Well, I'm back after a long hiatus! After two years of canned soup for me and packaged pot roast for Kevin while we juggled our teaching load at SCAD, I'm climbing gingerly back into the cooking saddle. There couldn't be a better time to do it; summer in upstate New York means tons of fresh and tasty produce courtesy both of Wegman's (the best grocery store in the world) and of the many farmers' markets in the area, and it's also the perfect moment to dine al fresco. Temperatures are only getting up into the 80s here during the day. We might freeze our fingers and toes off in March, but in July we've got it made.
So, to ease back into cooking, I'm trying easy, fool-proof recipes, since my culinary ego is too fragile to handle spectacular failure. For dinner last night, I tried Mark Bittman's four-spice salmon, which is meant to be coated in a crust of ground coriander, nutmeg, ground cloves, and cumin and then pan-fried in a neutral oil or clarified butter. I decided to broil it to cut down on fat, but it definitely needed the frying to make a nice crust. When I make it again, I'm going to lighten up considerably on the cloves and rub the fish only lightly with the spices. Good salmon doesn't need a ton of added flavor, in my book. On the side, I made a red potato and green bean salad with shallot-sherry vinaigrette, sprinkled with crumbled feta and fresh dill. FABULOUS--and it would also make a great summer lunch. I also broiled peach halves with a little nutmeg on top. Teamed with a beer for Kevin and a G & T for me, it was a terrific summer meal!
Recipes:
The Minimalist's Four-Spice Salmon--http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/the-minimalist-four-spice-salmon/
Green Bean and Red Potato Salad--http://www.acouplecooks.com/2011/06/green-bean-potato-and-dill-salad/
