Two Coast Table

Crispy Asian Chicken Wings

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:44:13 -0400

If you have been keeping up with my recipes lately you may notice that my addiction to Sriracha has deepened. What better way to use sriracha than on chicken wings, am i right? I found this recipe on White on Rice Couple. This blog is beautifully photographed and the recipes all look spectacular. I modified the recipe slightly.

Ingredients & Directions:

2 lbs Chicken Wings
1 C Flour
1 C Canola Oil for frying
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 C Water
2 1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 T Soy Sauce
1 T Vinegar
1 T Sriracha sauce
Pepper, to taste
1 T Cornstarch
1 tsp Sesame seeds
1/8 C Scallions chopped

Rinse chicken wings and pat dry. In bowl, add flour and pepper and add wings to coat with flour.

Fry wings on both sides till cooked through and golden brown.

In small bowl, combine cornstarch and about 1 T of water and then set aside. In a small saucepan, add 1 T oil and fry garlic until it becomes slightly golden. Add 1 cup of water, sugar, salt, soy sauce, sriracha, vinegar and black pepper. Combine well and allow to slowly come to boil. Once mixture comes to a boil, turn off heat. Add cornstarch to sauce to thicken it.

In separate bowl, add crispy chicken wings and toss with sauce. Add scallions and sesame seeds and mix again.

I served it with a bowl of jasmine rice and an ice cold beer. These also make a great appetizer at a party, but be prepared to get messy.

(Steven)

Panzanella

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 10:41:00 -0400

I am reading the cookbook, Recipes from an Italian Summer, as part of my reading cookbooks goal for 2010. I saw the recipe for panzanella and knew immediately I would have to make it for my family during one of our dinners while up in New Hampshire. Panzanella is traditional Italian salad, usually comprised with slightly stale bread and left over ingredients. I kept it fresh and it was the perfect summer salad/side.

Ingredients & Directions:

8 Slices of homemade or store bought rustic white bread (slightly stale is traditionally used as well) with crusts removed.
8 Basil leaves, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling (approx 2 T)
4 Firm Red Tomatoes (mine were small so I used a few more)
Salt & Pepper

Tear the bread into pieces and soak in cold water for a few minutes.

Then squeeze it out and put it into a salad bowl. Season with salt & pepper, sprinkle with basil, and drizzle generously with oil.

Toss the bread with two forks so that it crumbles, then add tomatoes. I served this with my aunt’s meatballs & pasta.

(Steven)

Pizzelle

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:18:25 -0400

My family usually gets together every summer for a weekend in New Hampshire. We relax, go swimming, boating, kayaking, & play board games. It’s great just spending time with my family. This weekend I am determined to document some of my aunt’s recipes. Tonight we made pizzelle, a traditional Italian waffle cookie, for my other aunt’s birthday.

Ingredients & Directions:

6 Eggs
3 1/2 C Flour
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 T Vanilla
1 C Butter, melted
4 tsp Baking Powder
Confectioner’s Sugar for dusting

Beat eggs. Add sugar gradually until mixed.

Add cooled melted butter and vanilla.

Add flour and baking powder, mixing well until smooth.

My aunt has had this pizzelle maker for a long time and she’s afraid it is on its last legs. She has a more modern one, but the pizzelle do not come out as thin.

Cook in pizzella iron as directed by manufacturer.

Often pizzelle are made with anise instead of vanilla. You can also add lemon zest instead of vanilla too. Or you could be creative and add something different or make them chocolate by adding cocoa powder to the mix.

Once they are cooked and cooled, dust the pizzelle with the confectioners sugar and serve.

(Steven)

Craisin & Orange Glaze

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:32:55 -0400

I had some turkey that I wanted to grill, but wanted to put a little twist on just a regular grilled turkey. I was also craving (and still am) Thanksgiving dinner. I decided to pull together a sort of modern Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s the glaze I made for the grilled turkey.

Ingredients & Directions:

1 C Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Orange Zest
2/3 C Craisins
1/3 C Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1/2 C Grand Marnier
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

In a sauce pan melt the brown sugar over a low heat. Once the sugar is melted add the orange zest and stir for a few moments until it’s thoroughly mixed. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, continuously stirring so it does not burn. Cook until the mix is reduced and slightly thickened.

