Reeni's curried chickpea and cauliflower couscous

I should do this more often. And by "this" I don't mean eating wholesome, vegetarian dishes. I mean, I should do that more often as well, but what I was referring to is using other blogger's recipes. The problem is I have so many cookbooks and so many magazines I inevitably fall behind in my "recipes to try" schedule. Especially now that the weather is getting nicer and nicer I often opt to eat outdoors al local grottos (restaurants). Still, I wish I could make more new recipes because I feel that every time I find a new recipe that I like —which happens often— I have widened my horizons a little bit, which is always a good thing. 

This particular recipe was found on Reeni's blog, "Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice". If you have never checked it out before, I strongly suggest you do so as soon as possible. She's a terrific cook and a terrific photographer, so you'll find both beautiful pictures and awesome recipes there. 

As for my version of the dish, I tweaked it just a little, mostly because I didn't have almonds but I had a pint of cherry tomatoes I wanted to use before they went bad. The result? Delicious. I'm going to make this over and over again in the summer, since I ate the leftovers cold and it was still a great dish!

REENI'S CURRIED CHICKPEA AND CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS

Adapted from Reeni's recipe

1 small yellow onion, diced

olive oil, for sauteing

sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons hot curry powder

1/3 cup golden raisins, chopped

2 cups cauliflower florets, cooked

1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

3-4 cups instant couscous (whole-grain)

1/3 cup green onion, diced

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

plain yogurt, optional

In a large skillet saute onion in olive oil over medium-low heat until tender. Season well with salt and pepper. Add garlic, saute until fragrant. If pan is dry add more olive oil and mix in curry powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add raisins, cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach. Cook over low heat stirring often until heated through and spinach is wilted, seasoning well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile prepare 1 + 1/2 cups dry couscous according to package directions.

Fluff up cooked couscous and mix into the chickpea mixture along with the green onion and cherry tomatoes. Serve as is or with yogurt if desired.

Smoked salmon deviled eggs

Pasquetta (Easter Monday) is kind of a big deal around here. First of all it's a holiday, so everyone loves it. Anything that makes a weekend last longer is a blessing, even when you are unemployed. Because let's face it, it's more fun to play when you have tons of people to play with. Also, when Easter happens to be a late Easter like this year, chances are Pasquetta will mark the first cookout of the season. That's how it was here In Bissone last weekend. It was nice enough out and we had big plans for our first outdoors party of the season. Huge plans that involved grilling pork and chicken at the communal grill, while drinking draft beer (they had 5 liter kegs on sale... too good an opportunity to let it slip by...) and munching on the many appetizers and side dishes I was going to prepare. We were excited, I tell you. Excited and a little scared because the weatherman kept being a freaking killjoy, threatening us with the notion that it might rain. 


"Screw him."


We said that about a million times. And Friday, a friend and I passed the border and went to Italy to buy groceries. They do have grocery stores here in Switzerland, in case you are wondering, but everything is more expensive here, so it's worth the trip, especially when you have to buy meat and alcohol. Needless to say, you are supposed to tell the customs officers that you are bringing meat and alcohol back into Switzerland, but no one does it. Which adds a certain thrill to the whole experience, like you are some kind of much lamer, much tamer rum runner or something like that. 


We went, we bought, we came back. We stuffed another friend's fridge with out loot —he has a real bachelor fridge if I've ever seen one. I mean, he doesn't even have ketchup in it...— then we all went to the bar to celebrate our successful expedition. Saturday and Sunday flew by ina  whirlwind of parties, Easter lunches and trips to several lakes. I actually hung out at three different lakes in three days. But that's another story.


Monday rolled around and we packed all our stuff, ready to party by the lake. The menu included slow roasted tomatoes , potato and arougola salad, cold cuts and, of course, these deviled eggs, stuffed with smoked salmon and dill —two of my favorite ingredients. They were delicious. The meat was delicious. Everything was great and we had an awesome time. But weatherman, that bastard, was right. It did rain. At 4 o'clock, only for a half hour, but violently enough to send us all packing and running for shelter.


