1 Comment

Posted on May 9, 2024 by ktinakelleher

When I was a kid I loved those canned California black olives and would gobble them up off the relish tray. I hated green olives (you know, the ones stuffed with pimento) and “Greek” olives like Kalamatas and would pick them off of my Greek salads. Thankfully my palate evolved and I now can’t stand those waxy California black olives and pick them off my salads. Now I love briny olives of all variety and color, especially those from the Mediterranean, such as Spain (Manzanilla, Picual), Southern France (Picholine, Nicoise, Oil Cured Provencale), Italy (Castelveltrano, Taggiasche), and Greece (Kalamata, Conservoila). Each has their own unique texture and taste and are so much more interesting than those canned and jarred olives that were on the relish trays of the 1970’s. Whether added to salads, pureed into tapenade, studded in sourdough bread (then made into croutons), they are so delicious and versatile once you acquire the taste.

My young niece, Quinn LOVES olives, which is a bit unusual for kids her age. From the time she could barely talk, she would gobble up my homemade croutons made from olive bread (then store bought, before being “gifted” with sourdough starter) and demand “cwouton!” when they were out of reach. Now 10, she will eat them by the bowl full and even ordered up an appetizer of Warm Olives when we were at lunch during a recent visit to their home in Nevada. Watching her devour those warm olives made me think she would love this chicken dish that I have made for years.

img_3092-1
Hmm, any olives left for us?
img_3062
My sous chef, Quinn
img_3073
Crazy Eights, anyone??

CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

If you love olives, this one's for you. Whether for a week night dinner, or as part of a buffet for a crowd, this is a regular in my repertoire and always receives rave reviews. It is super easy and so flavorful, thanks to the tang from the lemon juice and the brininess of the olives. You can grill the chicken in advance and cover with foil, then heat the sauce up at the last minute and pour over when you're ready to serve.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Buffet, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed (about 4 lemons)
  • 2 tsp Lemon Zest (zest of 1 lemon – zest before squeezing)
  • 1 Lemon, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Shallots, minced (1 large or 2 medium shallots)
  • 2 TBSP Garlic, minced (use a garlic press) (about 6 large cloves)
  • 1 1/2 Cups White Wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive OIl
  • 8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves (4 Whole Breasts)
  • 1 Cup Kalamata Olives, pitted & sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1 Cup Green Olives, pitted & sliced crosswise (such as Castelveltrano)

Instructions
 

PREPARE MARINADE & MARINATE CHICKEN

  • Crush the garlic with a garlic press, scraping out all of the flesh in between pressings and place in a medium bowl or 4 cup measuring cup.
  • Add the lemon zest, chopped shallots, salt, pepper, lemon juice and white wine and whisk together.
  • Whisk in the olive oil until it is well blended.
  • Place the chicken breasts and lemon slices in a container large enough to hold all of the meat and the marinade, preferably a plastic container with a secure lid. (A large/gallon Zip Loc bag also works well – just place it in a bowl or baking dish in case it leaks.)
  • Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure the chicken is completely submerged. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator to marinate. Allow to marintate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  • Remove chicken from the refrigerator about an hour before you are ready to cook. (Note – you can cook up to 2-3 hours in advance of serving.)
  • Prepare your grill – either gas (propane) or charcoal. While the grill is heating or your charcoal is getting to the appropriate readiness, remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a platter.
  • Pour the marinade (including the lemon slices) into a 10" saute pan or a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it has come to a boil, reduce to medium and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes to ensure all bacteria have been cooked off. Add another 1/2 cup white wine and reduce heat to simmer and partially cover allowing to reduce by about 1/4.
  • Grill the chicken over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on one side, covered, until it is not sticking and can easily be turned (it should have good grill marks or be lightly charred). Flip the chicken to the other side and cook for another 3 minutes, covered. After 3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium to medium-low and cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Removed the chicken from the grill and allow to rest on a platter. If not serviing right away, cover with foil and allow to rest and keep warm for up to 2 hours.
  • While the chicken is resting (or just before you are ready to serve) add the olives to the marinade. If the marinade has reduced too much, add a bit more wine and bring to a boil to cook off the alcohol, then decrease the heat and allow to simmer.
  • Pour the olive sauce over the chicken and garnish with additional lemon slices. If serving as part of a buffet, cut the chicken in half on the diagonal.
  • Serve with wild rice, rice pilaf, or Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • I have served this successfully many times as part of a buffet.  Simply cook the chicken up to 2 hours before you wish to serve and cover tightly with foil either at room temp or in a 180* oven.  Slice on the diagonal into halves or thirds, depending on the size of your chicken breasts, and pour the olive sauce over. 
  • I like to serve this with Mediterranean Quinoa Salad and Roasted Brussels sprouts or broccolini.  A Caprese Salad makes a delightful first course. 
  • Most supermarket “antipasto bsrs” have pitted Kalamata and other olives. I usually get mine at Whole Foods, but mainly because their locations are handy where I live.  I like to use Castelveltrano olives, as they have a somewhat buttery flavor that is a good offset to the stronger taste of the Kalamatas.  
  • Not a huge fan of olives (or all of your family isn’t)?  You can dial back the olives, or simply set aside a little of the suace for olives and pour the rest of the sauce over the chicken for the rest of the family.  It’s still a tasty dish. 
Keyword Chicken, Grilled chicken, Lemon, Lemon Chicken, Olives

Leave a Comment

Posted on November 14, 2023 by ktinakelleher

This delicious soup is on most Thai restaurant menus, from the hole in the wall take out places to fancier eat in establishments. However, has anyone actually been to a really fancy Thai restaurant? Honestly, I have probably had more Thai take out over the years as it travels well, is super tasty, reasonably priced and the ambience has never really made my feel like I had to dine in (not to mention we have way better wine at home). Often found in unassuming store fronts, frequently in strip malls, the decor is almost always the same. . . stark, brightly lit and with walls adorned with travel posters encouraging you to fly to Thailand, Siam or “The Orient”, along with the requisite buddhas and elephant statues. I don’t mean to generalize, as I know there are spectacular haute cuisine Thai restaurants (such as Gaggan and Bo.lan in Bangkok that were featured on the Netflix Series “Chef’s Table”, which are both on my bucket list), but even the fabulous James Beard award winning Arun’s in Chicago, which offers a 9 course gourmet experience is found in a rather austere building. The artwork is many steps above the travel posters, but the lighting is definitely much brighter than most typical fine dining or “date night” spots.

But I digress . . . Tom Yum Goong was probably one of the first things I tried when first introduced to Thai food. We did not have any Thai restaurants in Salem, NH when I was growing up (which I imagine is no longer the case), so my first introduction was shortly after college in Boston. Packed with flavor and the wonderful combination of spicy and sour, I was hooked from the first slurp. Years later I had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong and Thailand when Dennis had a business trip to Singapore. Ironically, I had fabulous Thai food at the Chili Club in Hong Kong and fabulous Chinese food in Bangkok at the Peninsula Hotel. The Tom Yum Goong at the Chili Club in Wan Chai was amazing, and probably the best I’ve ever had and the inspiration for mine. I came up with this recipe during our time in Argentina when I was perfecting Thai curry pastes and was craving all those flavors I couldn’t simply call up an order. If you’ve ventured out to source the ingredients for Thai curry pastes, then you will have just about everything you need to make this soup: galangal, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, Thai bird chilies…red curry paste adds heat and fish sauce and lime juice provide the sour. You can probably just order it from your local Thai place, like I can now, but I don’t since I think the fresh flavor of this is so good it’s worth making it.

Go to Thai Curry Paste Recipe
Great FRIENDS Virginia & Josh say “YUM” to the soup …Chicken Satay round out the appetizers.

Tom Yum Goong (Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup)

ktinakelleher
Tom Yum Goong is a classic and popular Thai soup featuring lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves & chilies. Sometimes referred to as Tom Yum Soup, it is most commonly prepared with shrimp. Tom means "boil", Yum means "mix" and Goong means "shrimp" in Thai, so this literally translates as boiled, mixed shrimp. While I haven't tried other preparations, it could be made with chicken or perhaps lobster (which I will try and report back, watch this space). Whatever it means, YUM just means delicious!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Soup, Soup, Appetizers
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Servings 12 Cups of Broth

Equipment

  • Stock Pot (5 Quarts or larger)
  • Strainer

Ingredients
  

For the BROTH

  • 2 TBSP Canola or Peanut Oil
  • Shells & Heads from 2 lbs of Shrimp
  • 8 Lemongrass stalks, trimmed (last 6")
  • 8 Galagal slices (1/4" thick)
  • 12 Kaffir Lime Leaves, spines removed & torn
  • 12 Thai Chilies (red or green), stem end cut
  • 1 Fresno or Serrano Chili, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 8 Cups Vegetable Stock
  • 4 Cups Chicken Stock or Broth
  • 1 TBSP Thai Red Curry Paste

For the SOUP (4 Servings)

  • 6 Cups Broth
  • 1 Pound Large Shrimp (U31/35), peeled & deveined (about 8 shrimp per person)
  • 8 Ounces Button Mushrooms, cleaned and halved or quartered
  • 3 TBSP Fish Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/4 Cup Cilantro Leaves
  • 1 Fresno chili, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions
 

To Make the BROTH

  • Heat oil over medium high heat until hot.
  • Add shrimp shells and cook until they turn pink, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and chili peppers and give a quick stir.
  • Add the stocks and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer, partially covered for 15-30 minutes to allow the flavors to steep.
  • Strain the broth into another pot, discarding all of the solids. Add the curry paste. At this point, you may either proceed to making the soup, or reserve the broth for later.

To Prepare the SOUP (4 Servings)

  • Bring 6 Cups of prepared brother to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to simmer and add mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for 1-2 minutes, covered.
  • Add the shrimp and cook until they just turn pink.
  • Turn off the heat and add the fish sauce and lime juice.
  • Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and fresno chili slices (optional). Serve immediately with lime wedges. YUM!

Notes

KTINA’s TIPS 
  • If you can’t find head on shrimp, the shells and tails alone are just fine, but using head on shrimp makes for a much more flavorful broth full of umami.
  • If you’ve sourced the ingredients for Thai curry pastes, you have the key ingredients for this.  If you have access Asian markets, such as the chain H-Mart, you can probably find lemongrass, galangal and Kaffir lime leaves there, otherwise I’ve been able to find them on Etsy when I can’t source them locally.  
  • I have prepared this recipe for medium spice.  If you want more spice, you can add more Thai curry paste, but serving some sliced fresno chilies on the side allows people to personalize to their desired spice.  
  • My local fish market always has beautiful head on Gulf shrimp, but sometimes I need to call ahead to make sure they have them thawed.  They are extra large and pricey, so I usually use the shells to make the broth and use the shrimp for another dish where they are the main dish.  I then simply thaw some peeled, deveined shrimp when I want to make the soup.  
  • My local Thai market has bins of head on shrimp that are much more economical, and are the perfect size for the soup.  
  • I have a great stock pot called a “Multi-Pot” that has a strainer insert, that is perfect for pasta.  It is particularly useful for this, as you can simply lift the strainer insert and retain the broth in the pot (only 1 pot to wash).
  • Make it your own!  Try other varieties of mushrooms such as shitake, enoki, etc.
  • The broth freezes well, so you can make the soup in minutes once thawed.  

2 Comments

Posted on November 6, 2023 by ktinakelleher

I love Indian food and we had the luxury of many wonderful restaurants in London ranging from the simple curry houses to sophisticated Michelin starred restaurants. It was often our go to for take out when we wanted something flavorful to just show up. When we lived in Argentina, such tasty options were not available, so I was delighted to learn about a cooking class with a lovely woman, Juhi Manwani, who had emigrated to Argentina from India. It was a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon with a group of friends and I came away with not only some tasty recipes, but the knowledge of the Asian markets in the Belgrano neighborhood where I could get the ingredients that were not readily available in the local supermarkets. Ginger, fresh and dried chilies, cilantro, cardamom, lemongrass, coriander, cumin, fish sauce, coconut milk, and the list goes on, including peanut butter, which was hard to find otherwise and frequently brought back from trips home to the US. Local restaurant owners in “Barrio China” frequented these markets to procure the spices, fresh fish and pork needed for their Thai, Indian and Korean specialties. It was a revelation for me, and allowed me to create and cook things we like that were not readily available, such as my Thai curry pastes, Peanut Noodles and various Mexican dishes. It was typically a weekly stop after golf on Tuesdays with our driver, Pablo, who would collect the bags while I popped to the next store, since I often had to go to 3 or 4 to obtain everything on my list, with one store not having cilantro, another not having fresh chilies, etc.

Go to A Taste for Thai Food

I enjoyed making the dishes that I learned in Juhi’s class, but more than anything it inspired me to be a bit more experimental. I always loved Chana Dal, which is chickpeas cooked in a tasty sauce loaded with spices and tomatoes. Juhi taught us how to make Cholle, which is very similar. Basically both Chana and Cholle mean chickpeas in different languages, with Cholle being more specifically Punjabi. I used to make it often when we were Argentina when I craved some big flavors and tweaked it a bit over the years by adding some additional spices, attempting to get it more like the Chana Dal I always ordered in London. I had sort of forgotten about making it at home, since we can easily get good Indian food in Chicago (and most other major cities) and we order it for take out fairly frequently, until a friend from Houston asked if I had any recipes for an Indian rice side dish. This came to mind, and while it’s not a rice dish, it can be served with rice for a delicious vegetarian main course. I made it up for quality control before sharing and found that it was just as delicious as our local Indian restaurant’s, and in my humble opinion, even better. It’s so easy, and the ingredients and even the spices are readily available in most supermarkets, so I’ll be making it again and again. Enjoy!

CHANA DAL (Indian Chickpea Curry)

ktinakelleher
This is a delicious Indian curry which is like a stew that can either be served as a side dish or as a main dish. Serve with rice for a Vegetarian meal along with some Naan bread and Raita (yogurt and cucumber with a little lemon juice) which tames down the heat if it's too spicy for you, but adds a nice tang. As a side dish, this will jazz up a simple piece of grilled chicken or fish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian

Equipment

  • Medium Dutch Oven or Sauce Pan 4 Quart or larger. I like to use my 5.5 Quart Le Creuset Dutch oven that I bake my sour dough bread in.

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Cans (15.5 ounces) Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans) Drained & Rinsed
  • 1 Cup Onion, minced 1 medium, or 1/2 large
  • 2 Cans (15.5 ounces) Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1 TBSP Garlic, minced 3-4 cloves
  • 1 TBSP Ginger (fresh), minced 3" piece
  • 2 tsp Jalapeno (fresh), seeded & minced 1 small, or 1/2 large
  • 2 tsp Ground Coriander
  • 2 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp Garam Masala
  • 8 Cardamom Pods
  • 1/4 Cup Cilantro Leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
  • 2 TBSP Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed 1 lemon
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 TBSP Canola Oil or Light Olive Oil

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and sautee until they are very soft and golden brown, making sure to stir frequently. Do not let the onions burn, making sure to adjust the heat if they are frying rather than sauteeing.
  • Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Add the coriander, cumin, garam masala and cardamom pods and give a quick stir.
  • Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and their juice and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir well and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Taste for seasoning, and add another 1/2 tsp of salt if needed. If it had reduced too much, add 1/2 cup water.
  • Garnish with additional cilantro. Serve as a side dish or as a main course with Basmati Rice and Naan bread.

Notes

KTINA’s TIPS: 
  • All ingredients and spices should be readily available in most grocery stores.  
  • You can serve this immediately after cooking, but I find that it is best the next day when the flavors have had more time to meld and the spices soften a bit.  
  • Do not eat the whole cardamom pods, you will find them rather unpleasant.  You may wish to place them in a Bouquet Garni bag so that they can be easily removed before serving.  
  • This is very flavorful and slightly spicy, but I don’t think overly so.  If you prefer more heat, I suggest serving some sliced fresh jalapeno or fresno chilies along side so people can adjust to their own palate.
  • To tone down the spice, add Raita, which will mellow it out a bit and add a nice tang. 
Keyword Chana, Chickpeas, Dal, Garbanzo Beans, Indian

6 Comments

Posted on October 31, 2023 by ktinakelleher

Yes, that’s where it all started in our kitchen in Chicago, What?! you may ask, “I thought you moved to Houston”? That’s true, and my last post was from that kitchen that I designed…you may recognize the Venetian pendants. I was just starting to get back into cooking and writing when we decided that Houston didn’t suit us for the long haul, so we decided to move back to Chicago. Fortunately, we had taken the beloved house in Chicago off the market for the winter and the Houston market was HOT . . . the house sold without even being listed. So, I mobilized and went back into moving and redecorating mode. I called my painter and arranged to have the house painted and some bathrooms wallpapered with the extra from Houston (who did that measuring??) while the artwork was off the walls and the and the house empty. I ordered some new fixtures for the Houston kitchen and took those Venetian pendants down again and brought them back to Chicago to complete the refresh.

Home . . . Again!

Before the movers arrived to pack us up, there was some FUN with FAMILY to be had . . . we headed off to Sonoma and Napa for a badly needed vacation to give the batteries a little recharge before the move. It was Dennis’s brother Brian’s 50th birthday and I called my sister-in-law Nicole to arrange for them to meet us for a weekend in Sonoma as a surprise. We almost pulled it off until the very last minute when Brian and Nicole pulled into Williams Selyem 3 minutes before us . . . Brian looked at Nicole and said “this has Kristina written all over it” and then the gate attendant asked if “all 4 in their party” were there. The jig was up. After hugs and and a few tears, we settled into a great couple days of great FOOD and fabulous wine.

Back in Houston, it was time for some FUN with FRIENDS before saying “see you later” (not goodbye). Some of my Cape girlfriends came for a visit (at least we had a few people see that fabulous house) and we played golf with my Houston peeps. Prizes from our mini tournament were all from Ktina’s Kitchen (to which Janece exclaimed, “hey, are you cleaning out your freezer?”, well sort of, but Thai curry pastes, Thai peanut sauce, meatballs & sauce, sourdough bread and a great bottle of wine, you could do worse). Everyone was a winner since the two foursomes tied! Seriously!

Everyone’s a winner! Houston vs Cape Cod tournament at Royal Oaks Country Club.
Clockwise from left: Kathy, Janece, Jean, Lisa, Denise, Nancy & Selma. Best of both worlds!

Then it really was time to clean out the freezer . . . we gathered the great friends we were reunited with and the new ones we made for a leaving party since we never did get around to a house warming. I cooked up all of the meats in the freezer in various sauces: Duck with Asian Marinade, Chicken Satay with Thai peanut sauce, Thai Peanut Noodles, Mango Salsa, Pork Tenderloin and Chicken with Chipotle Marinade, Guacamole (recipe coming). We cracked open some great wine and christened the house before it all went into boxes and on a truck a mere 10 months after moving in. A few last “see you later” dinners with the Whelans and the McKays and the Houston chapter was over.

Thai Peanut Noodles Recipe
Chipotle Marinade Recipe
Chicken Satay Recipe
Mango Salsa Recipe

Meanwhile, back in Chicago, the painters had just about finished and the movers arrived to return our belongings to their original home. In some ways it felt like we had never left, but in other ways it was like we were starting over. Once everything was delivered on Saturday, and all the extra furniture that wouldn’t fit into our vertical house safely ensconced in 3 storage units (everything IS bigger in Texas), it was time to get into serious GSD (Get S*** Done) mode. We rolled up our sleeves, enlisted our trusty household assistant, Barb, and got to work unpacking and reorganizing so that we could head to the Cape for the summer and relax.

When the painters returned on Monday to paint the stairways as they knew there would be bumps & scrapes from the movers to touch up, one of the crew looked at the boxes in the kitchen and remarked in Polish that we would be unpacking for a month. Since Barb hails from Poland she understood him perfectly and retorted “just watch us”. By noon the entire kitchen was put away . . . the artwork was hung up on Wednesday and we were headed to the Cape on Thursday morning, arriving at lunchtime on Friday just in time for our first cup of chowder and the Memorial Day weekend welcome back party at Hyannisport Club. The light fixtures and those boxes of books could wait, it was time to connect with our FAMILY and FRIENDS and enjoy some FUN! We had earned it.

Hello Hyannisport . . . Hello Summer!

Relax we did and I crashed. I’m like a shark, I have to keep moving or I sink, and sink I did. They say moving is right at the top of stressful life events, and we had just done it twice in 10 months. I’ve moved a lot, and while I’m good at it, I don’t like it and it does not get easier. I was exhausted and my system needed a reboot. My head was spinning as I thought about what was ahead and I became anxious about the unknown. I was busy with our 18 Hole Ladies at Hyannisport, so I just couldn’t find time to write (too much FUN, too little time). I did lots of cooking, as the kitchen is where I retreat to in times of stress. The “Help Desk” was always open for questions on how to do something, there were sessions on making sourdough bread, tutorials on making Caesar Salad, Thai Curry with Chicken, Chicago Steak Nights, etc. I just couldn’t concentrate to sit at the computer and write. It’s now 18 months and TWO summers later and I’m feeling ready to get it re-started. I’m grateful for the encouragement of those who have prodded me to get back to it, the compliments that you enjoyed my previous posts, and the comments that you missed them. I have lots of material in the bank from the hiatus, so I hope you’ll stay tuned and follow along. Again!

Oh, and that sourdough starter is alive and kicking! It has traveled from Chicago to Houston to Cape Cod, back to Chicago, back to the Cape and now safely back in Chicago!

Here’s a peek at some things I’m writing up to whet your appetite.

6 Comments

Posted on February 11, 2022 by ktinakelleher

Is there anything more comforting on a cold winter day than soup?? A hearty minestrone, fresh tomato basil, and a good old fashioned chicken soup are all satisfying, but my favorite has always been French Onion. Is it the soup or the crusty melted cheese over a slice of French Bread (or Sourdough) that makes it so delicious?? My best friend from high school, Leah, and I would often order it as opposed to the typical pizza or mozzarella sticks in the budget of the day, and we became quite the critics. I was, after all, half French, my maiden name being Duvall and all.

Unadorned…
with Gruyere…
Gratinee… yum!

My Nana, who was 100% Irish, made a delicious version that I recall having bowl after bowl of. It could frequently be found on our Christmas Eve potluck buffet we shared with our neighbors after the vigil mass along with a Caesar Salad, some crusty bread and plenty of grated Swiss Cheese alongside sprinkle in to get the melty, stringy, gooeyness that makes it oh so yummy. A giant pot of it always made it up to ski weekends and greeted us when we came in chilled after a few runs for lunch.

Nashua Country Club, in Nashua NH, where my parents were members for many years, always made a delicious version that my brother Gary and I were particularly fond of. My Nana’s was delicious, but the NCC version had a little extra something … the melted crusty cheese on top helped, of course, but there were some herbs in there that were lacking in Nana’s. As my palate evolved, I identified Rosemary and Thyme…and being 50% French, I would know, right??

Using my Nana’s recipe as the base, I set about trying to tweak it to get to my own perfect recipe that included the flavors of the NCC soup. Just when I thought I had it figured out, which I think the recipe proves, the shoe dropped . . . My parents decided to take the Ancestry tests and when the results came in, we were knocked for a loop. We fully expected to learn that my mother, with her olive complexion and propensity to “change race” rather than simply take on a golden glow when sunbathing, would have some Spanish or North African blood in her, the product of the Spanish Armada. Nope, she came in at 99.9% Irish, completely in keeping with what we understood as the Mahan and Clougherty family history. My father, on the other hand, the 50% French part of me, came in at 11% French and 89% Irish and Northern British Isles. So much for the “French Chef” in me, I’m a mere 5.5% French and pretty much Irish for the lack of further clarification. It’s a good thing I married an Irish guy, so I have the Irish name now. So, contrary to what many of us think, cooking talent is not necessarily simply in our blood, anyone with an interest, commitment and desire can become a superlative cook, like my Irish Nana, who shared her love through her wonderful treats, sweet and savory, and inspired me to develop my own culinary skills, explore my creativity and find joy in the process.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

ktinakelleher
While my Nana's French Onion Soup was delicious, I wanted to incorporate some herbs from the Nashua Country Club version that my brother and I loved. I prefer a lot of onions with texture, so I've doubled the amount my Nana used. Better store bought ingredients are available these days, including good quality stocks and "Better than Bullion" provides a great depth of flavor without the saltiness of bullion cubes.
You can use a food processor to slice your onions, but I find hand slicing gives the right thickness to provide the texture I prefer. A really sharp chef's knife is essential and it really doesn't take that long when cutting in 1/4" slices.
This is a rich soup that is a great first course or a perfect light meal along with a salad. Delicious on the day you make it, but the flavors will continue to develop and deepen after a day or two, becoming super savory.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Soup, Soup, Appetizers
Cuisine American, French
Servings 12 healthy crocks or 16 cups

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • Saute Pan
  • Knife
  • Food processor (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 6 TBSP Olive OIl extra virgin
  • 6 TBSP Butter
  • 20 Cups Onions, sliced 1/4" thick, 8 large onions, combination of yellow & sweet
  • 4 Shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 TBSP Garlic, minced (about 4 large or 6 medium cloves)
  • 1 1/2 TBSP Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Flour
  • 2 TBSP Fresh Rosemary, minced
  • 1 TBSP Fresh Thyme, minced
  • 2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3/4 Cup Cognac (or brandy)
  • 1 1/2 Cup White or Red Wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Noir)
  • 2 Quarts Beef Stock
  • 1 Quart Chicken Stock
  • 3 TBSP Better than Bullion BEEF (or 10 Beef bullion cubes)
  • 4 Cups Water
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper freshly ground
  • Gruyere Cheese (for serving)
  • Sourdough Bread or Baguette (for serving)

Instructions
 

  • Trim the ends from the onions, cut in half and peel the skins. Slice into 1/4" slices. (You can use a food processor with the wider slice attachment, but I prefer to do by hand with a very sharp knife . . . the time consuming part is the trimming and peeling.)
  • Divide the olive oil and butter into a large stock pot and a large saute pan (3 TBSP of each) and heat over medium heat until until the butter is just melted.
  • Divide the onions and add to the oil and butter and stir well. Cover and cook until the onions are soft and begin to become golden, stirring frequently to ensure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pans, about 5-7 minutes.
  • When the onions are soft and golden, add the shallots, sugar and salt and continue to cook, uncovered, until they become a deep golden brown and are very soft but still have texture, about another 4-5 minutes. Again, scrape the bottom of the pans frequently to ensure they are not burning.
  • Transfer the onions in the saute pan to those in the stock pot and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme & black pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. At this point the onions should be a deep brown.
  • Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the Worcestershire, Cognac and wine and cook for 2-3 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
  • Add the stocks, water and "Better than Bullion" (or cubes if you are using). Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.
    Simmer for 30 minutes with lid partially on (half on/half off), stirring occasionally to ensure the onions aren't sticking to bottom of the pot.
  • Ladle into onion soup crocks, place a slice of sourdough bread (or baguette if you haven't been on the sourdough kick), top with grated gruyere cheese and place under broiler until the cheese just starts to melt.
  • Using a creme brulee torch, brown the melted cheese until it is nice and crusty.
  • Enjoy with a nice glass of red wine!

Notes

KTINA’s TIPS
  • I find that splitting the onions into 2 pans, the stock pot that you will prepare the whole soup in, and other saute pan, allows the onions to cook faster and more evenly.  
  • If you’re gluten free, try gluten free flour.  
  • Good quality stock is readily available at most grocery stores.  I like the Kitchen Basics brand or even the Whole Foods 365 brand, but do use Stock and not Broth.
  • You can certainly make this and serve the same day and it’s quite delicious, but if you let it sit for a day or two, the flavors will develop even further and it will become richer.  Depending on your palate, you may wish to add an additional cup of water ot 2 if you think it has gotten too thick and rich.
  • If you’ve been making sourdough bread, a day or two old slice is perfect for your crouton, otherwise you can toast fresh bread or use a slice of baguette. 
  • I like to use Gruyere for my cheese, grated, piled on top of the crouton and melted under the broiler and finished with a creme brulee torch for that beautiful crunchy crust.  
  • You can always just toss in a bit of grated cheese, it will melt and become stringy, but you may find it clumps in the bottom of the crock.  
  • Vegan??  Use margarine (I cringe, but I’ll give you leeway) and skip the cheese.
Keyword French, French Onion Soup, Onion, Onion Soup, Soup

1 Comment

Posted on February 11, 2022 by ktinakelleher

Is it me, or have Brussels Sprouts become the “in” vegetable of the moment? Actually, it’s been going on for a good 10 years, but they seem to be on every menu as a side dish, shaved as a salad, or even as an appetizer. If you’re like me, you may have been (or continue to be) avoidant of these mini cabbages and perceive them to be slimy and smelly. Indeed, the canned variety that I was familiar with as a kid fit just that description, and since the only one in our family that seemed to like them was my father, they didn’t show up very frequently, since the cook, usually my mother, was in charge of the menu. My opinion was unchanged for many years and I never thought to buy or prepare them, let alone order them while dining out.

My perception was first challenged in the early 1990’s when a new restaurant in our town opened. It was the first “fine dining” establishment in town, and the food was fantastic. Brussels sprouts were the vegetable of the day on one visit and my first reaction (as were many others) was “yuck”. As there was no other option, they arrived on the plate and I begrudgingly tried them and it one bite my opinion was changed. These were fresh, not canned or frozen, and halved, roasted in the oven and tossed in maple syrup. I mean how bad could something coated in maple syrup be?? They were delicious!

The truth is brussels sprouts need help, right?! So, much like the ones caramelized in maple syrup, isn’t that the reason we so frequently see them on menus pan fried with bacon, since “everything is better with bacon”? While those are good, I’m not really part of that camp and prefer mine tossed with a tangy vinaigrette with shallots, honey and grain mustard. The vinaigrette is also delicious on grilled fish or chicken or a spinach salad. Trust me, they will make you a convert.

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Let's face it, brussels sprouts need help and the assist here goes to the tangy vinaigrette that brightens them up with just the right amount of sweetness from the honey. These are super easy, most of the work happening in the oven while your steaks, roast or bird are resting, and can easily be doubled or tripled if you're feeding a crowd. You can keep them warm in the oven until you're ready to serve, then just toss with the vinaigrette. I think even die hard haters may become converts.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine American
Servings 4 -6

Equipment

  • Roasting Pan or Rimmed Sheet Pan

Ingredients
  

HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

  • 2 TBSP Shallot, minced (1 medium shallot)
  • 1/4 Cup Citrus Champagne Vinegar (or regular Champagne Vinegar)
  • 2 TBSP Whole Grain Mustard, such as Maille
  • 1/2 Cup Honey
  • 2 TBSP Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

  • 1 pound Brussels Sprouts (about 4 cups once halved or quartered)
  • 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive OIl
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

Instructions
 

For the VINAIGRETTE

  • In a small bowl, pour the vinegar over the minced shallots and allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the mustard and honey and whisk together.
  • Whisk in the olive oil until well blended.
  • Add the lemon juice, salt & pepper & whisk.

For the Brussels Sprouts

  • Preheat oven to 400*
  • If using brussels on the stalks, cut sprouts from the stalks with a paring knife (you may do this ahead and store in a zip loc bag or plastic container until ready to cook)
  • Cut brussels sprouts in half, or quarters if very large and spread in a single layer in a roasting pain or sheet pan.
  • Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper and toss to coat.
  • Roast for 15 minutes and then stir with a spatula. Roast an additional 5-10 minutes until they are slightly charred (but not burnt).
  • Toss with 1/4 Cup of the Vinaigrette until lightly coated and serve immediately. (If you are making a large batch, you may need to use more vinaigrette.

Notes

KTINA’s TIPS:
  • Use the freshest brussels sprouts possible.  If they are precut, check the ends to make sure they are not brown.  The greener/whiter the ends, the fresher they are. 
  • I like to buy the whole stalks when I find them and cut the sprouts off for maximum freshness.  It only takes a few minutes to cut them off the stalk.  They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in zip loc bags.
  • The vinaigrette will keep in the fridge for several weeks.  It is also delicious on grilled fish (especially salmon, whisk in a little fresh dill) or chicken, as a salad dressing or on other roasted vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli or broccolini.  
  • These always show up on my Thanksgiving table and as family style side for “Steak Night” since they are so easy to make for a crowd.  Just make sure to roast the sprouts in a single layer so they roast and don’t stew. 
Keyword Brussels Sprouts

2 Comments

Posted on February 2, 2022 by ktinakelleher

Back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the hottest chef in Boston was Todd English. He initially had two restaurants in Charlestown, where he and his family lived. Figs was the more casual pizza place that my friend Leah and I loved and frequented on our girls nights out. Olives, however, was the flagship and the most difficult place to secure a table in it’s heyday. People would line up in hopes of getting a table, as it they didn’t take reservations. When Dennis and I were first dating and he was in town for a weekend while I was still living in the Boston area, we decided to try our luck to see if we could get in. Fortunately for us, my brother Gary lived right up the street at the time, so we were able to walk over and successfully get our name on the list and then go back to his place to hang out for the several hours wait for our table. The signature dish was the Braised Lamb Shanks, which was what I ordered and they were delicious.

I had the opportunity to meet Todd at a book signing for the release of his cookbook “The Figs Table”. My friend Leah had already given me that book for my birthday, so I decided to buy his previously released “The Olives Table”. As I flipped through the pages awaiting my turn to meet Todd and have my book signed, I was delighted to see the recipe for the lamb shanks I had enjoyed at that dinner with Dennis just a few weeks before. As my turn approached, I’m sure I was star struck, as it was like meeting a celebrity for me as a fledgling foodie, but I was taken aback by his brusqueness and lack of interest in engaging. Perhaps he was uncomfortable out of his element in the kitchen and irritated by the need to signed hundreds or more books for the long line of excited fans. In any event, I left a bit deflated at the thought that he was rather arrogant and had become rather taken with himself as a result of a steady diet of rave reviews and accolades. Perhaps I wasn’t off, as his popularity was soaring and he was in the midst of creating his restaurant “empire”, opening Olives in Las Vegas, New York and multiple international locations along with developing other concepts. Sadly the time away from Olives in Charlestown took its toll and the quality suffered. After several closures due to citations by the Health Department and no fewer than 3 fires, Olives in Charlestown closed for good in 2013.

But I digress . . . I have made the Ginger Braised Lamb Shanks from “The Olives Table”, and while delicious, I have tweaked things over the years. When we decided to host our first dinner party following our move to Houston, I wanted to do something Mediterranean that could largely be made ahead that would minimize the amount of time at the stove so that I could visit with our guests. My favorite store, Central Market had beautiful looking lamb shanks from Colorado, so thought this might be the perfect dish, especially given the weather had turned chilly, ideal for a hearty braised dish. Lamb can be very polarizing, people either love it or hate it, so I did a quick pulse check with our guests and I was in luck, everyone liked lamb. The verdict was “delicious” and I hope you’ll agree. A fantastic Bordeaux from St Emilion, heavy with merlot, is a perfect pairing.

Ready for purists . . .
I prefer extra sauce & veggies . . .
a St Emilion is a perfect pairing

MEDITERRANEAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

ktinakelleher
These lamb shanks are full of Mediterranean flavors and make a delicious one dish dinner served over mashed potatoes, as the onions, fennel and chickpeas provide the vegetables. Perfect for a snowy day where you don't want to leave the house, as they require several hours of braising in a low oven. I've also made these on Christmas Eve, popping them in the oven before heading out for mass. The meat becomes super tender and is literally falling off the bones. The flavors intensify if you make them a day in advance. These are a great meal when entertaining, as they can be made in advance and kept warm in the oven until you are ready to serve, leaving you free to visit with your guests.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 3 hours
Course Main Course, Meat
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients
  

  • Lamb Shanks
  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil estra virgin
  • 2 Cups Onions, thinly sliced 1 very large or 2 medium onions
  • 2 Cups Fennel (Anise), cored & thinly sliced 1 large or 2 medium bulbs
  • 6 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Ginger, minced Peel & mince in a small food processor
  • 1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 3/4 Cup Red Wine
  • 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 tsp Cumin ground
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt Morton's
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper freshly ground
  • 4 Cups Beef Stock or Broth
  • 2-4 Cups Chicken Stock or Broth
  • 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, including juice 29 ounces
  • 1 Can Chick Peas, drained 29 ounces
  • 3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

Instructions
 

  • Allow the lamb shanks to come to room temperature (about 30-45 minutes before you are ready to cook) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Measure the spices out into a small ramekin or a cup.
  • Heat 2 TBSP of olive oil in a large Dutch Oven over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the lamb shanks and brown on all sides, being careful not to burn, reducing the heat if necessary. Lamb has a lot of fat and creates a lot of smoke, so be sure to use your exhaust fan.
  • Remove the shanks from the pan and place on a plate/platter.
  • Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel, being careful not to burn yourself.
  • Preheat your oven to 300* (or 275* on convection, which I prefer). Set your oven racks to the lower third, ensuring there is room for your Dutch Oven (you may need to remove a rack).
  • Add the remaining 2 TBSP of oil to the pan and return to medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until just softened.
  • Add the ginger and garlic and stir for 1 minute, making sure not to let the garlic burn.
  • Add the spice mixture and mix well.
  • Add the Balsamic Vinegar and Wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to reduce by about half.
  • Add the tomatoes and their juices, the chick peas and 4 cups of beef stock and 2 cups of chicken stock.
  • Return the shanks to the pan and spoon the vegetables over them so they are nestled into the liquid and vegetables. If there is not enough liquid to cover the shanks fully, add another 2 cups of chicken stock, or a bit more if necessary.
  • Add the Rosemary sprigs. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
  • Place the pot in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 3 hours until the meat is very tender and falling off the bones.
  • Serve with Mashed Potatoes and ladle the vegetables over the top.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS:
  • I prefer Colorado lamb, it is much milder in flavor than Australia or New Zealand lamb and may convert those that recall the gamey lamb of their childhoods.  It’s worth sourcing.  
  • Lamb shanks are relatively inexpensive, so provide a great dish without breaking the bank.  If you don’t see them at your butcher, ask, as they may have them in back, often frozen.  
  • I like to use a large oval Le Creuset Dutch Oven when I’m making 4-6 lamb shanks.  
  • I like the Muir Glen brand of Fire Roasted Tomatoes.  You don’t need organic, but sometimes that’s all I can find. 
Keyword Braised, Lamb, Lamb Shanks, Mediterranean

8 Comments

Posted on January 28, 2022 by ktinakelleher

Those were the exact words my friend Joe commented on my first post after a long hiatus! Really, who decides to embark upon a major renovation in the midst of a pandemic and a severe disruption in the supply chain resulting in LONG delays in furniture and appliances? Well, we did, that’s who. As if packing up and moving from Chicago after being happily settled there for 10 years, wasn’t enough of a challenge, what started out as a little “tweaking” of the kitchen in our newly purchased Houston home turned into a total gut job. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? We were lucky to find a contractor who could start right away and his 90 day timeline didn’t seem unreasonable in February, bringing us to about Memorial Day. I had been through a complete renovation of our Chicago kitchen, and I was pretty clear on what I wanted, so I set about making selections of appliances and fixtures. I was advised that appliances were backordered by about 12 weeks, which didn’t seem like such a big deal since the mid-May delivery dates I was being quoted seemed just about in keeping with the timeline.

UH OH – What did we just do?? In for a penny, in for a pound.

