Baby back ribs

Harris Teeter had bogo ribs a couple of weeks ago, and the baby back ribs looked too good to pass up. I trawled the internet for recipes for making these in the oven and came up with some really good sites. Most of the recipes called for a dry rub followed by 30-40 minutes in the oven, then a baste with barbecue sauce followed by another 20-30 minutes in the oven, and finally one last baste with the bbq sauce and short jaunt in the broiler. (video here and recipes here and here)

We followed a version of this and used Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce because it is Vince's favorite, and we were too tired to come up with our own creative version.

The verdict: Really tender ribs, so the method worked, but the BBQ sauce didn't do jack for the ribs. We ended up with a one-note flavor that got to be too much by the end. Thank goodness for bogo. We will certainly try again (with our own sauce of course!)

P.S. Sorry about the bad blackberry picture. I'm still having computer issues.

May the Schwartz be with you!

Chef Michael Schwartz is at it again! Besides being a James Beard award winner, he has recently teamed up with Blue Star foods creator of crab products and come up with some delish-sounding recipes. I'm a huge fan of Michael's Genuine Food and Drink (in Miami and the Caymans) and of blue crab so these recipes definitely seem worth a try.

If the Schwartz vouches for these products they can't be half-bad, although I wonder how they stack up to a fresh dozen just pulled from the steamer and dripping with Old Bay.

Check out Michael's Blue Star recipes at http://www.bluestarfoods.com/_lifestyle/chef_schwartz.html

I plan to try some of these just as soon as I can get my hands on some Blue Star crab meat. Let's see if this man can write a recipe as well as he can cook.

P.S. I was not paid for this post, but if Blue Star wants to send me some free crab meat to home-test the recipes I would be happy to oblige. Just send me an email!

Heading to the 305

I'm off to Miami in a week. Yay! Any recommendations for new food spots? I'm up for some culinary adventures.

Gardening in Small Spaces

For all of you out there with the luxury of a balcony, terrace or even a backyard, here is a website that will help you grow to your full potential. My good friend John started Grown in the City a few months ago and it has grown up quite nicely. If you love fresh food there is nothing fresher than something that comes just a few feet from your door. Besides growing tips, John will clue you into the latest on guerilla gardening and policy/planning issues that affect urban areas.

I particularly like the DIY segments where John teaches you how to make self-watering containers out of recyclables!

Caprese Salad

This weekend we got lucky with a happy coincidence. Harris Teeter had a sale on the Perlini Mozzarella and hot house tomatoes, and Chris' basil was running wild. The result? Only the best caprese salad I've had this side of the Atlantic! OK, so maybe it wasn't the best, but it was pretty good. We ate it while we watched the U.S.A. soccer heart breaker, but at least our taste buds were happy.

This is definitely a recipe to entertain with or if you have any extra, and I don't think you will, you can always toss with cold pasta for a heartier salad. Quick disclaimer, these measurements are approximations. I'm fairly undisciplined in the kitchen and rarely ever use my measuring cups or spoons. I swear I'll reform when I get a dish washer! Until then consider these suggested measurements for your own creations.

7 oz. perlini mozzarella (mozzarella balls the size of marbles)
2 ripe hot house tomatoes diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, made into ribbons

1/3 cup fresh parsley, rough chopped
1/2 of a small red onion sliced fine
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

After chopping and slicing, toss all the ingredients together and let sit for about 30 minutes for all of the flavors to meld together. Serve with bread or crackers.

P.S. I'll try and get a picture of this up on the web soon!

Scrumptious Strawberry-Spinach Salad

Ok, so you know I couldn't resist the alliteration. Lately, I've been working on healthy meals and sides that don't involve a whole lot of heat. Two valiant window units try desperately to cool our apartment and the oven/stove combo is often too much for them. Today's lunch consisted of leftover frittata (God bless the microwave!) and a spinach salad.

This salad is so tasty and quick to make you won't even think twice about it. Plus, spinach and strawberries are a nutritional power duo. The greens are packed with iron and the strawberries provide vitamin C to facilitate absorption of the non-heme iron in veggies. Add some walnuts and my favorite dressing Brianna's Blush wine vinaigrette and you have a sophisticated salad in minutes that is fit to entertain. For a calcium boost, try adding some goat cheese. Your taste buds (and waistline) will thank you.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
1 package Organics baby spinach
1/3 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (toasted if you like)
3 oz. cheese of your choice
Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing (to taste)

Toss and serve.

