Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Years Eve dinner 2009


Broiled fresh snapper -12 minutes
Zucchini, string beans , greens and fruit salad - 5 minutes
Prepared by Chef's Rusty, Arnold, Georgia, and Joanne

Yes, we are going to eat that...

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Chocolate Pizza

Mmmm... It was REALLY good!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

One Pizza To Rule Them All...

Cranberry-Pistachio Cornmeal Biscotti

Cranberry-Pistachio Cornmeal Biscotti.

I made this Christmas morning to bring to Stephen's grandmother's house. Can you believe that some of his family members didn't know what Biscotti was?!!??!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Emily

Christmas Morning Treats


Mama Rusty's Bourbon Glazed Sticky Buns. We all had to take a nap after eating two each.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Bistro Lunch... At Home



Open Faced Tuna Melt
Tuna with:
shallots
pickles
celery
salt
pepper
Nayonase

Feta on top (Also good with Muenster, Jack, Smoked Gouda, Whatevs..)

My Secret:
I toast the bread first, and lightly butter it.. then slather a good dose of mustard on it.

Then the tuna + cheese and then I throw it under the broiler for a minute.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Apple Nut Bread

From the Tassajara Bread Book

Sunday, November 29, 2009



thanksgiving meal!

Mmm... Apple Pie

And it smells even better than it looks!

Sunday, November 8, 2009


pizza - I used a slow raising dough. so worth it!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

"Reunion" Dinner



Spanikopita, "Spinach Pie" made with Swiss Chard, so technically "σέσκλουpita".

All the Vermonters, Coloradans, and Utahites made it out West for Trish's wedding, and we were able to get together for a wonderful dish cooked up by MamaR. Here's a Wikipedia entry for Spanikopita.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Roasted Beet Salad

This is one of the best recipes that I've ever invented.
It is really nice to have on a summer evening.
I'm not sure what main course it would pair best with, maybe a white fish fillet, Tilapia?


Roasted beets (1/2 thick pieces)
onion (chopped, big pieces)
garlic (whole or 1/2 cloves)
olive oil
salt & pepper
fresh dill (torn in small pieces)
lime (in wedges)
mild blue cheese (crumbled)


First you have to roast the beets:

-toss them in olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
(more salt can be added after they are roasted)
-chop up some onions and throw in a few garlic cloves.
-roast 'em at 450 for about a 1/2 hour or until they feel tender when you poke a fork in 'em.
-ideally they'll sit for about 20 minutes or so before you start adding the other ingredients. They should be warm, not hot.



Prepare on individual plates so it stays pretty


On a plate:

-lay a pile of the warm roasted beets in the center of the plate
-squeeze a wedge of lime over the beets, scrape out some of the pulp and add that
-sprinkle on a good amount of the fresh dill
-top off with crumbled blue cheese

key factors are enough lime juice and enough salt: experiment!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Salad Innovations



It actually feels like summer in San Francisco today. The heat inspires me to eat light, lots of fruit and veggies. It also inspires me to drink Sangria, but that's another story...

So I threw this salad together with some random veggies that were laying around the kitchen.

I tried a couple of things that I've never done before and they turned out great:

Raw broccoli, chopped up finely, and mixed with the greens.
It gave the mix a nice texture and bite, and made the salad feel heartier.

Seasoned Seeded Tomatoes
I think I've mentioned before that I like to take the seeds out of my tomatoes, I think they taste better that way.
Today I rubbed them with salt and chili powder, it was delicious!





The salad also has walnuts and blue cheese in it. The blue cheese didn't go that well with the seasoned tomatoes, I think I'd leave it out next time, maybe an aged, sharper cheese would go better.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Surf, Turf, and Garden


Grilled pork tenderloin with Arnold's Secret RibRub. I made a perfect summer soup, using my home made yogurt, served chilled for those hot summer days. And of course, Sugar Snap peas, served cold with summer savory and anise. Here is the recipe for the soup:
2 med cukes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 med yellow peppers, chopped
2 cups 1-inch cubes honeydew melon
1.5 tbls finely chopped shallot
1 fresh jalapeno chili, or to taste, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tbls fresh lemon or lime juice, or to taste

1/2 lb. lump crab meat
1 tbls ex-virgin olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
3 tbls finely chopped fresh chives

Puree all soup ingredients in blender with salt & pepper to taste. Force soup thru a fine sieve into a bowl and chill, covered, 4 hours or until very cold. Can be made 1 day in advance.
Just before serving, toss crab with oil, vinegar, salt & pepper. Mound equal amounts in center of individual bowls and ladle soup around. Garnish with chopped chives and yellow peppers

Summer Seafood


Take a nice piece of Orange Roughy and some big sea scallops, steam them til just done and serve over a light and velvety coconut/line curry sauce. Served with dilled baby carrots from the garden. Ymmm.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

My First Frittata


Potato, swiss chard, spinach, green onion, basil and garlic. Didn't even burn myself flipping the thing.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Ribbin' it



Inspired by Chef James Carbone, Papadam decided to treat Mama Rusty to her favorite....slow cooked BBQ rubbed baby back ribs

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Fabulous Cornbread and Gorgonzola Dressing

I came across this recipe on the internets and had to give it a try. It's a bit of work but the result is worth it--I'll probably do it again for a holiday like Thanksgiving.

