April 30, 2013

Pad (Pat) Thai

Pad Thai on a serving plate.

It is starting to warm up nicely here. Over the weekend we went hiking and saw a ton of beautiful spring wildflowers.  The park was a new place for us and the ground was covered in a blanket of wildflowers and ramps. The forest smelled slightly like garlic from all the ramps. 

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After a long walk in the warm weather, I crave lighter foods and sometimes spicier foods. Pad (or sometimes called Pat or Phat) Thai definitely fits the bill. I ate Pad Thai once in Thailand. It was good, but it certainly wasn't my favorite dish I had there. But, it remains one of the most popular Thai dishes in the U.S. 

This was the first time I made this myself and we enjoyed it a lot. I used the recipe from Thai Food as a guide. I love this cookbook, but sometimes I take shortcuts or make substitutions because even with all the Asian markets around me, I can't always find every ingredient. Below is my adapted recipe which will serve two very hungry people.

Plate of Pad Thai with a lime wedge.

April 16, 2013

Stir-fried squid and baby bok choy

Serving bowl of stir fried squid with baby bok choy over rice.

Here's yet another Asian inspired recipe and another new protein for me to be cooking at home: squid. 

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While I've certainly eaten fried calamari at restaurants, I've never cooked squid at home and I've rarely eaten it without a breading. I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but I was inspired by the beautiful recipe at one of my favorite blogs, Wild Greens & Sardines. I love her blog with its amazing photography and also her use of less common ingredients. If you haven't visited it before, I highly recommend doing so. 

Squid is something that gets tough very easily, so you have to either stew it for a long time, or cook it super quickly. I was afraid of making little rubber bands my first time around, but the squid turned out great - slightly chewy, yet tender and soft. 

I liked the idea of using some Thai flavors with the squid. Indeed, the two times I've tried squid without breading were in Thailand and at a Thai restaurant, so it was fitting. 

I thought the flavors were delicious with the slightly sweet squid and the slightly bitter bok choy. I served this dish over jasmine rice, which was certainly the longest part of this meal. The stir-fry itself is quick and easy - perfect for a weeknight meal. This dish serves two.

Chop sticks picking up cooked squid.

April 11, 2013

Rabbit cacciatore

Serving plate of rabbit cacciatore.

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 I had rabbit one time as a kid and was horrified when I found out what I just ate (and thoroughly enjoyed). I didn't eat rabbit again until fairly recently at a local Italian restaurant. We ordered some rabbit crostini and we really loved it. The next time I went there I got a rabbit main dish. Then I found out where I can buy them and it's been love ever since. Rabbit is similar to chicken in texture, but it is leaner and more flavorful. You can read more about rabbit meat at the link to the farm. Bottom line though, it's delicious!

This recipe is an adapted version of Stanley Tucci's recipe in The Tucci Cookbook. This is my first Italian cookbook and I didn't come from an Italian background. So, my idea of Italian food was the Americanized dishes like spaghetti, stuffed shells, and lasagna - basically pasta, red sauce, cheese, and meat. 

It's been great to explore this cuisine and I look forward to trying more recipes from this book. I was excited to find a rabbit variation on the usual chicken cacciatore. We really enjoyed this dish a lot - simple, flavorful, and hearty. I modified it slightly and added the herbs. 

This recipe will serve about 2-3 people, unless you are able to find a larger rabbit. Serve it with some crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Rabbit cacciatore on a plate.