Shrimp Cake

I don't think I know anyone who doesn't like a good crab cake.  The problem is that the only ones worth having are in Maryland, and if you haven't had an authentic jumbo lump crab cake from there, then you're missing out on a religious experience.  I did my take on one using roughly chopped shrimp in place of crab meat.  I added to the shrimp an egg white, fresh bread crumbs, Old Bay, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper and formed them into cakes before letting them chill in the fridge for a bit.  I then seared both sides in a cast iron pan with some canola oil and butter and finished them off in the oven.  I also made a dipping sauce with mayo, lemon juice and more smoked paprika.  I have to say that this is one of the best things I've ever made, and I would put it up against any crab cake west of the Potomac.  The shrimp was pretty close in texture to jumbo lump crab meat, and there was just enough binder to hold it together without getting in the way of the shrimp.  The kicker was the lemon juice in the dipping sauce, which cut right through the richness of the cake.         

Spanish Chicken and Cannellini Ragout

Another hectic weeknight and no time to shop, so I went to the pantry for inspiration and found a can of Cannellini beans, which I paired with some leftover marinara sauce that I kicked up with some Spanish smoked paprika that I picked up over the weekend.  For my protein, I made a Spanish-style seared chicken breast with a spice rub made of more of the smoked paprika, cumin, ground fennel seed and salt.  As simple as it gets, but restaurant worthy.  The chicken was super juicy and tender, and the smokiness from the paprika in the rub and the beans was the star of the dish.

Shepherd's Pie

L.A. is a great food town, but we just don't have good pubs like they do on the East Coast (and Europe, where it all began).  So I took matters into my own hands and made an English pub classic, Shepherd's Pie.  The key to this dish is to salt every component liberally, or you will end up with a bland product.  Usually made with lamb or kidneys, I went with ground sirloin.  First I sauteed chopped leeks, carrots and garlic, and then I browned the beef in a Dutch oven.  I then made a pan gravy by adding some AP flour, chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce, and I stirred in some peas.  I finished it off by pouring the meat and veg mixture into a baking dish, layering the mashed potatoes (made with Russet potatoes, half and half and an egg stirred in at the end to promote browning) on top and putting into an oven for about 30 minutes, with the final 5 minutes under the broiler to brown the potatoes.  I let it rest for about 15 minutes before serving to let it firm up.  All I needed to complete the meal was a pint of Guinness!   

Cacio e Pepe

I was in the mood for fresh pasta, so I broke out my food processor and whipped up some pasta dough with flour, eggs, salt and olive oil.  I know that any Italian grandmother would cringe at the thought of using a food processor to make pasta dough, but many professional chefs use this method.  After kneading and resting the dough, I rolled it out into sheets and cut it into somewhere between a linguini and fettuccine.  I wanted a simple preparation to go with it, so I made cacio e pepe, a Roman specialty.  What makes this dish so special, and difficult to nail, is its simplicity.  There are just 4 ingredients: pasta, Pecorino cheese, copious amounts of fresh cracked black pepper and some pasta water.  I boiled the pasta in salted water and then drained and combined it with the cheese, water and pepper until it formed a sauce that coated the pasta.  Another few grinds of pepper on top (you should be able to really taste the heat), and it was ready.  This was my first time making it, so it was by no means perfect (the sauce could've been smoother), but it was still pretty darn tasty and comforting.  Note: this dish traditionally is made with spaghetti.  

Vietnamese Wings

I love a good Buffalo wing, but I get bored easily so I am always looking for variations on the classic.  These wings are inspired by Pok Pok, a Portland-based restaurant that put its famous Vietnamese fish sauce chicken wings on the menu after the owner had them while on vacation in Vietnam.  The marinade, which is my spin on the original recipe, is made with fish sauce, water, honey, minced garlic, soy sauce and sambal.  I then baked the wings in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.  As you can see, they picked up some really nice color, and the Southeast Asian flavors -- spicy, sweet, salty -- really came through.

Meatloaf and Shrimp Mashed Potatoes

I am a big fan of American comfort food classics with a gourmet twist to make it interesting.  This is a straightforward meatloaf made with a mix of beef and pork (50/50 ratio), egg, paprika, cumin, salt, bread crumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic.  Into a 350 degree oven and finished off under the broiler with a glaze of more ketchup and Worcestershire sauce on top.  The secret to meatloaf is to bake it on a flat sheet tray rather than one of those high-walled loaf pans that mom used back in the day, which essentially boiled the meatloaf in its own juices.  I put a twist on the mashed potatoes by adding chopped sauteed shrimp before finishing them off with half and half and a garnish of green onion for color.  This time I served everything on a platter family style; that isn't a single portion if you were wondering.  The ketchup/Worcestershire glaze really kicked up the meatloaf, but the kicker was the perfectly cooked, tender chunks of shrimp in the potatoes. 

Pork Chop with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Now that Summer is over, I thought I'd get in the spirit of the new season by serving up some Fall flavors.  This is a seared bone-in pork chop on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes.  I flavored the sweet potatoes with garlic (whole clove dropped in the pot to boil with the potatoes, then pulled out before mashing), butter, milk and maple syrup.  I finished it off with a pan sauce made of the drippings from the pork chops, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar.  The tangy acidity of the pan sauce was a perfect counterpoint to the savory pork and buttery sweet potatoes.  Can't wait for Thanksgiving!

Pork Belly Lettuce Cups

This one is a low-carb take on Korean-style lettuce wraps.  Pan fried some sliced pork belly and cut it into strips (using scissors, a Korean kitchen staple for those who don't know), then combined it with sauteed mushrooms and laid it into cups of butter lettuce leaves.  Topped it off with some sambal for color and heat.  The savoriness of the pork and mushrooms worked well together, and the kick from the sambal brought everything to life.