EnnaEel Cooks

May 31st, 2008

Don’t second-guess your feelings. You were right from the start.

Posted by LA in Chicken, Recipes


Citrus chicken with spinach. Not very interesting-looking or interestingly named. But tasty. So there.

1 T. olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
herbes de Provence (I use basil, rosemary, marjoram, bay leaf, and a little lavender)
rice flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 c. dry white wine (I subbed Woodchuck Pear Cider, which is probably a big no-no, but my mind was in a million other places besides food-finding when I was going grocery shopping, and thus, no white wine)
1/4 c. vegetable stock
juice of 1/2 orange
1 T. pineapple juice
1/4 T. butter

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence. Dust with just a little bit of flour.
  • Cook, meaty side down, 5 minutes. Turn over; cook 1 minute. Add garlic and shallot; stir 30 seconds.
  • Add wine (or Woodchuck); cook 1 minute. Add stock; cook 30 seconds. Add lemon juice. Transfer pan to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 9 to 13 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board.

  • Place pan over medium heat; simmer sauce 1 minute. Add butter; swirl pan until butter incorporates and sauce thickens slightly.
  • Cut breast into 4 slices; transfer to a plate with spinach; top with sauce. Garnish with orange, if you want.

    I’m wearing my swimsuit under my clothes today.
    Just in case.

    • Listening to:: Jaymay - Gray or Blue
    • Hair:: Pretty short
    • Status:: Pretty much ridiculously hot (of the sweaty variety)
    May 28th, 2008

    Science must be served!

    Posted by LA in Recipes, Rice, Seafood


    Baked ocean perch with a mustard-basil glaze, and a spinach, tomato, and whole grain rice salad. This was sort of an experiment. I bought the perch not really knowing what I was going to end up doing with it. I love when cooking makes me feel like a mad scientist.

    Mustard-basil perch:
    ocean perch filet
    1 green onion, sliced
    1 T. unsalted butter
    1 t. brown sugar
    1 t. maple mustard
    1 T. fresh basil, chopped

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in a ramekin in preheating stove. Add sugar, mustard, and basil.
  • Remove skin and place filet on very lightly buttered baking dish. Glaze with mustard mixture and sprinkle with green onion. Bake for 10 minutes.

    Spinach, tomato, and rice salad:
    1/2 c. whole grain rice (brown rice, red rice, pearled barley, rye berries)
    1 T. white wine vinegar
    1/2 t. kosher salt
    spinach
    sweet cherry tomatoes
    cracked black pepper

  • Bring 1 c. water to boil in medium saucepan. Mix in rice and kosher salt. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Transfer rice to small bowl; fluff with fork and let cool.
  • Pour vinegar over rice. Add tomatoes and spinach and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

    Okay. I know I put way too much green onion in this recipe. And if I were cooking for anyone but myself, I would likely not be so heavy-handed with them.
    Green onion : Me :: Sun-dried tomato : Late 90s housewives
    It’s my own personal trend. Maybe I’ll grow out of it someday, but until someday happens, expect me to add green onion to pretty much anything I feel like.
    At least, if I ever end up in an Iron Chef-type competition where the main ingredient is green onion, I will be well-prepared.

    After seeing Crystal Skull a second time (and from the same seat in the same theatre, no less) I have realized what was wrong the first time around.
    I was watching the movie in 2008.
    Indiana Jones fits in the late 80s/early 90s. If Temple, my (previously established) all-time favorite Jones movie, were released today, I would likely feel the same about it. Too much goofiness, nice action sequences, hot Harrison Ford, and “really, I don’t think I can buy this guy surviving (add your favorite ridiculously un-survivable Indy shenanigans here).”
    So, maybe there was some improvement in a second viewing.
    Regardless, I’m going to end up buying the dvd box set so that I can avoid buying a later one that will include Shia LaBoeuf playing an even bigger part in the franchise.

    • Listening to:: The Go-Betweens - Finding You
    • Hair:: Lengthy
    May 25th, 2008

    Missouri: Where they never feed you snakes before ripping your heart out and lowering you into hot pits.

