Return To The Kitchen (and Other Food Adventures)

I'll admit. I've fallen off the wagon with cooking. Most of my food posts lately have been about meals out and about. As delicious as they've all been, you get tired of eating out all the time. Or at the least, you feel very bloated after eating out all the time.

Luckily, culinary inspiration struck last week when I received our CSA delivery. It prompted this delicious meal: salmon with mashed potatoes and spinach.


Most of the ingredients came from Seabreeze. The salmon (TJs) was baked with olive oil, dill (CSA), and parsley (CSA). Once done, I topped it with juice from what I thought was a lemon, but turned out to be a very small grapefruit (CSA). I mashed the potatoes (CSA) with parsley, butter, and cheddar cheese I had in the fridge. The spinach (CSA) was sauteed in plenty of oil and garlic, with more drizzles of grapefruit juice. Simple and yummy!

Once the weekend arrived, it was back to eating out. On Saturday, we went to Cafe Chloe with Spike, Frog, and Dog for a pre-birthday dinner for Spike. Collectively, we ate pommes frites with different dipping sauces, olives, arugula salad, several servings of mac n cheese, leg of lamb (my entree - I can never resist lamb), chocolate cake with caramel sauce, rosewater creme brulee, and pistachio bread pudding. And of course a couple bottles of Montepulciano wine. So delicious! Pricey but well worth it for a special occasion.



On Sunday, I cooked a Valentine's dinner of Caesar salad and penne pasta with arrabiata sauce. There are no pictures because we were too busy eating so you'll just have to imagine the goodness. I also made a double batch of tiramisu (one for Spike's bday gathering on Mon and one for the Dx potluck at work on Tues). This I did take pics of.


On Monday, Badge, Kris, Si, Sophie, Kimbo and I went over to Spike's for take out dinner from Sipz. We made short work of the tiramisu (beyond tasty) and settled on the couch to watch some terrible episodes of the Bachelor. This show is so bad it's actually quite funny. Happy birthday Spike!


Today, we had the potluck at work. It was a mardi gras theme (fat tuesday) and we all had several helpings of food. I got lots of compliments on the tiramisu. After all this eating, I think we're long overdue for a Buddha diet. Let's see if we can stick with it for at least a week...

Tiramisu
Courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

2 1/2 cups strong black coffee , room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
9 tablespoons dark rum
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 pounds mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup cream for adding to yolks
3/4 cup cold heavy cream for whipping
14 ounces ladyfingers (42 to 60, depending on size)
3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa , preferably Dutch-processed
1/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , grated (optional)

1. Stir coffee, espresso, and 5 tablespoons rum in wide bowl or baking dish until espresso dissolves; set aside.

2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice. Add 1/3 cup cream to yolks and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20 to 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Set bowl with yolks over medium saucepan containing 1 inch gently simmering water; cook, constantly scraping along bottom and sides of bowl with heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir vigorously to cool slightly, then set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons rum until combined. Transfer bowl to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, add mascarpone, and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.

3. In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat the 3/4 cup cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside.

4. Working one at a time, drop half of ladyfingers into coffee mixture, roll, remove, and transfer to 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. (Do not submerge ladyfingers in coffee mixture; entire process should take no longer than 2 to 3 seconds for each cookie.) Arrange soaked cookies in single layer in baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to fit neatly into dish.

5. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use rubber spatula to spread mixture to sides and into corners of dish and smooth surface. Place 2 tablespoons cocoa in fine-mesh strainer and dust cocoa over mascarpone.

6. Repeat dipping and arrangement of ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers and dust with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Wipe edges of dish with dry paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Sprinkle with grated chocolate, if using; cut into pieces and serve chilled.