Chickpea Salad with Parmesan & Parsley

Sometimes, simple is better, no? I like to think I'm a pretty un-complicated gal myself. Especially when it comes to recipes. Some of my most favorite recipes, are also the easiest, but what they all must have in common is that their results taste amazing. Maybe simple means just a few high-quality ingredients with little fussing or fixing to let their flavors shine. Or maybe a simple recipe means a one pot meal, with not a lot of dishes to clean up. Or perhaps a simple dish, is one that takes all of five minutes to put together, with ingredients you already have laying around in your fridge and pantry.

Be a Menu Master

One of the most important skills a home cook can learn is how to menu plan for the week.  Thoughtful planning will save you time and money, and it will keep you from ordering bad takeout just because you're too tired to do anything else.  It's especially important for anyone trying to follow a diet or eating plan, as it will set you up to eat the things you want to eat, and not just the snacks that are easy and quick.

As any employees at the Ralph's in Westwood can confirm, in college I had my fair share of clueless shopping trips that looked something like this: wander through the store for 45 minutes, spend $75, and get home with some Pirate's Booty, ice cream bars, yogurt, and wine.  And no ingredients for an actual meal.  Sound familiar?  Here are some tips to avoid getting sucked into the grocery store vortex:


1.  What are you doing this week?  Look at your schedule for the week, and let it dictate the kinds of meals you'll cook.  I find that I always end up having meetings and activities on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, so I use those evenings for crock pot dinners, make-ahead casseroles, and quick paninis.  Fancier or more labor-intensive meals are saved for evenings when I know I'm coming straight home from work.

2.  Do a pantry check.  Save some big cash by doing a quick inventory of food that you already have.  At one point, I had seven different boxes of pasta because I kept buying new boxes and then only using half the noodles.  Sometimes I'll make a list and realize that I have the components for a whole meal, and won't need to buy a thing.  This is also a great way to ensure that you use all of your fresh produce before it goes bad.

Dinner for Two- By You!

All week long you've heard Allison and I yammering on about how we love cooking Valentine's Day dinner at home, so we'd be neglecting our cooking blogger duties if we didn't share some tips so that you can do the same.  Nothing says, "I love you" (or "I like you... in that way") like a delicious home-cooked dinner, and cooking together can be just as enjoyable as sharing the meal.  So if you're ready to forego the prix fixe menus, long lines at the valet, and overpriced bubbly, here are some tips to help you seal the deal:

1.  Get it up- Your hair that is!  Ladies, there is nothing sexy about pulling a long hair out of your lobster bisque.  When you're primping for the night, opt for a messy/chic bun or a casual updo.  Who knew you'd get hair tips on a cooking site?

2.  Look the part- Do you and your sweetheart eat most of your dinners in front of the television?  Create some restaurant ambience by setting a table, lighting some candles (unscented!), and turning on some music.  Not a DJ?  Log onto Pandora.com, set your channel to Otis Redding, and let the magic of the internet do the rest.

3.  Have a happy hour-  Have you ever tried to cook a nice dinner when you're starving?  In my experience, it leads to rushing through the steps and munching on ingredients until you're not even hungry when it comes time to sit down to your meal.  Crack open a bottle of wine and set out a few little snacks.  Some olives, grapes, or toasted almonds will allow you to enjoy the cooking process without inhaling your food when it's ready.

4.  Put your sweetheart to work-  If you've ever wished you had an extra set of hands in the kitchen, now you do!  Even if your Valentine is culinarily clueless, he or she can stir risotto, peel potatoes, or grate cheese.  If nothing else, they can top off your vino.  That way you're both invested in the meal, and there's not that awkward period in the dinner date where you're in the kitchen, and your love is sitting around waiting for dinner.

5.  Watch your time-  Read your recipes carefully ahead of time so you know how long things will take.  Do your best to time your cooking so that everything finishes at the same time, and all of your food is warm and delicious when it hits the table.

