Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Eating Light....ish?

Cooking in warm weather can be so difficult for a comfort food addict like me. It just doesn't seem right to make the baked pastas, casseroles and savoury pies that I love to make in colder weather. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of summer foods that I love but it just isn't what I crave after a long day that leaves me wanting nothing but fatty carbs (there is no logical reasoning for this - it's just what I do).

Fortunately, living in Canada there isn't a very long time span that this is actually a real problem. Especially this summer, there have been plenty of cold, windy, rainy days where I don't have the least bit of a problem with whipping up some soup or mac and cheese for dinner. But...still. I find I have a greater tendency to fall into cooking "ruts". Especially without access to a barbeque.

Luckily I've recently discovered quinoa. A friend of a friend made a delicious quinoa salad awhile back, and since then we've made a few variations of it for dinner. This recipe has an asian feel to it with the shrimp, ginger and sesame, plus a bit of sweetness from the pineapple. It's nice in that I can still feel like I'm getting my carbs (since it's a GRAIN salad) without feeling like I've just gained 5 pounds nad is great as leftovers for lunch (it actually tastes better after its been sitting in the fridge for awhile and the flavours have had a chance to soak in). And apparently it's good for you too. Score!


Summer Shrimp Quinoa Salad


1/2 cup quinoa (about 2 cups cooked)
2 cups frozen edamame beans
1/2 cup canned or fresh pineapple tidbits
2 stalks green onions
Shrimp (I think I used about 12 but I'm really not sure)
salt and pepper to taste
sesame seeds, for garnish

Dressing
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp pineapple juice

1. Whisk dressing ingredients together until combined, and set aside

2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and add quinoa. Cover and let cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, re-cover and let sit for about 10 minutes.

3. If the shrimp that you're using is frozen (as mine was), run it under cold water, and leave for about 10 minutes to drain. The shrimp should start thawing out pretty quickly. Or if you actually think ahead (as I rarely do) you can take it out and defrost it in the fridge for a few hours.

4. Stir fry the shrimp over medium heat in a skillet until cooked through. I poured some of the dressing over it while cooking so that it absorbed some of the flavour.

5. Cook the edamame beans until they're not frozen anymore. The ones I use are pre-cooked so they don't actually need to be cooked, per se. I just microwave for less time than I normally do (like...1 minute instead of 4). Remove the beans from the pod if you're using ones in the shell.

6. Slice up the green onions up to the dark green parts

7. Throw the quinoa, shrimp, green onions, pineapple tidbits and edamame beans in a large bowl

8. Add dressing, a bit at a time, until it looks wet enough for you. This would be completely to your preference so just keep going until it looks and tastes right. Season to taste and garnish with sesame seeds

sometimes “rising stars” quit their jobs

July 15

I might be over-interpreting the San Francisco Chronicle’s lede in its story about Nate Appleman quitting his job “[j]ust two months after nabbing the national James Beard Foundation award for Rising Star Chef.” But to me it sounds a tiny bit accusatory, like you’re not supposed to quit a job after winning an award there.
But it’s not an uncommon practice. Of the past ten chefs to win the Rising Star award, including young Mr. Appleman (he has to be young, you have to be aged 30 or younger to win the award), four have left their jobs within a year or so. Grant Achatz won the award in 2003 for his work at Trio in Evanston, Ill., and soon left to work on Alinea in Chicago, which opened the following year. Allison Vines-Rushing quit Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar in New York about a year after winning the award in 2004. She moved to Louisiana and opened Longbranch.
Christopher Lee was named Rising Star at Striped Bass in Philadelphia in 2005. He became chef of Gilt in New York in 2006.
David Chang was named Rising Star in 2007. Being an entrepreneur, he couldn’t quit his own restaurant, but no doubt that award, and the nine quadrillion others that he’s received, have helped him to expand his empire.
There’s no shame in it.

