Culinary Adventures – Page 2

Published September 28, 2015 by Nadya

Shuttered In

The much anticipated Pope’s visit has come to an end and in a few short hours life will be back to normal.

Admittedly, we did not know what to expect in choosing to stay in the city and shuttering ourselves in. I was concerned about crowds, but my worries turned out to be unsubstantiated.

We did work from home on Friday and took it easy the rest of the weekend. There was laundry, cooking, and fall cleaning. Missing what has become a weekly delicious delivery service from my parents which usually consists of things like blintzes and a full dinner (often sustaining us for more than 1 night), I got down to business and made … blintzes.

Evan made japanese meatballs with home-made teriyaki sauce and now I won’t ever try store bought. Not even from fancy gourmet brands. Besides all of the daily household chores, there was old fashioned family time without any external distractions or incentives to go and do something. Old-school family time. We didn’t rush anywhere, not even the park or playground in the mornings. Lazy, coffee-laden breakfasts morphed into play, into snacks, lunches and spontaneous movie nights.

As I folded the 6th load of kids’ clothes, having pruned both the girls’ closets and readied them for the coming cooler months, I realized that I have, gradually, embraced the business of the typical weekend, just as I have the changes to my life after becoming a mom.

The beauty of it all became suddenly obvious. I don’t miss labor and delivery or the first few weeks at home with a newborn, mastitis, colicky babies, changing (and paying for) 12+ diapers a day, blowouts, and what my mother-in-law charmingly calls the bewitching hour. I miss the little things like sibling kisses, baby hugs, and first tall castles out of wood blocks. Rather, I don’t miss them just yet, but I know that I will, miss them, one day when they’re not so readily available. This weekend? This weekend I missed my mom’s blintzes and her birthday. Happy Birthday, Mama!

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Published July 1, 2015 by Nadya

Summer Eats

Summer is here. I mean, really, it is finally here to stay. Beautiful, bountiful, baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables call out to me at our local Farmer’s market. I couldn’t resist. This weekend was not unlike most other weekends which involve a bit of cooking, some meal prep for the week ahead and good company, too.

Cherry Pie. With a “Go Big or Go Home” attitude, I passed on the typical 8-inch pie dish and made a slab pie. The ingredient list for both the pie was short and sweet. Sour cherries, flour, butter, salt, sugar and cornstarch and that is how it should be. A homemade, all-butter pie crust can’t be beat for taste.

And while the pie was cooling, I managed a few snacks that would hold everyone over until dinner and … pie.

Toasted bread with cream cheese and macerated strawberries topped with basil and a few cracks of black pepper. Surprisingly savory and a perfect bite with a light white wine before dinner.

Grilled peaches topped with burrata, drizzled with balsamic, and served with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc—a little mid-afternoon bite while cooking #saturdaysatourhouse #growingupsavvy #delicious

A photo posted by Nadya (@growingupsavvy) on Jun 27, 2015 at 4:25pm PDT

And then there was dinner.

Fish stew for a rainy summer’s day #growingupsavvy #delicious #itswhattsfordinner

A photo posted by Nadya (@growingupsavvy) on Jun 27, 2015 at 4:20pm PDT

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Published June 10, 2015 by Nadya

That’s What’s For Dinner

It was a Tasty Taco Tuesday at our house with these Vietnamese slow-braised beef tacos #growingupsavvy #whatsfordinner #delish

A photo posted by Nadya (@growingupsavvy) on Jun 10, 2015 at 7:06am PDT

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braised dinner tacos vietnamese tacos

Published June 2, 2015 by Nadya

The Yum Yum Days

Not particularly different from any other days other than the fact that Evan and I actually captured our culinary output on camera while running after the kids, enjoying Philadelphia, and much-deserved time with my parents. Cookbooks, blogs, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter are full of single shots of delicious eats but they don’t often give us a glimpse into a full day in the kitchen. I am going further and sharing a weekend. The farmer’s markets brimming with strawberries and vegetables have inspired me in the kitchen. Our local HeadHouse Square farmer’s market looked like an explosion of bright red and green. Had we not been limited by the one tote we brought with us, I would have bought every radish and green in sight.

So here goes… two days in our culinary life:

Tomatoes aren’t really in season yet but parsley, young red onions, and garlic are bountiful. I roasted the tomatoes in the oven until they were bursting with sweet-sour flavor and dressed in an herbaceous vinaigrette. It was sunny bright.

