Mediterranean Pasta with Mahi Mahi

There are sometimes when you innately miss something in life. You can't put your finger one it - but though your world is full of light, there is an ache. 

Now often, any ache I have going, I contribute to lack of food. But today it was a bit stronger than my normal hunger level and I found myself scouring images of my last trip to meet my Euro's. I realized I missed the adventure of traveling, the amazed-glassy-tourist 'look' I get when I am around amazingly old architecture, the butterflies knowing I am in a place of history and it is a once in a lifetime trip. I longed for the strange comfort of being in a completely foreign place but surrounded by amazing, long-known, widely scattered across the world friends. 

So tonight, sitting in my home surrounded by my pups,with people that are miles away on the mind, and glamorously decked out in sweatpants, in I decided to recreate a meal reminiscent of my weeks last summer in Milina. After cooking - another realization hit me. I miss sharing my food journeys. My happy place has always been feeding friends and talking about recipes. I have missed this blog - so here I am!


Tomato Basil Pasta topped with Mediterranean-style Mahi Mahi

Makes 2 servings. 
Ok. I need to be quite honest - I had fish in the freezer and all of these ingredients in my kitchen - so I threw this together for 2 (it came out more like 3). It took me all of around 30-45 minutes total. First I prepped everything, then cooked all at once.

8 ounces spaghetti-like noodles (I had a 16oz box of wheat linguine and used half)

Olive oil (probablly around 4 tablespoons total)
2 filets of mahi mahi (any white fish would be good. Skinless works, skin works too)
1 small onion chipped
1 pint cherry tomatos chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed/chopped
Balsamic vinegar (drizzles)
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh basil
2-4 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Mix of herbs (I had basil so chopped a 1/8 cup, added dried dill and dried mint - fresh would rock here too)
2 lemons, one for juice and one sliced thinly
Other cheeses (parm/moz/etc - for yum)

As I mentioned, it is best to prep everything - chop basil/herbs, slice lemons, and get the onions and garlic ready.

Heat up broiler in over (mine automatically hits 500). Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta and drain. 

While that is going heating up, line a broiler pan or sheet pan with foil/parchment. Lightly oil fish, sprinkle with some lemon, and salt and pepper the fish. Put fish in pan (if you have skin, put skin side down). Whisk together mayo, feta, herbs, and lemon. I add a little pinch of spicy seasoning here. Throw the fish in the heated up broiler. Cover the fish and broil for 8-12 minutes until cooked. (if it gets to brown on the top before the fish is done, cover with foil to continue cooking.)

Now you have pasta cooking and fish broiling. In a large skillet, heat up oil and sauté the onions and garlic. Watch your pasta/fish. Add tomatoes to the onion mix, throw in a pinch of red pepper flakes to spice it up. Hopefully the pasta is done and drained and sitting aside - so add it to the tomato/onion jam. Toss in a sprinkle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mix well, then crumble the goat cheese into the pasta and mix well. Fold in the basil.

At this point - I bet your fish is done. To plate - serve pasta topped with the fish, and sprinkle a bit of black pepper and parmesan on top. Yum!

Get Sauce'd and in the Kitchen

(written in March 2009 - when I was living up in Idaho)

As a newer transplant to the WRV, and for the first time living anywhere in the U.S. but the South—I am still amazed by the change of seasons and actually enjoy chatting about the weather. Indulge me as I’ve never before lived any place without 100% humidity. Besides, weather is such great conversation. No, really. I love to look up the 10-day report online and then talk about it. I love every minute of it but at the moment, it has me conflicted.

While I was over-the-moon with the 5 inches of dumping snow yesterday, today I crave to be outside of my office and on a patio, soaking up the sun and clear blue skies, hanging with my dog and enjoying the mild climate. I finally understand a rock and a hard place. It is this time between winter and spring in Idaho when neither you nor Mother Nature can make up your mind because either way you go, you would be thrilled. When the grass isn’t necessarily greener—because of the choices—because of the feeling of seasonal awe—because you live here. So though I find it hard to say goodbye to winter—my favorite season, the one I celebrate and relish as I enjoy our mountain every weekend—I also am looking forward to spring, to planting, to deck sitting and dog hiking. I can’t decide if I want in. Or if I want out. But I do know I have to sit back and enjoy the variety of this time of year—the ease of choice and beauty and some good quick cooking. Sauces. Dips. Dressings. Marinades. For either the oven or the grill—if you are staying in and hanging out—for dipping and topping…when whichever way you go, it is gonna be good. 

