Pink Picante Shrimp

"This is the tastiest shrimp I have ever had...." said one of my guests the other day at my holiday open house party.

Funny, I had never even made it before. I have always wanted to try this recipe, but like most things in life, it fell off the radar. So here was the perfect opportunity to resurrect it.

At the risk of sounding like a chef groupie, I want to share another one of my favorite cooks to the growing list: Nigella Lawson. She isn't on the food network these days, but back a few years ago, she was gaining popularity here (you see, she is British, which is part of her charm...for me anyway....). I had customers coming in and asking for her books, and for her famous little whisk (of which I own two!), when she was on the air.

I did see recently that they had her as a guest judge on "Top Chef"...much to my delight, and I did actually meet her myself, once, at the Chicago Housewares Show. She was doing a book signing and I was prepared with one of her books...I had lugged it on the plane in hopes I would be patient enough to get through the line to have her sign it! I am here to tell you that I made it and I do own a signed copy now. It was almost as satisfying and thrilling as the day I did the same thing with my first edition copy of "The Moosewood Cookbook" when Mollie Katzen was at the show......she said she had never seen such a worn out copy! She thought it was great!

Anyway, back to this shrimp. The recipe is from Nigella Lawson's Feast cookbook. It seems that Nigella has a thing for pink....says it reminds her of the Eighties- how the pink peppercorms bring such a vibrancy to the dish and all. Seems that pink peppercorns are not really peppercorns at all but are the dried berries from the Baies rose plant. They're cultivated in Madagascar and imported via France, hence their exorbitant price. These rose-hued berries are pungent and slightly sweet. You can find them at gourmet and/or spice stores (like Penzeys or The Spice House.)


Here is the recipe for Pink Picante Shrimp (adapted from the book):


1 tbsp pink peppercorns, plus more to crush to decorate
1 tbsp sea salt/ 1/2 tbsp table salt
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds, or seeds from about 8 pods
1 tsp picante pimenton (hot smoked paprika)
2 egg whites
1 1/2 lbs. peeled raw medium shrimp
2 tbsp oil for frying or as needed

1. Crush the peppercorns, salt, cardamom seeds, and picante pimenton in a mortar and pestle until you have an aromatic nubbly mixture. You can alternatively grind the spices in a pepper or coffee mill. Turn out onto a large shallow bowl.
2. Hand whisk the egg whites until foamy, but not stiff. Dip the shrimp into the egg white, and then toss them into the crushed spice mixture turning so they are well coated.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan and stir fry the spice coated shrimp for 5-7 minutes or until they are cooked through.
4. Remove to a serving dish and sprinkle with some more pink peppercorns.

here's how they looked on my Eighties-inspired pink-hued platter!

Holiday Cheer

I want to share with you my favorite winter time cocktail...I discovered it by accident, really. It was in an ad in one of my food magazines, probably 6 or 7 years ago.....it sounded so good and believe me it was! The ad was for Stolichnaya Ohranj vodka and the recipe at the time was for a Blood Orange Martini. (have always wondered what to do with those beautiful blood oranges!)


Needless to say, it now has become a signature cocktail for me....it's sort of sweet from the orange juice but tart with the addition of the pomegranate molasses......



Here's the recipe:

2 oz. vodka ( orange flavored works best)
2 oz. fresh squeezed blood orange juice
2 tsp pomegranate molasses*

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add ingredients, shake and pour into a martini glass. Add a slice of blood orange for garnish. Beautiful!

*can find in most Middle Eastern type markets like Sahadi in Brookyn NY

You can use the Stoli Ohranj or my sources tell me that Charbay makes a really good blood orange vodka already infuse with the juice........

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!!

The Best Olives, Really.....

image from Food and Wine Magazine

As the holidays approach with their usual breakneck speed, I find myself looking for some party type snack dishes that are not just quick and easy but are going to be really tasty too. Portable would be a good thing too!

So, it's off to the bookcase I go! I have a pretty decent collection of cookbooks and thought this was the perfect time to put the old books to the test.

Once upon a time, long before "Top Chef", "Chopped" and maybe even "Iron Chef America", there were a handful of some amazing chefs that were writing and compiling cookbooks....no celebrity stuff, just good old fashioned recipes from their restaurants and their incredible knowledge base of food experience.

It was back in that time boys and girls (the late 90's), that Todd English came under my own foodie radar. His book, The Olives Table, has been with me ever since... he's come a long way from those days and has built quite the empire. But it was his inventive and Mediterranean-inspired cooking that wowed me. So what if he's a celebrity now....I feel like..." I knew him when..."

I firmly believe that his recipe for marinated olives is hands down the best I have ever tasted! And for a while I was making these little gems at least a few times a month, not just during holiday time. So glad I found them again!

I want to share the recipe here in hopes Todd doesn't mind that I reprint it here on my blog!! They are too good not to pass this along....an oldie but goodie!

