pesce spada alla grigilia con la salsa di giovanna

or in other words, grilled swordfish with salsa di giovanna. sounds fancy huh. while at borders last month perusing as usual amongst the food shelves, i came across jamie oliver's jamie's italy. i have always admired his brash, casual style and wholeheartedly believe in his non-measuring ways. on his late food network show, he tore up herbs by the handful, added "gulps" of olive oil, and just "mashes 'em up." no measurements, or rarely. i cook the same way. i think there's nothing wrong with a few extra garlic cloves, extra swirls of olive oil, and big doses of herbs. i'm into bigger, bolder flavor. and cooking this way forces you to cook by your senses, to experiment with ingredients, and to trust your tastebuds. it's also just so much more fun than following a recipe line by line. it's also a lot faster.

so i picked up oliver's book on amazon (a lot less expensive for a hardback copy) and received it right before my hawaii trip (yes, i'm posting those pics up soon). i've been meaning to get back into italian cuisine for a while now. i think i had just overloaded on pasta over the years and needed a hiatus - and inspiration. oliver's book is chock full of appealing food porn and he has some great storytelling mixed in with the recipes, which are all relatively simple to make and written in his unique, carefree style.

i swung by trader joe's tonite and found some frozen swordfish steaks for $6.99/lb. i immediately grabbed a package from the freezer desparate to relive my first dinner in hawaii last week. shimi's boyfriend, bill, grilled several swordfish steaks marinated in italian dressing and shimi tossed up a salad with fresh avocado, feta, and tomatoes as well as a spicy couscous. it was simply amazing. so tonite's meal is dedicated to shimi and bill in memory of a fantastic hawaiian-fresh meal and who inspired me to face my amatuer fish phobia head on!

after thumbing through oliver's book, i found a swordfish recipe that was very simple in its ingredient list and sounded tasty. scott was on his way over so i asked him to pick up a couple things i didn't have. and without further ado... let's whip up some swordfish!

i first threw some water on the stove to prepare a cup of dry couscous (equals 5 servings according to the box) and finished it up according to directions. i also diced one brown onion and caramelized it in a small frying pan. once done, that was mixed into the fluffed couscous. an easy way to doctor up the usual dry, neutral-flavored couscous, caramelized onions can add both a savory sweetness and moisture to the grains. i highly recommend. you can also add some fresh chopped herbs like rosemary or thyme to give it more punch. or you can be like shimi and add a bit too much spicy hot pepper. =)

while that was going on, i tossed a handful of baby broccoli in olive oil, salt and pepper and threw that into the toaster oven at 450* until just starting to brown. the steaks were defrosted in the microwave, drained and seasoned with salt and pepper. for the salsa di giovanna, i combined the juice of 1 lemon with about 3 times as much extra virgin olive oil (gotta use the premium stuff for this one) and two sprigs of mint and basil chopped. about 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced, followed. this was seasoned with salt and pepper and set aside.

i then fired up a non-stick grill pan on high heat and added a swirl of olive oil. the steaks went down on one side for about 3 minutes and were flipped over for another 3 or so until rare. i was using sashimi grade swordfish, mind you. if you have a lesser grade or less fresh fish, cook til no longer raw. according to bill, swordfish will hold up to the prolonged cooking due to its fat content. so you're in the clear. i like raw fish and jamie oliver says to cook this rare as well. so rare it is!

and the final product, er, plate...

the salsa di giovanna is spooned over the swordfish and creates a moist, lemony, garlicky and minty (in that order) sensation on the palate. because of the meatiness of the swordfish, it withstands the substanial vinaigrette and its bold herbs.

slicing into the steak you can see how it's cooked to rare, an opaque pink color. this leaves the fish quite firm and reminded me much of how seared ahi is usually prepared. i thought it was great but scott would've preferred his more done.

the couscous is a nice, light counterpoint to the fish, and the roasted broccolini is green and crunchy. overall, a very light and healthy, if not a little strong on the olive oil. i think i have conquered my fear of fish! well, maybe at least swordfish. according to oliver's text, you can substitute the swordfish with any large, meaty fish like tuna or shark. oh, i forgot to mention that i did substitute fresh basil for the oregeno called for in the recipe, since scott couldn't find any at albertson's.

for dessert, scott brought an ube cake from the red ribbon bakery next to albertson's.

ube is filipino for taro root which is what colors this soft sponge cake roll.

it was sweet and taro-y. very moist and creamy too.

although it didn't fit the theme of italian for tonite, it was a sweet way to end the meal. thanks scott.

shimi and bill, hope you guys enjoyed this one. mahalo.

eggplant and pork shoulder

have you ever eaten eggplant? how was it prepared? what did it taste like? did you like it?

i love eggplant. i love its texture. i love the way it soaks up all the juicy goodness from the pan and melds those flavors with its own. i love that it can be the main attraction of a meatless dish and yet lend its flavor to the greater good in a lasagna. i love it grilled, sauteed and stir-fried. i love eggplant.

