LEAVIN' ON A JET PLANE

...for a couple of weeks anayway. We are off on vacation and you may find us here...




...and then briefly here...





...and on to Mykonos....


...and finally, Santorini.

I'll be back mid-May. I'm sure I'll do a posting with some trip highlights when I return, but until then my computer is OFF (and so am I!). :)

LIKE A CUPCAKE (Chocolate Zinfandel Cupcakes)

Each morning when I traipse downstairs and open my email, I am deluged with requests from readers for more musical interludes.

Okay, that was a lie as there have only been a few requests. That may be a lie too.

All right, I admit that the only email I ever receive is advertisements for pills that will enhance my manhood and from some lonely widow in a country I've never heard of who wants to use my bank account to transfer millions of her late husband's secret funds (I was totally happy to help the poor lady out and I'm hopeful the funds come through before my upcoming trip).

I'm offering you, without any provocation, another revamped classic tune to accompany my Chocolate Zinfandel Cupcake recipe. I've included some lyrics so that you may sing along to the music video. I do offer my deep, deep apologies to Madonna, Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg.
Really guys, I just can't help myself. Pour a glass of wine, turn up your speakers and enjoy.

Like a Cupcake
*sung to the tune of "Like a Virgin"

Like a Cupcake

I made it through the grocery store
Had a cart with a bum wheel
It went round in circles
How would that make you feel?

Now I’m beat, need something sweet
I want to bake, something that will help make
This day turn around
It's time to get rid, get rid of this frown

Like a cupcake
Something a little refined
Like a cupcake,
Made with chocolate, and red wine

Gonna mix this batter well
When I’m done you can lick the bowl
Set the timer, close the door
And wipe spilled wine off the floor.

I think they’re done, smells like heaven,
Can’t eat just one, I think that was seven,
Now my day is just fine, I’m no longer in hell,
Now that I’ve made cupcakes with Zinfandel.

Like a cupcake
Something a little refined
Like a cupcake,
Made with chocolate, and red wine

KEVIN'S CHOCOLATE AND ZINFANDEL CUPCAKES

1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup red wine (Zinfandel or other full-bodied red)
1/4 cup boiling water
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with papers, or grease well.

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Cream the egg, sour cream, oil and wine together in mixer for two minutes. Stir in flour mixture until well combined. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir. Fold in chopped nuts. Batter will be fairly thin. Pour into prepared cupcake tins and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from tins and cool on a wire rack. Makes about a dozen cupcakes.

INDIAN POTATO FLATBREAD (PARANTHA)

Why is bread so freakin' tasty? It's little more than some combination of flour, water, yeast and salt but it is often one of my favorite offerings at the table. On more than one occasion I've sat in a restaurant, having finished my salad or starter and enjoyed sparkling conversation while waiting for the main course to arrive. Of course a dinner conversation with our close circle of friends is nothing short of total rapture. Witty and original bon mots sail airborne across the flickering candles to anyone lucky enough to be included at the table, and we occasionally must wave off those who would interrupt our erudite discourse with their annoying adoration. *cough cough*

My eyeballs, however, rudely glide away from the gathered companions and lock on the shiny wire basket, where crusty french bread lies enfolded in white linen. The conversation trails off into faraway blah blah blah blah and my mind is filled with a heated internal debate over whether to casually slide my hand into the basket and retrieve a third or perhaps even fourth piece of savory bread.

"Is it still warm?" I silently wonder. "I know my meal will arrive any minute. Maybe the basket is empty anyway and I'll be embarrassed. Oh well, that extra blob of butter on my bread plate isn't going to eat itself!"

That's sort of how it went when I made this savory flatbread to accompany my chicken with coconut curry sauce. I had read several recipes for naan, parantha, and other types of Indian breads and decided to meld a few together to create the recipe below. Since we were expecting a dinner guest, and preparing this was akin to sailing into deep, uncharted waters, I decided to make a test batch before anyone arrived. It worked very well! I was pleased with the soft, pliable texture and the subtle seasonings. The surface puffed and browned beautifully on the hot griddle.

I opened up some purchased ginger/mango chutney. I rolled a piece of the bread into an edible cigar and dunked. DELICIOUS! Then I grew concerned about whether the bread would need to be cooked immediately before serving, or if I could grill the bread and keep warm in the oven. To answer that question I'd need to make some more test batches.

And I did.

After diligent research, I decided that the bread would best be served fresh off the griddle. But, no need to waste these perfectly trial pieces, right? My lips reddened that day from the steaming hot bread I continually "tested".