Olives Olives

Marinade:

Grated zest of 1/2 orange
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 garlic gloves, minced
1/4 c fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp of chopped fresh rosemary or 1 to 2 tsp dry
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 tsp dry
1 tsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

4 cups assorted black and green olives ( Nicoise, Kalamata, Picholine, Cerignola, etc...)
Virgin olive oil, to cover

Make the marinade: Place orange zest, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, rosemary, oregano, ginger, fennel, pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with steel blade and pulse until the mixture forms a chunky paste (you can also use a mortar and pestle if you don't have a food processor).

Toss the olives with the marinade and cover with the olive oil. Serve immediately, or place in a glass jar and let marinade at room temperature for up to one month, or refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Simply Delicious!!!

Dinner for One: Roasted Vegetables

Here's another favorite that is so easy to make and so very versatile as well. You really can use whatever spices your heart desires.....it's such a comforting dish and especially warming this time of year.....there's a version with veg alone or you can add a couple of bone-in chicken breasts to pack in some protein!

I just take a variety of veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips ( these are amazing done this way! so sweet), onions...and in the sample above I used cauliflower-which is wonderful roasted. I highly encourage you to try it! Cut the vegetables so that they are as similar in size as possible so they cook at the same pace. For instance, you can cut them all in rounds or coins, or cut in uniform sticks like I did in the above photo. I really like to use a sheet pan for this so that the veggies are spread out in one layer. This way you get that yummy caramelization that brings out the sweetness in the vegetables. Don't be too heavy handed with the oil either....just use enough to lightly coat the veggies ( it's best to use a large bowl to get them evenly coated). Get the oven preheated to 400°F too.

Now, depending on your mood, you can use a combination of fresh herbs that you just tuck in amongst the veggies...I love sage and rosemary, but thyme and oregano work great too. I also like to tuck in several whole cloves of garlic for more intense flavor.....Some salt, pepper and you are good to go. Let 'em roast for anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour....after the first 20 minutes, go in and give them a toss to make sure they get evenly roasted......

Here is my version with the chicken:


I just tucked in 2 bone-in chicken breasts that I seasoned with lemon, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.


This photo is not so great, but you can see how nicely the veggies caramelized....the nice thing is that they are so moist on the inside, a little crunchy on the outside...healthy and low fat too!!

Cute Wine Totes

What cute totes for holiday gift ideas! One of these and a great bottle of wine....you are done! Unless of course, you have some under age children waiting in the gift line??? Ut-oh....get back to you for that!

These are from a company called Maptote made by a cute couple in Brooklyn, NY (where else???).....he a cartographer, she a fashion stylist....

They are only $12.00 and can be purchased on their website (see link above). Of course, if you are in NY you can purchase at any number of local shops.....

It's all in the eyes.....

Meet Blythe. I am not quite sure how I stumbled upon these fascinating dolls, but ever since I did, they have totally intrigued me. Apparently the story goes that she was born and died the same year: 1972.

The toy company Kenner, now known as Hasbro, decided that the over-sized head and peepers were too scary for kids! The crazy part was that there was a string in the back of her head that once pulled, would change her eye color to four different shades! I mean what little girl (or grown up girl) hasn't wondered what life would be like with blue eyes instead of brown??

OK, admittedly in '72 I was too old for dolls, and was never really a doll girl ( I did have a brief stint with Barbie, but once my sister threw one of my barbies out of our car window while traveling down the NY Thruway at 65 miles an hour, I lost interest...). But never mind. Old story.

Back to this doll. Apparently there has been a resurgence of interest in the "Blythe Doll" and a company in Japan, Takara, started making them again (there have been over a 130 releases of Takara Blythe from 2001-2009). Ebay has got a few vintage models going for $1400.00 and up. It's become not only a collector's item, but in the doll world, there are plenty that are being scooped up and getting custom "makeovers". In fact, there are many crafters on Etsy that are making incredible little handmade wardrobes for the Blythes out there. Just check out the little numbers they are sporting in these pics!

I must admit, those eyes and the big head make her more of a work of art than just a conventional doll...I think she's way cool.....skinny body, cool clothes, big eyes...I mean c'mon! How old is too old to start liking dolls???

Meet the new little man in my life!

I recently adopted this adorable little "Morkie"....well, Lolly, his big sister (my 5 year old Maltipoo), has been yearning for a built-in playmate for some time now. So when this opportunity presented "himself" as in need of a good home, I couldn't say no!! At first I was a little panicked at the thought of caring for 2 dogs and a puppy to boot! The potty training, the chewing, the added expense of the vet bills! OY VEY!

But....the minute I saw the two of them together playing so happily, saw the way he followed her around like he's madly in love (is that where "puppy love" came from??? that worshipful affection!!), I knew that all those worries were too small....this little guy, only 4 lbs, has captured both my heart and Lolly's too! He is a smart one too. Don't be fooled by his tiny stature....and Lolly is teaching him all she knows about how to get treats and where they are hidden. Hmmm...

His name is Jackson. He is 5 months old. We love him. My little family!

Who???

Check out these cute little owls I crocheted out of some of the scrap wool I have been toting around with me for the past 20 years...I think it was worth it...the button eyes I found in my grandmother's sewing box she left to me....I would say this is taking recycling to the best place it could be....they are small but significant!