*clap clap clap*

the funky purple eggplant is used widely in asian cuisine. this versatile, spongy-firm vegetable is wok-fried chinese-style drenched with a sweet garlic sauce or stuffed with pork and fried for dim sum, simmered thai-style in a boat of green curry or stir-fried with ground meat and mint leaves, dipped and battered japanese-style as tempura, and makes regular appearances in indian curries and persian stews. it's quite a versatile ingredient.

the eggplant also comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors aside from the ubiqutous large, dark purple american version. check out cook's thesarus, a favorite reference site of mine, for some great pictures and brief descriptions of the many varieties of eggplant and the differences between them.

interestingly enough, as versatile and available eggplant is around the world, i have yet to see american cuisine embrace it beyond the eggplant parmagiana creation. my friend john just mentioned he "doesn't do eggplant. my mom forced us to eat eggplant when we were children so we've been scarred for life." do people really not like eggplant? what's not to like? maybe the mushy texture was off putting. or perhaps the many seeds in the american varietal were too bitter for john's tastebuds. my mom stir-fried eggplant when i was a kid and i loved it. i still can't quite figure out how she made the lusciously soft and fragrant eggplant the way she did without asking her for the recipe, but oh the memories. 3 rice bowls and an empty serving dish later...

so i'm here to share my own eggplant recipe in hopes that you eggplant junkies and you eggplant haters might converge on one extremely tasty veggie. it's hard to write down exactly what i did because i've made this dish so many times i just toss ingredients and seasonings in without thinking. but here it goes...

(note: this dish really isn't for those who are counting calories or have clogged arteries. if you want something more healthy, with eggplant, um... don't eat it. it's not good boiled or steamed and never eaten raw.)

start with 2 lbs. chinese eggplant. (this variant is long and large with a pale purple coloring; it's milder in flavor than japanese eggplant and has less seeds than amerian.) chop into large chunks, exposing as much flesh as possible with your cuts. fry the eggplant in batches in 2-3 tablespoons peanut oil per batch until slightly browned and semi-soft. it will continue cooking in the sauce later. set aside in a dish.

in the same pan, heat another 2 tablespoons peanut oil and drop 4 smashed garlic cloves in the hot oil to fragrant it. don't let it burn. add 1 lb sliced pork shoulder (1/2" to 1" cubes are fine or however you want) and stir fry until rare.

i used pork shoulder in this dish because i couldn't find ground pork at albertson's. well actually, they did have ground pork but it was a ridiculous $3/pound. you can get this at an asian market for less than $1/pound on a bad day. the point is you should never not make a recipe just because you don't have the exact ingredients. it's much more fun to substitute and there's this great sense of accomplishment and creativity.

moving on. while the eggplant cooks, you should quickly prep the following: 1 green bell pepper chopped, 1 yellow onion chopped, 4 scallions chopped into 2" pieces or so, 1/3 bunch of cilantro rough chop.

also prep the following in a bowl: 2 T oyster sauce, 1 T fish sauce, 2 T hoisin sauce, 1 T soy sauce, 2-3 T sugar. (optional for more flavor depth would be slivers of ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced, and chopped thai basil leaves)

add the onions to the pork and stir-fry until translucent. add the peppers and deglaze the pan with a 1/4 cup white wine or rice wine. after a couple minutes, add the sauce, scallions, a few squirts of siracha hot sauce (optional, but great perker upper) and let flavors meld for 1-2 min.

stir in the cilantro last minute...

and plate.

by this point, the eggplant will have cooked down to a soft consistency and absorbed all the wonderful juices of the dish.

the flavor should be savory and garlicky. the pork should be tender and the greens still crisp.

my only criticism in my preparation was that i added the bell pepper way too early so that it was soft and mushy (= bad) by plating time. but the star here really is the eggplant and while it ain't the healthiest way of enjoying it, it sure is one of the tastiest that i know of. who knows, maybe it'll becomes yours too...

roasted baby broccoli and vegetable root chips

so my meatloaf meal from earlier this week has proved to be quite the long-distance runner: i've had enough leftover loaf to feed me for the last 7 meals straight! (that's 3 lunches and 4 dinners for you math geeks out there.) AND, i have enough for lunch tomorrow, dinner tomorrow nite, and lunch again on friday. woo hoo! it's so nice to come home, throw something in the microwave, and have a semi-homemade meal in a matter of minutes. i mean, honestly, i'd love to cook a fresh, tasty meal everynite, but who really has the time or energy nite after nite? at least i'm not having tv dinners. these are "quality" leftovers...