Earthy and flavorful is this deep-roasted broccoli with oven-fried garlic. Some florets are verdant green while others are crispy-baked. A perfect side served room temperature and just as good cold in the evening. Healthy, too.

Speaking of healthy but more importantly, absolutely delicious. This is the one dish I did not cook. My mom made this gorgeous, chilled borscht topped with sour cream, grated egg, scallion, cucumber and dill. Mouthwateringly delicious and perfect on a hot summer’s day.

Some go goo-goo for pasta salads but I find them to be too rich, too heavy and laden with cheese and unbalanced vegetables. Instead, I opt for a quinoa salad. Same principle… herbs, veggies if you’d like, and a light olive oil vinaigrette. This one has lightly pickled onions, garlic, and some herbs.
These easy oven-baked chicken thighs have made regular appearances at our dinner table the last few weeks and for good reason, too. They are so very delicious, a synch to make, and fill the house with the most beautiful aroma.

Corn chowder, to me, is a summer affair. This one is a very light version of Corn Chowder sans bacon and with part-skim milk. Light and refreshing it pleased even the tiniest of taste buds.

Eggplant is such a favorite at our house. Baked, sautéed, stewed, stuffed and even steamed, we eat it year-round and I cook it in the Italian, Turkish, Japanese, Indian and Azeri styles. Every which way it is unforgettable. This is pan-fried eggplant topped with a dill and garlic crema. It is my most favorite preparation because that’s how I grew up eating it.

And since hot weather, margaritas, happy hours, and siestas are upon us, we make guacamole. Simple. Avocados, red onions, and limes. A favorite snack for everyone … even Eliza.

And if you know me, you know that I am someone who does not like to make dessert optional. The rhubarb season is brief and it is one of the earliest spring plants. Rhubarb is best friends with strawberries but I thought it is special enough to be the star of a sweet ending. Here’s a rhubarb snacking cake. Yum.

Maybe I shouldn’t tell you that completing this culinary line-up are homemade strawberry-creme-fresh and chocolate ice creams. Well, the least I could do is not taunt with pictures. They are mind-blowing.

Whew. That was quite a lineup, wasn’t it. Well, all that cooking didn’t preclude us from enjoying our weekend outside the kitchen. We visited a farmer’s market, the Three Bears Park, and partook in the happenings of Old City. We also went to Spruce Street Harbor Park which has been open for a week, and Sophia has her eyes set on the skating rink at Blue Cross Summerfest. Sophia may be eyeing skating, but I am eyeing those hammocks and beer at Spruce Street Park.

Quality time with Baba and Deda were huge hits for us and the girls. Played out and fed with all sorts of delicious, the girls played with Legos together. Future engineers? I can only hope.

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corn chowder easy chicken thighs fried eggplant guacamole homemade spring dishes oven-fried broccoli playtime quinoa rhubarb snacking cake roasted tomatoes spring

Published May 28, 2015 by Nadya

A Spring Awakening Salad

For someone who did not grow up eating salads regularly, I spend an illogically significant amount of time trying new dressings and green combinations. I call it culinary curiosity. Before you jump to conclusions and think I somehow grew up on the white (rice, potatoes, bread and pasta) diet, rest assured that I grew up eating more vegetables and fruits and greens than is typical in even the healthiest of diets.

Our salads, and there were many, were not made up of lettuces, but vegetables and often dressed with delicious dairy-based dressings. They made for tangy and refreshing suppers in the spring and summer and for warming dishes in the cooler winter months. Among them are Vinegret, Olivie, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Radish Salad, Herring Under a Fur Coat, and many, many others.

Evan has embraced my penchant for these beautiful dishes and in exchange, I have embraced his irrational love for green salads. As if rising to a challenge, he whips up an amazing salad from any combination of greens and vegetables with the grace of a master chef. This particular rendition is no exception. An arugula, spinach, and radicchio base is topped with pink radishes, tomatoes, and cucumbers. A tangy red wine vinaigrette brings together the sweet, salty, and bitter profiles. Oh… and of course crispy bacon and garlicky potato bread croutons for the much needed crunch. Perfection in a bowl in under 15 minutes.

