the thin chef

If the title alone scared you off, you probably won’t enjoy the contents of this post. What I’m about to say (write?) will probably sound quite odd to some of you, but I imagine some of you may nod along in agreement. Or, maybe not…

Octopus is among my very favorite foods. Like, top 10 or maybe even top 5. I love the texture, the sweet-briny flavor, the look of it, everything. Until now I’d never attempted cooking it, usually relying on places like the Ravenous Pig (I know, I’m kind of obsessed) or Kefi—where they artfully prepare the squiggly seafood. But I saw some at Whole Foods and declared it was time to learn to make it myself.

Apparently baby octopus is like baby squid: you either have to cook it superfast, or braise it for a long time. I chose the quick option, since I like octopus best when it has just enough bite to be on the good side of chewy.

Cooking octopus, I discovered, is not for the squeamish. (Though I suppose eating it really isn’t either…) The tentacles curl and unfurl and wave and wiggle in the pan, as if they are coming back to life. It was great fun, if not a teensy bit unsettling at first, to watch. A fast sear in a very hot pan (or grill, if you can) makes the edges turn almost black and sweet. A slick of olive oil, a generous shower of lemon juice, and a sprinkling of coarse salt is really all it needs to be delicious. Served with some bread, it’s a perfect lunch.

This may not have convinced those of you who find anything with more than 4 legs creepy to eat, but for the brave, I highly recommend it.

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My husband loves mussels. One of our favorite restaurants, the Ravenous Pig, has mussels on the menu most of the year, and he orders them often. They change up the broth each month or so—using hoppy ales or dry wines and flavorings like fennel pollen or dill—but two things always stay the same: the generous size of the mussels and the pint glass of truffled French fries that comes alongside.

While I have yet to master the truffle fries, I love to make mussels for Jason at home. It’s so simple: take a big pot, add a knob of butter and shallots and let them sizzle together. Then pour in several generous glugs of white wine or some kind of straw-colored ale (sipping some while you’re at it), and a few pounds of the shiny black shells. Throw in a handful of chopped fresh herbs, if you feel so inclined (and you definitely should). Simmered for just a few minutes, magic happens inside that pot. When you lift the lid, swirls of fragrant, briny steam escape, giving hints to the flavorful broth and the sweet orange bivalves inside.

A big hunk of crusty bread is mandatory, and the remainder of the bottle of wine or some of the same beer you used in the broth is highly encouraged. We like to pour the contents of the pot into a big ceramic bowl and just share—it’s slurpy and messy and just plain fun.

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Fried rice is comfort food at its best—carbs, fat, and salt. I’ve eaten and loved it since I can remember. When I was little, there was Jum-Bo, our go-to Chinese takeout place. Their pork fried rice is among the best I’ve ever tasted…and even though I haven’t had it in years, I still remember that perfect balance of salty-greasy-chewy-sweet of the pork and rice.

When I was in high school, there was Miss Le, a lovely Vietnamese lady and a teacher at my brother’s elementary school. To thank my parents for helping out at the school, she lovingly made us dinner several times. Each of those dinners included a heaping plateful of fragrant Vietnamese fried rice. Different from the Chinese version, hers was softer, and flavored with fish sauce and rice vinegar. A memorable and truly special treat.

In college, there was Steamers, a tiny shack of a place that served sloppy joe sandwiches on onion bread, spicy coconut curry, and cheesesteaks. Oh, and fried rice. Huge, overflowing plates of freshly made fried rice. The cooks sweat over bright, hot orange flames that lick the bottoms of the perfectly seasoned woks. Not particularly Asian, the rice includes veggies, eggs, and meat, and is simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and the burnished copper-hued seasoning of the well-loved wok. That’s it, and it’s wonderful.

Is your mouth watering yet?

My version swaps brown rice for white, and isn’t too heavy on the oil. The trick is to cook everything separately and to use day-old rice. You can cheat by making the rice about 3 hours in advance, spreading it out on a cookie sheet, and refrigerating it.

