The Automat

Hi! Sorry I have taken a hiatus from posting delicious recipes, but I have been juggling a lot of things.

One of them has been my novel, “The Automat.” I had finished this a few years ago, but I left it in the hands of an agent, and that did not go too far. I just recently decided to free it from my computer and publish it for e-readers (kindles, nooks, ipads, etc).

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/240160

The Automat is a fictional story exploring the dark side of human nature and the innate desire of being loved. It is a story of unexpected change in the routine of one’s simple life, of obsession, guilt, and the consequences of betrayal. The Automat will appeal to readers of literary fiction with dark undertones.

The Automat is a story of Horace Gray, a dispirited introvert, who takes notice of a mysterious set of eyes that stare at him from behind the Automat wall. Horace sets out on his own adventure to meet the woman behind the automat wall, and ultimately understand her motives. He soon finds himself obsessed with his new pursuit as everything else around him becomes inconsequential.

I hope some of you will pick up a copy (or download, rather)…and enjoy it. I’m also working on a humor-based book at the moment, taking care of a toddler, working full-time, and getting my doctorate. Life!

Recipe review: Pasta with Proscuitto and Lettuce

I saw this recipe posted on Cooking Channel’s Facebook page. It’s a recipe by Mark Bittman, and to be honest with you….I will eat anything with proscuitto, although the thought of wilted lettuce scared me. You see, I’m one of those people who freaks out when I get a burger or some hot sandwich and the lettuce inside has wilted. I get grossed out by the texture.

I put my bias of wilted lettuce aside and tried this recipe out. It was merely okay to say the least. I think it  needed something extra in terms of the flavor, I’m not sure. All that said, the lettuce wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

The original website for this recipe is:

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/mark-bittman/pasta-with-prosciutto-and-lettuce-recipe/index.html

INGREDIENTS

• Salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 pound pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced

• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce (about 6 ounces), cored, leaves cut into 3/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stockor dry white wine, plus more as needed
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Meanwhile, put 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add prosciutto and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes; set aside.When water boils, add pasta and cook until just tender; drain pasta, reserving some cooking liquid. Meanwhile, melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and sprinkle with salt and pepper; cook until shallot begins to soften, about 5 minutes.Add peas, lettuce, and stock or wine to skillet and cook until peasturn bright green and lettuce is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add pasta to pan and continue cooking and stirring until everything is just heated through, adding extra stock or some reserved cooking liquid if needed to moisten. Toss with Parmesan cheese, garnish withprosciutto, adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Sir Winston’s- Queen Mary

Last week was our 3rd anniversary, and we went back to the place where it all started for us, the Queen Mary. We were married on board, and have made it a point to go back every year for our anniversary. We had dinner at Sir Winston’s and I love their food. I have to say, their Wellington can’t be beat.

We started off with appetizers: Queenies (sea scallops wrapped with Apple Smoked Bacon, drizzled with parsley butter)

*Also, can I tell you how much I love micro greens? Not for just the pretty factor, but to eat?

 

As you can see, we decimated the plate before we could take a proper picture of it. They were delicious, but I would have preferred that they stuck with the Champagne Scallops as an appetizer. The flavor was more delicate and sophisticated than the Queenies. Sayin!

We both ordered Beef Wellingtons, because really…How often does one get to eat a Wellington? I mean, unless Trader Joe’s has a frozen Wellington all ready to be heated up and eaten, the chances are slim.

The Beef Wellingtons were cooked to perfection, and the truffle sauce was a perfect compliment. The truffle mashed potatoes were boring. There was nothing that stood out for me, and they almost reminded me of the boxed mashed potatoes. I can probably out-do them with my mad mashed potato skillz any day.

Last but not least, dessert. I was tempted to order the Baked Alaska because I am a huge fan of Baked Alaska. It’s one of the many reasons I go on cruises, Baked Alaska night. I decided not to go with the Baked Alaska, because I’m on a diet, and will have to wear a bathing suit in less than a month, so I just ordered a cappucino instead.

 

But lo and behold, the staff came to our table with an anniversary dessert (not Baked Alaska). It was quite the magnificent and tasty and sugary Creme Brulee (almost  as good as a Baked Alaska).

We had a great time at Sir Winstons and hope that we can come back again next year.

Avocado Salad

 

 

I am totally lamenting the closure of my favorite Cuban restaurant here, in Los Angeles. It was named Tropi-Cuba and it had the closest authentic Cuban food that I have found living here, thus far. Personally, I think  that the location was a negative and that’s probably why it closed. It was in a shady area in Torrance across the street from a hospital. It was too tucked away to get exposure, and I’m sure they relied heavily on the hospital staff for clientele. I would love to open up a Cuban restaurant if I had the money.

Last weekend I made a Cuban avocado salad. I have been in the mood for avocados non-stop recently (no, I’m not pregnant). This is an easy salad to make, and is light for the hot Summer months.

