More Softies!

You’ll have to excuse my lack of blogging this month; you see, it’s my birthmonth. I celebrate my June 10th birthday for at least 4 days in a row depending what day it falls on, and sometimes all month. What can I say? I just really love my birthday. With all the birthday celebrations there has been a lot of dining out, drinking Rosé sparklers, and my new favorite cocktail: Campari with blood orange and soda (thanks for bringing it back, GGD). I hit up some of my favorite SF restaurants in the last week; Cotogna, Machka, Chaya, Poesia… my wallet is empty and my tummy is full. It’s time to detox a little before embarking on my three week vacation to Italy and Spain! (Though, this weekend’s visit to some girlfriends in San Diego might get in the way of said detox). But before I started a week of kale salads and fresh fruit, I wanted to take one more opportunity to enjoy my favorite birthmonth treat. You guessed it, soft shell crabs.

GGD and I had the perfect Sunday Summer Dinner last night. She had been wanting to try her hand at a new sweet and savory recipe that she found. My job was to provide the proteins. We had tossed around the idea of lamb or scallops, but then when I saw the beautiful soft shell crabs on display I convinced her to let me get them on one condition: we grill them instead of batter them in flour. Easy enough. I also picked up some jumbo prawns for us to grill with the crabs. I used one grill pan and one marinade for everything. Super simple and super delicious.

Grilled Soft Shell Crabs and Jumbo Prawns (serves 2)

• 2 soft shell crabs
• 10 jumbo prawns, pealed and deveined
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Delicately rinse and pat dry the crabs and place them in a small bowl. Do the same with the shrimp. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, and seasoning in a small bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes so flavors can meld. Pour half of the oil mixture over the shrimp and toss to coat. Pour the other half over the crabs, and gently coat with your finger tips. Let sit for 5 more minutes.

When there was about 10 minutes left to go on GGD’s apricot and cherry dish, I started to heat the grill pan. Once hot, add the soft shell crabs to the center of the pan, “stomach” side down. Grill for 3 minutes, then flip over so the “shell” side is down. At this time, add the shrimp to the pan. Cook the crabs and shrimp for 4 minutes, turning the shrimp after 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Squeeze juice from half of the lemon over the shellfish and serve.

GGD served some bread with her broiled apricots and cherries, which we grilled on the grill pan after taking the shellfish off. I was a little skeptical about the broiled apricots and cherries when she first told me about them, but I loved every single bite! The addition of the ricotta adds a soft, saltiness to the fruit, which helped tie the dish to the crab and shrimp. The whole meal was very light and delicious, and the shrimp were cooked perfectly if I do say so myself.

As I suggested in my previous soft shell crab post, we paired this dish with a bottle of 2012 Mulderbosch Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon, which I found for only $9.99 a bottle at K&L Wines! The flavors is the wine went perfectly with the apricots and cherries, and the thyme brought out a slight herbal element in the wine.

I have to say, I think I prefer grilled softies over flour-battered. Grilling the crabs is not only a healthier method of cooking them, but it allows for the flavors to shine a little brighter. This was GGD’s first soft shell crab experience, and she was shocked that she could eat the whole thing. When she opened up the inside of the crab to discover it’s green guts, she said, “even this??” And I said, “Yes! That’s the best part!”

The Simple Things

One of my oldest San Francisco friends and ex-coworker from my pre-wine industry days joined me for dinner last week (she will be known as Merryweather from this point forth). I love cooking for Merryweather because she asks questions about what I am doing, and loves everything I make. It’s a great boost of confidence! Last night she told me, “you should be on one of those cooking shows.” I told Merryweather that I wouldn’t enjoy cooking nearly as much if I was forced to compete in a small amount of time – and without my usual glass of wine in my non-cooking hand! Merryweather told me she was in awe of how much I had going on in the kitchen, but it was really quite simple recipes that anyone can reproduce – including her!

We started with my usual Caesar Salad with my homemade dressing and croutons, but I added a new element to it: fried capers! I will now never have a Caesar salad without fried capers.  They add an extra crunch and saltiness, and are a great compliment to the anchovy paste in the dressing. And you can make them while you’re preparing the croutons or the dressing! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then put 1/4 cup of capers (drained) in a heavy oven-safe pan with 1 tsp of olive oil. Mix to combine and bake for about 18 minutes, stirring a few times. When they are done, let cool for a bit before adding to the salad.

As most of you have realized by now, I have a divine love for pasta. I am always trying to come up with new ways to make pasta, whether it’s a different sauce, noodle, or technique. And lately I have been really excited about fresh pasta – so excited, that I am hoping to get my own pasta-maker soon! But in the meantime, I am more than content with the fresh pasta from Home Maid Ravioli – especially of the spinach variety. Their spinach pasta is so good, that I like to pair it with a simple red sauce and some cheese, so as not to overwhelm the flavors of the pasta. And for some extra protein, I topped it with some colossal shrimp that I sauteed in some of the red sauce. We both agreed that it was a very delicious bowl of pasta, and Merryweather even said she would pay up to $25 for a plate of it at a restaurant!

