Some Recent Meals at Home....

From Top to Bottom:

Roasted Asparagus with Blood Orange & Jalapeno Vinegarette


Quinoa Cakes with Olive Tapenade Vinegarette


Pan Fried Tilapia Nicoise with Caramelized Peaches

Low Mein Noodles with Roasted Chinese Eggplant & Yam with Pea Shoots and a Ginger-Soy Sauce

All photographs copyright Molly DeCoudreaux

Roasted Tomato Salsa

This salsa is adapted from a Rick Bayless recipe. It is a very simple recipe with big flavors that can be adapted to individual taste. I bought 1 14.5oz can of fire roasted tomatoes (with chilies, but I usually get without). I roasted 1 jalapeno and 2 cloves of garlic (with their shell still on) in a pan on medium-high heat until the outside of the garlic and jalapeno are blackened. Into a food processor (or using a hand blender) put all ingredients along with salt, pepper and the juice of about half a lime. Chop a bunch of cilantro (I used about 3/4 cup), but you could add more or less if you want. Stir cilantro into the salsa mixture and enjoy! I also added a dash of vinegar (cider or red wine would work) for a little bit of extra zip. This is a great recipe and can be adapted to your liking, depending on how spicy or garlic-y you like things.

Wasabi-Horseradish Potato Salad

We went to a Super Bowl party yesterday and decided to make a potato salad for the occasion. I'm not a big mayonnaise fan and have adapted this new take on an old classic. We used yukon gold potatoes (1 bag from trader joe's- about 1.5lbs - 2lbs.?), but new/red potatoes, dutch creamers or russets would probably work, too. We cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces before boiling to expedite the process. I made a sauce from lite sour cream (about 1 cup), milk (2-3 tablespoons for thinning), horseradish (3 heaping tablespoons), wasabi (1 tablespoon), cider vinegar (about 1 tablespoon), a few dashes of wasabi oil (optional) and salt & pepper to taste. I added the warm potatoes to the horseradish mixture to maximize absorption. To that we added 1 chopped orange bell pepper (any pepper would do; red or yellow), edammame beans (about 1.5 cups), sugar snap peas (1 cup, ends trimmed & cut in pieces) and chopped napa cabbage (about 2 cups). (Obviously, quantities can be adjusted depending on your tastes.) The spice of the sauce adds a great new complexity to the potatoes and the added vegetables provide some color, crunch and freshness to the salad (not to mention and little bit of extra nutrients). This is a great side dish in the summer for barbeques, or for seared ahi or other meat dishes.

Bar Tartine, Friday, January 18th

I had wanted to dine at Bar Tartine since it opened, but hadn't had the chance. My friend, Alex, also hadn't been there, so we decided to make a night of it. We had an 8:30pm reservation and were hungry when we arrived. Had I written down what I had eaten closer to when I dined, I would have retained more of the flavors, but I'll do my best. We ordered in 3 courses and shared each dish. We ordered the Westwood 2000 Hanyes Vineyard Pinot Noir, a delicious and smooth wine that complimented the meal straight through. For $55, this is one of the most delicious pinots I've maybe ever had. Our first course was a little gem salad with beets, hazelnuts, chevre & a citrus vinegarette and the grilled sardines with blood orange on a bed of frisee with a creamy dressing. Both dishes were good, but were not my favorite of the meal. I found the sardine dish to be a bit small, with only four small sardine fillets, but the blood orange pairing did provide a bright flavor to the dish. Our second course was the Marin Sun Farms Marrow and Grilled Bread with persillade (parsley & garlic, minced) and arugula salad. I had never had marrow before, and to be honest didn't have a lot of interest in trying it, but was feeling adventurous and trusted the quality of Bar Tartine's products. The plate had 4 pieces of marrow, each topped with a bit of persillade, and were served with a demitasse spoon. With the tiny spoon, you scoop out a bit of the marrow and spread it on the grilled bread. Although the flavors were rich and buttery, it was surprisingly light with a subtle beef undertone. I was only disappointed at the seemingly small amount of marrow that was in the bonees we were served. For our 3rd course we had the veal cheeks and the squid sauteed with pork belly. Both of these dishes were delicious and the portions were substantial. The cheeks were incredibly delicate and fell apart in your mouth. The squid was tender and deliciously paired with the pork belly. Despite being a little bit expensive, I had a delicious meal and great service at Bar Tartine. I would definitely consider going back, if even just to sit at the bar and share a bottle of wine and a couple appetizers.