• I chopped an avocado into chunks, and sliced some Roma tomatoes and red onion.
• Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
• Finally, add a squirt of fresh lime juice to the mix to add flavor, but to make sure your avocados don’t brown too quickly. You can also try it with lime for a more Authentic Cuban flavor (we love lime in everything).

 

 

 

 

 

Fried Sage with Anchovy

Okay, this one might not appeal to everyone, but mostly those who love anchovies as much as I do, because I’m one of those people who love tons of anchovies in my Ceasar salads. I saw this quickie appetizer recipe while watching David Rocco’s La DolceVita on the Cooking Channel. It was so easy and unusual, that I decided to give it a try.

The key to this recipe is finding large sage leaves. Unfortunately, my grocery store only carried small leaves pre-packaged in those herb boxes that you find in the produce section. If you garden your own sage, you’re lucky (by the way, we are starting a mini-farm in our backyard so maybe I’ll get larger sage leaves for the next time).

Simply put,

1. place an anchovy in between two sage leaves

2. dip the leaves in an egg wash

3. coat them with flower

4. fry them in olive oil until they are golden brown.

When they turn golden, remove them and put them on a plate lined with paper towel to drain any excess oil. Add salt while they are still hot.

I thought these made a great snack or appetizer that was so easy and quick to make. My husband wasn’t too keen on the anchovy flavor, so it’s not for everybody.

My Official Complaint to Fresh and Easy

Okay, this has been weighing heavily on my mind for a few months now. I suffered through 9 months of pregnancy without being able to eat raw fish and alcohol. Granted, I have had my fair share of wine since having had SB, but my raw fish intake has not gone so well.

One of the first things I had after having SB was Ahi Poke from Fresh and Easy. I had been craving those raw little ahi cubes for 9 months…salivating at the thought of them marinated in that poke goodness. I started imagining those little cubes with arms and legs and sunglasses, relaxing in the marinade as if it were a jacuzzi. A jacuzzi of mouth watering flavor, that is.

After I had Ahi Poke that one time in early November, I’d go back to see that it was no longer on the shelves. It wasn’t uncommon for it to be sold out by the time I got there, so I figured I just had some rotten luck…No biggie, I’ll come back again and maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find it.

Every week as I’d go back to Fresh and Easy, I’d look for it and see nothing. I’d only see some measly 1.5 inch wide filets of overpriced fish staring back at me.  I looked at the tags on the fish shelf and saw nothing that said “Ahi Poke.” It was absent and without warning…it was gone.

For weeks I had been wondering, why? Had it made someone sick? That was the only issue I could think of.

Yesterday, as I was making my usual supermarket rounds (yes, I go to a few on a single day), I went to Fresh and Easy and looked again for my beloved Poke. The shelf stared back at me with that empty white LED glare. I trudged on, heartbroken.

I was at the self checkout when the girl that worked there began to bag my stuff….She asked me the usual, “Did you find everything okay today?” I gave her that automatic “Yes,” but then I realized, “Here’s my chance to find out what happened.” I said, “Wait, No….Can I ask you a question?” She said, “Sure,” and I came back at her with, “Whatever happened to the Ahi Poke? I love that stuff and it hasn’t been on the shelves for awhile now.”

She looked at me with this annoyed face, as if this were not the first time she’s heard that question. In fact, she said, “I’ve been getting that question a lot lately.”

She didn’t seem to have a straight answer, as if she wasn’t given the memo on talking points about the disappearance of the Ahi Poke. All she said was, “Well, it probably wasn’t doing too well, it wasn’t selling out.”

As she said that, the angry Cuban in me came back at her with, “No, that’s not true. It was always sold out! I’d come here to buy it for dinner and it was all gone by the time I got here after work!”

I realized my pent-up rage was not something I should force upon this poor girl. I mean, it wasn’t her fault, right? Anyways, she gave me a few suggestion cards and told me to fill them out and sent me on my way home, broken at the thought of never having Ahi Poke again.

That said, I just filled out an online comment card at Fresh and Easy, hoping they will hear my plea, but who knows. I think, if anything, “the man” has won.

I must now search out an Ahi Poke recipe.

Halibut with shitake and bok choy

 

So far, our diet has worked. Rus has gotten below his goal weight and I am one pound away from my pre-preg weight. I still have about 10 more pounds to go after I hit that mark though. This week, I made a halibut steamed with lemon, bok choy and shitake mushrooms in parchment paper. I’ve never used parchment paper, but I found it convenient for clean up.

The original recipe called for striped sea bass, which was not available at our market, so we substituted for halibut, just for the halibut. Pa duh dum!

The recipe is simple and straight forward. What you see in this picture is what you get. I halved 1 whole bok choy for each parchment package, added my fish, put in a few good squirts of lemon juice and topped with a few lemon slices, drizzled some nice olive oil, added some salt and pepper, and shitakes and there you have it. Fold the parchment and tuck it in like a little present and voila!

Put it in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and you have a 209 calorie entree!