Plenty Of Fish In The Sea

Simple Meal of the Month

Menu:
Salmon with Herbed Mustard Sauce
Scalloped Potato Gratin 
Sauteed Broccolini

Drinks:

Wine

This week we decided to do something fairly simple. Both Mollys have been working a lot of hours at their actual jobs (where they make the big bucks) so we wanted something that was going to be quick and easy, yet oh so tasty! We have been wanting to do fish for a while ever since the botch with the scallops a month or so ago, so we thought tonight would be the perfect night. Fish is usually fairly quick to cook and the recipes for fish are mainly focused on the sauce that accompany it. This recipe for Salmon was exactly what we wanted. It was a quick cook, 7 minutes, and could have been even less. Molly 2 went to the right fish market this time and got a nice fillet of Coho Salmon. The sauce in the recipe turned out a little more like paste and the Mollys would alter it in the future, or make a different sauce. We suggest using 1/3 the amount of mustard and adding more oil to create a better consistency. However, the fish was fresh and yummy anyway. 

The scalloped potatoes were suggested by a customer at the Peet's store the two Mollys work at, and we are so happy that it was suggested. They turned out amazing! The recipe was so simple and yet the end result was a delicious mouth full of potato creamy cheesy goodness. This recipe is just a base too. To make the scalloped potatoes have even more complex flavors to them you could add bacon or shallots or a more pungent cheese, the options are endless. 

Broccolini was sort of a last minute decision. It goes back to the dinner we had with broccoli rabe when we meant to get broccolini. Molly 1 said this time "Broccolini, not broccoli rabe!" It was just a simple sauté. The key was throwing the broccolini in an ice bath after blanching. Molly 2's ice bath consisted of cold water and 5 ice cubes, but it didn't matter. It's the thought that counts, right?

Not all dinners need to be a production with 8 main courses. Sometimes simple is best.

Claudia, Party of 9

A Birthday Bash For A Deserving Mother And Her Friends

Menu:
Cheese, Salami, Crackers and Fig Jam
Arugula Salad with Parmesan and Croutons
Sauteed Rainbow Chard with Toasted Pine Nuts
Roasted Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes
Lamb Wrapped in Parchment with Fennel
Brownies with Ginger Ice Cream

Tonight we put on a party for Molly 2's mom. It was her birthday and as a present we that we would love to do a dinner for her and her friends. There were nine total, which doesn't seem like a large party, but it was our first time cooking and plating for

more than four. If it had been a buffet style dinner it would have been much easier, but Molly and Molly wanted a challenge and the experience, so we decided to take the road less traveled. 

The first order of business, weeks ago, was figuring out what the menu was going to be. Just around that time we made the "Mollys had a Little Lamb" dinner, which we loved. It was an easy choice to do the lamb. The packets that you make for the recipe are fun to open and great entertainment for party guests. The sides are simple and a delicious accompaniment. 

We wanted to keep the appetizers simple since the dinner was bound to be rich. There is a wonderful cheese shop in Berkeley called The Cheese Board, which carries hundreds or even thousands of cheeses. You can literally spend the entire day there tasting cheese, which they are happy to sample. The staff is so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, that it makes dull grocery shopping enjoyable. We ended up with two Spanish cheeses, and one  cheese from Switzerland. Unfortunately the wrappers were thrown away so we don't know the names. However, the Spanish cheeses were similar to a smoked Gouda and a Bucheron, and the Swiss cheese was like a mild Beemster. The salami was a hot coppa from Magnanis that balanced well with the smooth, fruity, cheese. 

The lamb packets were the most challenging aspect of the night. Even though we had made it before, the number and volume of packets we were making was much greater. We started preparing all the food an hour and half before we wanted dinner to be ready. In the past our timing for dinners has been slightly off so we wanted a cushion for error. Everything was going great, and we were so confident that we had knocked it out of the park until we cut into a piece of lamb ourselves. The meat was raw. The packets were already out on the table and we looked on in horror as the guests were cutting into their own lamb loins. Embarrassingly we had to offer to cook peoples meat slightly longer if they wanted, but they were all very polite and declined. It turned out that the lamb was flavorful regardless of how well it was cooked, and that in fact they liked the tenderness and rareness of the meat. Our big mistake was not letting the lamb rest before we cooked it so when it went into the oven it was still cold on the inside and thus needed to cook for longer. We learn something new every time we cook. 

