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.

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

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

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