It hurts so good

After downing a half-smoke (like a chili dog, but better) and fries at the Nationals game today, my digestive tract was feeling a little less than stellar so I needed something light for dinner. I'm a big fan of both soup and Asian cooking these days, so I turned to this Wok cookbook I bought on a whim from Ikea. (It was clearly translated from Swedish, and features such poetic instructions as, "Gut the shrimps. Wash the shrimps. Dry the shrimps.") The few recipes I've made from it have turned out pretty bland, so I usually have to significantly doctor the results to make them tasty. The additions I made to this soup resulted in a soup rich in flavor but light enough to not wreak havoc on my already-taxed tummy.

Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Soup

Serves 4

1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock or broth

8 oz. baby asparagus

8 oz. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 shallots

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1/2 tsp. chili bean paste (can be found in Asian foods section)

pinch of Chinese 5-spice powder

1 egg

salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a small pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil. While waiting for it to boil, wash the asparagus, trim off any woody ends, and cut into inch-long pieces.

2. Cook asparagus in boiling broth for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Turn broth down to a simmer.

3. In a wok or other large pot, heat oil and saute shallots for a minute or two, then add shrimp. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes, then add broth and asparagus to wok.

4. Stir in chili bean paste, 5-spice powder, and fish sauce and bring to a simmer.

4. Mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp. water in a small bowl. Stir into soup in wok until it thickens slightly.

5. Whisk egg in a small bowl, then stir egg into soup vigorously until threads appear (like egg drop soup.)

6. Salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

A sauce of a different color

I love to barbecue. Everything tastes better just a little bit charred, wouldn't you agree? I tried this sauce recipe from my favorite cookbook of all time, The Gourmet Cookbook, and like every other recipe I've ever made from there, it was delicious. If you're looking for the classic tangy-sweet of a traditional barbecue sauce, stay away from this one - it's really rich, and a little bitter from the coffee, but delicious nonetheless. I ate mine with chicken; it's apparently equally good with steak or pork.

Coffee and Whiskey Barbecue Sauce
Mildly adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook
Makes 1 cup

1 cup strong brewed coffee (I used instant chicory coffee)
1/2 cup of whiskey (I used Jack Daniel's, the original recipe called for bourbon)
1/2 -3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, depending on how sweet you want it
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced to one cup and thickened slightly, about 15-20 minutes. Don't be alarmed if it tastes like crap when you first mix it together - once it simmers something magical happens and it ends up all delicious and stuff.

If you grill some meat and want to put this on it, wait until closer to the end of grilling, otherwise the sugars in it will burn. Which would be gross.

Wasn't pretty, but I ate it anyway

Shrimps and broccolis.

Couscous with salmon and other stuff. Postal workers. Scott Baio.

I'm taking this Web writing class for credit, and my professor said to put "taggable" words in your post titles. So, when people search for "salmon + postal worker + Scott Baio," they may come across this. If that person is you, welcome. Stay a while. Let's talk seafood and Teen Beat cover fixtures of the late 1970s.

Here are some good things about today: I had an interview at my top choice law school that went swimmingly, and I went to the post office and the postal worker was nice to me! A government employee! Happy, courteous, polite. I was flabbergasted, like going to summer camp and finding out the girl I hate is actually MY IDENTICAL TWIN.

Also, I don't really have anything to say about Scott Baio other than that he's a little bit gross.

Now, some food. The salmon came out crap, so I'm not even giving you the recipe. Just cook some salmon in some fashion and put it on the couscous and I guarantee you it will be better than mine. The couscous was lovely, though - the mint makes it taste so fresh, and the raisins really plump up and get juicy, while the almonds lend a nice crunch. It reminds me of the couscous I used to get at Monoprix (the French Target, with groceries) for lunch. Je l'aime beaucoup!

Couscous with Raisins, Mint, and Almonds
Adapted from Food Network

1 cup raisins
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
salt to taste
10 oz. couscous (I used one box of Near East plain)
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

1. Combine raisins, butter, chicken broth, cinnamon, and salt to taste in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Allow couscous to sit for five minutes.
3. Uncover, fluff with fork, then stir in almonds and mint. Serve warm or cold.

I know! I'll call my cooking show, "Everyday Mediocrity!"

In a few seconds, I will share with you a recipe for a medium-good stir fry. With pictures! Get excited.

But first, I will share with you something decidedly un-mediocre. And by share, I mean reccommend to you. This isn't Oprah, where everyone in the audience gets one of whatever I think is cool. And if it were, I would never give out PT Cruisers. Just so you know.

It is my latest musical obsession - Sara Bareilles' "Little Voice." This CD rocks. It's great music to commute to, to cook to, to knit fuzzy steering wheel covers to. I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say if Michelle Branch, John Mayer, and Fiona Apple had a musical threesome, Sara B. might be the result. It's pop-y and blues-y and soulful and catchy. To some, this may sound repulsive. To me, it's awesome in melodic form. Listen and love.