Well, that was the week before the historic freeze that hit Houston in mid-February, shutting the city and its power grid down for the better part of a week. Once the power grid was restored and burst pipes repaired and thus water restored, we thought we were back on track. Then came the great national foam shortage. As we all know, foam is needed for furniture, but it is also necessary for insulation in appliances such as the refrigerators, freezers and ice maker that I had just ordered. It turns out several of the largest foam manufacturers are in Houston and they were victims of the freeze. Our 12 week backorder more than doubled with mid-September the new estimated delivery time. This was going to be painful.

Meanwhile back in Chicago, I had to arrange to have 2 feet of snow removed from our roofs as temps were nearing 50 and the gutters were frozen solid. I expect this in Chicago, but frozen pipes in Houston 1,000 miles south???

The contractors were back on track in a mere 2 weeks and were making great progress with the cabinets. I pivoted with selections if something was backordered and the new kitchen began to take shape. We were looking at a late June move in, which was only a month off, and I know from experience that you need to tack on a few weeks to keep expectations in check and frustration at bay. We anxiously awaited word on the wood for the flooring as lumber prices soared, and we breathed a sigh of relief when it arrived a week early,

Starting to take shape, but still a long way to go before being operational.

Our pack up in Chicago was scheduled for the third week of June, so we let the contractor know he had a hard deadline of June 29th, at which point we would be moving in. The walls of the temporary apartment that we were in since the end of January were beginning to close in on us and with our belongings packed up in Chicago and headed to Houston, it was “ready or not, here we come”. The painting contractor brought in extra crews and the house was habitable, though we still were waiting for appliances. We moved the refrigerator that came with the house to the laundry room, and the washer and dryer were in, so we could manage. In late August the refrigerator/freezers arrived and we seemed to be close to the finish line. Then the project manager quit…not our job, but the contractor. Thankfully, one of the partners took charge and set about fixing the things the project manager had dropped the ball on. Clearly he had “left” before giving his notice, and there was a long list of things that were wrong (outlets for refrigerators too high and needed to be moved), broken (cracked mirror on a new piece of furniture) or lost (like all the doorknobs removed by the painters that we planned to reuse). The profit margin was dwindling, but while that wasn’t our problem, and it was our problem, as the delays continued due to the need to order replacements, reschedule installations, and make repairs.

Hooray, the range arrives!
Pendant lights from Chicago
Seating for 8 around the island
Refrigerators and Coffee Station on Right
Service Bar on Left (waiting for ice maker)

Meanwhile, furniture ordered in the spring began to arrive . . . Dining room table and chairs, the extra counter stools for the kitchen island, so the house was starting to look like a home. Finally in early October the range arrived and was installed! There was still a hole for the further delayed ice maker, but at long last we were operational and ready to host our first dinner party!

The first dinner party with great friends old and new was a success…
We look forward to many more celebrations of FOOD*FUN*FAMILY*FRIENDS

While the move from Chicago to Houston was emotional, the transition has been made easier thanks to the blessing of great friendships . . .both those we have known for many years from our time in London together and are like family, as well as new friends who have welcomed us with open arms. The menu of a Mediterranean Mezze with Hummus (HUMMUS), Tabbouli (TABBOULI) & Olive Sourdough Bread (SOURDOUGH BREAD), Braised Lamb Shanks and Creme Brulee was a hit (recipes coming).

The long renovation was worth it and KtinasKitchen is officially Back in Business…new recipes and posts on the way!

Oh yeah, the ice maker arrived the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and the panel is finally being installed next week!

1 Comment

Posted on April 25, 2021 by ktinakelleher

I haven’t written much recently because I have been in project management mode in preparation for our move from Chicago to Houston. Since mid January, we have purchased a new home in Houston, Dennis started a new job, we embarked on a renovation project involving a gut rehab of the kitchen, and have been preparing our Chicago home to go up for sale. It’s a lot of work staging one house to sell while decorating another, especially in two different cities that requires me to zigzag back and forth every other week. Managing contractors, plumbers, electricians, painters, real estate agents and decorators doesn’t leave much time for cooking. Not to mention our temporary accommodations in Houston are not as not as well equipped as my Chef’s kitchen in Chicago, which means we have been eating out a lot. Who would have thought a year ago when we were DYING to go to a restaurant that we would be sick of eating out!

On my last trip back to Chicago, I thought I better clean out the refrigerator and noticed the sourdough starter that I had been neglecting over the past several weeks. It looked pretty sickly, with a watery layer covering the gluey flour mixture. I opened it and gave it a sniff and it smelled pretty much the same as the last time I had fed it back in late February. After a quick Google search to inquire about how to tell when sourdough starter had gone off, it didn’t seem that it was exhibiting any of the symptoms of death (namely a red/orange streak or mold growth), so I decided to try feeding it to see if there was still any life in it.

Bubbles indicate it’s active.

I fed it and left it to sit out overnight and when I went to the kitchen to make coffee, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the starter still seemed to have life in it. It had more than doubled overnight, though did seem to be a bit less lively than when I had been feeding it regularly. I did a little more research and learned that it is suggested to feed “neglected” started more frequently until it doubles in 8 hours (or less), so I fed it again and left it on the counter while I went about my chores for the day. When I checked back later that afternoon, it had more than doubled in 8 hours, so it seemed that I hadn’t killed it after all! The only way to find out was to try making bread.

It’s alive!
Sinking after peaking means it’s hungry – time to bake.

Since it was 9 pm on Wednesday evening and I was flying back to Houston on Thursday afternoon, it was now or never. I made a batch of dough and folded it over once. The recipe calls for letting it rest and repeating the stretch and folding process, so I went to wash my face and brush my teeth so that I could crawl into bed immediately. Truth be told, the second fold and stretch never happened as I fell asleep while waiting the extra 20 minutes since I was so tired. I woke up on Thursday morning to see the abandoned dough and the television still on, The dough had risen overnight, so I rather than discard it, I thought I may as well conclude my experiment and see just how robust this stuff is. I stretched the dough, prepared my dutch oven and preheated the oven.

Looking promising after 20 minutes with the lid on.

When the timer went off after 25 minutes, I lifted the lid expecting that it would be a dud, but was pleasantly surprised to see the bread looked just like the success loaves I had baked since receiving the starter from my friend Jenny. I returned it to the oven for the remaining 20 minutes. It was nice and brown and although it was not as high as some loaves I had made, it certainly had risen and looked like a beautiful sourdough boule. As I removed it from the pot and placed it on the cooling rack, I could hear it crackling as the dough continued to expand. An hour later, I cut into it for the final test . . . it was delicious! I texted Jenny to tell her that i hadn’t killed the starter after all, to which she replied “it’s impossible to kill!” I brought the loaf to Houston with me and it made for a tasty avocado toast with an over easy egg for breakfast.

Tastes as good as it looks!
Go to Sourdough Bread Recipe

5 Comments

Posted on February 2, 2021 by ktinakelleher

Last, but not least, it was Timmy Lynch’s turn to spend the day in the kitchen with me. As the youngest at 8 years old, (and 11 and 8 years younger than older brothers Billy and joe) “the Caboose” is not very adventurous about food, so I wasn’t sure what we were going to cook. He announced during Joe’s Spaghetti & Meatballs dinner “I want to make Fried Chicken when it’s my turn”, which I thought was funny since we had already made it together before Christmas. It’s his choice, so fried chicken it would be, but if he thought he was taking the easy way out by choosing something he knew didn’t involve knives he was in for a surprise.

Wash the potatoes, since we don’t peel them.
This is how you cut safely, keep your fingers away from the sharp blade.
Nice knife skills – no trips to the ER!
Add salt to the water, making sure to keep those hands away from the flame.

What goes better with fried chicken than Potato Salad?? So, while the chicken was brining, the first order of business was to get the potatoes prepped to cook, which meant cutting them into smaller pieces and using a knife. I know his mother would have been cringing and worried about a trip to the emergency room, but with some instruction and careful supervision Timmy did a great job and not a drop of blood was shed. While the potatoes were boiling and I chopped the celery, onions and dill, I put Timmy in charge of making the dressing, which is essentially a lot of measuring, so no sharp objects involved (I figured I’d quit while I was ahead on the safety front).

Go to Ktina’s Potato Salad Recipe
Measure the ingredients . . .
. . . and whisk together to make the dressing.
Rinse & dry the chicken pieces.

With the potato salad done, it was time to take the chicken out of the brine and rinse it. While the chicken came to room temperature, we had time to make an appetizer to serve when the rest of the Lynch clan arrived to snack on while the chicken was cooking. Guacamole is a hit with everyone, so we got to work on making it. Once again, I took care of the chopping and mincing, but Timmy was in charge of the rest. One perk of being the chef is you get to be the taste tester and dip the first chip. “Delicious” was the verdict and we were ready to focus on the main event.

Start with avocadoes . . .
then mash them . . .
finish with fresh squeezed lime juice.

Now we were ready to go and the Lynches arrived just in time to watch the fried chicken production. We set up a dredging station with the seasoned flour and buttermilk. I heated the oil and dunked the chicken pieces in the flour, then buttermilk, then flour again and it was ready to be fried. We may have survived the knives, but now we had to face hot oil, so safety was key to ensure we wouldn’t be heading to the burn unit. I took care of the frying and Timmy whisked up the Honey Hot Sauce.

Measure the flour . . .
then the spices.
Whisk together honey & hot sauce.
The assembly line is underway.
The guacamole looks like it was a hit.
Ready to be fried in the hot oil.

At last it was time to eat . . . some champagne for the grownups, which is the perfect pairing. It was a deliciously fun day and the rest of the Lynch clan loved it all. As a bonus they took home leftovers for dinner another night (or two). Timmy declared he “didn’t care for” the potato salad, but I guess that’s an 8 year old’s palate. He was a great helper and I can’t wait for him to come back to my kitchen to cook something else.

Careful with the hot oil.
Dinner is served – Thomas Keller would be proud.
I love you pal . . . come back soon!
Go to Fried Chicken Recipe

2 Comments

Posted on January 10, 2021 by ktinakelleher

After the Spaghetti and Meatball factory closed, it was nephew, and Dennis’s godson, Billy Lynch’s turn to spend the day in Ktina’s Kitchen. As a sophomore in college on break, I thought getting him to commit to a day might be a challenge, but he enthusiastically committed to the Sunday following Joe’s day as a chef. Like his brother, I had an idea of what his favorite meal that I cook is, so it was no surprise when his response to what he would like to cook was Thai Peanut Noodles and Asian Pork.

  • Let’s get chopping!
  • Blending up the marinade.
F

The first order of business was to make the marinade so we could get the pork marinating. Since a lot of the ingredients in the peanut sauce are also in the marinade, we got going chopping lots of fresh ginger and peeling the cloves from 2 heads of garlic. Thankfully the Cuisinart mini-prep took care of all the chopping, and then it was all about measuring and pouring ingredients into the blender and Voila, marinade done. We made a double batch so Billy had some to take home to share with the rest of the Lynch clan and to try with a different protein another time. Once the pork was covered and in the refrigerator soaking up the flavors, it was time to make the peanut sauce. Just as the blender took care of most of the work on the marinade, the food processor did the heavy lifting for the sauce. With the garlic and ginger already prepped, it was measure, pour, whiz and the sauce was done. Now all we had to do was to slice the garnishes for the peanut noodles and we were good to go.

  • Slicing and dicing.
  • Lots of garlic needs peeling.
  • Chicken Satay to start.

Since the peanut sauce is the basis for Chicken Satay, we pulled a chicken breast out of the freezer and thawed it for an appetizer. In keeping with #trysomethingnew, I also pulled out some Tom Yum Goong broth that I had in the freezer. While Billy has never been a seafood fan, he agreed to try the soup, which is “Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup”. He loves spicy food, and the Tom Yum Goong is very spicy since it includes Thai Red Curry Paste, and fish sauce and lime juice add salty, sour flavors. It turns out 19 is a lot different than 9 and he not only tried the soup, he liked it!

Go to CHICKEN SATAY Recipe
  • Next course soup – Tom Yum Goong
  • Cheers!
  • What do you know, shrimp tastes good!

Now it was time for the main event , . . once the pork was on the grill, we poured the marinade into a sauce pan and brought to it a boil to kill off any bacteria and allowed it to reduce to make a syrupy sauce. We assembled the peanut noodles and it was time to eat. Everything was delicious and Billy devoured tons of pork (we cooked 2 and there was not a speck leftover). I guess it really is his favorite meal! We had a great time and the best compliment was that Billy said he wanted to come back to cook again before he returned to school later in the month.

  • Assembling the Peanut Noodles
  • Manning the grill.
  • Dinner is served!
Go to THAI PEANUT NOODLES Recipe

ASIAN MARINADE & SAUCE

Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Thai

Ingredients
  

  • 1 jar 8-10 ounces Hoisin Sauce
  • ½ Cup Orange Juice pref fresh
  • ¼ Cup chopped Ginger about 4” piece
  • 3 cloves of Garlic
  • ½ Cup Soy Sauce or Tamari for gluten free
  • ¼ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ Cup Sesame Oil
  • ½ Cup packed Brown Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Honey
  • ½ bunch Cilantro rinsed (leaves & stems)
  • 1 fresh Fresno pepper or long Thai Chili or a Jalapeno seeded
  • ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 1-2 tsp Hot Chili Oil to taste, optional

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients except chili oil in a Vitamix, blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth.
  • Taste and add 1-2 tsp chili oil if you prefer a bit more spice.
  • BARBECUE SAUCE:
  • Pour 1 ½ cups of the marinade into a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • This marinade works well with just about any protein: Chicken, Pork, Beef, Duck, Shrimp or firm Fish such as Halibut, Tuna or Swordfish.
  • Pour sauce over until well covered and refrigerate several hours or overnight. I find a Ziploc bag works well to allow even distribution of the marinade.
  • While grilling the meat, pour the additional marinade into a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for about 5 minutes, which will kill any bacteria from the raw meat, and reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes and use as a sauce for your grilled meat.
  • Shrimp or Fish – Pour sauce over and marinate for 15-30 minutes before grilling or pan searing. Do not marinate longer than 30 minutes as the acids will begin to “cook” the fish.
  • THAI PEANUT NOODLES and THAI WATERMELON SALAD make a delicious meal.
  • MANGO SALSA make a tasty accompaniment to any protein except beef.
  • I often make a double batch of the sauce to share, and it keeps for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator
Keyword Aisan Pork, Asian Marinade, Thai Peanut Noodles

6 Comments

Posted on January 7, 2021 by ktinakelleher

One of my first memories of cooking when I was young was helping my father make and roll meatballs to add to a huge pot of simmering tomato sauce on a Sunday. It was the perfect thing to make on a cold New England winter day, as it was a big project from the trip to the butcher for just the right sausages and meat, to the slicing, dicing, rolling and frying. It took all day as the sauce simmered for hours allowing the meatballs, sausages, pork and chunks of pepperoni (my father’s specialty) to impart their flavors. I recall sneaking tastes by dunking hunks of bread into the sauce and noticed how the flavors developed as the hours went by and the sauce reduced. It was always a family favorite, which continues to this day with my nephews and nieces.

With Christmas being a bit different this year due to the pandemic, I was a little stuck on what to get my Chicago nephews, as my usual tradition is an experience such as Celtics at Bulls, Bruins at Blackhawks, theater, etc. With those not options at the moment I asked my sister in law, Julia, for ideas, and she suggested that in keeping with the experience theme that I invite each of the boys to spend a day in my kitchen for some one on one time to cook with me. Well, that was easy! I did find some super cool Vans in a Chicago motif for something to open that were a huge hit, so I wasn’t sure the “Day in Ktina’s Kitchen” was going to be too exciting, especially since it meant they were going to have to work. I was surprised and delighted when their reaction was “that’s awesome” when I told them to pick a day to cook their favorite dish with me. First up was Joe, my godson, and it was no surprise that his response to what he would like to cook was “Spaghetti and Meatballs please”. What might have been a surprise was the amount of work that was in store.

  • Ready to make sauce . . . or gravy?
  • Chopping onions and garlic

Just as my father did, I headed up to my favorite butcher, Paulina Meat Market to purchase the meat: ground beef, ground veal, ground pork, hot and mild Italian sausages and pork chops. Next was Eataly to get the tomatoes, cheese and spaghetti and I was ready. First up was to make the sauce and get it simmering so the flavors could begin to develop while we prepared the meat. Sausages and pork chops were grilled (less mess) and then added to the sauce. Next up the main event, meatballs. It’s a messy, time consuming job with all of the chopping, so I asked Joe if he understood why I make so much, to which he nodded and said “because it’s a lot work” – smart kid!

  • Grilling the sausages & pork – no dishes to wash.
  • Making meatballs
  • Let’s get these babies in the oven.
  • Hey look Ma, I made it!

Once the meatballs were browned, we realized there was not going to be enough room in our pots, so we transferred some sauce to a third pot and added the meatballs. All we had to do was stir it occasionally to make sure nothing was sticking to the bottom and let it simmer away to reduce and let all the flavors develop. Our dinner guests, the rest of the Lynch clan, arrived at 4:00 and we were good to go. All we needed to do was cook the pasta and dinner was served!

  • The chef gets the first taste – quality control
  • Tossing the pasta
  • Dinner is served – YUM!
  • Would you like some freshly grated cheese?
  • What a FUN day! ❤️

While I have always called what my father and I make “sauce”, there are some that would say what we made is “Sunday Gravy”. I first heard of this when I was in college and a friend who hailed from North Providence, Rhode Island (the Italian neighborhood where even the lines in the streets are painted in red, white & green like the Italian flag) referred to the dish as “gravy”. Since I’m not Italian, I thought perhaps I was wrong to call it sauce, so I asked another friend, Mike Ricchio, a few years ago who emphatically answered “SAUCE”! I had apparently struck a nerve, as he and a friend had debated for years over this, so I thought I would delve a bit further. I referred to a cookbook that my good friend Marie (Borelli) Hatton had given me “The North End Union Italian Cookbook”, with the North End being the landmark Italian neighborhood of Boston. What I found was an entire chapter entitled “Sauces and Gravies” peacefully coexisting and there it was, “Sunday Gravy”. I called Marie and asked “Sauce or Gravy?”, to which she replied “SAUCE”! Hmmm, so where does the gravy thing come from. The cookbook indicates that it refers to the use of the meat drippings as the basis for the sauce. Since I make mine with olive oil and simply add the meat to the simmering sauce, it must be SAUCE, right? Either way, it’s DELICIOUS! A real crowd pleaser, it’s well worth the effort, and when you do, make A LOT so you have leftovers to share and freeze.

  • Double Batch
  • Portioned out for individual meals.
  • Ready for friends or the freezer.