Oh well. It was still fun. So screw him. 


SMOKED SALMON DEVILED EGGS
Adapted from Cooking Light

• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup fat-free yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces cold-smoked salmon, finely chopped
• 16 small dill sprigs (optional)
• • Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover with cool water to 1 inch above eggs; bring just to a rolling boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold running water until cool.
  • Peel eggs; cut in half lengthwise. Place yolks in a medium bowl; mash with a fork until smooth. Add Yogurt and the other ingredients (through salmon); stir well. Spoon mixture into egg white halves (about 1 tablespoon in each half). Garnish with dill and tarragon sprigs, if desired.

Crepes with zucchini filling

If I start annoying you with my never ending babble about spring vegetables, please do tell. I don't want to become one of those persons that annoy the crap out of me because they keep talking about the same stuff over and over again, repeating themselves until you pass out from boredom. The thing is, I mostly cook for just myself, which means that a bunch of asparagus or a bag of zucchini go a long way. So bear with me as I cook my way through pounds of vegetables. I seriously can't help it. I see a farmer's market and I just lose it and end up buying tons of veggies. I guess it could be worse, though. Right? I could be hoarding expensive shoes. But I don't. I just buy tons of cheap ones. And tons of vegetables. 

CREPES WITH ZUCCHINI FILLING

2 eggs

2 cups of milk

1 cups all purpose flour

Butter

1 small onion

1 zucchini

Olive oil

1/2 chili pepper

2 cups tomato puree

1 garlic clove

A few leaves of fresh basil

Salt and pepper

Mix milk and eggs in a large bowl. Slowly incorporate flour, mixing with a whisk. Season with salt and let rest for 20 minutes.

Finely chop the onion and sautee it in a little olive oil in a large skillet with the crushed chili pepper. Chop zucchini and add to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring until zucchini is cooked and tender. Process with a food processor until smooth.

Prepare tomato sauce by simmering the tomato puree with a crushed garlic clove, season it with salt and add basil at the end. 

To make crepes, heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add  teaspoon of butter, let it melt then immediately pour a ladleful of batter in the skillet. Cook for two minutes. Flip. Cook for another minute. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Fill crepes with pureed zucchini, fold and serve over tomato sauce. 

Five-spice salmon and leeks in parchment

As a child I loathed fish. As a teenager I still loathed it. It took me a 5000 mile move to Florida to get me to like the stuff. Fish in Florida was different. It was delicate and it came with all kinds of fruity sauces.  It tasted of Caribbean vacations and summer nights and drinks at sunset. In other words, it didn't taste like fish at all.

There was one exception though. Salmon. Salmon was the first fish to make it into my plate... or, actually, I should say into my mouth, because there was no actual plate involved. It involved a screaming child, an unprepared set of parents and a smoked salmon sandwich. To this day, every time I see or eat smoked salmon I can't help but thinking about these modern parents I see going everywhere —China, the post office, on a walk— with a bag full of food for their kids. My parents never carried food for me. There was absolutely no eating allowed in the car and, in general, eating in between meals was frowned upon. It will ruin your appetite.

But there was one time where this strategy backfired. Big time. It all happened when I was a toddler a few months short of 2. En route from Milan to the United States my parents and I had a layover in London. And I got hungry. So hungry that I started screaming on top of my lungs. I wanted food. And I wanted it right away. The only option seemed to be a little cart where an old man served smoked salmon over thick, salted butter and brown bread. Not exactly baby food. But, hey, desperate people do desperate things. My dad bought a sandwich and they shoved it in my mouth. I instantly stopped crying. And I ate the whole thing. From that day on, salmon and I were friends. And for about twenty years after that day, salmon was my only friend of the seafood variety.

Later on, I learned to enjoy fresh salmon as well as the smoked kind. I have to thank Tommy for this, because he's the one who made it for me for the first time, baked with a Mexcian style salsa on top. And that was beginning of many other fresh salmon recipes, including this one that my great friend Carolina and I made at her place last week. One last note: if you have never tried wild caught salmon, do so immediately. I cannot stand the farm raised variety and once you'll try the wild kind, you'll never go back either.

