Feeding Frenzy

Mango Sticky Rice

It's been awhile, friends. And this in no way means that S. and I haven't been cooking...it means that it's been so hot around here that turning on the oven becomes something we really have to think hard about because the kitchen will quickly turn into a kiln. But, to make up for my absence, I have posted quite a few new delectables that are (for the most part) oven-free!

See above: Mango Sticky Rice! On Sunday mornings in Berkeley, there's an "establishment" called Thai Temple Brunch that S. and I like to frequent for amazing Thai food and outdoor seating. I call it an "establishment" because of it's suspicious lack of restaurant permits and because it's technically a temple that's only allowed to accept donations. However, if you do not "donate" in exchange for food, well...you don't get fed. I've considered bartering before, but I doubt the "volunteers" would be as grateful for my hugs as for my money. Anyway.

Every time we go, I ask S. if we can get the mango sticky rice. He says No. Then he says Yes. In the same breath. This is because despite the fact that he is both carb and money conscious (neither of which I am), he is always swayed by the thought of those subtly tart, firm mangoes on a side of sticky rice soaked in sweet coconut milk. Sick of waiting for those lucky Sunday mornings, I decided to make some myself and topped mine with some toasted black sesame. That's right, they're not fruit flies that got stuck in my rice.

Next up! Some hearty split pea soup with ham. I don't know why I'm in a yucky mood today, and I don't want to ruin this for you, but on first glance this may look like movie vomit. But it's not, I swear! Observe closely, that's a piece of carrot, and there's some ham in there! I topped it with some homemade potato chips fried in duck fat.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Mmm, dinner. Last night, S. and I got all fancypants in the kitchen and cooked up some filet mignon. It's very simply done in the pan, and we ate it with a side of green beans almondine, and a bleu cheese sauce. Notice the perfect medium rare on that meat! I did that. :)

Filet Mignon with Bleu Cheese Dressing and Green Beans Almondine

And finally, an extra dose of sweetness, blueberry cobbler. I made the mistake of making this in the morning and then leaving it on the counter with a spoon in it so that every time I walked by I sampled it. You know, to make sure the flavors were uh...settling. By the time we went to bed, it was 4/5 gone. The last 1/5 will be gone by the time I finish this post. Which is now.

Blueberry Cobbler

Best Leftovers I Ever Had

Pork Roast and Swiss Chard

It goes without saying that they weren't leftovers the day we made it, but I'm glad we made more than we could eat. I kind of wish that S. and I weren't so hungry and had some more patience, otherwise I would have had a picture of the whole roast. As it was, it was hard enough to take this picture because I was ready to DEVOUR. It's the tragedy of making delicious meals that take a long time on the stove or in the oven; the aromas that come from the kitchen really get my digestive juices going...one of these days I'm going to have an ulcer and S. will have to pamper me and make me everything I wanna eat. Maybe that's not so bad. Especially after he surprised me with how great his chard was; we followed Thomas Keller's recipe for the veg, which included golden raisins and pine nuts. The pork was juicy, peppery, and tender enough so that even after I microwaved it a couple days later it was still delectable. Next time I'm going to have to plan ahead and make a lot more for leftovers.

For some sweet leftovers for the week, I made a bunch of drop mini blueberry muffins; baked with cream rather than milk or water, the muffins were very distinctly ...creamy. Duh. I'm on a muffin kick now, be on the watch for more tiny muffitos!

Tiny Blueberry Muffins!

Lamb Tajine with mint, zucchini, tomatoes and peppers

I haven't heard of tajines before, so to explain, a tajine is a Moroccan stew traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot. I don't have an earthenware pot, so this may not be a true tajine, but maybe one day it'll grow up and get promoted. What struck me first about this recipe was how many spices are involved! Being an aficionado of curries and all those mouth-watering spices that come in middle eastern and Indian food, I was excited to be measuring out the coriander and cumin for this dish. Except I didn't measure them out, I just dumped a bunch into the pot. Yummm... I'm a greedy spice-monger.

Tarte Tatin

And what better way to celebrate Memorial Day, but with apple pie! But...not really apple pie because it's French and it's a tart. I have to admit, S. and I had to ditch the first batch of caramelized apples because they burned. No one's perfect.. however, the finished product was delicious. S. sweated bullets watching me pour sugar into the pan for the caramel, but he all but forgot when he gobbled it down with ice cream: