In Praise of Pale Food

Whether it's a spectacular curry or a vivid array of produce, I have always believed that good food comes drenched in color.  For many children however there's nothing so comforting as white food.  You know what i mean:  Bread, sauce free pasta, french fries.  They like their food bland and beige.

My sister went through the white food stage and while I've always had a more adventurous palate I was charmed nevertheless by Melissa Clark's recent NY Times essay "In Praise of Pale Food." I can't wait to try Clark's Chicken Pot Pie!

I've included a recipe for a mostly white dish of my own, albeit one decked in decadent red sauce.


Stuffed Shells with Sausage & Spinach

1 egg
18 pasta shells
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup fresh spinach
1 tbsp Parmesan
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried fennel
1/2 tsp Spanish paprika
a pinch of sugar
a dash of salt
black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
1 1b ground Italian sausage
1 cup shredded mozzarella and Romano cheeses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Simmer garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook until browned.  Season with fennel, paprika, salt, pepper and sugar.  Remove stems for spinach and chop until fine.  Blend ricotta and egg until smooth.  Add Parmesan, basil, oregano and garlic powder.  Add sausage and spinach.

Bring of water to a boil.  Add pasta and return to a rolling boil.  Cook until tender (approximately 12 minutes).

Drain shells.  Drizzle glass pan with olive oil.  Transfer shells to glass pan.  Stuff shells with Ricotta mixture.  Drizzle liberally with marinara.  Sprinkle with Italian cheese blend.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.

Ode to A Blueberry Muffin

Me and blueberry muffin...we've got a thing going on.  I think I recently received the best culinary compliment of my life.  "I don't know what you did to my wife.  She's having some kind of experience over there."  Let me tell you, every moment spent with these muffins is an "experience."


Blueberry Crumb Muffins 

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick of butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries


Crumb Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon and all-spice mixture
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin.

Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add butter and knead the mixture into a crumby texture.

Combine flour, sugar and baking powder.

Whisk melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla together until well combined.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and folding quickly to blend. Add blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, sprinkling crumb topping atop each muffin.

Bake muffins until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

What's in a name?

Does this look like a professed food lover's fridge?  I've been debating what to call this post, which highlights the barren wasteland beyond my white refrigerator door.  By the way that log of goat cheese, yep the sole inhabitant of the top drawer, it's expired.  I recently went shopping and remedied the situation but this travesty went on for over a week.

I won't call this poverty.  That would be an insult to the poor.  Mayor Cory Booker's recent food stamp challenge highlighted the nutritional challenges of dining below the poverty line.  I have no such struggle. If I was being literal I'd call it "end of season sales"...a friend also suggested "minimalism."

xo ( off to eat some raspberries...that's right I am now the proud owner of produce!)
dani

Coconut Curry Chicken

White wine and scallions add a splash of refinement to this earthy eastern classic.  Enjoy xx

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic minced
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup white cooking wine
4 tbsps curry powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp tumeric
3 scallions, diced
3 chicken breasts, cubed
3 cups cauliflower
3/4 cup green peas

Saute garlic in olive oil.  Blanch cauliflower in boiling water.  Add chicken and sauté until tender.  Add white wine, scallions, coconut milk, vegetables and spices and simmer about 15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.  Serve hot with garlic naan.