Pasta with artichokes and carrots

I know it's been much too long since I've stopped by to say hello. I have no real excuses, because honestly, I haven't been very busy. The only exciting thing that has happened this past month was that we got to go to the All Star Game that was held here in St. Louis. How often do you get the advantage of living in the city in which something big like that is happening? Patrick is a huge baseball fan, so we knew we had to go. We had a great time, and got to spend some time with friends who came from Virginia to see the game.



When we took this job, we knew that Patrick would be doing shift-work, and that the rotation would be every 3 months, switching between days, swings and mids. So, when his schedule changed again we weren't too upset. He is now working the swing shift which means he leaves the house just before 1 in the afternoon, and gets back home about 10:45 at night. The only real problem with this, as I'm sure you can guess, has been the change that I've had to do in order to get lunch and dinner ready. We like to have lunch before he leaves for work, and he normally takes his dinner in to work. I've come to realize that I don't like to do a lot of cooking at 9 in the morning. I'm just not quite awake enough to be wielding a knife with anything but trepidation before I've had coffee. Breakfast items are O.K. at that time, as are getting things started that need to cook for hours such as pasta sauce or a roast. But to cook the main meal at that time, and then eat immediately afterwards is just a little daunting at that hour. I really don't know what we have been eating, although I have vague recollections of some less than appealing foods. Things that I've tried to pull together as well as - horror of all horrors - prepared foods. Which hopefully explains my absence!



Needless to say, what I am attempting to do is begin cooking the day before. Which means that in the morning I'm not rushing around trying to get lunch ready. For the following dish - Pasta with artichokes and carrots, I made the sauce last night, so this morning all I had to do was cook the spinach fettuccine and crumble the goat cheese. I normally would prefer to use fresh artichokes, but this time I took the easy way out and used frozen. I love artichokes, but they can be unwieldy to prepare. This is a really great dish, very light tasting, which is great for the summer, but it is also very filling and best of all good for the waistline.

Pasta with artichokes and carrots
From "The Mayo Clinic Williams Sonoma Cookbook"


1 pound dried spinach fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
16 oz frozen artichoke hearts, cut lengthwise into thin strips
8 carrots, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup dry vermouth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup crumbled soft goat cheese

Fill a large pot three-quarters full of water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes, or according to package directions.

While the pasta cooks, in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the artichoke hearts, carrots, and red pepper flakes and saute until the carrots are tender, 5 - 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add the vermouth, lemon juice and thyme. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer.

Remove 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta thoroughly. Add the reserved cooking water and pasta to the vegetables. Stir and toss to combine.

To serve, divide among 6 individual plates. Top each with an equal amount of the goat cheese.

Open faced wasabi-horseradish crab melt

It has been almost 10 years since I first tried an open faced crab melt sandwich. Patrick and I had just moved back to Seattle, after living in Seoul for two years. It was a stressful time because Patrick was gone for almost a year of the year and a half we were home. We were living in Ballard, and because he wasn't home very much we weren't able to go out very much.

It was an unusual evening because Patrick was actually home, and we wanted to get out of the house and do something, but we didn't know what we wanted to do. We were not starving, but wanted to get a little something to eat - not a full meal. We got in the car and started driving around. We spotted this dive bar on the water, and it looked like a great place to hang out. I wish that I could remember the name of the bar that we stopped in, although it may not even be there anymore! It was a dark and smoky bar with a jazz band playing, and everyone seemed to know each other. I cannot believe that we only went there once, it was just the type of place we like to go to. We ordered some wine, but also wanted a little something to munch on. That was when we saw the open faced crab melt on an english muffin. As soon as we took one bite, we knew we had found something wonderful. I'm not sure if I can do justice in describing the seemingly easy combination of flavors that make up the delicious flavor of a crab melt.

Because it is a very rich dish, I haven't made them in a very long time. But the other day, when I realized I had leftover crab from the crab and avocado quesadilla I had made for dinner, this was the first thing I thought about.

If you have never tried Bay's english muffins, I highly recommend them. You find them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and they are my favorite.

Some crab melts use a lot of mayonnaise and cheese, but I wanted to put a different flavor on these crab melts and make them a little healthier. I decided that a wasabi-horseradish would add some heat and flavor, and allow me to use less mayonnaise.

