A Couple Things I Love

The first  gem I have loved for a long time...our love runs deep.  It is dried mango from Trader Joes that is unsweetened but it is so naturally sweet!  I eat some when I want dessert but don't want to eat anything bad, and it satisfies that craving!

The other gem is one that I just discovered.  They were giving samples at Trader Joes and I had to buy it.  It is called Toscana Cheese with Black Pepper.  It reminds me of a cheese that mom gets at Whole Foods that is a Parmesan/Gouda mix, but this one has black pepper on the edge that adds a nice element to the cheese.  Try it!

Coconut Ice Cream

Ice cream is one of the best "foods" in the world!  And what's even better is having your own ice cream maker to make whatever flavor your little heart desires.  Last night I made coconut ice cream: 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1 cup of coconut milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Whisk it all together until the sugar dissolves, and then put it in an ice cream maker for 20-25 minutes.  This is an easy version of coconut ice cream, and I think in the future I will try to make it again using coconut cream and shaved coconut.  Yummmmm!

Ceviche!!

Alright folks, I'm super excited about this. I made a really delicious ceviche this last weekend. It blew our minds it was so refreshing and flavorful. As you know, it was really hot up in here last weekend, I mean REALLY hot. So it was a good time to do some no-heat cooking. Ceviche is the perfect summer delight. The version I did was a Yucatán Style Ceviche with Shrimp and Fish, and I served it with guacamole and tortilla chips.

Before I give you the recipe let me just say a word about that other perfect summer treat, and one of my favorite things in the world to make and to eat: guacamole. From the east to the west, we Finns be making the bad-ass guacamole. We have been for years; I remember it always being around since we were little kids and Aunt Pam had that huge avocado tree in her backyard. We all make it in varying ways; it's so easy to experiment with and add to. My standard recipe is avocados, diced red onions and jalapeños, lots of cilantro and lime juice, salt and pepper, and I like to leave it relatively chunky. So simple and sooo yummy.

And, it goes great with ceviche!! This recipe made enough for me and Jimmy to have left-overs. The second day it was still really good; the shrimp was a tad chewier but the flavors were still great and it was a bit spicier. Enjoy!

3/4 - 1 lb white fish fillets such as grouper, sea bass or even halibut or cod (I used mahi mahi)
8-10 large shrimp, peeled
1/2 large sweet onion such as Vidalia, Maui or Walla Walla
1 medium habanero pepper (I used 1 1/2)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup tomato, seeded and diced

Cut the fish in 1/4-inch slices; remove any bones as you go. Place the fish in a glass or glazed ceramic dish large enough to hold it in one layer. Shell and devein the shrimp, rinsing them only if necessary to rid them of grit. Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise and chop in small pieces. Layer the shrimp over the fish. Slice the onion in half lengthwise, then crosswise in thin slices. Layer the onion over the fish and shrimp. Toast the habaneros for 3-5 minutes in a dry skillet to release the oil from the cells. Stem, seed and sliver the habaneros and scatter them over the onions. Season the dish with salt and pour on the lime and orange juices. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, or until the fish and shrimp are opaque. Add cilantro and diced tomato, toss and serve at cool room temperature.

Wedding Shower Cupcake Pops!

Saturday was the wedding shower for my friend Leslie who is getting married in August, and I made cupcake pops for the occasion.  The color theme was yellow, pink and green so I made them according to that.

Fish Tacos!

In keeping with the steady stream of Mexican-flavored posts we've had lately, I thought I would tell you about some fish tacos I've made recently. I love fish tacos. They are right in my wheelhouse in terms of flavor, and they are just so easy to make and there are so many ways to make them. A while ago we had Heather and Luke over and I made swordfish tacos with achiote and orange, which is a typical Yucatán way to marinate fish.

The marinade was orange juice, lime juice, oregano, garlic, habanero chile, achiote paste, allspice, lemon-infused olive oil, cilantro, fresno chile, sugar, salt and pepper. The cubed fish marinates in the fridge for 3 hours. I served it with shredded lettuce, lime wedges, warm corn tortillas, a really nice roasted pineapple-habanero salsa and last but not least, a refreshing michelada (if you're not sure what that is don't worry I'm sure there will be a separate post about those soon). Very tasty.

More recently, Jimmy and I made a really awesome grilled mahi-mahi taco. Mahi is one of my favorite fishes to make tacos with, even when it's not summer grilling time, you can just cook the fish in a skillet and serve with a selection of whatever yummy garnishes you have on hand: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, red onion, scallions, tomatos, pickled jalapeños, etc.

