Orange Marmalade-Stuffed French Toast

My husband banned us from the Crest Cafe in Hillcrest--if you want to know why, you need to ask him--which, I don't mind because their food is so rich and fattening, but I do sometimes miss their incredibly luscious breakfasts. One of my all-time favorite breakfast dish from the Crest Cafe is their orange marmalade French toast. It's sinful; it's stuffed with cream cheese; and you will definitely need a nap afterwards. Since I could not find their recipe, I found one suspiciously similar in Gourmet magazine...hmmmmm?!?!? I think this recipe will also work with challah or brioche bread.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 4 servings)

• 8 thick bread slices (about 1 inch thick)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• Orange Syrup or your favorite maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Place baking sheet in oven. Cutting through top crust of each bread slice, make 4-inch-long by 2-inch-deep pocket. Stir cream cheese and marmalade in small bowl. Spoon 1 generous tablespoonful cream cheese mixture into each bread pocket.

Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg in pie plate.

Dip 4 stuffed bread slices into egg mixture, coating completely. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add dipped bread to skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer French toast to baking sheet in oven. Repeat dipping and cooking with remaining 4 bread slices, egg mixture and 1 tablespoon butter. Serve with Orange Syrup.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit, March 1998

Arroz Con Pollo

My mom makes the best arroz con pollo. I tried to mimic her recipe and it came out pretty good, despite the fact that she wasn’t around to supervise me—she was in Hawaii!!! You do not have to use gandules (pigeon peas) in the rice like I did, but that's how my mom usually makes this dish. You can substitute with sliced green olives, or even regular frozen peas would work (I would add them during the last 10 minutes of cooking, though).

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 8 pieces of mixed chicken pieces (such as thighs, drumsticks, breast and/or wings)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1½ cups Long Grain Rice
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock or good quality low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 packet Sazón Goya with Azafrán
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 can Goya Gandules (Pigeon peas)
• Handful of Sliced Pimientos (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large heavy pot, heat oil on medium-high. Cook the chicken, in batches if necessary, until brown on all sides. Set aside.
   
2. In the same pot, stir in garlic cloves and rice and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until rice turns into a light golden brown. Add the diced onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
   
3. Stir the sazón packet and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, and gandules and bring to a boil.
   
4. Add the chicken into the pot. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in the chopped cilantro during the last minute of cooking, if using.
   
5. To serve, fluff rice and garnish with pimiento strips.

Dry-Rubbed Skirt Steak

I was watching iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel the other night and they had Chef Mario Batali interview of Michael Stipe of REM. I was pleasantly surprised with the show and the interview. But the show got me thinking that I had never tried any of chef Batali's recipes. So I went online and looked for a non-pasta recipe from him and found this dry-rubbed skirt steak. What's so great about it, you ask? The man uses ground dry porcini mushrooms in the rub. The best part is that you can either grill outdoors, or make it in your broiler. Serve it atop an baby green salad. Manga!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon finely ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry porcini mushrooms, ground to a fine powder in a spice grinder
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of fibrous fat
• Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Best-quality balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, garlic, red pepper flakes, pepper, mushroom powder, and olive oil and stir well to form a thick, fairly dry paste. Rub the past all over the steak, coating it evenly, and refrigerate, wrapped in plastic for 12 hours or overnight.
2. Pre-heat the grill or broiler and remove the steak from the refrigerator and brush off the excess marinade with a paper towel. Cook on the hottest part of the grill for four minutes on one side then turn carefully with tongs and cook three minutes on the other side.
3. Allow the steak to rest for three to five minutes, then slice against the grain. Drizzle with the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali copyright © 2003.

Chicken Tikka Masala

The best thing about living in Boston (besides the Red Sox, pubs in every corner and not having to own a car <-pronounced: CAH-r), was the incredible and extremely diverse food available there. Fortunately, one of my roommates was of Indian heritage and so my education in all-things curry began. My all-time favorite Indian cosine is chicken korma, samosas, their infamous naan bread, and of course, chicken tikka masala. Tikka masala is slightly spicier than chicken korma, but very delicious. If you want to pair wine with any Indian dish, a tangy Pinot Grigio or even a spicy Riesling would go do the trick. And remember, don't forget the naan bread. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

MARINADE

• 4 whole boneless chicken breasts, skin removed and cut into strips or cubes
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2-inch piece of fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice

SAUCE

• 1 tablespoons oil or ghee
• 1-inch piece ginger-root, peeled and minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce (you can use canned diced tomatoes if you want a more chunky sauce)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Salt to taste
• About 1 cup heay cream
• Chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

To make marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat a gas grill (you can use your broiler if you don't want to grill). Thread the chicken on skewers, and grill, turning, until chicken is cooked, about 5 minutes per side. Discard the marinade. Remove chicken skewers from heat, then remove chicken from skewers and set aside.

