Top Chef

I have been watching for a while, and I like Top Chef better than the battle until you die types. They are down to the final. I'm glad that I don't have to cook with a clock counting down in my kitchen. I like to watch their techniques and seeing their ingredients.

Sourdough Starter

One of the great things that my Dad did over the holidays, was to help me create a sourdough starter. Here it is brewing on the counter. I made Sourdough banana bread to mixed results. I like my regular recipe better, but it was still good. I will make some sourdough bread next, or pancakes. My Dad uses this classic sourdough cookbook it has the basics but I'm open to any other suggestions people might have.

Dinning Out

Last night I went out the dinner with a friend at Legal Seafood. I went with the dinner special, Grilled Shrimp over Butternut Squash Risotto with sage oil and crispy pancetta. When my dish arrived the Risotto was undercooked. The waitstaff was very quick to take the dish back and one of the managers brought a replacement over quickly. He even waited to make sure that it was okay. The dish was good, but I should have had the Arctic Char, that my dinner companion had. So after we were done I went to the restroom, it looked worse than the bathroom at I.S.70, only the stalls had doors. So, I found another wait staff person on the way out. She was off the manager list a shot and I appreciated that, I hate when you can't wash or dry your hands in a public restroom.

Overall, they were good about fixing the bad, but I'm not sure that I'll be going back anytime soon.

Paper Loaf Pans

The R. got a great gingerbread loaf in this pan and I set out on a mission to find it. So here it is at Sur La Table. I was there using a gift certificate from my favorite sous chef L. And now I'm baking a few samples in them before I bake up a few late holiday treats in them. More to come....

Warm and Simple

So after the holidays, my guest had left, I needed to cook a simple but tasty meal at home. I had eaten chicken, beef and out of this world fish, so I went with fish. I have the R. house eaten fish with Panko and mayonnaise, but I went with mayo cousin Mustard. I lined a pan with foil, dotted the cod with a tiny bit of butter, put the mustard on, then the Panko.

Then I baked at 350 for 12-15 minutes. During that time I shredded red cabbage sauteed with a little olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar and added a dash of sesame seeds. I felt the need to eat this right away, and with a cloth napkin.

I did see some other ideas for fish and panko, here are few links that might inspire you to try this: Crispy Baked Cod with Greens, Panko-Crusted Salmon with Lingonberry Mustard, and what looks very good Red Snapper with Nasturtium-flower butter.

Holiday Food--Indian Restaurant

Over the holidays I had some wonderful food, just one problem, I ate faster than I wanted to, so no photos for the blog. My Dad came to town from Colorado, and so we went out for Indian food. This tradition started years ago when we lived in the east village and would go to 6th street for great cheap eats. We went to a place I haven't been to in years, Diva in Somerville. After battling the snow and the travel from the airport, it was nice to get in be seated quickly. The food was so so. The presentation was good, no more copper pots, but clean white dishes. The chicken korma was bland, a bit too salty and the shrimp tandoori a little tough. The sauces on the side of both dishes were just lovely. They each has a different taste and when added to the rice it was a nice compliment of great flavor. The nan was good and a lot of fun to watch them making it in kitchen. The paratha was too salty also, that made the breadaterian in me very sad. I won't be going back there again, but the hunt for good Indian food goes on.

Pain Au Chocolate

Many of you know of my love for Trader Joe's. Well over the holidays, I found that they have frozen Pain Au Chocolate. You take them out the night before, let them rise and then bake for 30 minutes and voila you have fresh baked heaven for the morning. My Dad and I both gave these high marks. Here is a picture of them hot out of the oven. Run, run, run I tell you to TJ for this.