Genève’s Kitchen

I absolutely love summer rolls. If they’re on the menu, I will reliably order them. These light and fun to eat appetizers come in many varieties that often involve the following array of ingredients: shrimp, vermicelli rice noodles, some sort of vegetable, bean sprouts or lettuce, fresh mint or cilantro and my favorite part: the slightly chewy clear fresh rice paper roll that holds the tasty bundle together.

I keep things simple when I make these rolls but you are only limited by your imagination when it comes to creating your own favorite combinations of ingredients here. Adding thin strips of carrots or colorful purple cabbage would be lovely additions to these summer rolls and if you want to keep it veggies only that’s fine too!
Making these treats isn’t difficult but the assembly takes a little bit of effort. Rolling the rice paper roll is the only tricky part but the reward will definitely be worth it!
I’ve taken some cross-cultural liberties with my rendition of summer rolls – I hope that you’ll enjoy the exotic tastes and textures that this appetizer brings.

Shrimp Summer Rolls with Ginger Peanut Dipping Sauce

For the Summer rolls:

• 12 medium-large sized shrimp (figure about 3 shrimp per roll – adjust according to how many you want per person – I like to buy uncooked frozen deveined shrimp and I keep them in my freezer for whenever I need some – just defrost by placing frozen shrimp in a bowl of water for 20 minutes)
• 1 Package of Vietnamese spring roll wrappers – rice paper (if you have an asian market in your area that would be a good place to look for these – also check the aisle in the grocery store where you find imported goods too – the package that I use has a red rose on it which I think is a reputable brand – they are also called ‘Banh Trang’)
• 1 head iceberg lettuce – shredded (meaning after removing outer leaves and washing, cut in half and slice very thinly)
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chop about 1/4 C worth and set aside
• 1 small handful mint, chopped
• 1 lemon
• 6 pepper corns

Instructions:

1) Fill a medium pot 3/4 full of water and add a few slices of lemon (with rind), pepper corns, and a little bunch of cilantro (the 1/4 C of chopped cilantro will be for the inside of the rolls while the cilantro that is added to the water here is just to flavor the shrimp which we’ll poach in this mixture) – put cover on and turn to high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat so that the water is simmering (boiling means that the water is at a violent rolling bubble while a simmer is a little rumble – hopefully that makes sense). Add the shrimp at this point – if using previously frozen shrimp they should be defrosted before adding. They will only take a little while to cook – they will turn pink evenly on all sides – that’s how you’ll know that they’re ready. This takes a few minutes. By the way, this process of cooking shrimp in simmering water is called poaching – a very lean way to cook fish, chicken, etc. as there’s no oil or fat required.

2) Prepare the rest of the ingredients for assembling the rolls: chop the mint and cilantro, shred the lettuce, and prepare a shallow baking dish with warm-hot water for dipping the dry rice paper sheets. The rice paper, as you’ll discover, comes hardened and you’ll just need to dip it into very warm water for a few seconds to allow it to soften and become malleable. You’ll do this dipping step only when you’re ready to assemble the rolls and you’ll want to do each one individually. Also, you’ll want to make sure to remove the tails from the cooked shrimp too once they’re cool enough to handle.

3) When you’ve got the shrimp poached with tails removed and all of your ingredients ready to assemble then take a rice paper, dip it in the warm water until it’s softened enough to work with, place it on a plate, place three shrimp in a row along the bottom, add some iceberg lettuce on top and sprinkle some cilantro and mint on top too. Now for the rolling part, you basically want to wrap it as you would a burrito. There is more than one way to do this but to help guide you I found a great site that explains this very well. I promise, getting used to working with the rice paper and finding the best way to roll it is the only tricky part here. As you get used to rolling you’ll also find out the best way to layer ingredients so that they look nice through the translucent rice paper.

For the dipping sauce:

• 4-6 Tablespoon water (this is to thin out the sauce, I use 6 for a very runny sauce but if you prefer it a little thicker use less)
• 1/4 Cup Peanut butter (My favorite kind of peanut butter is the all natural kind so that’s what I used here – there’s no sugar added. If you use the kind of peanut butter that already has sugar added then go light on the brown sugar that I add later or maybe omit that ingredient all together – you’ll have to go by taste…)
• 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoon Tamari soy sauce, low sodium (use whatever kind of soy sauce that you have on hand)
• 2 Tablespoon Rice vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon freshly grated or finely chopped ginger (I got a microplane for Christmas and I LOVE to use it for grating ginger – you’ll find that the ginger blends into the sauce very easily when grated)
• 1 Teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Clove garlic finely chopped

Instructions:

1) I mix all the ingredients together – adding the water last so that I can control for the viscosity. As you’ll see, the peanut butter “melts” when you start stirring it with the soy sauce and other ingredients – stir very well until everything is combined.