Chicken Pot-pie Recipe

Every now and then I fiddle around with a recipe and it comes out GREAT! Then, I forget to write it down and can never recreate it again. Last night could have been one of those nights. I made a chicken pot-pie that was so delicious that Vince and Chris declared it was the best they ever had. So in the efforts of helping my fragile memory remember here it is:

Chicken Pot Pie

2 large chicken breasts
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup butter (salted)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of milk
2 cups chicken stock (make your own or use Swanson low sodium, trust me!)
1 med. onion
5 cloves of garlic
2 celery spears
6 oz. frozen mixed veggies
6 oz. frozen sliced mushrooms
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 sprig of rosemary
1 store bought pastry crust

Season chicken and cook until browned thoroughly in two tablespoons of olive oil with a sprig of rosemary on top. This adds so much delicious flavor! Add about 1/2 cup of chicken stock if you see that it is getting too hot or stuck to the pan. Once that is finished, pull out chicken breasts and cube. Discard the rosemary sprig. (While this is cooking you can prep the veggies.)

In the same pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux. Once this has browned add the chopped celery, onions, and garlic. Stir until onions are softened. Add milk and chicken stock and stir together. Then add frozen veggies, mushrooms, bay leaf, salt and pepper and let this all meld together, about 5 minutes. Then add the chicken back in. Stir. Pour mixture into a deep pie dish and cover with the pie crust. Cut in a few vents and place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until crust is golden.

If anyone tries this can you tell me if it works out? I'm trying to work on my recipe writing skills. Thanks! Bon Apetit!

Computer virus!!!

I'm glad I got some pictures up yesterday. It seems that my computer has a virus and I can't get rid of it! I'm afraid to connect my external hard drive to the computer for fear of contaminating that too. So until this gets figured out you will just have to use your imaginations!

Happy Hump Day!

Pictures from Italy

So I have definitely been holding out on you all for pictures. Chalk it up to laziness and the fact that the external hard drive lives in one of the two rooms of our house without air conditioner. But today I'm making the sweat-sacrifice to bring you some color and flavor from Italy!

The Colosseum

St. Peter's Square seen from the top of the dome.


Some friends!

These guys cracked me up! Apparently, smoking was de riguer in Ancient Rome.

All of these pictures were taken by Vince!

Arugula Salad three ways

We love Arugula salad at our house. After tasting a really delicious one at Bread in NYC, I brought this back to Miami and then Arlington. The pepperiness of the arugula provides so much flavor you really don't need much in the way of dressings. The Bread arugula salad is topped with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and shaved parmesan and replicated frequently at home.



Lucky for us, arugula seems to be the national green of Italy. No joke, it grows like a weed over there, showing up in main courses, contorni (side dishes), salads, and even as a garnish. There were two arugula salads that particularly stuck out. The first was at La Carbonara, home of the cacio e pepe just blogged about. This was a nice mix of arugula and thinly sliced raw baby artichokes dressed with olive oil, white wine vinegar and a spritz of lemon juice. The artichoke was fresh and crunchy. A neat variation on a classic veggie.



The second salad that comes to mind was the insalata tre colore (three color salad), a tribute to the Italian flag with juicy red tomatos, shaved parmesan, and loads of leafy arugula. Quite lovely.



Although I must say that I'm partial to the first preparation, these were really nice variations and something that I'll most definitely have to try at home.

Cacio e Pepe

This is a super simple Roman dish that only requires you to have the very best ingredients on hand. There are only four ingredients in this dish so you really can't skimp on quality. The flavor is intense and amazing. We tasted this at La Carbonara (not in Campo d'Fiori) in Rome just last week and it made the top three on our best dishes in Italy list. You could probably make this with a pasta of any shape, but I reccomend a thick spaghetti/fettucini type pasta to get maximum sauce exposure.



So here it is, brace yourselves for the simpleness of it all:



Pasta (I had this with tonnarelli, thicker spaghetti)

Pecorino Romano cheese

Black Pepper (freshly ground, preferably Malabar)

Olive Oil



Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Al dente for italians is much chewier than what we are used to in the U.S. Drizzle with olive oil and toss onto a plate. Grate a good amount of fresh Pecorino Romano onto the pasta and sprinkle with black pepper. When it is time to eat (which should be immediately!) stir it all together to make some creamy goodness. Delicious!!!!

From the land of Wool and Honey

This weekend I finally made it to the Dupont Circle Farmer's market. It's vast and fantastic and reminded me of the Campo d' Fiori in Italy (more on that later) only more organized. I was drawn to one of the white tents that was hung with multi-colored skeins of soft, folded wool. The colors were so warm and inviting, ironic that this was still enticing on a 90+ degree day. Through the wool, I saw a golden flash and knew that I had found what I was looking for: Locally grown honey! Finally!

