Kitchen Chemistry for Valentine's Day

That's right- we scrapped our plans for the laundromat and made dinner instead! What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with some chemistry in the kitchen?

We dashed through the rain to the market, where we found a fabulous deal on salmon fillets. Since stuffed salmon rolls are one of our favorite collaborative recipes, it seemed meant to be! 

We've served dish with several variations (I'm partial to a goat cheese & thyme version that I dreamed up!). This time around we decided to spoil ourselves with a luxe crab & artichoke filling. Adam melted 2 parts cream cheese, 1 part butter, and 1 part cream, then poured it over crabmeat and artichoke hearts. I stirred in a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese, a dash of onion powder, and plenty of salt and pepper. We added the lovely fresh dill we had on hand, but you could use any chopped herb of your choosing. 

A crunchy topping gives the rolls texture. Adam likes to use a mixture of panko bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, with a sprinkling of herbs for color and a dash of salt and pepper.

Your rolls are done when they are warmed through. You can test this by pulling out the bamboo skewer and feeling the middle. The crust should be browned, and you can broil it briefly to speed this up.

Stuffed salmon is so incredibly rich, you'll want a light green vegetable as a contrast. We garnished with lemon wedges and continued the theme with a pitcher full of sparkling vodka lemonade. Conversation hearts in our glasses were a sneaky way to sweeten our beverages!

Hope your Valentine's Day was as delicious as ours!

Love,

Elizabeth & Adam

Food for Thought

It's the weekend, and time to curl up with a good book- mine! As a first time participant in NaNoWriMo, I'm learning a lot about my writing process. I'm never at a loss for words... except when I have to type them out, in tiny black font on an intimidatingly blank page. I have the strangest notion that if I were able to dictate to someone, I might already have my novel and its sequel done. As it is, I'm lagging behind, but finally starting to develop a strategy. Incentivizing! Yesterday's reward was a walk to the farmer's market. It's literally about dangling a carrot in front of my nose...

This afternoon's goal is 1,000 words, and the prize is a pumpkin spice latte (a grande for a grand seems appropriate). Happy Friday!

Kitchen Chemistry: Soup II

Happy Monday! Adam's here with a recipe that could literally last you all week long...

The soup of the day is homemade chicken and rice. Just the thing if it's chilly where you are, if you've got many mouths to feed (or want to create a week's worth of meals in just a few hours), or if you just want to impress the hell out of your guests by making chicken soup from scratch. Bragging rights do apply!

This recipe was inspired by a large leftover pot of wild rice that Elizabeth made (she's not really one for measuring, apparently). It was delicious, seasoned with garlic powder, lemon pepper, and bay leaves and dotted with tangy Craisins. Elizabeth said, "I think it would be tasty in a soup. Make it happen!"

The first step is to make the stock. Fill a large stockpot with about 1 1/2 gallons of cold water. Chop up the meat and bones of 3 chicken legs and the ribs and rib meat from 3 chicken breasts. Allow the chicken to soak in the cold water for 20 minutes or so, then cover it and set it for a low simmer (tiny bubbles and a still surface). After 2 hours, add the following:

• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• The peels and ends from 6 carrots
• 1/2 pound of celery ends
• 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled
• 1/2 bunch of parsley leaves and stems, whole
• A handful of pearl onions, crushed
• 2 sprigs of dried rosemary

Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, then remove all of the solids with a mesh strainer. Put the clear stock back in the pot at a low simmer and add the following:

• 3 raw chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 pound (about 8 stalks) celery, rough-chopped
• 1 pound (about 8) carrots, diagonally sliced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 Tbs olive oil

Simmer for another 30 minutes, then add 3 cups of pearl onions, peeled. Simmer for yet another 30 minutes, then add the following:

• 1/2 bunch of parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 cups (or so) cooked wild rice
• 2 cups Craisins
• 1/2 bottle or so of left-over white wine
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs cracked black pepper

Lastly, add salt. The salt in this soup is entirely to your taste or dietary wishes. Add a teaspoon, stir well and taste thoughtfully. Repeat until you've reached your desired saltiness.

This recipe makes about 12 generous bowls of soup, which we paired with rustic sunflower seed bread and roasted garlic (delicious spread on the bread or plopped in the soup). 

You certainly can't get a soup like this in a can. Tender white meat chicken, perfectly cooked vegetables, light herbal flavor, and the unexpected sweet notes of the Craisins.

Truly, the ultimate comfort food.