Shepherd’s Pie with Toasted Leeks and Irish Cheddar
Posted on | March 15, 2009 | 5 Comments
The cheddar and leeks make this shepherd's pie
Shepherd’s Pie With Leeks and Irish Cheddar
The original recipe for this is from Delia Smith, a U.K. food writer. Her recipes are phenomenal and it’s a crime that we don’t see more of her on this side of the pond. For more on Delia, visit her Web site at: www.deliaonline.com
I’ve modified it a bit from the last time I posted it in November to include a blend of meats, peas and a bit more spice. This dish, as outlined below, will easily serve 8 people – perfect for a St. Paddy’s day dinner.
Delia Smith’s Goats’ Cheese Onion and Potato Bread with Thyme
Posted on | March 13, 2009 | 3 Comments
Couldn't-be-easier bread, courtesy of Delia
For those of you who think you can’t make bread, try this immediately. Besides the self-rising flour, the ingredients are super easy to find, and you probably have most of them in house.
The entire process, from the furst poof of opening the flour bag on through to the first delicious bite, took about an hour. And I decided to do it last minute, a frame of mind that normally doesn’t lend itself to baking.
Delia Smith is one of my favorite all time Chefs. Her books are fabulous, and her recipes are easy to follow – besides, you know, the whole metric system thing they have in the U.K.
Here’s her site.
Here’s the recipe.
I paired this with a simple green onion omellette, finished off with a pat of butter. Friday night comfort food.
Enjoy
Kuwaiti Fried Fish with Curry and Garam Masala Cauliflower and Brown Rice
Posted on | March 10, 2009 | No Comments
The Pungent, Spice-infused Oil Makes This Dish
A former colleague recently gave to me a fabulous book about Arab cooking called the Arab Table (check it out on Page 2 of the Culinary Store). My favorite part about it is the front-of-the book section highlighting the myriad of spice preparations emanating from various parts of Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. As you know, I really like to play with recipes. It’s difficult for me to take them at face value, considering – especially with world cuisine – that I never have ALL the necessary ingredients to replicate it exactly. So was the case with a fabulous-looking recipe I found in the book for fried fish.
Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp Scampi with Whole Wheat Penne
Posted on | March 4, 2009 | 2 Comments
Scampi with Bacon - Kind of Irresistible
Scampi has to be one of my favorite comfort foods: one in which I don’t indulge nearly often enough.
It’s simple, yet it tastes as though so much work went into the composition of flavors. I recommend it highly for last minute dinners that you may have unwillingly agreed to host. Remember, here, that the pasta is not the raison d’etre of this dish. Go light on the pasta for each person. While the below recipe is for two, figure 6-8 shrimp per person depending on how generous you feel, or how much you like the people for whom you’re cooking.
Pan-Seared Lamb Loin Chops with Caramelized Brussel Sprouts
Posted on | March 1, 2009 | 2 Comments
The winter once again reminded us yesterday in D.C. that it will not go softly into that goodnight. But, as always, one can use the kitchen and fresh, local ingredients to turn a cold day warm. I’d initially headed to D.C.’s Eastern Market in search of venison, but alas I found none. Instead, I moved toward a tray of gorgeous lamb loin chops. I’d not had lamb in a while and thought it was a good time to revisit it. Outside and across the street, the local produce lady displayed a gorgeous box of small brussel sprouts, which were perfectly firm in the icy afternoon weather.