Is There A Better Job in the World Than Cookbook Recipe Tester? Besides Professional Pinner?

I think not.  

I love steamykitchen.com.  and so do thousands of other people.  Do you already follow it? I love Jaden's recipes as well as reading about her family life, particularly their adventures in raising their own chickens.

When I read that Jaden's compensation for testers is she will "forever owe you my eternal love and gratitude," I was so in.  Put it on my card: Will work for eternal love and gratitude.  

Really, it is easy Asian cooking and if you know me, or you are my husband, you know I love Asian food.  And if you are, indeed, my husband, you only like Chinese, but I love Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese, too.  Oh, and I drive you crazy because I like to go for foodtainment (teppanyaki) -- the hibachi style Japanese where the chef prepares the food right in front of you. And throws shrimp in your mouth and makes a volcano of fire with the concentric rings of a halved onion. 

Back to recipe testing.  The other night I made this. Note that it was night, therefore the picture has terrible color, but the soup in real life was much prettier -- filled with healthy fresh veggies.

In my favorite blue dish that I carried back from Japan.

I made this dish, too, another soup, in a miso based broth -- Loved this one! (below)

Gratuitous cat shot.  One of my useless feline assistants.  They provide entertainment. When they aren't sleeping.

Back to food.  Dish number three, eggs with oyster sauce -- holy moly, it was delicious.  Proving that it doesn't have to look perfect be super tasty.

These first two photos (above and below), the eggs look a bit mangled, but they are the better photos.

Oh, yummy.

Here the eggs are prettier but the photo isn't as good.  Take your pick and start fantasizing about Jaden's new cookbook!

In the meantime you can check out her other recipes and if you don't already read her blog, you definitely should add it to your rotation -- her photography is beautiful and writing is just right and very accessible.

Off to meet one of my blogger-girl-crushes this afternoon.  More on that later, taters. (Edit note:  We missed each other today, bummer but I look forward to us stalking each other another time)

Yours, in blogger bliss,

JPV

It is SO Springtime -- Eye Candy From Today's Trip to Merrifield Garden Center!

Even the pots look all shiny and happy and excited about EOS (Early On-set Spring). (Below)

What a glorious day, and I can't wait to come back to Merrifield later in the week sans HoneyHusband so I can lollygag for hours.  The place is huge and has everything, and best of all, the people are fantastic.  Barry helped us first with choosing our new shade loving bush for in front of the house, and he handed me off to the woman who knew everything about the early salad greens to plant, and she handed me off to the soil guy who showed me what I needed to put them in pots rather than the garden proper.

Rosebushes, waiting to go to their forever homes.

I loved this plant/flower.  Helleborus.  I know I have seen them in a million beautiful colors before, but had never seen this gorgeous pale sage tipped in pink with yellow centers.  When I got home I discovered they are the "plant of the week" at Merrified with specific information on their website here.

And back at home:

Hubby planting the new bush between the two laurels.  It was tragic to take up the hydrangea, but it just got no sun in front of, and right up against, the house, which faces North.  Don't get me started on stupid design and planning.  No excuse for it being built 80 years ago.

Pear tree starting to bloom in the backyard!  So pretty.

Honey Husband had to trample a few daffodils putting in the new bush.  I salvaged a few -- I think these mostly white ones look perfect in that little blue vase I bought in Morocco.  Yellow and blue dish behind it I bought in the restaurant district in Tokyo.  In it are tomatoes from the Schlagel Farms greenhouse -- they come to the Delray Farmers Market year round, thank goodness.  I asked why he had green tomatoes this time of year and he said he broke a stem while he was picking some red ones and voila, I will have fried green tomatoes this week!

One last shot from the garden center.  Om Garden Frog says: Namaste!

Cooking My Way Through My Pinterest Recipes Board(s): Baked Mushrooms With Parmesan and Rosemary Over Polenta

 Beginning to cook my way through my Pinterest food boards is more like it.  They are labelled:

YUM (everything that looks good to me)

YUM:  Seasonal Eating Winter (squash recipes)

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD (from my own rice krispie sushi pics to anything else that could pass for both something entertaining as well as yummy)

and

Fungus Love (I love mushrooms)

Yes, I love me the fungus.  Hubby hates it.  As in, he walks into the kitchen and says, "Ew!  Fungus.  I can smell it."  It's a texture thing.  Same as I have heard from other friends-who-are-also-haters.

I pinned this recipe for Baked Mushrooms With Rosemary and Parmesan.  All ingredients I love, and, conveniently, had in the house.  Well, the rosemary is technically outside of the house, on the porch.  Yes, in winter.  Rosemary's second successful winter on the porch.  Bizarre. 

Things I make in batches and keep in the fridge to pick on all week:  brown rice (boil in a bag, 10 min in the microwave, you can do it at work in an emergency), quinoa, polenta, bean and rice patties.  I ate polenta with mushrooms til the mushrooms were gone.  So delicious and so very easy.  

Here's the secret to the polenta: Turn the heat way down as soon as you can.  It bubbles, and when those bubbles burst, they burn you and leave a scar.  Trust me.  

Adapted recipe:

Baked Fungus with Parmesan and Rosemary

• lemon juice (1-2 T squeezed fresh from 1 lemon or the lemon juice from that plastic yellow lemon I keep in my fridge and you should keep in yours for when you have no lemons)
• 3-4 stalks of fresh rosemary, chopped fine, save the naked stalks
• 1 T Olive oil, enough to lightly coat
• 1 lb sliced button mushrooms(pre-sliced and packaged if you are short on time, or buy in bulk and just slice them.  If you have an egg slicer, toss them in there if you are OCD and like nice perfect cuts.)
• 1/4 c Parmesan, grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. 
2. Slice mushrooms if you did not buy pre-sliced. 
3. Place the sliced mushrooms on a cookie sheet.  Toss in the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, and add the nekkid rosemary stalks, then mix to coat. Season with 1/8 t salt and a few grinds of pepper.
4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the mushrooms and continue to bake for five more minutes until the cheese has browned lightly. 
5. Remove rosemary stalks.  Transfer mushrooms to a serving dish and dig in/serve over polenta or pasta, and save some for lunch tomorrow, too.

Polenta:

Follow the side of the box. Seriously.  So easy.
Water, polenta, bring to a boil. IMMEDIATELY tun heat to lowest simmer.  Stand back if you see bubbles forming, until the heat is low enough to prevent them.  A whisk works best.  Stir frequently.  Do NOT cover (this causes the polenta to steam rather than cook).

If you would like, add a few tablespoons of butter and/or some Parmesan (fontina is also excellent and turns super creamy in polenta).  Add a healthy teaspoon of salt (I use kosher salt), or more, to taste.

I smooth mine into a baking dish and let it cool.  Then I slice it up and put it in containers in the fridge and just pull it out a square or two at a time during the week. 

This is the polenta I used.  It belongs on the counter. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my kitty.  She does not belong on the counter. But it's better than when she gets on the range hood.

Have a great day, friends and let me know if you have any questions at all about safe polenta preparation and enjoyment or cooking fungus.

Mwah!

JPV