I poured the glaze over the grilled turkey, served it with squash ravioli in a light brown butter sage sauce, and roasted panko crusted asparagus.

(Steven)

Sriracha Butter

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:58:43 -0400

I don’t remember why I wanted to make Sriracha Butter, maybe it came to me in a dream, we’ll never know. I love Sriracha and don’t use it nearly enough. My ideal use for the butter would be to dip fresh lobster in the melted butter, but I ended up getting King Crab’s Legs which were delicious. I also thought it would be great served with a grilled corn right on the cob.

Ingredients & Directions:

1 Stick of Butter
1 Minced garlic clove
2 tsp Soy sauce
2 tsp White Wine Vinegar
4 T Sriracha

I softened the butter, but next time I will melt the butter. I believe it will give the butter a smoother finished texture. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly mix.

Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are combined well.

I made a small box the keep the butter shape, lining it with wax paper so the butter wouldn’t stick.

Pack the butter mixture into the butter shaped box, wrap in wax paper, and place in the refrigerator until solid.

Here’s my finished Sriracha butter, you can see it looks a little weird and textural, but it was delicious and I’m not just saying that. My mother who is my guinea pig when trying new things loved it.

Once the butter was melted I served it with the King Crab legs. What’s your favorite use of Sriracha? You can leave us comments, email, or even respond to us on twitter.

(Steven)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:29:33 -0400

I finally made my way to Queens last week to visit with Meg. We spent a lot of time catching up, relaxing, swimming, and of course we had to bake something. Meg had this cupcake recipe that she had been wanting to try, after a quick trip to the local grocery store (which was so fun), we were prepared to bake cupcakes.

Ingredients & Directions:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners or grease pans. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low.

Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Cinnamon Frosting:

20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2½ cups Confectioners’ sugar (10 ounces)
1/8 tablespoons table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons cinnamon (or to taste)

In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla, cinnamon, and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Snickerdoodle cookies are delicious and what better way to enjoy the flavors than in cupcake form.

(Steven & Meg)

Lobster Roll

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:47:00 -0400

I can’t even begin to describe the craving I have had recently for a Lobster Roll. Lobster rolls are probably second on a list of my favorite foods, pizza being number one. I live in Massachusetts so they are readily available, but I wanted to try to make my own. I went to the grocery store to buy a lobster on Monday of this past week and they were SOLD OUT of lobsters! I was appalled. I didn’t give up and yesterday I tried buying one again and there behind the seafood counter was the lobster I have been waiting for. I had them cook it at the store so I could have it ready when I needed it at home.

Ingredients & Directions:

Four 1- to 1 1/4-pound lobsters
1/4 C plus 2 T mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 C finely diced celery
2 T fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4 top-split hot dog buns
2 T butter
1/2 C shredded lettuce

(Note: I only made 1 lobster roll so I cut the recipe in 1/4ths) Twist off the lobster tails and claws and remove the meat. Remove and discard the intestinal vein that runs the length of each lobster tail. Cut the lobster meat into 1/2-inch pieces and pat dry, then transfer to a strainer set over a bowl and refrigerate until very cold, at least 1 hour. In a large bowl, mix the lobster meat with the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the diced celery, lemon juice and cayenne pepper until well blended.

Heat a large skillet. Brush the sides of the hot dog buns with the melted butter and toast over moderate heat until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the hot dog buns to plates, fill them with the shredded lettuce and the lobster salad and serve immediately.

I served it with chips and ate it in about 30 seconds. I am totally regretting not getting more than one lobster.

(Steven)

Chicken Bok Choy

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:20:00 -0400

Last week I went over to where my friend Alison was house-sitting and I got my Iron Chef on. Here’s what happened.

She called me and said, “I have bok choy. Can you do something with it?”

“Of course,” I said.

Ingredients & Directions:

1 pound bok choy
4 T canola oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
3 T low sodium soy sauce
1 C chopped pineapple
2 Oz chicken stock or broth

Trim off the stem of the bok choy, separate the stalks, and rinse each clean. Cut each stem into 2-inch pieces, then spit them in half or thirds lengthwise. Set aside. Set wok (or skillet) on the burner, pour in 2 tablespoons of the canola oil down the side of the wok and swirl to distribute. Add the garlic and ginger and turn on the heat, cooking until the wok is hot. Make sure the garlic and ginger don’t burn.

