Satisfying a Craving from Halfway Around the World

It's Oktoberfest time and that has me thinking of the delicious food I consumed the last time I was in Munich. I have never been to Munich during Oktoberfest, but I did spend a good amount of time in Munich's beer halls. And while all of the beer halls were fun in their own right, there was one that had the tastiest food hands down - the Ratskeller. This restaurant is located in the bottom story of the Rathaus (which is the town hall) in the middle of the Marienplatz (which is the old town square). This building is amazing and if you ever go to Munich you should check it out (I would put up a photo, but the computer that my pictures from this trip were on got stolen - sigh).

At the Ratskeller, my favorite thing on the menu were the delicious German style potato pancakes. I have searched high and low and nothing has compared to these pancakes. The closest I have come stateside are the potato pancakes with smoked salmon at MacCool's in Salt Lake City, but seeing as I am now 600 miles away from Salt Lake that isn't really an option either. So I decided to do the next best thing to traveling halfway around the world in the pursuit of food - I decided to try and make them myself.

I started out with 2 pounds of russet potatoes, which I peeled:

I then put the grater attachment on my food processor:

And they came out looking like hash browns:

I placed the potatoes in a dish towel and attempted to wring out most of the moisture from them. Then, I mixed them with one egg, 1 Tbsp flour, and 1 tsp baking powder to bind the potatoes together and dropped them into hot vegetable oil on the stovetop, like so:

I cooked the pancakes for about 4 minutes (until they started to brown), and then flipped them over and cooked them for another 4 minutes on the other side:

Then I transferred them to a cookie sheet and baked them in the oven at 425 F for 3 minutes per side to get them extra crispy (if you prefer them less crispy, you could skip this step) and they came out looking like this:

I topped them with a dollop of sour cream, smoked salmon, and chopped fresh chives:

Serve these with your favorite Oktoberfest lager - prost!

Date Night Delicacy

When I think of romantic date-worthy food, my mind automatically turns to France. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was proposed to in one of the most romantic cities on the planet - Paris - right beneath on of the most romantic icons in the world - the Eiffel Tower - (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have got nothin' on me), but I like to think it's something more. After all, what's more romantic than a candlelit dinner at a sidewalk cafe with a nice bottle of wine? And while this type of dinner can be romantic anywhere in the world, the French have truly perfected it.

For those of us who can't afford to jet over to France for an evening meal, I provide the following recipe for French-style scallops in white wine and butter sauce with capellini. This is such a great date night meal. It literally takes less than 10 minutes to make, but it tastes so decadent and rich that your date will think you spent hours slaving away on it. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

Scallop Capellini with White Wine Butter Sauce

1/2 lb (1/2 box) capellini pasta
1 lb fresh scallops (avoid frozen or previously frozen scallops)
salt and pepper (for seasoning)
all purpose flour (for dredging)
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, divided in half
3 large shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
1/3 cup white wine
fresh lemon juice

De Cecco = Delicious. Plus, capellini only takes 2 minutes to cook (no joke).

Chop scallops in half and season with salt and pepper.

Dredge in flour.

Turn to coat both sides with flour.

Place scallops in hot pan with 1/4 stick (1/2 of total amount required for recipe) melted butter over medium-high heat. No matter how tempted you may be, DO NOT under any circumstances touch or turn the scallops for at least 2 minutes.

After two minutes, flip the scallops over. They will have this lovely golden brown crust. Cook for another two minutes on the previously uncooked side, then remove the scallops from the pan.

Melt the remaining 1/4 stick of butter and add parsley, shallots, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add white wine and return scallops to pan so that all of the flavors can meld together. Cook for two minutes, then add several squirts of fresh lemon juice just before serving.

Plate the pasta. Top with scallops.

Pour sauce over pasta, then toss to coat evenly.

Serve al fresco with the wine you used in the recipe (and, of course, candlelight).

Happy 4th of July!

This year, the 4th of July marked one month at my new job. I was totally digging my new job and getting into a groove, when, of course, like clock work, things started to go wrong. Not just one thing. Oh no. That would be far too simple. One thing after another stopped working and I was (and still am) getting frustrated.

