Butternut Squash Risotto with Shrimp

Inspiration:
Bon Appetit


Ingredients:

3 ounces pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped

1 pound large uncooked deveined peeled shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 cup short-grain rice (such as arborio or carnaroli)

4 cups vegetable broth, heated in microwave

1 1-pound package peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Sauté pancetta in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until fat renders and pancetta is browned and almost crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; add to saucepan. Sauté until browned and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Add to bowl with pancetta.
   
3. Add oil to same saucepan, then onion and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
   
4. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add hot broth; increase heat and bring to boil. Add squash and sage; reduce heat to medium and simmer until rice is tender but still firm to bite and mixture is creamy, stirring often, about 15 minutes.
   
5. Stir in cream, shrimp, and pancetta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large shallow bowl.

Notes:
I know this is a fairly common combination as I've ordered it in a few different restaurants. Does anyone have a similar recipe that you love?
No matter which method I try, I don't think that there is a shortcut to making risotto. In my experience, cooking it the long way results in the best texture and consistency.


Liz's Rating: 8/10

Grilled Soy-Glazed Halibut

Inspiration:
Real Simple

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 4 6-ounce pieces white fish fillet (such as cod or halibut)

Instructions:

1. Heat grill to high.
2. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger; set aside.
3. Grill fish skin side up for 5 minutes. Flip and grill an additional 7 minutes, brushing twice with the sauce.
   

Notes:
Loved the ginger-soy combination with the fish.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Cod Provençal

Inspiration:
Martha Stewart Living


Ingredients:

• 4 cod fillets (6 ounces each), skinned
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, chopped (2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 medium-ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 t fresh thyme, plus 3 sprigs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place cod filets in a nonreactive dish, and squeeze lemon on top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper.
2. Heat 1 T oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions; cook until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Top with half the zucchini, tomatoes, and thyme. Drizzle with 1.5 t oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Add cod and remaining zucchini, tomatoes, thyme, oil, and salt. Season with pepper.
3. Bake, covered, for 10 minutes. Baste with the juices, and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes more.

Nutritional Information (per 1/4th recipe):
317 calories, 2g saturated fat, 8g unsaturated fat, 80mg cholesterol, 8g carbohydrate, 465mg sodium, 46g protein, 2g fiber


Notes:

• Caramelizing the onions properly is very important. You want a deep golden brown, not burned. The delicious flavor is the base of the entire dish.
  
• I think I will put all of the zucchini under the fish next time I make this. The zucchini cooked in the amazing broth was tastier than the zucchini that cooked on top of the fish.
• I think this will be a recipe in our regular rotation-- fast, healthy, delicious.
• Taking photos when it gets dark so early is difficult-- this tasted better than it looks here!
  

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Low-Country Seafood Boil

Inspiration:
A fall get-together with friends, including our co-host and friend Eric
and
Captain Jim Lemke and Patrick Nolan's recipe, promoted by Bobby Flay


Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 ounces crab boil spices
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 3 to 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 3 pounds mushrooms, cleaned
• 3 to 4 scallions
• 2 to 3 peeled whole onions
• 9 ounces hot sauce
• 10 pounds smoked hot sausage
• 5 pounds tiny whole potatoes
• 25 to 30 ears corn
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 7 to 10 pounds mussels
• 15 to 25 pounds medium or large shrimp

Instructions:

1. Start with a 20-quart pot filled over 1/3 with fresh cold water. In the pot add crab boil mix to the water. Squeeze juice from 2 of the lemon quarters into the water, and drop in the rinds. Add the garlic cloves, red and green pepper slices, mushrooms, scallions, whole onions, and hot sauce into the water. Bring to a boil, and then add sausage and potatoes. Bring to a second boil, and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes start to get soft. Add the corn, chopped garlic, and start a count of 5 minutes. Do not wait until water boils. At 5 minutes, add mussels. 3 minutes later, add shrimp. Boil for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain immediately.

2. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Recipe Notes:
Serves 25-30. For different variations, any seafood could be added to the pot.