Uncle Robert’s Johnny Sauce
My uncle makes this for the holidays and we all count down until the revered Johnny Sauce is in our fridges. Dip anything. Top anything. Grill with it. It is yummy and Robert is sharing—we are lucky. My uncle rocks.
     1 cup mayonnaise (may use regular mayo, low-fat, fat-free or sugar free mayo)
     1/2 cup chili sauce
     1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola or corn oil)
     1 teaspoon Lea and Perrins (steak sauce)
     1 teaspoon black pepper 
     1 teaspoon paprika
     1 teaspoon yellow mustard (prepared, not dry mustard)
     1 tablespoon grated onion
     2-3 cloves garlic pressed (may use equivalent of chopped garlic)
     juice of 1 lemon or 2 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice
Mix together and chill.  It's better if made a day ahead. 

Simple Herb Sauce
This is a basic parsley sauce that is easily varied. Use mint, basil, etc. Special equipment: food processor
     2 ounces flat-leaf parsley, stalks removed 
     1 clove garlic, peeled
      juice of ½-1 lemon
      5 oz extra virgin olive oil
In a food processor, add the parsley, garlic, and juice of ½ lemon and whiz to chop. Season with salt and pepper. Then, with processor on, pour in enough oil till sauce is to your liking. Taste, and add more lemon juice is you wish. 
With this sauce: You can make a stuffing by adding 2 ounces breadcrumbs and 1 ounce pine nuts to spread over a pork fillet. Or you could add chopped anchovies and gherkins pickles, stir in some smooth mustard, and mix into beef casseroles. Add some mayo to make a dip or add more herbs and olive oil to drizzle over tomato, avocado and mozzarella.

Watercress Sauce
Watercress is so packed with nutrients and totally good for you. Serve with salmon. Special equipment: food processor.
     1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 
     1 tablespoon olive oil
     7 ounces watercress, washed
     ½ pint vegetable stock
Whiz onion in the processor until chopped. Heat oil in a pan and cook onion for 10 minutes til softened. Whiz watercress in processor till finely chopped, then add to onion and cook for five minutes. Stir in stock and bubble for 15 minutes. Serve or cool and refrigerate.
With this sauce: Mix in 2 beaten eggs and 2 ounces of heavy cream. Fill a ready-made tart shell and bake. Make a soup cooking 9 ounces of finely peeled and chopped potatoes in 15 ounces of stock. When done, stir in sauce and heat throughout. Make a stuffing for lamb by adding 4 ounces breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 2 ounces of parmesan cheese. Make a pesto by adding toasted pine nuts, lemon zest and grated parmesan and processing till combined. Add to pasta.

Red Pepper Sauce
This sauce freezes well and is great with fried chicken breasts. Special Equipment: food processor.
     3 red peppers, seeded and halved
     1 onion, peeled and chopped 
     2 tablespoons olive oil
     14 ounce can chopped Italian plum tomatoes
In processor, whiz peppers and onion till finely chopped. Heat oil in a shallow pan and add pepper mixture. Simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, then add tomatoes and cook on a low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
With this sauce: Make a great sauce by stirring in mascarpone and mix through hot pasta. By adding a chopped red chili pepper (or flakes or paprika), one pint of stock, a can of chickpeas and fried chorizo; you have a great soup. Do a thicker sauce for pork chops or tuna steaks by mixing in 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, the zest of one orange, and 2 ounces ground almonds. Make a dip for shrimp or fish sautés by adding a dollop of the sauce to garlic mayonnaise.
  