Add the sliced chicken and cook for about 2 minutes, until the meat starts turning white. Remove to a plate and cover.

Pour in the rest of the canola oil and the bok choy. Stir for about 2 minutes & cook until the bok choy is bright green and just tender. Return the chicken to the wok and add the soy sauce, pineapple, & chicken stock. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until evenly heated.

I served it with some jasmine rice and we paired it with some white wine. It was fun cooking in someone else’s kitchen, but I definitely prefer my own where I know where everything is immediately.

(Steven)

Strawberry Picking & Strawberry Shortcake

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:49:56 -0400

I have been really busy with work & then I went on vacation and Meg just moved again so we both have been neglecting our beloved food blog. I have quite a few posts ready to publish , but will trickle them out this week. I went strawberry picking with my boys a few weeks ago and then made strawberry shortcake with the fresh strawberries. Is there anything better than cooking or baking with fresh picked or gardened food?

One of my favorite local (to me) farms is Brooksby Farm in Peabody, MA. They have pick your own fruit and a small barn with animals. The indoor store also has great jellies & jams at affordable prices. If you are anywhere near this area stop by, you won’t be disappointed.

We packed our small container to the brim (ok, well way over the brim).

I found this recipe on Love & Olive Oil which is a great blog that you should definitely check out. I have many recipes tagged to make in the future.

Ingredients & Directions:

Cream Biscuits:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl or mixer, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut the butter into the flour. The pieces should be the size of small peas. Measure cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the flour, and mix until everything comes together.

Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about 3/4 inch thick. Cut six 2 1/2-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, you should be able to get 2 or 3 more biscuits out of it. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream. Bake for 17 minutes or until lightly golden.

Filling:

4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup sugar

For filling, in a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar. Remove 1 cup of the strawberry mixture, and purée it in a blender or food processor. Return the purée to the rest of the strawberries; stir. Set aside at least 15 minutes.

Topping:

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream, vanilla and sugar until it starts to form soft peaks.

Spoon the strawberry mixture onto the bottom biscuit, and add a dollop of whipped cream. Top with another biscuit, and garnish with a piece of mint or powdered sugar.

(Steven)

Finding the Best Arancini in Boston pt. 3: La Summa

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:29:58 -0400

Alison and I are still looking for the best arancini in the Boston area. Our latest search brought us to La Summa in the North End. We read good things about it and it obviously served a more traditional arancini. We met up at Haymarket, where Alison was avoiding zombies (from the Zombie Walk) and solicitations from homeless men when I arrived after sitting on a delayed Red Line train (Surprise! for all of you that live elsewhere there is always a delay somewhere on the T in Boston). We walked over to Hanover Street in the North End and ventured to our destination. Neither one of us have been here before so we were excited to see what there was to offer.

We ordered our arancini immediately. Once it arrived it looked delicious, but unfortunately that’s where it stopped. The arancini was really dry and just didn’t have that much flavor. The marinara it was served with was pretty flavorless and watery. We both stuffed at least two down, but couldn’t muster up the energy to eat the others.

The entrees on the other hand were delicious. I ordered the Pollo Limone. I ate almost the entire chicken and the portion size was a little out of control, but i figured it was ok since I didn’t eat that many arancini.

Alison ordered the Gnocchi. I think we should also be doing a search for the best gnocchi in Boston, because everywhere we go to eat she get that too. Her meal was delicious and the gnocchi was cooked perfectly.

Our journey is far from over and we are super excited for a few up coming places. Are there any new restaurants that serve arancini that we must try?

(Steven)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:22:00 -0400

My step-father’s birthday was the other day & I made a cake that included some of his favorite things: chocolate and peanut butter. I used the Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, changing only a few things.

Ingredients & Directions:

2 C Flour
2 1/2 C Sugar
3/4 C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 C Vegetable Oil
1 C Sour Cream
1 1/2 C Water
2 T Distilled White Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well.

Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Don’t be worried, the mixture is also very watery looking.

Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.

Here are three ways to make Peanut Butter Frosting (#3 is from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe). I don’t like cream cheese, so if I am not feeling ambitious or am running short on time I always make option 1. Sandra Dee-ing my way into culinary excellence.