This sauce is also great as a dressing for rice noodle salad, broccoli salad, or even along with with a stir fry….

This little soup recipe is a testament to the fact that sometimes the best things in life are indeed the simplest. My Aunt Susanne in Switzerland made a simple fennel soup for me when I was sick and it was such a comforting nutritious meal. (Apparently fennel is very soothing for one’s stomach.) I now make this soup quite frequently sometimes substituting the fennel for leeks. Either way you’ll be surprised at how only a few ingredients can make such a quick and delicious soup. When I make this soup I always plan on having leftovers so that I can freeze some for another time.In addition to being a fantastic soup served piping hot it is also fantastic served room temperature or slightly chilled on a hot summers day. A great accompaniment to this soup are some open-faced sandwiches. This makes a great appetizer too.

Leek Soup (or Fennel Soup)

4 Medium sized leeks (or 4 medium sized fennel bulbs)
Vegetable bouillion (follow package for the ratio of water/bouillion as the amounts can vary from one brand to another – I use Knorr vegetable bouillion cubes – and I actually use a little less than they recommend: 1 1/4 cube for 5C water)
5 C water
3 Garlic cloves – peeled
Salt/Pepper to taste

1) Chop and prepare the vegetables – if using leeks I like to chop them and then let them soak in a big bowl of water so that any sand or dirt will sink to the bottom. I usually chop these vegetables into ½ inch pieces. (If you’re unfamiliar with leeks or fennel I explain them in a recent post, California Roastin’.) I add the vegetables to a big pot filled with water, bouillion and the garlic. Bring it up to a boil with the lid on and then let it simmer with the lid off. Allow to simmer for about a half hour. When the veggies are soft (use a fork to test) then they are ready to be blended.

2) If you have an immersion blender this is a great time to use it. I don’t have one so I use a ladel and carefully fill a regular blender with as much of the soup as possible – being sure to leave several inches near the top so that you don’t risk any spillage once you start blending. You’ll want to blend this until you get a nice smooth consistency but not so smooth that it’s totally pureed mush. I think it adds a nice contrast to have some of the texture of the vegetable rather than have it be completely pureed.
You may find that you have to do this blending step in several stages if you can’t fit all the soup in the blender at once. You can use a big bowl to pour the already blended portion while you add the rest of the soup from the pot to the blender. Once you’ve blended all of the soup add it back into the original pot and heat it when ready to serve. If you want to serve it chilled then you can store it in a bowl in the fridge. Or, if you plan on saving some of the soup for a much later time, you can freeze it.

One of the main trends that I notice about my cooking is that I gravitate towards simple, easy, low maintenance dishes. Every now and then, however, I like to fiddle around in the kitchen and today I did just that. I’d seen many food challenges on the Food Network and I’d watched enough shows depicting pastry chefs to be intrigued by their craft. So, I visited my local Sur La Table and bought a pastry bag and tip and I couldn’t wait to try my hand at piping.

I decided to make meringues for my maiden attempt with the whole pastry bag thing. Once I came up with the idea of meringues, my mind began to wander. I thought of the lovely pavlovas that I’d seen Nigella Lawson create, and the wonderful one I recently enjoyed at Balthazar with my dear friend Karen in New York City. Then I had the epiphany to actually try my hand at making them myself. Pavlovas are a delicious contrast in textures and flavors. The three elements of a pavlova are 1) the meringue base, 2) the topping – usually fruit, and 3) the whipped cream. The meringue is crunchy, airy, light, and slightly chewy while the fruit is a little tart, and the whipped cream is sweet and rich in flavor. The beauty of pavlovas is that preparing each step is incredibly easy. The only thing that requires a bit more effort is the making of the meringue. And actually, come to think of it, you don’t need to pipe the meringue to make these pavlovas. I’m just doing it here as an excuse to try out my new purchase.

This is one of those desserts that generates a “wow” from people because it looks so impressive. The secret, as you’ll see, is that it only takes a little effort.

Mini Pavlovas with Stewed Berries (Meringue with Stewed Berries and Whipped Cream)

For the meringues I looked at my old Fanny Farmer cookbook and used this as a starting point. I then took a few liberties. The first is to add a 1/4 teaspoon of white wine vinegar to the meringue mixture. I know that sounds totally bizarre, but Nigella recommends that white wine vinegar makes these meringues more chewy, which is a quality that I very much like in my meringues.

Another little tip: if you rub the inside of the bowl you use to beat the egg whites with a lemon slice, it will make for more fluffy meringues. The logic there is that egg whites are incredibly sensitive and if there is any fatty residue in the bowl–even though it may appear clean–it could prevent the egg whites from acheiving maximum fluffiness, which is what we’re looking for here. I know this all sounds bizarre but the egg whites are the only temperamental part of the recipe, I promise!

Meringues
2 egg whites
8 Tablespoons superfine sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1/4 Teaspoon white wine vinegar
I pinch of salt

This will make about four 4-5 inch mini meringues. If you want you can make smaller bite-sized ones instead.

1) Beat the egg whites adding the sugar a tablespoon at a time and once all combined add in the vanilla and vinegar. Beat until mixture forms firm peaks. Use an electric mixer here…

2) No pastry bag: on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper put a dollop of the meringue that is about 4-5 inches in diameter. With your fingers or the back of a spoon make a little well in the middle.

With pastry bag: I used a 21 inch bag with a 865 tip but so long as you use a relatively large tip it doesn’t really matter exactly which one you use. You’ll want to begin by fitting the tip into the bottom of the bag – you might need to cut the bottom of the bag to allow the tip to fit. Then fold down the top of the bag so that you can fill the bag with the meringue mixture. Once you’ve got all of the mixture into the bag pull up the part of the bag that you’d originally folded down and twist it closed. The idea is to work the bag by holding it at the top and squeezing down. (You can experiment with it by piping on a plate or clean counter and then just put the meringue back into the bag again.) I made round spiral disks and then went around the perimeter once to create a rim – essentially making a little bowl for the whipped cream and berries. (I was only going to be making two pavlovas so with the rest of the mixture I just made meringue “kisses” which are just little blobs that I piped from the bag but they look pretty since I was using a star tip.)
3) Next you’ll bake these in 250F oven for 1 hour and then turn off the oven but do not open it for 3 hours. Actually the Fanny Farmer book said to leave them in there for 6 hours but I didn’t leave myself enough time to do that so I took them out after 3 and they were delish. The only thing that was strange was that they weren’t white – they were a lovely soft caramel color and they tasted slightly caramel-like. I don’t know if baking them for less time would resolve this? Any thoughts/suggestions welcome!

Stewed Berries

1) I keep frozen berries in my freezer – they work great for these stewed berries and they are very convenient to have on hand for an easy, quick dessert or to add to smoothies etc.

I add the berries to a pot (factoring about a 1/4 cup of berries per person), add a few tablespoons of water so that the bottom of the pan isn’t dry and a tablespoon of sugar, and put it over medium heat until it starts to boil at which point I turn the heat to low and just let it simmer away for about 5 minutes.

Whipped Cream

1) Put about a 1/2 Cup of heavy whipping cream into a bowl and using a beater mix until it starts to thicken. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of sugar and mix until it forms peaks and is stiff.

Assembling the Pavlova: With the meringue base on your desired serving plate add a dollup of whipped cream, then spoon over the berry mixture (I sometimes like to add some fresh uncooked berries here if I happen to have some on hand), and then add another little dollup of whipped cream on top to finish or dust with some confectioners sugar.

Enjoy!

I’m not sure if I got my inspiration from Cafe Gitane’s delicious couscous dish or if the idea just popped into my head once when I found myself with lots of leftover roasted vegetables but either way I ended up with one great couscous salad! I get really excited to make roasted vegetables because I inevitably make too much and have lots of leftovers. The lovely nature of roasted vegetables is that not only are they fabulous fresh out of the oven but they hold up nicely for other appearances in the week. One such reincarnation is my couscous salad. I use the roasted winter vegetables that I told you about in my last post, California Roastin’, and I chop them up into smaller pieces, add them to some freshly made fluffy couscous, and then add spices, sultanas, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil. You could add some grilled chicken too and make it a meal-in-one! This is a quick, easy, and yummy fix.