White Sauce Recipe
I put on shrimp tacos. But you could top fish or chicken as well. This makes a TON.
     2 cups Miracle Whip or mayo     ¾ cup milk     ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes     1 ½ teaspoon cumin     ½ teaspoon salt     1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder     1 ½ teaspoon oregano
Measure dressing in bowl. Gradually stir in milk. Season with pepper flakes, cumin, salt, garlic powder and oregano. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. If you taste right away—it will taste like mayo or dressing.

Peanut Sauce
Great on chicken sauté, as a dip, or over pasta. My sister-in-law gave me this recipe about 4 years ago and I am a pb lover so I keep this around. It is so good I can actually dip bacon into it. Thanks Erica for sharing!     1/2 cup chunky peanut butter     1/2 cup  peanut oil     1/4 cup white wine vinegar     1/4 cup soy or tamar sauce     1/4 cup lemon juice     4 garlic cloves, minced     8 cilantro sprigs     2 teaspoons dried red chili pepper     2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger 
Blend all ingredients. Serve. 

Italian Dressing
I use this to marinate meat, fish, and veggies before I grill them. Also as a dressing for salads.  To make this a creamy Italian dressing—add 1 teaspoon mayonnaise and 3 teaspoons of water.     ½ cup olive oil     ¼ cup white wine vinegar     1 teaspoon dried Italian spices     1 ½ teaspoon salt     1 teaspoon sugar     black pepper     ½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic
Combine all ingredients in a blender on high until combined—about 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate.

yum!

Elvis is in the Building

Y'all. Cochon NOLA don't play. It brings the Elvis to us, for Carnival Season, in Kingcake form. I live 2.5 hours away. I had to have one.

The Mission = the Elvis.

The parcel was purchased by a fellow from the DA's office in New Orleans. It was then driven in a climate controlled vehicle to the Attorney General's office in Baton Rouge. From there, it was transported to a house near the lakes in downtown Baton Rouge where it waited.

I left my house at 5:48 on a Friday night headed to the capitol. After a bit of stop-and-go traffic, I found the hide a key and 'broke' into my sister's house. I grabbed my bit of heaven, some Zapp's, and an Abita beer. Ahhh . . . Louisiana Carnival Season and treating deserted homes of family like a Quick Stop. 

The Elvis. A legendary carnival staple transformed into a culinary masterpiece. Banana and peanut butter stuffed king cake topped with a melted marshmellow icing and artisan, thick-cut bacon crumbles. A thing of dreams. And it was mine. Like the true excited foodie I am, I immediately cut a slice and threw it in my face. I ain't scared to say I licked the marshmellow off my fingers.

No lie - the stuck-in-traffic drive back didn't even faze me. My inner-fat-kid was satiated. And 2.5 hours later, back in the haven of home - I had my second piece and savored it all. This time I used a fork. Holy yum.

Yummy Conchiglioni stuffed with Butternut Squash love

Yummy Conchiglioni stuffed with Butternut Squash Love There is just nothing else to say about this dish. I was looking around in my pantry one day when I was kicking around my house, determined to not leave the boundary of my yard and this came about. I was having guests and had been to the store 3x before noon. I wasn't going back. I did a bit of research (found this) and then altered it to my tastes—and this dish not only amazed me, but got better reviews than my shrimp dish!

1 big butternut squash or two small ones - about 3 pounds
Salt And freshly ground black pepper
olive oil or butter
1/2 pound of bacon, diced
1 pound of conchiglioni pasta shells
(or the smaller ones, I just had those in the pantry. Again - was NOT going back)
2 cups of milk - you can make this creamier using cream but healthier using 1%
4-ish cups of cheese - I used 2 cups of shredded mozzerella/cheddar pizza cheese, 1/2 cup fresh mozzerella shredded, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, 1/2 cup of shredded swiss, 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of herbs - I had thyme and a bit of basil/mint that was in the yard