Peanut Butter Frosting #1

2 Cans of Whipped White Frosting
1 C Peanut Butter

Mix together and use.

Peanut Butter Frosting #2

Wilton Buttercream Icing
1 C Peanut Butter

Mix together and use.

Peanut Butter Frosting #3

10 Oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Frost each layer of cake and then frost the top & sides, making sure the sides are smooth. The top will be covered with a glaze so don’t worry about it too much.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

8 Oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3 T Smooth Peanut Butter
2 T Light Corn Syrup
1/2 C Half-and-Half

In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips.

Cut & serve the cake. We ate about half of the cake in about two minutes it was that good.

(Steven)

Chicken Cutlets with Tomatoes & Capers

Mon, 31 May 2010 16:17:05 -0400

This recipe has been on my list of things to make since I saw Chelsee at We are not Martha make it a few months ago. Well, I finally made it & I am not sure what took me so long. Sage is one of my favorite underused herbs and I was so excited that this just complimented the chicken so well. Also, at this point I am sure everyone knows about We are not Martha, but if not you really should check them out. Susie & Chelsee are great people and their site is amazing.

Ingredients & Directions:

About 8 T Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 C Halved & Washed Grape Tomatoes
Salt
8 Chicken Cutlets
Flour, for dusting
Fresh Sage Leaves
1/3 C White Wine
3 T drained capers
4 handfuls of fresh greens (I used baby arugula)
crushed red chile flakes

Pound the cutlets a bit till they’re a little flatter. Lightly dust the chicken with flour on both sides, and set aside.

Heat half the oil with garlic in a large nonstick frying pan. Add the tomatoes with a little salt and fry over high heat until they start to pucker. Pour the oil and tomatoes out together into a little bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan. Heat over medium heat. Add sage, and place chicken directly on top of sage leaves, frying until the underside of the chicken is golden and the sage is sticking to the chicken. Turn over and season with salt. Cook until the new underside is golden.

Add the wine, tomato mixture, and capers. Let it bubble up and evaporate a bit, then put the lid on and leave for a couple minutes before serving.

Lay chicken atop greens and top with some of the tomato caper pan sauce. Garnish with red pepper flakes if desired. I served it with a small portion of jasmine rice.

(Steven)

Macaroni & Cheese

Sun, 23 May 2010 12:55:39 -0400

One of my favorite comfort foods is Macaroni & Cheese, homemade obviously. My favorite recipe, and I have tried a few is Martha Stewart’s version. I was reading this article on addictive mac & cheese and want to test out these other versions, but in the meantime I made Martha’s again.

Ingredients & Directions:

6 T Butter
5 1/2 C Milk
1/2 C Flour
2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 1/2 C (about 18 ounces) Grated Sharp Cheddar
1 1/4 C (about 5 ounces) Grated Pecorino Romano
1lb Pasta
Panko, for topping. (check out original recipe for Martha’s topping)

Grate all of your cheese in advance.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cheese. Set cheese sauce aside.

Boil pasta according to directions or preference. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Scatter panko over the top.

Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

I served it as a side dish with some steak tips and a small Greek salad (not pictured because I ate it). Next time I am thinking of making a mac & cheese bar so I can add different things (bacon, lobster, caramelized onions) to each small serving. I can’t wait.

(Steven)

Finding the Best Arancini in Boston pt. 2: Tavolo

Tue, 18 May 2010 11:59:00 -0400

There’s a lot of things I don’t like doing without Steven. These things include a) drinking on weeknights b) participating in snarky Gchats c) judging people on OkCupid. It’s like being ripped apart from my Siamese twin – it pains me to go through these activities alone.

Above all else, I really, really, REALLY don’t like eating arancini balls without him, especially when we’ve both pledged TOGETHER to find The Best Arancini in Boston. I would feel cheated on if I found out through Tumblr gossip that he had gone on a solo adventure without me.

But last Friday night, I suffered a brutal surprise attack when my waiter at Tavolo in Dorchester told me with a glint in his eye that they were featuring – you guessed it – arancini balls on the menu as a special that evening. A few moments of confusion passed. I mean, I never want to be that girl who passes up arancini but I also, like, value my friendship with Steven and didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Soon I started to sweat, my heart was pounding, my palms were sweaty and my date was wondering what the eff was going on.