TOMATO SAUCE (Sunday Gravy)

ktinakelleher
I was inspired by watching my father make sauce over the years. I don't know that he had an actual recipe, it was all about the taste, which is how I've learned to cook myself. When I had a hankering for sauce and was living overseas, I attempted to create his sauce and have tweaked it over the years. While my father adds pepperoni to his, it's not my personal favorite so I omit it. I love the sweetness that the pork imparts to the sauce. The longer the sauce simmers, the richer it gets. After freezing, some of the meat falls apart and it becomes more like a Bolognese.
Makes enough for a crowd plus extra to share and freeze.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Course, Pasta, Sauces
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Cups Onions, finely chopped (1 large onion)
  • 3 TBSP minced Garlic (6 cloves)
  • ¼ Cup Olive Oil pref Extra Virgin
  • 1 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes
  • 4 cans 28 oz Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
  • 2 cans 28 oz Tomoato Puree (Passata)
  • 1 can 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 1 ½ Cups Red Wine
  • 1 ½ Cups Water
  • 2 TBSP Sugar
  • 2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper pref freshly ground
  • 1 ½ TBSP Oregano dried
  • 1 ½ TBSP Basil dried
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2-3 Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Rinds
  • ¼ Cup fresh Basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 recipe Meatballs approximately 18
  • 8 Pork Chops boneless, center cut
  • 8 Hot Italian Sausages
  • 1 Coil Mild Italian Sausage or 8 individual sausages

Instructions
 

  • Place the largest stock pot you have over medium heat. (I use a 13 ¼ quart Le Creuset dutch oven.)
  • Add the oil, onions and crushed red pepper flakes. (I like to add everything before the pan is hot and allow the onions to gradually begin to sweat as the oil heats.) Saute until the onions are translucent, stirring frequently. If the onions begin to brown, reduce the heat.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is very aromatic (don’t allow the garlic to brown).
  • Add the tomatoes, puree, paste, wine, water, sugar, spices and cheese rinds, stirring after each addition.
  • Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When it is boiling, give a good stir and reduce heat to low. Partially cover the pot, leaving about an inch opening on one side and allow to simmer, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
  • While the sauce is simmering, prepare the meat.
  • Grill the sausages and pork chops on the grill or in a grill pan until evenly browned. They do not need to be cooked through, as they will finish cooking in the sauce.
  • Prepare the meatballs (see separate recipe)
  • Add the meats to the sauce as each is finished and while still hot. (You may need to divide the sauce into 2 pots to accommodate all the meat.)
  • Allow the sauce and meat to simmer over low heat for 30 minutes and add the fresh Basil.
  • Continue to simmer for at least another 30 minutes and up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as the cheese rinds tend to stick. The longer you simmer, the more the flavors will develop. The sauce will bubble up a bit just after stirring, so beware of splatters.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • This is not difficult, but it is labor intensive and time consuming, so when I make it, I like to make a lot so that I can share and stock my freezer.
  • My father adds pepperoni to his sauce – cut a stick in 2” chunks if you like.
  • Depending on your butcher,  both the Hot and Mild Italian sausage may come in coils.  I like to use the individual sausages for the Hot and the coils for the Mild so that I can tell them apart in the sauce, as the ends are cut and they are curved. 
  • I usually end up making another batch of sauce to cover the meat and freeze in individual meal portions. I freeze extra sauce separately in Ziploc bags (double them so the don’t leak), which stack easily.
  • If you don’t like Hot Italian sausage, use all mild. I like the flavorful blend of both. Chicken or Turkey sausage works equally well.
  • At the end of the summer when my farmers market has bushels of San Marzano and Plum Tomatoes, I go the extra mile and make the crushed tomatoes from them. It is labor intensive to peel and seed all the tomatoes, but it really makes for a wonderful fresh flavor.  You will still need to use the puree and paste.  
Keyword Spaghetti & Meatballs, Sunday Gravy, Tomato Sauce

MEATBALLS

ktinakelleher
These meatballs are packed with flavor thanks to the addition of Hot Italian Sausage, which was inspired by my father in law (though I never had the opportunity to try them). The veal and the milk add tenderness so they are not too dense. Rather than pan frying them, I cook them on rimmed sheet pans in the oven which is so much easier, especially when making a lot. My nephew Joe says they are the "Best Ever".
Makes 18 3" or 24 2" meatballs.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds Ground Beef Chuck
  • 1 pound Ground Veal **
  • 1 pound Ground Pork
  • 3 Hot Italian Sausages, remove from casings or 1 pound bulk sausage
  • 1 Cup Onions finely chopped
  • 2 TBSP Garlic finely minced
  • ½ Cup Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
  • ½ Cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Bread Crumbs preferably fresh
  • 4 slices Bread crusts removed (use a good quality bread, such as a rustic Italian or Sour Dough, not seeded, you can use the same loaf for bread crumbs)
  • ½ Cup Milk
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt & Black Pepper freshly ground
  • ½ Cup Olive Oil it does not need to be Extra Virgin

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350*. Place 2 racks on the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
  • Place bread slices in a shallow baking dish or pie plate. Heat the milk in the microwave for 30-45 seconds (until hot but not boiling) and pour over the bread.
  • Place all of the meats in a very large bowl. Using your hands (I like to use disposable kitchen gloves) combine the meats until they are well blended.
  • Add all remaining ingredients, crumbling the moistened bread so that there are not any large pieces.
  • Mix together with your hands until well blended, making sure to scrape from the bottom to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment.
  • Roll meat mixture into balls and place them on the parchment lined pan.
  • Pour 1/4 cup oil into 2 rimmed sheet pans and place in the oven to allow the oil to heat for about 5-10 minutes.
  • Place the meatballs on the sheet pans with the hot oil and return to the oven.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are browned on the bottom. Turn the meatballs to the other side and then return to the oven, switching the position of the pans, and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
  • Add the meatballs to the Tomato Sauce and simmer for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours to tenderize and absorb the flavors from the sauce.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • You may need to have your butcher grind the veal for you.
  • To make fresh bread crumbs, simply toast 8 slices of the bread and grind in the dry container of a Vitamix or in a food processor.
  • Along with the Sauce recipe, a lot of chopped garlic is needed (especially if you’re doubling it as I sometimes do), so I like to buy peeled garlic and pop it into my Cuisinart Mini-prep food processor to save time.  You can also use a garlic press.
  • I like to make larger 3” meatballs as I find they hold up better to freezing.
  • It is not important that meatballs are cooked through, as they will finish cooking in the sauce.  
Keyword Meatballs, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Sunday Gravy

2 Comments

Posted on December 17, 2020 by ktinakelleher

A few weeks ago I received a text from my friend Jenny saying that she “left a small present” on my front steps to thank me for the dinner I had prepared the evening before. I was expecting perhaps some flowers, as she had given me a gorgeous rosemary plant back in the spring when I was in the midst of experimenting and perfecting my Rosemary Focaccia. What I found instead was a small container of what looked like wallpaper paste, which was 100 grams of Sourdough Starter, along with a note instructing me to store it in the refrigerator and that I would need to “feed” it weekly. I was grateful, but a tad anxious, since I had managed to kill the rosemary plant in a few short weeks and now I had what was basically a new “pet” that I was responsible to keep alive. I dutifully popped it in the fridge and figured I had a week to learn what my new friend liked to be fed to stay healthy.

Go to Rosemary Focaccia Recipe
After feeding my sourdough starter with bread flour & water, it doubled in size in 4 hours.

After about a week, I noticed the lid kept popping off of the container and a layer of liquid had formed on top. I reached out to Jenny and she advised that it was probably telling me that it needed to be fed. I took a few notes and then consulted a few websites to learn more, and immediately became confused as there are so many different recipes for maintaining sourdough starter and most strongly suggest the use of a kitchen scale for precise measurements or risk of failure. As I’ve mentioned previously, I much prefer cooking to baking for the very reason of the precision required for baking, so I wasn’t sure about this “gift” at this point, as it was beginning to feel like more of a project. I managed to find a site that gave suggested measures in ounces and cups, so I commenced with the first feeding and then waited to see if anything happened. I was delighted to see that in a short time the mixture was rising and in four hours had doubled- I hadn’t killed it! I called Jenny to report my success and she told me that this starter is strong stuff, hers having come from her sister in law in San Francisco, who in turn received it from her sister in law in Louisiana.

Once the fed starter peaks and starts to sink, it’s ready to use to bake sourdough bread.

Now that I had fed my starter and it was flourishing, it was time to bake. With the only ingredients being flour, water, salt and the starter (which is simply flour and water), I was’t sure how this was going to end up with tasty bread, but I figured I had nothing to lose and I owed it to my thoughtful friend to give it a go. The dough seemed pretty sticky, but I resisted the temptation to add more flour since my focaccia also has a sticky dough and it comes out crunchy and delicious every time.

No kneading required . . . stretch and fold the dough a few times, then let it proof for 8-12 hours before baking.

Voila! Sourdough Bread! I wasn’t sure how it would taste, but it was delicious and reminded me of my grandfather (Papa), who used to bring back sourdough bread when he traveled to San Francisco. Dennis popped some in the toaster and said it was “awesome”, so I toasted up a slice and made avocado toast, which was so tasty. After the initial success, I decided to try to recreate the fantastic olive bread that Publican Quality Meats sells (from Publican Quality Breads, not open for retail sales) which I love and use to make decadent croutons for my Caesar Salad. The first one needed a little work with the olive distribution, but it tasted exactly like PQM’s and the croutons were great. When you feed your starter you are supposed to discard all but 1/2 cup, so I’ve since been re-gifting to friends, though the batch I sent to my sister in law never arrived, so we think it might be a science project gone wrong. . . the starter may have been too active for shipping and actively fermenting exploded. SO, I’ll try again, but make sure it is in a container with plenty of room to expand, after all it is a living thing!

  • First batch, the one on the left proofed in a wide bowl, so was flatter.
  • I took a stab at an Olive loaf – no need to buy at PQM anymore!
  • Avocado Toast – yum! Even better with a few drops of hot sauce.
  • Croutons for Caesar Salad – so good!
Go to Caesar Salad Recipe

SOURDOUGH BREAD

ktinakelleher
This bread is so easy and delicious you may never buy a loaf again. The most important ingredient is mature sourdough starter, which you can keep in your refrigerator and feed once a week until you are ready to bake.
Other than the starter, you need TIME, as the dough will need to proof for 8-12 hours before you can bake it. The amount of time to proof will vary depending on a number of factors, including temperature (70-80* is ideal)and humidity. The warmer it is, the less time the dough will take to proof and the more humid it is, you may need to add more flour so the dough isn't too sticky.
Depending on your schedule, you can either prepare the dough in the evening and allow it to proof overnight and bake in the morning, or prepare it in the morning and bake in the evening. If you're an early bird, you can make your dough, proof and bake in time for dinner.
Once you master the basic sourdough, try adding olives (my favorite), herbs, nuts or seeds. You can also experiment with other types of flour, such as whole wheat, rye, etc.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 12 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course BREAD
Cuisine American
Servings 1 Loaf (Boule)

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven (I use a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset)
  • Large Bowl
  • DRY Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • 2 Cup or larger LIQUID measuring cup
  • Rubber spatula (or Spoonula)
  • Disposable kitchen gloves (I like the Nitrile ones)
  • Parchment Paper or Baking Sheets (I prefer the individual parchment baking sheets, so much easier)

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 Cup Sourdough Starter heaping
  • 1 3/4 Cups Water (warm) (make sure the water is not above 120*)
  • 4 1/4 – 4 1/2 Cups Bread Flour (start with 4 1/4 cups)
  • 2 tsp fine Sea Salt

Instructions
 

  • If it has been a while since you fed your starter, then you will need to feed it 8 hours before baking to ensure it has at least doubling in size, which means it is strong enough to make the bread rise. If you have been feeding your starter regularly, you can use it straight from the fridge as long as it has been fed within 7 days.
  • Place 4 1/4 cups of flour and 2 tsp of sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • Measure a heaping 1/3 cup of the starter in a dry measuring cup. It will be quite sticky. Add the starter to the water, after a couple of seconds it should float, which means your starter is strong and active.
  • Whisk the starter and the water together until the starter is dissolved and you have a murky liquid.
  • Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a rubber spatula (Spoonula) until a shaggy dough begins to form. The dough will be quite stiff and at this point you may wish to ditch the spatula and use your hands.
  • Using your hands (with disposable gloves), knead the dough until all of the flour is incorporated and there are no dry streaks or lumps. If the dough is sticking to your gloves (and to the sides of the bowl), add more flour, 2 TBSP at a time and work it into the dough.
  • Continue to add a bit more flour until the dough no longer sticks to your gloves or the sides of the bowl.
  • Continue to knead the dough until it is fairly smooth and form it into a ball.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and allow to proof for at least 8 and up to 12 hours in a warm place free of drafts. The ideal temperature is 70-80*.
  • After "proofing" your dough should have risen and approximately doubled. It should have a curved dome and look a bit like a distended belly. If you gently poke it with a floured finger, it should slowly come back.
  • Line a clean bowl with baking parchment. Make sure to use a parchment that can take high heat, as you will be baking at 450-475*. I prefer the brand IF YOU CARE, available at Whole Foods, Target, Amazon and many other specialty stores and buy the pre-cut sheets, which are so much easier to work with.
  • With wet fingers (or using gloves), scrape the dough away from the bowl and gather it into a ball. Grabbing one side, lift it with both hands and raise it high above the bowl and allow it to stretch. As it returns to the bowl, fold it over itself. It will be sticky, but should not be too loose or stick to the bowl once you gather it together. If it is sticking to the bowl, add a touch more flour, a tablespoon at a time.
  • Wait about 90 seconds and repeat the stretching 2 more times. (During the 3rd stretch, the dough may not stretch as high and may require you to pull from all sides.) After the 3rd stretch, mound the dough into the parchment lined bowl, shaping it so the "seam" is on the bottom. Dust the dough lightly with flour and place in the refrigerator while you heat your dutch oven.
  • At this point you may refrigerate your dough for up to 3 days before baking.
  • Heat oven to 475* (or 450* on convection setting, which is what I use).
  • Place the dutch oven (covered) in the oven while it is preheating and allow it to heat for 45 minutes to an hour.
  • When the oven is ready, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, cut a long slice in the top of the dough or several slices to make an X or flower pattern.
  • Carefully remove the dutch oven and remove the lid. Lift the dough by the corners of the parchment and place in the dutch oven. (I leave the dutch oven on the rack and remove the lid, drop in the dough and replace the lid.)
  • Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
  • Remove lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until dark golden brown.
  • Remove to a rack and allow to cool for an hour before slicing.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • If you are lucky enough to have a friend (like me) to share starter with you then you are good to go.  I have shared my starter with many friends, who have shared with others, so it has proliferated all over the place now.  I’m happy to send some to you if you don’t know someone who has some.   Otherwise, if you’re have the time and up for the challenge, you can easily make your own starter in about a week. There are many websites, including King Arthur, that provide instructions.   
  • If you keep your starter in the fridge and it has been fed within the past 7 days, you can use it directly from the fridge, but I have found better results when I leave the starter on the counter for about a 1/2 hour before preparing the dough. you should notice it rising while it comes to room temperature.  
  • THE FLOAT TEST – if you are not sure if your starter is good to make bread or needs to be fed, try dropping a spoonful of starter into a cup of warm water.  Wait a minute or so, and if the dollop floats to the top, then your starter is strong enough to make bread – bake away!  
  • I have found my best loaves are made with starter that has been fed within 4 days, as they seem to rise a bit higher producing loaves that a little less dense. 
  • Friends have suggested that once they have formed their loaf they let the dough rise a little bit more (another couple hours on the counter) and get fluffier loaves.   
  • FEEDING YOUR STARTER – Once a week or each time you bake
    1. Mix 1/2 Cup starter with 3/4 Cup plus 2 TBSP All purpose flour and 1/2 Cup warm water.
    2. Place into a wide mouth mason Jar (1 quart) and place the cover askew to allow air to get in.  Let sit in a warm place for up to 8 hours or until it has doubled in size.
    3. Secure the cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake. 
    4. Discard the remainder of the old starter or share with a friend or discover a recipe that calls for “sourdough discard”.  
  • There is no limit to how frequently you can feed your starter.  If you are baking frequently, you will need to feed it more frequently since you will only have enough starter to make 2 loaves of bread and still have enough to feed and keep it going.
  • NEED MORE TIME?  Once you have formed your loaf, you can refrigerate it for up to 3 days before baking.  I have also found that by placing my dough in my kitchen in the winter (which is about 60*) that the proofing can go as long as 16 hours without overproofing . , , or just pop it in the fridge.  
  • IN A RUSH?  You can speed up the proofing process by placing your dough in a warmer environment . . . in the summer I place mine in our sunroom which does not have air conditioning and it is ready in 8 hours . . . I also tried putting it in the garage on a hot day (securely covered, of course) and it was ready in 6 hours.  DO NOT place it in your oven with the light on, as it will get too warm and overproof.  
  • OLIVE BREAD
    1. Substitute 1 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat flour for a cup of the Bread flour (ie:  3 Cups bread flour and 1 1/4 Cups whole wheat flour). 
    2. Stretch the proofed dough as above, but after the 3rd stretch turn it onto a lightly floured surface and press out (like you’re making pizza).
    3.   Sprinkle 1 Cup mixed pitted olives and press in lightly.  (I like to use a blend of pitted Castelveltrano and Kalamata olives, but experiment with what you like.)
    4. Roll the dough over, jelly roll style and then form into a ball, securing the seam at the bottom, place in the parchment lined bowl, dust with flour and place in the fridge while the dutch oven heats and bake in the same manner as above.
Keyword Baking, Bread, Sourdough, Sourdough Bread

1 Comment

Posted on December 1, 2020 by ktinakelleher

As I mentioned in one of my early posts “A Taste for Thai Food”, I began experimenting with making Thai Curry Pastes when we lived in Argentina due to the lack of availability of tasty Thai food. Thai Curry Paste is a blend of aromatic herbs, spices and chilies that are pureed to a fine paste which you then fry in oil and whisk in coconut milk to make a sauce. The coconut milk tames the heat of the chilies, so even if you don’t care for things too spicy, you can tone it down to accommodate your palate. The addition of protein such as chicken, beef, pork, tofu or fish along with vegetables finishes the “curry” which is then served over rice to make a complete, tasty meal. The pastes are also key ingredients to other sauces and soups such as Tom Yum Goong (Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup) and Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup).

Go to Post “A TASTE FOR THAI FOOD”
Clockwise from top left: Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Green Chilies (Jalapeno, Serrano and Thai “bird” chilies), Garlic, Red Chilies (Fresno & Thai “bird” chilies), Lemongrass, Galangal & Kaffir Lime Leaves.

Now that I’m in back in the US, I can certainly simply buy curry paste in a jar, but I find that making it from scratch is really worth the time and effort, as the taste is so much fresher. While my local Whole Foods usually has fresh lemongrass, chilies and sometimes even galangal, a trip to the Asian markets just a few miles to the north usually provides me everything I need at a fraction of the cost. When we were at the Cape for the summer, I couldn’t find lemongrass, galangal or Kaffir lime leaves anywhere, so I ended up ordering online and was able to get what I needed within 2 days through Etsy. As I had to improvise when we lived in Argentina and some ingredients were not reliably available, so too did I have to pivot when I learned a friend is allergic to shrimp and I would not be able to serve the curry due to the shrimp paste that is typically included. I found that anchovy paste was a perfect substitute, with no discernible difference in the taste, and now I use it all the time so that I don’t have to be concerned about a shellfish allergy when menu planning.

