NJGCooks: 2009

Quick Pasta with Tomatoes and Arugula (Rocket)

Sunday, October 4, 2009

1 lb. dried pasta of your choice (I like spaghetti or penne for this)
8 ripe tomatoes, chopped
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 handfuls of arugula or basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Grated parmesan

Place a large pot of water on stove to boil for pasta. Add a few tablespoons of salt. In a small pan over low heat, cook garlic in olive oil until just lightly browned. Combine tomatoes and arugula in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Pour over garlic and olive oil. Toss with cooked, drained pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Noodles

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Sanuki no Sato is a Japanese restaurant located in the city of Gardena. The Dodgers' Hideo Nomo's made this noodle eatery famous over 10 years ago when he decided to make this his favorite restaurant. The setting is casual. The food is delicious and reasonable (about $15 to $25) Although their menu is extensive, they are best known for the noodles. They are handmade and served in a delicious broth which is not too salty as is sometimes the problem in other restaurants. You can order them hot or cold. The waitstaff is friendly, attentive, and helpful. Sanuki no Sato might be a little difficult to find as it is tucked into a corner under a Japanese language only sign. It is located at 18206 S. Western Ave., Gardena, CA 90248 Tel (310) 324-9184

Marukai

Monday, August 31, 2009

Marukai is a chain of Japanese stores located in Hawaii and California. It was established in 1965 in Osaka, Japan by the Marukai Corporation which opened a membership store in Glendale, Ca in 1982. Marukai sells everything from Japanese and Hawaiian delicacies to ceramics and furniture. There is an extensive selection of products making this a one stop shop for most of your Japanese cooking needs. If you need sashimi grade fish, hard to find vegetables, or even poi, you can find it here. I have also bought dishes, cosmetics, and appliances with no complaints. Although there is a small fast food section, It is not as good as it used to be. The price to join is reasonable. I paid $22 for two cards and
three years membership. Senior citizens pay less and you can also choose to renew yearly.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Here is a recipe for Chocolate Chip Scones that I have been using for years. It is easy and delicious. You should be able to get about six or seven decent sized servings from this.

Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 stick of unsalted butter (6 Tbs.), cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tbs. vanilla
1 cup of chocolate chips or use 1 cup of good chocolate, such as Valrhona, chopped.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Sift together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Work butter into mixture using fingers. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs then add buttermilk and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Lightly stir just to combine. Do not over mix or dough will be tough. Stir in chocolate. Drop by large spoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Banana Bread

Monday, August 10, 2009

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a loaf pan.

Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter cut into 12 pieces
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk

Mash bananas very well with butter. You can use a food processor if you like. Add rest of ingredients and blend. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Note: If you like walnuts or chocolate chips, it is easy to add up to 1/2 cup of either with the rest of the ingredients.

Mustard Sauce

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Here is a quick mustard sauce you can use occasionally. I say "occasionally" because it calls for using quite a bit of cream so this is not by any means, diet food. I do not use exact measurements when I make this so just use them as a guide for making your own.

Cooked pork loin, thinly sliced or
cooked pork chops

After cooking pork, deglaze pan with 3 or 4 Tbs. of Calvados* or apple cider then whisk in the same amount of whole grain mustard. I use more than this, but I like mustard. Gradually add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cream. Heat gently then place meat back in pan. Turn in sauce to coat. I like to serve this with mashed or crispy potatoes.

*Calvados is a French apple brandy.

Los Angeles, Farmer's Market

Sunday, August 2, 2009

We went to the Farmer's Market today. There is a restaurant/shop there called Monsieur Marcel Pain Vin Et Fromage. I have not eaten at the restaurant yet but I do enjoy stocking up on the many delicious items offered. You will find many French delicacies here. Today I bought this wonderful assortment of mustard in addition to two kinds of madeleines. They also have some ingredients from other countries such as Italy and the UK. Last but not least, we stopped for lunch. We had chicken shawarma, falafel, and lamb at one of our usual places, Moishe's Restaurant. We also gave Patsy D'Amore a try and had chicken lasagna. As usual everything was terrific.

Spring Mix with Pears and Walnuts

Monday, July 27, 2009

I decided to include this recipe because of my disappointing salad experience from a few days ago. If you are interested in that story, you can read about it here under "Disneyland Economics"

Ingredients:

Mixture of salad greens
2 red or green pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts
1/3 cup shaved Parmesiano -Reggiano (or regular parmesan)

Vinaigrette:
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tb lemon juiice
1/2 cup vegetable oil (walnut oil also works nicely)

Combine vinegar with lemon juice, then quickly whisk in oil. Set aside.
Combine salad ingredients by tossing. Drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving.

Serves 4

Buckwheat Pancakes

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I used this recipe for breakfast today because we had some buckwheat flour leftover and wanted to use it. I was cautious about how much I put in so they would not become too heavy. They came out great. Eventually I will play with the recipe some more to see how much more buckwheat flour I can use and still get good results.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs. butter

In large bowl combine dry ingredients. Whisk together remaining ingredients except butter, in a separate bowl then add to dry mixture. Whisk until just combined. Do not over mix. Heat a pan, cast iron works best. Add butter. Once butter has melted pour approximately 1/4 of batter for each pancake. Flip once top is covered in bubbles. Only flip once.

