Oysters on the Half Shell With Coconut Sauce

1 stalk lemongrass

½ cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

20 oysters

1. Cut the top off the stalk of lemongrass, about 6 inches from the bottom. Using the back of a chef’s knife blade, smash the lemongrass to break it up and then chop into pieces.

2. In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk and lemongrass pieces to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to infuse. Let cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine the shallots, lime juice and a small pinch of salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Strain the cooled coconut-milk mixture into the shallot-lime mixture. Stir in ¼ teaspoon pepper. Season with more pepper to taste.

4. Shuck the oysters, keeping their juices in their shells. Spoon a small amount over an oyster and eat immediately. Serves 4.

Mulligans

Mulligans
101 Causeway St
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
617-720-4241

Great Cheap eat! There's a reason why the lunch line is out the door! But don't let this discourage you--the line moves very quick, just make sure you know what you want when you get there! Sandwiches are a heaping size and prices fit nicely for the frugal eater. My fave-- Agusta National--fresh roasted turkey breast, pepperoni, melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese, lettuce and marinated tomato on a baguette. Yes-- FRESH roasted turkey-- think thick thanksgiving style sliced turkey. YUM!

4/5

KmB's Chicken & Barley Soup (from scratch)

KmB's fantastic from scratch Chicken and Barley Soup
1 whole chicken (skin removed)
1/2 large onion or 1 medium Onion
20 baby carrots
3 ears fresh corn or 1-2 cans of canned corn
1/2 cup barley (NOT the quick cook kind)
salt

Cut the baby carrots into small pieces. Dice the onion. Cut the chicken so the breasts are separated from the thighs (horizontally). Place all items into a large stock pot and fill with water until chicken is submerged 1/2 inch under the water. If using fresh corn, put in now. If using canned corn, place in with with barley. Bring to a boil. Keep at a low rolling boil for 15 minutes or until chicken is just cooked. Remove the chicken and cut off meat (helps to use tongs). Place meat in a bowl and refrigerate. Return the bones to the pot. Continue cooking for 30-60 minutes. Pour 1 cup of Barley into the pot and keep at low boil for 1.5 hours (pour in canned corn now, if using canned corn, liquid and all). Cut the chicken meat in the fridge. Add the chicken meat 15 minutes before turning off stove.
Skim gunk off the top periodically. Salt to taste. You may need to pour more water in as some may evaporate and be absorbed by the barley.

Though this soup takes time, good things come to those who wait. I think this soup is simple and well worth it. Remove bones, salt to taste, and serve. The key to good chicken soup is to remove the chicken meat and then add them towards the end. Otherwise, the chicken will be flavorless and tough after cooking so long.

Tapeo

I went for Tapas at Tapeo on Newbury St. There were no tables outside so we were a bit bummed. Oh well. Here is what we ordered:

Tapas:
Vieiras al Azafrán
Scallops in Saffron Cream
Ravioles de Mariscos
Lobster/Crabmeat Ravioli w/Langostino Sauce
Butifarras con Brevas
Pork Sausage w/Figs
Costillitas de Vaca
Beef Short Rib in Rioja Wine Sauce
Chuletillas
Baby Lamb Chops w/ Apricot Sauce

Main:
Paella Valenciana
Spains Classic Spanish Rice Dish Prepared with Meat, Poultry and Seafood

Review:
Overall I was expecting a little more flavor and a little more bang. We didn't order the Garlic shrimp or the potato pancake which are the signature tapas. Because of the small nature of tapas dishes, the flavors should compensate--with bursts of flavor and savory goodness. These tapas fell a bit short. Let's start from the top:
Scallops-- the sauce was good but the scallops were a bit tough.
Lobster ravioli- I did like this dish. The sauce was savory and the crab added a varying texture from the lobster.
Pork sausage- This was good. The fig added a pleasant sweetness.
Short ribs- Now, I'm biased.. I am a HUGE short ribs fan--but not these... I felt that these were a little too tough. I like short ribs that fall apart. I also wasn't a fan of the sauce that they were stewed in. I usually love red wine braised short ribs, but this reduction just wasn't savory enough.
Lamb- No comment, I'm not a lamb fan in general. My party of 3 other diners said they like it.
Paella- the dish was a bit small, but the pan was deep (not like the traditional shallow but large pans). This was decent, nothing stellar. Just your average Paella.

Overall rating: 3/5

Penne A la Vodka

I like to add a tad more than 1/3 cup of vodka.. ;-)

Penne alla Vodka
from the Episode: Pasta and Tomatoes, Reimagined

So that the sauce and pasta finish cooking at the same time, drop the pasta into boiling water just after adding the vodka to the sauce. If possible, use premium vodka; inexpensive brands will taste harsh in this sauce. Pepper vodka imparts a pleasant flavor and can be substituted for plain.

Serves 4

1	(28 ounce) can whole tomatoes , drained, liquid reserved
2	tablespoons olive oil
1/2	small onion , minced (about 1/4 cup)
1	tablespoon tomato paste
2	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1/4-1/2	teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
	Table salt
1/3	cup vodka
1/2	cup heavy cream
1	pound penne pasta
2	tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
	Grated Parmesan cheese , for serving

1. Puree half of tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding cores. Combine pureed and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 2/3 cups). Add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around edges, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes too vigorous. Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven. Add sauce to pasta and toss over medium heat until pasta absorbs some of sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt. Divide among pasta bowls and serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

Pasta With Soft-Shell Crabs

By MARK BITTMAN

NYTimes

Time: 30 minutes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or a little more

3 or 4 cloves garlic, slivered

1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste

4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned (at fish market if you like)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound long pasta, like spaghetti or linguine

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves.

1. In a very deep skillet or broad saucepan, warm oil, garlic and chili flakes over low heat; do not let garlic brown. When garlic is soft — at least 5 minutes — add crabs (keep heat low to medium low; liquid in pan should barely bubble) and cover. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.

2. Let the crabs cook until they give up all their liquid and become firm, about 15 minutes. When crabs are almost done, begin cooking pasta. When crabs are done, use tongs to remove them and hold them while cutting up with scissors. Return to pan.

3. Drain pasta when it is barely tender, a little short of how you’d want to eat it, reserving some cooking water. Add pasta to crabs and toss together over medium heat with pan juices and black pepper, adding some cooking water and a little more oil if necessary. (The amount of each will depend on how much more cooking the pasta needs, and how much liquid the crabs exuded.) Add parsley, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. When pasta is perfectly cooked, serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Supernatural Brownies

I had the biggest craving for brownies. BUT no brownie mix! SO sad. Well, I remembered that the NYT did a whole section on brownies from scratch. I looked at the recipe, and being the foodie I am, had everything on the list in my pantry (I'm a dork, I know.. who has bittersweet baking chocolate in their pantry? KmB does).


Let me tell you-- I'm a convert. I will never make brownies from a mix again! Let me explain. Most brownie mixes pack a punch, a whole lot of chocolate straight up. But I've discovered a rounder, more complex flavor for brownies. Subtle flavors surrounding and complementing the chocolate flavor. It's FANTASTIC. These were phenomenal warm out of the oven, also just as good the next day. Such a simple recipe, there's no excuse to use those mixes ever again!

For your tasting pleasure. If you only take one recipe from my page-- Take this! Care of NYTimes. (I didn't use nuts)

I forgot the picture.. until.. now.... see.. below...

Recipe: Supernatural Brownies

Adapted from “Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers,” by Nick Malgieri (Morrow Cookbooks, 1998)

Time: About 1 hour

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional.

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.

Note: For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.