Brie Stuffed Farro Arancini with Truffle Oil

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Admit it my peaches; you, like me, have a cupboard full of random foodstuffs, a fridge crammed with leftover bits of who-knows-what-all and an astonishing assortment of condiments.

All that and a full bar, that, alas, consists more of things like creme de menthe and blackberry schnapps, than the Scotch and hand-crafted Caribbean rum you would prefer. (Okay, maybe that is just me. Me, the girl who is in need of a drink, and yet only has some postively methuselean lemoncello chilling in the freezer. Sigh.)

And while my pantry may (may I say, just may) have a wider and (possibly) more upscale assortment of choices than the average home, (due to compulsive grocery shopping and a slew of friends who work in the culinary arts) I still have to do something with all of it, and you should too! Waste not, want not, and all that, right?

But what do you do with all those bits and bits?

Simple really. Just takes a lightning bolt of adult style imagination, a stout heart, and an affinity towards fried foods, and...voila! Cocktail snacks!

It's just perfect really...because as we all know (okay, those of us who work) after a long hard day earning your tosheroons, we sometimes don't delight in heading towards a hot stove. (Not Hot!) So this is the ideal solution. A lil' nibble, ready in seconds (that is, if you go ahead and freeze them after making them in advance and whatall) made from what is on hand...and this particular mix is pretty over-the-top.

I had some leftover, nutty farro, (an ancient wheat, that seems a bit barley-like to me), woodsy dried morels, some rich brie cheese and a tiny bottle of earthy truffle oil. Together, they made my head swim...and the Ombudsman ate so many, he spoiled his appetite. Silly Ombudsman, spoilt his appetite.

Keeping in mind, this is what I had on hand, you can make variations, and variations, and then a few more variations, as long as the underlying technique stays in tact.

And what is that technique? Well, you just have to follow the recipe and see!

So try this my peaches, then pour yourself a drink, and enjoy!


2 cups cooked and cooled farro
3 eggs
.5 oz dried morel mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water, then minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup flour
Brie or fontina cheese, or both
Bread crumbs
Oil for frying
White truffle oil for garnish

In a large bowl, combine the farro and one of the eggs. Mix. Add in the thyme, mushrooms and a hearty amount of black pepper and salt. Mix to combine. Add a bit of the flour and then gather a small handful of the mixture into your hand. Squeeze and see if it holds together. If it doesn't, add more flour, if it does, stop where you are.

Now this bit takes some lets-all-play-along logic, since I'm not entirely sure I can explain it...

Set out a sheet pan, a bowl of water, a bowl with the remaining two eggs which have been slightly stirred, and a bowl with some of the bread crumbs.

Dip your hand into the water, then gather and form some of the farro in the well of your hand. Add a small pinch of cheese to the center of the farro. Close your hand around it, and seal in the cheese. Dip the now round ball of farro into the eggs, then the bread crumbs to coat. Place on the sheet pan and continue until you are out of farro. At this point you can freeze the farro or shallow fry it and serve with a drizzle of truffle oil.


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Farro is a grain that is the ancestor of modern wheat, you can substitute arborio rice

Have you seen this post on Acme Instant Food? Hilarious!

Federal health officials are allowing Chinese shrimp producers to resume shipping to the US. The FDA put the restrictions in place after repeated tests showed farmed seafood had been contaminated with drugs the agency has not approved. The FDA made the exemption after inspecting processing plants. It also received third-party analyses of five consecutive shipments of shrimp that showed them to be free of any contamination. - AP

Turkish Spinach Crescents AKA Pida

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Color me giddy.

I'm multi-tasking!

How so?

Well, I am sitting on my sofa, writing this post and carefully savoring the spinach crescents you see pictured. (Carefully because crumbs are not happy making...)

There are two things of note in that sentence. Well, three if you count the sublimely tasty snack food...

The first is that I mentioned my new sofa. Yup. It's so purdy. I love it. The Rock Goddess says it's not comfortable though. Then again, that came from a woman who just bought (-warning, image is a bit racy -) this...now really kids, does that look comfy? Hot, yes, but not really what one would call lounge-wear. So, I rest my case. She doesn't get the comfy concept. Then again, she is a Rock Goddess, and I am simply a girl with a blog...but I digress...

The second, and really, much more important (at least to me) fact in that statement I started with is that which allows me to be in this location...I got a laptop! Welcome to the digital age, Rachael!

Yea me! It was a bold choice, lemme tell ya, but I felt I really had to take that leap into the present and...voila, here I am! Thanks for coming along!

