Cook In Fifty-Two

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Sushi is easy (& inexpensive)

Sushi is a fairly expensive treat if you eat out. Made at home though it becomes a healthy and inexpensive meal for the whole family.

You'll need:

Nori (dried seaweed sheets)
Rice
Choice of fillings
Bamboo rolling mat

Cook the rice.

On a bamboo mat place one sheet of nori. Press on a thick layer of rice. Lay your choice of fillings on top of rice. Using the bamboo mat roll tightly. Slice and serve.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Next adventure: Japan

This month is my fifth wedding anniversary. When we married my husband (who is trying to learn Japanese & loves Kamen Rider and other Japanese tv shows) suggested we should try to visit Japan for our fifth anniversary. Little did we know we'd be having our second child and buying our second (larger) house that year instead. Guess we'll work towards visiting Japan for our tenth anniversary instead.

Meanwhile I can continue to learn about their food and cooking at home. While I have an aunt who is Japanese and a cousin who lives in Japan, what I've been learning about their food comes from books and the Internet. I love how very healthy it is. There are some nice subtle flavors too.

Did you know making sushi at home is comparatively inexpensive? Have you ever tried yakisoba, the buckwheat noodle and vegetable dish stir-fried with a touch of sake? Miso soup is so comforting too, like chicken soup.

We're going to enjoy this.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Chimichangas

My husband loves chimichangas. If we go to a new sandwich shop he orders a Reuben. To make sure it's a good restaurant, he says. If we eat Mexican chances are he'll order chimichangas. A restaurant with a good chimi is worth a second visit. Disappointed by the chimi, adios!

So I resolved to try my hand a frying chimichangas.

Maybe it's good I'm not running a restaurant.

Ok, so it wasn't that bad. But I did learn there is definitely a trick or two to making those beautiful chimichangas he loves so much.

First the filling. Whatever size tortilla you use you must make sure to have the right amount of filling inside. Too much, things explode (or well, ooze out). To little and it's a little shabby.

Second, toothpicks. Seriously, don't make the mistake I made a first. I bought all the ingredients at the store while forgetting to check my supplies. "Hmm, it says to pin with toothpicks. Oh well.i suppose they'll be ok without...." No. Just run to the store if you are out of toothpicks. While I did end up getting them mostly to stay together, the toothpicks would've kept much more of the filling intact.

Finally, the heat. If you have the heat just right you'll end up with beautiful golden chimichangas in no time. Too high or too low-even by a little-made a big difference in the results. Watch that temperature!

Friday, April 26, 2013

A Week of Mexican Meals?

A week from Sunday is Cinco de Mayo.

Now I enjoy Mexican food.

Plus I have a four year old who is becoming more aware.of.people and places. He also enjoys helping me in the kit hen (as you can tell if you check out Wee Wonderings).

So I am considering planning a week of Mexican meals. I already own Rick Bayless' book "Authentic Mexican". Yesterday I made a.little list of Mexican cookbooks I can get at the library. So it's definitely.planning tkme. Question is can I create a diverse enough menu to keep things interesting? Can I ?

How about easy? I do have ayoung baby to care for as.well. The library.also has a book called."Slow Cooker Mexican". Might be worth checking out.

If hou planned a week of Mexican dinners what would your menu look like?

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Costa Rican fish & cabbage tacos

Mmmm! I really think I like these. A lot.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Another Italian Adventure

A few weeks ago I finally had my new baby! My sister came to watch my preschooler for a bit. While she was here we celebrated her birthday. She wanted Italian and I knew just where to turn: my favorite Italian cooking website, Rustico Cooking.

It was such a delicious dinner.

Cheesy pasta with tomatoes baked in foil packets. AKA Spaghetti al Cartoccio

Crisp focassia salad with peppers.

Chicken baked with fennel, olives and white wine. AKA Pollo con Finocchio, Olive e Vino Bianco

Finish it off with tiramisu. Oh, it was good!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Carne Asada

This recipe for carne asada has a very easy yet jazzy marinade. I'd like to thank my sister for teaching me how to make these tasty things. They've become a family favorite.