Green Curry with Chicken
Rice & a good Chardonnay pair nicely
Red Curry with Pork
Tom Yum Goong
Halibut with Red Curry Sauce & Mango Salsa

THAI CURRY PASTES

ktinakelleher
These pastes are the basis for Thai Green and Red Curries. I typically make the Green with chicken and the Red with pork or beef, you can use any protein, including seafood or tofu with either. I also the pastes to make sauces to serve as an accompaniment with grilled fish, pork or chicken along with a mango or pineapple salsa. The Green is a bit more herbacious and citrusy due to the additional Coriander seed and the absence of dried chilies. The process is the same for both, with the addition of the soaked dried red chilies for the Red.
While this may seem tedious to try to source the ingredients, it is so much better and fresher tasting than most store bought curry pastes that have preservatives to extend their shelf life. These make about 2 cups of each, so I divide them into small containers store some in the refrigerator for use within 2-3 weeks, share some with foodie friends and freeze the rest. You can also freeze it in individual portions (about 2 TBSP) in plastic bags.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Southeast Asian, Thai
Servings 2 Cups of Paste

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • Spice. Grinder, Coffee Grinder or Mortar & Pestle

Ingredients
  

GREEN CURRY PASTE

  • 1 1/2 TBSP Coriander Seeds whole
  • 1 TBSP Cumin Seeds whole
  • 1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns whole
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt Mortons
  • 4 stalks fresh Lemongrass tender purple section only, about 4"
  • 4 slices fresh Galangal about 1/2" slices
  • 8-10 fresh Jalapeno peppers, stems removed (use 8 if using Serranos)
  • 2 fresh Serrano peppers, stems removed
  • 20 Green Thai "bird" chilies, stems removed
  • 6 Cloves Garlic, peeled
  • 2 Large Shallots, peeled
  • 1 bunch fresh Cilanto Roots (or stems if you can't find cilantro with roots (Conserve leaves for another purpose)
  • 8 fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves, spines removed
  • 1 TBSP Anchovy Paste (1/2 tube) OR 1 tsp Shrimp Paste

RED CURRY PASTE

  • 1 TBSP Coriander Seeds whole
  • 2 tsp Cumin Seeds whole
  • 1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns whole
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt Morton's
  • 5 stalks fresh Lemongrass tender midsection only, about 4"
  • 4 slices fresh Galangal (about 1/4" slices)
  • 8 fresh Fresno Chilies fresh, stems removed
  • 12 dried long red Chilies, such as New Mexico Hatch (hot), soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, stems removed and liquid drained.
  • 20 Red Thai "bird" Chilies, stems removed
  • 6 cloves Garlic, peeled
  • 2 large Shallots, peeled
  • 8 fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves spines removed
  • 1 bunch fresh Cilanto Roots (or stems if you can't find cilantro with roots (Conserve leaves for another purpose)
  • 1 TBSP Anchovy Paste (1/2 tube) OR 2 tsp Shrimp Paste

Instructions
 

  • In a small saute pan, toast the Coriander, Cumin, Salt and Peppercorns over medium-high heat until fragrant. Toss or stir frequently to make sure the seeds don't burn.
  • Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder or coffee grinder and process to a fine powder.
  • Place the lemongrass and galangal in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse to chop. Galangal is quite coarse, so I find it helps to cut your slices into smaller pieces.
  • Add the cilantro roots, shallots, garlic and lime leaves and pulse a few times.
  • Add all of the chilies, spices and anchovy (or shrimp) paste and process until a fairly smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides frequently and mixing to make sure no large chunks remain. Be patient here, as it is a very fibrous mixture of ingredients and how quickly it blends together will depend on how powerful your food processor is.
  • Transfer to airtight container(s) and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks or freeze.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • This is another recipe that I tend to double when I make it due to the labor intensiveness of the process, and then I share with friends who are fans and keep several containers in my freezer.  It’s a great project for a cold or rainy day, or that day that you have to be home for a repairman, etc.  
  • I have a Magimix food processor which has a very powerful motor and a large bowl that allows for a double batch (just barely).  If you have another brand, you may find that you can only make a single batch (which makes a lot, so unless you have a lot of friends that you plan to share with, doubling isn’t necessary).  
  • If you have Asian grocery stores near you, it’s worth heading there as you are likely to find all of the ingredients you need, particularly lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shrimp paste (if using) and chilies.  You will also find the prices to be much more reasonable, since many restaurants do their shopping at these stores and buy in bulk.  If you don’t have the good fortune of having an Asian market near you, or can’t readily locate the ingredients, you can source them online through many sources such as Amazon, Etsy and some other specialty food websites.
  • Many grocery stores stock fresh jalapenos, serranos and fresno chilies (which look like a red jalapenos, but they are actually different and have a firmer texture that is much better here), as well as Thai “bird” chilies.  Look for chilies that are firm and free of blemishes.  If you can’t find them easily, you can source them online including at Amazon and Etsy, which serve as go between for small specialty vendors.  I had great luck with Melissa’s Produce (melissas.com) for Fresno chilies when I could not find them anywhere.  
  • If you can’t find cilantro with roots, which can be difficult, use the stems instead.  When I can find cilantro with their roots attached, I grab it and rush to the Asian market to get the other ingredients as the results are really better with the roots. 
  • I usually slice my chilies in half to help the food processor . . . if you find brown/black seeds when you slice, toss them as they are starting to go off.  
  • I use Hot New Mexico Hatch chilies for the dried red chilies.  They are available at many grocery stores, or readily available from many online sources.  They don’t weigh much, so don’t order the 5 pound bag like I did or you’ll have enough for your lifetime.
  • When soaking your dried chilies, they will float to the top, so I place a small plate or saucepan lid on them to keep them submerged.  Make sure to take off the stems and drain the water.  
  • I use an old coffee grinder that I keep for the sole purpose of grinding spices and it works beautifully.  It is really important to grind your spices, as the food processor will leave you with large chunks of peppercorns and coriander seeds, which are unpleasant in your curry.  
  • Traditional Thai curry pastes call for fermented shrimp paste, but since several friends have shrimp allergies, I have substituted anchovy paste with equal success and now simply use that . . . plus it’s much easier to find, especially if you don’t have an Asian market near you.  
Keyword Curry, Green Curry, Sitr Fry, Thai Basil, Thai Curry, Thai Green Curry, Thai Green Curry Paste, Thai Red Curry, Thai Red Curry Paste
A few comments from friends who I shared my curry pastes with . . . I hope you’ll give it a try and taste the difference!

GREEN CURRY with CHICKEN

ktinakelleher
Whether using Green or Red Curry Paste, the process is the same as outlined here. I use the vegetables that most frequently turn up in this classic, but feel free to experiment with any protein or vegetables that you like or have on hand.
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai

Equipment

  • Deep Saute Pan or Wok

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast halves cut into 2" pieces
  • 2 TBSP Canola or Peanut Oil
  • 2-3 TBSP Green Curry Paste 2 for less spicy, 3 for more
  • 1 can Coconut Milk
  • 1-2 TBSP Fish Sauce
  • 1-2 TBSP Palm Sugar or Light Brown Sugar
  • 4 fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves, spines removed substitute dried if you can't find fresh
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 2" chunks
  • 1 8 ounce package Button Mushroom, cleaned
  • 1 Cup fresh Green Beans cut into 2-3" pieces
  • 1/4 Cup Cilantro leaves and/or Thai Basil leaves.

Instructions
 

  • Pan sear chicken in a saute pan in a bit of oil over medium high heat until it is lightly browned all over. Remove from the pan and drain. (The chicken does not need to be cooked through, as it will finish in the curry sauce.)
  • If using the same pan, wipe out any juice from the chicken. Add another TBSP of oil and when it is hot, add the curry paste and stir fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in the Coconut milk a little at a time, starting with the cream at the top of the can. Allow to come to a boil before adding more of the milk, whisking constantly.
  • Reduce heat to medium (or medium low) and add the Kaffir Lime Leaves, 1 TBSP Fish Sauce and 1 TBSP Sugar and cook for 2-3 minutes, reducing heat so that it just simmering.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust if it needs a bit more Fish Sauce and/or Sugar.
  • At this point, if you are not ready to eat (or your rice is not ready), cover and turn off the heat until you are ready to eat.
  • Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chicken and mushrooms to the sauce. Cover the pan and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid, stirring occasionally to ensure the meat doesn't stick to the pan.
  • Then the mushrooms have cooked, add the green beans and cook, covered, for 1 minute then add the peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes and sprinkle with Cilantro leaves or Thai Basil leaves.
  • Serve immediately with Jasmine or Basmati Rice.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • Use the same process for Red Curry regardless of what protein you choose.
  • I think it makes a big difference to pan sear your meat, chicken or tofu before adding to the sauce, otherwise the meat will “stew” and it’s juices will water down the curry.
  • The curry should have a spicy, sweet, salty flavor from the paste, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar and the lime leaves brighten it lending a citrusy note.  
  • If your sauce is too spicy, add more coconut milk.  Not spicy enough, add more curry paste.  
Keyword Green Curry Chicken, Thai Curry, Thai Green Curry

2 Comments

Posted on November 17, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Is it me, or have you noticed that Fried Chicken is all the rage at the moment? Much like the current obsession with bacon, it seems every restaurant has their own version, even our local Italian restaurant around the corner starting offering Fried Chicken in a Basket before the pandemic shut down restaurants in mid-March. There was no Italian twist, just old fashioned fried chicken and potato wedges and it stood out on the menu like the old Sesame Street game “one of these things is not like the others”. Since restaurants re-opened in June, and now are outdoor only dining, it has disappeared from that menu, but it is prevalent on those of many other fine dining establishments and not simply at KFC or Chick-fil-A.

  • It looks good enough to eat!
    It looks good enough to eat!

In all honesty, I’ve never quite understood all of the hype. My father used to bring home that red and white striped bucket for dinner on an occasional evening and while I recall liking the coleslaw, I thought the mashed potatoes were more akin to wallpaper paste and the gravy was always congealed by the time it arrived on our dinner table from the KFC in town. My brothers loved it, though, so it was a good alternative to pizza when it was my mother’s night off from the kitchen or when they needed to feed us kids before they went out for a “date night”. I was completely turned off around the age of 10 when I was sick after one such dinner while on vacation in North Conway, New Hampshire. Truthfully, I probably had the flu, but even to this day the smell of those 11 herbs and spices makes my stomach flip, so I have had an aversion to it ever since.

  • My sous chefs, Joe & Timmy
    My sous chefs, Joe & Timmy
  • Where's the broom?
    Where’s the broom?
  • Nice work!
    Nice work!

Leave it to a couple of Michelin 3-star chefs to change my mind, namely Thomas Keller of The French Laundy in Napa, California (as well as Per Se in New York, Bouchon Bistro and Ad Hoc) and Grantz Achatz of Alinea in Chicago (as well as Next, The Aviary and Roister), who studied under Keller at the French Laundry before striking out on his own. Both chefs have the distinction of winning the James Beard award for Best Chef in America and their restaurants have been ranked #1 in the US, with Alinea holding that title at the moment. We attended a Dom Perignon vs Krug champagne dinner at Roister last November and fried chicken was one of the pairings. I don’t recall if the Dom or Krug was the winner, but I do remember it was delicious. Since Dennis is a huge fan of fried chicken, I decided to give it a try since I had nothing but time on my hands and it was most definitely in keeping with #learnsomethingnew. I pulled out my “Ad Hoc at Home” cookbook and embarked on Thomas Keller’s version. I had to make a few adjustments and cut the amount of brine in half and shortened the brining time to 4 hours since I didn’t have restaurant size storage and we wanted to eat before midnight. I also took the shortcut and bought the chicken parts already cut up and only had to cut the breasts in half. All in all, it worked out perfectly and Dennis’s verdict “AWESOME”!

  • Honey Hot Sauce & Ktina's Potato Salad
    Honey Hot Sauce & Ktina’s Potato Salad
  • Cheers!
    Cheers!

Upon returning to Chicago after 4 1/2 months on Cape Cod and lots of seafood, I offered to make friend chicken on Sunday. While not difficult, it is time consuming and thus it’s worth it to make a large batch, so we invited the Lynches over for dinner. I enlisted our nephews Joe and Timmy to help with the dredging while I fried the chicken. I put Julia to work whisking up the Honey Hot Sauce that I had concocted during the first attempt, which was inspired by a sauce that Maple & Ash serves with their fried chicken that is very tasty. I had the recipe for Maytag Blue Cheese (MBC) Coleslaw from a restaurant that my brother in law Brian used worked at that I adapted, so that and Ktina’s Potato Salad were the sides to round out the meal. And of course Champagne was the perfect pairing!

Go To MBC COLESLAW Recipe
Go To KTINA’s POTATO SALAD Recipe
Go To “AD HOC’ FRIED CHICKEN Recipe

HONEY HOT SAUCE

Maple & Ash is an upscale steak house around the corner from us in Chicago and they serve a honey chili dipping sauce with their fried chicken. I love the sweet and spicy combination so concocted my own version that is so easy it probably doesn't even qualify as a recipe. Try it with fried chicken and I think you'll love it.
Print Recipe
Course Sauces
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
  • 1 cup Honey

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the ingredients together. That's it! Serve as a dipping sauce for fried chicken and make sure to have plenty of napkins as it's sticky.

Notes

KTINA’s TIPS
  • This is basically 2 parts honey to 1 part hot sauce, so use proportions according to your crowd.  
  • This will keep for several weeks in an airtight container or jar.  I suggest keeping in your pantry and not the refrigerator, as the honey will crystallize in the refrigerator.  
  • I like the tang of Frank’s Hot Sauce (plus it is available in a large bottle, since it’s the original Buffalo Wing hot sauce), but feel free to experiment with other hot sauces that you like.  There are endless options, but you may need to adjust the proportions depending on the heat so as not to overpower the honey and allow some sweetness to come through.  
Keyword Dipping Sauce, Fried Chicken, Honey Hot Sauce

1 Comment

Posted on November 11, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Sunset over Hyannisport Club

During a summer of the Coronavirus pandemic where there were so many restrictions on our movements and what we could do in order to stay healthy, it might seem strange to write about it in terms of FUN. As it turns out, the summer of 2020 will hold many fond memories for the relationships that were strengthened through times spent together in smaller, more intimate gatherings. While “back to basics” may seem trite, it truly was the case. With so much uncertainty, it would be easy to be overcome with anxiety and become depressed, so enjoying what we could do, playing golf at Hyannisport (and we played lots of it), helped to keep things in perspective and the beautiful surroundings were a reminder of the many blessings we have despite the circumstances.

  • Champagne, Canapes and . . .
    Champagne, Canapes and . . .
  • CAKE!
    CAKE!
  • The Monday Foursome . . . me, Nell, Darlene & Lisa
    The Monday Foursome . . . me, Nell, Darlene & Lisa

While so many events had to be canceled or postponed, we were not about to let our friend Nell’s 60th birthday go unrecognized. Her birthday was not until November, but her days on the Cape were running out, so we planned to get together for cocktails at Darlene’s to toast the big day before she headed back to RIchmond and “real life”. What she didn’t know, was that Darlene, Lisa and I had contacted some additional friends and family and a proper Surprise Party was hatched. We kept it small, only including those in her golfing and personal “bubbles” and simple, champagne, canapes and cake from 5-7 pm. It was clear that everyone was ready for something to celebrate and it was the perfect way to close out what was an imperfectly fabulous summer.

Happy 60th Nell, and Cheers to good FRIENDS and a FUN summer! See you in 2021

Lisa made some killer Scallops Wrapped in Bacon and prepared a beautiful Charcuterie Board. I made Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce. Shrimp Cocktail from our local fish market and Smoked Blue Fish Pate from Fancy’s in Osterville, plus an adorable cake rounded out a simple, yet delicious menu.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops Recipe

CHICKEN SATAY with Peanut Sauce

ktinakelleher
Chicken Satay is always a crowd pleaser and so easy to make for a cocktail party. I have tried using chicken tenders or cubes of chicken, but found that it gets dry, especially if it is not being served right away. By cooking the chicken breasts and slicing them on the diagonal at the last minute, the chicken remains juicy and flavorful.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian, Thai

Ingredients
  

PEANUT SAUCE

  • 6 Cloves of Garlic
  • ¼ Cup chopped fresh Ginger about 3” piece
  • ½ Cup Tahini Paste
  • 2/3 Cup Peanut Butter smooth or chunky
  • ½ Cup Soy Sauce or Tamari for gluten free
  • ½ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ Cup Sesame Oil
  • ¼ Cup Honey
  • 1 Fresno or Jalapeno chili seeded
  • ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 1-2 tsp Hot Chili Oil

CHICKEN SATAY

  • 1 Cup Peanut Sauce
  • 2 TBSP Fish Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup Freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 1 TBSP Sambal Oleek
  • 6-8 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast Halves, trimmed of fat and sinew.

Instructions
 

PEANUT SAUCE

  • Place garlic, ginger and chili pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse several times until finely minced, scraping down the sides.
  • Add all remaining ingredients, except chili oil, and process until smooth. Taste for spice and add 1-2 tsp chili oil if you prefer a bit more heat.

CHICKEN SATAY

  • Whisk all ingredients (except chicken) together.
  • Pour sauce over chicken breasts, turning to coat, cover and allow to marinate 30 minutes at room temperature. Alternately, place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate several hours or overnight*.
  • While chicken is marinating, prepare your gas or charcoal grill. (*Remove chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before grilling.)
  • Grill chicken breasts over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, flip and reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until cooked through, approximately 12-15 minutes total.
  • Remove chicken from grill and cover with foil and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes until you are ready to serve (up to 2 hours).
  • Slice chicken on the diagonal and thread onto 6" wooden skewers.
  • Arrange on a platter and serve with Peanut Sauce on the side.

Notes

KTINA’s TIPS
  • The chicken will remain warm for up to 2 hours if covered tightly with foil.
  • When grilling the chicken, do not touch it for 5 minutes, then check for a good char.   It ready to turn when it pulls easily away from the grill grates and is not sticking.  
  • If your chicken breasts are quite large, then 6 is enough, if they are smaller, I suggest using 8.  
  • This chicken is also delicious to serve as a main dish with Thai Peanut Noodles.  
Keyword Chicken, Peanut, Satay
Thai Peanut Noodle Recipe

Leave a Comment

Posted on September 22, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Summer is winding down, you can tell by the way the light reflects off the ocean and sparkles like diamonds. The days are getting shorter, the nights cooler and family & friends are starting to make plans to head back to their year round homes. While we were craving a bit of Cape Cod in Chicago back in the Spring, we are now hankering for a bit of Chicago after two and half months of enjoying the bounty of fresh seafood that is available fresh from the ocean. Swordfish, Striped Bass, Halibut, Cod, Scallops, Clams, Oysters and, of course, Lobstah!! I have been remiss in posting, but I have been cooking up a storm, creating new recipes and taking lots of photos, so all that will be coming soon.

Just as the Cape is eponymous with seafood, Chicago is famous for it’s steak houses. There are endless choices from the national chains such as Ruth’s Chris, Smith & Wollensky, Mastro’s, Steak 48, Morton’s (though native to Chicago), to the locally born and bred Ditka’s, RPM Steak, Bavette’s, Swift & Sons, Gene & Georgetti, Chicago Chop House and, perhaps the most famous, Gibsons. While they are all great, the quintessential steak house experience continues to be Gibsons, which is frequented by the “high rollers, politicians and hookers” and the waiters bring out trays of raw steaks displaying the various cuts. When restaurants were closed for in person dining, Gibsons not only did take out, but began offering their prime steaks to purchase and cook at home. We enjoyed a number of them before departing to the Cape, so it was welcome news when I received an email announcing that they had started Gibsons Steak with nationwide shipping available and I promptly placed an order.

Go to Gibsons Steak
  • Darlene & Me
  • My favorite foursome – great friends!
  • Nell & Lisa

My shipment arrived just in time to host dinner the night before the Fall Member-Member, which has become a tradition this year having brought us luck the two prior times. My regular Monday game is with great friends Darlene, Lisa and Nell, and we were all playing as partners in the tournament (me with Darlene and Lisa with Nell), so I announced that Dennis and I would host the pre-tournament dinner as a Chicago Steakhouse theme and everyone was in. Lisa offered to make dessert, Nell said she would bring an appetizer, and Darlene said she would pack her PJ’s (it’s true!). I texted to let everyone know it would be casual, to which they responded “Too Late” . . . they were dressing up, wearing heels, jewelry and makeup… and the guys were wearing jackets, just like we would if we were going out to a steak house for real. A quick shoe change and lipstick application was in order.

  • Barnstable Oysters and Lobster Cocktail
  • Ribeye or NY Strip?
  • Perfectly Cooked
  • Au Gratin Potatoes from Union Square Cafe, NYC

We started with the classic “Seafood Tower”, or rather an abbreviated one with local Barnstable Oysters and Lobster Cocktail. Nell & Tim brought delicious Smoked Bluefish Pate and Ham Biscuits straight from their home in Virginia. The salad course was Tableside Caesar Salad with homemade croutons. Dennis cooked the steaks perfectly and I made the classic sides of Au Gratin Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sauteed Wild Mushrooms, all served family style. Dennis selected a delicious Handwritten Coombesville Cabernet Sauvignon, which was a perfect pairing. We saved just enough room for Lisa’s incredible cheesecake with fresh berries and caramel sauce. (Shout out to fellow BC ’87 alum Jean Boyle Johnston for her mother Regina’s recipe). It was the perfect evening of fabulous friendship and so much fun! Both teams were in the money on skins and Darlene and I ended up winning the day prize on Sunday, so it was a lucky dinner indeed and the tradition has been firmly cemented.