FIVE-SPICE SALMON AND LEEKS IN PARCHMENT

(adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 4

2  teaspoons  whole fennel seeds
8  whole black peppercorns
2  whole cloves
1  whole star anise
1  (1 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick
4  (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1  leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small skillet over medium heat; cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Transfer toasted spices to a spice grinder or coffee grinder; grind until fine.
Cut 4 (12-inch) squares of parchment paper. Place 1 fillet in center of each square. Sprinkle evenly with salt and spice mixture; top fillets evenly with leeks. Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds. Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Place on plates; cut open. Serve immediately.

Spring vegetable risotto

 

Happy first day of spring, everyone! It's a gorgeous sunny day here on Lake Lugano and the forecast calls for more beautiful, warm days ahead. Other than the fact that I'm suffering from pollen allergies —my eyes are so puffy right now it looks like someone has beaten me— I couldn't be happier to enter the new season. While I lived in Florida I missed the winter —real, snowy, cold winters that is— but I have to be honest, this year when February rolled around I had had enough of it. I was ready for spring. So when I woke up today and I saw the sun shining in the sky and felt the air warm on my face, I took a deep breath, sneezed a couple of times and then smiled to myself. Spring is officially here.

And what better way to celebrate than cooking up some delicious spring vegetables? I had bought some wonderful asparagus, baby green peas and spring onions. I had a million ideas going through my mind at once. Savory pies. Pasta. Terrines. Soups. And then I decided. Risotto. I tend to consider risotto a winter dish because of its rich creaminess and comfort-food potential, but then again that's just one of my crazy notions most people don't understand or agree with. So why not make risotto with spring vegetables? I had never tried, but spring is all about rebirths and god knows how much I need a rebirth right now. So here it goes. If you have never made risotto before, make sure you follow the directions very carefully and make sure you have 20 minutes to dedicate to the risotto, because you can't just leave it there, cooking. Risotto is a needy dish, so give it your undivided attention —it's definitely worth it.

SPRING VEGETABLE RISOTTO

Serves 4

11 ounces Arborio or Carnaroli rice (short grain)
a glass of dry white wine
1 spring onion, minced
a pot of piping hot good quality vegetable stock
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of butter

8 ounces asparagus, washed, trimmed and cut into bitesize pieces
2 spring onions, chopped
4 ounces baby green peas
1 package saffron
1/2 cup heavy cream
a dollop of butter
salt and pepper

Prepare the veggies: melt a dollop of butter in a large skillet, add two chopped spring onions, let it saute for 30 seconds, then add asparagus, season with salt and pepper and let cook for 10 minutes, adding a little stock every now and then so that the vegetables don't stick to the pan. Add peas and cook for another 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix cream with saffron. When the vegetables are cooked, add cream mixture, stir well and cook on high heat for a few seconds, then remove from stove, cover and keep warm.

Prepare the risotto: in a cast iron dutch oven melt one tablespoon of butter, add minced spring onion and cook it until translucent, stirring constantly. Add rice. Let it toast on the bottom of the pan for a few seconds, then add wine and let it evaporate. Add a couple of ladles of stock, stir well and continue cooking it until stock has evaporated. Add one ladle of stock, stir and cook until evaporated. Repeat this step until rice is cooked (but not overcooked!), about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and veggie mixture, stir well, cover and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately.

Spring's bounty: spring vegetables recipes

I don't care what the calendar says. Although we have to wait until the equinox, March 21st, to officially say that spring has started, I think that we are free to feel as if it has started already given the beautiful weather we have been having here on Lake Lugano.  High temperatures have been in the high 50s and low 60s, the sun has been shining for the most part, and there's definitely something in the air that screams "spring's here, wake up people!"