Curried Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

Left over roasted winter vegetables (anything from 1-3 cups)
1 Cup couscous
1 handful sultanas (white raisins)
1 handful toasted pine nuts
1/4 C lemon juice (1 to 1 1/2 lemons – this will vary a little depending on how juicy your lemons are)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Teaspoon curry
1/2 Teasponn cumin
1/2 Teaspoon dried coriander
Sea salt/pepper to taste

Some other additions that are really good: grilled chicken or grape tomatoes….
1) Prepare couscous according to package directions – and allow some time for it to cool a little before assembling the salad. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous.
2) In a dry pan add the handful of pine nuts and over medium heat allow them to toast – keep an eye on them as this happens really quickly! When they are golden brown remove from heat – they’re done!
3) Chop the leftover roasted vegetables and add to a medium-sized bowl, add the couscous, curry, cumin, coriander, olive oil, lemon juice, pine nuts, and anything else such as grilled chicken or grape tomatoes. Taste the salad to see if it requires any additional salt/pepper. I recommend tasting because the roasted vegetables will already have been seasoned with some salt and pepper and you won’t want to over-do it!
Enjoy!

Looking back over this past winter I realize that I never made a lot of my favorite winter meals. Having only moved to Santa Monica, CA last October I went from summer to more summer and completely by-passed the cold winter weather I’d grown accustomed to over my 27 years. There were occasional cool rainy days where I’d scrape together a cozy soup but it wasn’t quite the same as enjoying it when coming in from a blustery New England winter day. Now don’t get me wrong here, I quite enjoy my new environment. In fact, I definitely feel spoiled to have all of this lovely sunshine year-round but there is a little part of me that has also grown to love those days where you come in from the cold feeling like you’ve earned a cup of cocoa or warm hearty meal.

One of my favorite dishes, which is super simple, is roasted winter vegetables. I shouldn’t even call them ‘winter’ vegetables because a lot of these are now available all year long and you can mix and match your favorites once you get the method down.
My favorite combination involves: sweet potatoes, parsnips, leeks, fennel, Yukon gold potatoes, garlic cloves, and cremini mushrooms (baby portabellas). I just chop all of these vegetables into about equal size pieces for uniform cooking (except for the garlic which I just smash with the side of a knife to remove the paper skin) and I place them on a baking sheet. I then sprinkle with coarse sea salt, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and mix together with my hands until all the veggies are coated in the oil and salt. They then head into a 425F oven for about 30-40 minutes until they are golden and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside (you can test how soft they are by poking with a fork). These roasted veggies are so delicious and work beautifully with just about anything. I also have a great couscous salad that I like to make with the leftovers so stay tuned….

Roasted Winter Vegetables

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes (keep peels on)
2 med Yukon gold potatoes (keep peels on)
1 leek
1 fennel bulb
4-5 cloves garlic
2-3 handfuls cremini mushrooms (cremini’s are baby portabella mushrooms, you can also use 2-3 chopped portabellas here)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

*Dried herbs optional

1) Chop all the veggies to about equal size – I usually cut into about 1 inch pieces. Since leeks are delicate and cook quickly I’ll leave them a little larger – same with the mushrooms. For the garlic – leave them whole and just peel them – they’ll get lovely and soft from roasting. If you have a wide 8” chef’s knife – use the side to whack the garlic and the peel will come right off. (This is so satisfying to do!)

2) Once all the veggies are chopped just put them on a baking sheet and sprinkle about a tablespoon of sea salt over the veggies – I never measure here. You can then drizzle with olive oil – again, I never measure but I’d say a few tablespoons should do the trick. You don’t want lots of olive oil – just enough to lightly coat all the veggies so they get the flavor and also so they don’t stick to the baking sheet. Use your hands to mix everything together…

3) Put the baking sheet of veggies into a 425F oven for about 30-40 minutes – half-way through I usually take them out to give them a little shake and flip with a spatula. I’ve noticed that ovens can vary a lot so after about 20-30 minutes keep an eye on them the first time you make them to learn just how long it takes to get the veggies just right. You’ll know when they are ready because they’ll have crispy golden edges but inside they’ll be soft and delicate. To check for softness use a fork and poke one of the thickest vegetables – if the fork goes in easily they are ready!

A quick word on the vegetables:

This is a fun method for cooking lots of different and interesting vegetables so definitely get creative here!

Parsnips, if you’re not familiar with them, look like carrots but they are white. Their flavor is slightly spicy and fragrant – it’s very unique – you have to try ‘em! I just prepare them as I would carrots – peel them and chop!