Go To Caesar Salad Recipe
  • Nell & Tim
  • Dennis, Darlene & me
  • Lisa & Bob
  • We survived the cold and windy conditions for 2 days and had a great time.
I forgot to get a picture of the guys in their jackets at dinner, so had to settle for one after the golf at the 19th Hole. We missed you Meg & Bill!

UNION SQUARE CAFE AU GRATIN POTATOES (adapted)

Union Square Cafe Cookbook
These creamy, cheesy potatoes are super decadent and irresistible. I serve these at Christmas with Prime Rib or Rack of Lamb, and they are the perfect family style share dish for a steak house dinner. They are worth the extra statin! The original recipe says it serves 4-6, but I have no idea who can eat that amount of potatoes. . . they must weigh 800 pounds! I have adjusted the recipe from the original to use large potatoes and more cheese. I often make them in 2 separate dishes – one to serve, one to share or freeze. They are super easy and can be made ahead, which is why they are a dinner party staple of mine.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Course Side Dish

Equipment

  • Mandolin

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Large Russet Potatoes scrubbed clean
  • 1 Clove Garlic, peeled and cut in half
  • 1 tsp Butter
  • 3 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 3 Cups Gruyere Cheese, grated (1 pound)
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg, preferably fresh
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/8 tsp White Pepper, or finely ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350*
  • Lightly butter a large oval au gratin dish or oval roaster* or 9 x 13 pyrex dish.
  • Rub the cut sides of the garlic around the pan. Discard the garlic.
  • Whisk the cream with the spices together in a very large bowl.
  • Using a mandolin** slice the potatoes paper thin (1 or 1 1/2 setting) and add to the cream mixture.
  • Add the grated cheese to the potatoes and cheese and blend well.
  • Pile the potatoes into the prepared dish (dishes), making sure the potatoes are stacked flat.
  • Pour any leftover cream mixture over the potatoes.
  • Place the potatoes in a larger roasting pan and add hot water halfway up the sides to create a Bain Marie.
  • Bake for 2 hours until bubbly and golden brown. Check at 90 minutes to ensure they are not too brown, if so, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
  • Allow to cool 15-20 minutes and serve.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • No need to buy potato brush or gloves . . . simply take out a brand new scrubby sponge and use the scrubber side to wash the potatoes, then use the sponge to wash your dishes.  
  • *I love the Apilco Deep Oval Roasters that I buy from Williams Sonoma.  The #6 is perfect for this recipe.
  • There’s no need to buy a fancy mandolin if you don’t own one.  OXO makes a simple one that does the trick.  Microplane makes Kevlar gloves that I highly recommend when working with a mandolin or microplanes to save your fingertips and nails from the razor sharp blades.  
  • If you are making ahead, cook the potatoes for 90 minutes, removed from oven and cover with foil until you are ready to pull dinner together.  Place in a 350* oven for 30 minutes about an hour before you are ready to eat.  
Keyword Au Grantin Potatoes, Potaotes, Union Square Cafe

STEAKHOUSE MUSHROOMS

I love sauteed mushrooms as a side to a great steak, but not just any mushrooms. I like to use a blend of wild mushrooms for a robust, earthy flavor as opposed to simple button mushrooms. The addition of fresh Rosemary and Thyme adds a lovely flavor that is the perfect Steakhouse side.
Print Recipe
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 4 ounces Crimini Mushrooms, washed & sliced 1 cup
  • 4 ounces Portobello Mushrooms, washed, halved & sliced 1 cup
  • 4 ounces Shitake Mushrooms, washed, stemmed & sliced 1 cup
  • 4 ounces Oyster, Trumpet or Chanterelle Mushrooms, washed & sliced 1 cup
  • 4 TBSP Butter
  • 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive OIl
  • 2 TBSP Minced Shallots (1 shallot)
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, minced finely
  • 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Rosemary, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme, minced
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/2 Cup Red Wine

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter with olive oil over medium low heat.
  • Add shallots and sweat until just softened, making sure that the butter doesn't brown,
  • Add mushrooms, increase heat to medium to medium high, stirring frequently.
  • When mushrooms begin giving off liquid and are starting to brown, add the salt, pepper, herbs and garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the wine and bring mixture to a boil.*
  • Reduce heat to simmer and cook until most of the liquid has absorbed.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • May be made ahead, but add half the wine and when the liquid has absorbed, remove from heat and cover.  Just before ready to serve, bring to heat and add the remaining wine and bring to a simmer and serve.
  • Use a damp paper towel to clean the mushrooms.  Don’t rinse in water, as mushrooms will absorb the water and won’t absorb the butter, oil and spices as well.  
  • Use whatever blend of mushrooms you can find.  
Keyword Mushrooms, Sauteed Mushrooms, Steakhouse, Steakhouse Mushrooms

2 Comments

Posted on August 20, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Bringing friends together for dinner is tricky at the moment, but our huge (5 foot square) dining room table is perfect for 4 couples to dine at a comfortable distance, so I offered to cook dinner for some friends. We had a narrow window, with Nell arriving a few weeks later than usual this year and Meg having to head out to get back to her year round home to return to work. After a week of texting, we finally found a date that worked for everyone, which turned out to be the Thursday evening before the Club Championship weekend. Friday was qualifying and we were all playing, but our tee-times were not too early, so it was a go.

  • Tuna Ceviche to start . . .
  • Beautiful Striped Bass
  • Grilled Striper w/ Red Curry Sauce & Mango Salsa
  • Thai Peanut Noodles
  • Thai Watermelon Salad

After checking with everyone about allergies and aversions, I decided to go with predominantly Thai dinner. Cape Fish & Lobster had some beautiful Striped Bass (Striper), so I grabbed it, since it’s a short season. Striper is a “Quota” fish, which is established each year to promote sustainability, and when the quota has been reached, that’s it, the season is over. Striper with Red Curry Sauce and Mango Salsa was the main event with Thai Peanut Noodles and Thai Watermelon Salad rounding out the main course. I had made this exact dinner when the Lynches were in town for a visit, and my sister in law, Julia, proclaimed it “the best thing I ever ate” (wait, isn’t that a show??), so I thought it was a safe bet. Lisa had more tuna (“Heaps of Tuna), so ceviche was a must for a starter. The verdict: a Winner! Nell said she could make a whole meal out of the watermelon salad, and Lisa proclaimed the Asador (grillmaster Dennis) had cooked the fish perfectly. We decided it’s a new tradition, as it was clearly good luck . . . Lisa and I were medalists in our respective flights for Qualifying and Nell went on to win the Club Championship!

Go to “Heaps of Tuna” Post
A lot of winners here!! From left, Meg (and husband Bill) 2019 Club Champion, Lisa (and husband Bob), Championship Flight Medalist and Spring Member-Member Champ (with me😊), and our 2020 Club Champion, Nell (with husband Tim). Oh, yeah, I was the medalist in the Net Flight. Cheers to all!!

I made a fresh batch of Red Curry Paste using anchovy paste in lieu of the traditional shrimp paste, since Nell is allergic to shrimp. The lemongrass, galangal and dried chilies are not readily available at the Cape, and so I ordered on line. I think I may have overdone it with the 5 pound bag of red chilies… I guess I will be coming up with more recipes using them, perhaps some New Mexico inspired dishes will be coming soon. In the meantime, I have a huge batch of Red Curry Paste . . . if you’re in the area and would like some, send me a note!

  • Hmmm, maybe I didn’t need 5 pounds
  • Red Curry Paste
  • You only need this much . . . plenty to share!

TUNA CEVICHE

ktinakelleher
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeds removed Fresh
  • 1 Bunch Cilantro, leaves & stems, rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 pound Ahi Tuna, sushi grade
  • 1 Avocado, cut into 1/2" cubes

Instructions
 

  • Place first 5 ingredients in a blender (Vitamix) and puree until smooth
  • Cut tuna into 1/2" cubes and place in a glass or plastic bowl (not metal) and pour sauce over to coat entirely. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Add avocado and gently toss.
  • Garnish with red onion slices and serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

  • A super sharp knife is key to cutting the tuna.  Placing in the freezer for 15 minutes will allow for easier slicing without tearing.
  • Simply tear the cilantro from just above the rubber band or twist tie and rinse.  
  • This is best made just before you wish to serve, as the longer the fish sits in the marinade, the more it cooks.
Keyword Ceviche, Tuna

MANGO SALSA

ktinakelleher
This salsa is very balanced, sweet with just a touch of heat from the jalapeno. It pairs equally well with Thai or Mexican dishes. I have used it successfully with, Grilled Halibut with Red Curry Sauce, Pan Seared Scallops with Red Curry Sauce, Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs in Red Curry Sauce, Grilled Pork Tenderloin in Chipotle Marinade or Asian Marinade.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Accompaniment, Salsa, Sauces
Cuisine Asian, Mexican, Thai

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Ripe Mangoes, peeled, pitted & chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Red Onion, finely chopped 1/2 red onion
  • 1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped 1/2 large or 1 small bell pepper
  • 1/2 Cup fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced finely
  • 2 TBSP Honey
  • 2 TBSP freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Mix all ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl (glass or plastic).
  • Allow to sit for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld and juices to release.
Keyword Mango, Mango Salsa

THAI PEANUT NOODLES

ktinakelleher
These noodles are packed with flavor and have been a family and friend favorite for many years. They are a great side dish for Sesame Crusted Pan Seared Tuna, Teriyaki Steak Tips, or Asian Marinated Grilled Pork, Chicken or Shrimp. I usually make a double batch of the sauce to keep some on hand or to share. It is super easy to make a double or triple batch of the noodles when serving a crowd and can be made ahead and served at room temperature or cold. The sauce is super versatile and is a delicious dipping sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

PEANUT SAUCE

  • 6 Cloves of Garlic
  • ¼ Cup chopped fresh Ginger about 3” piece
  • ½ Cup Tahini Paste
  • 2/3 Cup Peanut Butter smooth or chunky
  • ½ Cup Soy Sauce or Tamari for gluten free
  • ½ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ Cup Sesame Oil
  • ¼ Cup Honey
  • 1 Fresno or Jalapeno chili seeded
  • ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 1-2 tsp Hot Chili Oil

NOODLES

  • 1 Red Bell Pepper julienned
  • 1 Yellow Bell Pepper julienned
  • ½ bunch of Scallions white and green parts, thinkly sliced on diagonal
  • ½ Cup fresh Cilantro leaves only, washed and chopped
  • 2 TBSP Thai Basil leaves chopped (optional)
  • 1 pound Pad Thai Rice Noodles or traditional Spaghetti or Linguine

Instructions
 

PEANUT SAUCE

  • Place garlic, ginger and chili pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse several times until finely minced, scraping down the sides.
  • Add all remaining ingredients, except chili oil, and process until smooth. Taste for spice and add 1-2 tsp chili oil if you prefer a bit more heat.

NOODLES

  • Prepare pasta according to package directions. (If using Thai rice noodles, make sure to stir frequently so that they don’t stick. Taste for doneness, as I find they may take longer than the package indicates.)
  • While the pasta is cooking, pour 1 cup of the peanut sauce into the bottom of a large serving bowl.
  • Drain noodles and immediately toss with the sauce in the bowl, adding a bit more sauce if needed to completely coat the noodles. You don’t need to drain too well, as a bit of hot pasta water helps to loosen the sauce.
  • Allow the noodles to sit for 10 minutes or so to absorb the sauce, adding a bit more sauce if it seems tight. You don’t want the pasta drowning in sauce, but you want it well coated.
  • Add the peppers, scallions and cilantro and toss well. Garnish with a bit more chopped cilantro, Thai Basil leaves and thinly sliced Fresno chilies (if desired).

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • Peanut Sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • Peanut Sauce is also great as a dipping sauce for grilled chicken, pork, beef or tuna Satay. 
  • Add a Tablespoon of lime juice & fish sauce to thin it out a bit and use as a marinade for tuna satay, which is common in Bali.
  • The noodles are delicious hot, room temperature or cold the next day.
  • Serve as a side dish or add a protein, such as grilled chicken, steak, shrimp or pan seared tuna for a complete dish.
  • My Asian Marinade/Sauce recipe pairs really well with the noodles.

THAI WATERMELON SALAD

ktinakelleher
The watermelon salad with feta is very popular, but since watermelon is hugely popular in Thailand, I wanted a dish that would pair well with Asian food. This refreshing salad is a tasty flavor sensation of sweet, salty and a touch spicy. It's perfect on a warm summer night, or anytime fresh watermelon is available. I like to serve this when I make Thai Peanut Noodles or alongside Fish with Red Curry Sauce & Mango Salsa.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Thai

Ingredients
  

DRESSING

  • 6 TBSP freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 1 TBSP Fish Sauce
  • 1 TBSP Sambal Oleek or other Asian Chili Sauce
  • 1 TBSP fresh Ginger, finely minced or grated on microplane
  • 1 tsp Honey

SALAD

  • 1 Large Watermelon (seedless), but into 1 1/2" chunks (8 cups)
  • 1 bunch Scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal (8 scallions)
  • 8 Radishes, thinly sliced *Optional
  • 2 Fresno Chilies, very thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 3/4 Cup Cilantro leaves, chopped *Mint may be substituted
  • 3/4 Cup Thai Basil leaves, torn

Instructions
 

  • Whisk dressing ingredients together until well blended.
  • Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.
  • Garnish with extra Thai Basil leaves.
Keyword Thai Basil, Thai Watermelon Salad, Watermelon

2 Comments

Posted on August 7, 2020 by ktinakelleher

We have been enjoying delicious fresh fish since arriving at the Cape from Chicago in late June. I know I’ve said it before, but you simply can not beat the fish on the Cape for it’s freshness. Striped Bass (Striper) is a particular favorite of ours, and so Dennis headed to Cape Fish & Lobster to see if they had any in stock. Unfortunately, they had sold out for the day, but Anthony clued him in to the days they receive striper and the best times to come in, or to simply call ahead and place an order to reserve some. (It pays to develop a relationship with your local fish monger and visit frequently.) In the interim, Dennis was eyeing some tuna when Anthony pointed out a beautiful looking piece of halibut that was all that remained of a fish they had received just 2 hours prior. That was all the convincing he needed, so he scooped up the entire piece, which amounted to 2 1/2 pounds.

What a beautiful piece of halibut . . .arrived in the shop just 2 hours earlier.

I took one look at the fish and realized I needed to do something special to showcase the amazing fish. Obviously at 2-1/2 pounds it was way more than what we’d need for dinner, so I carved it into filets for dinner and froze the rest for a future dinner or for Cioppino. I had red curry paste and some mangoes in the refrigerator, so decided to simply grill the fish and serve it with red curry sauce and mango salsa. I had made this preparation for pan sauteed soft shell crabs, and was a bit worried that it might be too bold for the fish, but I made sure the curry sauce was not too spicy and it turned out to be spectacular. Thai basil from my garden added just the right garnish, and a Thai Watermelon Salad was a refreshing accompaniment.

  • Halibut with Red Curry Sauce & Mango Salsa
  • Thai Watermelon Salad

THAI WATERMELON SALAD

ktinakelleher
The watermelon salad with feta is very popular, but since watermelon is hugely popular in Thailand, I wanted a dish that would pair well with Asian food. This refreshing salad is a tasty flavor sensation of sweet, salty and a touch spicy. It's perfect on a warm summer night, or anytime fresh watermelon is available. I like to serve this when I make Thai Peanut Noodles or alongside Fish with Red Curry Sauce & Mango Salsa.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Thai

Ingredients
  

DRESSING

  • 6 TBSP freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 1 TBSP Fish Sauce
  • 1 TBSP Sambal Oleek or other Asian Chili Sauce
  • 1 TBSP fresh Ginger, finely minced or grated on microplane
  • 1 tsp Honey

SALAD

  • 1 Large Watermelon (seedless), but into 1 1/2" chunks (8 cups)
  • 1 bunch Scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal (8 scallions)
  • 8 Radishes, thinly sliced *Optional
  • 2 Fresno Chilies, very thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 3/4 Cup Cilantro leaves, chopped *Mint may be substituted
  • 3/4 Cup Thai Basil leaves, torn

Instructions
 

  • Whisk dressing ingredients together until well blended.
  • Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.
  • Garnish with extra Thai Basil leaves.
Keyword Thai Basil, Thai Watermelon Salad, Watermelon
Go to Thai Peanut Noodle Recipe
Go to Cioppino Recipe

MANGO SALSA

ktinakelleher
This salsa is very balanced, sweet with just a touch of heat from the jalapeno. It pairs equally well with Thai or Mexican dishes. I have used it successfully with, Grilled Halibut with Red Curry Sauce, Pan Seared Scallops with Red Curry Sauce, Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs in Red Curry Sauce, Grilled Pork Tenderloin in Chipotle Marinade or Asian Marinade.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Accompaniment, Salsa, Sauces
Cuisine Asian, Mexican, Thai

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Ripe Mangoes, peeled, pitted & chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Red Onion, finely chopped 1/2 red onion
  • 1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped 1/2 large or 1 small bell pepper
  • 1/2 Cup fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced finely
  • 2 TBSP Honey
  • 2 TBSP freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Mix all ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl (glass or plastic).
  • Allow to sit for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld and juices to release.
Keyword Mango, Mango Salsa

4 Comments

Posted on July 31, 2020 by ktinakelleher

When my friend Lisa Heaps texted on Sunday night that her daughter’s boyfriend had dropped off a “shit ton of Tuna – blue fin . . . do you want to stop over after golf and get some?”, I naturally said “YES”! When I arrived at the house after our weekly Monday golf game I was thinking, yum, tuna for dinner. Imagine my shock as I walked into the kitchen and laid eyes on giant bags of humongous chunks of what had to have been half of a several hundred pound tuna that had been swimming in Nantucket Sound less than 48 hours earlier. It turns out a “shit ton” was not an understatement. I departed with two giant pieces and began to ponder about what to do with all of it.

A “shit ton” of Tuna, indeed!

When I told Dennis to open the fridge to check out the treat Lisa had given us, he was initially underwhelmed, as at first glance he thought the bright red object he was looking at was watermelon and he wondered what was so special about that. Then he did a double take when I told him it was blue fin tuna that Chris had caught on Saturday. “That’s awesome” was his response. I set about carving it up, separating the tenderloin from the fattier outer part, portioning it into steaks for pan-searing, chunks for satay and some slices of sashimi, which Dennis promptly dipped into a little soy sauce and declared amazing!

  • Sushi grade – and free!
  • Sashimi – delicious!

I had been planning to make Thai Peanut Noodles and now that we had all of this beautiful tuna, it was perfect timing. I decided Sesame Crusted Pan Seared Tuna would be delicious with the peanut noodles, and indeed it was spectacular. I used black and white sesame seeds, brushing the fish with a little sesame oil first to help the sesame seeds adhere than pan seared it in a non-stick skillet. I had Thai Basil in my herb garden and added them to the noodles, which made an already great dish even better, so have tweaked my recipe yet again. A Walker Hill Chardonnay and Azaya Ranch Pinot Noir, both from Dutton Goldfield, were spot on. This will become a new staple for sure, and I have “heaps” of tuna in my freezer for many meals to come. Thank you, Lisa (and Chris, who caught it)!

Go to Thai Peanut Noodle recipe
  • Sesame Crusted & Sashimi
  • Pan seared to perfection
  • DG Walker Hill Chardonnay

3 Comments

Posted on July 28, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Is there a more quintessential Cape summer meal than a lobster? The traditional “clam bake” is so named because it usually includes steamed clams (“steamers”, or “steamahs” in the local vernacular) along with the steamed lobster, corn on the cob and potatoes. The whole shebang is often cooked in the same pot, or if you have access to a beach and a permit, in a pit lined with seaweed, wet newspaper and covered in sand to allow everything to steam and is basically a vehicle for the copious amounts of melted butter that is served along side. It is a messy affair, but oh so tasty and fun.