In order to cut some of the cheese, I used just a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan to the top of the melts to give just a touch of flavor. I plated the tomato to the side of my crab melts, but I put the tomato on top to eat.

Open Faced Wasabi-Horseradish Crab Melts on English Muffins

This is what I did, but you may need to adjust the seasoning to your tastes. If you do not like spicy food, use all mayonnaise in place of the wasabi-horseradish.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, finely mined
1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon creamy wasabi-horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
4 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
2 english muffins, split and lightly toasted
1 tomato, sliced

Preheat the broiler, and arrange english muffins on a baking sheet. Saute the onions, bell pepper and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is translucent. Combine the sauteed vegetables, crab meat, mayonnaise, wasabi and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice if needed. Mound the mixture on top of each english muffin and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Broil the melts for 3 to 4 minutes or until they are warmed through and the tops are caramelized. Serve with tomato slices.

Old Clothes and Photography

Ever since I started this blog, I have been fighting with myself over what my intentions are. There are so many wonderful food blogs out there, and I doubt if I have read one-tenth of them! Some read like wonderful short stories, some have you drooling over the dishes that they describe, and most of them have fantastic photography.

Once upon a time, I loved taking pictures. I even thought that I would not make a half-bad photographer. But somewhere along the way I seem to have misplaced that particular talent. Some of this is for lack of trying, I didn't pick up a camera for years. And now that I started this blog, I am forgetting to take pictures of every step of the cooking process. Sometimes even forgetting to take pictures of the final product! I have been getting very frustrated with both the lighting in this house, and the cameras that I am using. I would love to lay the blame on them, but perhaps it could just be user error.

My intention is to write at least once a week. A recipe that I want to share with everyone, with beautiful pictures and intelligent writing. I haven't been living up to that intention, but I am going to try harder.

This particular dish is a prime example of my forgetfulness. I made this last night, and did not even once think of taking a picture. I know that Ropa vieja, or "old clothes" does not make a pretty picture, especially if you are taking it the next day without much fuss. But it is a wonderful dish. This version is not a traditional Cuban recipe, but it is one that I came up with one day when I didn't want to go to the store. My onions had gone bad, and I had no bell peppers, but I did have a beef brisket in the freezer, lots of spices and some rice. I know it takes a long time to cook, but it is something you can put on the stove and almost forget about. I try to make this a few times a year and stash some in the freezer for quick meals. I usually serve at least a few servings over rice. It is terrific in just about any Mexican or Cuban dish, nachos, quesadillas, burritos or tacos. It is also fantastic added to scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast.

Ropa vieja or Shredded Beef over Rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 4 pound boneless top chuck roast, trimmed of all visible fat
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
2 cups water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

rice, for serving

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper, and place carefully in the hot oil. Brown all sides of the roast.
Combine all remaining ingredients, except rice and pour over the meat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Check the liquid occasionally and turn the roast to get all sides in the liquid. Cook for 4 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove roast from the liquid and shred meat. Return the meat to the juices and increase the heat to reduce the sauce, if needed. Season to taste, and serve over rice.

Heat makes me crazy

I think I must have been delusional when I found out we were moving to St. Louis. For some strange reason, I thought that St. Louis in the summer would be cooler than Washington, DC or Norfolk, Virginia. Ha! I'm not sure why I thought that, maybe it was during one of the heat spells in Norfolk that I thought that. St. Louis is HOT. I think of this as the beginning of summer and with the heat index it is 108 right now outside. I'm really afraid to know what August is going to be like!

I don't know if it's my Irish blood, or the fact that I grew up in mild Seattle, but the heat does strange things to me. Not even taking into account the fact that I burn in under 10 minutes, but if I am out in it for any length of time, I get light-headed, dizzy and downright odd in the head. I am really thankful that I am not working, and I don't have to go out much if I don't really want to!

Thankfully we have central air conditioning, which is something almost unheard of in Seattle. Whenever I think of central A/C I can't help but think of the scene from the movie "Dogma" with the demon Azrael. "No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater than central air...". I whole-heartedly agree with that!

But, because this is an older home that we are renting, there are some rooms that don't cool quite as well as others - the kitchen in particular. My kitchen is 80 degrees right now, while it is 75 degrees in the dining room, where I am right now. As you can imagine, I haven't been wanting to spend too much time in the kitchen, but I have to spend some time in the kitchen - we have to eat!