I noticed this —actually I noticed the opposite of it— happening in September, when summer was quickly giving way to the fall. I remember noticing how locals embraced the last days of warm weather, the end-of-summer parties, the celebrations. And now that winter is pretty much over, I see them celebrating again, which puts me in a great mood. I knew I missed the alternating of the seasons when I lived in Florida, but I hadn't realized how much. It dawned on me the other day when I saw how much everyone in town was enjoying sitting outside the cafe', sipping coffee and drinks, unbuttoning their jackets as they soaked up the sunlight. So I followed suit. I unbuttoned my coat and sat with a couple of old men and played cards with them while they told me how they could feel the beginning of spring in their bones. 

Don't get me wrong, the trees still look like it's winter and there's no flowers blooming around. But there is further proof that the new season is upon us and said proof can be found at the market. No matter if it's a farmers' market or a grocery store, you can tell —mostly by the price— what's fresh and in season. Asparagus, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, artichokes, cauliflower, spinach, fennel, leeks. Stuff that not only is good for you, but is also delicious. Except for artichokes, which I loathe, but are still good for you. 

So here's a little collection of recipes that showcase spring's bounty. Some of them are from a long time ago, so please excuse the poor photo quality.

MOCK CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER: Let's start with a recipe that is incredibly good for you. First of all because, as the title suggests, it doesn't really have cream in it, so it's light and easy to digest. Second, it's extremely good for you. When you put together cauliflower and turmeric you give yourself a very powerful anti-cancer boost and we all know that's always a plus. The third thing that makes this a very-good-for-you recipe is that is extremely low in fat, so if you are on a diet or you're still trying to fight off some of that holiday weight (I know I am) this is a great way to feel satisfied without eating unnecessary calories. A win-win situation, right? 

"ITALIAN FLAG" MAHI MAHI: There's nothing truly Italian about this mahi recipe, but if you look at the result the dish has the colors of the Italian flag, hence the name. The green on the bottom is a spicy broccoli puree which goes well with the fish, but is also very good on its own. When I was growing up I wasn't a big fan of broccoli, mostly because of their consistency. I now like them, but at first I would only eat them if they were pureed. What a pain in the ass, I know. The truth is, I still prefer them pureed, although I might be the only person over the age of 12 to admit it. 

BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH PECANS: I know it sounds crazy, but believe me when I say that this recipe is more than just worth trying. It's freaking delicious —and this comes from someone who a couple of years ago would have never put the words 'brussel sprouts' and 'delicious' in the same paragraph, let alone in the same sentence. And if bitterness is what you are worried about, don't be. This dish is not bitter at all. I promise.  

SPRING VEGETABLES SAVORY PIE: This is one of those go-to recipes when you have a ridiculous amount of vegetables dangerously getting old in your fridge. You know you can't eat all of them in one setting, but it also kills you to think that —at the rate you are going— you'll be throwing half of them in the garbage within a couple of days. Solution? Make a savory pie. Buy a refrigerated pie crust, throw in some good quality cheese and a couple of eggs and use up those veggies. This particular one was made with green peas and asparagus, but when it comes to savory pies, the sky is the limit.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PASTA BAKE: More cauliflower coming your way! What can I say? After a life long of hatred against the poor vegetable I now adore it and can't get enough of it. I even like steamed cauliflower, for crying out loud. So imagine how much I like when you take it and mix it with cheese and bechamel sauce and pasta and put it in the oven until hot and bubbly...






ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI: ...and speaking about another pasta recipe that I love and enjoy no matter how many times I eat it, here's the queen recipe for the spring. Orecchiette pasta with broccoli. As you will read in the original post, this isn't my recipe. It's my best friend's father's recipe —and now that she lives on her own it has become her signature dish as well— so I'm just borrowing it. Enjoy, everyone, it doesn't get any more Italian and spring-like than this!

Baked pasta with cauliflower

When people think of Italy, they envision rolling hills basking in the sunshine and imagine that the weather around here is always mild and basically beautiful. Well, if they had been here since April 22nd like I have, they would definitely change their mind. The term "unseasonably shitty" has taken a whole new meaning here and, although this may make me sound like an old lady, I'll say it: I have never seen weather like this in May and this might be the coldest spring of the millennium.