My Notes:

• I don't think it could be much easier for a party planner than choosing a menu that involves only one pot!
• We had 10 guests and scaled down the recipe to include 2.5lbs sausage, 3lbs potatoes, 10 ears corn, 3lbs mussels, 3lbs shrimp, and 2.5oz Old Bay. We probably had enough to serve 12-15 people.
• We had a smaller pot for our vegetarian friends, with all ingredients except sausage and seafood. Our friend brought veggie sausage, which was a nice addition.
  
• Luckily our friend Eric has a big (16 gallon) pot, and a spoon with a really long handle. Plan on borrowing some large pots if you aren't so lucky!
  
• This was a fun event that will likely become an annual experience.

Menu:
Seafood Boil
Cornbread and Collard Greens, brought by a guest
Peach and Pear Custard Pies, brought by a guest
Beer!

Pad Thai

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's second pit stop in Thailand
adapted from a recipe found on allrecipes.com


Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package dried flat rice noodles
• 6 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons Asian chile pepper sauce (Sriracha, depending on spice tolerance)
  
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 8 ounces medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 6 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
  
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 cups bean sprouts

Instructions:

1. Fill a large bowl with hot tap water and place the noodles in it to soak for 20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, oyster sauce, chile sauce, chicken stock and peanut butter. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, stir in garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add shrimp and chicken; cook, stirring constantly until shrimp is opaque and chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Move everything in the wok out to the sides and pour the eggs in the center. Cook and stir the eggs until firm. Add the noodles to the wok and pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are tender. Add a bit more water if needed to finish cooking the noodles. Stir in 3 cups of bean sprouts and green onions. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped peanuts. Taste for seasoning, adjusting the spice or lime juice if needed.
5. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and remaining bean sprouts and lime wedges on the side.

Notes: When I lived in Madison, I ate a ton of Pad Thai. I would order it from the Sukho Thai cart on Library Mall for lunch... at least once a week. Tim and I ate at the restaurant many, many times when we were first dating. (Googling it shows they closed in 2007--so sad.) I didn't think it would be this easy to make! Pad Thai traditionalists will note the lack of tamarind paste, but I think the flavor is pretty close to most Pad Thai I have had. These leftovers will make a great lunch.


Vegetarian/Vegan Option: replace the fish sauce with soy sauce, the oyster sauce with vegetarian "oyster" sauce, and the chicken and shrimp with tofu or additional veggies.


Tim's Rating: 10/10 (loved it)
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Sour Cream Halibut

Inspiration:
Penzeys magazine: One


Ingredients:

• 1 c. white wine
  
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. halibut fillet, cut into 2-3 portions
  
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, divided
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  
• paprika

Instructions:

1. Mix wine and salt; marinate fish for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Dip fish pieces in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Place in greased baking dish.
4. Mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, and onion. Spread over top of fish pieces and top with remaining breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with paprika.
5. Bake until fish is flaky and opaque in center, about 20 minutes.
   

Notes: You'll either think this sounds good, or you won't. I am not really into creamy fish dishes, but this was pretty good. Next time I will reduce the amount of mayonnaise.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 8.5/10

Paella de Marisco

Inspiration:
A cooking class taken in Barcelona over Christmas 2006


Ingredients:

• 8 prawns, shells on, deveined
  
• 2 squids (or cuttlefish), in rings
• 1 pound mussels
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed
• 1 tomato, peeled, minced
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 pound arborio rice
  
• 4 1/2 cups fish stock (I use Penzey's Seafood Soup Base)
  
• 8-10 saffron threads

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the prawns until slightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the the tomato in the same hot oil and fry slightly. After some minutes, add chopped garlic and fry over medium heat.
3. When the tomato starts to burn, stir in the squid and the clams and mussels.
4. Stir in the stock and the saffron and bring it to a boil.
5. Add the rice and distribute it evenly. Rice can’t be touched beyond this point!
6. After some minutes add the prawns in a decorative pattern.
7. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for (+/-) 8 minutes, rotating and swirling the pan to distribute the heat evenly. Reduce heat to minimum and cook (+/-) 10 more minutes.
8. Let it stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:
Our cooking class instructor was from Valencia, the birthplace of Paella. There are many, many varieties of paella, but according to my research, this recipe is pretty authentic. Here is an article if you are interested in paella history and proper preparation.