Which brings us to one of the most recent dishes I've made. I did have to heat up the kitchen to make Rotini with Salmon and Roasted Garlic from "Everyday Pasta" by Giada De Laurentis, but I ate the leftovers cold the next day! If you can remember to roast your garlic earlier in the day or the day before, this comes together very quickly.

But, you can also use the heat of the oven to make on of my favorite side dishes - roasted asparagus. Just rinse and dry your asparagus, and snap the ends off. Place them in a roasting dish large enough to lay the spears flat. Drizzle them with just enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Depending on the thickness of your asparagus, they will take approximately 6-12 minutes to cook.

Rotini with Salmon and Roasted Garlic

from "Everyday Pasta" by Giada De Laurentis

2 whole heads of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound rotini or fusilli (corkscrew-shaped pasta)

1/2 cup Marsala or white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 pound salmon, cut into 1-inch cubes

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons drained capers

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the heads of garlic in half crosswise and place on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil up and around the garlic, making sure it stays flat, and fold the edges to seal into a tight packet. Roast until soft, about 60 minutes. Let the garlic cool slightly, then squeeze the cloves out of the skin. Mash half of the roasted garlic cloves into a paste with the back of a fork. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, combine the Marsala and chicken broth in a large heavy skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the mashed roasted garlic and stir to dissolve. Simmer uncovered for 4 minutes, then add the salmon, cover, and simmer for 4 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and add the remaining whole roasted garlic cloves, the lemon zest and juice, rosemary and the cooked pasta. Stir to combine; add the extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir once more. Serve immediately.

Our lives for the last month, or so...

Hello again. I think it is a good thing that I don't have a lot of readers yet, with my recent absence. I with that I could say that I won't be away for that long again, but life has a way of throwing curve balls at you.

It has been a whirlwind month. Both Patrick and I are exhausted. Joyce, my mother-in-law, went into a nursing home last Tuesday. This has been one of the most frustrating and difficult situations that we've dealt with in our lives.

I am finally able to sit down in a silent house. All I have heard for the last month is the constant noise of the TV and an oxygen machine. I sometimes forget that I am unusual (in so many ways). Most people need background noise - the TV, radio, etc. I love music, but I need silence in order to relax. Perhaps I should really consider spending some time at a Buddhist Monastery. Before all of this happened, I had been trying to do yoga and meditate, although I haven't had the time nor the energy to do anything lately! I think my favorite thing that has happened in the last month, is the reply to a Facebook entry I made about trying to relax from my friend Shazi -she told me that my new nickname was "Zen Jen". I like it!

It all began on Sunday April 26th. Patrick was off, and we were running errands and trying to explore St. Louis when he got a call from his aunt. His mom was in the hospital. I guess I should fill you in with some background before I go on. Joyce has a myriad of health issues. To summarize, she has been diabetic since 1983, she had a triple bypass in 1999, she has macular degeneration and is legally blind, and has been going through kidney dialysis 3 times a week for the last 3 years. For the last 1o years or so, we have been trying to convince her to move into a facility of some sort. At first we were trying to get her into a senior community, and as time went on, and her health problems got worse, we tried to convince her to go into an assisted living facility and then a nursing home. She didn't want to do that; she did not think she needed to go into any sort of home. Ever since before Patrick retired from the Navy, we had been talking about moving her closer to us. With all of the uncertainties we were facing: where we were going to be, what his job would be and would we like the area, we didn't make any definate plans. We were going to address the issue once he was permanent in his new job and had vacation time. That was going to give us plenty of time to find a community for her to live in. Before the 26th of April, she was still insisting that she could live on her own in an apartment. Then the doctor called us and told us that she could not live alone any longer, and that if we wanted her to be close to us, than it was better to do it soon. Very soon.

So began the scramble. Patrick worked 10 days straight so that he could have 4 days off to bring her to St. Louis. On Thursday, May 7th we drove out of St. Louis after Patrick got off work to pick up my mother-in-law, Joyce (from now on referred to as MIL) in Alabama. We had to be back home by that Sunday (Mother's Day) so that she could make her dialysis appointment on Monday, and Patrick started work again on Tuesday.

