NINETEEN : BARLEY & POMEGRANATE SALAD

PLENTY

OCTOBER 3 2012

NINETEEN : BARLEY & POMEGRANATE SALAD

Be honest... do any of you actually buy pomegranates? Despite their tastiness, I never do because they are so darn frustrating to eat! But Mr. O has changed everything with his surprisingly effective (and really quite fun) method of extracting the seeds safely from the intricate membranes. Simply halve the pomegranate, hold it in your palm, cut side down, over a bowl and whack the crap out of it. And the seeds immediately start cascading through your fingers and into the waiting bowl. Had a frustrating day at work? Maybe you need to seed some pomegranates to get out that aggression!

WHACK!

TWO : MIXED BEANS WITH MANY SPICES

PLENTY

JUNE 12 2012

Husband ~ "What's for dinner tonight, dear?"
Wife ~ "Just whipping up some mixed beans with many spices."
Husband (perplexed) ~ "Huh?"
Wife (pointing to recipe) ~ "See... Mixed Beans with Many Spices!"
Husband (more perplexed) ~ "Like curry?"
Wife (uncertain) ~ "Um... I think so... Here! Have a margarita!"

Turns out it is like curry... very much like curry. I mean how could it not be with cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, clove and black pepper? Not sure why Mr. O insists on calling it "mixed spices". Guess he didn't want to incite anger in the segment of the population that takes curry accuracy very seriously. Anyway, whatever you call it, it is tasty.

flowering pea plants

TWENTY-EIGHT & TWENTY-NINE : CRUSTED FISH IN ROMESCO W/ BAKED CELERY

Delia Smith's Winter Collection

MARCH 29 2012

TWENTY-EIGHT : PARMESAN-COATED FISH WITH WALNUT ROMESCO SAUCE
TWENTY-NINE : CELERY BAKED IN VINAIGRETTE WITH PANCETTA & SHALLOTS
 
Why, oh why am I so darn bad at cooking fish?!? I can't understand it. Am I using the wrong pan? Is the pan not hot enough? Do I need a fancy fish spatula? I was determined not to mess up the fillets for dinner tonight. "I can do this! Just use lots of butter and get the pan super hot." Fish into the pan with a reassuring sizzle. Okay, lets turn these babies. AAARRRGGHHH!!! It's all sticking and falling apart and I start panicking and... ugly, ugly, ugly.