I thought there were way too many mussels, so next time I will use 1/2 pound. I will also double the amount of saffron.


Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10 (has potential, but it's difficult to execute)

Product Rave: Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta

My friend H. and I went shopping at Trader Joe's, and we both picked up this pasta. She made it before I did, and recommended serving shrimp on top. So, I blackened some shrimp (toss shelled shrimp in a mixture of flour, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and then pan fry) and served it on the pasta with a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

An extremely fast and tasty meal for a weeknight. If I had some fresh parsley, I would have sprinkled it on top.

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: N/A

Cambodian Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Shrimp

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's stop in Cambodia
as well as our trip there in March 2008
and this recipe from Food & Wine.

Tim and I have never been anywhere like Cambodia. In some ways, it is a total sensory overload-- the heat, the humidity, the bright sun, the sounds, the smells, the bright colors. The Khmer people are some of the nicest people we have met on our trips around the globe. I highly, highly recommend a trip to Cambodia for those of you who have not been. And while there, don't just visit Angkor Wat; try to get out into the communities and spend time with the Khmer people. You will have memories for a lifetime.We were excited to see The Amazing Race would be stopping in Cambodia this season. The racers retraced our steps just months after we left. Watching the episode, we easily recognized the tiny Siem Reap airport...

watched the racers take a traditional boat out on Tonle Sap lake that was just like the boat we hired,
relived being amazed by the poverty and the simplicity and the beauty of life on Tonle Sap,
and we were thrilled to see the clue box on the Tonle Sap lake overlook (here's a shot from that exact small platform). We loved watching the racers finish the detour that used these fish trapsand complete the "roadblock" at Angkor Wat (we thumped our chests in the same room), ...finally finishing up at the "pit stop" at Bayon.
OK, on to the recipe:

Ingredients:

• One 3-pound rotisserie chicken
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
• 8 shelled and deveined medium shrimp, halved lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions:

1. Cut the chicken into legs, thighs, breasts and wings. Cut each breast crosswise through the bones into 3 pieces. Remove the thigh bones and cut each thigh in half.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the ginger and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, water, fish sauce, honey and rice and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook just until opaque, about 1 minute. Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, basil and chile and serve right away, passing lime wedges at the table.

Food & Wine beverage suggestion: Citrusy, off-dry Australian Riesling: 2006 Banrock Station.

Notes:
I thought this was just ok. I don't know what my problem is, because the three reviews on Food & Wine's website gave it 5 stars, and Tim loved it. Hmm. I personally prefer the Brazilian Shrimp Soup from a few weeks ago.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10 ("I like the peppers, the rotisserie chicken, and the overall flavor. And the lime.")

Next week on The Amazing Race: India! (Don't worry, we haven't been there, so I'll just focus on the food next week! :) )

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's second episode in Brazil
This recipe from Food & Wine
and tomatoes, onion, and garlic from our CSA


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup long-grain rice
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from one 15-ounce can)
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and cut in half horizontally
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just done, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.

Recipe Notes:

• Coconut milk’s rich flavor will keep you coming back for more of this substantial soup. A true Brazilian version would include slices of okra, but ours is already so satisfyingly thick that we left it out.
• Variation: Instead of the shrimp, use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about three), cut crosswise into quarter-inch strips. Cook for the same amount of time.
• The sweet elements here call for a somewhat assertive sweetness in the wine as well. A Vouvray demi-sec, from France's Loire Valley, ought to strike just the right balance.

My Notes:
Wow, I can't believe I made this! It was so delicious. If I tasted this at a restaurant, I would never think I could make it at home. I continue to be surprised at how the Brazilian recipes have the same flavors as Southeast Asian cuisine.
I used two CSA tomatoes in place of the canned tomatoes. I used 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper since we love spicy food; if you don't, use a scant 1/4 teaspoon and you should be fine.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10


Next week on The Amazing Race: Bolivia (Does anyone have any Bolivian recipes??)