Our dinner guest thought I showed exceptional restraint over the meal. I managed to eat some chicken but I just couldn't finish my plate. Sometimes, you just have to endure the pains of rigorous quality control measures before you thrust unknown recipes upon your guests.

I'm just good that way.


INDIAN POTATO FLATBREAD (PARANTHA)

1 large baked potato, cooled (about one cup)
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp chile powder
2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup chopped green chile (I use New Mexico)
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup (approx) warm water

Approx. 1/4 cup melted butter or oil

Scoop out one cup of baked potato flesh (discard skins) and mash well in large bowl. Add cumin, chili powder, cilantro, sugar, green chile, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add flour and water and mix until dough is well combined and forms a ball (I find it easiest to use my hands for this).

Pinch off roughly 1/4 cup balls of dough at a time and roll out on floured surface into a thin, tortilla-like circle. Heat griddle over medium heat. Brush flatbreads with melted butter or oil and cook on griddle until golden brown. Flip and cook remaining side till done.

REFLECTIONS OF SPRING (OH YEAH, THERE'S A PANCAKE RECIPE HERE TOO)

One of my favorite Saturday morning rituals is to slip into the kitchen, pour the coffee and then sit down, sip my strong black brew, and dream up some breakfast idea. I then return to the bed, bearing plates of food, and we eat and catch up on our TiVo offerings from the week like Grey's Anatomy. Happy times.

Those who know me realize that without coffee, I am nothing. Coffee is my holy grail, my life force, my sacred brew. I have a special connection to coffee that some would claim borders on the fringe of clinical obsession.

As I sat and sipped my coffee this morning, I found myself seeing glimpses of springtime.







I gazed deeper into my cup and enjoyed the images of spring, which is twining up and around the hills of Los Angeles.

I finally finished my coffee (okay, I poured another cup because that one was FILLED with pollen and minute floating objects when I was done) and set about fixing breakfast. You'd think that such images would inspire perhaps...

Spring omlettes with fresh spinach or leftover easter ham?

Strawberries perhaps, with creamy yogurt?

French toast with berries and fresh orange zest butter?

err...no.

I came up with Whole-Wheat Apple & Pumpkin Pancakes. The epitome of chilly autumn mornings, multi-colored maple leaves and fall harvests.

What can I say. I'm weird.

But who cares. These were GREAT!

WHOLE-WHEAT APPLE & PUMPKIN PANCAKES

3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup egg whites (I purchase by the carton--cholesterol ya know)
1 TBS canola oil
1 large granny smith apple, shredded (about one cup)
2 cups fat-free milk
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 TBS sugar (heaping)


In a medium-size bowl, combine pumpkin, egg whites, canola oil, shredded apple, and milk. In a large bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients and whisk together until blended. Add a touch more milk if batter is too thick.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle (or large skillet) over medium heat. Spoon roughly 1/4 cup of batter on griddle. Cook pancakes until edges begin to brown and bubbles form on top. Use a wide spatula to flip pancakes over and cook until bottom is golden and pancakes are done in center, about two to three minutes. Serve hot with melted butter, syrup, or as I do...with my fingers and nothing else!

ARE YOU A GOOD FISH, OR A BAD FISH?

From "Wicked," the hit musical at the Pantages in Hollywood
(worth the wait for tickets!)

Okay, maybe I worked on the new yellow brick background on the sidebar for a touch too long.

Actually, we took Ed's parents to see "Wicked" this weekend and ever since then my mind has regrettably been over the rainbow. But I did meet an interesting character today from a far away land--a land called Vietnam. His name is Basa and he's not a scarecrow, lion or man-o-tin. He's a fish.

I actually didn't know what Basa was when I found it at Pavilions, my home away from home. I went searing for any mild, white fish. I am always searching for mild-flavored fish as anything remotely fishy tasting sends me running for a bookcase or the bathroom. For some reason, the fish counter was bursting with giant Alaskan crab legs, shrimp, tuna steaks and that weird fake crab stuff. But no tilapia, or halibut or snapper or anything that falls within my "safe" category. I resorted to the frozen section and stumbled over Mr. Basa. Those clerks at Pavilions need to patrol for dropped items laying on the floors more often.

It turns out that Basa fish is a type of catfish that is farmed in Vietnam. I found some discussion on Chowhound on the topic. As always the boards there were full of varied and clashing opinions on the safety of this bottom-feeding fish, the merits of free trade and the perceived horrors of purchasing the less expensive Vietnam fish and shunning the local U.S. farm-raised catfish. This poor fish seems to be gasping for oxygen in an ocean of political rhetoric.