To make sauce: Heat one tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté until golden but not browned. Add the onions, and sauté until soft and golden brown. Stir in the cumin, coriander, curry powder and salt, and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cream.

Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve the chicken tikka masala over basmati rice. YUMMERS!

Moros y Cristianos (Cuban Style Black Beans & Rice)

This dish is always a big hit at parties. The combination of black beans, rice and ground beef is such a sinful, yet healthy, combination. This dish is a staple in Cuba and it's extremely popular in Florida—especially in Miami.

My sister-in-law found this recipe in a Recipezaar and in order to make the dish slightly less healthy, she used ground beef instead of the crumbled turkey sausage that the original recipe calls for. And if you want to make it even more flavorful, try using bulk Italian sausage. In my opinion, Mona Lisa deli has the best bulk sausage in San Diego. Buen provecho!

INGREDIENTS (10 servings)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (you want 1 cup of chopped onions)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1 (15 3/4 ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ to 2 lb. cooked crumbled ground beef or bulk Italian sausage
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup diced green bell peppers
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups cooked white rice
• Cilantro, for garnish
• parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in pan and sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes.

Add tomato sauce and broth and bring to boil.

Add next seven ingredients (beans through bay leaf) and bring to boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Discard bay leaf before serving; place the cooked white rice in a large serving bowl or platter and top serve the bean-sausage mixture over rice; gently toss to combine and sprinkle parmesan cheese, if desired, and add cilantro for garnish.

Linguine with Shrimp and Peas

It saddens me that when I go on a diet, my blog has to suffer. Yes, unfortunately I have not been doing any "fancy" cooking lately. I've just been sticking with salads, and the frozen lean cuisine meals. I know, I know what you're thinking; that I can probably cook healthy meals for myself, but since Matt is in Minnesota, it has been very difficult to motivate myself to cook. However, I am happy to announce that this past weekend my tia decided to cook and I was invited over for dinner. My tia Mary, as we all call her, is an interesting character in the Diva's life.

She's my mom's sister; married an Italian whom she is now divorcing; and has two beautiful children, which I call Ying and Yang: One is very dark, and the other very white. Nevertheless, the wonderful thing is that my tia learned how to cook real Italian food. The recipe below is actually one that she learned from one of her ex's family members. She used a San Marzano tomato sauce, which is unlike any tomato sauce I've ever tasted. This dish is satisfying and it's a great Italian comfort food you'll enjoy.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 2 lb. package dried linguine pasta
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups fresh San Marzano tomato sauce (or your favorite marinara sauce)
• 12 olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• Grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In the meantime, sauté garlic in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until garlic is soft, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, olives, peas and shrimp; cook, stirring, 5 to 7 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Make sure you do not overcook the shrimp. Remove from heat.

Add the pasta to the tomato-shrimp mixture; tossing to coat evenly. Place pasta onto individual serving plates and serve immediately. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Skewers with Satay Dip

I don't know what it is about Ina Garten's cookbooks that I love so much, but I am totally addicted to her cooking. Many of her recipes look complicated, but in reality they are really easy and quite fabulous. This particular recipe is one of my favorites because it reminds me of Minnesota...yeah, Minnesotan's love food on a stick, and this chicken skewer is awesome during the summer. So get your grill ready and start cookin'!

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• 3/4 cup good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Heat a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Skewer with wooden sticks and serve with Satay Dip.

SATAY DIP (makes 1 ½ cup)

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 2/3 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

DIRECTIONS

Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry, and lime juice; cook for 1 more minute. Cool and serve as a dip for chicken skewers.

Garlic Broccoli

In exactly 30 days from today my friend, Kerry, will be getting married to Mr. Sean, and my hubby and I are going to their wedding in Boston. Kerry is actually one of the original members of our now-defunct cooking club, which we called Boston Bites. She is currently attending culinary school at Johnson & Wales University and I totally admire her for that. Hopefully one day I'll be able to go to culinary school, too.