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into 8 equal wedges and arrange on two baking sheets lined with foil. Sprinkle the wedges with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for about an hour, until the pumpkin is caramelized and tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle the pumpkin without burning yourself. Ask a question about this step.
• In the meantime, crisp the pancetta in a medium saucepan over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels, discarding the fat. Ask a question about this step.
• Turn the oven up to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for exactly 5 minutes, drain and run cool water over it for about 10 seconds. Set aside in the colander. Ask a question about this step.
• Scoop enough of the cooked pumpkin from the rind to make 2 cups. Combine this with the cream in a blender and puree just until smooth (be careful not to overblend, or you’ll whip the cream). Scoop out some more of the pumpkin (you probably won’t need the whole thing) and chop roughly to make about a cup and a half. Ask a question about this step.
• Combine the pumpkin and cream puree with the cheeses, salt, thyme and pancetta in a large bowl and stir gently to combine. Add the pasta and the chopped pumpkin and fold together just until combined. Ask a question about this step.
• Spread the pasta evenly in a casserole or baking dish. Bake uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes, until the top is browned and the bottom layer of pasta is just tender.

How I grew into a Garden . . .

Growing up, I caught a crawfish in the ditch using bacon and string—and named him Fred and was my pet and an instant part of my family. Two days later Fred was dead. So I went to the ditch and replaced him and there was Fred 2. Randomly, Fred was the name the smiling custodian at my kindergarten, as well as each and everyone of my loved pets. I was well up to Fred23 before I found other things to entertain me. I decided I loved plants.

This realization came to me when I was 8 and my first philodendron's name was Fred. I had an Ivy and a Phil as well. But honestly, I have killed a plethora of beautiful flora. Ivy's, trailers, even cacti and bamboo. I would over-love my plants and give them lots of water, then resent that there is no immediate satisfaction or if they suddenly got limp from a drought and then my 'love' of 4 cups of water. Then I would 'forget' to take care of them until their green leaves are limp and listless. At 25, I gave up indoor plants. At 27, I got a dog and yards became his playground so no outdoor either.

Fast forward a number of years, and I love my indoor plants, have an orchid table for my re blooming favorites and have now been banned to bring home, save, buy, or clip any more plants. I can not possibly 'need' more plants. I do though, and with home ownership came a yard-full of them. A true dream. This is the year I decided to try my very first garden. I have a small raised bed in the yard - and small is making it sound big. It is 2x4. I also have amassed an untold amount of planters from apartment and rental living. After a little research and picking up a book, I decided I was going to do vertical garden to save space and maximize my harvest.

So on June 1st, I started the garden. Unfortunately, it froze on June 2nd and everything died. (picture on left was my first try)

So attempt #2 found me with 8 planters that hold 4 different tomatoes (love having fresh tomatoes to cook with!!), a mammoth jalapeno plant, a orange bell pepper, basil, and a cucumber plant.

The planter holds three huge strawberry plants, two climbing pole bean plants, one sweet pea plant because the one I planted a bit late didn't make it, three zucchini plants, one golden rush yellow squash, one butternut squash, two lemon cucumber plants and 7 garlic plants.

And I have moved on to the yard. I have planted 25 strawberry's, 3 golden raspberries, 6 red raspberries, parsley, thyme, radishes, and even an artichoke and found an apple and plum tree and planted an Asian pear tree. My yard is a basic snack. Awesome.

And why am I sharing?? Because I have recently gotten to start cooking the things that I am growing and find that my fruit and vegetables make my meals much more satisfying and I am being more inventive with my recipes so I can incorporate my fresh veg. Yum!

Mouthwatering Morels . . . and the update.

Where have I been this past year? I don't know if I could even tell you. My life is very different from one year ago today . . . No longer working for the beautiful and prestigious magazine where I learned a love of writing and honed my design; I have also given up working for the non-profit I have devoted my last year to. Following dreams and such. It is crazy to say that I am now trying a new avenue of food writing. Mostly health and food writing. And I love the challenge of it all. and the exploration of it all. As in I am a food writer.

In other news, i have started my own mini-garden, planted fruit trees and bushes and sprouted my first seed. and now I hope to be able to chronicle it more and use this as an outlet for some light garden writing.

but enough about that - lets chat new food. Hopefully I will be more up lately on the new things I am trying. There have been quite some discoveries (and HORRIFIC failures) this past year. Right now in the Wood River Valley . . . it is all about morels. These delicious little 'shrooms are quite the task to find but the reward is worth the effort. Know what you are looking for - but after we had the pleasure of procuring a pound morels, I busted out my kitchen gear and got to it.