Served it up with a big salad (lettuce from the garden) and two small New York steaks.



These are the ingredients from left to right: cubed french baguette, gorgonzola cheese, soaked porcini mushrooms (with the remaining liquid in the metal bowl), cornbread, and the leek, garlic, shallot, sage mixture before sautéing.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

eating well...

The first two are from a meal with Mom and Arnold (salmon, salad...)



















... which we liked so much, we had it again the following weekend for Amir's Birthday.

yum

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Italian Style Lunch Hour



Home between shifts to cook up an energizing lunch!
White beans, sauteed with onions and italian spices, and tomatoes
on Toasted Baguette, and topped with Goat Cheese
and a side salad

Friday, June 12, 2009

Eight ways to lose your lover


Step one . Find your self a nice, fresh octopus.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Cupcakes



Yes, I know this is not the picture people care about these days -- but it was easy to post. Cupcakes for our little baking muffin (our shower).

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Special Saturday Dinner


Roast Chicken, Root Vegetables, Mustard Greens
Green Beans Sauteed with Olive Oil and Garlic

I basically followed this recipe from Bon Appetit, but without the yams.
And here's the recipe for the green beans, from Teri's Kitchen dot com.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Food Photo Tips?

There is some really high quality Food Photography happening on this blog...
I would like some tips! My photos always come out yellow, and the food doesn't look nearly as good as it does in person... advice?

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Dinner With Friends

So, finally taking a breath from the chaos of school... now I have time to cook dinner for my friends! It's so nice to cook for people!


I discovered Lucca Ravioli Co. on a walk the other day.... my new home away from home, felt like being at Grandma's house... except I had to pay for everything...

... that's where the delicious bread and olives came from.





Spinach pasta, salted and tossed in olive oil
Topping: garlic, onions, cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded (I swear by seeding tomatoes for sauces—it eliminates the water problem, and besides, tomatoes are a nightshade, like peppers, and the seeds leech calcium from your body—which is why they are often paired with cheese...), spinach, and chevre





To Friends (Sasha and Hillary), and Food, and the Time to enjoy them!





....And... I've decided to start eating Sardines!

(our cat is really happy about this development)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

What pie?


Spring is really here when someone makes strawberry rhubarb pie!
This delish pie was made at Kelly & Amir's with their own home-grown strawberries and a neighbor's rhubarb.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Chicken Enchiladas con Pepper Jack Queso



A friend pointed me to a recipe for "easy enchilada sauce" courtesy of Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network. I also read somewhere online that the chili powder used in enchilada sauce was from pasilla chiles--true or not, I can't say. I've got chili powder, but it doesn't say what kind of chile it's from, so I bought a bag of dried pasillas, and made my own in the mini food processor. When finished, the tomato paste flavor seemed to dominate the sauce, but when mixed with all the other flavors in THE WHOLE ENCHILADA (hee, hee), it was muy bueno. I built the enchies following the usual procedure, filling the sauce coated corn tortillas with a mixture of shredded cooked chicken, sauteed onion, garlic and a couple chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, which imparted a slightly smoky flavor, as well as a little spicy heat. Using pepper jack cheese upped the heat un poquito tambien.

(Notice the St. Pauli Girl bubbling in the glass).

Monday, May 4, 2009

Housemate Collaboration


When my housemate Tony and I join forces in the kitchen we always end up with the greatest creations. With his Kale and my Beets... we are unstoppable!



















Warm Savory Salad

steamed beats sauteed with kale, onions and miso
california 'backyard' oranges
goat cheese
and a bit of arugula for freshness

email update feature

For all you Cooking Carbone fans... we have just added a new feature: the email notification... yes, when someone updates the blog you will get an email! no more checking daily to see if there are new posts or, more likely, posting something and wondering for months if anyone ever looked at it. Now there is no excuse and we expect lots of comments.

(ps. if you hate this feature and want your email removed from the update list, just let Kelly know!)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Chicken with Parmesan and Herb Crust



Garlic, Italian herbs, and Parmesan cheese went into the bread crumb crust. Topped with spring greens, a lemony vinaigrette. Served with asparagus...and the obligatory St. Pauli Girl. [from November '08]

Monday, April 27, 2009

Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Turkey Breast

Trish inspired me to cook more with turkey breasts, and here is my version.  Take a boned turkey breast, pound it out flat with a mallet, and fill with a tasty mixture of onions, mushrooms, garlic, spinach, bread crumbs, roll up and cook at 350 degrees for about one to one and a half hours. 
Served with oven fries and broccoli rabe. And of course a nice wine.