  • Joe & Billy Lynch (2007)
  • Don’t get too friendly
  • Hmm, dinner soon
  • Duv hurry!

We used to do the traditional feast, complete with our young nephews playing with the live lobsters before they met their fate in the pot of steaming water. It was quite the novelty for our Chicago nephews on their annual visit, and how I finally became officially known as “Auntie Duv”, when Billy, all of 6 years old, shouted “Duv hurry”, when his bravery waned with the feisty critter he was holding until I could pop it into the pot.

Now that the kids are older, we skip the theatrics with the live lobsters and I’ve taken to having our local fish market, Cape Fish & Lobster, do the cooking for us. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of that basic lobster boil and all that butter, so I decided I’d split the lobsters and slather on a compound butter and finish them on the grill. The verdict was overwhelming, elevating the entire experience and I’ve never gone back. I’ve experimented with several butters, but the most popular are Garlic, Jalapeno & Cilantro, Chipotle, Garlic & Cilantro, and Ginger, Garlic & Cilantro. Snaps to Cape Fish & Lobster . . . I ask them to cook them slightly under (5 mins), split and clean them. Oh so much easier and they don’t charge.

My brother Gary and his family were coming down for a visit and he requested we do lobsters if we hadn’t done them yet, We hadn’t and we were ready to do so. We invited my parents over and my brother Mark and his wife decided to come down for the night, so it was a partial family reunion, which was so much fun given we hadn’t seen each other in months. I whipped up the butters, made potato salad and steamed up some native corn. Gary brought some steak tips for the kids that don’t love lobster and we had a super fun, festive night. Can you tell??

  • Yum!
  • Ktina’s Potato Salad
  • Grace & Luke – No thanks to lobster
  • Cheers to summer…
  • …and being together!

KTINA’S POTATO SALAD

ktinakelleher
My Nana made the most delicious potato salad, which was a staple throughout the summer. I know she included pickle juice in hers, but I have taken to using fresh dill. I think leaving skins on may have been a factor of her arthritis in later years, but I love the texture it gives, not to mention it is less labor intensive. My supreme compliment came from my brother Mark, who said "better than Nana's". I hope you agree.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds red skinned potatoes skins scrubbed clean and cut into 1-2” cubes (8 cups)
  • 3 Celery Stalks diced (1 cup)
  • 1 small or ½ medium red onion cut into ½-1” dice (cut into sixths then sliced) –(1 cup)
  • ¼ Cup fresh Dill chopped
  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
  • 1 TBSP + 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the potatoes in a medium stock pot and cover with 8 cups of water, making sure there’s at least 2” to the top. Add 1 TBSP salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes until they a knife is easily inserted but not mushy.
  • Drain potatoes and return to the pan. Partially cover and allow to cool.
  • While the potatoes are cooling, chop the onions and celery and place in a large bowl (large enough to add the potatoes and have room to toss).
  • Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, 1 tsp salt, pepper and dill together to make dressing.
  • Add the potatoes to the onion and celery. They should be warm, but not hot.
  • Add the dressing and toss to blend.
  • Take a large chef’s knife and run through the potatoes to break them up a bit.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 1 hour.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • Skip the fancy potato gloves and just open a new scrubby sponge and use it to clean the potatoes then use it to wash the dishes.  
Keyword barbeque, lobster bake, potato salad, potatoes

1 Comment

Posted on July 14, 2020 by ktinakelleher

As I said in my first post “The Experiment Begins”, I spent summers on the Cape during college and graduate school and worked at a restaurant called The Mooring. Those were fun times and I met some great friends, many of whom I am still in touch with to this day. It was during these years that my cooking skills began to develop. The Mooring menu included a dish called “Clam Soup”, which was a particular favorite of my father’s. Distinctly not chowder, which is cream based, the soup was more akin to a red sauce, but without the pasta and was served with a large chunk of garlic toast to soak up the juices. As I watched the cooks preparing the dish, I thought I could probably replicate it at home, so I took a stab at it. It might not have been perfect the first time, but all in all it was successful and and over the years I have tweaked it and over 30 years later it continues to be a favorite.

Cheers to family and a great Friday night dinner!
Clam Soup, Caesar Salad, Focaccia & nice wine. . . Yum!

After making Clam Spaghetti with littlenecks from the local fish market, I was convinced that the ones from Island Creek Oysters were less salty, so I ordered up 100 of them with my weekly oyster order. We invited my parents over for oysters and clams, and I made a focaccia (actually 2, as I was bringing one to friends along with some oysters on Saturday). A Caesar Salad rounded out a light, delicious and satisfying meal. I think the proof is in the “Clean Plate Club”.

Clean Plate Club
I’m not sure if they liked it??
Go to Rosemary Focaccia Recipe
Go to Caesar Salad Recipe

CLAM SOUP

ktinakelleher
This is my version of the "soup" that was on the menu of The Mooring restaurant that was the first dish I ever attempted to replicate at home. It is super easy and makes for a great light meal along with a salad and, of course, focaccia for soaking up the tasty broth. Serve 6 clams apiece for a delicious starter.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Soup
Cuisine Seafood
Servings 4 as a main course or 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped 1 cup
  • 2 TBSP Garlic, minced 4 large cloves
  • 1 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 1/2 tsp Basil dried
  • 1 1/2 tsp Oregano dried
  • 1 1/2 Cups White Wine
  • 1 Can Chopped Tomatoes & Juices
  • 48 Littleneck Clams about 4 pounds
  • 1/4 Cup Chopped Flat Parsley 1/2 bunch
  • 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Sweat the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, pepper flakes, basil and oregano and cook for one minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant but doesn't brown.
  • Add the clams and white wine, cover and increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until the clams just start to open.
  • Add the tomatoes and their juice, 2 TBSP of the parsley, the pepper and stir to incorporate. Replace the cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the clams have fully opened.
  • Place 12 clams in soup/pasta bowls and ladle the "soup" over. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with Rosemary Focaccia for dunking and a salad.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • Soak the clams in cold water for 15-30 minutes before cooking to allow them to release any sand.
  • I don’t add salt, as I think the clams are naturally salty enough.
  • Make sure to serve immediately after the clams have fully opened, as the clams will become rubbery if left to cook longer.  
  • Discard any clams that don’t open.
  • Add more or less crushed pepper flakes depending on your palate for spice.
Keyword Clam Soup, Clams, Littlenecks

5 Comments

Posted on July 7, 2020 by ktinakelleher

While I may have been quiet here for a couple of weeks, it doesn’t mean the kitchen has been closed. It finally stopped raining after the wettest month in Chicago’s history, so I allowed myself to indulge in my other passion (er, obsession?), golf, a few days a week. It felt almost normal, playing golf with friends and restaurants starting to open up for outdoor dining. . .almost, but not quite. When protests and rioting started, we decided we were ready to move from our larger “prison” to our smaller one. So, after 3 months of quarantining and cooking in Chicago, we decided a change of scenery was in order and packed the car and drove 16 hours straight through to our home on Cape Cod. It might have been dark when we crossed the bridge over the Cape Cod Canal, but we could smell the salt air and feel the peacefulness. We awoke to the sight of hydrangeas in bloom which confirmed we had arrived to our “happy place”.

Good morning . . . Welcome back!

The first order of business (after dashing off to Hyannisport for a morning round of golf with girlfriends) was to get my Cape kitchen ready for action. I packed a few provisions from Chicago that I thought would be difficult to procure in a more rural environment, such as the Thai curry pastes I had made and frozen back in April, but the pantry was otherwise bare. Off to the grocery stores with our masks we went . . . Stop & Shop for basics & cleaning supplies, Whole Foods (where I was first in line) for spices, oils and some other Asian & Mexican staples, Lamberts for produce, and since our first dinner had to be fish, Cape Fish & Lobster to check out their fresh catch. Everything looked beautiful, but we decided on simply grilled swordfish since my “mis en place” was not quite ready. Dirk’s in Chicago does a fabulous job, but there’s nothing like fresh fish that doesn’t need to take a plane ride to arrive on your dinner table. The cooking will be fish-centric for the next couple of months.

So many choices , what will it be?
  • We’re not quite ready for you , but soon!
  • Like “buttah”!

By Friday we were pretty well organized and ready to host our friends Bob and Lisa Heaps for dinner. My parents were quarantining since their arrival by plane from Florida, so I wanted to make something that I could share with them. With the abundance of fresh seafood at my fingertips now, I settled on Cioppino with Rosemary Focaccia for dunking since it was not only delicious, but easy to pack for my mother to pick up and simply bring to a boil. I ordered up the “Half Shell” from Island Creek Oysters for the clams in the dish and some Oysters with Mignonette as a starter, which we shucked and slurped together. We toasted to summer, friendship and the first of many fun dinners together with some fabulous Peter Michael Chardonnay and Sea Smoke Pinot Noir. Lisa and I proceeded to win the Member-Member golf tournament over the weekend, and Bob and his partner came in fourth. Not a bad start to what looks to be a great season of Food, Fun, Family & Friends!

Go to Cioppino Recipe
Go to Rosemary Focaccia Recipe
Cheers to good friends and Cape summers!

KTINA’S MIGNONETTE

ktinakelleher
Mignonette is the classic French accompaniment to raw oysters along with lots of lemon wedges. White wine vinegar is traditional, but I like to use Citrus Champagne vinegar, which adds a little brightness and is a little less acidic.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine French, Seafood
Servings 1 Cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Citrus Champagne Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup Shallot, finely minced 1 large shallot
  • 1 TBSP Coarsely ground Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
  • Serve with raw oysters, lots of lemon wedges and hot sauce if you like.
Keyword Mignonette, Oysters

2 Comments

Posted on June 6, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Before the emergence of Molecular Gastronomy and the theater that is created by the use of liquid nitrogen in restaurants today, the entertainment in your fine dining experience was frequently the Caesar Salad prepared tableside. Your server would wheel a trolley with a large wooden bowl to your table and it was “lights, camera, action” as he would transform garlic, anchovies, egg yolks, mustard and oil into an unctuous dressing that was tossed with Romaine lettuce leaves and croutons, finished off with a fresh grating of Pecorino Romano cheese and cracked black pepper. So, how did such a simple salad become so theatrical? Well, it’s creator, Caesar Cardini, came up with this salad at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924 out of necessity during a busy weekend when they had run out of almost all of the produce except for some Romaine lettuce. In order to sell this “special” yet simple salad, he created a dramatic presentation at the table which resulted in it becoming sought after, and thus the “tableside” Caesar salad was born.

  • With Romaine, traditional.
  • Ready to go, just need that bowl!
  • With Baby Gem . . . So good!

My first recollection of this experience was as a ten year old on our family’s trip to Disney World that we had saved and rolled our pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to finance. At least that’s what our father led us to believe to encourage us to partake in the monthly ritual of rolling the coins that had accumulated in the Chock Full O’Nuts tin on his dresser and in our piggy banks. It was 1976 and it was the first time on a plane for me and my bothers Kevin and Mark (baby Gary was only 2 and stayed behind with an aunt and uncle). On our final evening in Orlando, we got dressed up and our parents treated us to dinner at the fancy restaurant “El Cid” in one of the nearby hotels. My parents had dined there on a prior night and had raved about the Caesar Salad and said we had to experience it. And an experience it was . . . we sat mesmerized as if the server was a magician performing sleights of hand that were just as entertaining as those rides inside the park (at least for me, anyway, perhaps the seeds of my fascination with food and cooking were being planted). While I returned to school raving about Space Mountain and the Monorail, my most vivid memory today is that salad.

  • Grilled Romaine
  • Yum!
  • Grilled Caesar w/ Crushed Croutons

Sometime after that trip, my parents acquired a giant wooden bowl and Caesar Salad became a staple in our household, which continues to this day. While I have come up with a recipe to make the dressing in the blender, which is great for preparing batches of salad for a crowd or for my grilled version pictured above, there is still something about making it in that big wooden bowl. Just like it was for me as a young girl, it is dramatic and makes for a great show to impress your guests. It’s also fun, and a great teaching opportunity. Our nephew, Sean, is a particular fan, and we had a blast making it together during their visit from Reno, Nevada last June. He left Chicago not only with the recipe, but some new vocabulary as we talked about “emulsification” and why all of the ingredients need to be at room temperature to ensure the dressing comes together as a mayonnaise before adding the lemon juice.

  • Voila, a mayonnaise!
  • Sean hard at work while I juice the lemons.
  • Look, Dad, I made it mysef (sort of)!
Go to Caesar Salad “Tableside” Recipe
Go to Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe (Blender)

A good wooden bowl is more than a piece of kitchen equipment, it is like a work of art as the finest ones are hand carved from a single piece of wood. Beech is the most common wood used, but oak, cherry, maple and walnut make beautiful versions. They are also very expensive, as it is increasingly difficult to obtain the wood necessary to create the larger sizes. A first quality 17″ bowl (the “classic” size) can set you back upwards of several hundred dollars. It’s an investment, but worth it my opinion, as it will last a lifetime if properly cared for. My parents still have that bowl they bought in the ’70’s and I still have my first one, too, which I’ve had for almost 30 years.

  • My original 17″ & more frequently used 15″
  • Andrew Pearce Walnut “Seconds”
  • Can you find the flaw?

$300+ not in your budget? Don’t fret, as many manufacturers offer deep discounts on bowls that are considered “Seconds” or “Knot Perfect”. Bowl Mill in Vermont (http://bowlmill.com), New Hampshire Bowl & Board (http://etsy.com and http://newhampshirebowlandboard.com), Holland Bowl Mll in Michigan http://hollandbowlmill.com and Andrew Pearce (of the Simon Pearce family) in Vermont (http://andrewpearcebowls.com) all make beautiful bowls in various woods and offer steep discounts for bowls that don’t make the first quality cut. They may have a knot, scratch or other imperfection that is barely discernible to anyone other than the artisan. Also, size matters , there’s a big price jump from 15″ to 17″, so consider going for the slightly smaller size, which is perfect for 6 servings. Lastly, watch for specials, as I just hit a promotion with Andrew Pearce for an additional 25% off, so bought several to have on hand for gifts. One of my favorite bridal shower gifts is a bowl along with the recipe and all of the non-perishable ingredients . . . feel free to steal the idea as long as we are not invited to the same shower!

5 Comments

Posted on May 29, 2020 by ktinakelleher

I had some Littlenecks that needed to be used from an Island Creek Oyster order and we had already had some grilled and steamed, so needed to change it up. Linguini with Clams is popular on many Italian restaurant menus, but I have often found it rather soupy and the sauce didn’t do much for the pasta. We had just watched the move “CHEF” (if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it) and I was inspired by the pasta that the chef prepares that had a sauce clinging to every strand of pasta and thought clams would make a great addition. It turns out I was right.

Read More

4 Comments

Posted on May 27, 2020 by ktinakelleher

As I’ve said before, I prefer cooking to baking, but muffins are a regular part of my repertoire. I often make them when we have guests, as it’s an easy way to make a grab and go breakfast that everyone enjoys. My Go To is the “Marshy Muffin” recipe that was handed down to me from my grandmother (Nana). Before there was Ina, we were blessed with the world’s best baker in Nana. There was not a family gathering that didn’t include the fruits of her baking labors. In fact, so prolific was her baking that I rarely recall my own mother baking, but why would you?? Pies, cookies, cakes, fudge, eclairs and the list goes on. And during the summer, there was batch after batch of Blueberry Muffins. Nana somehow obtained the recipe for the famous muffins from the bakery at Jordan Marsh, which was a landmark Boston department store where we went to see Santa each year and was famous for their bakery and those muffins with their crunchy, sugary tops. Sadly, “Jordan’s” was acquired by Macy’s and stripped of the local identity and the bakery is long gone. I still have a copy of the recipe in Nana’s handwriting and I think of her every time I make them. My cousin, Kelly, happened to make them this weekend, too, and we were texting back and forth fondly remembering Nana’s treats.

  • Mine – Four Berry
  • Recipe in Nana’s writing❤️
  • My cousin Kelly’s
Go To Recipe
Read More

7 Comments

Posted on May 25, 2020 by ktinakelleher

It’s Memorial Day weekend, the “unofficial” kickoff to summer. I think it’s unofficial for two reasons. . . 1) Summer doesn’t actually start until June 21st and 2) The weather is normally iffy at best. I can recall many a rainy Memorial Day weekend, and those that haven’t been rained out are often chilly. Of course, this year is the exception with spectacular weather conducive to outdoor activities and barbeques, but not so fast, we are still under a “Stay Home” order. Ugh.

Read More

3 Comments

Posted on May 20, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Is there anything better for Sunday brunch or at a football tailgate than a Bloody Mary? It’s my family’s tradition to have “Bloodies” on most holidays, and Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter would not be complete without them. My father would make a large pitcher of his “special recipe” and everyone would have one as they arrived. In more recent years, as we have evolved and broadened our taste buds, there has arisen a bit of a debate over just how to make them, notably how much horseradish (or, if any, in my husband’s case) to include. There are decidedly two camps and they seem to be geographical in nature. When you ask for a spicy Bloody in the Boston area, you a likely to get an extra heaping spoonful of horseradish along and a garnish of celery, whereas in Chicago you are more likely to get several extra dashes of Tabasco, and an olive and hot pepper (pepperoncini or sport pepper) are a must. Most of my family prefers the liquid cocktail sauce variety loaded with horseradish, though I now lean the other way after years of living in Chicago.

Read More

4 Comments

Posted on May 18, 2020 by ktinakelleher

  • BC Football game in October ’19
  • Aperol Spritz in Dublin, March ’19
  • Cheers to you Ab, we love you!
I am so glad I was able to share in part of Abby’s BC experience, returning to my old campus last fall and visiting her in Dublin during her semester abroad.

When I wrote my post about Cannoli last week, the first “Like” and “Comment” on Instagram were from my niece and Goddaughter, Abby Duvall. Her comment? “Love Cannolis!” I know I said I would probably just buy them in the future after losing to the hot oil, but I can’t say no to “Sweets”, so my reply was that I would make them for her. And indeed I would have, but I’m in Chicago and she’s out east. Today would have been her graduation day from Boston College, which sadly isn’t happening due to the pandemic. Rather than succumbing to the “Corona Blues”, she and her friends came up with a safe plan that enabled them to be together at her friend Kate’s family home in the Hamptons and have their own mini Senior week. I was so happy to hear that this great group of young ladies were not deterred and were going to celebrate, so I decided to send some treats for them to enjoy.

Read More

1 Comment

Posted on May 16, 2020 by ktinakelleher

In these days of staying home, it seems we are all using Zoom or FaceTime to stay in touch with family and friends, right? I have used FaceTime when I’ve wanted to virtually visit with family and friends, but had never even heard of Zoom before the pandemic forced us all into our homes. Zoom to me was a PBS show that I used to watch as a kid in the early 70’s. I can still hear the theme song now “Come on and Zoom, zoom, zoom a zoom . . .” and the address to write (or, more importantly, to apply to audition for the cast) is indelibly etched in my brain – PO Box 350, Boston 0-2-1-3-4, because I was obsessed with wanting to be on the show. I mastered Bernadette’s swinging arm trick and had ideas of how my own intro would go. To my major disappointment, my mother said it was too far to the studio, so I missed my moment to be a childhood television star.

Read More

8 Comments

Posted on May 12, 2020 by ktinakelleher

The Bunker Hill Monument, Charlestown; Paul Revere, Old North Church and Italian Pastry shops in the North End, Boston.

If you’ve ever visited Boston, chances are you have taken the Freedom Trail, the 2.5 mile walking tour that winds its way from Boston Common and the Massachusetts State House to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, passing 16 landmarks that are historically significant to the birth of the United States. After departing Faneuil Hall, you arrive in the North End, home to Paul Revere’s House and the Old North Church (1 if by land, 2 if by sea) which warned of the impending British invasion, and then cross the bridge to Charlestown and the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument.