Aureole’s Daniel connection

July 15

Poor Jennifer Watson! She’s smart, talented and interesting, yet she thought she was unable to perform the simple task of reading my blog. Because she knew I was having dinner with her at Aureole, and yet according to my blog, I was still in Hawaii.
In fact, I got back from The Aloha State weeks ago and still haven’t finished writing about it (that Aloha State link will take you to all of my blog entries about that trip — current and future).
Jennifer sells defibrillators and pacemakers to cardiologists, but she doesn’t just sell them. She goes into the operating rooms with the cardiologists and observes their procedures. She also entertains her cardiologists, of course, and she loves, loves, loves food and drink. So it’s fun to eat out with her, not just because of her good company and appreciation of the meal, but because she often knows people working in the restaurant.
That’s especially true if those people have ever been involved in Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire, because Jennifer loves Daniel’s restaurants and eats at them a lot. Indeed, the last time I saw Jennifer, we started the evening at a gay pride cocktail party at the Beard House, followed it up with music at Arlene’s Grocery and finished it with wine and sausages at Daniel’s newest restaurant, DBGB. Daniel himself was there, and he sat down and chatted. As I had just returned from Hawaii at that point, we spoke about sustainable fisheries among other things. (The wine, incidentally was not yet the house wine being blended for DBGB in Brooklyn, but an inexpensive boxed wine that they referred to, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as a “soft magnum.” I’m not sure whether DBGB’s house wine is ready yet.)
Anyway it seems that a lot of people who used to work for Daniel have found jobs at the new Aureole.
There’s nothing scandalous about that. Restaurant workers move around a lot as opportunities present themselves, and it makes sense for them to see different styles of cooking, management and service.
So just as Aureole’s kitchen is heavily spiced with staff from Oceana and Gilt, which are two of executive chef Chris Lee's last three jobs (after Oceana and before Gilt, he was at Striped Bass in Philadelphia), the front-of-the-house has hostesses, managers and wine people from Daniel’s restaurants. They greeted Jennifer with warmth, and they were nice to me, too.
Chris started us off with the corn soup, and he personally brought out a middle course of Alaska halibut. Jennifer thought that was especially cool.

What I ate:
Chilled sweet yellow corn soup with American caviar, Vidalia onions, lemon citrus and ancho chile oil
Artichoke Ravioli with Louisiana crayfish, black olive oil, andouille sausage and white caper wine sauce
Alaska halibut with fruits de mer, baby carrots, fresh garbanzo beans, preserved lemon and saffron mussel sauce
Canadian lobster tail and Berkshire pork belly with summer squash, chanterelle mushrooms, Cape gooseberries, jura wine and an almond emulsion
Cherry brioche panzanella with almond cream, roasted cherry sorbet and fennel
And a bunch of chocolates and other mignardises

Reader Recipes

If you have a favorite BBQ recipe you would like to share please email it to alrayp@embarqmail.com and I would be very pleased to post it.

Seafood Recipes

Here are a few ways to cook seafood on the "Barbie"

Marinated Grilled Shrimp
"A very simple and easy marinade that makes your shrimp so yummy you don't even need cocktail sauce! Don't let the cayenne pepper scare you, you don't even taste it. My 2 and 4 year-olds love it and eat more shrimp than their parents!!! It is also a big hit with company, and easy to prepare. I make this with frozen or fresh shrimp and use my indoor electric grill if the weather is not good for outside grilling. Try it with a salad, baked potato, and garlic bread. You will not be disappointed!!!"

INGREDIENTS
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers

DIRECTIONS
1.In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
2.Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
3.Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.
from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Firecracker Grilled Alaskan Salmon
1.In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
2.Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
3.Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque. submitted by Christine L.
INGREDIENTS
8 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
1/2 cup peanut oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
1.Place salmon filets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
2.Prepare an outdoor grill with coals about 5 inches from the grate, and lightly oil the grate.
3.Grill the fillets 5 inches from coals for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until fish just flakes with a fork. Turn over halfway through cooking
from http://www.allrecipes.com/

SOUTHERN BARBECUED CATFISH
1/4 C. ketchup

2 T. light molasses

2 t. red wine vinegar

1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

4 (6-oz. each) catfish fillets

Preheat broiler or grill. In small bowl, combine ketchup, molasses, vinegar and Worcestershire. Place catfish fillets, skinned side up, on rack in broiling pan or grill. Brush half of sauce on catfish.

Broil or grill catfish for 4 minutes. Brush remaining sauce on fillets (do not turn) and broil until fish is just opaque throughout, about 4 minutes longer.

Serves 4.
from http://www.thatsmyhome.com/

BARBECUED MARLIN FILLETS

4 marlin fillets
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
a shake of all purpose seasoning
¼ cup chopped basil

Place marlin in a bowl along with the soy sauce, honey, seasoning and basil. Mix well.

Preheat a char grill or barbeque. Add fish and cook for about 4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.
from razzledazzlerecipes

6 legs are better than 2

If you want to boost your activity level, lose weight, and have a great time doing it…a dog may be your answer.

