Adventures With My Oven: August 2011

August 31, 2011

Caramelized Garlic and Shallot Pasta with Chicken

My love of pasta is not exactly a secret. It was one of the first dishes I taught myself to cook; I wrote about Barilla for my college application essay; and part of it may be genetic (I’m Italian). In college, whenever I wanted to feel fancy about my box a week habit, I would chop up an onion, sauté it with some olive oil and garlic, and add it to whatever red sauce had been on sale earlier in the week. This recipe is an extension of that trend, but slightly more sophisticated by caramelizing the garlic and using shallots in place of white onions.

This isn’t the most visually beautiful dish I’ve ever cooked, but it tastes amazing.

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August 29, 2011

Hurricane Cake aka Nectarine Buckle

On Thursday of last week, residents along the East Coast were urged to start preparing for Hurricane Irene. So I made cake. If you think about it, this makes total sense. If we lost power, at least my roommate and I would have delicious cake to comfort us in our time of need (no internet, what do we do?!?!). So I made this cake and then went out and bought canned goods and bottled water.

I don’t regret the order of this preparation in the slightest.

Of course, we didn't end up losing power or internet, but we still enjoyed eating this cake while watching television on the couch. My youngest sister Christina joined us (her college campus was evacuated so she spent a long weekend with us) along with another friend (also Christina, and yes, the night did get confusing) and so between the four of us we somehow managed to finish off the cake. It was a chore, but we were only doing our best to ensure all perishable items were eaten first in case the power went out.

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August 26, 2011

Peach Lingonberry Jam Crepes

Lingonberry jam is amazing. It’s most commonly used in Scandinavian cuisine and not often seen in the US (the only time I can remember seeing it on a menu was at Ann Sathers – a Swedish restaurant in Chicago), but everyone should run out and try it. They taste similar to cranberries and have a wonderful tart taste. But where can you find such magical jam? I’ve reliably found it in two places – Whole Foods and IKEA.

Also my mother sends me jars when she finds it because she loves me. A lot.

Lingonberry jam is served with a wide variety of Swedish foods (meatballs, beef stew, mashed potatoes, oatmeal) but my favorite use is with pancakes. This recipe plays with that combination, making a thinner crepe in place of the thick, traditional Swedish pancake, and adding peaches to play with the tartness of the jam.

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August 25, 2011

Easy Plum and Almond Galette

I made this for my friend Alisha’s birthday; she requested a dessert that was mostly fruit and not too sweet. This galette features plums and almonds with only a hint of sugar. It traveled well – I brought it for a picnic dinner on the National Mall for one of their Music in the Park nights. Because it bakes down so much, it’s easy enough to stick on a dinner plate, cover in foil (I lack the gene that allows me to use saran wrap easily), and stuff in a bag that will bounce about quite a bit while you run to catch the Metro.

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August 24, 2011

Lazy Woman's Nectarine Cobbler

Sometimes you really want cobbler, but don't feel like cutting up a whole bunch of fruit. Or maybe you only have one nectarine and don't want to walk to the grocery store in 100+ weather to get more. Whatever your reason, this is a great recipe for a quick and dirty cobbler that you don't have to share with anyone (unless you want to).

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How to: Poach an Egg

Poached eggs are amazing, but can be intimidating to attempt if you aren't sure what you're doing. My first attempts were ugly, ugly things. Luckily, I have kind parents who when I call them for advice are willing to talk me through the tricks of making a good poached egg. And only laugh a couple times.

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Spicy Red Lentil and Rice Soup

Lentil soup in August doesn't really make sense; it's rich, dense, and warm - who wants that in a month where we've seen 100+ days more than once? However, there is a reason to my madness. There was an earthquake, I wanted comfort food, and I had all the ingredients on hand. All you on the West Coast may make fun of me for freaking out a bit over such a small quake, but I'd never experience once before and my apartment was built in a time where asbestos was considered awesome - I doubt they considered how it would stand up in a earthquake (answer: just fine!).

So soup. In August.

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