so in the spirit of the food networks' "semi-homemade with sandra lee" series -- a show that i actually cant' stand because of her quasi-perfect soccer mom appearance and deliberate, mom-like speech pattern creating gourmet meals using store-bought staples and sprucing them up with a few fresh ones that seem to take, gosh oh golly, no time at all -- ahem, i decided to spruce up my own "pre-made" meatloaf with a fresh side. the potatoes and greens i made with the original dish were just way to heavy to keep eating without feeling like i had rocks residing in my stomach and i was getting bored of meat and potaotes. so a trip to trader joe's resulted in a package of baby spring mix salad, cliantro dressing, and a package of mexcian baby broccoli. when feeling heavy, eat more veggies.

i decided tonite that i want to explore the effects of a particular cooking technique on different ingredients. my goal is to be able to cook any given ingredient a variety of ways so that i never get bored of having the same ole mashed potatoes or asparagus all the time. having roasted a few spears of asparagus earlier this week, i decided, hey, how about roasting baby broccoli the same way?

thank heavens for toaster ovens. they're perfect for heating/broiling/roasting/toasting small amounts of food, perfect for one to two diners. and you don't have to fire up and pre-heat an entire oven for a small tray of broccoli. i placed a sheet of foil on the pan, tossed on some baby broccoli stalks, drizzled good olive oil, and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. this went into the toaster at 450 degrees. you'll hear the sizzle of oil after a couple minutes and doneness is determined by how "roasted" you want your broccoli. i like mine to be dark green with browning of the flower heads but not over-roasted. this way the stalks are tender-crisp and a hint of sweetness from the caramelizing appears. (i prefer the same technique for asparagus.)

paired with the meatloaf and a handful of salad leaves and dressing, this meal became a quick and easy dinner and felt much lighter in comparison with the heavy potatoes and greens.

but sometimes not having carbs in your meal can screw with your mind. an hour later, i felt hungry again. and although i tried, i couldn't resist opening my 2nd bag of trader joe's vegetable root chips within a week.

i don't eat much junk food but man, these chips are my vice. a TJ's substitute for the pricier (and less tasty) terra root chips, this version contains chips made from sweet potato, sweet potato dyed with beet juice, taro, batata, and parsnips. it is SO GOOD. if i don't literally force myself to stop, i can eat through an entire bag in one sitting. bad.

randomness. one culinary creation i can think of that had the same effect on me was during college where i pan-fried a can of hereford's corned beef hash, microwaved a bag of frozen corn with butter, salt and pepper, and threw all that over a big bowl of rice. and ate it all in one sitting. sad. yet oh so good.

anyway, i'd like to experiment with roasting other vegetables that would make good side dishes using the technique above (with the broccoli, not the hash). any suggestions or personal favorites people?

meatloaf, pan fried white rose potatoes and mustard greens with bacon

i remember growing up as a child in gallipolis, ohio, envying other children as they shared what they had for dinner the night before. how i would drool at the mention of exotic concoctions like pot roast, chicken pot pie and beef stroganoff. the closest my mom ever got to the all-american supper meal was spaghetti. and even that was prepared differently from what i'd experience at my best friend's house. there wasn't a bed of soft white noodles with an enormous ladle of chunky, tomatoey-red pasta sauce and two meatball boulders on my mom's table. instead, she stir-fried the noodles with pasta sauce, sausage, broccoli and slices of american cheese and on my plate would appear a giant, globulous mess. bleh. another stir-fry. mom!! can't we go to mcdonald's and get a big mac instead??

oh the things kids say. as an adult, i now realize that stir-fried spaghetti, sans broccoli and sub shredded cheddar, is damn good. who knew?? but those foreign suppers at jason's house became glued in my mind as what american people have for dinner and heck, if i was born here, then i'm gonna eat fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes too, damnit! (which happens to be one of my favorite meals... yes, the swanson hungry man version too.) so for the past decade i have deliberately chosen to order homey, soul food dishes on the menu whenever possible and pass up the more "exotic" dishes like seared ahi or other fusion varieties. you may know them as comfort foods. i'm talking about collard greens, mac n cheese, pot roast, fried chicken, meatloaf...

oh. meatloaf. the blue plate special. how can you not love meatloaf. it's a carnivore's delight but without the fuss of cutting the meat with proper etiquette. whenever jason's mom made this my eyes ogled at a giant mound of deep red ground beef being shoved into a small, rectangular loaf pan. how can something so gross taste so good?? but taste good it did, and i have loved and ordered meatloaf wherever i see it. most recently, i had the meatloaf entree at the restaurant, home, in the castro. it was, well, like home. mmm...