Miso Soup

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Serves 6
Ingredients:

Dashi
6 cups of water
1 5 to 6 inch piece of kombu
Approximately 2 oz. of bonito flakes
or you can buy powdered dashi.

1/4 cup white, yellow, or red miso paste
Dashi from above recipe
1 pkg. of firm tofu
Finely sliced green onions, or mushrooms (your choice), or whatever you would like to try.

Place kombu in cold water then bring to a boil on medium heat. Remove kombu and turn off heat. Sprinkle bonito flakes into liquid and let set for 2 or minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain liquid. Place pot back on burner. Whisk in 1/4 cup of miso paste and heat gently. Add tofu and warm slightly. At this point, you can add green onions, chopped mushrooms, or anything you would like to experiment with. Serve immediately.

Picture FAIL

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

It is hard to believe that a cinnamon roll would photograph so badly. Trust me it tasted great! Now that's what really matters, right? I used the recipe from this site: www.epicurious.com

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze Bon Appétit | March 2008

Molly Wizenberg
Yield: Makes 18 servings
ingredients
Dough:
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
preparation
For dough:

Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 21/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling:

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze:

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All rights reserved

Goat Cheese Souffle

Such a bad picture for something so tasty! The recipe can be found on this site: www.epicurious.com

The only changes I made were to substitute goat cheese for the classic gruyere and omit the wine.

Goat Cheese and Parmesan Cheese Soufflé

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
ingredients
Grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (I used goat cheese instead.)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 large egg whites
preparation

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Generously butter one 10-cup soufflé dish or six 1 1/4-cup soufflé dishes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to coat. (If using 1 1/4-cup dishes, place all 6 on rimmed baking sheet.) Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Cook without browning until mixture begins to bubble, whisking constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, then wine. Cook until smooth, thick and beginning to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix yolks, salt and pepper in small bowl. Add yolk mixture all at once to sauce and whisk quickly to blend. Fold in 1 1/4 cups Gruyère cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (cheeses do not need to melt). Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Transfer soufflé mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Gruyère cheese.

Place soufflé in oven; reduce heat to 375°F. Bake soufflé until puffed, golden and gently set in center, about 40 minutes for large soufflé (or 25 minutes for small soufflés). Using oven mitts, transfer soufflé to platter and serve immediately.

Just in Case Anyone Was Wondering....

We try to use the freshest ingredients possible. That's why we roast our own coffee.

Creme Brulee

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Multicolor Beet Salad

Ingredients

3 Red beets
3 Yellow or orange beets
Olive oil
1 Tbs Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Wash and trim beets then place in a pot of boiling water. Cook until a knife blade can easily be inserted in the center of each beet. Drain. Allow to cool until skin can be easily rubbed off. This is a messy process so be sure to do this over the sink or a bowl. Rinse beets to make sure there is no residual skin on them. Slice each beet then arrange on a platter. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil then sprinkle with parsley.

Chocolate Cake

Strawberries in Sauternes

Wash, hull, and halve strawberries then marinate in Sauternes for at least two hours in the refrigerator.

Puffed Pancake

I made this for Father's Day this year. It is basically a German pancake drizzled with Nutella.

Pasta with Summer Vegetables

Here is an easy recipe for a quick dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, or penne
2 medium zucchini, peeled and sliced
2 yellow squash, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
Salt and pepper

Cook 1 lb of your favorite shape pasta in salted boiling water according to directions. Saute zucchini and yellow squash in olive oil. Once Zucchini starts to soften add minced garlic. Remove from heat then sprinkle lemon zest over vegetables. Drain pasta then add to zucchini and garlic mixture. Stir in 1 cup of sour cream or creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Summer Flowers

Quick idea for a light summer meal. Follow the directions on the box for couscous then add 1 can of garbanzo beans, a handful of black olives, cherry tomatoes, & feta. Finally drizzle with a little olive oil.

French Green Bean Salad

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Ingredients

1 lb of green beans
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Cook beans until just tender in rapidly boiling, salted water.
While they are cooking combine remaining ingredients with the exception of the oil, in a large serving dish. Whisk in oil making sure everything is mixed well. Drain beans and add to dressing while still hot. Serve at room temperature.

Strawberry Meringue Nests

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Double Chocolate Cookies

Monday, June 15, 2009

Tarte au Fromage

Friday, June 5, 2009

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees.

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
8 oz Comte cheese
1/4 cup butter
3 1/2 oz heavy cream
1 Tbs. flour
!/4 tsp. each salt, pepper, nutmeg

Pre-made pastry dough or use this:

Pastry Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 oz butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup ice water

Combine flour with salt. Cut butter into flour mixture using fingers. Add as much iced water as necessary to make a ball. Flatten into a disk then refrigerate for a half an hour. After dough has chilled, press loosely into an ungreased pie plate.

Filling

Melt butter then add flour. Once this is incorporated, add milk. Cook over very low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Add cheese, heavy cream and eggs. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour into uncooked pie shell. Bake 45 minutes. Can be served warm or cold.

Strawberry Lemonade

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
4 lemons, juiced
water or 2 liter bottle club soda

Make a simple syrup by dissolving sugar 1 cup of boiling water. Allow to cool. Puree strawberries then add to juice of lemons. Add water and sugar syrup to taste. You can substitute Club soda for water if you prefer fizz.