they’re a bit on the decadent side. And I was confident I could create a version that was a little less special occasion-y (read: contained less than a week’s worth of mayo).

The liberating thing about creating your own recipe is that you can draw on the things you love from other versions. For instance, I knew I couldn’t sacrifice the crab for filler; like the Oceanaire crab cakes, I wanted a meaty end result. Along the same lines, I like crab cakes that don’t fall prey to bulky, chewy breadcrumbs. So I traded traditional breadcrumbs for the crunchiness and nuttiness of whole wheat panko.

But you can also nix other elements of most recipes that don’t suit you. For instance, I think bell peppers, a staple of many crab cake recipes, tend to do too much show-stealing, detracting from the main event: the crab. So I omitted them all together and instead used an ample amount of green onions and chives. And I rarely cook with mayonnaise, so I swapped in Greek yogurt in its place. Similarly I like crab cakes with a kick, but hot sauce, I think, is often too harsh and acidic. I opted for the subtle heat of cayenne in this version.

To serve along the side of these crab cakes, I created two dipping sauces: whipped avocado and horseradish cream. The avocado sauce was the clear winner—offering just the right amount of cool creaminess and tang. The crab cakes were delicious and I’d like to say they stole the show on the evening. But , in truth, several beats into the theme song of The Wire, we were transfixed and the crab cakes were more of a side dish. So make these crab cakes, but maybe first, order yourself some back seasons of The Wire.

(Click “more” for the recipes)

Crab Cakes

2 tablespoons 2% Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg white
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
dash worcestershire sauce
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper
1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over
1 cup whole wheat panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons green onions, minced
1 tablespoon chives, minced
2 to 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, whisk the first eight ingredients (yogurt through pepper) together. Gently fold in the crab, panko, onions and chives. Divide the mixture into four even parts and mold each part into a cake. Refrigerate the cakes (covered with plastic wrap) for at least 30 minutes, which will help the cakes firm up and hold together better in the skillet.

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, gently add two crab cakes and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and heated through. Remove the first two cakes to a plate; keep warm. If necessary, add another teaspoon of oil to the skillet and cook the remaining two cakes according to the directions above. Serve warm.

Whipped Avocado Dipping Sauce

1 avocado, skinned and pitted
juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and whip with a wire whisk (alternately, place the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse) until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Serve chilled.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch sea salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve chilled.

Last night was Family Dinner. My sister was coming over for the evening to not only dine but to help us trim our Christmas tree (which is fake–point of contention–and on it’s very last leg, after moving from DC to Chicago and then again across Chicago) and otherwise decorate our place for the holidays (or Chrismakkah, as this “blended household” likes to call it).

What was on the menu, you ask? One might guess I had planned a festive meal—something pure holidays or perhaps just seasonal. Something that fit the holiday color scheme at the very least (but that’s probably a little too “semi-homemade” for my taste; what’s next? a tablescape & a cocktail?). But, because I am the Grinch, I eschewed these thoughts and instead opted for one of my favorite summer meals–an Asian pan seared/oven roasted salmon recipe. You see, I’m on a mission to make my sister a salmon fan. Yes, I repeat, I’m the Grinch. She comes over once a week and I made her a dinner featuring a protein about which she’s on the fence.

I also chose this recipe because it’s insanely quick and easy—perfect for this evening, because I didn’t want to miss too much of the tree trimming. I also was pretty sure it would win my sister over. The flavors in the glaze are some of her favorites. The same tactic (smother a potentially un-popular item in ingredients sure to please) worked with my husband when he began to eat more fish.

Operation Make-a-Salmon-Fan-out-of-Ali was a success. She cleaned her plate (which also included steamed edamame, tossed with sesame oil, black sesame seeds and chili flakes, and brown rice). And our place looks gorgeous, decked out with a tree (fake), menorah (a little too early, I know, but it’s all in the same box), garland and wreath. In retrospect, maybe I should’ve at least served some egg nog or glogg …. no, no, no. Who am I kidding? The wine was just fine.

Pan-Roasted Salmon with Ginger-Soy Glaze
Food & Wine

Ingredients:
¼ c. soy sauce
1 tsp. finely grated ginger
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 skinless salmon fillets (4 to 6 oz. apiece)
freshly ground pepper
cilantro leaves, for garnish*

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce and ginger and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the honey and mustard.**

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet. Season the salmon with pepper and add it to the skillet, skinned side up. Cook over high heat until golden and crusty, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the salmon and spoon the ginger soy glaze on top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the salmon for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the salmon fillets to plates, garnish with cilantro and serve.

* I also like to garnish with a lime wedge, a fresh squeeze of which livens the dish.

** One of the first times I made this recipe, I accidentally combined the soy sauce, ginger, honey and mustard at the same time (before heating it). It was a fortuitous mistake, because I prefer the consistency of the glaze this way (thicker/more body). But both methods work perfectly well.