Thai Summer Bean Stew with Shrimp

Inspiration:
Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails removed
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound frozen shelled edamame
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 10 basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound mixed green beans and yellow wax beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 2 ears of corn, shucked and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• Lime wedges, for serving
  
• Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Sauté until almost done, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk half of the coconut milk with the green curry paste. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk, 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, the fish sauce and the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender. Add the 10 basil leaves and the 1/4 cup of cilantro and puree.
3. In the same large skillet from step 1, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned. Add the edamame, green beans and yellow wax beans and the corn and cook over high heat for 2 minutes, tossing frequently. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. Cover the skillet and simmer the beans until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut-curry sauce and the shrimp and simmer until just heated through. Season the stew with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle the stew into shallow bowls, and garnish with basil and cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges and jasmine rice.

Notes:
The original recipe included chicken instead of shrimp, so refer to it if you would prefer chicken. Meat/seafood is not needed, necessarily, the dish would be hearty even without a protein.

The corn looked beautiful but was difficult to eat. Tim did not care for the corn format at all. ("Am I supposed to stab this with my fork?") Next time I will probably just add frozen or fresh corn at the very last minute.

Tim's Rating: 9/10 (not including the corn; 7/10 with the corn).
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Giada's Shrimp Lasagna Rolls

Inspiration:
Giada's recipe, featured on Brooke's blog.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1.5 cups marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and saute until shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a bowl with 1 cup ricotta cheese, the Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, 3/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.
• In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with remaining 1 cup ricotta and stir to combine.
• To make lasagna, cover the bottom of a baking dish with 1/2 cup marinara mixture. Lay 4 noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup shrimp mixture evenly over each noodle. Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat twice more to make 6-8 lasagna rolls.
• Drizzle the rolls with the remaining marinara mixture and top with mozzarella. Bake until lasagna rolls are heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes.

Notes: The ingredients/instructions above reflect the fact that I halved the recipe, which made 8 rolls, or 3-4 servings. You can see the full recipe and results on Brooke's blog.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Tuna Melts

Inspiration:
www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of tuna in packets
  
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices bread
• 8 slices ripe tomato
• 8 slices swiss or cheddar cheese
• paprika, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven broiler.
2. In a bowl, mix the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, parsley, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, and broil 1 minute in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and spread with the tuna salad. Place 1 cheese slice over the tuna salad on each piece of bread, layer with a tomato slice, and top with remaining cheese slices.
4. Return layered bread to the preheated oven, and broil 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 7.5/10

Spicy Lemon Shrimp, New Orleans Style

Inspiration:
Cold-Weather Cooking, my mom Jeanne, and "Auntie" Sharon

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsalted margarine
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, or 1 Tbsp dried, coarsely chopped
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 to 2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 3 1/2 Tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 lbs large shrimp, in shells (preferably deveined)
• 2 whole lemons, thinly sliced and seeds removed
• 2 loaves French bread, sliced
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt the butter and margarine together in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic, rosemary, Worcestershire, and enough Tabasco to impart the desired spiciness. Add the pepper and salt.
4. Place the shrimp in a large, shallow baking dish and pour the butter mixture over them. Tuck the lemon slices in and around the shrimp.
5. Back the shrimp, turning them once, halfway through, until tender and just cooked through (pink), 20-25 minutes.
6. Place the shrimp on a trivet in the center of the dining table.
7. Let the guests serve themselves on plates and offer plenty of bread for dunking into the delicious sauce. Be sure to have an empty dish on hand for the discarded shells.
   

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Cooking in Barcelona

Mom, Ellen (my sister) and I took a cooking class in Barcelona with Cook&Taste.
Highly recommended!

