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

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. 

Mediterranean Balls

Menu:

Falafel
Pita

Cucumber Dill Salad

Tabouli

Unsuccessful Tahini Sauce
Baklavah

Tonight Molly and Molly made lots of balls. There were falafel balls, pita dough balls, and mini mozzarella balls. The food was okay, but not the best we've made. We were disappointed with the falafel recipe. We tried frying and baking, but neither ended

up how we wanted. Fried had no taste and baked didn't have the crunch factor we wanted. The Tabouli was dry because Molly #1 didn't want tomatoes in it (gross) and the Tahini was a hot mess. It tsated like sh*&! We used the store bought version from Trader Joe's (we won't tell if you wont't). The highlights of the meal were the pita, cucumber salad and the baklava. The pita although labor intensive was worth the effort and the cucumber salad was refreshing and could have been a great addition stuffed

in the pita. Molly #2 took charge of the dessert and it was fantastic! Flakey and not too sweet. 

Cooks Notes: The more wine you drink the better the food tastes! So invite some friends and crack a bottle open!

Recipe Links:
Falafel
Pita
Cucumber Salad
Tabouli
Tahini
Baklavah