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arugula and spinach salad radish salad salad tomato salad

Published March 9, 2015 by Nadya

Weekending: With Floral Flair

For the first time in what seems like forever, the weather forecast shows that we are not expected to freeze for the next few days and that alone gives me hope that spring may arrive yet. Another sure sign that winter has departed is the arrival (and departure) of the Philadelphia Flower Show. The show is a big event drawing crowds from near and far and reducing the convention center area to a standstill, especially on a weekend when the Reading Terminal Market is in full swing. Having been away for a few years, we decided to partake in what used to be our yearly tradition of visiting the flower show. Sophia went as well, though earlier in the day on Sunday and with my in-laws. This year’s theme was Disney and she was dressed in, according to my mother-in-law, a mandatory princess dress. She put the princess dress on later in the evening and now our entire house (including the toilet seat and now our bums) is covered in glitter. Needless to say, we will be retiring her royal wardrobe as a cost cutting measure since our “palace”, unlike Buckingham, does not employ an extensive cleaning staff. But I digress…

As per usual, there was quite a bit of cooking since we had on-hand help from both sets of grandparents. I made this vanilla-bean raspberry swirl cheesecake that is was divine and so very beautiful. Alas, Sophia has decided that she doesn’t like cheese and even adding cake to the name wouldn’t sway her. Except that she eats mozzarella and cheese ravioli (though we call that just ravioli). Oh well, more for the rest of us.

And when we weren’t visiting the flower show, baking a cheesecake and getting treats from our local ice cream and candy shops trying to soak up every warm ray of sunshine outdoors, we were … living and enjoying.

This move, our life is more than ever crazy, busy, and exhausting. Still, it is thrilling, wonderful and I wouldn’t trade it for all the sand in the Sahara.

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Published November 11, 2014 by Nadya

Tasty Tuesday

Though every day is tasty at our house, there are some days during which we share a special treat. Donuts, Hot Chocolate, Philly Pretzels, and Pizza are good examples. I have to confess to not at all liking, no, disliking, okay really disliking soft pretzels. It may have something to do with the fact that I have a mild allergy toward mustard which I imagine is a must on a soft pretzel or the fact that I didn’t grow up eating them.

Despite keeping tabs on whats been going on in the city, we’ve missed out on experiencing culinary happenings while living in Maryland. And so we’ve been slowly trying out all the exciting places that have popped up since 2010 and there have been many. This weekend, we tried out Federal Donuts which were divine. We had high expectations after reading the menu which featured Vanilla Lavender, Blue Velvet, Cherry Pie and Blueberry Mascarpone to name a few.

The donuts were light and cake-y and didn’t feel fried or greasy. The glazes were tart and light and didn’t overwhelm the senses with clawing sweetness that is often times the case with glazed donuts. My favorite were, unexpectedly, cherry pie and blue velvet.

Delicious

Published October 20, 2014 by Nadya

Weekending: Exploring the City & Corn Chowder

Philadelphia has changed so much so that I at times feel like a tourist in my own hometown. Sure the corner convenience store is still there as are the dry cleaners but our old gym (we used to go to the gym before we had kids) is now an art gallery displaying woodworking masterpieces that have me salivating every time I walk by. We ventured out into old city on a mini-date without our very own mini dates. Our first stop was at this new (at least to us) restaurant which features a pretty awesome beer garden. The beer garden overlooks the enclosed liberty bell and is entirely outdoors flanked by industrial pillars that are canopied by all manner of lush, country-style greenery. Patrons sit on wooden stumps and mismatched chairs at small tables playing Jenga with a beverage in hand while nestling their feet into pebbles. Small lights that dot the canopy and music complete the tranquil space. If you didn’t try to peer through the greenery or hear the occasional duck boat, you’d never think you were in the city or much less in a tourist-laden part of the city.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the sun, peace and quiet, I returned home and decided that something sunny and yet warming was in order. What better to make than a fall corn chowder.