We first visited Barcelona's famous market, La Boqueria. These are just a few of the many, many photos that were taken!
We then headed to the kitchen.
Our instructor, Pau:
We made the following items:

Cold tomato soup with fresh tomatoes (peeled and pureed) and topped with parsley, pine nuts, cheese, and aoli sauce:
_______________________________________________________________
CHUPITO DE SOPA DE TOMATE AL AROMA DE IDIAZÁBAL
(tomato soup shot flavoured with idiazabal cheese)

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 4 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 20 gr idiazábal cheese, grated
• 20 gr of allioli sauce
• 2 spoons of balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 25 gr of walnuts
• 25 gr of hazelnuts
• parsley
• olive oil
• salt

Method

1. Peel the tomatoes, seed and blend them together with the vinegar and a pinch of salt.
2. In a mortar, pound the garlic cloves, the parsley and all the nuts. Emulsify with a little of oil.
3. Serve in a small cup and decorate with a teaspoon of what you’ve got from the mortar, a teaspoon of allioli and some grated cheese.

_______________________________________________________________

Tortilla Española _______________________________________________________________

TORTILLA DE PATATAS Y PAN CON TOMATE
(potato omelette with tomato bread)

Ingredients (4 serves)

Tortilla de patatas

• 300 gr of potatoes, peeled, chopped (10 oz)
• 1 onion, peeled, in half rings
• 3 eggs
• olive oil
• salt

Pan con tomate

• 4 slices of farmhouse bread
• 2 red tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
• olive oil
• salt

Method

Tortilla de patatas

1. Peel and rinse the potatoes; dice them thinly.
2. Peel the onion and cut it in half rings.
3. Fry the potatoes in plenty of hot olive oil. Add the onion into the frying pan when the potatoes are half done.
4. Leave over medium heat until both the potatoes and the onion are well done. Set aside over absorbent paper.
5. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and season with salt. Pour the drained potatoes and onion in the bowl and mix.
6. Remove excess of oil from the pan. Pour the mixture over the heated pan and cook until the bottom starts to brown. Flip it over, and gently slide the tortilla into the pan again so the uncooked part is face down and finish cooking.

Pan con tomate

1. Peel a clove of garlic and cut it in halves. Cut the tomatoes also in halves cross wide.
2. First rub the bread with the garlic with the cut side, and then with the tomato, squeezing gently. Sprinkle it with salt and drizzle it with olive oil.

_______________________________________________________________

Paella de Marisco
_______________________________________________________________

PAELLA DE MARISCO (seafood paella)

Ingredients (4 serves)

• 8 prawns
• 2 squids (or cuttlefish), in rings
• 500 gr of clams and / or mussels (1.1 pound / 17.5 oz)
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed
• 1 tomato, peeled, minced
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 400 gr of rice (1 pound / 14 oz)
• 1,1 l of fish stock (4.4 cups)
• 8-10 saffron threats or colouring

Method

1. Heat the oil in the pan and fry the prawns until slightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the the tomato in the same hot oil and fry slightly. After some minutes, add chopped garlic and fry over medium heat.
3. When the tomato starts to burn, stir in the squid and the clams and mussels.
4. Stir in the stock and the saffron and bring it to a boil.
5. Add the rice and distribute it evenly. Rice can’t be touched beyond this point!
6. After some minutes add the prawns in a decorative pattern.
7. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for (+/-) 8 minutes, rotating and swirling the pan to distribute the heat evenly. Reduce heat to minimum and cook (+/-) 10 more minutes.
8. Let it stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

_______________________________________________________________

Crema Catalana

_______________________________________________________________

CREMA CATALANA (Catalan cream)

Ingredients (6 serves)

• 6 egg yolks
• 200 gr of sugar
• 1 l of milk
• 40 gr of starch
• peel of one lemon
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• vanilla (optional)

Method

1. Blend the egg yolks and the sugar until it becomes a fine cream. Add 750 ml of milk and stir to get a good mixture. Add the lemon peel and the cinnamon.
2. Heat it over medium-high heat in a saucepan.
3. Meanwhile, dissolve the starch in the remaining milk and stir the mixture into the saucepan.
4. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time and set aside right before first bubble.
5. Let it cool for a while, still stirring, and distribute it in little earthenware dishes before it cools down completely.