And now, for the goods.

Hairnet Optional: Ginger-Lime Beef Stir Fry
Serves 2
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine (I forget which issue)

The mise en place, French for "shit you need to cook this dish"

2 cups cooked white rice (I like the Uncle Ben's Boil-in-a-Bag kind, because I'm classy like that)
1/2 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vegetable oil
6 oz. snow peas
4 scallions, chopped, with white and green parts separated
1 Tbsp. grated peeled ginger
pinch of red pepper flakes
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper

1. Place sliced steak in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with flour and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the steak for 1-2 minutes until browned on one side (not cooked all the way through.)

3. Add peas, white part of scallions, ginger, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 cup of water to skillet. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Cook 3-4 more minutes ('til steak is cooked through), turn off stove, and stir in lime juice and green part of scallions.

4. Serve over cooked rice.

Addendum: So, the more I look at the picture above, the more it disgusts me. I know everyone loves a visual aid, but honestly, doesn't the steak look foul there? All gray and Mystery Meat-y, like it should be served up by an obese woman named Sal in a hairnet. Ugh. I promise it doesn't taste as awful as it looks. But, if you never attempt this stir fry, I wouldn't blame you.

I present to you...the Bastard Love Child of Daisy and Dannon

Here’s some things to know about me:

1. I lost 7 pounds this summer.
2. I am a magazine whore.

Here’s how these factoids apply:

1. I have since gained the weight I lost back. Something to do with mass consumption of baked goods coupled with eating out a lot…
2. I read an article in this month’s Allure about healthy foods that inspired me to get back on the healthy-eating bandwagon. At least for a day or two.

The article was called “Diet Saviors” and was about cult-favorite low-calorie foods. “Eureka!” I thought to myself. “I can test out these diet foods and still have plenty of fodder for my blog! Yessss.” Then I remembered that most low-cal foods taste like crap, and my enthusiasm waned a bit.
It didn’t stop me, though, from heading to my local SuperFresh and picking up one of the listed foods, Fage Total Yogurt (pronounced fa-yeh toe-tull yo-gurt.) According to the article, it is the number one selling yogurt in Greece (a huge accomplishment, apparently), jet-setters smuggle it when they travel to exotic locales, and health nuts judo chop store managers when they only carry the full-fat version. Plus this chick really likes it, and she's a nutritionist, so she must know what she's talking about. Sounds like a winner to me.
So, I tried it. And. It tasted like thick plain yogurt. Shocker. Granted, the 2% version does have 17 grams of protein and only 130 calories, plus lots of calcium to help avoid a future of hip and knee replacements, so that’s cool. I put some honey in it because it definitely needs a bit of sweet, and it made a decent and filling breakfast.
Um, so I guess if yogurt doesn't give you the willies, and you like to sweeten things yourself, you could maybe go buy this. Or you could eat some cereal with milk and call it a day.

Good talk, see you out there.

Tonight: The Melting Pot, for a hit of fondue goodness in celebration of Restaurant Week.

This weekend: Jet-setting to a not-so-exotic locale - St. Louis, Missouri. I will not be smuggling yogurt, in case you were wondering.

Photo credit: fageusa.com.

A winning combination. Like a martini and a Percocet.

You could maybe sprinkle some Ecstasy on it. That might be good.

Last week I ate at Paolo’s with my roommate and her family (delish, B.T. dubs.) They had a salad on the menu featuring watermelon and feta, which I did not order but have been obsessing about ever since. I finally made my own, and the result was so tasty – refreshing, tart, and sweet, with a little creamy, salty, and nutty thrown in with the feta and pine nuts. A perfect summer salad. Also, I realize that you're supposed to use 3 parts oil for 1 part vinegar in a vinaigrette, blah, blah, but I really like basalmic and don't really see the point in adding lots of fatty oil. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Watermelon, Feta, and Mixed Greens with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 bag pre-washed spring mix lettuce (5 oz. of baby greens, spinach, and raddichio, whatev)
1 ½ cups seedless watermelon, cubed and bite-sized (I just bought a container of pre-sliced watermelon)
¾ cup feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. olive oil

1. In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-high heat for a minute or two. (Basically, dump the pine nuts in the skillet – no oil – and wiggle them around over the heat until they brown a bit and begin to smell nutty. This really brings out their flavor. Be careful to keep the nuts moving, though, as they can burn easily. Feel free to announce to everyone in the vicinity that you’re “keeping the nuts moving.”) Remove from heat and let cool.
2. In one of those glass salad dressing mixer things, shake up the balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. (Or whisk ‘em together in a bowl if you’re not fortunate enough to possess a glass salad dressing mixer thing.)
3. Toss the greens, ½ cup of feta, and the pine nuts in the vinaigrette in a large bowl. After tossing, throw the watermelon and remaining feta on top of the greens and serve. (I was hesitant to toss the watermelon with the rest because I didn’t want it to get smushed up.) Yum.