At one of my favorite local Italian restaurants, I recently ordered a winter squash contorno that was totally delicious. So much so that I had the ChowPapa help me dissect the flavors so that I could recreate something similar at home. There was a wonderful sweetness that we attributed to honey, balanced by an acid that we identified as freshly squeezed lemon juice. These two strong flavors were enough to run with, which is exactly what I did.
I decide to make this recipe a puree and ended up throwing in grated parmesan for depth of flavor. Delicious! Next time I make this, I may try roasting cubed squash with olive oil, topping it with a quick lemon-honey-butter pan sauce, and garnishing it with grated parmesan and toasted sliced almonds. (If you beat me to this version, let me know how it goes!) In the meantime, this puree—or mash, if you prefer—is heavenly, quick to make, and perfect for everyone from your littlest eaters to biggest ChowPapas. It’s also a great holiday recipe. I think this just might make it onto my Thanksgiving table!
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Photo: star5112

I’m in Pennsylvania farm country for a few weeks. That means lots of just-picked peaches, more sweet corn than you can possibly imagine, and even a few stellar tomatoes that haven’t been decimated by the 2009 tomato blight. All good. Until a craving for crab cakes hits. And then what’s a rural gal to do?

With no fish market within 30 minutes, I had no choice. Cravings must be satisfied. So don’t blame me. I turned to crab in a can. It isn’t organic. And I’m sure the can is lined with BPA. But I’m posting as a reminder to you (and to myself) that we parents (especially) have to make the most of whatever you’ve got. Just for kicks, I made the recipe almost exactly as printed on the side of the can. And guess what? When I added a little love, these crab cakes were simply delish. Even Atticus (Mr. I’m-not-eating-fish-anymore-because-it-stinks) ate two—with his fingers, of course!

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Photo: Maltman23

My ChowBaby isn’t much interested in dinner these days. It could be his age. My friends with 3-year-olds tell me their little ones are up to the same “no good.” Or it could be the season. Warm summer evenings make me less interested in big meals, too.

I don’t worry as much as I used to when he doesn’t eat. I look at his consumption over the span of a week (not over a meal or even over a day) to make sure he’s getting the nutrition he needs. My concern is more practical. When Atticus doesn’t eat dinner, he uses the I’m-starving-mama excuse to avoid going to bed on time. And that’s just makes getting him to sleep that much harder than it already is.

Under such circumstances, I turn to drink. Not that kind! Although that might help too. No, I mean the subject of this week’s parenting tip—the smoothie!
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I recently made this bok choy to accompany wild salmon marinated in a yuzu marinade that I picked up at a local specialty market. Instead of using rice wine vinegar as my acid, I experimented with lemon. I thought it might be a fun play off of the yuzu, a citrus fruit. I skipped sesame oil, which is commonly paired with Chinese-style sauteed greens. Instead, I opted for a much more subtle sesame flavor imparted from roasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top. But if you want a more pronounced sesame flavor, you can certainly finish cooking with a drizzle of sesame oil. 

Enjoy!

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Photo: windy sydney

The other weekend when I was at my parents’ house, my mother asked me to whip up some cupcakes. But where was the baking powder? And the vanilla bean? And the…?  She told me everything I needed was already in the mix. The mix? Ugh.

As far as I’m concerned, cake mixes always taste nasty. Sorry. It’s true. There’s something cloying about every one I’ve ever tried. And I’ve always been convinced that it takes nearly the same amount of time to make a cake from scratch as it does to make a prepared mix. But as my mom reminded me, some people just think a mix is easier.

Since Stacie and I always say that cooking for your family is about cooking with whatever is available, I decided to roll with it and make a few adjustments to the yellow cake mix in my mother’s cupboard. And guess what? These cupcakes (almost) tasted like they were made from scratch!

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Last week Michelle broke the mold for these “Dig In” posts by writing about Chinese Five Spice—and I loved it! I hope you did, too, because I’m focusing on flavor again this week. Instead of spices, though, I’ve decided to dig into lemons. Seem strange? Maybe. It was certainly inspired by a strange sight: a pile of Meyer lemons at a farmer’s market I visited in Boston this weekend. (In June?) This glitch in the “seasonal” matrix aside, lemons are an integral part of cooking in many cultures. And—to me, at least—they represent a fundamental principle of cooking: balance.

So, with a sack of Meyer lemons in tow, I wondered…

What’s the scoop on lemons?

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