So as you may imagine, a 3-day weekend was just what this doctor ordered. I wish I could tell you that the weather was gorgeous and I went to the beach and partied and drowned my work sorrows in a weekend o' fun, but I would be lying. It is in the 60s here in La Jolla, it is windy, and rainy, and I haven't seen the sun in 4 days. And although the weather is not causing my work funk, it is definitely not helping it either.

Due to this weather rut, I spent most of my weekend indoors. Although this doesn't rank high on the excitement meter, it was very relaxing and I got to catch up on my Netflix queue, as well as some much needed rest. I also got to get back in the kitchen and try some new recipes. And really, what better excuse for mid-summer cooking is there than the 4th of July? I made my first attempt at homemade bbq sauce, as well as some patriotic desserts, and more than a few tasty beverages. If you live somewhere chilly like me, bake this salmon and warm up your kitchen. If you live somewhere warm, fire up your grill and try your hand at grilling this salmon. I promise that you won't regret it!

You can find this bbq sauce recipe here. As you can see from the number of ingredients required, it's kind of a kitchen sink approach, but it sure is tasty!

Here's what it looks like once you start boiling it in the pan. The brown sugar makes a nice glaze. It was great on salmon, but would go really well with red meat too.

I made this couscous to accompany the salmon. Pearled (or Israeli as it is also known) couscous is delicious and tastes heartier than regular couscous. Give it a try if you haven't already.

The finished product (not the most gorgeous plating, but you get the idea).

Paul enjoyed some boiler makers while I worked on the meal.

We tried to get Charlie in on the festivities.

To finish the meal, I made mini cheesecakes. The recipe is as follows:

Mini Cheesecakes

Crust:

6 honey graham crackers
1/8 stick of butter (1/4 cup)

Filling:

2 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

Topping:

fresh berries (I used blackberries and raspberries, but blueberries would be nice too)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Coat 4 small pyrex custard cups with non-stick spray. Grind graham crackers (I used a mortar and pestle, but you could also crush them in a ziploc bag). Melt butter and toss with graham crackers in a small bowl. Place 3 Tbsp of the graham cracker and butter mixture in pyrex dishes. Press down with fingers to form loosely packed crust.

Graham crackers before . . . .

And after.

Mini crusts.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl for about two minutes. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, blending well after each addition. Divide filling evenly between pyrex cups. Place cups in casserole dish and pour enough hot water in the casserole dish to reach halfway up the sides of the cups. (I know it's not easy to make out the water with the blue dish, but hopefully you can see it below.)

Bake for 45 minutes at 325 F. Remove cheesecakes from water bath immediately after baking and place on baking rack to cool completely.

After cooling, wrap each cheesecake in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to overnight). Top with berries and serve.

My lame attempt at making a star.

Spa Cuisine

As much as I love cheesy snacks, no one should live on bar food alone. And with the NBA finals dragging on to game 6, I have been consuming more than my fair share of bar food and beer, so I was starting to crave something healthy.

Enter the following dish - it's light and healthy, but packs a ton of flavor. Baking the salmon cuts down on the extra fat you would get while frying the fish. And as an added bonus, it only requires 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make. After eating it, you'll feel full without feeling weighed down. It's like going to a health spa, without the price tag and time commitment.

Baked Salmon with Lemon Olive Oil and Basil

2 salmon fillets
grapeseed oil
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 350F. Brush salmon with grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake salmon for 20 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl. Drizzle salmon fillets with lemon-oil and sprinkle with chopped basil. Serve with couscous (the brand and flavor pictured below pairs really nicely with this salmon recipe).

I Can Explain . . .

I can't believe that it has been over two months since my last blog post. I know that makes me a sad excuse for a blogger, but as the title indicates, I can explain!

The past two months have been some of the most hectic of my life. On March 18th, I defended my thesis:

The flyer for my seminar.

I celebrated by buying myself a bottle of Dom Perignon.

Two days later, I went to Australia for two weeks to celebrate. A few highlights:

The Great Barrier Reef as seen from my helicopter flight - one of the coolest things that I have ever done, bar none.

Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, as seen from Circular Quay.

After I got back, I had to frantically finish up all of my work in lab, pack up my house and move everything down to San Diego, only to turn around and fly back to Utah to attend my graduation ceremony and get hooded:

Me and my thesis advisor.

This red, white, and blue hood made me feel like a super hero.

And a week later, Paul and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been a year already. Where does the time go?