But don’t worry, my moral dilemma quickly passed and I ordered the arancini with gusto, but not before texting Steven a picture of them with the caption “OMG OMG LOOK” written over it.

His response: “Omg I’m dying.” It was like he was really there.

My date had never tried an arancini ball before (I know, I know) and he couldn’t have had a better first experience. These were perfectly proportioned, hot, and crispy on the outside with macaroni and cheese-looking rice on the inside and melted mozzarella cheese in the middle.

It honestly doesn’t get much better than this as far as arancini goes. Now, I’m not trying to make Steven feel bad, but these are in the running for my favorite arancini balls in Boston. Tavolo is now basically tied with Teatro and their Arancini with Short Ribs & Truffle Aioli. Big statements, I know, but these were near perfect.

If anyone in Boston hasn’t been to Tavolo, hop on the red line and ride it out to the Ashmont stop ASAP. Yes, it’s a long ride, but it’s so worth it. Plus, the restaurant is right next to the T stop, so I don’t want to hear any bitching about possibly getting shot, ok?

Until the next (non-solo) arancini adventure,

(Guest Blogger Alison)

Tilapia Fish Cakes & Med Month

Sat, 15 May 2010 15:59:00 -0400

I made dinner for my mother for Mother’s Day instead of an actual gift. She wanted a full course meal, from appetizer to dessert. The appetizer I decided to make was a Tilapia Fish Cake. The reasons are twofold. We both love fish cakes and it’s Med Month over at one of our favorite places Oldways. The month of May is Mediterranean Month, “a time to explore and celebrate the delicious, healthful approach to eating and drinking inspired by life in the Mediterranean region.”

Ingredients & Directions:

1 lb Tilapia (or another white fish)
Salt & Pepper
2 T Lemon Juice
2 T White Wine
1/4 C Capers
1 T Parsley
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 C Mayo
1/4 C Panko, or more if needed
1/4 C Flour
3 T Oil

Salt and pepper the fish, drizzle with lemon juice & wine and steam until the fish is thoroughly cooked and flakes easily, about 5 - 10 minutes. Drain the liquid. Break up the fish, leaving some large clumps and wait for the fish to cool to room temperature.

While fish is cooling, in a small bowl mix the egg and mayo.

Once the fish has cooled place in a food processor, add the capers and parsley, panko, and the mayo-egg mixture, and gently mix everything together. If the mixture looks too wet, add a little more panko.

Form into small cakes. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.

After chilling, add the flour to a plate and dredge both sides of the cakes with flour. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook the cakes until the outsides are crisp and browned, about 4 - 5 minutes per side.

I served it on a small dollop of fresh tartar sauce. I will be sure to add a little garnish next time so my presentation looks a little more complete (ok Mom?).

We also wanted to take a moment to offer our sympathy to Oldways on the loss of their founder & president K. Dun Gifford.

(Steven)

Pepper Jack Potatoes

Sat, 08 May 2010 15:06:38 -0400

I was craving potato skins. You know the kind that they have a restaurants with bacon & cheese? Well, unfortunately I didn’t have any bacon in the house (I know that’s terrible right?). I created these Pepper Jack Potatoes as a side for dinner and I was pretty happy with how they came out.

Ingredients & Directions:

4 Potatoes
1/4 C Diced Onions
1 C Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp Dill Weed (I would have used Rosemary if I had it)
1/2 C Milk (add more if mixture is too thick)
8 T Butter (I’m getting all Paula Deen on you!)
1/2 C Cheddar Cheese (not pictured) for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the potatoes directly on the rack of the oven for 1 hour, or until tender and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Once cooked & cooled, cut potatoes in half and hollow them. Put all the scooped out potato in a large bowl or food processor.

Mix potato, onion, pepper jack cheese, milk, dill, butter, salt, & pepper until well blended.

Scoop mixture into hollowed potatoes. I cooked them on a pan with aluminum foil so it would be easier to clean later.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese over potatoes.

Broil until the cheese is melted, bubbling and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove potatoes to platter, sprinkle with parsley (chives are popular too) and serve immediately.

