stuffed tomatoes, redux

YAY STUFFED TOMATOES.

i forgot when i did these. but it must have been around the time from the jalapeno peppers. because this is the same cheddar and the same bread crumbs.

duh. pre-baked:

post-baked:

completely amazing.

MORE BEANS Y'ALL

so i have a ton of chickpeas so i have been making this olive oil & balsamic chickpea & tomato salad. like every week.

this is what it looks like! its best refrigerated.

then i made more rice and beans. this time i used pancetta, the rest of my ornamental peppers, basmati rice & a bag of 17 beans that you are supposed to make soup out of. this rice & beans is just fancier than the last one i made.

oh i also threw some peas in there. also garlic, onions, cumin, chili powder, cayenne. it was very pretty.

taste buds

this is an amazing infographic on "taste buds: complementary flavours"

absolutely stunning

i found it via notcot.org which is another amazing site.

pear tart

tarts are wonderful, and so is puff pastry. elegant and delicious, yet also requiring little effort. if you can remember to thaw it overnight this recipe takes about thirty minutes, prep and bake.

1/3 onion

1 tbsp butter

1tbsp olive oil

2 red pears

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1 sheet puff pastry

salt/pepper to taste

i ALMOST put a little dijon mustard in with the onions as they sauteed, but didn't. i'm going to when i make this again.

saute the onions in butter/olive oil while you prebake the pastry a bit at 400 degrees (maybe 5-10 minutes). slice the pears horizontally (leave them unpeeled). after removing the puff pastry from the oven, layer the onions, followed by the pears, followed by the cheese. return to the oven for about twenty minutes.

strawberry/feta salad

it's true, i have returned.

i have started grad school. it is a time consuming thing, but i love it. i say say this only to provide explanation as to my lack of posting. anyway, blake's posts are just as good/better. i cooked twice over the past two days, however, and i even remembered to take photos. so, i must post.

i was invited to a greek potluck last night with only a couple hours notice, and i had no idea what to bring. somehow, watermelon feta salad sprung into my mind, but as the store had no watermelon, and my friend's home contained no balsamic, i opted for a strawberry feta salad with lemon as an acidic element. we tossed in some chopped basil from his front porch, and there you have it.


love the reflection of the strawberries and basil on the sides of the bowl.

and there was tabouli, and all was right with the world.

first day of october

i am bored as hell but i am scared to leave the house because i don't want to spend any $$$

the stuffing of the tomatoes was so successful that i am going to do it every time i get a tomato big enough to stuff

a coworker had given me this on friday because i am OBSESSED with chickpeas

using the leftover breadcrumbs from the jalapeno poppers

this was amazing. and i have enough to make another one tomorrow!

i also made more vegetable stock (even though i haven't used all of the last batch)

but tomorrow i am planning to make rice and beans using stock so i am now prepared.

ferran adria

so ferran adria came to the harold washington library for a book signing & lecture.

i am so glad that i got to listen to this visionary speak.

he was the head chef of el Bulli, in roses, spain.

do some research (wiki) but this place was sick. 2 million requests per year, and they only served 8,000 meals. they didn't have a a la carte menu, only tasting. most years it actually lost money, the general operating fund coming from book sales & lecture fees. absolutely amazing.

chef adria was introduced by grant achatz, of alinea in chicago, another super important, famous, and respected haute cuisine restaurant in the nation / world.

he was hilarious. brilliant. had a translator. i am obsessed.

quit moving!

ah! anyways it was voted the number one restaurant by restaurant magazine a record 5 times. had three michelin stars. the restaurant closed earlier this summer, but it is going to reopen as a creative center. so amazing.

this is the book i bought & got signed. incredible!

the back cover!

his signature:

the cookbook he was promoting (and the only el Bulli cookbook)

the concept of the cookbook is that they showed what they made at the restaurant, but instead of a 70 - 80 serving size, they reduced it to two servings.

back cover. my friend got this one signed

'food for thought - thought for food' a book i bought at my museum years ago about the concept of el Bulli & everything chef adria does.

sample menu from 2008. changes daily.

a chronological chart of what adria & el bulli have been doing since 1983. split into the following categories: organization & philosophy, products, technology, and preparations.

this dude is seriously talented.