Anyhoo, I bought a fabulous dress to wear to her wedding...unfortunately it's a size too small! So, in an effort to lose 10 pounds within the next month, I've been cutting down on pasta--which I absolutely love--and I'm making healthier versions of recipes. For example, this garlic broccoli dish is stupendous. I absolutely love garlic and I could probably eat this every day. I only use the most minimum amount of oil and butter, so if you're not on a diet, you can add a bit more if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4, but you'll probably eat the entire thing yourself)

• 1 bunch of fresh broccoli florets, about 12 ounces
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• A pinch of black pepper
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Wash broccoli and cut into small florets (they also now sell bags of fresh broccoli florets already washed).

Place broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and add 2 tablespoons of water. Microwave for 2 minutes or until broccoli is barely tender and still bright green. Make sure you don't overcook it. Remove from microwave and drain and set aside.

Add olive oil and butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, just until the garlic starts to soften and it begins to slightly turn golden. Raise the heat just a little and caramelize, NOT BURN, the garlic. It will turn into a golden light-brown color. Quickly remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside, but leave the oil and butter in the skillet. **The oil will be slightly dark because the butter will be caramelized, too.

Add the steamed broccoli, black pepper, salt and red pepper flakes to the skillet and sauté for one minute. Lastly, add the caramelized garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until it's all heated through and combined.

Place the broccoli in a serving bowl and serve and enjoy.

Blood Orange Mimosa

To me, Sunday's are bittersweet. They are great because it's usually on a Sunday that you get to eat a big breakfast, or even have crepes for brunch, and/or you're nursing a hangover from the awesome night before. Yet, it's also bitter because you know that Monday is coming and you have to start the daily grind again. But, in order to ease you into your Monday humdrum, having a mimosa on Sunday will do you wonders. Now this particular mimosa is not just your typical OJ and champagne. No, no, darling, this is freshly squeeze blood-orange (or sangüina in Spanish) and slightly more expensive champagne. So buy yourself a bottle or Korbel or Mumm, and serve up the blood-orange mimosas, or Bomosa, as I like to call them.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8 people--or 4, if I'm there)

• 1 bottle Korbel champagne
• 2 cups blood-orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 8 blood-orange slices

DIRECTIONS

Mix the champagne with the blood-orange juice in a large jug. Garnish each glass with a slice of orange. Serve, enjoy and eat your crepes!

Crab-ology at Macy's School of Cooking

Last week I decided to attend Macy's School of Cooking here in San Diego. Since I can't afford going to a real culinary school, this is my way of learning new techniques. Although the class was interesting and cheap (it was $10 bucks), it actually felt more like an advertisement since one of the representatives from Phillips Crab was there promoting their canned crab product. I did learn about the different parts of a crab and the variety of crab meats as well as simple recipes using real crab meat, but I felt like I could just watch the same stuff on the Food Network. The chef leading the class was Alexandria Melchior of Bambu Bistro. I've never been to her restaurant which, unfortunately, hasn't had any good reviews, but she seemed very personable and did explain everything she was doing.

One of her recipes that I really enjoyed was the crab and gorgonzola cheese quesadilla. Basically you heat a flour tortilla on a skillet with a little olive oil. Add a handful gorgonzola cheese, a bit of jack cheese, lump crab meat, caramelized onions and cilantro. Then top it with another flour tortilla and cook on the other side until the cheese melts and it becomes toasty. The quesadilla was tangy and sweet at the same time and I just never would've thought of pairing crab meat with gorgonzola cheese. If you're not a fan of the blue cheeses, you can simply use a jack cheese or even gruyere cheese.

Lastly the chef didn't give out any recipes, but we all can make quesadillas, can't we? Chef Melchior also made crostini with a crab-cheese mixture on top, but it wasn't really a hit for me. If you're interested in Phillips Crab, you can check out, and even purchase, their crab meat here. All in all, the class was comme ci, comme ça, and I suppose I got my $10 worth of free food and crab meat tasting.