Morels.
Again - with an interest in mycology, jht knew what to look for when he was morel hunting. Research before you eat mushrooms!!! and follow the rules of cleaning when hunting wild fungi. They are like the filet mignon of 'shrooms. Soooo yummy and available in my own back yard.

Morels and Eggs for 2
I didn't want to use cheese and overpower the morel. So I beat 4 eggs and a bit of light cream and scrambled. In a separate skillet I melted 1T butter (be sure not to burn the butter!). I find that mushrooms often get soggy - and you can prevent that if you quickly flash cook them on very high heat. I cooked my morels in the butter for 2 minutes and then folded them into the eggs. Holy yum.

Stuffed Morels
I keep bacon bits in the fridge. Yup. It happens. I grabbed some plain cream cheese and mixed in some bits and a pinch of shredded cheddar. I gently sliced open my morels lengthwise and stuffed a bit of the mixture inside. then I light coated with flour. I heated a bit of olive oil in a saute pan and cooked the morels for 3 minutes covered. again. awesome.

And I am back. Hopefully will be writing here more.

Check out this blog: Snack Tips for Road Warriors

Because everyone likes an umbrella in their drink

As it is getting hotter and hotter (and hotter!), I look for ways to keep cool around my house and the Valley. Now I have had many people in this town ask me, bless their little hearts, “How did you stand the unbearable heat in Louisiana?” And as the temperatures rise to ABOVE ninety in Hailey, I finally have my answer—the air conditioner. In the South, one moves from a temperature-controlled house to a chilly car to a destination, all in quick order and with as few stops as possible. In Idaho, this mode of pod-living is not an option. My house was built pre-air-conditioning (thank goodness for my trusty Suburu and the Sun Valley Magazine’s brisk office air). But in the high-and-dry mountains, I love being outside and around town, 90-degree temps be damned.

As I was trolling Hailey this weekend, I noted an essential and glaring absence: chips, salsa, breeze, margaritas. It is a travesty that there is not one place in town (and I am talking Hailey–not Ketchum or Bellevue) where I can sit outside in the shade, enjoy the summer breezes, gorge myself on tortilla chips with dippables, and sip on one of my classic summer favs, the margarita.

I have shared my favorite fruit margarita before on yum!, but I recently learned a quick and easy recipe from one of my favorite books, The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love. There is a place in Natchez, Mississippi that I feel everyone should know about if they ever fancied a Delta vacation—Fat Mama’s. The best tamales, great atmosphere, to-die-for chips and salsa, and margaritas that will “Knock-You-Naked.” Luckily, I have the recipe so I can sit on my back porch, sip a cool drink, close my eyes, and dream that I have a cabana boy at my beck-and-call, instead of my bulldog, Montgomery, drooling on my feet.

The Margarita

If they “knock ya nekkid,” don’t say I didn’t warn you! Grab frozen limeade, ice cubes, and a blender to get really chilly.

18 ounces limeade
18 ounces tequila (use good tequila)
24 ounces 7-up (or sprite)
24 ounces Dos Equis or Corona

Get a large picture and mix it all up. Pour over ice and garnish with an umbrella. Because everyone likes umbrellas in their drinks.

Mangolicious

The mango is an exotic and enticing fruit that leaves me contentedly frustrated. Content because the juice, flavor, fragrance, and color are so foreign that with one bite, I am transported from my happy mountain valley to any tropical location (mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines; and a symbol of attainment and potential perfection in the Hindu religion). And frustrated because I never can cut it correctly or get enough meat away from the massive pit.

America has been good to mangoes in recent years. The word is a color description, fashion statement, SNL character, or Seinfeld reference. I have taken advantage of the continuing availability and buzz around the fruit and tried a number of new recipes. Mango is so healthy and great plain, as a salsa, as a topping to pork and a classic yummy dessert. I found this recipe years ago in Gourmet Magazine and it is a great way to quickly impress your guests with your mad flambé skills, or indulge yourself with a bit of rum-soaked heaven. Yum!

---

Mangoes Flambé

Serves 4. Takes about 15 minutes.

