stuffed figs

i have a fig tree in my yard.  when i bought my house many years ago, my neighbor use to climb up the tree and pick figs.  wait, back up.  to be completely honest, my neighbor has a fig tree, just a few branches (really, almost all of them) are on my property.  so rightfully it is my neighbors fig tree, i just like to say i have one.  around july, they are almost ready to harvest.  problem is, all of the birds and squirrels in my neighborhood, and a few of the surrounding neighborhoods,  also know i have a fig tree.  they beat me to them every year and on top of that, they poop and drop rotten figs on the windshield of my car.  very bothersome.  after moaning and groaning about it for a while, brian finally suggested that i go to the market and just buy some.  truth is, i don't think i would ever feel comfortable eating the figs from my fig tree, just because of all the rodent germs and potential swine flu.  so i went to the market to pick up a container of black mission figs.  i wanted to get what looked most like my figs so i could eat them and pretend i picked them.  i have never really been that into figs.  i think it stems back to my childhood when a cookie for me was a fig newton.  just gave me shivers thinking about it (thanks mom and dad).  i made the tastiest little appetizers, that have now opened my eyes to these once not so respected fruits. i started by removing the stems.  i then scored the tops with an x  and cut through about 1/3 down.  gently pry the figs open and stuff some blue cheese (or gorgonzola) in the center.  bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until the cheese melts and the figs soften.  i drizzled a bit of honey over the top to balance out the sharpness of the cheese.  delicious.  next summer, i hope, i mean, i will take back my fig tree!

lemon garlic basil shrimp

this recipe is such a great alternative to shrimp cocktail.   i serve it from time to time to my clients when they are having a small dinner party, it is always well received.  it's simple and fresh tasting.  you start by heating about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large non stick skillet, over medium high heat.  add one clove of minced garlic and stir around for 1 minute.  i used two pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp, and left the tails on.  it's easier for everyone to pick up and eat, plus it looks authentic.  ( i don't know if authentic is the right word here, but just go with it).  toss the shrimp in and add a few big squeezes of lemon juice - about 1/4 of a cup, so maybe 2-3 juicy lemons.  after the shrimp is cooked through, 3-4 minutes, place on a serving platter/shallow bowl.  zest one lemon and add a big handful of chopped basil over the top.  season with salt.   you can eat this warm, at room temperature, or chill it in the fridge and eat cold ( not preferable, though). 

lemon basil water

lazy and tired.  just remember to drink pretty.  lemon peel and basil... (ok, and vodka).  but it's delicious with water, too.  just not as delicious...

the power of cherries

i'm am loving the fresh cherries that are in season now and at every grocery store in town.   i like to keep a big bowl on my counter and nibble on them throughout the day.  i like that hand to mouth thing.  sorta like chips and salsa (well, nothing like chips and salsa, who am i kidding?).  did you know that cherries may be 10 times stronger than aspirin or ibuprofen in relieving arthritic pain and can reduce the pain associated with inflammation, arthritis, and gout?  it's true.  i read a few years back in men's health, that 13 fresh cherries have the same amounts of concentrations of potent antioxidants that 2 ibuprofen have.  interesting, huh?  give it a try next time you have an ache or pain.  or, put it in a cocktail and fend off any potential hangover!

proscuitto crostini

prosciutto is possibly my favorite meat, for sandwiches anyway. it is very lean and totally surpasses ham, but it is really expensive ($30.00 a lb.). i love making a simple prosciutto, tomato, havarti, fresh basil sandwich, on a grilled baguette. i like to make this sandwich when i am heading out of town and have packed a cooler for the trip, it holds really well. i will even take it on an airplane when my flight is around meal time (heavens forbid i miss a meal!). friday nights are generally the one night i will eat a heavier meal, like a burger or pasta - something along those lines. i will even make a simple appetizer or dessert from time to time. i made this crostini last weekend and just loved it. i had all the ingredients, except for tomato. which i actually did have if i just looked out back at my garden (they just started turning red). i simply grilled a few slices from a baguette, topped it with basil, mozzarella, and prosciutto. when you purchase prosciutto, make sure it is shaved very thin. so thin it's hard to take off the paper they put it on and frustrates you thin. trust me on this. so instead of the same ole' bruschetta of tomato, mozzarella, and basil, give this one a try. i am sure you will like it.