To be honest, cold temperatures have never bothered me. What is getting old really fast is the monsoons of freezing cold rain we have been having pretty much every day for the last two weeks. It's May, for crying out loud, it should be in the 70s and beautiful, not 55 and rainy!

So what's one to do with this weather? Every morning I wake up dreaming of going to farmers markets and the likes, and every morning I have to change my plans because to go to said markets I would have to take a canoe to navigate the streets. So instead I've been cooking dishes that normally wouldn't cook in May like bean soups and pasta bakes. This particular one I've made before my parents went back to the U.S. and I liked a lot, although my dad said it could have used more salt. But since he says that pretty often, I wasn't too surprised. What I liked about it is that it's an easy and quick recipe, and that it has tons of cauliflower in it and since cauliflower is my new favorite vegetable I can't get enough of it.

BAKED PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER
Adapted from Cooking Light

6  cups  cauliflower florets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt
8  ounces  pasta
1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
3  cups  1% low-fat milk
2  teaspoons  chopped fresh or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3  garlic cloves, crushed
1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheese
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3/4  cup  finely chopped chives
2  teaspoons  Dijon mustard
Black pepper
2 slices white bread
2  teaspoons  butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan; add cauliflower and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiling water, and cook 4 minutes or until tender. Remove cauliflower with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid; set cauliflower aside. Bring cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Add pasta, and cook 7 minutes or until al dente; drain and set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and milk in a saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in thyme and garlic; cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheeses, chives mustard, and pepper. Combine cauliflower, pasta, and cheese sauce in a large bowl. Spoon the cauliflower mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form to measure 1 cup. Combine breadcrumbs with butter; sprinkle evenly over cauliflower mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Orecchiette with broccoli

I have told you many times how much of a pain in the ass I was a kid and how long my "I don't like/eat this" list was. What I've never told you is that my pickiness ceased to exist as soon as I left the comfort of my home and was having lunch or dinner at a friend's house. Their mother would ask me something like "Do you like asparagus?" and since I was too shy or too polite to tell her that I didn't I ended up forcing myself to eat whatever it was in my plate, something that of course didn't make me love asparagus or spinach any more than I did before.

When I was 15, however, a miracle happened. My —then— new friend Francesca invited me over for lunch on a Saturday and when we got to her dad's house he was already in the kitchen, cooking away. "I made your favorite," he told his daughter. And then to me: "I hope you like pasta with broccoli!"

I hated pasta with broccoli.

The pasta part was fine, of course, but broccoli were one of my least favorite vegetables. What I really didn't like was the odd consistency of the florets, which my parents loved and always left whole. Well, that one Saturday afternoon at Francesca's house I was in for treat. The broccoli was sort of mashed, first of all, which solved the consistency problem, and it was wonderfully spicy and flavorful. In other words, it was the best pasta with broccoli ever. I ate it and when I got back home that day I told my mom that, if she wanted me to eat broccoli, she would have to prepare them like that. What a revelation.

To this day, orecchiette with broccoli is one of my favorites and this past weekend Francesca prepared it for me as a way of saying "welcome back". It was delicious as it always is.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI

In a large pot bring water to a boil, season it with salt, then blanch the broccoli in it until crisp tender. Using a slotted spoon transfer broccoli to a pan but keep water and use it to cook pasta.

Drizzle broccoli with olive oil, season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste and add a few tablespoons of the water to the pan. Add half a vegetable bouillon cube and cook over medium heat and mash broccoli with a fork or wooden spoon. Serve over pasta.

Asparagus and eggs, Milanese style

Two weeks from today, I'll be flying over the Atlantic on a Boeing 767 en route from Atlanta to Milano. The thought, I have to admit, is at the same time exciting and scary, and I'm not referring to the fact that I'm afraid that the cat will decide to poop/pee/vomit several times during the crossing or the fact that I always, always sit next to one of those passengers that hog the armrest and have smelly feet.