I always add in some locally grown broccoli when it’s in season for the sake of having something green…and because it’s delicious. You can use your favorite veggie—baby bok choy and mustard greens both make tasty (and healthful) additions.

Shrimp and Pork Fried Rice
Serves 2 big appetites as a main dish, with leftovers

5 to 6 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
1 small head broccoli (about the size of a man’s fist), cut into tiny pieces
1/2 medium or 1 small yellow onion, diced
2 eggs, whisked
1/4 pound lean pork (tenderloin or boneless center-cut chops work well), cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups brown rice, cooked, cooled, and refrigerated for at least 6 hours
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Heat a large wok or skillet over almost-high heat. (*See note, below.) Add 1 teaspoon of oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add broccoli and onion; toss in oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but still slightly crisp. Remove from skillet onto a plate, and set aside.

Return pan to heat, and add 1 teaspoon oil. Heat until it shimmers, then add eggs. Cook eggs until firm, breaking into bite-size pieces. Transfer to plate with veggies. Wipe pan carefully with a paper towel to remove any egg remnants.

Return pan to heat. Add another teaspoon or 2 of oil; add pork in a single layer. Don’t stir for at least 1 minute, to get a nice sear on the meat. Cook until mostly cooked through, then transfer to plate with eggs and veggies. Repeat process with shrimp, keeping in mind that shrimp cooks very quickly, and will cook further when tossed with the rice.Ttransfer cooked shrimp to the plate with everything else.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add rice, in a single layer, and let cook without stirring for about 2 minutes. Toss rice, and continue cooking for another few minutes until rice is coated in oil and golden in color. Add veggies, eggs, pork, and shrimp, tossing to combine. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, tossing to coat. Taste, and add salt or additional soy, if desired. Serve immediately.

*I put my stove on an 8 out of 10. You know your stove best, so adjust accordingly—you want the pan nice and hot, but you also want to give food a chance to cook through without burning.

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Usually I am a very confident cook. I don’t claim to be an expert in the kitchen, but I’m comfortable there, and if something doesn’t taste quite right, I’ll add a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and generally it turns out well.

So I’m writing to admit a kitchen mishap: apparently, I can’t poach eggs. Well, I bet I could if I practiced enough times, but my first try was a big fat disaster. Maybe the water wasn’t hot enough, or maybe I just got overly confident, but my water was full of stringy whites that barely set up. I couldn’t even salvage the yolks. Sigh.

My original intent was to serve the poached egg over a spring-greens salad with seared scallops and pancetta…so when the poaching didn’t happen, I just made a vinaigrette with another egg yolk to maintain the creamy richness a poached egg would have added to the salad. It was very yummy, even though it wasn’t my original plan…

Seared Scallop Salad
serves 2
12 medium scallops
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 to 6 thin slices pancetta
4 thick slices ciabatta bread
1 clove garlic
1 lemon, juiced (need about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1 bag spring greens

Rinse scallops, and and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add scallops and sear until golden and opaque, about 2 minutes per side, depending on size. Be careful not to overcook.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the pancetta until crisp, then drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Break into smaller pieces, and set aside. Toast the bread, in a toaster oven, toaster, or 450-degree oven, until golden brown. While bread is still hot, rub each piece with the garlic clove, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a touch of salt. Cut into bite-size pieces, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, Dijon, and egg yolk. Add a pinch of salt. Using a whisk, whisk in olive oil (about 1/4 cup) until the dressing comes together. Taste, and adjust seasoning. In a large, shallow bowl, toss the lettuce with some dressing (add a little bit to start, toss, and keep adding dressing until the greens are dressed to your liking). Add the pancetta and croutons, and toss again. Top with scallops, and serve.

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Some of my best travel memories are of the food I’ve eaten on the trip. I can honestly still taste the chocolat chaud and croissants from my first trip to Paris when I was 7. The hot dogs and mashed potatoes we ate on my second trip to France when I was 12. {My brother was 3 and that was all he wanted. But something about those French weiners and potatoes were mouthwatering. Truly.} The shwarma I had from a roadside stand in Israel. The espresso and pizzas from Tuscany.