Oven-Fried Chicken

I've always shied away from making fried chicken mainly because I could never tell if the chicken was done or if the chicken was properly marinated and seasoned. But after watching Ina Garten make her oven-fried chicken on TV, I decided it to give it a try—with my twist, of course! Her recipe only calls for a lot of kosher salt and ground black pepper, however I found that by adding additional seasonings, the chicken is extra flavourful. So if you feel like making awesome comfort food for your family tonight, give this a try.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 8 pieces of chicken, such as bone-in-breasts, thighs, and drumsticks
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• ½ teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt
• Vegetable oil or vegetable shortening

DIRECTIONS

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them, and 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1/2 tablespoon of ground black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, ½ tablespoon salt, ½ tablespoon pepper, one tablespoon McCormick Montreal Seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt in a large bowl and mix well. Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece thoroughly with the flour mixture. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed stockpot to a depth of 1-inch and heat to 360 degrees F on a thermometer.

Working in batches, carefully place several pieces of chicken in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven). Don't crowd the pieces.

Remove the chicken from the oil and place each piece on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan. Allow the oil to return to 360 degrees F before frying the next batch. When all the chicken is fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve hot.

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

I got this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, the feisty Italian chef on the Food Network. This is basically her twist on schnitzel, which I do enjoy making. A nice gremolata or even risotto would go nicely as a side dish. What I love about this dish is that it's affordable, easy to make, and come on, who doesn't love a pork chop?

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 4 (1/2 inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate.
2. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper.
3. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere.
4. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.
5. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side.
6. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Turkey Cakes with Morel Sauce

Earlier this year when I was on holiday in Minnesota, I was introduced to morel mushrooms. I had never seen an actual fresh morel mushroom because they are usually sold in dried form here in Southern California. However, up in the Minnesotan-Wisconsin region, these lovely 'shrooms grow wild and they are plentiful. The mushrooms have a very meaty and nutty taste and really wake up bland meats such as chicken or turkey. I played with the ingredients in trying to recreate the pheasant cakes with morel mushroom cream we had at Legends Grill in Prior Lake, MN. It didn't come out exactly the same, but it was still yummy. If you don't like asparagus, you can omit them from the morel sauce...I just used them because I had leftovers.

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

• 1 oz. dried morels, reconstituted in warm water for 30 minutes and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 c. panko or breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Morel Sauce

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup asparagus, cut into 1/2" pieces (about 3 spears)
• 1 oz. dried morels, reconstituted in warm water for 30 minutes and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the chopped shallot and sauté until soft, about 2 minute. Add 1 ounce morels and minced garlic, and sauté until garlic becomes fragrant, about another minute. Put mixture in a large bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.

Once it's cooled, add the ground turkey, worcestershire sauce, egg, parsley, parmesan cheese, panko and salt and pepper to the shallot and morel mixture. Combine the mixture, without overworking it. Shape into 4 patties about 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.

Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add patties; cook 4 minutes. Turn patties; cook 4 more minutes or until no longer pink in centre and internal thermometer inserted into centre of turkey reads 165°F. Cover the patties with foil and place them in the warm oven while you make the sauce.

Morel sauce: Wipe the same sauté pan with a paper towel and heat 2 tablespoons butter on medium-high heat. Sauté the shallot and asparagus for one minute, then add remaining one ounce of morels and garlic. Sauté for another minute then stir in the white wine. Bring to a boil then simmer for a couple of minutes, or until wine is reduced by half. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until the mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste then place the warm turkey patties in the sauce and simmer for about a minute. Serve the sauce over the turkey patties and a side of Minnesotan wild rice will go well with this dish, too.

Remembering Ireland

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was in Ireland with my husband and parents. It was definitely a journey I’ll never forget. Every year when St. Patrick’s Day comes around, I get very nostalgic for the beautiful Irish landscapes, the incredible Irish people and excellent Irish cuisine. Oh, and I don’t want to forget the excellent Guinness Beer—another Irish import—and whiskey.

I think my sister-in-law and I may do something special for St. Patrick’s Day today. We’ve both been craving corned beef and potatoes…and don’t forget Irish coffees! Or we may go to a party…but believe me, whatever we do will not compare to actually being in Ireland. It is truly one majestic gem.

One of my favourite things about our trip to Ireland was all the incredible food we had. I don’t think we ever had anything bad there. In recent years, fish is becoming very popular in Ireland and all their smoked fishes are excellent. But what can I say about the traditional Irish breakfast…probably the best breakfast in the world. I think every morning we had a fried egg, rashers, sausages, boxty and white or black pudding.

I was incredibly surprised when we made our way to Galway and I had what had to be the best mussels ever. If you ever find yourself in Galway, you must go to the Druid Lane restaurant and try their fresh Galway Bay Mussels. Un-freaking-believable.

