"Do you need some help?"

Last week, Ryan offered to cook dinner one night. I headed straight home after work and played with Fin, and was greeted half an hour later by my boyfriend walking through the door with two paper bags full of groceries. I spotted carrot foliage sticking out the top, but hadn't a clue what else was in store. He'd nabbed crisp, organic romaine lettuce and carrots, tilapia fillets, white wine, and organic chocolate chip cookie dough. Using a recipefrom Mark Bittman, Ryan showed me how to slightly wilt the lettuce in boiling water, then wrap the fish gingerly. He poached them in white wine and butter,...

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Lemon dose #1: Lemon-Rosemary Cake

After tasting a bite of my friend's lemon-rosemary cake at Chez Zee, I knew I had to find the perfect copycat recipe. After whipping up a success in the kitchen for dinner (see the pizza?), I decided spending another hour or two baking would be a treat, and not a chore. I found a simple recipe and followed it to the tee. I'm not going to post it just yet, because I think it can be better. Once I get it just right, I'll post it here. The first try was tasty, but it was too dense for what I wanted. I also want to try the lighter, fluffier version with a seven-minute icing. Not a bad first try,...

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What are you cooking?

After hopping off the bus home, I trotted over to our grocery store, canvas bag in hand. (Go green!) I had a short list--a friend went to NYC and inspired me after all her talk about pizza, so I decided to try my own pie. It wasn't such a hard decision to make, since it was pretty well governed by an intense craving for a fancy pizza. You know what that feels like, right?This thin crust recipe has resulted in a not-quite-successful pizza before, but last night I tried it again. I used only AP flour (no whole wheat subs this time) and I think that truly was the trick. Might have also been the carefully...

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what the locals eat

A weekend in San Antonio led us on the quest for some greasy Mexican food. Instead of waiting 45 minutes in line for a table at a popular touristy restaurant, we opted to stand in line at the gordita tent. And we're so, so glad we did. Thick handmade flour tortillas were patted into rounds, browned on a griddle, and then tossed into the deep fryer. I took notes. They were scooped up, slit down the side, and stuffed with picadillo beef or beans and cheese. We topped ours off with arbol salsa, a recipe I'll hope to try soon in our own kitchen.We sat down on the sidewalk and enjoyed a perfect Sunday...

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This tree does not bear olives.

It bears figs. And many, many figs at that. I'm pretty sure this is what summer is supposed to look like. Ryan and I picked handfuls of figs from the neighbor's. The figs were as sweet as peaches. Biting into one fresh off the branch was other-worldly. Some Shiner Bocks rounded out the afternoon.Fin loves the taste of beer (who knew?). She belly-crawled over to an empty bottle and nursed on the few remaining drops, despite the fact that they were no longer ice-cold. Yep, that was a perfect summer afternoon. Texas figs, Texas beer, and the gawddang Texas heat. Perfe...

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Just like Mom's

The other night, I sliced up a giant squash and an equally-giant zucchini, waiting for my chance to try making fried squash like my mom used to. Not knowing the exact recipe, I mixed together....1/2 c flour1/4 c cornmeal1/4 tsp peppera good shake of season saltI made a simple egg bath with 2 eggs and about 1 tbl of milk. Dip the slices in the bath, dip them in the flour mixture, and then fry 'em in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of canola oil. They browned up pretty quickly and they sure did taste very close to mom's. But hers were better. I'm learning....

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Eggplant...something or other

This is another big shout-out to the Mark Bittman. That man comes up with some great ideas. This recipe summed up what we had left from a Greenling box a couple weeks ago. Although I am pretty certain I used too much olive oil and was disappointed that my eggplant sopped it all up like a sponge as soon as it hit the pan, this dish was still incredible. The leftovers were not as fantastic as I would have hoped, though--my thinking that I used too much oil was especially apparent the next day. Overall, a delicious dish. Something I'd make for friends...who like eggplant and tomato. My favorite touch...

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back in the kitchen soon!

Sorry to keep you waiting: we've been out of town and so, so busy the last few days! We get another Greenling shipment this Friday, and we'll be whipping up some new dishes soon. Plus, today's my birthday, and Ryan's giving me a new camera to enhance this blog with even more delectable depictions. And I hear there are some stainless steel pots and pans in my future, too (thanks, Dad!). Stay tun...

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Preserving the Bounty

Ryan and I spent a few precious hours on Sunday learning the art of pickling from my Mom. She told us to bring:Lids (not to be confused with lids and bands)5% acid white vinegarNon-iodized saltDried red peppers/chiles de arbolDill seedGarlic (1 large clove per jar)She provided:Quart- and pint-sized jars (bought at the thrift shop for 10 cents apiece and washed/sterilized at home)Wide-mouth bands (bands can be reused, but DO NOT reuse the lids--they create a seal and reusing them can put you at risk for unwanted enzymes)Fresh cucumbers from a friend's farm, fresh and dried dillweed, A huge stock...

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