As you may know, we went to Mexico for a week in May for my best friend Lainie’s wedding. Everything about that week was incredible, from the people we met, to the time we all spent together, to the romantic fairy-tale wedding at sunset on a clifftop with a crashing-waves-and-mariachi-band soundtrack.

But, oh…the food. Aside from the people memories, the food memories will stay with me forever. A favorite restaurant in Sayulita is the eponymous Sayulita Fish Taco. Fresh, crispy fried fish, crunchy cabbage, and creamy, dreamy sauce–it was a party in my mouth. I could have eaten it every day. In fact, we did have it no less than three times that week.

Well, I’ve been missing that place, those flavors…so I decided to make some of my own fish tacos. For a little extra something, I made a slaw to go on the tacos instead of plain cabbage. {It turned out to be great–we even had it on its own with burgers.} While these tacos aren’t quite the same as the ones we had in Sayulita, they hit the spot. Light, fresh, and yummy…a simple midweek taste vacation.

Dreaming of Sayulita Fish Tacos
serves 2

2 medium-size fillets of cod, mahi, snapper, or any mild fish
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pinch kosher salt
4 corn tortillas
Creamy Lime Slaw (recipe follows)
1/2 jalapeno, sliced very thinly
Cilantro
Sour cream
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 small white onion, finely diced
1/2 lime, cut into wedges

Pat fish fillets dry. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt, and add it to the pan. Sear until fish is firm and opaque, about 3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the fillet).

When the fish is cooked, transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Wipe out skillet, and put it back over medium heat. Place tortillas, one at a time, in the skillet to warm, being careful not to burn them.

Cut or tear fish into bite-size pieces, and then divide into 4 portions. Fill each tortilla with some fish, then garnish with a bit of the slaw, a few slices of jalapeno, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and onion. Serve with lime wedges.

Creamy Lime Slaw
serves 2 as a side

Juice 1/2 lime
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Scant tablespoon mayonnaise
Pinch kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced thinly

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice and oil. Whisk in mayonnaise, then stir in salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as you see fit. Add cabbage to bowl, and toss to combine. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or up to overnight before serving.

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This year on my birthday, I was alone for dinner. Before you think I’m complaining, I must say, I was really tired from a crazy weekend, so the solo time was actually appreciated. Plus I’d had a totally indulgent Belgian waffle and a side of sausage-cheese grits. (Yes, that’s right. And it was amazing.)

However, it was my birthday, so I did want to treat myself to something delicious for dinner. I chose some beautiful salmon from Whole Foods, a bundle of soba noodles, a package of nori, some veggies, and a bottle of Asian-style dressing. (I was feeling indulgent, but also too lazy to make my own dressing.) The salmon seared quickly, the veggies didn’t require much besides a little bit of chopping, and the noodles cooked in a lightning-fast dunk in boiling water—this is my kind of fast, easy, but totally delicious birthday dinner. I call it a sushi bowl because all the sushi flavors are represented. You could definitely substitute sticky white rice for the noodles for an even more sushi-like concoction.

Sushi Bowls with Soba Noodles
serves 1 birthday girl with leftovers for lunch (though it would easily double)
This was great the night of, and actually even better the following day, cold. You could make this ahead, chill it, and serve it cold for an easy, satisfying summer dinner when it’s just too hot to cook.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 (8- to 10-ounce) salmon fillet (make sure you ask for the thickest piece available)
Pinch of salt
6 ounces soba noodles
3 to 4 tablespoons store-bought Asian soy ginger sauce*
1/2 cucumber, peeled, and chopped into matchstick pieces
1 ripe avocado, peeled, and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 green onions, cut thinly on the bias
3 sheets nori (look for it in the Asian section of the grocery store)
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat dry salmon fillet, and sprinkle with salt. When oil is very hot and shimmering, carefully place salmon in pan. Sear for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn and continue cooking until salmon is just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.**

Meanwhile, add soba noodles to a medium saucepan of boiling, salted water, stir gently, and cook for 4 minutes, or until al dente. Drain noodles, and rinse well with lukewarm water.***

In a small dry skillet, toast nori sheets until they are warm and crisp to the touch, about 2 minutes.