4 (one-pound) firm-ripe mangoes
6 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1/3 cup dark rum

Preheat broiler. Wash and dry mangoes. Use the ‘inside-out’ cutting method: Remove 2 flat sides of each mango with a sharp knife, cutting lengthwise alongside pit and cutting as close to pit as possible so that mango flesh is in 2 large pieces (reserve remaining fruit for another use). Make a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife, cutting across fruit down to skin at 1/2-inch intervals and being careful not to pierce through. Grasp fruit at both ends and turn inside out to make flesh side convex.

Arrange fruit, skin side down, in a large shallow baking pan lined with foil and sprinkle evenly with 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar (total). Broil 5 inches from heat until fruit is golden brown (it will not brown evenly), about 5 minutes. Arrange fruit on a large platter. Cook rum with remaining sugar in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and then carefully ignite rum with a kitchen match and pour, still flaming, over warm mangoes. Serve immediately.

Pancakes are Good

As I come back to reality after my beautifully long weekend, I realize that summer is just starting and every weekend for the next couple of months is going to be full of activities. Concerts to look forward to and festivals to anticipate, lifts to ride (baldy lifts are open), and art fairs to attend. And where there is fun and entertainment, there are picnics, dinners, barbecues and potlucks. In the summer, plans pop-up and then disappear as quickly. This is hard for me.

I like things to be in order. My pantry and fridge are alphabetical and categorized, my clothes are color-coordinated, my days are listed, recorded, planned—I am a scheduler and some have even gone far enough to call me OCD (I personally don’t see where they get that). My approach to meals is no different then my approach to my time. I like three meals a day and to know what and when I am eating. So everything going on right now, I have piece of mind with breakfast. My mom always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and since it facilitates my appreciation of pancakes, I agree. I find they can be time-consuming in the morning so I loved this recipe that I tried last weekend—easy, fast and delicious.

Pfannekuchen

German-style pancake

Makes 4 servings. This is thicker than the classic American pancake, but so yummy. I doubled the fruit and used my 9-inch cast iron pan. My mom found the recipe and we made it with fresh blueberries she brought me from her garden in Louisiana, though any fruit could be substituted. In Southern Germany the word for pancake is Pfannkuchen. Oddly enough, in Berlin the same word refers to a doughnut. German dialects can be very tricky. Be extremely careful when ordering pancakes in Berlin. If this looks too decadent, try my healthy pancakes. Recipe from The Times-Picayune, Thursday, June 18, 2009

2 eggs

½ cup flour

½ cup milk

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

juice of half a lemon (or less, to taste)

¼ cup fresh blueberries

blueberry jam

marmalade, honey, or syrup

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add flour, milk, nutmeg and salt. Blend by hand but leave slightly lumpy. Heat a cast iron skillet or a 12-inch skillet with a heat-proof handle over medium heat. Add butter, melt and heat without browning, then pour in the batter. Sprinkle berries in batter, spacing the fruit widely (I didn’t bother with that as I double the fruit). Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until pancake is golden brown and billowing on the edges. Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar evenly over the cake with a fine sieve. Return to oven for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve with jam, syrup or whatever. Yum!

Tasty Tubers

As the Fourth of July creeps up on us, and we all start filling our calendar with plans for rodeos and street parades, parties and getaways. I fondly remember celebrating America’s Birthday as a child. Those lazy days were always spent trying to beat the heat at a local swimming hole (either in the river or down by a lake) surrounded by family, friends, music and cold sweet tea with pimento and cheese sandos.

This year, I am spending my Fourth at home and am looking forward to all the festivities in the Wood River Valley, especially the outdoor parties, barbecues, and pot-luck dinners. I often look at the get-togethers as the ‘ultimate cooking challenge’ and will spend way too much time deciding on something to bring. I want it to be yummy. New. Different. And I often use my unsuspecting guests as culinary guinea pigs, or if I’m being nice, supreme judges to sample my creations. Sometimes this approach has negative outcomes (I would never advise hot grapes in a noodle salad) but generally I am pleasantly surprised by the things I can cook.