Read More

Leave a Comment

Posted on May 9, 2020 by ktinakelleher

Blood Orange Margaritas, Tuna Ceviche, Chipotle Pork w/ Corn & Black Bean Salsa

Cinco de Mayo is a big deal in Chicago where we have one of the largest Mexican populations in the US. This may seem surprising given Chicago’s location in the center of the country and over a thousand miles from the border. So, why is there such a large Mexican population here? The reason is jobs. Chicago was a growing industrial hub with a railway network that allowed for easy access to immigrants fleeing political unrest in Mexico and southern Blacks seeking more opportunity than was available in the rural south. Today, the south and west sides are predominantly Mexican and Black as a result. I could go to the markets in Little Village or Pilsen for tomatillos, cilantro, masa harina or tortillas, but even the standard chains usually have these ingredients in abundance, such is the popularity of Mexican cuisine.

Read More

6 Comments

Posted on May 7, 2020 by ktinakelleher

A trip to the Asian markets yields ingredients for Thai curry pastes

When you have a taste for Thai food, usually you simply order for delivery, right? Pad Thai, Green Curry Chicken, Red Curry Beef, Tom Yum Soup, Satay with Peanut Sauce all can be delivered within about 30 minutes for a taste bud tingling, and usually inexpensive dinner from your favorite local Thai restaurant. They are plentiful in most big cities with a diverse population, which is certainly the case in Chicago as well as London, where we lived for 5 years. London was ahead of the US in food delivery, with any type of ethnic food readily available for delivery when you had a taste for something a bit exotic and didn’t feel like cooking . . . Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, you name it in the cultural melting pot that is London, could be at your door quickly and easily with a quick phone call. And if you felt like going out for it, there were no end of choices, from casual spots to Michelin starred restaurants.

Read More

5 Comments

Posted on May 4, 2020 by ktinakelleher

In my kitchen in our home in Chicago

Here it is, 8 weeks into the Stay Home order during the Corona Virus pandemic of 2020, when I embarked upon my cook book project and starting posting what I’ve been cooking to FaceBook and Instagram. While I’ve been creating and trying new things in the kitchen, I am now firmly in the “Learn Something New” camp with this site and blog. As a bit of a perfectionist, I had rationalized that the delay in getting to the first post was to be more proficient and make sure everything was looking and working right. It dawned on me that is was pure procrastination and it could end up going the way of those many false starts at writing a cook book in the past. I had registered the site, designed the logo, took the tutorial and announced that I was going to do this and then froze as I realized I may have bitten off a bit more than I had anticipated. Well, I put the pressure on myself knowing I’d need it for the motivation, so like Nike says, it’s time to JUST DO IT!

If my project is going to result in a book, it will need a title, right? My friend Marie, who has been one of my biggest cheerleaders (and yes, we were both cheerleaders back in the day), was brainstorming and tossing out ideas. Since my initials are KK, and some people call me that (as I can’t stand when the last syllable is dropped from Kristina) she was suggesting things like “Kristina Kuisine” and “Kooking with Kristina”. . . I know I can be a little kooky, but that just didn’t ring right. My brother in law suggested “Cooking in the Time of Corona”, but I just couldn’t embrace that, even if it was the impetus for getting the project off the ground. My sister in law, Julia, married to my good friend John Lynch from BC, proposed “Duv Cooks Like a Lady’, based on my college nickname (Duvall being my maiden name) and the Aerosmith song they used to sing to me “Duv Looks Like a Lady”. I’m Auntie Duv to their 3 boys, and it is a cute family joke, but it didn’t seem to have broad enough appeal to those that aren’t in the know. The wheels kept on churning and I realized it was right in front of me … quite literally, in email and Instagram accounts. I have used Ktina (Kay-tina) ever since college when I worked at The Mooring Restaurant on Cape Cod and the kitchen needed to differentiate between 4 of us named Kristina, Christina, Kristine & Christine. We became K-tina, C-tina, Krissy & Chris. Friends from my first 2 years at BC will recall that I went by Kris until that summer when I migrated to my full name and never went back. A quick web search revealed that while someone was using Kristina’s Kitchen, no one was using Ktina’s Kitchen, and the domain was available on WordPress…Done!

Next up was to design a logo. Fortunately, WordPress directed me to a site that helps with this. After answering a few questions and selecting a few images I like, they sent me a few designs to choose from . I was able to edit colors and fonts. I wanted something clean that wouldn’t detract from the food. I selected the colors based on the accent colors in both Chicago (red) and Cape Cod (blue) homes. My slogan, FOOD * FUN * FAMILY * FRIENDS sums up how I feel about cooking and what’s important to me. I love going out to dinner, but having someone to your home is so much more intimate and I love bringing groups of friends together. Chances are we will start, or even spend the entire meal, in the kitchen. Honestly, it’s usually because I’m still pulling things together having tried to squeeze in a little too much. The picture on my home page is of a painting that hangs in our kitchen and seems to embody the slogan.

And so the Ktina’s Kitchen experiment begins. I hope you will follow along and enjoy the ride. I will post recipes and hope you will try them and provide feedback so that I can make modifications as necessary.

Thank you to my family and friends who have encouraged me to do this, most especially my wonderful husband, Dennis who is the chief taster and dishwasher. There’s no one I’d rather be stuck at home with.

Cheers!

2 Comments

Posted on January 22, 2025 by ktinakelleher

Before there was the “Contessa” there was the “Silver Palate”. THE NEW BASICS COOKBOOK by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins became my Go-To in the late 80’s and early 90’s, supplanting “The Joy of Cooking”, which had a prominent position on my mother’s cookbook shelf. At 849 pages (including the Index), it is really more of an encyclopedia, complete with a Glossary of Cooking Terms in the back (personally, I would have put this at the beginning so that new cooks could educate themselves before embarking on a recipe, but I digress). I still have their roasting charts bookmarked and go to them occasionally even thought I can easily go to Google for this information.

img_2057

I recall making their Minestrone Soup during a snowstorm in the early 90’s. We lost electricity and since we had an electric cooktop, it had to wait until the next day. We invited our neighbors across the street over to thank them for hosting us at their generator powered house for wine and snacks while we were in the dark. With the power restored, I heated up the soup and found it needed more liquid for all of the vegetables that the recipe called for. I made a few adjustments and whipped up a Caesar Salad, sliced a crusty loaf and opened a bottle of red wine . . . A comforting dinner was ready in minutes. Over the years, I have developed my own recipe, preferring olive oil to the rendered salt pork that their recipe calls for, adding and deleting according to my own “palate”. I encourage you to do the same . . . if there’s something you don’t care for, omit it, something you think would make a great addition, add it . . . I’d just love to know what you did so I might try it myself. 😊

MINESTRONE SOUP

ktinakelleher
This hearty soup is sure to satisfy on a cold day (as I type this it is -5* in Chicago). Whether a quick lunch or with a salad for dinner, it provides protein and will fill you up thanks to the beans, making it a great vegetarian/vegan meal. Some versions call for potatoes, but I have found that I prefer it without as the potatoes absorb too much liquid and become mushy in subsequent days. Other versions call for pasta, but again, I find it just becomes limp and doesn't really add anything, but you do what suits you and make it your own!
Print Recipe
Course Soups
Cuisine Indian, Mediterranean, Soup
Servings 16 Hearty Bowls (8 quarts)

Equipment

  • Chef's Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Large Stock Pot (8 quarts or larger) I use a 9 quart Le Creuset

Ingredients
  

  • 4 TBSP Olive OIl Extra Virgin
  • 2 Cups Onions, diced (1 large onion)
  • 2 Leeks, trimmed, quartered and cut into 1/4" dice (white part and 3" of green)
  • 2 Cups Celery, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/8" dice (4 – 5 stalks)
  • 2 TBSP Garlic, finely minced (4 cloves)
  • 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes
  • 2 Cups Carrots, cut into 1/4" dice (halve at thick end) (4 medium carrots)
  • 2 Cups Zucchini, quartered lengthwise & cut into 1/4" dice (2 medium zucchini)
  • 2 28 oz Cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with juice (I use Muir Glen brand)
  • 4 Cups Cabbage, cored and cut into 1/4" shreds (about 1/2 small or 1/3 medium cabbage)
  • 1 15 oz Can Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz Can Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas), drained & rinsed
  • 1 Cup White Wine
  • 2 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 2 tsp Dried Basil
  • 8 Cups Chicken Stock (2 32 oz cartons)
  • 4 Cups Vegetable Stock (1 32 oz carton)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
  • Parmigiano Reggiano to serve

Instructions
 

  • Place leeks in a small bowl and cover with water to rinse the sand. (I usually place in a handheld strainer so I can just lift the rinsed leeks right out of the bowl.)
  • Heat oil in over medium heat and add the onions and celery. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the onions are just starting to soften, stirring frequently.
  • Add the leeks, stir to blend and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to blend and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the carrots, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the zucchini, stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the tomatoes and their juice, the wine and spices. Stir to blend.
  • Add the stocks and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the cabbage, stir well, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add the beans, stir and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
  • Serve in bowls with a generous sprinklng of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • While you can serve this right away, I find it is actually better if you let it sit for a few hours or overnight off the heat to allow the flavors to develop.  Bring it back to a boil just before serving, testing to make sure it is uniformly hot.
  • I prefer my vegetable to have a bit of bite (not mushy), so I don’t cook it longer than specified.  It helps to have all of the vegetables cut to a fairly uniform size, which for me is 1/4″ dice. 
  • Place your soup bowls in a warm (200*) oven while the soup heats to ensure it stays hot while you are enjoying it.
  • Serve with crusty bread and a salad for a light, yet hearty meal that is sure to warm you up on a cold winter night. 
  • This makes a lot, so I package it up in quart containers and keep a couple in the fridge for lunches and share with friends. 
Keyword Clam Soup, Minestrone
img_2056

2 Comments

Posted on January 21, 2025 by ktinakelleher

When I was hosting a diner party a few years back, I was making Mediterranean Lamb Shanks and thought a big Mezze Platter would make a great appetizer. Our friends that we were hosting had lived in London with us and we frequently went for Lebanese food at Ishbilia In Knightsbridge on Friday evenings, so I knew it was a favorite. I was looking for an eggplant dish to accompany the Hummus and Tabbouli that I already had planned and didn’t want another dip. I came across a delicious sounding recipe in my Ottolenghi cookbook, but didn’t have all of the ingredients and there was no time to run to the store, so I decided to improvise. (Ottolenghi is a fabulous specialty food store in London founded by Israelis, so many of their dishes have Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences). In addition to the Hummus & Tabbouli, I bought some Dolmas (grapeleaves) and good olives from a local specialty store to round out the platter and served it with my homemade Olive Bread. It was a big hit, and I’ve continued to make it frequently, often serving it as a side dish whenever I make lamb.

Go to Tabbouli Recipe
Go To Mediterranean Lamb Shanks Recipe
Go To Hummus Recipe
Go To Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe
Go to Chicken with Lemon & Olives Recipe

ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH TAHINI SAUCE

ktinakelleher
This is so easy and since it is even better when the eggplant has had some time to marinate and absorb the sauce, a great dish to make ahead. The tahini sauce is packed with flavor that enhances the otherwise bland eggplant and stands up to stronger tasting meats, such as lamb, but works just as well with grilled or roasted chicken. Pair it with Mediterranean Quinoa Salad for a delicious vegetarian mean (or vegan if you skip the feta in the salad),
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Servings 6 to 8, as a side dish, or more as part of a Mezze Platter

Equipment

  • Chef's Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Sheet Pan (rimmed baking sheet)
  • Colander
  • Medium Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Grill or Grill Pan
  • Mini-Prep Food Processor (Optional)

Ingredients
  

EGGPLANT

  • 2 Large Eggplants (or 3 medium)
  • 1/4 Cup Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt

TAHINI SAUCE

  • 1 Clove Garlic, grated on microplane (1 clove)
  • 1 Fresno Chili, stemmed, seeded & finely minced
  • 2 TBSP Tahini Paste
  • 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 Cup Flat Parsley, finely chopped (1 medium bunch)
  • 1/4 Cup Mint (fresh), finely chopped (1 small bunch)
  • 1 TBSP Fresh Oregano, finely minced (*Optional)

Instructions
 

PREPARE THE EGGPLANT

  • Preheat oven to 400*
  • Trim the ends and then cut eggplant in half crosswise (you should have a fatter piece from the bottom and a thinner piece from the top.
  • Cut the thinner top half lengthwise into 6 triangle pieces, and cut the fatter half into 8 pieces. The pieces should be relatively uniform.
  • Place the eggplant wedges in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let the pieces sit for a few minutes (place in the sink or on a rimmed baking sheet to collect and liquid that may drain).
  • Prepare your grill or heat a grill pan over medium high heat.
  • Place the eggplant wedges on a large sheet pan and brush with olive oil unti well coated.
  • Please the eggplant wedges (flesh side) on the grill (or grill pan) and cook just until grill marks form. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove and place on the sheet pan, skin side down.
  • Place the eggplant in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes until it is just softened. Remove and allow to cool.

PREPARE THE TAHINI SAUCE

  • Add the garlic, fresno chili, tahini, lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.
  • Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until well blended.
  • Add the parsley, mint and oregano (if using) and whisk until well blended.
  • Season with salt & pepper
  • Pour the sauce over the eggplant and allow to marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • FOOD PROCESSOR VERSION – using a small food processor (I have a Cuisinart mini-prep), you can can skip the grating, mincing & chopping,  Simply place the garlic & fresno chili in the bowl, pulse to mince, then add the remaining ingredients and pulse until well blended.  This will create a bit thicker sauce, as the processor will emulify the sauce a bit more.
  • I particularly like to serve this when I make lamb (chops or kabobs) along with Tabbouli or Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.  It is also delicious with Roast Chicken with Lemon & Rosemary, Chicken with Lemon & Olives, or simply grilled chicken. 
  • This also makes a wonderful appetizer as part of a mezze platter.  Hummus, Tabbouli, Olives and Dolmas (grape leaves, often available at the olive/antipasto bar at your grocery store).  I put it out with small plates and pita bread, or homemade Olive bread and allow guests to help themselves.  
  • This is delicious cold the next day (if you have any left over). 
Keyword Eggplant, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Tahini

1 Comment

Posted on May 13, 2024 by ktinakelleher

I first came up with this salad when visiting my cousin (surrogate daughter) Lis, her husband James and their new baby daughter Addison in Maine while was providing a helping hand and some home cooking after a few months of sleepless nights. I was looking for a side dish to accompany Chicken with Lemon & Olive and was thinking Tabbouli, but Lis indicated she wasn’t a huge fan. She suggested a Mediterranean Quinoa salad and we looked up a recipe on line. I followed it dutifully, but it seemed bland (sorry Bobby Flay), so I decided it needed some jazzing up. His recipe called for a mere teaspoon of Oregano in the dressing, which barely gave it any flavor. I started experimenting and came up with the vinaigrette here, and added some additional vegetables that I thought worked well together. Parsley and mint are naturals, and give just the right amount of brightness to the garlicky vinaigrette. I’ve continued to tweak it and have had great feedback from my willing guinea pigs, so feel it’s ready to share. I hope you enjoy it!

Go to Chicken with Lemon & Olives Recipe

MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA SALAD

ktinakelleher
This salad is so healthy, as it's packed with vegetables and uses Quinoa, which is a super grain that is gluten free and full of protein. Skip the feta cheese and it's Vegan, so sure to hit the mark with any dietary challenged guests. I like to serve this as a side dish to Chicken with Lemon & Olives, Lamb Chops or Roast Chicken, but it works well with just about any meat or fish. This is also a great vegetarian meal on its own, as the quinoa and chickpeas provide protein to all the veggies.
This recipe makes a lot, which means it's great for a crowd and for lunch the next day (or all week). My niece, who is a school teacher and loves a "foodie" lunch, makes this on Sunday and brings it for lunch all week, much to the envy of her colleagues in the teacher's lounge.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian
Cuisine Mediterranean, Salad, Vegetarian
Servings 8 (or more) as a side dish with leftovers for lunch the next day

Equipment

  • 1 Sauce Pan, about 2-3 Quart
  • Salad Bowl (I like to use a large shallow bowl)
  • Chef's Knife
  • Cutting Board

Ingredients
  

Vinaigrette

  • 1 tsp Garlic, shaved on a microplane (1 large or 2 medium cloves)
  • 1 TBSP Greek Oregano (dried)
  • 1/4 Cup Lemon Juiice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive OIl

Salad

  • 1 Cup Quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 1 Cup Red Onion, minced (about 1/2 medium onion)
  • 1 Cup Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1/4" dice (1 medium pepper)
  • 1 Cup English Cucumber, peeled, seeded & cut into 1/4" dice (1 cucumber)
  • 2 tsp Sumac
  • 1 Cup Sun Blush Tomatoes or Cherry Tomatos (Sun Blush from antipasto bar)
  • 4 ounces Feta Cheese, cut into 1/4" cubes (about 1 cup)
  • 1 Cup Chick Peas, drained & rinsed (about 1/2 can)
  • 1 Cup Pitted Kalamata & Green Olives, sliced in half
  • 1/2 Cup Flat Parsley, chopped finely
  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Mint, chopped finely

Instructions
 

Prepare the Quinoa

  • In a 2-3 quart sauce pan, add the water and quinoa and stir to blend.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Make the Vinaigrette

  • While the Quinoa is cooking, Whisk the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt & pepper until well blended.
  • Add the oil and whisk until well blended. (You can also use a small mason jar, adding all ingredients, cover tightly and shake until well blended.) Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Prepare the Salad

  • Place the minced onion in the bottom of a large shallow bowl and sprinkle with the Sumac.
  • Chop the rest of the vegetables, herbs, olives and cheese.
  • When the Quinoa has finished cooking, remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes while you finish chopping the rest of the vegetables and herbs.
  • Pour the Quinoa over the onions and stir to blend.
  • Add the remaining vegetables, olives & cheese and toss with 1/2 of the vinaigrette and allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the Quinoa to absorb the dressing.
  • Add the parsley & mint and the remaining dressing and toss well.
  • You can serve immediately, but it is best to allow to sit for about an hour to let the dressing absorb. Toss again just before serving.

Notes

KTINA’S TIPS
  • Don’t be daunted the the amount of chopping, as it’s actually quite easy.  You can prep all of the vegetables in advance and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to prepare and assemble.
  • You can make this ahead and allow the flavors to meld while you are preparing the rest of your dinner.  It is actually better if it is allowed to sit for a bit.
  • I prefer the Sun Blush Tomatoes that you can get at the antipasto bar of your favorite grocery store (Whole Foods always has them), as they add a little more moisture since they are marinated in oil.  
  • If you find it to be a little dry (Quinoa is like a sponge), as a little more lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil.  
  • I like to use the Greek Olive Mix (pitted) from Whole Foods, which has both Kalamata and Greek green olives (any pitted green olive you prefer and is readily available for you is fine). 
  • Don’t be tempted (like I was) to use more Quinoa if you think it looks like a small amount when dry, it really expands and goes a long way!
  • This is a delicious side to lamb chops, kabobs (lamb or chicken), Chicken with Lemon & Olives, Roasted Chicken, simply grilled (or rotisserie) chicken, fish or shrimp. 
  • Serve with Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Vinaigrette for a complete vegetarian meal.  Omit the Feta for Vegan.
  • MAKE IT YOUR OWN – experiement with other vegetables you like.  When available, I like to add grilled artichoke hearts cut into bite size pieces.  Roased red peppers instead of raw would be delicious.  I have even used a jar of pimentos (patted dry with a paper towel) when I found a red pepper in my crisper was beyond its usefulness and I didn’t have time to run to the store.
  • NOT FEEDING A CROWD (or want less)?  Just cut it in half.  
Keyword Mediterranean, Quinoa, salad, Vegetarian
Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 460 other subscribers
Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 460 other subscribers

Powered by WordPress.com.