Spinach Fettucini with Tomato Sauce, Ricotta and Shrimp

Simple Tomato Sauce:

• 2 32-oz cans of crushed tomatoes with puree
• 1/4 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, halved
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp of salt-free Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Other ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh spinach pasta
• 1/2 lb of jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 12 shrimp)
• 1/2 cup or more of fresh ricotta
• Pecorino romano, freshly grated

The sauce takes at least an hour to cook, so start that before doing anything. In a large pot add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes. Fill one can with water and add to the pot as well. Add the onion halves, garlic cloves, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Heat over a medium-low flame for a minimum of 1 hour for a thinner sauce and up to 3 hours for a thick sauce.

Once the sauce has been cooking for an hour, remove the onion halves and garlic and place into a small bowl with a little bit of the sauce. Heat another medium pot of water for the pasta, and set a separate sauté pan over medium heat. Add the saucy onion and garlic to the sauté pan, then add the shrimp (tail on) and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque. This helps to blend the flavors of the sauce with the shrimp.

Once the water is boiling, add the fresh pasta and cook for about 3 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of water before draining. Add pasta back to the pot with 1-2 cups of the red sauce. Add a little of the water from the pasta (not the whole half cup!) to thicken the sauce if you prefer, and stir to combine.

Spoon pasta into shallow bowls and top with a little more red sauce. Add a spoonful of fresh ricotta and about a tablespoon of grated Pecorino Romano. Top with the shrimp and serve immediately.

The combination of flavors in this pasta was spot-on. And something as simple as fresh ricotta added so much texture, especially with the coldness of the cheese juxtaposed to the hot pasta. We would have had second helpings if we weren’t so full!

I served my new favorite Napa Valley Merlot from Groppallo Vineyards with this meal. To be honest, it wasn’t the ideal pairing but I just really wanted to drink the wine. We had most of it after dinner, anyhow. If pairing this meal with a wine I would suggest something a little lighter like a Chianti or Sangiovese.

And, last but not least, the winner of last week’s 100th Blog Post Giveaway… clairemccabemusic! Thank you for your suggestions on Italian wine, and for your enthusiasm about Seasons of Wine. You must know me well, as my apartment uses Trader Joe’s Nero d’Avola as our house wine! Cheers, and happy holidays!

Farro is My Favorite

I’ve been growing a little tired of quinoa. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great! Full of nutrition, protein and low in carbs – a great pasta substitute. But you can only eat so much quinoa (not according to this blogger, who shares some tasty recipes). So when I stumbled upon pearled farro in the grain aisle of Falletti Foods, I could hardly wait to try it out.

Pearled farro has part of the outer bran removed so it’s easier to cook. You just rinse it and cook it in a low boil (1:3 pearled farro to water ratio) for about 15-20 minutes. Then top it with your favorite sauce, put it in salad or soup – anything! For my first farro concoction I chose to do something rather simple.

Farro with Tomatoes and Herbed Shrimp

• 1 cup raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup dry pearled farro
• 2 garlic cloves, separated and minced
• 8 basil leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano, separated
• 1 TB chopped fresh parsley
• juice of 2 lemon halves, separated
• 2 TB olive oil, separated
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 TB tomato paste
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by marinating the shrimp in 1 TB olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, basil, parsley, 1 chopped garlic clove and juice of 1/2 lemon. Put everything in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Begin to cook the farro. Add 1/2 cup of pearled farro to 1 1/2 cup water with a dash of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to maintain at a low boil. Cook for 15 minutes for al dente and 20 minutes for a softer texture.

Heat 1 TB olive oil in large skillet. Add onions, chopped garlic clove and red pepper flakes and saute for a couple of minutes. Add chopped red pepper and continue to saute for a few more minutes, or until softened. Add white wine and tomato paste and stir to combine. Add tomato halves and salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to 1/2 a cup. Toss in the marinated shrimp and cook for about 4 minutes, or until they turn pink.

Your farro should be cooked by now, so drain it and add to the skillet with the sauce. Stir to combine and top with the rest of the oregano. Serve immediately in shallow pasta bowls. YUM!

I paired this dish with one of my favorite wines, JAQK Cellars 2009 “Charmed” Sauvignon Blanc. This was the last of my bottles of Charmed, so I savored every sip. The wine is aged for six months in neutral French Oak, so it has a good bit if acidity that is balanced by notes of vanilla. These flavors compliment the lemon, tomato and fresh herbs in the sauce, and the long finish in the wine is refreshing and helps combat the heat of the dish.