Robert Kushner, professor of medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, co-authored a study looking into the effects of dog ownership on activity level...and subsequently, weight loss. Two groups were observed: one group of obese adults with obese dogs and one group of obese adults without dogs. After a year, those with dogs had lost weight -- 4.7% of their body weight, or roughly 11 pounds. Similarly, the dogs shed (pun intended) 12 pounds, accounting for an average loss of 15% of their body weight [1].
Those dogs participating in the study were fed a calorie-controlled diet while their owners received dietary counseling and were encouraged to walk at least three times a week for 30 minutes [1]. An easy goal to reach with a 4-legger around, I’d say.
Most importantly, however, is the sustainability of activity that goes along with dog ownership. Dogs can be used for not only great companionship, but also motivation to stick with a diet and exercise plan long-term. Plus, it’s more enjoyable than going alone – all huge keys to permanent lifestyle behavior changes such as the incorporation of exercise.
On a side note: Bulldogs may not be your best bet when looking for a weight-loss companion. Our Lily (AKA “Wrinkle Butt”) made it to the end of the block last night with just enough energy reserves left to watch Molly, the black lab mix, run guns-a-blazin’ after her ball…incessantly….for the better part of a half-hour. And somehow the walk home was still taxing on our little bundle of laziness. Must be that Oklahoma heat, right? Guess I’ll need to utilize that YMCA membership as my companion needs as much help as I do to maintain an exercise regimen!
[1]. Need a Walking Partner? Try a Dog. Medline Plus. June 11, 2009.

Emily Temple Cute


Well, maybe some of you doesn't know, but I love and enjoy wearing the japanese Lolita style in my daily life. Unfortunately, I can't wear it for work, but in my free time I enjoy that. My favourite styles are Punk Lolita, Dark-sweet Lolita (it isn't exactly an style, but me and some friends call it like that) and maybe Sailor Lolita. As you can see in the picture, that would be a casual dark-sweet coordinate (that I used yesterday, but with another pair of shoes at the end).

The skirt is from body Line's new colection, it reminds me to some Angelic Pretty style, but I think it's cute. Socks are from Alice and the Pirates, the bag is from shirley temple and the t shirt is handmade by me, with an Emily Temple Cute print. The accesories are from Claire's and handmade.

Look close to the t shirt, isn't it cute? I love ETC's prints, they're pretty cool and lovely, and that strawberrie jam is great. You can also look closer to the print of my Shirley Temple's bag, I totally love it!

ETC is one of those japanese brands that you must love. It's not an exclusive Lolita brand; it makes girly and lovely clothes for a lovely style that I'm sure you all would love! They're now on sales and prepairing their new collection; a lovely print with little dogs that is cute.

You can get some items from this brand using the Maruione international shopping web or trying the Yahoo Japan page; but they put the clothes more expensive in there (believe me, MORE expensive).

I love their t shirts, shoes, bags, socks and skirts; their jumper skirts are so cool too (but unfortunatelly, they don't fit me, snif).

You can see thir new stuff in one of their blogs; and if you go down to the post, you can see some cute stuff and coordinates.

And by they way, here you can see the shoes that I used yesterday! They're offbrand, but totally cool!

Have a nice day!

*****

Bueno, algunos de vosotros tal vez no lo sabéis, pero me encanta vestir de Lolita, una moda que nos ha llegado desde Japón hace algún tiempo.

Dentro de este estilo suelo utilizar el Punk Lolita, el Dark-sweet Lolita (un término que en realidad creo que nos hemos inventaod mis amigas y yo) y el Sailor Lolita. En la primera foto os muestro lo que sería un estilo Dark Sweet casual, concretamente el que me puse ayer para ir a cenar con unos amigos (al final utilicé unos zapatos blancos off brand que también os he dejado en una foto).

La falda es de Body Line, de su reciente colección; me recuerda a Angelic Pretty y creo que es muy mona; los calcetines son de Alice and the Pirates, el bolso es de Shirley temple y la camiseta la hice por la tarde, utilizando un print de Emily Temple Cute.

ETC es una de esas marcas japonesas que te enamoran. No es estrictamente Lolita, pero tienen prendas y complementos que te enamoran; yo adoro sus camisetas, calcetines y faldas; también sus zapatos y bolsos... sus jumpers y vestidos son maravillosos (la pena es que no me entran, argh!).



Actualmente están presentando su nueva colección, con un print de caniches que es graciosísimo; y también se encuentran de rebajas. yo suelo mirar sus novedades a través de su blog, para comprar es necesario hacerlo con intermediaro, o a través de la web de Maruione (aunque infla los precios de mala manera) o ya a través de Yahoo Japan.

En fin, pasad un estupendo día.