St. Patrick's 2010

Six years of St. Patrick's Day, observed! Some other statistics? 12 pounds brisket. 2 cups salt. 14 days curing in the fridge.19 quarts.3 hours simmering.4 cabbages. 8 pounds potatoes. 1 type of leftover possible: borscht.

Huevish rancheros

These are awesome. Perfect for brunch with mimosas, although we had it for dinner with beer. I don't think they even approach authenticity but in my teeny brain the math goes like this: eggs + tortilla + salsa = huevos rancheros. There's just a little bit of meat in here which really adds a nice salty punch, but it is super-easy to replace with pinto beans. Or you can just omit altogether and add more avocado and cheese or whatever you feel like.Mexican chorizo is spicy, bright red and is cooked like ground beef once you crumble it out of the casing. If you're looking at chorizo that is hard and slicable, then it's probably Spanish or Portugese not Mexican. I used one tube--that was the perfect amount for 2 servings. It's full-flavored, so what looks like a little really does go a long way. While your chorizo is cooking, go ahead and slice up an avocado and put salt, pepper and lime juice on it.After about 7 minutes over medium heat your chorizo should be looking done.Can I just mention real quick how much I love reusing the same pan for as many tasks as possible? Minimizes kitchen cleanup! Remove your cooked chorizo and set aside, turn up the flame and then in the same pan, crisp 4 tortillas by pressing them down over high heat. It helps to not have any sensation in your fingertips--alternatively, you can just toast them in a hot oven.All right--your tortillas are hot and toasty--keep them warm in the oven while you finish everything else up real quick. You have a very hot pan--melt bacon fat or some butter/olive oil and crack in some eggs, sunny side up. Make 2 per person.I like them soft in the middle and crispy around the edges with salt and pepper on top, but this is a personal preference thing, I am aware, so feel free to make your eggs however you like.Now let's assemble! Two tortillas...Cover in a layer of chorizo...And top that with two fried eggs, a spoonful of salsa verde (I happen to love tangy tomatillos with this but you might prefer red) and a handful of crumbled queso fresco.Avocado slices on top. Minced cilantro would be nice too, if you have it on hand.

Pink papaya salad

I found an interesting variation on papaya salad! Just one small red beet shredded up along with the green papaya tints it a gorgeous pink color and adds a sweetness that really goes well with the spice. I think I might even like this better than the original version. Also--here's a bonus recipe for easy-peasy salmon: take your filets and let them sit skin-side up for about 5 minutes in a baking dish covered with a mixture of equal parts orange juice, soy sauce and olive oil (and maybe a teensy pinch of fresh minced garlic and ginger if you happen to have it on hand). Flip them over so the skin-side is down, cover the top with sesame seeds (I use a mixture of black and white), and roast quickly at 400 degrees for just 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness of your salmon. So delicious and easy.By the way, I found this wine at Whole Foods and it was awesome with the super-spicy papaya salad.

Pasta carbonara

Pasta carbonara is the one (1) thing that I make better than my mother. And I'm proud to say that it's really better than hers, by a lot. That's it though, for absolutely everything else--she's the master. There's a magic trick going on with this dish--how does so little turn into so much and how does it all happen so fast? Bacon, of course, is part of the answer. And it is all ready to go in the time it takes you to boil the water for the pasta. I use half a package of bacon and cut it up into 1 inch pieces. Cook them until crispy and set aside. Meanwhile get your water boiling because once the bacon is crispy all you'll be waiting on is the pasta. Use a thin pasta, like spaghetti and salt your water heavily. Have someone open a bottle of red too, while you're waiting around.
OK, the pasta is probably close to done, so break two eggs into a big bowl and grate about 1/2 cup of Parmesan in there. Add salt and pepper and beat it all together really well to combine.Your pasta is done! Drain it, drizzle a bit of olive oil or some of your bacon fat over the top and then instantly add it into your egg-cheese mixture. Toss it well, keep it moving--try to get every strand of pasta coated with the mixture.Add in your bacon pieces and don't be shy about a little grease getting in there too.You should be rewarded by a glossy, creamy sauce studded with bacon that is best served right away. A weird alchemy takes place binding the egg and melting the cheese right to the hot pasta. If you end up with scrambled egg on your pasta then you are my mother. You have no recourse. Go back to making red sauce.I usually add a handful of minced parsley and squeeze a little lemon over right before serving to cut the richness. It's pretty much the most delicious thing ever, so stand back.

Whole roasted garlic

The world's most simple and perfect appetizer! Just lop off the top of a head of garlic, rub it with olive oil and let it roast itself into a creamy, mellow spread for crostini. Slice off the top quarter of a head of garlic. By the way, for the record I definitely should have used a bigger head of garlic because this got eaten in record time. Sadly my garlic was guilty of green sprouts. I was too lazy to pick them out and actually I don't think it matters for this. Rub it all over with olive oil... Then put in a little oven-safe container and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Pour over a splash of white wine.Put a slab of butter on top (look, it makes its own hat!) and a tablespoon of so of minced parsley. Roast at 375 for about 45 minutes until each clove is totally soft. Put it on your favorite fish-shaped plate and enjoy. It will be spreadable and creamy with a perfectly mellow, nutty flavor. Be sure to eat the wine-olive oil-butter sauce it roasted in too!

My old kitchen

Now that I'm in my new house, I thought I'd just share a few pictures from the kitchen I cooked in for the life of this blog so far. I am planning to remodel the kitchen in this new house and I think a lot of the customizations will probably reflect my old kitchen--especially in the respect it paid to the sanctity of the work triangle. For such a small space it really was absolutely perfect. Except for the stove. The stove was tilty.Here is where I had many pots hanging right over the sink...great for putting away easily. Also all my knives...and a devotional candle to Saint Martha(Stewart). This is where people usually ate when they came over for dinner...right next to the stove! I loved that, actually. In my new kitchen the stove will definitely face out towards guests and be a part of the social environment. Maybe with a little more room this time...Of course, a poster of the God of Cookery hung over the whole place, being my all-time favorite movie.An overflowing bookshelf, with favorite cookbooks and cooking literature...Next to an overflowing recycling bin...And my overflowing spice pantry.I will really miss this place! I'll just give my thanks for many good years and be excited to move on to something new...