The dessert Molly 2 made the day before keeping in line with our previous learned rule: make dessert first! It was a chocolate brownie with  black currant and hazelnut chocolate chunks. Earlier in the week she made a similar batch, but had used old chocolate and found that it is very important to make sure the chocolate you use for cooking is not expired. Who knew chocolate expires. The ice cream that went with it was a simple vanilla ice cream with candied ginger mixed in. The flavors were sweet and spicy with hints of fruit and decadent chocolate. It was a huge

hit. 

Overall the dinner was a success. There were many things that the Mollys learned and will do differently in the future. Although, they were disappointed with various things, they are perfectionists to the core, the party goers loved it and couldn't have been happier. It doesn't hurt that they got to go home with a party favor. (Cute jars filled with ingredients to make ginger snaps.)

Links:
Vanilla Ice Cream
Brownies 
Candied Ginger

Fish, Fennel, Fettuccine, And Another F Word

What our hair looks like after cooking.

Disaster Strikes the Hot Tamollys Kitchen

Menu:
Seared Scallops 
Fettuccine with Asparagus
Arugula Fennel Salad 

Drink:
French 75 

Tonights dinner was inspired by a recent trip to Seattle, where the sea food is abundant and fresh, and the fish fly through the air. (When they are tossed around by guys at Pike's Place Market.) We wanted to try making scallops, which we know are incredibly easy to screw up. However, even before making it to the pan, we realized that the scallops weren't going to turn out. Molly 2 was lazy about where she bought the scallops (a grocery store rather than a specialty fish market) and we ended up with scallops that were old and fishy. When you purchase scallops it is important that they be fresh and not smell overly fishy. 

After realizing that the scallops were off the menu, we thought we might as well still make the pasta, which would be very nice with sautéed asparagus and a simple light herbed beurre blanc. We rolled out the pasta and were so excited because we've had so many issues with pasta making in the past, but this time it seemed like the perfect thickness and right type of flour. After cutting the pasta into fettuccine size pieces, we made little piles, but neglected to lightly flour the pasta so when Molly 1 went to put it in the water, it was one big hunk of pasta. It still tasted amazing in the end, but was not what we were hoping for. 

The salad was the only thing that pretty much turned out how it was supposed to. The dressing was a orange vinaigrette and slightly too flat for the Mollys, but over all it was tasty. The fennel especially added a nice crunch and flavor. 

The drink tonight was the same we made the week before, but this time Molly 2 remembered the ginger simple syrup. They tasted great except for the fact that Molly 1 had no ice and the drinks were tepid. Can we ever get it right? 

Dinner was a hot mess and Molly 1's aunt came over which made our F ups even more embarrassing. The flavors turned out well but both of us were disappointed with the outcome. In the future we will be more careful about where we purchase our fish and flouring the pasta so it doesn't stick together. (Fourth times a charm?)

Links:
Arugula and Fennel Salad
(one sad link because only one thing worked.)

Kitchen Staples

Everything You Oughtta Have In Your Kitchen… Always!

We decided to break our tradition and do an entry about kitchen staples mid week. Molly and Molly have found often times when buying items for the Monday night dinner there are things that we should always have in our kitchens. Not because we want a gourmet kitchen like you see in Iron Chef, or when Martha Stewart goes to her "cupboard" and pulls out twenty year aged pink himalayan salt mined by macaques, but because the two of us do cook other nights of the week. The meals we make are not intricate or involved, but we do tend to use items like rice, pasta, beans, and others. Below is a list we believe you should always have on hand in your kitchen. 

The List:
Spices & Seasoning:

"This is what you should always have Suzy"

• Salt
• Pepper
• Herbs De Provance
• Cayenne
• Garlic Powder
• Cumin
• Soy Sauce
• Olive Oil
• Vegetable Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Oregano
• Vanilla

Dry Goods:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Rice (Brown, Jasmine, Basmati, Risotto, etc.)
• Pasta
• Lentils
• Nuts
• Oats

Canned Goods:

• Beans
• Tomatoes
• Tomato Paste
• Stock (Chicken, Beef, Vegetable)

Stuff in the Fridge:

• Unsalted Butter
• Eggs
• Cheese of all kinds (Parmesan, Cheddar, Brie)
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonaise 
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly

Vegetables:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Lemons
• Limes
• Potatoes

Beverages:

• Vodka
• Gin
• Wine (Red and White)
• Tonic Water
• Club Soda

Note that this is just a list and based on what you make your staples may be slightly different. For example when Molly and Molly are not cooking together Molly 1 tends to make a lot of Italian and Mexican food, while Molly 2 tends to make East Asian and South Asian influenced meals.

