Chocolate Bundt Cake

As of today, I am officially 9 months pregnant! WOW! Time has flown by, and I can't believe our baby is almost here!

March is a big month for me; it is my birthday, Seamus's birthday, and Jamila's birthday month! We usually celebrate all month together, but this year we have all been extremely busy, so while we have celebrated individually, we haven't partied together as much as usual.

Today happens to be Easter and it also happens to be the first day of April. As such, Seamus and I are heading over to Ed and Jamila's house for a feat of Black Cod and Janneson's Temptation. And to finish the meal, I am bringing over the Williams family birthday tradition of chocolate bundt cake!

I am not certain where the recipe comes from (other than my mom), so I don't have a citation for this recipe. All I know is that it tastes like a birthday to me!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Directions

1. Combine until blended, and set aside: 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup buttermilk.

2. Now, beat until soft: 1/2 cup butter. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar. Beat in 2 eggs and the cocoa mixture.

3. Sift two cups of flour with one teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. Add the flour mixture gradually to the butter mixture, alternately with 1/2 cup of buttermilk and one teaspoon vanilla.

4. Bake the cake in a 9 inch bundt cake pan for about an hour at 350 degrees.

Black Cod with Honey and Dill with Rice Vermicelli

Rasika was one of our absolute favorite restaurants in Washington DC. We would go there with our friends whenever we had a special occasion, and all would go ga-ga over Rasika's flash-fried spinach dish. When I saw that Rasika was coming out with their first cookbook this year, I knew I had to get it for Seamus for Christmas.

As you know from following this blog, Seamus is an adventurous cook. After perusing the Rasika cookbook, he found this Black Cod dish with cheddar cheese in the marinade (wah?!), and decided he wanted it to be the first try from his new cook book! We are lucky to live in Seattle where we can get great fresh fish, so we went to Mutual Fish and found some gorgeous black cod for this recipe.

Now that I am in my last week of my second trimester, I am enjoying Seamus's cooking more than ever; I hope nothing changes when our little baby comes!

Black Cod with Honey and Dill 

Courtesy of Rasika: Flavors of India by Vikram Sunderam

Ingredients

Cod
Four 5 ounce chunks of black cod, skin on, at least 1 inch thick
1 cup red wine vinegar
8 whole star anise
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tablespoon salt

Marinade
3/4 cup finely shredded mild white cheddar cheese
1.4 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paster
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon deggi mirch
1 and 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill fronds
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Season the Cod: In a large bowl, combine the cod, vinegar, star anise, fennel seeds, ginger-garlic paste, and salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Make the Marinade: In a large bowl, whisk the cheddar, yogurt, cream, ginger-garlic paste, honey, deggi mirch, dill, and salt until thick and fluffy.

3. Transfer the cod, along with the star anise and whatever fennel seeds are attached, to the marinade and coat the pieces well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. (discard the vinegar.).

4. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a small baking sheet with foil and place the cod fillets on it, skin side down. Top each one with a star anise. It's fine that there is a lot of marinade on the fish. Bake until the fish is browned on the edges and feels set but soft, like custard, when you poke it with your finger, 15-17 minutes.

5. Serve with  rice vermicelli.

Rice Vermicelli with Dill and Green Chilies 

Ingredients
1/2 pound rice vermicelli
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh Thai green chili
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and submerge the vermicelli to soften them, 3-4 minutes. Drain the noodles, return them to the pot, and keep covered.

2. In a skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until it sizzles. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the green chili, ginger, turmeric, and salt. Cook for 30 seconds and fold into the noodles. Fold in the dill and serve.

Coq Au Vin

As you might know, I'm pregnant! And while that doesn't mean I haven't been eating AMAZING food for the past 4 months, it does mean that I have taken a hiatus from my food blog! Mostly because I have started blogging about my pregnancy, but the truth of it is, I've been missing this blog!

Seamus has actually really vamped up his cooking since he found out I got pregnant. Not only has he been cooking delicious meals nearly every day, he is focused on making sure they are healthy for both me and the baby. And, as always, they are also delicious.

This weekend, Seamus decided to make a dish that his own father used to make on Sunday nights; Coq Au Vin. Not only is this a delicious dish, but it was also really fun to make. Especially the step where we got to light the brandy on fire!