    Posted by LA in Film, Recipes, Seafood


    Gingered shrimp with soup noodles and kai lan. There has been much time for insanity the past couple of days. This has left me with no time for grocery shopping. Thus, I now present lastminutecobbledtogetherdinnerforLA.

    lamian
    kai lan, blanched
    2 c. vegetable broth
    1 egg
    2 t. sesame oil
    2 T. rice vinegar
    1 t. fresh cilantro, chopped
    1 T. ginger, minced
    1/2 t. white pepper
    2 t. honey
    6 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, brined
    2 green onions, chopped
    2 garlic cloves, minced

  • Mix vinegar, cilantro, ginger, and honey in small bowl. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat 2 t. sesame oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic; sauté until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add vinegar mixture and shrimp to skillet; stir until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes.
  • Cook noodles in vegetable broth until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to bowl.
  • Poach the egg in remaining vegetable broth, and pour over noodles. Add kai lan and shrimp. Garnish with cracked pepper.

    For this recipe I sort of mish-mashed a bunch of familiar ideas together to make something new.
    I was standing in the kitchen, looking at the peanut butter and bananas I’d just set out to make maybe my 8th ‘nanner in a week, and I thought “I can do better.”
    Not that the ‘nanner isn’t capable of great things. Perhaps someday it will earn its place with its very own recipe entry. Maybe.

    I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull recently.
    What I don’t understand is this: How can films like The Mummy and National Treasure borrow so heavily from the Indy franchise and still remain successful, while Indy borrowing these bits back makes for hilarity of the variety that I doubt neither Spielberg or Lucas intended?
    Monkeys? Beating up on villians? Really? Really?
    What happened to the Indy that pushed for the MPAA to create a PG-13 rating?

    The first and only Indiana Jones movie I experienced when I was little was Temple of Doom.
    This may have created a bias. Temple and Terminator 2: Judgement Day were the only films my father owned in English. Whenever I spent time at his house, I watched them backwards and forwards, and by the time I was 12 I could repeat every bit of the dialogue back to you, word for wonderfully quippy word. (Seriously, one of the best lines in any Indy movie has to be Short Round’s exclamation of “Dr. Jones, no time for love!”)

    By the time I got around to seeing Raiders and Last Crusade, I was a bit thrown off by the sudden shift to more Euro-centric adventures. The Indy I knew and loved was running across precarious rope bridges with a machete, not making eyes at German double-agents in Venice.

    Technically, Temple is Indy’s first film adventure. And it shows. You can see him still a bit intoxicated with the idea of “fortune and glory.” But not so much as to prevent him from risking his life to help a desolate village. Indy embarks on his quest for the Sankara stone due to completely unpredictable circumstance – literally dropped right in the thick of it . At least in the other films, he had a choice.

    I could go on about the great use of sidekicks, superior action sequences, or surplus footage of Harrison Ford sans khaki shirt. All would be more reason to hold Temple of Doom above all 3 (I hesitate to say 4) Indiana Jones films.

    But maybe a wee (itty bitty) bit of me enjoys having a favorite that is least-liked by most.

    • Reading:: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
    May 19th, 2008

    The only steps that matter.

    Posted by LA in Chicken, Pasta, Recipes


    Fettuccine alla carbonara with garlic-roasted chicken and asparagus, and a tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad. Also, some broiled garlic sourdough. Lordy bgordy, how I missed cooking for two!

    Garlic-roasted chicken:
    3 large garlic cloves, crushed
    1 t. dried oregano
    1/2 t. dried hot red-pepper flakes
    2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
    2 chicken breast halves

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack in upper third.
  • Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 t. salt, then transfer to a bowl. Stir in oregano, red-pepper flakes, and oil.
  • Cut a 2-inch-long pocket (about 1 1/2 inches deep) horizontally in side of each breast half and spread 1/2 teaspoon garlic mixture into each pocket. Coat chicken with remaining garlic mixture.
  • Roast chicken in a shallow foil-lined baking pan until just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

    Fettuccine alla carbonara:
    fettuccine noodles
    asparagus, cut into 2 in. pieces, blanched
    4 large eggs
    1/4 c. finely grated parmesan
    1/4 c. finely grated pecorino romano
    1/3 c. heavy cream
    1 T. chopped fresh basil
    1/2 t. salt
    1/2 t. black pepper
    2 t. garlic, minced
    2 T. chopped scallions

  • Vigorously whisk together eggs, parmesan, cream, basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until foamy.
  • Cook garlic over moderate heat, stirring, 1 min. (do not brown). Add scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add to egg mixture.
  • Cook pasta until tender, and drain.
  • Immediately add egg mixture and toss. When mixture is cooked, add blanched asparagus.