And, of course, no trip to Ireland is complete without making a pilgrimage to the Guinness brewery in Dublin. As you all know, I’m not a beer drinker, but I have to say that the Guinness I had in Ireland was probably the best ever! So, whatever you decide to do for St. Patrick’s Day, just be safe, keep it authentic and for crissakes don’t order any Irish car bombs—that’s the most anti-Irish drink ever!

Boxty - Irish Potato Pancakes

It's amazing how St. Patrick's Day is a much bigger deal here in the United States than in Ireland. But it is still so much fun. My husband's family has a tradition of watching The Quiet Man (yes, it's that John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara movie) every St. Patrick's Day. I'm still getting used to their tradition—I find the movie quite silly, to tell you the truth—but I have definitely gotten used to their Irish food. There is nothing like good, authentic Irish food that sticks to your bones...and what is more authentic than boxty (Irish potato pancakes)? Believe you me, you will love these fried up cakes, for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup raw, grated potatoes
• 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (about) milk to mix
• Butter or oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Place the grated raw potatoes in a clean cloth and wring to remove excess moisture.

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Combine flour mixture into raw potatoes, mashed potatoes, and eggs. Add a little milk, if necessary, to make a pliable dough.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and add butter or oil. Drop potato batter by the tablespoon into the hot pan. Brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side). Butter each boxty and serve hot.

Irish Brown Bread

When I was in Ireland last October, I fell in love with the brown bread that the Irish serve with just about every meal. Brown bread is hearty bread with whole wheat flour, oats, wheat germ and it tastes incredible when you spread some real Irish butter all over it. But a secret of this delightful bread is that just about every household in Ireland makes the bread from a mix...yes, a mix! There are several excellent brown bread mixes out there. I personally have used Odlums Brown Bread Mix but I hear that McCann's also has a good bread mix. Oh, and if you actually want to make traditional Irish brown bread from scratch, here's the recipe. If you make it, let me know how it came out.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons toasted wheat bran
• 3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats (do not use quick-cooking oats)
• 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk

STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Do not start until the oven is hot.
2. Butter and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
3. Put the first 8 ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
4. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine meal.
5. Scoop out a well in the flour and pour in about ¾ of the buttermilk. With your fingers draw the flour into the buttermilk, mixing them with as light a touch as you can. The dough should come together easily into a soft ball, if it is too dry add a little more buttermilk but avoid allowing the dough to become sticky.
6. Turn the dough onto a floured board and transfer dough to prepared loaf pan. Place in the oven immediately.
7. After 10 minutes reduce the heat to 400ºF. Bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and knock on the base of the loaf - if it sounds hollow it is done. If not, return to the oven for about 5-10 minutes more.

Irish Seafood Chowder

One of the best seafood chowders I've ever had was at the restaurant inside the Old Midleton Distillery (a.k.a. Jameson's Irish whiskey) in Midleton, Ireland in County Cork. Perhaps it was all the whiskey we had that day, but this dish had it all: the right amount of creaminess, potatoes and seafood cooked just right. And the Irish brown bread served on the side with real butter made the dish become one of the most memorable to me—and my family. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the actual recipe they use there, but this one is somewhat close. But if you ever want to have the best seafood chowder, then you're just going to have to make a trip to Ireland!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 8)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 10 oz)
• 1 celery stick, finely sliced
• 1/3 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into small dice
• 3 tomatoes, cut into small dice
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• A pinch of saffron strands
• 1/4 cup Pernod (or dry, white wine if you can't find Pernod)
• 1 quart (32 oz) of fish stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb mixed fresh fish fillets, such as salmon, cod, swordfish or monkfish, cut into 1 ½" cubes
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons finely sliced scallions, to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onion, celery and mushrooms over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the potato, tomatoes, tomato puree, saffron strands, and Pernod. Bring to a boil then add fish stock, and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil again, and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and then cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Purée half the mixture in a food processor, then return it to the pan. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Bring back to a boil and add the fish and finely chopped parsley. Stir in the cream. When the chowder has returned to the boil, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Ladle into eight warm soup bowls and garnish with the scallions, and serve immediately with a side of Irish brown bread.

