V-Day (pt 2) dinner - no reservations needed

The boyfriend and I had reservations yesterday, but we didn't quite make it there. The chocolate covered mango was a hit and he brought me amazing chocolates from Bond Street Chocolate in the East Village, so we totally ruined our appetite and didn't end up going. Of course, around 11pm we were ravenous, so I whipped up some Moroccan Chicken with Kumquats (which I picked up at my local Key Food) & Prunes using this recipe.

Some changes: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken, decreased the amount of onion, added a very liberal amount of cayenne and used Goya sazon con azafran instead of legit saffron (that ish is expensive!). I served it over tri-color couscous.

Grammy night grub

I like to make award show watching eventful. Good food makes me happy and when I'm happy, I'm less apt to throw something at the TV screen if I disagree. For this year's Grammy awards, I opted to make Faux Crab Cakes and Orange-Almond-Pignoli Couscous.

The faux crab cakes were a bootleg take on my grandma's version. She made stuffing from scratch, then combined lump crab meat, egg and seasoning. I'm almost embarrassed to tell you about my version, but it was a big hit so I'll be brave - 1 box low sodium Stovetop stuffing (*hides*), 3 packages of Chicken of the Sea imitation crab, two eggs, lots of pepper and a dash of lemon and hot sauce. I mixed everything in a large bowl, then fried the cakes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, about 4 minutes on each side, medium - high heat. I had to use imitation crab because I'm quite allergic to the real stuff, a great source of sorrow and shame when I was growing up in Maryland.

The couscous was a variation on this recipe from Rachael Ray (I like to think of myself as a less chipper, more misanthropic version of her). I added the pignoli nuts and instead of just toasted, plain almonds, I coated them in olive oil and grated parmesan beforehand. I also always add a little honey to my couscous. The dish was simultaneously salty, tangy and a bit sweet. It was better the next day, but even so, it couldn't quell the pain from that Stevie Nicks/Taylor Swift duet.

Thanks again to Stephen Cafe for his superior photography skills. I pay him in sustenance.

Veal Kofta Extravaganza

So I imagined I'd start up this blog a little sooner, but better late than never. Happy 2010 everybody! To forewarn you, my plating and photography skills leave much to be desired, but I contend that it doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it tastes good.

...or at least that's what I tell myself after every spectacular plating failure.

Anyway, let's get to the grub!

The other night I prepared an all-out feast for myself and my boy. A few of the items are ones that I've perfected through years and years of dedicated eating, the others I co-opted and made my own. I like to think of the meal as an ode to North Africa, along with those who raped and pillaged it (big ups to France and Italy! England, your food sucked).

White Bean Bisque (courtesy of Serious Eats)

I made a few changes to Kerry Saretsky's recipe. For starters, I forgot to buy a shallot, so that went out the window. Also, garlic chips didn't excite me, so they didn't get made. I used mascarpone instead of butter - I do that in recipes because somehow it seems healthier to me (although it's entirely possible that's all a delusion). However, to counter any (real or imaginary) health benefits, I decided to use a little pancetta. Although I'm not the biggest fan of swine (what good daughter of a muslim could be? oh, that's right, the daughter of a muslim who likes mortadella), my boyfriend is a fiend for the pig and he appreciates it anywhere, in anything. I also used half and half in lieu of heavy cream.

All in all, the bisque was much more flavorful than I had imagined. I think the pancetta gave it just enough smokey goodness. It was a relatively elegant way to start our feast. (Pssst...after eating leftovers for a few days, I grew tired of elegance and threw some hot sauce on that shit. It was good. I swear!).

Tabbouleh

My tabbouleh was simple and traditional. Bulgur, parsley, mint, salt, pepper, onions, tomatoes, olive oil and a ton of lemon juice. This dish is on my list of foods I'd ask for while eating my last death-row meal.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Chickpeas, glorious chickpeas. Why anybody would buy the store-bought stuff when hummus is so easy (and kinda fun) to make is beyond me. I season the heck out of my hummus - cumin, coriander, just a little five spice, paprika, cayenne, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Olive oil, tahini and lemon juice galore. If you stop there you have a really delicious basic hummus (with a lot of kick - if you love cayenne as much as I do). When I'm making veal kofta, I like to add roasted red pepper into the equation, inserting flavors that are traditionally Italian into something otherwise very N-African/Middle Eastern (*insert crude joke about my conception and/or current dating choices here*).

Veal Kofta (making a meal)

Kofta, for those of you who don't know, is what happens when a meatball and kebab have a baby. Chopped meat (usually lamb or beef) is mixed with rice or bulgur, eggs and spices. My version was made of veal and breadcrumbs, but spiced with cinnamon, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, parsley, garlic and onion. And yes, hot sauce (preferably Mamoun's, but, truthfully, I've never met a hot sauce I didn't like). Nestled in each was a few golden raisins because I like to counter the spiciness. I fried them in olive oil and served them alongside the tabbouleh and hummus. My boyfriend chose to have his in a sandwich with (just decent, inauthentic) aish, the tabbouleh and hummus piled atop. Yeah, you can see a bottle of hot sauce in the background. I told you...

Grilled Pears a la Mode (also from Serious Eats)

It was Curious George approved. Don't ask. The bf's a weirdo. By now I was totally stuffed, but who could pass up such ooey-gooey goodness? I adhered to the recipe this time, save for the use of my George Foreman grill. Don't hate - it did the job. I also opted for vanilla bean because the little black specks make a difference, damnit.

And then I lapsed into a food coma - the true mark of success.