    I still can’t eat various meats, including but not limited to pancetta. Therefore, this slightly corrupted carbonara is instead protein-ified with roasted chicken.
    The mozzarella salads were about a portion too big, but the tomatoes I picked up were so incredibly lovely. I wanted to use more of them.
    Thank you to my boss who gave me a wonderfully healthy recipe that I went and slightly de-healthified.

    • Listening to:: The Weepies - Can't Go Back Now
    May 18th, 2008

    I’ll be the first one to ask where you were.

    Posted by LA in Chicken, Hawaiian, Recipes


    Huli Huli chicken with sticky rice, and spinach with a white miso dressing and deviled egg. I subbed the spinach and egg for the traditional macaroni salad. Never been a big macaroni salad girl, even when it comes to plate lunch.

    Miso dressing:
    3 T. white miso
    1 T. lemon juice
    1 t. sesame oil
    1 t. virgin olive oil
    1 small garlic clove, crushed
    cracked pepper

    Huli Huli chicken:
    1 split chicken breast
    1 c. shoyu
    1/2 c. fresh pineapple juice
    1/2 c. honey
    1/3 c. brown sugar
    2 T. sesame oil
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    3 T. tomato paste
    1 T. fresh ginger root, minced
    Ground black pepper to taste
    Hawaiian sea salt to taste

  • Mix shoyu, pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, oil, garlic, ketchup, ginger, salt, and pepper. Marinate chicken for 20 minutes to 4 hours. Refrigerate.
  • Before grilling, let chicken sit until it is at room temperature. Grill on a barbecue rack over medium coals, turning often for about 45 minutes. Baste frequently.
  • Or, if you are lacking in the barbecue-having department, you can roast the chicken in an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Baste often, for an hour.

    Ok, so maybe not the most clever meal to prepare when you’re immediately craving it. I started marinating the chicken at 4:30, and my insides nearly ate themselves until it was done cooking at 9:00.

    So, is it obvious?
    LeeAnne is feeling homesick.
    I seriously considered making some malasadas as well after I saw I had some yeast in my pantry, but knowing that I’d either have to eat them all myself or throw away half of a batch nixed that idea.

    Making new friends, keeping busy with various photo-related projects, and exploring the areas in and around St. Louis for event photo jobs have been staving off this impending loneliness that has been trying to invade my brain. And for the very small amount of free time I’ve had lately, life has been rather pleasant. Considerably, actually.

    But even all I have to look forward to in the coming weeks isn’t enough to obviate the inevitable inward sigh when I hear of others’ time spent with family and old friends.

    Then I head to the kitchen to turn my yearning for something familiar into a tasty dish or two.
    And the brilliance of living and cooking in a studio means that I will get to come home to an apartment that smells like home for at least the next couple of days.

    • Watching:: Howl's Moving Castle
    • Listening to:: M. Ward - I'll Be Yr Bird
    May 16th, 2008

    You know the score, I wouldn’t want you sleeping on the floor.

    Posted by LA in Recipes, Rice, Seafood


    Shrimp risotto. Quick and tasty. I mean, who knows when I’ll be home next to eat another meal. I’ll take it when I can get it.

    3 c. low-salt vegetable broth
    1/2 c. dry white wine
    3 T. butter
    2 t. minced garlic
    1/4 t. ancho chili pepper
    1/4 t. white pepper
    6 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, brined
    1/3 c. finely chopped onion
    1 c. arborio rice
    chopped green onion

  • Bring broth and 1/4 c. wine to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat, keep hot.
  • Melt 1 T. butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 t. garlic and chili pepper, then shrimp. Sauté until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 c. wine. Simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain shrimp, reserving cooking liquid.
  • Melt remaining 2 T. butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and remaining 1 t. garlic; sauté until onion is pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Add 1 c. broth mixture. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding broth mixture 1 c. at a time, stirring often and simmering until liquid is absorbed before adding more, about 20 minutes. Stir in reserved shrimp cooking liquid. Cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
  • Stir shrimp and green onion into risotto. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan.

    Ok, so I know that parmesan on a seafood risotto is a no-no. But I love cheese too much not to put it on everything ever.
    And as I have done with many a risotto before, I have made waaaaay too much. Good news for tomorrow’s bento.