calamari and bananna peppers

i love fried calamari.  when i eat out and it's on the menu, i'm ordering it.  i don't know what it is about it that i like so much, because squid really has very little taste.  i think i like the chewy texture of it.  okay, and that's it's fried. i decided to make a batch a few weeks ago for me and my mom.  i bought a few squid tubes along with a few bodies at whole foods.  sliced the tubes into 1/2" rounds and soaked the squid in club soda for 30 minutes.  i honestly don't know if the club soda made a difference or not, but i liked the idea of it.  while it's soaking, heat up some olive oil.  i didn't have a thermometer so i kind of just guessed when the oil was hot enough. if you don't have a thermometer, test one piece at a time.  i then drained the squid on a towel and tossed it in some flour.   fry the squid until it's golden brown, about 4 minutes.  i tossed in a few banana peppers, which gave it a nice tang. served it with marinara and a few lemon wedges. so, so good!  it wasn't heavy, oily, or over breaded.  it was very light and flaky. 

so, if you're like me and love fried calamari, try making this. it's actually quite fun.

home grown

why is it that home grown tomatoes taste superior to what you buy at the grocery store?  seriously, it's as if they are two different fruits.  (i hate referring to tomatoes as a fruit, i want them to be a vegetable.  they should be a vegetable.)  my tomatoes just started to turn red last week and i have been gobbling them up.  i am growing both grape and roma tomatoes,  my two favorites.  i had a few slices leftover from a baguette that i almost threw out last night, but remembered all the tomatoes in my garden that were begging to be eaten.  i wish i had more bread, because i would have made this my meal.  the tomatoes where unbelievable.  i also picked some basil from my garden and made a simple bruschetta.  i grilled the baguette slices, then rubbed them all over with garlic.  in a small bowl i mixed diced tomatoes, chopped fresh ciliegine mozzarella (they are the size of a gumball - usually referred to as "cherry size"), chopped basil, salt, and pepper.  mound the mixture as high as you can get it on the bread slices and enjoy.  this is what summer taste like to me.

cherry and jicama crostini

cherries are in season, so i made this fantastic appetizer for a client of mine to take on vacation. it's fresh, clean, simple, healthy, and light. i must admit, it's a bit time consuming, but hang in there and reap the end results! the simple ingredients work so well together. it's a crostini with a goat cheese and ricotta spread, with a cherry, jicama, and mint relish on top. start by dicing 2 cups of fresh cherries - this is what gets you. you have to cut the fruit away from the pit and then dice into smaller pieces. put on some music and just get into it! dice 1 cup of jicama. make sure to dice the cherries and jicama about the same size. chop some mint, add 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar and mix together. season with salt and pepper. in another bowl, add 4oz. of goat cheese and 4oz. of ricotta, a pinch of cayenne and blend together. toast 1/2 inch baguette slices.  i like to cut my baguette on an angle, looks better and it makes for a bigger area to top everything on. spread the cheese mixture on top of the baguette and top with the relish.  that's it.  the colors are so gorgeous. and the sweetness from the cherries with the crunch from the jicama, paired with the tanginess from the goat cheese is out of this world.  take this to your fourth of july party and please all that's there. 

Caipirinhas

caipirinhas from brazil, just made, to kick off my weekend!  a simple, fresh cocktail - perfect on an evening like this where it is ridiculously hot out - and the soccer is kick'n!  fill your favorite cocktail glass with ice and in another glass pour some cachaca, a good squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a handful of fresh mint.  muddle it all together and pour over your waiting cocktail glass with ice!  off to catch up on the games i missed this morning.  have a great weekend.

summer salsa

this is so darn good i had to make it tonight.  it is such a delicious, fresh, light, and healthy salsa.  there are no hidden ingredients in this one.  honduras and chile are playing today and i thought i would make something that would represent both their cultures.  so, here it is!

