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.)

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

Hot Tamollys Get Crabs

A Holiday Feast For Friends

FEAST!

Menu:
CRAB!
Caesar Salad
Baguette
Corn
Garlic Butter
Tartar Sauce
Creme Brûlée 

Drinks:
Cosmos
Cranberry Jell-O Shots
Champagne
Wine

Appetizers and Jell-O shots 

As a special treat for friends, the Mollys decided to host a Holiday dinner party. If you live on the West coast December means Dungeness Crab. What better thing to do for friends than a crab feast. Molly 1 wanted to get live crabs, which is of course the freshest way to enjoy crab, but Molly 2 could not stand the idea of actually boiling the lil' crustaceans and nixed that in the bud.

With crab there's not much to cook, so it's all about the condiments that go with the crab. We made three different types of garlic butter: a plain one, an herbed one, and one with chili flakes. All turned out amazing. Molly 2 made a simple tartar sauce and Molly 1 made a Caesar salad; dressing from scratch. The Caesar dressing was so delicious it could have been put on anything. Initially when we started to make it the anchovy paste made Molly 1 gag, but once everything was combined it was divine. The baguettes this time were not made from scratch, but came from the best local bakery in town ACME! Their bread is a staple in the bay area and the line for the bakery everyday proves it. For dessert Molly 2 made Creme Brûlée. It was very simple and easy to follow the recipe from Alton Brown. The key to making smooth creamy Creme Brûlée is to not let the eggs curdle when they are combined with the hot cream. You have to pour slowly and constantly whisk or else you'll get egg chunks. Also through extensive research and a little too much fun with the new blow torch, which was bought for the occasion, the Mollys found out that raw sugar caramelizes better than regular sugar and should be sprinkled on top. 

The drinks were many and free flowing (as they should be at any holiday fiesta). Molly 1 made excellent cranberry Jell-O shots that went down easy and jiggly ;). The recipe came from a great blog called A Beautiful Mess, and was extremely simple to follow. If you've made Jell-O before this recipe is a no-brainer. The cosmos on the other hand weren't so easy to nail. Molly 1 tested out the recipe a couple days before and lets just say it was not up to snuff. First, she didn't have the proper serving glasses. Next, the proportions of liquor to juice weren't coming out right. So at dinner the next night she asked the bartender for some tips on how to get this drink to be like the ones consumed on Sex and the City. What we concluded was this; when shaking your Cosmo make sure the ice cubes aren't too big so that they melt a little thus giving your cocktail more volume, secondly double the amount of cranberry juice. In the end both Mollys loved how they turned out and solved the glass problem by making triples so they fit better in a larger glass. Who doesn't love a bigger drink!

As a reminder, dinner parties can be stressful, so we suggest inviting a good friend/guest over a little early to help out with the last minute prep or table setting. This also gives you time to get out of your crusty apron and into your party dress. Just make sure not to micro manage them (like Molly 1 does), after all they are doing you a solid.      

Links:
Tartar Sauce
Creme Brûlée
Caesar Salad Dressing 
Cranberry Jell-O Shots
Cosmos

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Summer in Winter

Menu:

Sweet & Sour Pork Sliders

Baked Fries

Ranch 32 Pinot Noir 2011

Tonight's dinner was an homage to summer and those warm nights, eating in the backyard and listening to the crickets (if we had crickets in Berkeley). The pork sliders were like the name of the recipe, sweet and sour, although the sweet aspect was a little overwhelming. The main component in the marinade were oranges; orange juice and orange zest . We decided in the future that it would be just as good if not better to make the recipe without the orange zest(shame on you Giada De Laurentes). The slider recipe, from the food network, our favorite recipe site, came with a slaw recipe that added a nice, refreshing crunch to the slider. The buns we used for the sliders were Molly's 2 favorite, Hawaiian Sweet rolls, which turned out to be too much sweet on sweet in the end.

Molly 1 got the baked fries recipe from her father:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Cut russet potatoes into 1/3 inch slivers lengthwise
3. Lay potato slivers on baking sheet in one layer and sprinkle with olive oil to coat but not drench (you want them to be crispy)
4. Salt and pepper to taste, I also use Herbs De Provance 
5. Bake for 30-40 min turning once.

This time we piled all the potato slivers onto one sheet and ended up with soggy fries. NOT GOOD. That's why its important to give your fries room to bake and get crispy. 

We have decided to include our wine pairings with the meals. This will not only help readers choose good wines to go with the meal, but it will more importantly help us remember what wines we drink and if we liked them or not, since we're usually tipsy by the time we get around to writing our blog entry. This time we chose Ranch 32 pinot noir not because we knew what it tasted like, but we could buy one and get the second for .05 cents. It was initially really sweet when tasted by itself, but when paired with the sliders, mellowed out and provided a crisp palate cleanser to the meal. We would recommend this wine with something light like chicken, fish, or pork, but it would not be able to stand up to beef or lamb.