Our cake topper came with a little flag that said Happy Anniversary.

Believe it or not, one year old frozen/thawed wedding cake tastes surprisingly delicious.

But now, it is official. My committee has signed off and after five long years, I am back in San Diego (for at least a few years, that is)! And in honor of being back, I decided to treat Paul and my sister to a feast of Baja style shrimp tacos (what better to eat in San Diego than Mexican food?). These tacos are super light with just the right balance of sweetness and tartness, and the best part is, you can spice them up anyway that you would like. I used salsa and tortillas from Trader Joe's (oh how nice it is to be near a Trader Joe's again, I cannot even describe!), but you could really use anything that you like.

A pound of shrimp for under $5? Have I mentioned that I love Trader Joe's?

Our family friends have an apiary, so I got to use their delicious honey in my marinade.

Handmade tortillas - thanks "Trader Jose"!

Baja Style Shrimp Tacos

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp honey
handful of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp Cajun Creole seasoning (can be found in the spice aisle)
1/4 tsp paprika
1 pound shelled, deveined shrimp, tails removed

flour tortillas

Whisk together first eight ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Toss shrimp in marinade to coat evenly and refrigerate in marinade mixture for at LEAST one hour (but I highly recommend marinating the shrimp for a longer period of time to let the flavors set in, up to overnight). Spray a heavy skillet with non-stick spray and heat on high. If using raw shrimp, cook shrimp until just opaque and remove. If using pre-cooked shrimp, heat until just starting to brown and remove. Pour marinade into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until marinade thickens and sauce forms. Place several shrimp in each tortilla and spoon sauce over shrimp. Top with whatever taco toppings you prefer (I am a purist, so I usually just use cheese, salsa, and fresh squeezed lime), and enjoy!

My Semi-Homemade New Year's Eve Party

If you, like me, are addicted to the Food Network then you have no doubt at one point or another come across the show Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. I have to say that she drives me crazy with her "No one will ever know it's semi-homemade" and her outfits which are somehow color coordinated to her set decorations and table decorations which somehow magically change with EVERY episode. Who has the time (or money for that matter) to do that for every party they throw? In spite of my frustration with her show, however, I couldn't help but think of her when I designed my New Year's Eve party menu this year because everything I made involved at least one pre-packaged item. And although she annoys me, I have to give credit where credit is due - it sure did make my party prep a whole lot easier.


First and foremost, the cocktails - I wanted to make a champagne cocktail in honor of New Year's and I found a bottle of Creme de Cassis in my liquor cabinet, so I decided to go with the Kir Royale, which simply consists of one glass of champagne and a tsp (or more to taste) of Creme de Cassis. Super easy yet elegant looking, so right up my alley.

For my first appetizer, I decided to go with smoked salmon toasts, and just like the cocktails, these really couldn't be easier to put together. I picked up some store bought smoked salmon, pictured here:

then assembled these toasts:

using the following recipe:

Smoked Salmon Toasts

one baguette
one 4 oz package smoked salmon
sour cream
chopped chives (you could also substitute fresh dill for the chives)

Cut baguette into slices. Broil at 500 F for approx 5 minutes (until toasted but not burnt). Spread each slice of toast with about 1 tsp of sour cream. Top with one slice of smoked salmon and sprinkle chopped chives on top.

For my vegan guests, I made a variation on another Food Network star's recipe, Giada de Laurentiis' Polenta Squares with Mushroom Ragu. Instead of making the polenta from scratch (as Giada's recipe suggests), I purchased store bought, ready to serve polenta:

which I then cut into rounds and broiled for about 5 minutes at 500 F. I then followed her mushroom ragu recipe, but substituted portabello mushrooms for cremini mushrooms and omitted the butter and flour combo and instead used cornstarch to thicken the sauce (so that I could keep the recipe vegan). It worked well and no one missed the butter at all.

Mushroom Ragu

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz sliced portabello mushrooms
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 Marsala wine (I used a non-alcoholic Marsala cooking wine)
1 tsp cornstarch

Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute for about 8 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Decrease heat to medium-low and add marsala. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until wine has reduced by half. Add cornstarch and stir to incorporate. Cover and let simmer for 2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove sauce from heat and spoon over polenta.


(I apologize that the picture is not so great due to my shadow covering the food, but hopefully you can get the idea).