So now, for your reading pleasure, I will be able to post from all sorts of exotic locales...The Coffee Bean! T-Mobile Hot Spots! Hotels! The list goes on. I can't wait to explore it.

And what will I treat myself to as I lounge poolside, blogging? Well, Turkish Spinach Crescents of course!

I first had these courtesy of my beloved friend The Chemist's mother. She is Turkish, and made them, and then promised to teach me how to make them. And then moved away. Sigh. Leaving me to fend for myself. It took some time, but I feel confident with the results. Supremely confident. Downright smug really. They are that good.

The secret, I learned, is sumac. Its a snazzy, sour, spice. I really dig it and find it gives just the right sass to this simple, fab, delight.

This is a recipe that is going to seem extreme. It's a bit time consuming, and includes an ingredient you may have to source at a Middle Eastern market. But that all said, it's pretty dang fine, and worth the effort. Then again, you can really skip making the dough and just buy some of the pre-made product too. I'm just saying...

So try this my peaches, and enjoy!

4 tablespoons yeast
¼ teaspoon sugar
½ cup water
4 cups flour (bread flour if you can find it)
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup lukewarm water

4 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced fine
1 tablespoon sumac or the juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper to taste


Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water, and let that stand in a warm place for 10 minutes until it is nice and frothy.

Stir in the 1/2 cup of flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes in that same warm place.

To finish the dough, put the 3 1/2 cups of flour in a large bowl, and make a well in the center.

Put in the yeast-and-sugar mixture, salt, olive oil, and 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water.

Gradually work in the flour to make a soft and sticky dough.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 15 minutes.

The dough will be very sticky at first, but as you knead, it will gradually cease to stick to your hands.

You should have a damp and very springy dough that offers no resistance to kneading.

Put the dough in a oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for an hour.

(You can refrigerate or freeze the dough at this point until you're ready to use it.)

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a log.

Cut into 8 equal pieces, and roll each one into a golf-ball sized bit.

Place the dough balls on a lightly floured surface, and leave them to rest for 30 minutes under a tea towel.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, and if you have them, heat tiles 30-40 minutes before baking.

Roll one ball of dough on a floured surface into a circle 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick and 4 inches in diameter.

Add a bit of the filling in a straight line across the center. (As if you were making an equator with it.) But leave a gap on each edge.

Roll the dough up and then pinch the ends together to create crescents.

Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and perhaps a light dusting of Parmesan cheese.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes..

Serve hot.

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Sumac is a tart and sour spice, with slightly astringent overtones, that is very popular condiment in Turkey and Iran. Uni-Graz.At

The uber sensational Treva strikes again! Scandal! (For the record, not only do I adore her beyond words, but we also happen to be related, ergo my enthusiasm on this subject...)

I can't stop laughing at this commercial from Carl's Jr. I wish it was my ring-tone...

Blue Cheese and Walnut Cole Slaw

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If for some random reason, I were writing an essay on how I spent my summer vacation, the thesis statement would simply have to include words like "dazzling," "marvelous," and "indulgent."

I would rhapsodize about the picnics, road trips, afternoons spent at the beach, decadent, balmy cocktail-fueled nights and a life-time supply of cheek-aching laughter. If it were being graded, my essay would rock an A. (With a note to tone down the hyperbole, I'm sure.)

But I'm not a school-girl any longer, being asked to summarize three months of my girly-exploits on two, single-spaced pages. And you, my darlings, are here for the food. Thus, I will spare you (most of) my revelry.

But there were culinary highlights, lots of them! And this recipe rings in at number one. Ding-a-ling!

It first appeared in my rotation at a backyard fiesta, and was declared an instant classic by all present. Reappearances (on demand) included a riotous night at the Hollywood Bowl; an engagement party so far away, that as I wound my way further and further up in to the hills, I feared I was about to emerge one state over; and then at a few other, assorted parties. All in all, it made the rounds, charmed the pants off of a wide array of partiers, and has solidified its spot in my pantheon of recipe perfection.

And I didn't even come up with it. How's that for humbling. I did make a few, minor adjustments, but overall, I must give credit where credit is due. This recipe originated with my personal guardian angels, Melanie and Taji of Simple Gourmet. Two women who make food, fantastic. Gosh I lurve them.

But enough about that...let's talk about how simple, and gourmet this cabbage-creation really is. 5 minutes of work, and wham-bam, culinary delights ready for consumption.

Try this, my peaches, and enjoy!

1 head of napa or savoy cabbage, shredded
1 small shallot, sliced super thin
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (or use candied pecans. Yum)
1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Chives for garnish

Combine the mayo, sugar and vinegar. Season generously with pepper and just a touch of salt (the blue cheese is salty, so you will want to adjust that after it is added.)