Fennel is a white looking bulb with long green fronds attached that look like dill. Fennel has a fantastic licorice flavor that mellows when roasted. I love to enjoy fennel uncooked as well – it’s great in salads. To prepare fennel you’ll only use the bulb so chop off all of the fronds from the base of the bulb. (You can save the fronds for garnishing.) You’ll also want to chop off the bottom of the bulb and remove the outer-most pieces of the bulb. Chop in half, remove the tough core, and slice to your desired size and shape.

Leeks look like huge over-sized green onions with much tougher green tops. They have a very gentle onion flavor and are fantastic roasted. Sometimes I’ll roast just a few leeks and sprinkle them over salad with some goat cheese – really yummy! To prepare leeks you’ll want to chop off the dark green tops – you’re only going to eat the white and really light green parts – the rest is very tough. You’ll also want to chop off the little roots at the bottom of the leeks. At this point you can either chop the leeks into 2 inch disks or you can cut them lenth-wise and then chop them into your desired size. Either way though you’ll want to soak them or run them under water to make sure that all the grit and dirt is removed. Because these grow in loose soil they almost always have dirt hidden in their layers. One method I’ve seen used is to chop them as you’ll want to use them and then just put them in a big bowl full of water to soak for a few minutes – shake them around a little with your hand and the dirt will sink to the bottom.

Cremini mushrooms are just baby portabellas. Either portabellas or creminis can be used here. I’d recommend cutting them a little larger than the size of the potatoes just because they will cook faster. Also, make sure that you do not wash or soak mushrooms! They will soak up tons of water and make for some soggy roasted veggies. To prepare mushrooms you’ll just need a damp kitchen towel and then you just gently brush off any dirt that way…

I’ve been calling spaghetti, “psghetti” ever since my little brother coined the term back when he was 3 (he’s now 20). This spaghetti sauce recipe is a reliable, comforting meal that most people make from a jar but the secret is that it’s so easy to make from scratch and infinitely better tasting. I actually make a version of spaghetti sauce that was inspired by my friend Heather’s parents. I was up at their beautiful house in Kennebunkport, ME one summer and her Dad made the most amazing meatballs while her Mom created a delicious tomato sauce to accompany them. I still salivate when I recall that meal!

My adaptation is a spaghetti bolognese sauce with cremini mushrooms (a.k.a. baby portabellas). I use equal parts sweet italian sausage and lean ground beef for the meat component of the sauce and add delicious cremini mushrooms. I then add fire roasted crushed tomatoes which give a great depth of flavor compared to regular crushed tomatoes – it’s my latest favorite food discovery.

This recipe makes a huge pot of sauce. I love that I end up with several extra meals that I can store in the freezer. An easy way to store this sauce is in zip-lock bags. I wait until the sauce cools a little bit and I fill several portions worth of the sauce into zip-lock freezer bags. I label them and stash them away for a quick and easy meal.

Spaghetti Bolognese

2/3 Lb. Sweet Italian Sausage (remove from casings if you buy them already in links)
2/3 Lb. Lean Ground Beef (93% lean)
2 28 oz. cans of crushed fire roasted tomatoes
2-3 handfuls of cremini mushrooms or 1 pint, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
A few glugs of the red wine that you’ll be enjoying with dinner (optional)
2 pinches of red pepper flakes
2 pinches of dried oregano
sea salt/pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil
Spaghetti

1) In a large pot over medium heat add a few glugs of olive oil (about a few tablespoons if you require more precise measurements) – after a few moments add the chopped onion and garlic. When the onion begins to look translucent and shiny add the meat and mushrooms. Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the mushrooms. Cook until the meat no longer looks raw.

FYI: The italian sausage usually comes in individual casings so I either squeeze out the meat from the casing or you can cut open each casing to remove the meat before adding it to the pot.

2) Add the pinch of red pepper flakes, oregano, tomato paste and stir. Then add the crushed tomatoes and red wine. Add salt and pepper to taste – definitely err on the side of caution here – you can always add more salt but you can’t take it out…. It’s important to taste the sause to get the seasoning just right.

3) Once the sauce comes to a boil bring down the heat and let it slowly bubble away without a lid and the flavors will intensify. I usually let it simmer for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. You can let it go even longer though. In fact if you’re serving this for a party you can prepare it ahead of time and warm it up again right before you’re ready to eat.