The truth is I'm a creature of habit, and although I don't necessarily like most of the habits and routines that I've developed here, I still have this irrational, almost ridiculous attachment to my life as I know it. It's the little stuff, mostly. As I sit here with my patio doors open there's a sprinkler on —the damn thing has been hosing down my patio furniture, ruining it for years— and I find myself thinking that I'll kind of miss it. See? Little stuff. Little, stupid stuff. I like to concentrate on the little stupid stuff because, that way, I don't have to concentrate on the big, important things that would scare me shitless, and rightfully so. See? It's a little trick. Let's think about the sprinkler instead of thinking about the fact that god knows if I'll get a job once I get there. Sheer genius, I know.

Another ridiculous thing I'm concentrating on is cooking out of my pantry and come up with new and different ways to use the overabundance of eggs in my fridge. While most normal people would probably like to eat out as often as possible two weeks away from a transcontinental move, I don't. I want to cook as many meals as possible in the kitchen that has been my kitchen for seven years, so that I can bitch one last time about my electric stove or once more burn my hand in the oven. What can I say? I'm easily entertained.

So here's one of the recipes I've cooked to get rid of the many eggs that are sitting in the fridge. It really isn't much of a recipe. It's just asparagus sauteed in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, moved to a side of the pan to make room for a few eggs, and everything topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Ta da.

Spring savory pie

So where do I disappear when I don't post for a week? Nowhere exciting. Most likely my couch. That's where I've spent most of my time lately; that and dashing around the house trying to pack stuff before leaving for Europe. Since the house needs to be put on the market and everything needs to be packed, the packing is as crazy as it gets, as I try to decide what to bring, what to put in the storage and what to give away.

Because although I've moved several times in my life, so far I have not been a good moving person. But I plan on changing that this time around. I have about three weeks to get my shit together, which means that I'll probably wait until the last four days to really do something useful. Because, who am I kidding? That's the way I am. 


So far, the only good thing I've done is cooking out of my pantry and freezer, trying to get rid of all this food that's around house. Granted that Tommy will stay behind and will have to eat for a couple of months without me, still I feel it's a good idea to get rid of some food. Which brings me to this savory pie that I made, or quiche if you will, a creation that put together refrigerated pie crust, leftover asparagus, frozen peas, eggs and cheese. You can always count on a quiche to get rid of lots of ingredients.
 
SPRING SAVORY PIE
One pie crust, such as Pillsbury
2 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 pound ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup green peas, frozen or canned
1/2 pound asparagus, cooked and chopped
Salt and pepper

Grease a round pie pan and unroll the pie crust on it.

In a bowl, mix eggs, cheeses and vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into pie crust.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cook pie in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Asparagus with lemon sauce

I hope everyone is having a great first weekend of spring. My body decided to celebrate the new season by catching an awful sore throat/ear ache —a great new beginning if you ask me. Yesterday I thought I was feeling better and made the tragic mistake of telling everyone so. Needless to say I woke up in the middle of the night with a worse pain in my throat than the previous two days. So much for feeling better.

Regardless of that, I've decided to celebrate the arrival of spring with a wonderful asparagus recipe, courtesy of my friend Emily of EZ Recipes. Emily and I met in 2001 on sunny Bonita Beach, Florida. I will make a very long story short: we were drinking at my friend Kevin's house and I am pretty sure I was doing something immensely goofy which prompted Emily to ask Kevin "Where have you found her?" (I'm sure she meant it in the nicest of ways, right Emily?) To which Kevin replied: "In the dumpster, by the beach." It wasn't entirely true —I swear I don't normally go through the trash in random public places, but I had inadvertently dropped my ring in said trash can that day and was trying to retrieve it— but it made all of us laugh and created some sort of garbage related bond (the inside jokes during that spring of 2001 were all trash themed, as you might imagine).

Nine years later, we still keep in touch, mainly thanks to technology and, lately, thanks to our blogs. When I met her, Emily didn't cook. Not that I can remember anyways. I remember myself cooking at her place and her making the drinks. And I remember us going out to eat tons of junk food (ahhh, to be 21 again!). But I never saw her at the stove. So it was really a pleasant surprise to find out that now she enjoys cooking and wants to share recipes with the rest of the world. This particular one, asparagus with lemon sauce, is very yummy and it's a good variation on the usual steamed or grilled asparagus. I only added a little grated cheese to her recipe  because "someone" in this household has to have cheese on his asparagus (hint: it's not me. And it's not the cat.)

ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON SAUCE

From EZ Recipes

1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, tough ends removed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 egg yolks
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook the asparagus in a tall pan of lightly salted, boiling water for 7- 10 minutes.

Drain well and arrange the asparagus on a serving dish.  Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Blend the cornstarch with the cooled, reserved cooking liquid and place in a small pan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook over a gentle heat.  Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs yolks thoroughly with the lemon juice and gradually stir into the sauce.  Cook over a very low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is fairly thick.  Be careful not to overheat the sauce or it may curdle.  As soon as the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring for 1 minute.  Taste and season with salt.  Leave the sauce to cool slightly.

Stir the cooled sauce, then pour over the asparagus.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle with cheese if you must.

"Cream" of cauliflower with turmeric

After failing miserably at eating healthy both during January and February, I'm currently trying to make March my best month yet. We'll see how long that lasts. I figured I have about 4 to 6 weeks before taking off to Italy and I'd like to be as healthy and productive as possible between now and then. Of course it's a little tricky, being productive before moving, I mean. Moving is stressful and when you are moving across an ocean the stress tends to peak to new heights, so the logic response to that —for me— would be to sit around, drink wine and eat cheese. But, alas, I can't. For a number of reasons. The first one might sound shallow and vain. I really don't want to move to Italy with an ass the size of Brazil and my clothes not fitting me anymore. The second reason, I admit, I care less about. I have been told that I have to pack and organize before I leave —something that I could do while drinking wine and eating cheese, but requires me to get up from the couch.

Mind you, I'll still drink wine. Because let's be honest: I don't think I can stay sane, pack and organize without a little help. But the food, I've decided, has to be healthy. And good for me. Hence this "cream" of cauliflower, that contains no cream at all. I invented it after having a long conversation about anti-cancer foods with my mom, who's reading a very interesting book on how to prevent it by eating the right things. Cauliflower, turmeric and black pepper are all ranking high in preventing cancer and I have to say, after taking a first spoonful of my new creation I was incredibly pleased with the result. It's great for you and it tastes amazing. What else could one want?

CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER WITH TURMERIC

2 pounds cauliflower florets
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 1/2 cups plain natural yogurt

Place broth and cauliflower in a large pot and bring broth to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with turmeric. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until florets are tender.
Puree with an immersion belnder. Stir in yogurt, adjust seasoning and enjoy hot or cold.

Roasted asparagus infused with blood orange and balsamic

I suppose that spring is here. I only say "I suppose" because this year you never know. I was talking to my sister yesterday and she was telling me that in my home city of Milan, Italy, it was getting ready to snow. Which is totally crazy for March, just in case you are wondering. And although we aren't getting any snow here in SW Florida, it has been the most uncommon, cold winter ever. And I loved every second of it.

Another weird and uncommon fact about me: I only started eating asparagus a few years ago. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true. I grew up thinking asparagus was gross —mostly because it was green I guess— and it wasn't until I fell in love with an asparagus lover that I finally suspended judgment and tried one. It was delicious. So even though I'm sad that this uncommon and cool Florida winter is almost over, I am happy that asparagus is in season and it's readily available at affrodable prices. I like to make asparagus in many ways, but lately I've been on this blood orange and balsamic kick and I'm going to milk it for as long as I can find blood oranges at the grocery store. The dish is also sprinkled with pecorino romano cheese, which gives the asparagus a pleasant saltiness —exactly what you need to offset the sweetness of the orange and balsamic.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS INFUSED WITH BLOOD ORANGE AND BALSAMIC

Serves 2 

1 pound asparagus, hard part of stems removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of 1 blood orange

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Place asparagus on a large, rimmed cookie sheet, possibly in one layer. Whisk together remaining ingredients, drizzle evenly over asparagus and toss to coat.

Roast in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.