We knew even before getting home that having her stay with us for an extended period of time was not going to work. Now, you have to understand that we are renting an old house, with stairs at both the front and back entrances. My MIL needs the wheelchair lift to use the bus, because she can't go up those stairs. Within the first week that she lived with us, she fell 5 times! She did get a nasty gash on one of those falls, but thankfully she never truly hurt herself.

We soon realized exactly how much care she needed.

I think that many young girls dream of being a nurse. I was never one of those girls. I respect nurses. More now than I did before. The last month I have administered her medication, been her aid to and from her three times a week dialysis appointments, bandaged her boo-boos (her words, not mine), tried to cook food she would like according to her renal diet (I'll be doing another post on that), tried to keep the house clean and do laundry, cleaned up fecal matter, helped her in and out of the shower, put cream on a rash on her butt... this list could go on, but I don't want to get into too much detail.

We have realized that I have more patience than I thought I had, and that Patrick has less than he thought he had.

And then you have the difference in personalities. My MIL has always been a bit childish. I think that has something to do with her size. At 4'7", she is a small woman, and her voice is very high (think a little lower than the munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz") . I know that people always mention how cute and adorable she is, and I think at some point in her young life she decided to play that up a bit. She seems to be regressing more and more as she ages. She talks with baby-talk, allot. She refers to her "tummie", when she is hungry she wants some "yummies", things are "all-rightyyy", and any sore is a "boo-boo".

Those of you who know me well, know that I don't watch much television, and when I do I prefer quirky films and programs. Shows such as "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "The Soprano's", "Weeds", etc... Because of her health issues, my MIL can't do much except watch television. Her favorite things to watch are Disney cartoon movies, John Wayne films and the Andy Griffith show. I found out in the last few weeks that she also watches the Hallmark Channel, Foodtv, and the Price is Right.

We did have a home nurse that came out several times a week to check her vital signs and make sure that everything was OK. That was nice until she told me that my MIL should not even be getting out of a chair or her bed by herself. My MIL sleeps most of the day, and is up at night. I didn't know how I was going to be able to be there all the time that she needed me. Needless to say, I have spent the last few weeks on pins and needles. Scared that I was going to find her on the floor, again. I don't sleep well normally, but I have been constantly thinking of what needs to be done next, and did I give her the right medication, am I cooking her the correct food, what should I cook her next...

Food - sigh. She has the will-power and self-control of a 3 year old child left alone in a grocery store. When I first met her, 14 years ago, she ate McDonald's for breakfast every morning (remember she was diabetic) and from what I can tell she hadn't stopped that, even with being a kidney patient. She doesn't like plain water because it tastes "ickie". She only likes chicken fried, she always wants sweet things, and she salts everything, most of the time before tasting it -including fruit. I felt like I was a nanny again, trying to get her to eat healthy food. Nothing I cooked or did was right, or good enough for her.

Although I am happy that she is in a nursing home, I feel guilty for putting her there. She is not happy and she does not think that she needs to be in a nursing home. I constantly have to remind myself that the nurses know that she needs to be there. Whether she likes it, or knows it, it is where she should be.

The adventure is not quite over yet. She is in a home, but we still need to apply for Medicaid, so that she can stay there. Then there will be the complaints. Neither of us are looking forward to that, but it will be really wonderful to be able to go and visit her once or more a week, spend an hour or so with her, and then come home to silence.

Ahh... silence!

In the mood for Asian

I've been thinking a lot about how my cooking styles have changed lately. When I was first learning to cook, I was very unsure of myself and only tried very easy dishes. You know the type, the ones in which a can or two of cream soup are involved. It didn't take too long for the foodie gene to hit me, and I started trying many more types of recipes.

I think that most of the time what we cook is in direct relationship to how much time we have to devote to the kitchen. Although, I am rethinking that since I have all the time to cook that I may need or want, and yet I haven't felt the creative urge to do something time consuming like baking bread like I used to. There are so many recipes and techniques that I would love to master, and yet... I find myself doing something else. Is it all in one's frame of mind?