    • Listening to:: Field Music - A House is Not a Home
    May 12th, 2008

    You ruined everything in the nicest way.

    Posted by LA in Recipes

    Sautéed scallops in a beurre blanc style sweet rice wine sauce with broccolini and roasted red potatoes with lemon. Not the most original recipe I’ve prepared lately, but definitely the tastiest.

    1/2 lb broccolini
    3 T. virgin olive oil
    4 large sea scallops, tough ligament removed from side of each if attached
    1/2 t. white pepper
    3/4 t. salt
    1/3 cup sweet rice wine
    1/4 stick unsalted butter

  • Heat 1 T. virgin olive oil in a skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté broccolini, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate, reserving skillet off heat.
  • Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with white pepper and 1/2 t. salt. Add 1 T. oil to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté scallops, turning over once, until browned and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer scallops with tongs to another plate.
  • Carefully add sweet rice wine to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced to about 2 T., about 1 minute. Add any scallop juices accumulated on plate and bring to a simmer.
  • Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 T. at a time, until incorporated.
    Add broccolini and remaining 1/4 t. salt and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

  • Serve scallops topped with broccolini and sauce.

    4 small red-skinned potatoes
    3 T. olive oil
    1 t. kosher salt
    1/4 t. ground black pepper
    2 t. fresh lemon juice
    3 lemon wheels

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Place potatoes on large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast potatoes until golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with lemon juice and add lemon wheels; stir. Roast 1 minute longer.

    • Listening to:: Jonathan Coulton - You Ruined Everything
    May 6th, 2008

    Laughing is easy, and laughing is all I have.

    Posted by LA in Relationships

    Tempering chocolate is a very precise process. If you don’t carefully manage the temperature, you could very easily ruin the candies you’re planning on making.

    But it’s so hard to tell at first. All molten chocolate has the same appearance. You could be forming type V or type II crystals, but until the chocolate has cooled, you won’t know if it will have that glossy finish and loud snap, or if it will look gray and crumbly.

    It’s exciting and scary all at the same time.

    But even if the crystals you create end up being too big, you haven’t ruined things completely. You can always melt it down and re-seed it again.

    • Listening to:: The Shaky Hands - The Sleepless
    May 4th, 2008

    Your mind is filled with fantasies. And it makes me laugh and it comforts me.

    Posted by LA in Comic Books

    There are few subjects that I feel capable of discussing with any considerable amount of confidence. These things include, but are not limited to:

    • Espresso drinks, their origins, and the skill that goes into pulling a good shot, creating a nice glassy foam, and portioning a drink well.
    • The utter brilliance of the different realms of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, and their creation through innovative landscape design and use of theatrical terminology.
    • Modern day mythology. (i.e. comic books)

    Anyone that has spent even the smallest amount of time with me knows that I collect comics. Maybe a half an hour more than that and you know that I prefer DC Comics over Marvel Comics.

    Recently I’ve been put in a position, more than once, to explain this preference. So, let’s have at it. Definitive comic rant coming right up.

    At one point, Marvel had more realistic characters dealing with real life issues, and a more cohesive combined universe. Marvel was able to one-up DC in this way because they weren’t afraid to take chances with their characters. They had a great collection of writers and editors, and were able to connect to readers both old and new.

    Buuuuuut.

    DC developed their various imprints: Vertigo, Wildstorm, AMX, Minx, and more. And rather than engaging in the wholesale deconstruction of its iconic characters as Marvel has done, attempted to regain a real edge in the last few years by actually writing tighter paced stories and attracting top talent. Marvel has responded with such events as ‘House of M’ and ‘Civil War.’ Both terrific ideas. Both poorly executed.

    It is the difference between a psychological thriller that builds suspense through clever writing and directing, and a horror film that pours on the fake blood and severed body parts in a story that is about as cerebral as a dry sponge.

    Marvel still has its ‘real’ characters, but DC has the iconic ones. Superman made it all possible.

    But, in the end, it is all a matter of preference.

    I have been discovering with coffee, and now with comics, that it is important not to besmirch other companies. What is important is that you foster a love of coffee with the customer. That the person is reading comics, good, bad, or otherwise.

    • Listening to:: The Dodos - Undeclared