so tonite's meal is in memory of my childhood culinary fantasies. it's also dedicated to roy, who i learned tonite loves meatloaf as much as i do. bon appertitey!

this recipe is another finding in saveur's classic american issue. it's simply entitled "meat loaf."

start with one finely chopped onion and 4 minced cloves of garlic (the recipe actually calls for 2 onions and 2 garlic cloves; i only had 1 onion and love garlic)...

and saute them with a good amount of olive oil in a pan until soft and translucent.

then combine 3 pounds of ground beef, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, an 8 oz can of tomato sauce, 3/4 of the onion saute, and then season generously with salt and pepper. according to saveur, you should combine just enough to blend the ingredients, handling the loaf as little as possible. it doesn't state why, but i'm pretty sure the more you work the meat, the tougher it will turn out after baking. chemistry, people. chemistry.

when deciding on what type of ground beef to use, go for the ground chuck or beef with a higher fat content. 80/20 or 85/15 minimum. ground chuck is a fattier and more flavorful cut of beef and will result in a juicier, beefier meatloaf. the same rule applies to making hamburgers from scratch. save the lean ground beef for making... um... i dunno.

stuff the mixture into a loaf pan. if you don't already have one, just pick up an inexpensive aluminum one at the supermarket, measuring 5.5" x 10" x 3". they're less than $5 and great duty for this and baking cornbread loaves for stuffing.


spread the rest of the onion saute on top and generously drizzle ketchup over the loaf. the more the better i say.

throw this into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 min.

while that's going slice about 1 pound new potatoes into chunks, dry well, and add to a hot pan with olive oil and a couple of smashed garlic cloves to season the oil. pan fry over med heat and brown the potatoes to a golden hue. add a teaspoon of crushed rosemary (dried variety is fine), stir and scrape the pan, then cover tightly with a lid to let the potatoes "steam" over low heat for about 15 - 20 min until tender. add a couple swirls of olive oil to moisten and some chopped fresh parsley.

potatoes are potatoes. and they can get pretty boring if you don't think creatively night after night. i had originally planned on making basic mashed potatoes, then realized 1) that's old news, and 2) new potatoes don't mash well. you should really stick to russets if you want a fluffy mash. new potatoes don't break down properly and red potatoes are more suited to "smashed" potatoes. so i decided to do a take on homefries, substituting olive oil for the butter and omitting onions and paprika. the olive oil and parsley lighten up the heavy, greasy weight of typical homefries.

in the other pan, render the fat of 2 slices, chopped bacon.

add a bag of mustard greens and saute until the greens have wilted. grate a sprinkle of nutmeg and combine. quick, easy, tasty and full of vitamins.


by this point the meatloaf should be ready. pull it out and let it rest for 10 min to finish cooking and let the juices redistribute.


at this point, i plated my dinner as such...

and then realized upon closer inspection,

that the meatloaf wasn't done! it was still undercooked inside! =( now i like my hamburgers medium rare, and don't mind mushiness in the meat, but this was too rare. so sadly, i fired up the oven and threw the loaf back in for another 15 min.

pulling the loaf out again, i did what i should've done the first time, cut into the loaf to check for doneness. you want the meat cooked enough to be edible, but not overcooked to the point it gets dry and tough and chewy. i threw it back in for another 10 min.

after the extra time, the top of the loaf had browned and the ketchup was glazed to a deep, dark red. picture this...

only darker, brown-er, and glistening all over. it was also firmer and while still a little pink inside, didn't show any signs of raw meat. finally.

the meatloaf was good, but i think i overcooked slightly with all the in-out-in time of the oven. next time i'd definitely season more generously - remember there's 3 pounds of meat in there - and drizzle more ketchup for a thicker glaze. i think also having 2 onions vs 1 would make the mixture even more moist. the greens and potatoes were great.

moral of this dinner? nothing's ever perfect. check for doneness and don't assume that what the cookbook says is accurate for your own kitchen. there are so many variables that can affect your cooking time, from the temperature variance of your oven to how tightly you packed the meat. i've been told that my blog makes cooking dinner look effortless. while this is true relatively speaking a majority of the time, i do have royal screw ups every so often. but i learn pretty quickly what not to do after that. =)

so even though i didn't get to eat this meal in one sitting - i had a slice of meatloaf 30 min after finishing the potatoes and greens - it did satisfy my craving for a homestyle meal. well, my best friend's homestyle meal. meal? comforted.