Aisle Twelve

Sometimes it is hard for me to like fish. I was never a fish fan growing up and there are still many fish that I just can’t make myself like. That fishy smell and taste, and that worry that a fish bone might end up in my throat just kind of makes me nervous. Ok, I realize I am probably not turning you non-fish lovers onto fish with this description. But let me give you a few reasons that might make you open your mind just slightly to giving fish a small place in your diet. The oils in fish, especially the ones in salmon, are terrific for your body. Not only are they heart healthy, but they help make your skin, nails and hair more radiant – couldn’t we all use a little more shine to our hair and nails? That benefit alone forces me to set aside my prejudice and find recipes that make eating fish a more tasty and appealing option. This recipe is a great example for anti-fish converts. Salmon cakes are a great dish for lunch or light dinner. The Dijon mustard and scallions add flavor th...

Who taught you to love food? That answer is not so simple for me because that person is someone I barely remember. In fact, when she did cook for me, I preferred buttered noodles over her spaghetti with “red sauce.” Now I can’t imagine anything I would rather eat in this world than her zugu . My love of food came from my parents and aunts and uncles who have kept the memory of my grandma’s cooking alive and painstakingly tried to make her dishes come as close to her cooking as they possibly could. Which I can’t imagine was easy. It wasn’t for a lack of trying or that they didn’t get the recipes from my grandma before she passed away, but that was the thing with her. She didn’t really have recipes and didn’t really have measurements. She did everything by look and feel – the hallmark of every good cook. From that persistence of relatives trying to match her beloved recipes, I learned a respect for not only the wonderful woman that she was but the magic of good food. Her recipes were a...

Oh the lazy days of summer! That includes me being lazy about updating this blog! It never fails that every summer no matter how hard I try, each work night fills up with things to do to prepare for the weddings, showers, bbqs , reunions, etc. of the weekend. It doesn’t seem like there is much time to eat let alone get dinner on the table. Good thing that salads are quick and easy and the perfect summer meal. This salad is a great, refreshing summer side salad. It’s crisp, crunchy and juicy. It’s tart, sweet and savory. It’s my fennel grapefruit salad. I got the idea from a combination of a Barefoot Contessa and Giada DeLaurentis recipe. I start with spicy arugula and top it with a bed of thinly sliced fennel and thin rings of shallot (I use a mandolin to get paper thin slices). I segment a grapefruit and drop the juicy gems on top of the fennel and shallot. The juice of the grapefruit is reserved for a quick and easy grapefruit vinaigrette with basil, salt pepper and olive oil. T...

Sometimes my favorite dishes are the ones I make up myself.  Yesterday, for example, I only had to cook for myself.  I was tempted to pour a bowl of cereal and call it good, but I had some inspiration on this beautiful spring day.  Problem was, I didn't have much in the house.  I always have spaghetti and while I had no fresh vegetables, I did have frozen peas.  Hmmm...what to make??  I channeled my inner Giada and made a pea pesto.  This recipe is so simple, so decadent, so fresh and springy, I will be making this again and again.  It is cheap to make, I almost always have these things in my pantry and it's fast.  What more could you ask for in a delicious and healthy dinner? Lemon Spaghetti with Pea Pesto  (Serves one - multiply accordingly) 1/2 cup frozen peas - slightly thawed 1 small garlic clove - smashed and rough chopped 3 tablespoons walnuts - rough chopped 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese - chunked 1/2 lemon olive oi...

Barcelona Tuesday, March 9 After a short plane ride from Rome to Barcelona, we land in Barcelona in time to check into our awesome boutique hotel. We cleaned up and walked around to get ourselves familiar with the area. The first thing that became apparent was that we needed to get to a store to buy ourselves warmer clothes. It was FREEZING in Barcelona. Of course the day before we got there they had the first blizzard they had in many, many years. I bought a sweater to wear under my coat and wore it pretty much everyday.  We walked around the neighborhood to familarize ourselves with the area and decided on dinner.  Had to be tapas.  We went to a highly rated tapas bar and boy did we feast!  Among the many dishes we ordered, we had a small bowl of olives, patatas bravas (potato croquettes), and chicken skewers with a garlicy aioli.  It was delicious and I have to say...quite like San Chez at home.  Although this place did not have sangria,...

Rome Wednesday/Thursday March 3-4 We start our journey at 9:30 in the morning at Grand Rapids airport.  From there, it is off to Cincinnati, then to New York.  At 5:00 pm we are in the skies en route to Rome.  We land at 8am Roman time.  After a short train ride, we arrive to our hotel, in the rain and check in.  We change, freshen up and go out to explore the area near our hotel and grab lunch.  We stop in a little deli which serves panini and made to order pizza.  Gelato was also on my mind and oh...how to describe such creamy, rich decadence?  It was pure heaven.  We were in Piazza Barberini.  Luckily, the rain stopped and we were free to roam Rome.  Jet lag quickly set in for me.  We found our way to the Pantheon and walked in.  It was amazing.  It still didn't quite sink into me yet that we were actually in Rome.  We decide to head back to the hotel for a quick nap before we went out for dinner...

In my promise to bake more to perfect my baking skills (or to hone the lack thereof), I have taken to baking citrus cookies.  The first recipe came in my January Everyday Food magazine for Lemon Icebox Cookies.  I made these probably a month ago, they lasted a couple of days and I have to admit, every night I go into the kitchen wanting something...and it's those cookies.  Tonight, Joe was gone which means I don't have to make dinner.  But I still wanted to do something in the kitchen, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to bake. Of course the first thing that came to mind was those lemon cookies.  Problem was, I had an overabundance of limes.  I considered using the same recipe and substituting lime for the lemon, but visions of powdered sugar lime meltaways danced in my head so I hopped on the trusty laptop and found a Martha Stewart recipe for Lime Meltaways.  My inadaptness at baking really shined through tonight.  I di...