Mia (My mother’s cat) was staring longingly at the potatoes. I don’t blame her, but we didn’t share.

(Steven)

Orange Breakfast Muffins

Sun, 02 May 2010 10:32:42 -0400

I am still reading cookbooks as part of my reading goal for the year. I recently finished reading Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson (I love her). The very first recipe in her cookbook spoke to me as I started reading, so much so that I ran to the kitchen and made these muffins immediately.

Ingredients & Directions:

6 T Butter
1 2/3 C Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 C Sugar
Zest of 1 Orange
1/3 C plus 1 T Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1/3 C plus 1 T Milk (orig. recipe called for whole, I used 2%)
1 Egg
Paper Baking Cups

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I made the orange zest using a food grater since my zester is packed away right now. Melt butter and set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, & orange zest in a large bowl.

Mix the orange juice and milk in a large measuring cup and whisk in the egg and then the cooled, melted butter. This mixture will become very thick.

Now pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients mixing with a whisk. The batter will be lumpy, but that is how it should be.

Spoon the mixture equally into the muffin cups and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the muffin pan once don and cool on a wire rack.

I served these warm with one of my favorite jams. The Wild Maine Blueberry Jam from Stonewall Kitchen is one of the best jams I have ever had. Everything they make is delicious and whenever I go up to York, Maine I always stop there and stock up. You should also check out their blog & follow their twitter. While you are following twitter pages, you can also follow Two Coast Table on twitter too!

(Steven)

Two Coast Table Update

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:04:00 -0400

Meg & I mostly write about stuff we cook & places we eat, but we have some exciting news. Meg & her boyfriend are moving from Portland, Oregon to New York City in a few days.

This means we will be cooking on the same coast. We have decided, at least for now, to keep our blog title the same, because you would not believe how long it took us to come up with that one. We almost started a celebrity stalking website instead. We’ll probably need a new tagline, but this is a great opportunity for the both of them that they couldn’t pass up. Anyway, what this means mostly is that Meg will be absent from posting for a little bit while she is traveling across country again and then getting settled. You will have to read only my posts and recipes for a little while.

I am so excited to have Meg just a few hours away now and can’t wait to visit her.

(Steven)

Fried Asparagus Raviolis

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:21:28 -0400

I had these wraps from Nasoya that I needed to use and I have been dying to make some sort of raviolis with them. I looked in my refrigerator to see what I could use and pulled out what you see in the picture below.

Ingredients & Directions:

Bunch of Asparagus
1 T Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Nasoya Wraps
1/4 Onion (or Shallot) diced
1/2 C Asiago Cheese (you could substitute)
Oil for frying

Clean and then brake off the ends of the asparagus. Chop them up and put them in the Magic Bullet (you can use a food processor or a blender) along with the lemon juice, onion (diced), & asiago cheese.

Mix until it is thoroughly blended and there aren’t anymore asparagus chunks left in the mix.

I put the wraps out on on a cutting board (I use it so it is easy to clean later). Scoop a small tablespoon full of the mix on to each wrap.

Pinch the corners closed with some water and set aside until the pan of oil is hot.

Once oil is hot drop the raviolis in and fry until golden on both sides. About a minute or so on each side.

Put them on a paper towel to soak up some of the oil while they cool down.

I served them plain, but I think they may be good with some kind of sauce, probably a hollandaise might be nice. These were really good for tsomething that I just pulled out of the refrigerator to make. and I will be making them again.

(Steven)

Deviled Eggs with Bacon

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:03:13 -0400

I have been craving deviled eggs for so long now. I finally caved in and made them this past weekend and it was so worth the wait. Well, not really, I could have really used them two weeks ago when I was dreaming about them, but I digress.

Ingredients & Directions:

4 Lg. Eggs
4 T Mayonnaise (I may have squeezed a little extra since I love mayo)
1 tsp Mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
1 Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper
2 T chopped Bacon
Dill, for garnish

Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.

Peel the eggs, halve lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl, reserving the egg whites. Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne, & bacon. Season with salt and black pepper.

Spoon (I actually used a plastic sandwich bag with the end cut off to pipe them in) the yolk mixture into the egg white halves and sprinkle with the dill.

These seriously satisfied my craving and I am thinking about making more this weekend.

(Steven)