Pour half of this mixture over the shredded cabbage and shallots. Toss to coat. Taste the coated cabbage and adjust the seasonings in the remaining mayo. Does it need more sugar? Vinegar? Is it too thick? (If so add a few drops of water) So adjust, and add the rest to the cabbage. Add the walnuts and blue cheese. Gently incorporate. Let rest for at least 15 minutes. Taste, add salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with chives and serve.

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I read the book, Into The Wild, and honestly, it made me mad. Now, a dear (and sensationally glam) friend is in the film, and well, I hope you will all go check it out. I'm going to.

Researchers at the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tennessee State University tested dilute vinegar against plain water and a commercial product called Veggie Wash that they purchased at a grocery store, to clean produce. "We really did not really find the veggie washes effective or necessary," says Sandria Godwin, who oversaw the project. Godwin says they do get rid of most bacteria, but her team of researchers found that water works just as well. They found that water can remove 98 percent of bacteria when it's used to rinse and soak produce. -NPR.org

Are you in LA and looking for roaming snack carts? Check online to find out where renegade bakers, Treat Street will show up next. They come, they push sugar, and bam, they are gone again. Hot fun in the city.

Checking In!

Poor, poor neglected blog. I wanted to stop by and check in quickly to state the obvious - I haven't been blogging lately. Nothing big going on, just a newly busy schedule and less time.

I recently started a new job at a local college where I am working in the library as a technician. Going from an elementary school environment to university setting has been quite a change - it's SOOO quiet. Definitely a good thing most of the time, but sometimes I miss the hustle and bustle of a school setting. The best part about my job though is that I'm done no later than 3:00 (and 2 days a week I'm done by 1:00 or 2:00!) and I have summers off which works very well for my boys' schedules.

Speaking of which, school has started which means a lot of running around for band, football and other activities. I miss summer and its lack of routine and lack of schedules already!

On top of all of that, I'm trying very hard to get back into my workout routine. I suddenly realized that it has been TWO YEARS since I've worked out on a regular basis!

Bottom line - I need to concentrate on getting myself into a regular routine and blogging just doesn't fit in right now. Once I can trust myself that I'm sticking to the workout routine and have a handle on the rest, I hope to come back. As much as I enjoy blogging, I have to admit it's nice - especially on really busy nights - to simply sit down and eat instead of messing with photos!

Hope to be back soon...............................

Indian-Spiced Seared Tuna

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Greetings and salutations my fine friends!

D'ja miss me?

Yea, I missed you too.

The summer is flying by, with good times being had all around. Busy stuff indeed.

Met a macrobiotic rock star (who is weirdly related to my teenaged crush.) who changed my world for about 30 seconds with his guru-esque ways. Went to the Aquarium. Got a sunburn (ouch.) Wished I could somehow know in advance where Britney Spears is gonna be so I can avoid her. (The papparazzi crush around that poor child is surreal. And annoying. Especially when you are in the car behind her. Im just saying.) And generally hung out, maxin' and relaxin' as I'm prone to do.

But I'm back for a bit just to say hi-how-do-ya-do and share a recipe I am just wild over.

It's a real interesting combo of intense flavors and vivid psychedelic colors. Perfect for a light summer meal, or just when you want to rebel against the macrobiotics in general.

Try it my peaches, and enjoy!

4, 4 oz. tuna tuna steaks
2 chiles, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 T. grated fresh ginger
1 T. tumeric
1 T. garam masala
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro
Salt

Puree the chiles, garlic, onion, ginger, tumeric, garam masala, lemon juice and cilantro in a food processor and puree. Add some salt. Puree again.

Cut the fish into large chunks. (Mmm. Chunks.) Coat the fish with the puree and let sit for 10 minutes at room temp.

Heat your grill or grill pan.

Sear the tuna for about a minute per side (more if you want it anything past rare...)

Slice and serve with basmati rice.

Makes four servings.

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Check out this awesome, random article on my darling Treva. She sure makes a kid laugh...

Marcobiotic: A very restrictive diet, containing mainly whole grains, considered by its advocates to promote health - Health.net

Garam Masala: Literally 'hot mixture'. This refers to a blend of spices much loved in Northern Indian cookery - Geocities

The company that makes Wonder Bread, the white bread with red, yellow and blue balloons on the wrapper said Tuesday that it was closing its Southland bakeries and laying off 1,300 workers. But junk-food lovers can take heart: The company locally will still make Hostess Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and other snacks. - LA Times