Nigella Lawson's Tips for a Cozy Kitchen

Check them out in this Wall Street Journal article.

I especially like this article because it validates my decision to go for the eclectic, lived-in look in my kitchen rather than the minimalist, ultra-modern (organized) look. Minimalist just doesn't work unless everyone (your husband) is on board with your fascist agenda.

Nigella says: "In spite of my early fear that I would be offering weapons welcomingly to any passing serial killer, I am now a firm advocate of the knife magnet."

I have had the very same thought!

Time to Grow Up

I became a woman today.

I now own my very own, extremely grown up $140 (for serious!) Le Creuset skillet.

Why spend $140 on a skillet? I have been researching pots and pans for years, literally. (What's the best long-term investment? Most even cooking? Does Teflon really leach into your food and poison you? Do you become fatter by not cooking with nonstick pans?) And Le Creuset gets the most consistent high marks.

I also recently read this book called The Conscious Kitchen, which is about how to shop to both avoid chemicals and minimize your environmental impact. I hoped it would help me prioritize which things to buy organic/locally sourced/renewable and where it might be not such a big deal, because buying all organic/locally sourced/renewable/plastic-free, etc. gets crazy expensive.

Alas, the book basically instructs you to buy everything organic and purge your life of plastic or you will be poisoned by chemicals. That is not happening under my recessionista budget.

Instead, I wrote a Post-it note listing five must do's I learned from this book:

1. Use iodized salt (Duh, except I had become a big fan of Kosher salt, which isn't iodized, so back to basics I guess.)
2. Do not use Teflon pans. Use cast iron or enamel-clad pans. (Enter Le Creuset.)
3. Try to use glass containers for storing food if possible, and maybe slowly transition out plastics. (Gave myself a raincheck on this one until we are rich.)
4. Compost! (We are going to buy one of those composting kits you can use even if you don't have a yard.)
5. Use a water filter. Tap water sucks, apparently, and I have been drinking it forever. I suppose I must put to rest my one-(wo)man campaign against the hegemonic rule of the Brita filter.
   

Back to Le Creuset. I have now learned that it is not only the absolute best for consistent, even cooking, it has an added bonus of not slowly poisoning you. I'm hoping to acquire a full set, one by one, and think you should too. Since the skillet is the one thing I use almost daily, I figure it's okay that my other stuff is still Teflon.

I never liked Caesar Salad until I tried this dressing

You will find yourself wanting to coat anything you can find in this delicious, creamy Caesar dressing.

Caesar Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck's Wolfgang Puck's Pizza, Pasta and More!

1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets, mashed (or skip. . . I did)
Scant cup peanut oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, mustard, and anchovies.

Slowly whisk in the oils to emulsify. [My note: just toss this all into a food processor or use an immersion blender and don't bother with the slow whisking!]

Stir in the cheese and season with sat and pepper.

Refrigerate in a covered container. When ready to use, whisk again.

To prepare ahead:
Caesar Vinaigrette will keep up to 1 week, refrigerated, in a covered container.

Source: Epicurious 2006

Broccoli Rabe with Toasted Garlic and Breadcrumbs

Here's a simple recipe for pasta with broccoli rabe, which is so good for you I suspect there is a conspiracy by the always conniving OBL (Ordinary Broccoli Lobby) to keep it so under the radar.

"Broccoli rabe is low in Saturated Fat. It is also a good source of Pantothenic Acid, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc and Manganese." (source: nutritiondata.com)

I would use whole wheat or some other kind of enriched pasta to make it even more crazy healthy.

Check out the video at the end of the article for the recipe.

Sesame Chicken with Rice Noodles

I'm on an Asian kick right now, mostly because my addiction to cheese requires me to try to cut out saturated fats and cholesterol in other areas and I find Asian food is terrific for avoiding old standbys like butter and cheese without even missing them.

This my twist on a Joy of Cooking recipe.

Ingredients:
6 chicken tenders or 3 breasts
1 large cucumber, halved, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 servings of Asian rice noodles

Sesame sauce:
1/2 cup toasted sesame paste (tahini) or peanut butter
3 tbsp sesame oil (enough to liquify the sesame paste or peanut butter)
4-5 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tsp hot chili oil, or to taste (or skip)
1 1/2 tbsp minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp sugar
2 scallions, chopped
Sesame seeds

1. Pan fry or broil the chicken and season with salt and pepper (i.e., prepare as you wish). Cut into strips, then halve those (fork-sized pieces).

2. Meanwhile, prepare the rice noodles by soaking in water (see manufacturer instructions) and make the sesame sauce by thoroughly mixing the first two ingredients (use a food processor if you have one), then adding the remaining 6 ingredients.

3. Toss the cooked chicken, cucumbers and sesame sauce together with rice noodles, preferably in a pan, sauteing it lightly to warm it up somewhat and distribute the sauce most evenly. (It will be cold at this point but you can enjoy it lukewarm.)

4. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top when you serve it for some added pizazz.

Serves 4