Fall Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

3 slices of thick-cut bacon

1 medium onion, minced

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup flour

3 1-lb bags of frozen corn

3.5 cups of low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups milk

12 oz yukon gold potatoes cut into 1 cm cubes

3 sprigs of thyme, taken off the stem and minced

1 cup heavy cream

Cooking Instructions:

Cut the bacon into small pieces and place into a large pot. Turn the heat to low-medium and cook until the bacon is completely rendered and crispy. Remove the bacon onto a paper-towel lined plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pot along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until softened or about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute until fragrant and add flour. Mix well and continue cooking until the flour is no longer visible or 1-2 minutes. Add 2.5 cups of chicken broth, the milk, reserved bacon and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile take 1/3 of the frozen corn and pulse in blender with 1 cup of broth until the corn is chopped fine but not a paste. Dice the potatoes and add those, the pulsed corn and the remainder of the corn along with the thyme to the pot. Simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked through (10-15 minutes). Add the heavy cream and cook a 5 more minutes until the corn and potatoes are just cooked through. Add salt to taste and serve.

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Published July 21, 2014 by Nadya

Weekending: A Spot of Tea For Two

Stop!

Did you know that the blackberry season has finally arrived? There is something magical about picking your own fruits and vegetables and when you throw in a few farm animals and a llama into the mix, well, the pull to go to the farm becomes irresistible. Sophia was so excited to go to the farm that she rushed through breakfast and barely let us finish ours before dragging myself, Evan, Eliza and my parents to Poolsville, Maryland where we went blackberry fishing. When I say we, I really mean Baba and Deda, Evan and Sophia (after she fed the goats and looked at the chickens and pigs, of course). I wish I had pictures of our time there but manning little Eliza was keeping my hands plenty busy. After picking well over ten pounds of blackberries and feeding the animals—again—we finally headed home.

We decided to share our pickings with my parents and my sister and eat our portion out of hand. The fruit is just so ripe, so perfect that I don’t see any need to add extra sugar and cook with it. Speaking of not cooking with fruit; I am finally able to eat moldy, unpasteurized, and stinky cheeses again—now that I am no longer pregnant. I don’t think you can understand my irrational love for these unctuous, luscious morsels of… goodness. I also don’t understand why it took me a month to realize and remember that they need to be added to my shopping list. Worry not, once I did, a Gorgonzola Dolce made it on the list and so did figs for this simple crostini with fresh fig and the gorgonzola atop toasted sourdough. mmm… try it for yourself, there is no recipe but you just put a bit of cheese, top with a bit of fig and you can also sprinkle with honey. Serve with a crisp white wine and a midday snack.

We didn’t just snack on crostini all weekend long. We benefitted from Baba and Deda’s culinary delights but managed to add our own such as this home-spun Cioppino with fennel and cod. The secret to the rich stock was potatoes and anchovies. I don’t follow a recipe per se, just a set of principles such as using vermouth to deglaze the shallots and fennel, adding anchovies to the olive oil and cooking the fish very little at the very end.

I also added a home-made tomato soup from Sprouted Kitchen and it won high praise from the diners. I suppose when you add a toast with melted, fresh mozzarella on top, almost anything will win high praise :-).

And saving the last for best … I got my hands untied for a little bit and it was glorious. Even though Eliza is not my first baby, I still learn plenty from those who’ve done this long before me and for much longer than I have.

This … this right here was simply the best. Sophia and my mom having “tea for two”. If you look carefully, you’ll notice they even decorated their table with a flower in a vase. Attention to details.

Perfection. I just wish my parents lived closer and we could visit them and the rest of our family more often. Then, we wouldn’t miss on fun events like our cousin’s 8th birthday bash :(.

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Published June 9, 2014 by Nadya

Weekending: Play

It has been significantly warmer and muggy around these parts. When the winter chills hit, I forget that the District of Columbia and its surroundings are pretty much one big swamp that gets hot, humid and full of mosquitos come summer time. Usually, the beginning of June serves as an unwelcome reminder and we realize that summer around these parts means early morning/evening walks and hiding out in the comfort of an air conditioner at all other times.

No matter, the weather and the sudden bout of humidity did not deter my sister and her family from visiting.

The kids, despite their age differences played wonderfully together and we all enjoyed great food and great company.
Evan and I whipped together a very easy lunch of a summer-vegetable pasta salad and a chicken sausage with sautéed peppers and onions. Sophia was my sous chef.

We deglazed the sausage and peppers with red wine vinegar to cut through the sweetness of the peppers and the richness of the onions. Since the meal was rich and satisfying and the temperatures far too warm, I whipped up a rhubarb compote with home-whipped cream, meringues and fresh berries for dessert… say a non-messy Eton Mess.

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