Coq Au Vin

Courtesy of The New York Times

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds chicken legs and thighs
• 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
• 3 cups hearty red wine, preferably from Burgundy
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 ounces lardons, pancetta or bacon, diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 8 ounces white or brown mushrooms, halved if large, and sliced (about 4 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces peeled pearl onions (about 12 to 15 onions)
•  Pinch sugar
• 2 slices white bread, cut into triangles, crusts removed
• ¼ cup chopped parsley, more for serving

• PREPARATION

1. Season chicken with 2 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a large bowl, combine chicken, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight.
2. In a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat has rendered, and lardons are golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in pot.
3. Remove chicken from wine, reserving the marinade. Pat chicken pieces with paper towels until very dry. Heat lardon fat over medium heat until it’s just about to smoke. Working in batches if necessary, add chicken in a single layer and cook until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Add oil if the pot looks a little dry.) Transfer chicken to a plate as it browns.
4. Add diced onion, carrot, half the mushrooms and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pot. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned, about 8 minutes, stirring up any brown bits from the pot, and adjusting heat if necessary to prevent burning.
5. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then stir in flour and cook for another minute. Remove from heat, push vegetables to one side of pot, pour brandy into empty side, and ignite with a match. (If you’re too nervous to ignite it, just cook brandy down for 1 minute.) Once the flame dies down, add reserved marinade, bring to a boil, and reduce halfway (to 1 1/2 cups), about 12 minutes. Skim off any large pockets of foam that form on the surface.
6. Add chicken, any accumulated juices and half the cooked lardons to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, turning halfway through. Uncover pot and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.
7. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick or other large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pearl onions, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, shaking skillet often to move onions around. Uncover, push onions to one side of skillet, add remaining mushrooms, and raise heat to medium-high. Continue to cook until browned, stirring mushrooms frequently, and gently tossing onions occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove onions and mushrooms from skillet, and wipe it out.
8. In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until bubbling. Add bread and toast on all sides until golden, about 2 minutes per side. (Adjust heat if needed to prevent burning.) Remove from skillet and sprinkle with salt.
9. To serve, dip croutons in wine sauce, then coat in parsley. Add pearl onions, mushrooms and remaining half of the cooked lardons to the pot. Baste with wine sauce, sprinkle with parsley and serve with croutons on top.

Albóndigas with Mushrooms

Seamus learned the work "Albondigas" when living in Bolivia a few summers back. Interestingly enough, Seamus also lived in Spain for a while (this is a Spanish recipe). So, I guess it's no surprise that Seamus was excited to make this recipe on a Sunday evening! :)

I'm pregnant (!!!!!), and really lazy as a result, so Shea took the lead on this terrific meal. I always think making meatballs is fun, especially on a rainy Sunday evening like tonight, but the best part is eating them!

We made this recipe as written, except for switching out the parsley with basil, and adding some bread crumbs instead of resting the balls for two hours. We served with noodles for the perfect Sunday comfort food dinner.

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dredging

1/2 cup milk

1 pound ground chuck

1/2 pound ground pork

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons minced parsley

1 tablespoons white Rioja or other dry white wine

1 large garlic clove, grated

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Kosher salt

Pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

SAUCE:

• 2 medium tomatoes, halved crosswise
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white Rioja or other dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons brandy or dry sherry
• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

MUSHROOMS:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster and chanterelle, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• Pepper

How to Make It

Step 1    

Make the meatballs In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour; cook over moderate heat, whisking, until a thick paste forms, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the chuck, pork, eggs, parsley, wine, garlic, paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours. 

Step 2    

Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Dredge half the meatballs in flour. Cook over moderately high heat, turning, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and meatballs; don’t wipe out the pan.

Step 3    

Make the sauce Grate the tomato halves on the large holes of a box grater set in a bowl until only the skins remain; discard the skins. 

Step 4    

Add the onion, carrot, garlic and a generous pinch of salt to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and paprika and simmer over moderate heat until slightly reduced, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then stir in the wine and brandy and simmer until barely thickened, 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until very smooth. Return to the saucepan, whisk in the stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5    

Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover and simmer over moderately low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, cover and keep warm over very low heat. 

Step 6    

Meanwhile, make the mushrooms In a largeskillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add half the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms. 

Step 7    

Spoon the meatballs and sauce into bowls, top with the mushrooms and serve.

Eggplant Mash Up

It has been yet another busy week! It was my brother Ben's birthday, my parents were in town for a summer vacation, and I am in full-speed gear-up mode for school to start in just a few short weeks! But even with all of this going on, Shea and I are still making time to eat like royalty!

I've never made anything like this recipe before, but the picture in Food and Wine was gorgeous, and I like Andrew Zimmern's food. We don't have a grill, so I cooked the eggplant on the stove-top, but other than that tried to follow the recipe closely. And I'm glad I did! It was a great mixture of veggies and spices and paired nicely with rice.

Eggplant Mash Up
Courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine and Andrew Zimmern

Ingredients

2 large eggplants (2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
Sea salt
Pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups thinly sliced Savoy cabbage (9 ounces)
1 pint multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved
 1 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup chopped parsley, plus leaves for garnish
1/4 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped mint, plus leaves for garnish
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions
Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, cover with a second baking sheet and let stand for 1 hour. Pat dry.

Light a grill or preheat the broiler. Season the eggplant with salt; brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Grill over moderate heat, turning once, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the rack to cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the shallot, garlic, curry powder, oregano and cumin and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook until softened, 3 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the eggplant, cabbage, tomatoes, bell pepper, parsley, onion, mint, cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Top with parsley and mint leaves and cilantro sprigs and serve.