We can't wait to make this again in warm weather, when we can use the grill and get some good chard marks and smokey flavor on the meat.  

Links:

Sweet & Sour Pork Sliders 

Ranch 32 Pinot Noir 2011

Ragu Ragu

Italian Comfort Food

Menu:
Ragu Sauce
Hand Made Pasta
Fresh Baguettes 
Arugula Salad with Beets

Tonight's dinner was all about warmth. We wanted to make something that reflected the cold weather and warmed us up inside. (Something besides the wine.) Originally we thought stew, which we'll probably make in the future, but then Molly 1 found this amazing Ragu recipe so we decided to give it a go. After all, Ragu is traditionally, in a sense, an Italian stew.

For this meal the Molly's shelled out some dough for a pasta maker. Usually we don't advocate buying kitchen supplies since were financially unstable... but this seemed like a useful investment. Molly 1 was in charge of making the pasta and ragu. 
The ragu was so simple. Literally chop the veggies, brown the meat and then let it simmer while you prepare the rest of the meal. The pasta however, was a nightmare. Molly 1 doesn't have a large food processor so she had to alternate between mixing in the smoothie blender and a Cuisinart food processor from 1989 (not even kidding). The next steps were very simple to follow and the pasta maker was easy to assemble and use (we got ours from Bed Bath and Beyond). The only advice we give is to make sure you have a large food processor and to use regular flour instead of wheat flour.


Molly 2 made the baguettes, which, unfortunately, turned out more like baseball bats. The recipe was easy enough to follow, but for some reason, they were not light and fluffy like described, but dense and doughy. The flavor was fine, and once drenched in stew you couldn't tell that they were as hard as hockey pucks, but in the future we would recommend using a more complicated sourdough recipe for baguettes, rather than trying to make them in one day. It's probably well worth the effort. 

Regardless of the missteps, the meal was exactly what we wanted, warm and cosy. 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Menu:
Chicken Tenders

Tater Tots
Honey Mustard Sauce
Ranch Dressing
Chipotle Ketchup
Strawberry Ice Cream
Bread Pudding 
Caramel Sauce

Every Thursday we bowl, by "we" we mean Molly 1 bowls while Molly 2 visits the bar and her denture wearing friend. After many hours of bowling Molly 1 works up an appetite and craves chicken tenders from the grease pit cafe attached to the bowling alley. Those grease filled pockets of joy were our inspiration for tonight's dinner. 

The first items that the two Mollys made separately were the desserts. We decided that it is best to make the desserts first. That way the dessert can cool or set or you know firm up. 

The strawberry ice cream was ridiculously easy. I (Molly 1) had just been gifted an ice cream maker, which does all the work for you. Most ice cream makers come with an instruction booklet that has recipes to follow, however I used one that I got online that was no cook, no prep, just shove it in there. The ice cream tasted amazing, but did not have enough time to freeze. MAKE YOUR DESSERTS FIRST! 

The bread pudding was easy; the end. The one tweak I (Molly 2) made on the recipe was using Hawaiian Sweet Bread and toasting it before pouring the sauce over it. Also I made a really easy caramel sauce that took literally 7 minutes and turned out divine. 

Next we made the untatered tater tots. The recipe was a little confusing to follow and we stumbled our way through it learning that with tater tots you either have to deep fry them or they're not tots. The way we cooked ours was to pan sear them, getting all sides brown and crispy, and then putting them on a baking sheet and throwing them in the oven for twenty minutes. They were more gregoire-ish to be nice, but in reality they were like the dense knishes from central park. The one highlight was that they were seasoned to perfection. 

So many sauces. We made ranch, Molly 1's favorite all time forever sauce, honey mustard, and chipotle ketchup, Molly 2's favorite sauce for everything including rice topping for breakfast. The sauce recipes were easy to follow and we found that we had a majority of the ingredients already on hand. 

Chicken good. I am happy. Thanks to the Neely's down home cooking recipe, the chicken was the star of our meal. It was juicy and light and crisp, exactly how chicken tenders should be. We were pleasantly surprised that the chicken turned out so well since neither of us have ever cooked fried chicken before. We tweaked the recipe because we forgot the cayenne pepper and instead used more of an Italian style seasoning, which was harmonious with all of our dipping sauces. 

As a side note the two Molly's went on a hiatus for two weeks without blogging. We did make a chicken pot pie and Korean food, but had one too many to write the posts. :-)

Overall this meal would be our second favorite that we have created thus far. (#1 Indian!!)

Recipe Links:
Chicken Tenders
Tater Tots
Ranch Dressing
Chipotle Ketchup
Strawberry Ice Cream
Bread Pudding
Caramel Sauce