I had a chance to buy some local honey last year, and this spring the allergies weren't so bad. I had read somewhere that eating local honey can immunize you to a certain degree to the seasonal pollen in the air, and so far so good, except that I was almost out! Luckily, Solitude Farms makes honey along with their wool (probably not something you should mix together) out in Round Hill, VA. The taste is light and fresh with just a little hint of the comb to spice it up. If all goes well, we can have another allergy free year!

Solitude Farms: www.solitudewool.com

And, we're back!

It's hard to believe that its been almost 2 months since I have posted a blog up here (or anywhere for that matter!) First of all, apologies! Secondly, my excuse...Tasting Serendipity is PREGNANT!!!! This very exciting development has me and the hubby quite excited, but it did have an adverse effect on my relationship with food. While my morning sickness was never epic, it did cause a revulsion to anything food related that wasn't saltine crackers for awhile. Formerly tantalizing scents like simmering garlic and basil became smells that could not be tolerated. This unfortunately extended to my writing about food too. Yikes!

But now, I am out of the first trimester woods and really, really hungry again! Plus, I have 2 months worth of travels to tell you about. Yes, despite the morning (anytime) sickness I did manage to keep down some really great meals. So stay tuned for amazing eats from Chicago, Miami, Rome, and Positano. We had some great dishes that I need to remember and practice like the famous Roman cacio e pepe, a super simple, but stunning pasta dish with just four ingredients.

Until tomorrow dear reader friends!

How to make a flan: Part 2

Now that you have made the caramel, what you need to do is make the custard. For that you will need:

12 extra large egg (yolks separated)

2 8-oz cans of condensed milk

1 12-oz can of evaporated milk

1 12-oz measure of 2% milk

2 tblsps of pure vanilla extract (no imatation)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Separate the eggs from the yolks. Use the shells to separate if you are planning on making angel food cake or meringues with them later. Use your hands if they are destined for omelets.

2. Beat the egg yolks until they are a bit lighter in color, but not much. Add in all the milks and stir together.

3. Add the vanilla extract and stir together.

4. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (this is important! No one likes a chunky flan) into the prepared mold with the caramel.

5. Place the custard and caramel mold into a water bath. (A larger pan filled with hot water).

6. Cook for 45-60 minutes (depending on your mold and your oven). The flan should jiggle slightly when you shake it, but a knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Definitely err on the side of under cooking rather than over cooking or you will have a chunk of solid custard rather than creamy goodness.

7. Once the flan is finished let it cool slightly, then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but for best results, leave it overnight.

8. When you are ready to serve, flip the flan over onto your serving dish and enjoy! Now doesn't that look pretty?

How to Make a Flan (Part 1)

Flan is a decadent Cuban dessert that combines the creaminess of custard with the deep deliciousness of caramel. Incredibly simple to make and equally hard to resist, this dessert had eluded me for some time. But not any more! After a foray into Angel food cake, I found my self with a quantity of egg yolks and no real use for them. A-ha! I thought, I'll make a flan. So I trolled the internet for recipes and videos (p.s. they are everywhere!) Then I consulted, Nitza, the Cuban cooking diva, and ultimately came up with a fabulous recipe.

Here is part 1: Making the Caramel

Place 1 cup of sugar into a sauce pan over medium high heat. No liquid necessary. Stir constantly and DO NOT leave unattended for any length of time. As the sugar heats up, the crystalized cane juice (or beet juice) will begin to melt and turn color...



But first it will turn into rocks (resist the urge to touch, there is nothing worse than a sugar burn)
Then it will begin to liquefy and turn amber, keep stirring!


Finally, you will have a dark brown syrup that smells like caramel, and perhaps just a bit like burnt sugar, but not too burnt.

At this point, turn off the heat, pour into the glass dish of your choice and swirl it around so that the caramel coats the bottom and half of the sides of the pan. Like so,

Allow this to cool completely. You will hear the caramel start to crack as it cools. This is perfectly normal and desirable.

Faifax Chocolate Lover's Festival

So this post is a little out of date, but as I was looking through my food pics for today's blog, I just couldn't help myself. The first weekend in March was warmish, sunny and free for us so we decided to check out the Fairfax Chocolate Lover's Festival, and let me tell you, it was a chocolate extravaganza. The event coordinated merchants, restaurants, and confectioners in downtown Fairfax, but we only got to two of the events.

