Tomato and Cucumber Salad

*comes up for air*

Hello?

Anyone out there?

What month is it?

What year is it?

Oh, January? 2010?

I don't know about anyone else, but 2009 was a doozy.Not sure how many life lessons one can fit in a year, but I heard from quite a few of them. Things have been changing and life has been rearranging. I think things have finally calmed down by now. Maybe.

The new year always presents an opportunity to start fresh and new. We have a chance to look back at what happened in the year and pay attention to what lessons we learned and bring them along with a clear mind in the new year.

So to bring in the first entry of 2010, a simple and fresh tomato and cucumber salad.It goes well on top of a bed of greens or works by itself as an appetizer.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

4 tomatoes,medium
1 cucumber,medium
1/2 white onion,medium
1 lemon,juiced
Salt and Pepper

1. Slice the white onion into julienned strips, or thin strips and place into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pour lemon juice over the onion.Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. While the onion is marinating, slice tomatoes and cucumber into desired cut. I prefer the half moon shape.
3. When the onion is finished marinating, add the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss until evenly combined. Season with salt & pepper and enjoy.

Potato Dominoes ala Jaden

Being a huge fan of different foods and global flavors, it's funny for me to say that my family does not feel quite the same about food. Basically food is food to them. Of course, it killsme when they say that, but we move on. When I cook dinner, I make things that are pretty familiar and quite boring really. Take my brother for example.He absolutely hates the sweet savory mix. No peanut dressings, sweet bbq sauces, and no pork tenderloin with cherry-apricot chutney.B-O-R-I-N-G. He likes pizza, potatoes, pizza, calzones,pizza and most fruits. (Hey at least he likes fruit)


When I saw well-known blogger Jaden Hair of Steamykitchen make Potato Dominoes, I knew I had to make them. They sounded amazing and provided a chance to break away from the monotony that is spaghetti and chicken stir fry. How did they turn out? They were a big hit. My brother is a big fan of these style of potatoes now. Paired with a braised beef stew, they made the perfect dinner.



Recipe from Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallmann

4 Idaho (baking) potatoes
4 tablespoons chilled clarified butter( or regular butter)
Kosher or Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Cut off the ends of a potato and trim to make 4 equal sides to form a brick. With a mandoline, Slice the potatoes to 1/8 inch thick. Taking a stack of potatoes like you would a stack of cards, lay it on its side in a medium baking dish. Use the reserved potato ends to keep the stack up.As you lay them in, angle the slices to look like dominoes that have fallen over. Dot the sides and top with the clarified butter and season with salt. Continue stacking all the potatoes, but be sure to keep them at least 2 inches apart. When all the potaoes are lined up and seasoned, take out the reserved potato ends.

Bake for 40 minutes,or until the potatoes are browned on the edges and is tender in the middle when poked with a skewer. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato,Crab, and Corn Soup

Every year, I come across different flavor combinations that I’ve never heard of. When you hear the name, you think “wow”, that is going to taste very..interesting. But you try it and it’s all you crave.I wonder if any famous food combinations were considered “interesting” at first.

Peanut butter and jelly?

Sweet and sour chicken?

Cheddar cheese and apple pie? (ok, I admit. I have yet to try this combination)

The combination of sweet potatoes and crab is one that I heard while in school. A classmate told us he was planning on making this soup and we all were skeptical on the outcome, but were amazed once we had our first taste.

Now that I think back to this day, I wonder how many flavor combinations I’ve missed out on.

Do you have any favorite flavor combinations that are considered “interesting”?

Sweet Potato, Crab, and Corn Soup

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup diced white onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups medium diced sweet potatoes

2 quarts chicken stock

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 lb. crab meat

1/2 cup minced parsley

Salt and pepper

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add sweet potatoes and chicken stock. Let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Blend soup using an immersion blender or blender. Add corn, crab meat, and parsley. Heat thoroughly. Season to taste.

Food History: Pumpkin

One of the things that attract me to cooking is the history and stories behind each dish and ingredient. We have festivals and books dedicated to single products like garlic and songs about food. It’s just so amazing. One product’s history that I find really interesting is story of jack o’lanterns and how they became a tradition every year.

Many sources have different accounts on how the story of the jack o’lantern came to be. One of the most interesting stories that I have found is from the History Channel.

In their account, it originated from an Irish myth. In the story, a man named Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Keeping true to his nickname, stingy jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin to buy their drinks. When the devil did so, jack decided to keep the coin and put it in his pocket next to a silver cross. This prevented the devil from changing back into his original form. He freed the devil with the condition that he would not bother jack for one year and if jack were to die, then he could not claim his soul. When a year passed, Jack convinced the devil to climb a tree and pick a piece of fruit. When he was in the tree, jack carved a cross into the tree’s bark, so he could not come down until the devil promised to not bother him for ten years. Stingy jack died soon after and god would not allow him into heaven. The devil, being upset with all the tricks being played on him, did not allow jack into hell. He sent jack into the night with a burning coal. Jack placed it into a carved out turnip and has roamed the earth ever since. The Irish refer to the ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern” or “Jack o’lantern.”

In Ireland and Scotland, people started carving faces into turnips and potatoes and placing them in windows are near doors to scare away Stingy Jack or evil spirits.

Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic holiday. This holiday is called Samhain (sow-in) ,which means “summer’s end.” Sundown on October 31^st to sundown on November 1^st dated the end of the Celtic year. During this time, it was believed that the veil between the afterworld and ours was at its thinnest. Because spirits were able to walk the earth easily, people kept the tradition of carving turnips and gourds. When European settlers came to America, they discovered pumpkins and found them to be larger and easier to carve. This started the tradition of carving pumpkins.

Since there is such an abundance of pumpkins this time of the year, I decided to pick up a few small ones for pumpkin puree. The process is quite simple and the Pioneer Woman breaks down each step with pretty pictures and great commentary. I made two pumpkins worth today and I am so excited for all the dishes I plan on making. Mmm I can taste them now.