This time I did a dry-rub of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper. We grilled the fish for about 5 minutes per side then coarsely shredded it and some cabbage for serving. I made a fresh pico de gallo - tomatoes, onions, scallions, cilantro, lemon juice, jalapeño, salt & pepper; and crema: sour cream with a little heavy cream, s&p and a little Tabasco sauce. It was SO good!!!!!

Rosarito!

Over the 4th of July weekend,  I went to Rosarito Beach for a short getaway...and to eat lobster!  Aaaaaah the food in any part of Mexico is so good!  Here is a little taste of what we had while in Rosarito...

This is what we ate when we arrived.  It's a little permanent taco stand called Tacos El Yaqui.  They start by melting cheese inside the tortilla, then follow it up with pinto beans, carne asada, guacamole, onions and cilantro.  They only have one kind of taco, but after you eat it you don't need anything else...except maybe a REAL coke.

We stayed at Rosarito Beach Hotel and each morning we had the breakfast buffet.  I usually stay away from buffets but I had to try it the first day, and let me tell you, it was awesome!  Red and Green Chilaquiles, scrambled eggs with chorizo, beans, rice, tortillas made right in front of you, fresh squeezed OJ, coffee, tons of actually RIPE fruit (the mango and papaya were heavenly!), yogurt...and that's just to name a few.  And did I mention it was a buffet??  You could go back as many times as you wanted!

Then there was the lobster...always served with fresh tortillas, beans, rice, guacamole, salsa and of course clarified butter.  And I think the most we spent for all that was $30.

Oh, and there was usually a margarita involved with these lobster dinners as well.  In case you ever make a trip to Rosarito, the best lobster meal we had was at Puerto Nuevo Restaurant #1.  Yes, there are 2 - #1 and #2 - right next door to each other, and apparently it is the same family that owns them.  But #1 is a little more hole-in-the-wall-esque and #2 is a bit fancier.  #1 was way tastier, cheaper and the margaritas were HUGE and so good!  And don't worry, you will know which one is which when you see the line out the door of Puerto Nuevo #1...and it will be well worth the wait, I promise!
We will definitely be back down there soon, even if it's only for a day to eat lobster! :)

Taberna

Last night Carlinhos took me out on a date to a new Mexican restaurant that opened in Beverly Hills - Taberna.  It was pretty good, nothing to rush back for (except the flan).  I predict it will not last long with the prices and the average tasting food.  Here is what we had:  they bring a basket of "chips" - a mix of blue corn chips, plantain chips, and yucca chips - with a red and a green salsa (the red was best).

I ordered this margarita in honor of Shauna's last post.  It was tequila, cointreau, orange juice, ginger and jalapeno.  It was ok - nothing too special.  I don't like a margarita to be too sweet, but this one was lacking a bit of sweetness in my opinion.

For my entree I had Cochinita Pibil.  It was good but in an average kind of way.  It was served with pickled onions, fried bananas and crema.

Carlinhos had chicken and chorizo "do it yourself" tacos.  It was basically the same set up as above minus the accoutrements.  And how can you have tacos without accoutrements you might ask.  Well we asked the same thing!

The redeeming part of the meal was the dessert.  Flan!  And it was lovely!  It was a thicker, more cheesecak-ier flan that you normally get at a Mexican restaurant.  Not the best we've ever had, but a very good contender.

Overall, I'd say it was average.  Carlinhos and I had a nice date on the patio of the restaurant since it was such a nice night out.  But as for the food, I'm not so sure I would rush back with the price to taste ratio being a little off balance.

Habanero Grapefruit Margaritas!

Oh dear these are delicious. I infused some blanco tequila with a habanero chili cut in half for about 3 hours, and then mixed with some fresh pink grapefruit juice, rimmed the glass with lime juice and pink salt. If you don't love the flavor of habanero you could use jalapeño. Spicy and refreshing!!!

Best Doggy Bag Ever

So if you remember, I did a post about the tomato jungle that is growing in Mom & Harold's backyard: Garden Greatness.  Well yesterday I got to take home a doggy bag of the finished products!  The little baby ones are the best - so sweet!

I would eat that s**t

Today Jimmy and I went to Light Horse Tavern for brunch, mostly because we desired the delightful Bloody Mary they serve there.

Little did we know we were about to have one of the most amazing plates of food ever. One of the specials of the day was Chocolate Chip-Bourbon Banana Pancakes. That's right, Chocolate Chip-Bourbon Banana Pancakes. So clearly we were going to order that, and there was also an intriguing Garden Omelette with asparagus, roasted tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

So we went splitsies. The green omelette was very good. But holy-chocolate-chips these pancakes were AMAZING. I commented that "I'm generally a savory breakfast person, but if these pancakes were on the menu I'd eat that shit everytime". I'm sorry to swear but I really was THAT excited. 