 - 1/2 of an onion, i used a vidalia, because they are sweet, but a spanish would probably be more appropriate!
- 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
- 4 ears of corn, cut fresh off the cob
- 5 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 avocados diced ***
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
-1 lime juiced
salt and pepper

***in a separate bowl i squeeze the juice of one lime and add the cut avocado and carefully mix.  this helps in keeping the avocado nice and green. 
toss everything together and serve with some multi-grain tortillas.  also, try to buy yellow corn, it just looks prettier than the white corn!
(i bet fresh cilantro would make a nice addition)

beef and pineapple kabobs

so, i told you a few posts back that i cooked for a political fundraiser, these were also on the menu.  beef and pineapple kabobs, with a parsley sauce.  the combo may seem a bit odd, but all the flavors work wonderfully with each other.  and if you haven't eaten grilled pineapple, you are missing out.  the sugar from the pineapple is so prominent when grilled, it just bursts with sweetness.  i started by making a marinade, which also was the sauce.  start with one large bunch of italian parsley, rip off the tops and put in a food processor.  add 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a pinch of chili flakes, 1 teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper.  blend to a coarse consistency then add about 1/2 cup of olive oil until incorporated. put half of the marinade in a separate bowl and reserve - this will be used later as the sauce.  put the remaining marinade in a large bowl or a zip lock bag and cube 2 pounds of beef tenderloin into bite size chunks, add to bowl.  cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.  i think a sirloin would be a good alternative to a filet, but a filet would be my first choice.  in the meantime, cut the pineapple into same size cubes as you did the beef.  if using wooden skewers, which i recommend, soak them in water for 30 minutes to avoid burning while the are being grilled.  i used 6" wooden skewers.  to assemble the kabobs, take one piece of pineapple, one cube of beef, pineapple, beef.  there should be 2 of each on one skewer.  sprinkle with salt.  there should be about 30 skewers.  grill the kabobs over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes per side.  i cooked these for a total of 6 minutes for medium rare.  arrange on a big platter and serve with the parsley sauce.  while i was at this event, the gentlemen who is running for govenor was talking to everyone, telling us how he is going to change georgia, i saw a guest plop right in front of these beef pops and devour about 5 of them.  i guess they were good?

blt bites

just imagine, going to a cocktail party and seeing a big tray full of blt's.  even better, blt bites!  i love blt's, they remind me of my childhood.  over memorial day weekend, my nephew marshall, passed me in the kitchen while i was cooking and felt he needed to share with me that he loves blt's. just out of the blue, non provoked, no conversation about it . "me too," i said. and out of the kitchen he went.  then i thought long and hard of when was the last time i had eaten one, and i couldn't remember.  years, i imagine.  that brief interaction led me to these.  i made a big tray of tiny bite sized ones for a party i catered last night.  i recently came across (or chose to notice for the first time) a small loaf of boule bread at my local market.  i used it a few days back to make croutons.  this bread ranks up there as one of my favorites.  it is dense, but still light.  airy, but still chewy.  i love it.  i decided i would use this for my "toast".  it was a great choice.  i bought some high quality bacon, it tends to have more meat than fat.  and used bibb lettuce for its texture and because it lays flat, well, flattish.  i also used campari tomatoes, they are so darn good and they were the perfect size for the "sandwich".  i started by cutting all the tomatoes into 1/4" round slices, then put them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the wetness tomatoes give off.  this also gave me a good measure as to the size i needed to cut the bread.  i wanted the bread squares to be a bit larger than the tomatoes.  i toasted all the bread squares on a baking sheet, in a 400 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes ( i think... i was a wild woman at this point, totally multitasking, but that sounds about right).  to assemble, i took a piece of toast, topped it with a tomato slice, a pea size drop of mayo - get the squeeze bottle kind to do this.  top it with a torn piece of lettuce and two 1/2" pieces of cooked bacon.  that's it.  i actually overheard people at the party talking about how creative and cute they were. and if you like blt's, you know they were good!