4) Boil water for the pasta. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to the water right before you add the spaghetti. Cook pasta according to package directions – I usually start checking it after about 7 minutes to make sure I get perfectly al dente pasta. (Al dente means that it has a little “bite” to it – no soggy pasta here!)

5) Right before you’re ready to serve tear by hand or chop several handfulls of fresh basil and stir into the hot sauce.
Enjoy with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano!

Last Friday I went to my little local Italian Deli and Market with our friend, Ana, who was staying the weekend. We went in to buy some of their delicious Italian bread which they make fresh every 30 minutes. As I was telling Ana how delicious the bread is the guy who works there came up to us and asked if we were looking for burrata. “Burrata?” We looked at him with puzzled expressions. Apparently the Times had run an article about this little Deli and mentioned the delicious fresh bread and burrata cheese they carried so he assumed we were among the many people who had seen the article and come looking for these sought-after items.
Well, now we were intrigued. Burrata, he told us, is a cow’s milk cheese akin to fresh mozzarella but more delicate in texture and flavor. We decided to give this burrata stuff a try.

We prepared crostini which are just slices of fresh bread or baguette in the oven at 350F until slightly toasted and crisp – I sprinkled a little olive oil on the bread prior to placing in the oven but that is optional. Then we put a little fresh basil leaf on each crostini and topped that with a slice of burrata (I use the word ‘slice’ liberally here – since the texture of the burrata is so delicate you kind of just scoop it with a knife). We sprinkled sea salt and freshly cracked pepper on top and then finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The crisp texture of the crostini was the perfect compliment to the creamy soft burrata cheese. This simple appetizer embodies what I think of Italian cooking. Each of the few simple ingredients are discernable and contribute to the overall impression: sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, fresh basil, spicy extra virgin olive oil, crisp toasted bread, and of course the creamy soft burrata. This was so unbelievably easy to assemble and yet it makes a sophisticated statement in presentation and taste.

This cheese makes a fantastic appetizer whether you make these simple crostini or whether you improvise with your own ingredients. A few suggestions include making caprese crostini which would just be these toasts with basil, burrata, and fresh slices of tomato and then seasoned similarly with sea salt, cracked pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. I also tried making a sweet version where I toasted a hearty piece of multi-grain bread, added a little burrata and then drizzled honey on top. I placed a few walnut halves on top to finish – delish! Another simple combination would be balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.

A note on the burrata cheese – a little goes a long way so don’t go too top heavy with the cheese on the crostini. This bodes well if you’re planning on serving these crostini for a cocktail party as you’ll be able to make a lot! Also, the guy at the store said that burrata doesn’t have a long shelf-life so it will spoil quickly – thus plan on buying it when you’ll use it. And lastly, if you can’t find burrata, a soft fresh mozzarella will work and be delicious too.

Another note I want to make as a testament to how yummy these appetizers are is that I was able to sample them on my dear friend Grace and her lovely sister Caroline to rave reviews (and they tell it like it is).

Burrata Crostini with Fresh Basil

(Here are the ingredients you’ll need, see above for instruction)

Fresh baguette, sliced
Burrata cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh basil leaves
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

I was having some technical issues with the previous host of my site so Kareem has helped me convert to new blogging software. I don’t know if I’m using the proper tech terminology here but basically that is what accounts for the new look of “Geneve’s Kitchen.”
Thanks for the help Kareem! What can I cook for you as a ‘thank you’?

It won’t take a lot to persuade people to try this tasty refreshing salad. Asian slaw is versatile enough to sit comfortably on a picnic table at a barbeque but not so modest that it can’t also be a sophisticated side dish to accompany an elegant show-stopping dinner. The beauty of this coleslaw is that it is no relation to the mayonnaise-laden coleslaw you may be used to. Instead, it is infused with exotic asian flavors of cilantro, ginger, and sesame oil. It’s healthy, colorful, and festive. This makes a big salad, so it’s a great dish to bring to a pot-luck.