What I can say for sure is this; the fish was extremely mild, boneless, flaky and tasted nothing like the catfish that I have ever tasted here. I sampled some of the fish straight from the pan so that I would be able to discern the little guy's flavor before I smothered it in a light but nicely spicy tomato sauce. In the future, the pan-seared fillets might end up in a soft tortilla with lettuce, salsa and a sprinkling of green onions. Good stuff!

PAN SEARED BASA WITH A SPICY TOMATO SAUCE,
CRISPY POLENTA AND FENNEL

FOR SAUCE
1 TBS olive oil
14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (basil, garlic, oregano)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp red chili flakes (or more for those with asbestos lips, such as myself)
1/2 cup white wine

2 tsp canola oil
2 fillets of basa fish, rinsed and patted dry

FOR POLENTA AND FENNEL

scant TBS canola oil
1/2 log of purchased polenta, cubed (yeah, yeah, blah, blah it works fine for this!)
1 small bulb of fennel, cleaned and sliced into rings (discard tops and fuzzy tendrils)
salt and pepper

My first time cooking fennel -- it will be back!

MAKE SAUCE
Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, can of tomatoes (including juices) , garlic, and onion. Stir and cook until tomatoes break down and onions soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Mixture should be fairly dry and the tomatoes should just caramelize and sweeten a touch. Add wine and reduce temperature to a very low simmer while you cook the fish and polenta.



MAKE POLENTA AND FENNEL
In another skillet (large non-stick skillet works best for this) heat 1/2 TBS canola oil over medium-high heat until it just before it begins to smoke. Add sliced fennel and cook, stirring occasionally until fennel browns and caramelizes slightly. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add remaining 1/2 TBS oil to skillet and add cubed polenta. Cook without stirring until edges begin to show signs of browning. Then carefully shake and stir pan to brown additional sides of polenta. Continue cooking and stirring until polenta cubes are golden and crispy. Add fennel back to pan and cook until reheated thoroughly. Set aside.

COOK FISH
In yet another skillet (I hope you have an Ed in your life to help you wash all these skillets once your done), heat two TSP oil until hot and add fish. Cook until fish turns opaque and flakes easily. Fish shouldn't need to cook for more than a few minutes on each side over a fairly high flame. Season fish with salt and pepper to taste.



Spoon some sauce onto each plate. Place fish on sauce and spoon a bit more over the top. Serve with crispy polenta and fennel on side.

A NEW LOOK

Here is the result of my tinkering. It's about 80% what I was aiming for, but I admit that this HTML is waaaayyyyyyy to involved for me. Let me explain the reason I undertook the task of redesigning the site. I didn't do it just because I love throwing tinker tantrums.

The text in the header used to read:

The Dalai Lama said, "Approach Love and Cooking with Reckless Abandon." I totally agree with that. I suppose it also helps to explain the mess in my kitchen.

*sigh*

I recently received the following email:

Hi, Kevin--

Just happened upon your delightful blog through the "Serious Eats" link. Kudos!

You know that quotation about approaching love and cooking with reckless abandon? While many people do attribute it to the Dalai Lama, I'm sorry to tell you that's incorrect. I forget the name of the guy who said it, but he's some psychobabble-spouting dolt with a shady reputation. If you Google the quotation, his list of sayings, which has a title like "Rules for Living" or something similarly grandiose, will come up. This quotation is on that list.

At some point the Internet legend did spread that the Dalai Lama did say that, so you're far from the first person to say so!

I 'll look forward to reading more of Acme Instant Food.

(Signed--*removed*)


Well, color me embarrased!

I checked Snopes and quickly learned that my emailer was correct. I still like the quote, no matter who it's attributed to. I gave some thought to how I could incorporate the line into the header bar without some abiguous reference to its source. The quote is well-known and I don't want to use it without proper credit, or with incorrect credit.

In the end, I feel it's soured on me now like yesterday's frozen Pinkberry yogurt.

I decided to give the whole page a face lift. Let's face it, His Holiness really doesn't blend into the landscape of Acme Instant Food very well anyway. It's probably showing signs of disrespect to drag a man who has received the Nobel Prize for Peace into a blog that serves up flapjacks and flippancy.

It will take me a bit longer to finish reinstalling certain elements to the page but it's close to done. Perhaps when I recover from my HTML/CSS induced trauma I'll attempt a little more fine-tuning.

I need a drink.

HERE'S A "SCOOP" - ORDER IT FROM AMAZON !!!

If I were to be a cookbook author, I'd want to be David Lebovitz. I did some catching up on errands today after I left my office and one item on the list was a copy of "The Perfect Scoop". I stopped at Borders Bookstore and found they were out. I decided to cruise down Ventura Boulevard to make a second stop in Studio City at Barnes & Noble.