The first and most extravagant was the "Taste of Chocolate" in the Old Town Hall, a beautiful building just bursting with people and treats. We smushed our way through and gathered a bag full of loot: chocolate covered strawberries, fudge, a chocolate covered pretzel, and some red velvet cake. Alas, or perhaps thank goodness, these treats were not free, you paid for tokens which were then handed to the vendors.




We continued upstairs, were the person to chocolate ratio was a bit better and we could bask in the glory of the chocolate fountain. I've tried some gross chocolate fountains in the past, but this one managed to create a waterfall-effect without watering down the chocolate. We also tasted some chocolate covered potato chips and subsequently bought an entire bag.

Finally, we ended the day with a look at some of the chocolate cake creations at the Chocolate Challenge. this one was by far the most sophisticated.


But this version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was definitley my sentimental favorite. Can you make out the little Oompa-Loompas???? Awesome.
This event is definitely something to keep on your radar for next year, usually around Valentine's Day, barring another snowpocalypse.

Warm Goat Cheese, Beet, and Pink Grapefruit Salad

This baby can be considered an Inna Garten meets Jaleo meets necessity. At Knaus Berry Farm, the Amish sold these absolutely beautiful red beets and some truly succulent butter lettuce. Having recently been introduced to the goodness of beets by my friend Jaime, I had to try and make them for my family at home. We are not by nature a beet-eating people, but we are goat cheese and grapefruit eaters. I whipped this up as a healthy lunch for my mom and dad and it was delish and relatively simple (but totally worth it).

1. Peel and dice beets, season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place in a foil covered baking dish for about 45 minutes. (This you can do ahead)

2. Peel and section a pink grapefruit reserving some of the juice to make the vineagrette.

3. Crack an egg and beat it. Dip slices of soft goat cheese and then coat in seasoned bread crumbs. (We had to use crushed saltines, not having had bread crumbs in the house, but I would go with the bread crumbs if you have the option). Sautee the breaded slices in a skillet with a bit of olive oil until golden and soft inside.

4. Prepare the viniagrette. 1/4 cup pink grapefruit juice, 1/2 cup olive oil (really good quality stuff) and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Break up the butter lettuce. Toss with the beets, grapefruit and dressing and top with a piece of the warm goat cheese.

Mmmm, mmmm! Healthy, colorful and delicious!

Babyweight, Inc.: A little sisterly PR

Hey there, everyone! Yesterday was a cold, wet, dreary day. Thank goodness it was Friday! Today I got a boost from the sun and from my sister's awesome blog. My sister, Luly, is an amazing woman. She has a doctorate in physical therapy, two kids, and is starting her own business to help women get back in shape post-baby. The name and the logo say it all: BABYWEIGHT: Use it to lose it. It's all about bonding with your baby and using that cute little munchkin to get your body back in shape. She has the practical experience plus the clinical know-how that makes her blog a must read for anyone struggling with some post-partum pounds. I know there are some mommas-to-be who read this blog, and you should definitely check out hers for fitness tips and stress management. She is coming up with a couple of products that will be awesome for the post-natal crowd! Plus, she has lots of posts that even non-mommys can relate to, like trying to get into a pair of skinny jeans or running through puddles.

Check out her website: http://www.babyweightinc.com/HOME.html

Or her blog: http://babyweightinc.blogspot.com/

She also has some really cute pics of her kids!!! They are just delicious!

Coming soon!

These pictures are long overdue on the blog. I actually took them while I was down in Miami for Blizzard 2010 part II. When I got back, there was sooooo much snow around I felt bad posting pics of vine ripening tomatos and juicy strawberries. It just seemed wrong, but now that the sun and the 70s have returned it seems perfect for a preview. These lovely tomatos and strawberries are growing at Knaus Berry Farm in the Redlands. The farm is run by snow-bird Mennonites, who are the highlight of many a South Florida celebration with their excellent sticky buns, fresh produce and outstanding strawberry shakes.

How could the shakes not be awesome with berries like this growing in their back yard?

This little tomato was just too cute to resist!

New Blog discovered!

Hey everyone, I had a little break today to troll the internet and explore some new blogs and I found one I love!

Cara's Cravings

I found it while reading the comments here. Cara has some really great healthy spins on foods you already love. Plus she's not afraid to use big flavors and try something new, like these spicy thai fishcakes or crock-pot Mongolian beef. She also has great recipes for Jewish favorites, which would also be a great addition to any Easter dinner!

Enjoy the sun, Arlingtonians, Marylanders, and Districters!