All of this thinking made me remember how many Asian -inspired meals I used to make. At least a couple of times a month, if not once a week I would cook something, whether it be Thai, Korean, Chinese or an Asian fusion meal. That stopped when we lived in Italy. I remember trying to cook Pad Thai on a warm summer day in our small kitchen in Italy, and it just didn't feel right. There is a reason why a certain food or wine tastes exceptional in one geographical area but only just okay in another.

Even though we have been back in the Continental U.S. for some time, I have only prepared Asian meals occasionally. Which is such a waste because there are some wonderful reasons to cook Asian food. It can be very quick and easy to prepare and healthy as well!


Both of us have been craving some Asian inspired food, and so last night I decided to dust off my cooking skills and try some easy dishes. Like many of my favorite dishes, I have several recipes for Szechuan Chicken. This is my lower fat version and is from Canyon Ranch Cooks by Barry Correia and Scott Uehlein. Because I did not feel like getting out my indoor grill, I sliced the chicken into bite sized pieces before placing them in the marinade and stir fried them in a large skillet. To make your next day's meal easy, you can double the recipe for Chicken, and make extra rice in order to make stir-fried rice, which is what I am doing for dinner tonight!

I have had this recipe for Sweet and Sour Carrots for more than 10 years, and I cannot remember where I found it. All I know is that I started cooking it for just about any Chinese inspired meal I would make when we lived in Korea.

Szechuan Chicken

From Canyon Ranch Cooks by Barry Correia and Scott Uehlein


For the marinade:
3 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce
1/2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon chili sauce
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 skinless chicken breast halves, boned and de-fatted

Combine marinade ingredients in a baking dish. Place chicken breasts in marinade and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Prepare coals for grilling, preheat broiler or heat up an indoor grill. Remove chicken from marinade and grill or broil 3 to 4 minutes a side. Chicken is done when juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

Sweet and Sour Carrots

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound carrots, cut on the bias into 1/4" slices
1 small onion, cut in half, then into thin slices

In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup broth, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch. Set aside. Place the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and when it is hot add the carrots and onions. Stir- fry for approximately one minute. Add the 3 tablespoons broth and reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook until the carrots are crisp tender.

Increase the heat to high and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let sauce boil to thicken. Season to taste with salt and serve.

Sometimes easy comfort food is what is needed

It has been a bit stressful around here lately. This past weekend, we found out that we have to drive to Alabama in less than 2 weeks to pick up my mother-in-law and move her to St. Louis to stay with us, for what we are hoping will be a short time. I know that doesn't sound nice, but her health is not good at all, and I have never wanted to be a nurse. As a matter of fact, I am probably the last person you want around during a crisis! When I panic, I have a terrible habit of laughing and babbling uncontrollably. So, we are trying to find all of the information about the local nursing homes. We are finding it difficult with her not being in state, and not having any local doctors. I never knew how hard it was to find nursing homes.

So, you can say that we are in definite need of comfort food. Comfort food is different to everyone, it depends mainly on what you grew up with. There are so many different dishes that I personally define as comfort food - chicken pot-pie, dhal, macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup... for me this could be a very long list.

I think that most people would not think of Sloppy Joes as a comfort food dish. My memories are of my mom every once in a while making a batch of Sloppy Joes, from a can of course! I remember those days as being special. Don't laugh - I told you that my mom wasn't a very good cook!

In doing research online, I found this wonderful Ode to Sloppy Joe that helps sum up some of that comfort food feeling that people get towards this dish. I guess that I am not the only one with fond memories toward this messy sandwich.

It has taken me a while to come up with a recipe for Sloppy Joes that I like, and I actually have two different versions. The one that I am giving you today is my full fat version. When you need comfort food, a lot of times you need the full fat version!I also love this dish because it's quick and easy. I like to serve this open-faced on lightly toasted good bread with an extra coating of garlic. I used to make a double batch so that I could freeze the extra in individual servings in order to have for those busy days when I don't want or feel like cooking.

Sloppy Joes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 large bell pepper, finely chopped (any color will do, I like red bell pepper personally)
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup beer
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup catsup
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 - 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium high heat, and saute the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the celery and the bell pepper and continue sauteing until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Push the vegetables to the side and add the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat is cooked through and no pink remains.

Add the beer, Worcestershire, catsup, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer approximately 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened up and the flavors are blended. Season to taste, and serve either open faced on bread or within hamburger buns.