perfectly petite profiteroles

my adorable nieces and nephews are coming in town this weekend for the long holiday and that means cookouts!  that also means dessert.  i am going to get my niece, avery, to help me with these. (she helps me with all my pies i make during the holidays).  this is probably the easiest, most time consuming looking dessert i have ever made.  it literally took me about 5 minutes to put these together.  just 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of flour, pinch of salt and a pinch of cinnamon.   i used vanilla yogurt as my filling - my way of making it just a bit "healthier", and melted a few chocolate chips with some water over a double boiler and here is what i got. you can find the original recipe here.

greek skewers

i have been asked to cook for a political reception in june - just appetizers.  i love making appetizers, i love eating appetizers.  i made these over the weekend and thought they turned out great - both in taste and appearance. as for now, this is on the "guest list" for this upcoming event.  they could not be easier.  i fear even writing this so called recipe down, as i may offend you. but here it goes...  start with a toothpick, and skewer in the following order (or however you think would look best)  grape tomato, one leaf of fresh oregano, pitted kalamata olive, baby cucumber -sliced and halved, and feta cheese.  i just broke off the feta, rather then cubing it, for a more rustic look.  drizzle a bit of olive oil only over the feta and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  done.  these are fantastic, because in one bite you can eat all that's on the toothpick - no fuss!.  i think at social gatherings when appetizers are the only offerings, it should be easy to eat.  guests should be able to eat and still talk, without the potential of dropping food on the floor or struggling to bite into something and being left to wipe their chin off.  just my opinion, though.  and speaking of opinions, i bet these would be nice with mint instead of oregano (on a big mint kick these days). 

white bean puree crostini

i went to a casual get together the other night and brought these.  a bruschetta, sorta of.  grilled baguette slices with a white bean puree, topped with diced tomatoes and mint.  they were delicious.  i always try to cook seasonally.  so if i am ever asked to bring something to a party, i want it to be in season.  i also want it to be "majority" friendly.  i don't ever want to bring something like ceviche or tuna tartar (even though i love them both) and be the only one eating the food i brought!  always keep in mind, you want to leave with an empty platter.  i started first by slicing the baguette about 1/2 an inch thick, on an angle.   brushed both sides with olive oil and grilled both sides.  in a food processor, i put in two cans of washed and drained cannelloni beans, 1 clove of garlic, about 1/2 cup of parmesan, 1-2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper to taste.  give it a whirl.  while the processor is running, drizzle about 1/4 cup of olive oil so that the mixture resembles hummus.  taste and adjust seasoning, may need more garlic, rosemary, etc.  you decide.  seed and chop the tomatoes - i used 6 romas for 1 baguette, then throw in about 2-3 tablespoons of fresh mint.  spoon a nice amount of the bean puree on a slice, and top it with the tomato/mint mixture.  make sure to try one, you may feel you need a dash of salt on top.  put them on a pretty white platter and watch them disappear!  the inspiration of this recipe can be found here

vegetable spring rolls

i like simple food.  fresh food.  i don't like to cook with a lot of ingredients.  it's not my style. (besides, it takes a lot longer and who wants that?)  i think the food you eat should taste like the food your eating.  not masked with a bunch of extra junk.  just keep it simple.  i make these vegetable spring rolls quite a bit, they taste good, their low in calories, they have a lot of veggies in them and their fun to make.  i also like to add cooked shrimp from time to time.  i have only been able to find the rice paper at asian markets.  but living in atlanta, there's no problem there.  i like to prep all my veggies before i get my assembly line going.  i generally just slice up what i have on hand.  cucumbers, peppers, onion, cilantro or basil, fresh garlic and ginger, spinach, water chestnuts, carrots.  you get the idea.  once everything is ready for rolling, get a sheet of rice paper and run it under very warm water.  you could fill a large shallow bowl and dip the rice paper, but i find you need to stop every few dips and change the water out.  so, i just run it under the faucet.  on a clean surface, lay the rice paper down and fill the paper with the sliced veggies,  leaving about 1/2 inch or so from the end you start at.  roll it like a burrito.  it might take you a few tries, but after a while you'll get the hang of it.  you can keep them in the fridge a few days by putting them in an air tight container with a damp paper towel over them (keeps them from drying out).  i suggest if you serve these to company, cut them into bite size pieces, at an angle. leaving it whole resembles... um, well, a prophylactic.