Traditional Irish Champ

Can you believe St. Patrick's Day is almost here? It seems like only yesterday that I made my first Irish-American dinner of corned beef and cabbage. But to make a "true" Irish dinner for this St. Patrick’s, we lads need to make traditional Irish champ, boiled bacon and sautéed cabbage. Aren't you getting hungry already? I sure am. As you may have guessed, champ is basically mashed potatoes, but of course no one does mashed potatoes better than the Irish.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 8)

• 4 lb Potatoes
• ½ pint whole milk
• 8 oz spring onions (scallions), chopped
• 4 oz unsalted butte, divided
• Salt and Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel potatoes and put them in a large pot full of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. A sharp knife should easily pierce through the potatoes.
2. In a small sauce pan, simmer the milk and spring onions together for five minutes.
3. When potatoes are done, drain potatoes well and mash thoroughly.
4. Add the hot milk, including scallions, salt and pepper, and half the butter.
5. Serve the champ piled high on a serving dish. Make a well in the middle and add the rest of the butter in the centre. Oh, and don't forget to accompany your Irish dinner with some Guinness on the side!

Carne Asada Tacos

My husband is currently in Minnesota and one of the things he misses the most from San Diego (besides me!) is carne asada tacos. Carne asada is Mexican barbecue and it basically translates to "grilled meat." During the summertime, you can smell carne asada grilling in just about every neighborhood here in SD. Talk about yummers! Usually, we buy our carne asada already prepared from the butcher. Lindsey also recently found out that Trader Joe's also sells prepared carne asada, and it is excellent. If you want to prepare your own carne asada, I highly recommend you use trimmed and thin flank steaks, or the thinnest skirt steaks you can get. But "trimmed" of fat is the keyword here. Then, just set out all the fixings and get ready for a party!

INGREDIENTS (4 to 6 servings, depending on how many tacos each person eats)

• 2 pounds flank or skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat and pounded thin to about 1/4"
• A dozen corn tortillas
• Guacamole (or sliced avocados if you, prefer)
• Queso fresco (a Mexican fresh, farmer’s cheese--this is optional, but I loves me cheese!)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• Fresh salsa, preferably homemade
• Beans (refried or pinto), optional

MOJO (aka Marinade)

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil

To make the marinade:

In a mortar and pestle or bowl, mash together the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and pepper to make a paste. Put the paste in a glass jar or plastic container. Add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, and oil. Shake it up really well to combine. Use as a marinade for chicken or beef or as a table condiment.

Prepare the carne asada: Marinate the flank or skirt steak in the mojo for a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 6 hours. Season with a little more salt and pepper and place in the refrigerator while it marinates.

When ready to grill, preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Brush the grates with oil to prevent meat from sticking. Pull the steak out of the mojo marinade and grill the steak for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium to medium-well. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle.

In the meantime, set out all the fixings (guacamole, queso, limes, onions, salsa and beans, if using) on the table, and warm up the tortillas in the grill or in the microwave.

With a butcher’s knife or any sharp knife, chop the meat into bite size pieces. To fix your carne asada taco, take a warm, corn tortilla, fill it with a smear of beans (if using), a few pieces of meat, a dollop of guacamole, queso fresco, onions and salsa. Squeeze a little lime over it and enjoy the goodness of being a Mexican!

Shrimp Etouffée

I made a mini-version of this recipe and it came out fabulous. I didn't let the sauce simmer for 30 to 40 minutes (like the recipe said) but next time I make this dish I will. Simmering the etouffée for as long as you can is what gives this dish is authentic Nawlins taste. Oh, and don't forget the crusty French bread. Yummers.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (half of stick of butter)
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ cup of white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvegnon blanc
• 1 (15-oz) can of diced tomatoes, low-sodium
• 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock (or shrimp stock made from the shells of the shrimp)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds of large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Tabasco sauce (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Steamed white rice

DIRECTIONS

In a large pan or dutch oven, cook the butter and flour over medium-high heat stirring constantly. This is what is called a roux, which is a mixture of flour and fat.When the roux reaches the color of peanut butter, about 15 minutes, add the chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf, dry thyme and basil.

Continue cooking and stirring until the trinity is well mixed into the roux and the veggies are soft (about 10 minutes). Add ½ cup of white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Then add the can of diced tomatoes and the chicken stock or shrimp stock. Bring to a boil, cover and then continue simmering on low-heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it reaches a not-too-thick gravy consistency.

Add 2 pounds of large shrimp, a couple of dashes of Tabasco (if using), the chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper and bring sauce back to a boil. Continue cooking for 8 to 10 more minutes.

Serve the etouffée over white rice and garnish with the sliced scallions and serve with crusty French bread, ya hear.