Then Jimmy suggested that while "The Foodies Finn" is cute, we should totally change the name of our blog to "I Would Eat That Shit." What do you think?

Zucchini-Ricotta Fritters

I am not a big fan of zucchini, but last time I went to TJ's I bought some to put in Minestrone that I made last week.  And at TJ's they only have a package of four zucchinis, of which I only used one.  So I have been trying to figure out what I was going to do with the other three that I would enjoy eating.  Then I came across this recipe for Zucchini-Ricotta Fritters in the latest Food and Wine magazine.  It is a recipe from Batals (Mario Batali) and they came out really good!  I could hardly tell I was eating zucchini!

Simple Shrimp Scampi

This takes about 5min...All you do is saute 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil.  Add ~1 pound of shrimp (I used frozen, cooked and cleaned shrimp from TJ's) and stir to coat the shrimp with the oil and heat them through.  If you are using raw shrimp, then you will need to cook them for about 7min or until they turn pink.  Turn off the heat and add ~2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, and ~1 tablespoon on fresh lemon juice.  Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.  Stir and serve.  I served it over brown rice but it would be nice with pasta as well.  So easy, so fast and SO yummy!

Nutella and Banana Crepe

I think a lot of people are intimidated by the thought of making crepes.  But they are actually quite easy!!  All it takes is flour, milk and eggs; and then sugar or salt depending on if you want a sweet or savory basic crepe.  I wanted sweet, so I sliced up a banana, smeared on some nutella, and then topped it with a dusting of powdered sugar.  Easy as pie! (but better! if you ask me!)

Pollo con Pomodorini e Pasta al Limone

Pollo con pomodorini is my own creation.  I make it when I have a lot of cherry tomatoes and don't think I will use them all before they go bad.  All I do is saute a little onion and garlic with chopped cherry tomatoes until they are softened.  At the end I add a little balsamic vinegar and let it reduce down.  I serve this over chicken breast and it is quite lovely.  Today I decided to serve it with Pasta al Limone since I happened to have a couple lemons on hand.  Buon Appetito!

Lunch time cool-out snack

Look at this healthiness!!

It's so hot here so I'm staying in, working at home with the air conditioner on, and can't bare to even eat anything warm. Sabra Hummus: it's good stuff by the way. It's no Hummus Place Hummus, but for store-bought, it works. I am now reminded that I need to go back to Hummus Place. When we lived in the East Village, it was one of my staples. The Hummus Fava is amazing.

Diet for Kitty

Well, I took Papi to the vet this morning, and it's official. He's overweight. To me, he is beautiful, but apparently he's obese. The last vet told us he was "big-boned" but that was 4 years ago and he's put on another 5 lbs since then. I've always just chalked his portly appearance up to his very tiny head. But the doctor even struggled a bit with the checkup because of all that extra kitty in the way. So he's going on diet food and needs to get more playtime. The good news is he seems to like the new kibble AND he gets to eat more of it!

My Inaugural Wok Session

For Christmas this past year, Shauna & Jimmy gave us a wok. I hadn't used it prior to moving because our last apartment had an electric stove and I wanted to wait to season and use it properly. Yesterday I decided to give it a go. I began by the wok. First I scrubbed it with soap and water to get off all the oil that it is packaged in. Then I heated it to burn off any excess packaging oil. I added a couple tablespoons of peanut oil to the hot wok, and then added sliced ginger with the skin on and scallions. I stir-fried them for about 10 minutes, using the back of the spatula to press them into the sides of the wok. When the ginger and scallions were nice and browned, I discarded them, rinsed the wok with hot water, wiped it lightly with the soft side of a sponge, and then heated it again until no water was left on the wok.

Seasoning is done so that food does not stick to the wok and so that rust doesn't set in. And after using a wok, you should never scrub your wok - the patina that builds up imparts flavor to your food each time you use it.

As my first attempt at cooking with the wok, I decided to make Pork Lettuce Wraps. And as Shauna stated in a previous post, it is all about the mis en place. Stir-frying happens so fast that it is necessary to have everything ready to go.

And the finished product....

They were SO good and SO easy, and I will definitely be making them again!

For you Mom

From our recent trip to DC, one of the many works of art Jimmy and I were blown away by:

Mound of Butter by Antoine Vollon, 1875. We took a photo of it specifically for Ma-Finn. For those of you who don't know, she loves her butter.