In a wide serving bowl, toss together the cooked noodles and the dressing, to taste. Toss in the veggies, then top with the salmon. Crumble the toasted nori on top, sprinkle on sesame seeds, and drizzle with additional dressing, if desired.

*I used 365 Organic Soy Ginger Sauce
**I like my salmon on the just-barely-cooked side. If you like yours more done, cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, but don’t let it go too long or it will be dry.
***Rinsing the noodles is very important; otherwise they will stick together and lose their delicious texture.

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Fresh, sweet corn, tender scallops, spicy roasted poblano chili…mmm mmm good. Corn chowder and seafood is a flawless pairing—it’s light but still sufficient for a cool spring evening. You may recall that I am a big fan of chowders, and as delicious as the thick and rich ones are, I prefer the classic chowder flavors with a less-dense body. It’s a healthier way to enjoy a favorite recipe, plus since spring is upon us, it just seems more appropriate.

Spicy Corn & Scallop Chowder
serves 4 as a first-course, or 2 as a main, with leftovers

For creaminess, I used 1/4 cup skim milk and 1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half. You could substitute whole milk, 2% milk, or a combination of skim milk and cream for similar results.

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices pancetta or lean bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
½ cup dry white wine
3 cobs fresh corn, kernels removed and cobs reserved
1 roasted poblano pepper, chopped (method follows)
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 cup chicken stock
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
½ pound bay scallops
¼ cup skim milk, divided
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup fat-free half-and-half
Garnish: fresh chopped cilantro

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta or bacon and cook until meat is crisp and fat has rendered. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon fat (or leave it alone if there’s about that much in the pan). Add onions and garlic, season with a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and stir. Cook until onions are beginning to soften and garlic is very fragrant. Add smoked paprika, if using, and stir to combine. Add wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape any bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer 1 minute.

Add corn, cobs, poblano, clam juice, stock, and potatoes, and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove cobs and discard, then add scallops. Combine 1 tablespoon milk with cornstarch to make a slurry. Add half-and-half, slurry, and remaining milk, and simmer until scallops are fully cooked and chowder is lightly thickened. Top each bowl with reserved pancetta or bacon, and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Roasted poblano: situate oven rack to highest position and preheat broiler. Lightly rub poblano with olive or vegetable oil. Line a small baking sheet with foil, place pepper on prepared baking sheet and place under broiler. Broil pepper until skin is beginning to char, about 5 minutes. Flip pepper, and broil about 5 minutes more, or until it is uniformly soft and skin is mostly brown and black. Remove pepper from oven, place in a paper bag (or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap). Set aside for 8-10 minutes, then remove stem from pepper, and peel away skin (it should come off easily). Cut pepper in half, remove seeds, and roughly chop.

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Even though new year’s resolutions often are seen as hopeless pipe dreams that don’t last more than a month, I always make one. Lots of people swear that THIS is the year they will eat better, lose weight, and generally get in shape. But I decided that if I’m making a food resolution, it’s not going to be something as generic as “eat healthy.” Because let’s face it—that’s just another doomed high hope.

Instead, I decided to be (a little bit) more specific. I am resolving this year to be more thoughtful about what I eat. Some of my friends may say that if I thought any more about food, I’d turn into a five-foot, eight-inch baguette or piece of prosciutto. I do think (a lot) about food, but more along the lines of what would taste good for dinner when I’ve had a long day or what kind of herbs would go the best with chicken salad.

I generally prefer healthful foods. I never met a vegetable I didn’t like. I actually enjoy things like tofu, brown rice, and broccoli sprouts. But for some reason, I don’t eat enough of the foods I love that are good for me. Jason and I both could use more fiber, more vitamins, more whole foods in our diets. So I’m trying to get creative by still making the go-to dishes we enjoy while infusing them with the healthy foods that I know we should be eating. I’m not necessarily cutting anything out—just adding in more of the good stuff.