I found the sprawling cookbook section. I was slowly moving down the aisle with my head tilted in that uncomfortable but necessary angle needed to read the titles down the spines of the book. You know the maneuver. Your ears align vertically and you slowly crab-walk sideways down the aisle while your eyes scan up and down and up and down the spines. If you are doing any heavy-duty book perusing you feel it in your neck and shoulder the next day. You wake up and wonder why you slept so funny and then you remember, "oh yeah, book shopping."

I passed Ina Garten and soon came to the "L's." There was a sizeable cave in the shelf where "Lebovitz" should have been. I crawled inside to make sure a stray copy hadn't been inadvertently pushed behind another author. Nothing. I had to move out of the way to let a woman pass who was also investigating the inner recesses of the shelf for signs of David. She emerged from the empty black depths, removed her spelunking hat, turned off its headlamp and slowly shook her head. Just next door, Sandra Lee's literary real estate was overflowing with books. Lots of copies. Like, maybe, every single copy the bookstore had ever unpacked. She was trying to elbow her way into his alloted space as though she wanted to erase the memory of her sold-out neighbor. Poor Sandra sits there on the shelf like the last kid waiting to be selected for the dodge ball team. You know the guy, the dorky kid with no coordination who's terrified of balls being thrown at his face at high velocity.

Oh damn. I think that kid was me.

I'm really into instant gratification so I had originally chose not to order the book through Amazon. However, it seems that a few extra days, plus shipping fees, is necessary to get my fix of his new ice cream recipes. Matt sampled seven recipes from the book on his first weekend and may possibly have worked his way from cover to cover by now. I guess I should shop at his store.

Some things are just worth waiting for. I need to have Mr. UPS man come back with a copy of "The Perfect Scoop." I just sent him away...





...AFTER HE DELIVERED MY NEW ALL-CLAD!!! For those of you have been asking, yes, it arrived (three months later) and yes, for the absurdly low price (about one-third of the normal cost). I think Bloomingdale's screwed up but honored the offer on their website.

Ed will be so happy to wash prettier cookware. He's a lucky man.

TINKER ME THIS, TINKER ME THAT (oh yeah, some yummy green tea chicken pasta too!)

I've been tinkering around with my site for a while. It's going slower than I expected and the neighbors are getting annoyed with the loud cursing that accompanies the tinkering. I'll try to get it together soon. I'll also try to tinker more quietly.

I think I've discovered "Tinker Tantrums."

Oh, but don't expect too much of a change. I don't want to get your hopes up. It would be like going out with the expectation of hearing the Boston Pops and instead hearing Snap Crackle and Pop. Lower your expectations a bit.

In the meantime, let me toss out this no-recipe, non-photographed tid-bit. Quite some time ago I came across a recipe for some chicken dish that was cooked in a pot with the contents of some green tea bags and other such things. I don't remember any specifics but the idea kept bouncing around in my head so I decided to get it out of there and build a dish on the idea. I'm glad I did because this was REALY good!

GREEN TEA CHICKEN PASTA

(rough ingredient estimations)

(so sue me)

(I'll be downstairs...tinkering)


two small, half skinless chicken breasts (that would make one whole one, wouldn't it?)
4 cups water
4 green tea bags (I used decaf)
one-inch+ stem of fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
pinch cumin, salt & pepper

Enough whole wheat fettuccini for two
1 TBS canola oil
8-10 garlic cloves
julienned carrot sticks
broccoli flowerets
water chestnuts, sliced
snow peas (oh just open the frig and see what needs to get used up!)
1/4 cup ponzu (citrus flavored soy sauce)
few sprinkles sesame oil
1/4 cup toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

Pour water into a medium-sized saucepan. Tear open tea bags and pour tea leaves into water. Add ginger, red chili flakes, cumin, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Dice chicken breasts and place in tea mixture. Reduce heat to LOW and let chicken cook slowly. Turn off heat before chicken is quite cooked (90% done). Drain chicken and reserve a cup or so of the cooking liquid.

In a large skillet, bring roughly 6 cups of water to a boil. Drop garlic cloves in skillet and simmer until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove garlic cloves with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add roughly 1/4 cup ponzu to water in skillet. Add fettuccini and cook, stirring occasionally until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and return skillet to burner.

Slice garlic. Add canola oil to skillet and add garlic and veggies. Cook over medium-high heat until veggies are very crisp tender and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken and drained pasta. Sprinkle a few splashes of sesame oil (and additional ponzu) over skillet and add a small amount of the reserved chicken cooking liquid if needed. Remove when chicken is fully cooked and pasta is hot. Stir in pepitas. Eat it.