blackberry empanadas

my husband was away last weekend, and i decided to get in the kitchen and create (after watching 2 movies on lifetime and about to start my 3rd, i thought i needed to be a bit more productive). as i've told you before, i don't eat sweets often. so that means i don't bake. i will bake an apple pie or a cheesecake from time to time, but a holiday is usually the reason. i found a recipe online that looked easy to make, so i decided to give it a whirl. out came the flour, butter, salt and water. that's it, all made in a food processor! 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 sticks of cold butter (oh hush, i was bored), 6-8 tablespoons of cold water and a pinch of salt. throw it in the food processor and you have homemade dough! this makes 2 pie crusts. i knew i wasn't going to make a whole pie, i just wanted to try something with the beautiful dough i just made, so i thought about individual, bite size empanadas. i really like small desserts. for these, i just mixed some blackberries with lemon zest and a spoonful of sugar and flour. used a 3" round cookie cutter and filled it with my mixture. (just to give you a reference of size - only 2 blackberries fit in the crust) brushed an egg wash on top and a sprinkle of sugar. baked them at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.  if you only eat one, what's the harm, right?  i made eight, but i also ate eight.  had to have been the boredom...
by the way, check out one of my favorite blogs - www.bondstreetbakery.com, this chick can bake!

absolute heaven

i don't eat dessert often. not for any other reason than i just don't have a sweet tooth. i like sweets, of course i do, but i would much rather fill up on savory items. this however, is simply incredible. i was given tom colicchio's cookbook a few months back and have made this recipe so many times. it is the kind of dessert that absolutely wows people, seriously. not to mention it is easy to make, can be made ahead of time and is relatively low in fat and calories. its a lemon steamed pudding. and this is how you make it. the recipe calls for a serving of 6, but i make it for 5. could be that my ramekins are larger.

i think i am going to make this for my clients on cinco de mayo, but with limes of course!

1/2 cup sugar plus additional for dusting ramekins
2 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2/3 cup of buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
zest on 1 1/2 lemons

heat the oven to 300 degrees. lightly butter and sugar 5 - 4 ounce ramekins. beat the eggs whites until they hold soft peaks, set aside. sift flour, sugar and salt. in another bowl, combine buttermilk, egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest. gradually add the flour mixture. fold in the egg whites. place ramekins in a roasted pan with enough water to come half way up. fill ramekins with batter. cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake for an additional 20 - 25 minutes until the tops are lightly golden. unmold and serve alone or with fresh berries, or with a berry compote. i made a blueberry compote by putting blueberries in a saucepan, add about 1/2 cup of water, 2 tablespoons or so of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, cook over low heat until blueberries burst.

tyler florence has a version of this recipe that you can find here

cute little "tacos"

i just love these. they are so easy to whip up and they are so tasty and cute. packaged wonton wrappers make the shell. all you do is brush the wrappers with vegetable oil, put in a mini muffin tin, bake at 400 for 5 minutes and voila! you have taco shells. you can stuff them with absolutley anything. these have avacado, mango, arugula, corn and black beans, all tossed in fresh squeezed lime juice. i always have these in my fridge, if i ever need a quick appetizer to put out, i always turn to these

Lemon Cubes

i purchased a huge bag of lemons and they where slowly going bad. i couldn't stand the thought of throwing them away and knew i would need them in the next few days . . .i use lemon juice in so many recipes, from salad dressings, to pasta, to chicken salad and almost anything seafood. so, i went out and bought a few ice trays and squeezed the juice into the trays. i now have a quick go to of fresh lemon juice in my freezer, that can be used when i don't have a lemon in the house. i think i am so clever! as you can see from the photo above, these little cubes of freshness will also perk up any cocktail. i think this photo is so pretty. one lemon cube with a sprig of mint, made for the tastiest vodka tonic i've had in a while.