One thing we both adore is shrimp. Garlic, lemon, and white wine combine so seamlessly with shrimp (or any seafood, really), they strike a lovely chord when eaten together. I found huge, fresh Wild American Shrimp at the grocery store. I went the tried-and-true route with the trinity of shrimp-loving ingredients and added some fresh grape tomatoes. Letting the tomatoes cook until they’re soft and sweet creates a perfect sauce for cooking fresh green spinach. The shrimp add another dimension that makes for an altogether fabulous combination. Served over whole-wheat couscous to soak up the sauce, it was a healthy, delicious meal. It would also be perfect over pasta.

Lemony Shrimp with Tomatoes and Spinach
serves 2
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed with the flat part of a knife
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Most of a 1 (16-ounce) bag spinach, tough stems removed
10-12 large shrimp or 15 medium shrimp
1/2 tablespoon butter, cut into 4 pieces
Whole wheat couscous

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and smashed garlic, season with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until tomatoes are very soft and garlic is golden, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn. Stir in wine, broth, half of lemon zest and half of lemon juice. Simmer sauce about 2 minutes. Remove largest pieces of garlic.

Add as much spinach as you like, cover skillet, and cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. If skillet looks dry, add more broth, a tablespoon at a time. Meanwhile, cook couscous per package directions. When spinach is cooked, stir until everything is well combined. Add shrimp and toss in the sauce mixture. Cook until shrimp are firm and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on size. Off heat, stir in remaining lemon juice, zest, and butter. Serve over fluffed couscous.

A good white wine to try: Cartlidge & Browne 2006 Chardonnay. Smooth and light with a nice but subtle fruitiness. And inexpensive to boot!

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Have you ever grilled lettuce? Sounds kind of strange, but it’s actually surprisingly tasty. And, as you probably know by now, I have been kind of obsessed with grilling these days. Grilling takes romaine lettuce from plain and flavorless to tender and smoky. Crisper, crunchier lettuces lend themselves better to grilling, like romaine, radicchio and endive.

Jason and I love Asian flavors, so we decided to try an Asian-style marinade I read about in Bon Appetit (it calls for tuna, but we went with shrimp). On the side, since we’d already fired up the grill, we threw the lettuce on next to the shrimp. Topped the salad with a light Asian vinaigrette and made some sauteed sweet corn on the side. Lovely.

Grilled Lettuce with Asian Vinaigrette
serves 4
For the lettuce:
2 hearts of romaine
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat (indoor or outdoor, gas or charcoal) grill to medium-high. Cut a thin slice off of the root end of the lettuce if brown, making sure to keep most of the root intact. Cut each heart in half lengthwise and brush each cut side with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lay each half, cut-side down, on the hot grill. Grill about 2 minutes, covered. Remove and cut into strips or leave whole, serving one half per person.

For the dressing:
Juice and zest from half a lime
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 to 3 teaspoons soy sauce
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients. Shake vigorously until everything is well combined. Store leftovers in jar up to one week.

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If you’ve read this blog before, you know I have a serious love affair with pasta. Same goes for summer. So on my own for dinner last night, I decided to combine these loves in a light, perfect-for-hot-weather supper. To me, the flavors of shrimp, corn, lemon and dill blend seamlessly, and tossed with pasta, it was my nod to the last few weeks of summer.

Summer Pasta
serves 2
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
12 to 16 medium shrimp
3 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb fresh or dried linguine (any pasta would do, really)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
Juice from one lemon

In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter and olive oil together over medium-high heat until butter starts to bubble. Add shrimp and corn to skillet and add salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta per package directions. (If using dried pasta, start cooking pasta before you start the shrimp and corn.) Cook corn and shrimp, stirring often, until shrimp are opaque and just barely firm. Lower heat to medium, add zest and dill, and toss to combine.

When pasta finishes, drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Toss pasta with corn mixture, adding pasta water a few spoonfuls at a time until everything is combined. Off the heat, add lemon juice and toss once more to combine. Serve topped with additional fresh dill, if desired.

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