On the flip side, I also enjoy the classics: cold noodle salad, coleslaw, vegetable skewers. This year I’m using potato salad to put my southern roots on the table, literally (a potato is a root, isn’t it?). And this twist on potato salad melds the sweet potato (a staple in Louisiana) and my limitless love of bacon with local Idaho spuds.

Bacon and Sweet Potato Salad
This salad meshes SO many great flavors and is perfect hot or cold for any 4th of July barbecue. It was originally created by chef and southerner, Stephen Barber of BarberSq Restaurant in Napa, CA. but I have added and altered some of the ingredients.

3 large eggs, boiled and peeled
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 ½ pound red potatoes, quartered
½ pound mini gold potatoes, quartered
8 slices bacon, diced
1 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
¼ cup canola oil
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
¼ chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Bring Sweet potatoes, ½ teaspoon salt and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven (or a big pot). Cook 10 minutes; add all remaining potatoes and cook fifteen minutes or until tender. Drain. While the potatoes are cooking, fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat for eight to ten minutes or until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve one tablespoon of the drippings in skillet and sauté red onion and garlic until tender. Reduce heat to low and whisk in vinegar, mustard seeds, and red pepper; cooking 3 minutes. Add canola oil, pepper, remaining salt, and sugar and mix well. Pour hot vinegar mixture over potatoes. Add eggs, bacon, green onions, and parsley, stirring gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

My love of Bacon

I can't help it. I love bacon. I love the taste, the texture, the smell, the sound of it frying—and even have a jar of bacon grease in my fridge for flavoring plain dishes (read: vegetables). I am from Louisiana. I like fried things. I am not fat (I would call myself 'healthy' but this blog slightly challenges that description). I like beer. I eat a ton of bacon.

So here it is. My bacon list. My baby. My entertainment. One of the reasons you either love me or think I am crazy. These are things I want—to try, to own, to make:

RESOURCES

Grateful Palate. The best bacon resource in the world. Or at least, my favorite.

Bacon Today. Daily Updates on the World of Sweet, Sweet Bacon.

Bacon Haikus. Just in case you would like to read a couple

PRODUCTS AND GIFTS

Bacon of the Month Club. Best present ever. Just ask my brother in law.

Bacon Scarf. You are what you eat.

Bacon Bra. Making the bacon scarf look WAY more normal

Wake n' Bacon. Yes. It is an alarm clock that makes bacon.

EATABLES

Bacon of the Month Club. Best bacon ever. Just ask my brother in law.

Baconnaise. Because everything should taste like bacon

Bacon Gum. A fun way to carry bacon in your pocket

BLT ring. They only make up to a size 6. I wear an 8. I wrote a strongly worded letter. No response. I still want one.

Bakon Vodka. Oh yea. You can drink it.

THE Bacon Explosion. 'THE' being all caps is all you need.

Porktopia. Awesomeness. My boyfriend's response to such greatness: I personally would like to see small snack sized meat pigs. Say the size of a fist. I would garnish mine with leafy lettuce wings and onion ring halos. Love it.

Squeezeable Bacon. The world's most perfect food.

A Crawfish Creation

I have been feeling slightly disenchanted with my meals lately and really wanted to put some soul in my cooking. This happens when I haven’t tried anything new or eaten anything southern-spicy. So I did what I always do when my personal recipes aren’t doing it for me—I called my cooking hero, my mom. I had an idea of what I wanted to eat: I wanted a fish I could throw on my grill and top it with some kind of yumminess. I love working with another foodie on recipes—and Mom is the best of the bunch. We’ll talk about a vague idea, and the back and forth conversation about ingredients will evolve into an original dish. Mom helped me by sending me a simple white sauce recipe (easily altered) that would work with the pound of Louisiana crawfish tails I had in my freezer. (I loved the result and am already planning on trying the recipe with morels, an Idaho delicacy that, much to my chagrin, I have yet to taste. I know you can buy them but I feel I need the local experience of finding them in the wild.) So I bought a pound of halibut (skin on), heated up my grill to medium, threw the fish on skin-side down for about 15 minutes, and topped it with my new favorite sauce. You can get crawfish tails here in the valley at Atkinson’s or substitute some shrimp instead.