… And This Little Piggy Went In The Ravioli

Inspiration From A Night Of Frivolity And A Few Too Many Drinks

Menu:

Pork Ravioli with Butter Herb Sauce

Beet Salad with Frisee and Toasted Almonds

Chocolate Decadence Cake with Raspberry Sauce and Whipped Cream

Drinks:

French 75

Tonights dinner began when we went out shopping, and after many drinks decided to go to this amazing restaurant in Oakland called Boot and Shoe. We ordered a pork ragu, which in our somewhat buzzed minds tasted like heaven in a bowl. The pork was soft and seasoned to perfection and the pasta sauce was simple, light and fresh. We decided the next day or possibly that night (who can remember) to recreate what we had had for our Monday night meal. We, of course, had no recipes for the dinner, we could only guess what the components were. Granted it turned out amazing and the flavors were exceptional, but it was our first time jumping into creating our own recipes and sort of fudging with recipes we were following. 

The main event of the evening was the pork that was in the Ravioli. We decided to do ravioli because we thought it would be easier to fill something? (Another not necessarily thought out brilliant idea.) Molly one spent five hours Sunday night roasting the pork shoulder so we could put it in the ravioli. It took much longer than she thought it was going to take and she fell asleep while it was in the oven, but it still tasted amazing and fell off the bone as it was supposed to. Unfortunately though because she feel asleep she couldn't have it on the nachos she made that night. (tear)

This was the second time we attempted to make pasta. We did not use whole wheat flour because the last time we did, it didn't turn out so well. This time the pasta was made with unbleached flour and would have been great had we cooked it longer. We thought that when ravioli floated to the top it meant it was done, but apparently this rule doesn't apply to thicker homemade pasta. The dough itself still tasted good and we were happy with the outcome.

For the ravioli sauce Molly 1 made it up. A whole stick of unsalted butter combined with white wine, chives and parsley and salt. What could be better? 

The salad was beets with frisee, which looks like sea anemones, but is really lettuce. We toasted some almonds as well and put them on top. Molly 2 under cooked some of the beets though (how hard is it to boil a beet and stick a fork in it?), so they ended up slightly al dente, and even though that works for pasta, it does't necessarily make a good beet. The dressing was a simple vinaigrette that Molly 1 knocked out of the park and everyone loved. 

For dessert Molly 2 made a chocolate decadence cake. It was more like a fudge or a pudding because there were only 2 tablespoons of flour in it to 16 ounces of chocolate and 5 ounces of butter, but it was so good. The center didn't cook all the way through, but we ate the edges, which were so rich and chocolatey. The raspberry sauce was made from fresh raspberries that were macerated and then pressed through a sieve and the whipped cream was a cup of manufacturing cream with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Delicious!

The drink tonight was a French 75. It was named after a gun because it had such a kick. The combo was champagne and gin and lemon juice with sugar. Molly 2 was supposed to bring the ginger simple syrup from the candied ginger she had made the week before, but forgot. (What else is new) They were good, but would have been better with the simple syrup. 

The dinner was fun to make; all the pasta rolling and waiting for the pork to finish. No sarcasm really. The pork we would definitely make again, everything we would make again… of course with some alterations.

Links:
Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ravioli Dough
Vinaigrette
Chocolate Decadence Cake
French 75

Mollys Had A Little Lamb

Dinner is Served.

Packets of Yummy Goodness

Menu:
Lamb Wrapped in Parchment
Sauteed Swiss Chard
Roasted Red and Yukon Gold Potatoes
Faux Tart with Lemon Ginger Custard

Drinks:
Moscow Mule
Wine

We decided to cook with lamb this week because it's a meat we're unfamiliar with. Lamb can be overly gamey which is why we have shied away from it. Molly 1 found this fun and interesting recipe on an app. (Who doesn't like the idea of wrapping and unwrapping things?) In our grand tradition of fuss free recipes, this one fit the bill. The lamb turned out perfectly cooked, although by the time we put it into the oven we were a few Moscow Mules in so we forgot to set the timer. Thankfully we are brilliant estimators and guessed when to take it out, but in the future or if you should choose to make this dish, watch the clock! 