Asian Slaw

4 Cups finely shredded cabbage (I buy the smallest head of purple cabbage and the smallest head of regular green cabbage that I can find and then to get the “shredded” effect that this recipe calls for you just remove the outer most leaves and rinse the cabbage, then cut the entire head in half and finely chop it lengthwise- you’ll end up with long strips of cabbage – I do equal parts of the purple to green – don’t worry about being too precise here)

1 Small sweet red pepper sliced into thin strips lengthwise
2 Medium carrots grated
4 Green onions chopped
1/4 Cup Chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 Cup peanuts

For the dressing:

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
3 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 Teaspoons Sesame oil
2 Teaspoons minced fresh ginger root – get about a 2 inch nob of ginger from the store (I suggest grating the ginger with a really fine grater or microplane if you’ve got one)
1 Teaspoon soy sauce
1 Teaspoon granulated sugar
1 clove of minced garlic

Mix the dressing and add it to the previously prepared vegetables – you’ll need a large bowl for this! Also, a great way to use up the left-over cabbage is to chop some more the next day and add it to the remaining salad if there is any. This salad is great the next day as the flavors have had a chance to meld together and you’ll find that the extra dressing will have drawn out some of the moisture in the veggies. Adding more cabbage will freshen up the salad and you won’t even need to add more dressing!

I don’t identify a specific type of fish for this recipe because I’ve found that it’s good practice to go to the fishmonger with a tabula rasa. It definitely helps to have an idea of what you’re looking for – for instance white flaky fish vs. a moist salmon. But the reason that I suggest keeping an open mind is that freshness is really the key with fish (and I should also add that it helps when it’s not ridiculously overpriced too). Thus I find that perusing the case of fish and learning what the newest catch is (and taking note of the price as well) will help you make the best purchase.

What this recipe needs is a white flaky fish filet that will hold together when being cooked in a pan so you don’t want something too delicate. Cod works perfectly as does haddock and snapper.

I first tried this recipe with my Mom and my neighbor Carol using only parmesan cheese. I’ve tried it here adding some plain breadcrumbs and I like the crisp texture that they add. I think that you’ll enjoy the simplicity of this recipe and the fact that the ingredient list is short and sweet!

Parmesan Encrusted Filet of Fish with Mixed Greens

1 Cup grated parmesan (the pre-grated kind actually works better here than freshly grated because it tends to be drier and crumblier)

1 Cup plain bread crumbs (I use Japanese-style Panko bread crumbs – they are larger than the traditional kind – it makes for a flakier, crispier coating on the fish. Also, I prefer plain so as not to overpower the flavor of the parmesan cheese)

1 egg

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Fresh filet of fish – (no skin)

Olive oil for the pan (a few tablespoons)

I usually figure a ¼ pound per person but should you prefer larger portions you can adjust accordingly. The above measurements are for making enough servings for 4 people. The amount of breadcrumbs and parmesan is for dredging the fish in so if you require more/less just go ahead and add accordingly. It doesn’t need to be too precise – I just find that equal parts of the parmesan and bread crumbs offer the best flavor-to-crisp ratio.

You’ll want to prepare 2 shallow dishes and a plate to rest the fish on once they’ve been prepared. In one shallow dish break and whisk the two eggs, in the other shallow dish prepare the equal parts parmesan and bread crumbs and mix so they are blended.

The filets should be cut into equal pieces and seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides.

Now one by one, dunk the filets in the egg making sure to completely coat the fish (this will be what binds the parmesan and bread crumbs to the fish) and then make sure to let the excess drip off before dunking (or dredging) into the parmesan breadcrumb mixture. Again be sure to coat entire filet and let any excess fall off.
(This is really fun to do!)

Start to heat some olive oil in a non-stick skillet (med-high heat). You’ll know the pan is ready for the filets when it sizzles when you sprinkle a few drops of water in it. Add the filets (if there is a lot of “spitting” from the olive oil or the sizzle seems to be too fierce just turn down the heat to med).

You’ll know that the fish is ready to flip over when it turns a lovely golden color. The second side always takes less time to cook than the first so keep an eye on it. Depending on the thickness of the fish the filets may need some time in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking – about 5-8 minutes and be sure to cover with foil so that the oven doesn’t dry-out the fish. (You’ll know the filets are cooked through when a fork will slide easily through or if it flakes easily.) Or if the filets are relatively thin and cooked through after the second side turns golden then simply turn off the heat and place aluminum foil to cover the fish until you’re ready to serve.

I serve this fish with a lemon wedge and a verdant heap of mixed greens dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette.

Here is my simple recipe for lemon vinaigrette:

1 1/4 Tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed, of course)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
6 turns of a pepper mill for freshly cracked pepper
1 teaspoon honey

This will satisfy a large bowl of greens…