Crawfish Extraordinaire

Here’s a similar recipe from one of my favorite sources, LA Conservationist, a publication of Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. Judalee (my mom) found this recipe and used it as a topping for panned trout. The recipe is written to use as an appetizer or a sauce for noodles. Cooks note: depending on how spicy you want it, I usually drain the crawfish and season the tails with Tony’s or Old Bay before I sauté them into a sauce.

1 pound cooked crawfish tails

1/2 stick butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 medium onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

2 tablespoons green onion, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream

salt, pepper and paprika

(I think morels would really make this sauce pop)

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour and stir until lightly cooked. Add onion, garlic, parsley and green onion and cook until onions are clear. Next, add crawfish and cook over a low fire about 10 minutes. Add white wine and simmer until blended. Slowly add cream and simmer over low fire. Do not let it boil or the cream will curdle. Add seasonings with extra paprika for a nice reddish color. Plate your fish and top with the sauce.

Recipe Twist: Serve this sauce toast points or in pasta shells for appetizers. I added my sauce to cooked noodles for a wonderful crawfish pasta.

The Cowboy Poet, BBQ, and Tofu Peanut Noodles

Last night was pure magic for me. I will be the first to mock the great state of Idaho (I-da-ho. No. U-da-ho.), but one thing is certain—it is majestic. The descriptions beautiful or pretty just do not do it justice. Neither do stark, elegant, lovely. I like majestic. One place that shows the many facets of Idaho is Silver Creek Preserve. Mountains, slow-moving rivers, wildlife, plains. Absolutely breath-taking. And that was where I was last night. The Nature Conservancy had a staff retreat and I was invited (my cuz, Eli works for TNC). 

Eli made my favorite quick dish—yummy hot or cold. Noodles with fried tofu and peanut sauce. All you do is make the sauce, cook a package of the noodle of your choice (we chose spag), and then got a package of tofu and sauteed it until golden. Mix it all together and there you go!

But back to the night. The food was great. BBQ's always are. Burgers (enough to have the double meat, which I went for), hot dogs, elk sausage, and all the best sides. I topped my burger with the scrumptious coleslaw Nancie brought to the table. And we got to finish it off with some excellent lemon cake from Stephanie and Heidi. I even went in for the second piece. Awesome.

Ernie Sites was the man of the hour. Singing classic songs, song writing, yodeling, poetry, storytelling, picking on a guitar, picking

 on a mandolin, AND picking on a banjo. I honestly can't put it into words - it was so enjoyable. Just a magic night.  I wasn't the only non-TNCer there, but they made me feel part of their night and it was just hella fun. Thanks Ernie, the entire staff of TNC's Hailey office and SC preserve team for such a great memory!

I Dig the Pig

Ok. I can't help it. I LOVE pork. Just about everything that comes from a pig - bacon, chops, roasts, tenderloins, rinds, even corn dogs (read: NOT pickled parts, or hot dogs. Only when the dog is covered in a cornbread-like substance and then fried). I search the web and have found such treasures at the bacon explosion, porkgasm, the many bacon-styled gifts, and my favorite present to give—The Bacon of the Month Club (Just ask my brother-in-law—or anyone that saw the glimmer of excitement in his eye on Christmas morning—it rocks the house.).

So last night was incredible as I had friends over for a Porkfest of sorts. The pork chops were covered with a spice rub and some served with a raspberry chipotle sauce; and the pork ribs were grilled and then glazed with BBQ sauce. So hella good. One thing I do need to note is how much longer ribs are to cook than any kind of pork without a bone. They were good but a little pink inside, which freaks me out. Just be sure your pork reached over 180 degrees for a couple of minutes and the meat should be ok, even if it isn't totally white. Always good to know the rules of cooking meat.

I have no recipe here as you can check out some pork ideas from my Memorial 'All Things Pork' Day post. I just wanted to share my love of pork (and this, in no way, compares to my deep affection and devotion to bacon—which I will blog about a lot). Thanks Eli and JHT for a good night, and late arrivals Steph and Lacey made it fun!