Snap Pea Shiitake Mushroom Tofu Stir Fry


When I threw together this snap pea, mushroom and tofu stir fry, I had in mind that warmer and lighter days were around the corner. I had visions of taking long walks through Central Park wearing light sweaters and my favorite pair of ballerina Crocs. But alas, we are expecting snow tomorrow. It's a bit of a cruel April Fool's Day joke that Mother Nature is playing on us, but hopefully it will be the last one for a while.

I Love Central Park, Winter, NYC


It is a rainy day with light snow today in New York, a nice Spring surprise. Today's sprinkling reminded me of how cold it was this winter, one of the coldest on record, and is the inspiration for today's post - pictures of Central Park following a big snow storm in January, 2011.

Tom Kha Gai Chicken Coconut Soup with Lemongrass


I've been monitoring the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake, and my heart weighs heavily for those enduring tragedy and uncertainty from that disaster. I've only been in one major earthquake in my life, Loma Prieta in 1989, which registered 6.9 on the Richter Scale. And while that was considered a big one for California, it is in orders of magnitude smaller than the one in Japan. In fact, because of the logarithmic measurement of the Richter Scale - meaning that the magnitude goes up exponentially - the 9.0 Japanese earthquake was roughly 900 times stronger than Loma Prieta. That's astounding considering that Loma Prieta was able to topple the upper deck of the Bay Bridge and ignite several fires throughout San Francisco. I can't imagine the damage nor the human tragedy that Japan must be sustaining at this time and my heart goes out to them. 

Roasted Marrow Bones with Lemon Parsley Shallots and Capers Sauce


Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco refers to bone marrow as butter of the Gods, and I can't agree more. Sumptuous, luscious and primal, having a rich dollop of fat dripping marrow slathered across a crusty charred piece of bread can be a lusty experience. So when I saw roasted bone marrow featured on Andrea's blog High / Low Food Drink, I simply could not wait to try this recipe. From start to finish, this recipe can be made under half an hour. The acidity of fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley and shallots serves as a bright contrast to the hedonistic spread, and is especially good against the humble canvas of a chewy crusty country bread. Thanks Andrea for sharing this recipe!

If you are in the New York area, you may find marrow bones at Dickson's Farm Stand at Chelsea Market, Hawthorne Valley Farms or at Grazin' Angus, both at the Union Square Farmer's Market.

Roasted Bone Marrow with Lemon Parsley Sauce
From New York Times via High/Low Food Drink 
Ingredients
  • 8 to 12 center-cut beef or veal marrow bones, 3 inches long, 3 to 4 pounds total
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons capers
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Coarse sea salt to taste
  • 4 1-inch thick slices of country bread
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put bones, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet or in ovenproof skillet. Cook until marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone, about 15 minutes. (Stop before marrow begins to drizzle out.)
  2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, shallots and capers in small bowl. Just before bones are ready, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle dressing over parsley mixture until leaves are just coated. Put roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with salt and top with parsley salad.
Serves 4.

Can't Stop Thinking About This Kale Waldorf Salad


When Deb from Kahakai Kitchen wrote about the surprising positive reception of a kale salad that she served at demonstration she hosted at her local Whole Foods, my curiosity piqued. Have I had kale raw before? Not to my recollection. The intimidation of the rough looking, pebbly, dinosaur scale exterior of the leaves suggested that I needed to cook it before I eat it. But a simple bite disproved my assumptions. When eaten raw, dinosaur kale leaves are surprisingly tender.