Lamb About to be Wrapped

The side dishes were simple staples that could be paired with almost anything. We've made these sides many times so we don't really follow a recipe anymore. Below are basic recipes for you to follow. We encourage experimentation with different herbs and spices. 

Swiss Chard

• 2 bunches, washed and cut into half inch pieces
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• handfull of pine nuts or slivered almonds (cheaper)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add nuts, shallots and garlic. Sautee until shallots are tender and nuts are nicely toasted. Add chard and cook down. It should be wilted with a little bit of crunch. (Beware of over cooking and ending up with mush.)

Roasted Potatoes

• 16 medium to small yukon gold and red potatoes quartered
• 2 tbs olive oil
• a pinch of herbs de provance (enough to lightly dress potatoes)
• salt and pepper to taste

For this recipe we cooked them at 375 F so we could cook the lamb and potatoes at the same time. However, if cooking alone preheat to 400 to 425 F. Coat the potatoes with olive oil and season with herbs and salt and pepper. Mix well. Throw in the oven for 30 mins and turn half way through. 

How to make a Ginger Snap

The dessert we had tonight was a faux tart with an instant lemon ginger custard. The tart portion of the dessert was the most in depth. It doesn't have to be, but because we wanted to learn how to make candied ginger, which we could then include in the ginger snaps that get crumbled for the tart, we made it complicated. Of course one could easily get ginger snaps at the store and presto, you have your tart, but that's not us. The candied ginger was really easy to make and amazing to watch the fascinating science of baking unfold. After reaching a softball stage,

See the Ginger Snap Bottom!

the sugar water that the ginger is cooking in actually evaporates, leaving just sugar granules. The ginger snaps were quick and the recipe made a ton, which our families and coworkers enjoyed. The custard took maybe a twentieth of the time it took to make the tart part. The reason it is called instant custard is because you actually add lemon juice to cream and sugar to make it set rather than adding eggs. The end result was a light creamy zingy bite. A perfect finish to a hearty meal. 

The drink for tonight was a Moscow Mule. We wanted a little variation in our lives even though we still love cosmos. Molly 1 made them super strong, but we couldn't tell because after the first one it doesn't matter what's in your cup. 

The dinner was a huge success. We're even considering cooking this for a dinner party that we are catering later this month.

Links:
Lamb Chops in Paper with Fennel 
Faux Tart with Instant Lemon Ginger Custard
Candied Ginger
Ginger Snaps
Moscow Mule

The Last Super

Butter and Baby Cows

Menu:
Saltimbocca alla Romana
Risotto
Broccoli Rabe

Drinks:
Cosmos...Duh
Veuve Clicquot

For the last meal of the 2013 we figured go rich or go home. Saltimbocca, a traditional Italian dish, filled our quota of fat, salt and flavor for the year to come. It is a thin slice of veal, the poor baby cow (YUM!), topped with fresh sage and a thin slice of pork product. Molly 2 in her infinite wisdom or lack there of, decided to use pancetta, although the recipe called for a prosciutto. The meat was then cooked in tablespoons of butter. It tasted rich and decadent, but both Mollys agreed that in the future we should stick to the recipe and use the prosciutto, the pancetta proved too thick and didn't create the crispy crunch that we were looking for. 

The risotto that we cooked is a go to side dish for us. This time we didn't have enough risotto rice, so we substituted with brown rice. Healthy right? The brown rice took slightly longer to soak up the chicken broth, but in the end the flavor was amazing and hardy. We did decide not to incorporate the parmesan into the risotto, but instead grated it on top so it wasn't too heavy and balanced with the saltimbocca.

We've never cooked broccoli rabe before. Initially when Molly 1 suggested broccoli rabe we both were imagined broccolini and didn't picture the leafy, bitter monster that is broccoli rabe.  Clearly we need a crash course in veggies 101. We feel like the recipe would've been a success had the proportions been correct. We were tipsy and didn't really read through the instructions. Whoops. Instead of using two bunches we used one, so the dish turned out more spicy than normal.

We've already talked about how much we love cosmos. This week was no exception and that was our introductory drink to cooking. Our accompaniment to dinner however was Veuve Clicquot, a deliciously smooth champagne. We wanted something fancy to toast to our last blog entry of 2013. 

May the new year bring you joy, merriment, wealth, lots of sex, and delectable food. Not necessarily in that order. 





Links:
Saltimbocca alla Romana 
Risotto
Broccoli Rabe
Veuve Clicquot