Eiji, Friday, February 1, 2008

I had a friend visiting from Greece who desperately wanted sushi (apparently good sushi hard to find in Athens). I originally wanted to take her to Sushi Zone on Pearl St., but knew waiting outside in the rain for an hour isn't how we wanted to spend our evening. I remembered the little sushi place on Sanchez St. @ 16th that used to be Ibisu and was now Eiji. I hadn't been there since the old man who owned it passed away last year and decided to give it a shot, hoping it was as good as I had remembered. We walked in and almost felt like we had walked into someone's home. The restaurant was warm, the air smelled sweet and my stomach was excited. We started with some sake and edammame to tide us over until our sushi was ready. We ordered toro nigiri (fatty tuna), scallop nigiri, salmon nigiri, spicy tuna roll, salmon/avocado/cucumber roll, and eggplant roasted with a miso-walnut sauce. Everything was incredible. The fish was fresh, the vegetables crisp and sweet. I had never actually had toro and I now see what I had been missing. It literally melted in my mouth. I can honestly say that was some of the best $10 I have recently spent. The spicy tuna roll was the best I've ever had. The tuna was mixed with a little bit of jalapeno and wasn't drowned in a mayonnaise-y sauce. The walnut in the miso sauce was a great compliment and was delicious with the earthiness of the eggplant. Our bill came to just under $60 and it was worth every dollar. I will definitely be going back to this little gem and would recommend it to friends or dates.

Bean & Veggie Stew

Molly and I made the best bean and veggie stew last night. I have been under the weather and it was the perfect comfort food!


Put about 2 cans of veggie broth in a large pot. We used buillon, which worked just fine. Add one small sliced yellow or spanish onion. Add 1 large can of whole plum tomatoes (ours was w/basil), sauce and all. Using kitchen shears, chop up the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Cut a handful of green beans into one inch pieces and add to the pot along with one pepper (any color is fine), chopped. Add 1 teaspoon of mustard powder, 1-2 tablespoons italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, salt to taste. We also added a couple of heaping tablespoons of onion confit we had in the fridge to make the flavor richer. Let simmer. One the side, cook one cup of pasta, your choice of shape. We used circles, but orzo, elbows or shells would work. Add a can of garbonzo beans and a can of red kidney beans to the stew mixture, drained and rinsed. Once the pasta is done, you're ready to serve. Spoon some of the finished pasta into the bottom of the bowl and then ladle some of the stew over top. Top off with some fresh parmesam cheese and some chopped basil. We also made some crunchy tortilla by cutting some small corn tortillas into strips and cooking them in a pan with a little oil, finish off with some salt. These crunchy strips add some nice texture. And voila!


(I actually don't know if this photo was from the day we made the stew, but I thought it still fit in visually with the recipe!)

Photograph copyright Molly DeCoudreaux

Bissap Baobab, November 9, 2007

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. The food is West African Senegalese and it has a family-run feel. It is decorated in regional African art and has a fun, but simple, interior with a great atmosphere, great staff, and most importantly, great cocktails! It is always packed on the weekends, but surprisingly we didn't have to wait too long on this Friday night. How long it took for our food to arrive is another story. This isn't the kind of place you come when you have somewhere to be and need to get in and out quickly. It is a leisurely/slow dining experience and no one is in a hurry to hustle you out. The best thing to do when you arrive is to go to the bar and order yourself one of their delicious signature cocktails. My two favorites are the Flamboyant (vodka, hibiscus & lime) and the Fleur (whisky, tamarind & ginger). After being seated we ordered the Aloko (fried plantains with a tamarind sauce) & Pastelles (a turnover-type dumpling filled with beef, tuna, or feta & spinach, then topped with a spicy tomato and onion sauce). There is definitely some noise in the restaurant, but it still manages to feel cozy and intimate. The food is rich and simple (and the prices reasonable) and most dishes have a meat, seafood and vegetarian option. Some typical flavors and ingredients include; peanut sauce, coconut, couscous, citrus, plantains, lamb, tilapia, grilled shrimp, tamarind, kebabs and great salads. One of my favorites is the Baobab Salad. A salad of romaine, sun dried tomatoes, feta, cucumber, red onions, olives, and house vinaigrette with grilled shrimp for $7.75. I find the main dishes to be a bit on the heavy side and like to share an appetizer, salad and entree with someone. After putting your order in, don't expect your meal to come right away if the restaurant is full, so sit back, order another cocktail and enjoy your company. They don't take reservations (that I know of).

http://www.bissapbaobab.com