What to Make When you Have Nothing to Cook With

I haven't been to the store in two weeks. Shameful I know. Especially when I really love grocery shopping. I'm not joking. Absolute truth. I get so excited by the prospects of what will be when I get all those fresh ingredient home from the grocery, I almost can't contain myself and usually end up spending too much money. Reasons why being a personal chef and caterer is perfect - I am guaranteed LOTS of grocery shopping in my future. (Stifles excited giggles.)

Conversely, I also get really excited when I have limited items to work with, as was the case this weekend. Being a good cook isn't just about making things taste good, but also about how you utilize your ingredients and make them be the best versions of themselves. Somehow I was able to make cornmeal, canned tomatoes, and chunk tuna into a satisfying and filling Italian-inspired dinner.

Parsley polenta, stewed basil tomatoes, topped with chunk tuna fish.

I was able to use the left overs the next day to make crispy polenta cakes with tomato sauce!

Parsley Polenta

1 cup water or chicken broth

1 cup milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup yellow or white cornmeal (medium or finely ground)

1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley (bonus points if it is Italian flat leaf parsley)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the water and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in cornmeal with a whisk slowly to prevent lump-age. Continue to cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Take polenta off the heat and stir in parsley and cheese (if mixture is too thick, add a splash of scalded milk.) Season with salt and pepper.

Oh YES I did make that a Sandwich

Long time no blog y'all! I have four exams last week, one on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so needless to say I have had my head in a textbook instead of on my blog last week. I guess that is a necessary evil of college and all (or at least that is what my mom is going to say when she reads this entry.)

Due to all of this studying, I have been having lots of sandwiches this week. They are quick, simple, can be made out of anything in the fridge, and are pretty good at filling the void that tends to grow and grow. I don't know if you any of you have watched the Food Network lately (I am only partially guilty here) but they not too long ago announced the winner of the "Next Food Network Star" title. Jeff Mauro, the self-proclaimed Sandwich King, is now gracing the screens of novice home cooks' televisions educating all about how "You can make any meal into a sandwich, and any sandwich into a meal." Needless to say I have been channeling my inner Jeff this week.

If you are unaware of his methods, here is the quick 411: he concentrates on making sandwiches that will fill you up like a larger plated meal would, but are way simplified and (sometimes) portable. Anything that can (and can't) fit between two slices of bread he has monkeyed into his sandwich concoctions, and I myself have had fun creating and experimenting with the fillers. Maybe that can be y'alls project for this week - forgo the standing over the stove, scrubbing pots and pans, and get creative with sandwiches, however simple or complex you like them.

First off, I have a sandwich that I actually made out of the remnants of a salad I made earlier in the week. I had (past tense unfortunately) a really great herb and nut bakery bread, which served as the perfect vehicle for salmon, goat cheese (which I used as a spread like mayo,) spinach, and sliced strawberries. Talk about meal into a sandwich!

Notice please that no matter how much I am determined to make this meal a sandwich, I still embrace the "paper towel as a plate" college trick.

Second, I have been playing around with various spreads for sandwiches since some other elements are harder to change. So lately it has been low fat cream cheese. Who would have known that this little element would transform a sandwich from "what you make at home" to "what you will pay $7 for at a deli." Seriously! Cream cheese is their secret! Tangy and creamy, just a little goes a long way.

Here I have roast chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, and spinach on whole wheat bread with cream cheese schmere. I have also experimented with guacamole (I am still trying to learn to like avocado guys) and hummus.

And now I am off to make a sandwich with homemade roasted tomatoes and spinach. Yumm! Happy Sandwiching!

P.S I was rooting for Jeff to win all along so ha! Can I pick them or what?

A Little Tilapi' with by Pappy

I should have warned all of you from the start, I am a big old dork. A dork whose free time is spent in a hot kitchen, who thinks it is fun to surf food blogs and keeps a journal with recipes to try or variations on classics, and who knows that her future will be a happy one if she gets to use her chef's knife everyday. Yep, that's a pretty accurate description of me actually. But I have no shame in by obsession (let's call it what it is here) with food. It makes me happy, is usually delicious, and brings people together in a most wonderfully unique and genuine way. Ever notice how you can bond with someone at a restaurant you don't know from Adam by asking what they ordered and whether they like it. Never done it before? That's a shame, try next time you out. Or chat up the vendors that the next farmer's market you visit. Most often than not you will walk away with at least three ways to prepare whatever you just bought, the history of it starting when it was just a thought in someone's head, and with a smile on your face to boot.

It is in my blood to get just as excited about trying a new food as I do waiting for Christmas to come. So whilst I was home this past weekend I commandeered the use of my familiar family kitchen and set out on a quest to demystify cooking fish as home. I love fish, it is one of my favorite treats. It is always what I ask for for my birthday dinner, and I am not picky either. Raw, seared, blackened, grilled, poached, Asian style, salmon, monkfish, shellfish, sandwiches, salads, you name it. But I, like so many other home cooks I know, was scared to death to try my hand at home. It's too expensive. There is no way I can keep it from sticking. What in the world would I serve it with? I don't have time. Oh I was so very wrong...

I might have mentioned before that I cook a lot with my dad when I am home. We share the same bottomless stomach and curious nature which makes brainstorming, tasting, adjusting, and daydreaming about what we will have for dinner one of our favorite past times. And he too, does a fair amount of cooking on his own and has yet to crack the "fish at home" fear either. So we embarked on the journey together, and thus produced a most wonderful plate of food.

Pretty right? It just screams summer. We attempted talapia, a mild, inexpensive, (yes you read correctly) and "blank canvas" fish. Grilled with fresh thyme, parsley, and lemon slices, then topped with a summery salsa of blueberry, strawberry, diced parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar made for a deliciously different protein. Paired with our favorite grilled veggie (asparagus) and a rice pilaf (minced parsley, arugula, thyme, grape tomatoes, olive oil and tarragon vinegar) and we were in business.

I am here to tell you you no longer have to avoid your wanting eyes when you walk past the seafood department at your local grocer. Instead, take a deep breath, march your little self up there, and ask the fish monger what he can recommend. Yet another way to connect with a complete stranger about food!