5.  Keep it simple- There's nothing sexy about a kitchen meltdown, so keep the menu simple.  I like to focus on one delicious, well-executed dish, and keep the rest easy and straightforward.  A beautiful rack of lamb or prime rib only needs a simple roasted vegetable and some quick polenta to be delicious and memorable.  If you're going to make a risotto or an elaborate veggie dish, serve it with some simple grilled shrimp and a green salad.  Dessert is an essential component of any romantic dinner, but it doesn't have to be laborious.  Try roasting some fruit with butter and vanilla, and serve it with a scoop of decadent ice cream (go for the premium brand for a special occasion).

Best of luck with your cooking adventures this weekend!  And when your date doesn't want to leave, you can thank your Butter + Cream buddies...

The Chicken Shack

When I moved into a new place about a month ago I was a little concerned about the size of the kitchen. You see, the kitchen is small. I take that back, it’s not just small, it’s teeny-tiny. Walking in to the kitchen is a bit like being corralled. It’s possible to reach out and touch all side of the kitchen while standing in one spot. If you were to stand in the middle of my kitchen with the oven door all the way open you would be trapped.

Little did I know that the size of the kitchen would turn out to be the least of my problems. It seems as if nothing in the place works. For example, when we first moved in the main electrical line had fallen off it's post and was laying on the ground, the oven was broken, the hot water heater had to be replaced, the toilet leaks, the kitchen sink doesn’t drain, the wood burning stove leaked smoke and two days ago the refrigerator decided to stop keeping things cold. I guess this shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise since my landlord affectionately named the place The Chicken Shack.

Farmer's Market Finds and Tips

Based on the short life of this website, you may think that I live on whipped cream and chocolate. While I LOVE making dessert, finding creative and tasty ways to eat vegetables is at the core of my day-to-day cooking.

This is the haul I brought home from the Santa Monica Pico farmers' market today.
If one of your New Year's resolutions is to cook more at home, your local farmers' market is a great place to start. It will give you a good sense of what's in season, and put you in touch with really knowledgeable growers who will help you make the most of your ingredients (or "product", as they say in the chef world). For me it's also a great way to get inspiration for my meals for the week.

Where else can you find things like this?
It's a stalk of brussels sprouts, which stay fresh longer (and look amazing) in this form. If you think you hate brussels sprouts, please reconsider! I served them at a dinner party for 18 people who ate them right up. I promise, if seasoned and cooked properly, they are delicious.

Here are some thoughts on how to get the most out of your local markets:

1. Shop around. Not all farmers' markets are created equal. If you're an Angeleno, LA Farmer Net put together a very user-friendly list of all of the markets in the area, that you can search by day and by location. The market nearest you may not be at the best time during the week, so check out some others, even if you have to drive a bit. Also consider how you like to shop. Are you ok in big crowds, or do you want a market that's less populated? Do you want to go on a weekend morning, or during your lunch hour? Convenience is key, and you're more likely to go if your market works for you.

2. Be the early bird. This is a personal preference, but I recommend getting to the market within the first couple hours of it being open. The Santa Monica markets are packed by mid-day, and it can be hard to make a careful selection with lots of people trying to do the same thing. By the last hour, many stands will have sold out of their best product.

3. Do a lap. I like to take a quick walk around the market to check out what vendors are selling what, and where the best ingredients are. There's nothing more disappointing than buying 5 lbs of apples, then turning the corner and seeing better apples at a lower price.

4. Make a plan. Once you get home with your goods, make a plan for how you'll use everything. It doesn't have to be set in stone, but for produce that will only last a few days, knowing what dish you'll put it in will help prevent it from going bad in the bottom of your refrigerator. This can also help guide what pantry items you need to buy for the week.

5. Storage is key. Angelic Organics put together a great resource page for how to store vegetables. When you get home, take a moment to take things out of their bags and put them in their proper place in the kitchen. For room temperature items, store them in bowls on your counter so you see them and remember to use them. For items in the crisper drawer, a little post-it note with a list of the drawer's contents will help remind you to eat that gorgeous butter lettuce before it turns brown and soggy.

Happy shopping! Coming up is a broccoli soup recipe that will kick start that resolution to eat more vegetables in 2010...