Le Food

I like to cook; it’s my hobby. I’m not a chef nor do I actually want to be, but I love making things that taste good. I consider myself to be a pretty good cook, for the most part. (I have had my share of kitchen disasters.) Monday-Friday I plan to post a recipe of the day, plus other things having to do with food like reviews, links, favorite cookbooks, new favorite finds. Each day will have a theme. (I'll be adding links on the side eventually.)

Monday - Healthy Food Day
Tuesday- Unhealthy Day (Food You Love but isn't so good for you)
Wednesday- Random Day- Whatever I feel like
Thursday- Breakfast/Desserts
Friday- Basics

The basics will be more of an instructional thing. I’ll try to talk terminology, how to do stuff (like folding, the difference between grilling and broiling, what exactly is castor sugar, etc.) I don’t know everything, but I do know where to look and how to find stuff out. So please, ask questions. Tell me what you want to learn and what you think. Suggest recipes. Things you’ve always wanted to make but never have.

Today’s Recipe: Hummus

4-8 cloves of garlic, depending on taste
2 cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans (3 works also)
olive oil
½ lemon
1 T tahini paste*
½ t cayenne pepper
1t paprika
1t cumin
salt, pepper to taste
scallions/green onions (optional)

Food processor**

Smash and peel the garlic*** and add to the food processor. Drain and add 1 can of chickpeas. Add about 1 Tb of olive oil, then pulse to blend. Add the second can, water and all. Add the juice of the lemon, the tahini, and spices. Blend. Adjust to taste, adding more cumin or cayenne if desired.
Chop the scallions into small, even pieces and use to garnish. Top with some cayenne or paprika, depending on taste.
Serve with pita, flatbread, crackers, or corn chips.
Hummus can also be used as spread instead of mayo. Make a sandwich with turkey, lettuce, red onion, tomato, and hummus.

*Tahini paste is a sesame paste. You can definitely find it at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Central Market, and it is becoming more common at grocery stores. You can make hummus without it but I think it’s essential to the taste.
**A food processor is best for this. If you don’t have one, you can use a blender but I would advise you to mince the garlic first. You can also had mash them but it will take longer and the consistency may not be as smooth.
**To smash the garlic: take 1 clove and cut off the hard, flat end. Flatten the side of the knife onto the garlic, and using the base of your palm, smash it down onto the knife. This will smash the garlic, making it much easier to peel.

I finally went to our local farmer’s market on Saturday. If you haven’t been to your local one recently, I suggest you check it out. The produce is so much fresher and sometimes cheaper than your local store. I picked up 1 head of romaine lettuce, arugula, 4 tomatoes, baby garlic, onions, sweet potatoes, strawberries, carrots, fresh roasted peanuts, garlic chives, and a rack of lamb. I had to stop there as I was out of cash and out of arms. I can’t wait to go back and get more.

Last night’s dinner: Salad with arugula and iceberg lettuce topped with slightly sautéed carrots, red bell pepper, baby garlic, and onions. Dressing was creamy vinaigrette. Side dish of thinly sliced potatoes layered with onions, garlic chives, Monterey jack and jalapeño cheddar cheeses. Potatoes then set to roast in 375-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Main dish was rack of lamb seared in some olive oil and then covered in salt, lots of fresh ground pepper, olive oil, garlic power, rosemary, and some garlic chives. Roast on a bed of garlic cloves in oven for about 15-20 for medium rare. On one of the basics days I’ll post on how to deal with a rack of lamb. It was my first time actually doing everything for it. I had to stare at the rack and then refer to my Joy of Cooking for a little help.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this. Many of my recipes are not exact, as a lot can be adjusted to taste. Feel free to adjust anything to your liking. I encourage that. (Except with baking.)