Easy Vietnamese Caramelized Pork

Shea, Ed, Jamila and I all just finished a fantastic weekend camping in Deception Pass. We went on a gorgeous hike/ridge hike at Ebey's Landing, and relaxed on the beach of the Puget Sound. We also cooked some fantastic vegetarian camp-side food. From farro with leeks and eggs to a picnic of caprese sandwiches to bibimbap using the fire AND the camp stove, we ate well!

But when we got home, if you can believe it or not, we were hungry again! Thus, I invited Matt over for some caramelized pork. from Ruth Reichl's cookbook. This recipe is so easy but so delicious. I made it seem extra-fancy by serving it with lots of fresh herbs (mint, basil, green onions, cilantro, and lettuce). My one tip is to be sure to be patient and to cook the pork long enough so it actually caramalizes and turns into the deliciousness it really is!

Easy Vietnamese Caramelized Pork
Courtesy of Ruth Reichl in "My Kitchen Year"

Ingredients
2 cucumbers
3/4 pound pork tenderloin
 2 tablespoons fish sauce
mint
basil
peanuts
1 lime
siracha
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
salt ginger
vegetable oil
1 small onion (sliced thin)
1 clove garlic (smashed0
4 teaspoons sugar
pepper
rice

Directions
Pour the rice vinegar into a small bowl and add a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds, along with a small knob of ginger. Put them into the vinegar and allow the flavors to mingle while you prepare the pork.

Slice the pork tenderloin very thing (this is easiest if you pit the meat in the freezer for half an hour to get it very cold before slicing.)

Get a wok so hot that a drop of water dances on the surface and then disappears. Add a couple of tablespoons of neutral oil and then add the onion and the garlic immediately. As soon as it is fragrant, add the pork and 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir-fry, tossing every few minutes for 10-15 minutes until the pork has crisped into delicious little bits.

Take the wok off of the heat and stir in the fish sauce; it should become completely absorbed. Grind in a lot of black pepper.

Remove the ginger from the cucumber and mix the cucumbers with the pork. Whether you want to add the marinade is up to you depending on how much vinegar you like!

Serve with rice, along with mint, basil, peanuts, cilantro, and siracha.

Harvest Roast Chicken with Grapes, Olives, and Rosemary

Long time, no post! I haven't posted since Februrary, but at least I have a pretty good excuse for my absence. Over the past 5 months, a lot has changed in my life! I got married (and had the best wedding...EVER!), went on a fabulous honeymoon to South Africa and ZImbabwe, started a new job, and bought a new car! It has been a crazy and amazing couple of months, for sure, but things seem to be settling down and normalizing a little bit now with Shea and me. 

Speaking of normalizing, it only makes sense that my first recipe since a long hiatus is a Deb Perlman recipe. If you know anything about my cooking, you know that I consistently love any recipe that was created or posted by Deb Perlman. This recipe is no exception. 

When I saw this recipe, I immediately thought of Shea's mom's classic recipe for Chicken Marbella. Shea's mom makes Chicken Marbella for family parties and large groups in Chicago, and it is one of my favorite recipes to eat. It plays with sweet and salty flavors of olives and apricots and chicken by marinating the chicken overnight and then roasting it in the oven. 

This recipe from Deb Perlman plays with the same sweet and salty flavors with the chicken through the grapes and olives, but it takes only a fraction of the amount of time to prepare as Chicken Marbella. From soup to nuts, you will have a crunchy-skinned, juicey piece of chicken with a creamy and flavorful gravy in about an hour. Be sure to take your time crisping the chicken skin, and then you are basically home free with this recipe!

Before the recipe, here's pictoral proof of our wedding and honeymoon! 

Harvest Roast Chicken with Grapes, Olives, and Rosemary Recipe

Courtesy of Deb Perlman's Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3 pounds (1 1/3 kg) chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks, and/or breasts), with skin and bones
• Table salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup (90 grams) seedless grapes
• 1 cup (130 grams) pitted Kalamata olives
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

1. 1.
   Preheat your oven to 450 degrees with a rack in middle. Pat chicken dry, and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat oil
   in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet (use a cast-iron skillet if you’ve got one) over medium- high heat until it shimmers. Working in two batches, brown the chicken, skin side down first and turning them over once, about 5 minutes per batch. I like to take a lot of care in this step, not moving the chicken until the skin releases itself and has a nice bronze on it.
2. 2.
   Return the pieces to the pan, skin side up, and surround the pieces with grapes, olives, and shallots. Roast the chicken in the oven until it has just cooked through and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken, grapes, and olives to a platter, then add wine and chicken broth to the pan juices in skillet. Bring liquid to a boil, scraping up any brown bits, until it has reduced by half, for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain sauce, if desired, then pour it over the chicken. Garnish with rosemary and see how long it takes guests to offer to slurp the sauce up with a spoon.
3.