I am definitely hooked on pearled farro, and can’t wait to try more recipes!

Spicy Baked Shrimp

I spent this past weekend in Healdsburg with a big group of friends to celebrate my birthday. MM arrived on Thursday night after a phenomenal meal at a little restaurant on Highway 1 (to be posted soon), and four other friends joined us on Friday night around dinnertime. I knew we would be grilling lots of meats the next day for a larger BBQ when everyone else arrived, so I wanted to make something easy and light that could be timed to be ready ten minutes after my friends arrived at the house.

This is a recipe that was given to me by my grandmother (who is affectionately known as Mema), but it was first published in a 1992 issue of Bon Appetit. Mema has made it for me many times, and I always love it. So the spicy baked shrimp immediately came to mind when I was thinking of something to make for MM and my friends. I decided to double the original recipe (except the olive oil, which I kept at 1/2 cup) and use a large bag of frozen uncooked peeled, deveined shrimp (with tail on) from Costco. This amount was perfect for six people. 

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Creole seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 TB honey
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 lbs uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Combine the first seven ingredients in a 9×13 baking tray, then add shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate for one hour before cooking. Once ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. The shrimp will take about 10 minutes in the oven, stirring once half way through.

The recipe suggests pairing with crusty bread and lemon wedges. I decided to serve the shrimp with a crunchy green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and whole wheat Israeli couscous with roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes. Either way, you want to serve some kind of starch to soak up the spicy sauce from the shrimp. It’s delicious!

My guests very much enjoyed the meal, though apparently I am the only person in the world (other than my mother) that chooses to eat the shrimp whole, with the tail on. It has to be good fiber for you, right? I encourage speculation in the comments section.

I served this meal with a selection of Rose, a spanish white wine, and some light beer. It’s good to have options on a Friday night dinner.

Shrimp Tacos and Hominy Salad

I haven’t been in San Francisco on a Friday night in several weeks, and although MM and I usually go out to dinner on Fridays, I am on a tight budget this weekend. So I made a deal with MM: I will cook dinner if you pay for all the groceries. I had some frozen uncooked shrimp in my freezer, and some chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in my refrigerator, so I knew I wanted to make shrimp tacos. And after dining on a delicious hominy salad at a friend’s house on Thursday night, I was inspired to recreate my own version. Needless to say, MM gave it a 9 out of 10 (10 being the best meal I’ve ever made).

Shrimp Tacos

• 15 uncooked medium shrimp
• 3 TB olive oil
• 1 TB butter
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chipotle chiles in adobe sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• juice of 1 orange
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 6 corn tortillas

For garnish:

• avocado slices
• shredded Mexican blend cheese
• sour cream
• shredded lettuce
• 1 jalapeño, sliced
• cilantro

Hominy Salad

• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 24 oz can white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 1 24 oz can yellow hominy, drained and rinsed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup salsa verde
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt to taste

If you’re using frozen shrimp, defrost them by placing in an air-tight Ziplock bag under warm water for about 10 minutes, or until thawed. Once defrosted, the shrimp take a very short time to cook, so it’s best to prepare the rest of the meal first.

Start by boiling a pot of water. Meanwhile, chop the red onion and red pepper and place in a medium size bowl. At this point you can also chop the garlic, jalapeño, lettuce and cilantro (save the avocado for the end so it doesn’t brown). By now your water has boiled, so add the yellow and white hominy and par-boil for 3 minutes. Drain, and add to the bowl with pepper and onion, along with the salsa verde, lime juice, cilantro, salt and cumin. Taste for seasoning and set aside to let flavors blend.

Now you are ready to make the tacos. Combine the tomato sauce, orange juice and lime juice in a small bowl, as these will all be added to the shrimp at the same time. Set the oven to broil and place tortillas on a baking dish. Place them in the oven for 6-8 minutes, flipping once.

Heat a large skillet and add olive oil and butter. Once bubbling, add the garlic, shrimp and salt and stir continuously until shrimp are opaque. Add chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and stir for about 30 seconds, coating the shrimp in the sauce. Alternatively, and for more of a kick, you can puree the chiles in the sauce and use about 1/8 cup of sauce on the shrimp. Add the tomato sauce, orange juice and lime juice and heat for 1-2 minutes, until sauce begins to boil. Remove shrimp from pan with a slotted spoon, being careful not to pick up any chiles – they’re HOT!

Serve shrimp alongside tortillas, garnishes, and hominy salad. I ate the hominy salad on the side, but MM put it right in the taco. Spicy shrimp pair well with a Spanish white or Rose. A darker, juicer Rose would work well with this dish, such as the 2011 Mulderbosch Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa. The sweetness in the Rose helps combat the spiciness of the shrimp, cooling your palate.