The Cooking Critic

Sunday was a series of unfortunate food events for me. It started at a café with a spinach, mushroom and cheese omelet that was filled with grit from spinach not properly washed. I actually spit out a bite (discreetly, I’d like to think) because there was so much grit, my food was noisy.

From there I went to the L. A. Book Festival, saw a churro, wanted it, determined I didn’t need it, then decided if I wanted a churro, I should get one. So I did. I took one bite and realized I didn’t feel like a churro after all. But I hated the idea of throwing it away as much as I hated the fact I had to pay $3 for it in the first place, so I felt compelled to eat the whole $3 thing. (For those unfamiliar with churros, as I was before moving to California, a churro is basically a cinnamon/sugar-coated fritter stick.)

Next was a youth-themed 30th birthday party that included a cotton candy machine, addictive Guacamole-flavored Doritos, KFC popcorn chicken, a bouncy house and some children, which, evidently came with the bouncy house as far as I can tell since they didn’t come with anyone in our party. While a day bouncing then relaxing in Griffith Park was a wonderful way to spend one of the first warm Sundays of the spring, the cotton candy and popcorn chicken only heightened the slumpy feeling inside of me that emerges when I’ve eaten poorly all day long.

While the children repeatedly asked for soda and the adults lounged on blankets, I contemplated dinner, which had suddenly become very important–something healthy was essential and using the shrimp in the freezer preferred. I thought about Broiled Shrimp and Spinach Salad but discarded that idea when I recalled my fresh dill was now frozen from a little overzealous refrigeration. By the time I got home, I had decided on California Fish Stew, a dish that had impressed me a couple of years earlier, but, due to how rarely shrimp is stocked in my house, I had not revisited it since.

Everything went according to plan. I had my light, flavorful, quickly made stew and a salad to accompany it. I watched half of Good Night and Good Luck before falling asleep. I slept well. A good soup can do so much.

Adjustments: Fresh oregano for the dried since that’s one of the few herbs in my garden I’ve managed not to kill, canned tomatoes for the fresh and only shrimp for the seafood—I don’t normally have fish and mussels around. Since my shrimp was cooked and frozen, I defrosted them in lukewarm water for fifteen minutes, then put them in a bowl and poured the soup when done over top to warm them without cooking them further.

Assessment: This soup actually turned my day around. It’s a nice combination of fresh herbs and pepper with a sharp kick from the wine. However, my previous efforts had better results since I didn’t use the ideal wine this time around—I used a somewhat fruity blend already opened and chilled in the refrigerator. A dryer white wine is better, and this is no place to toss in some Charles Shaw since wine is the main ingredient of your broth. I recommend Sterling Sauvignon Blanc, which is dry, affordable and good as an ingredient or drinking straight out of the wine glass.

I especially loved the warning that’s in italics at the top of this recipe: “Have the ingredients prepared and near the stove, because this fish stew cooks in just minutes.” I loved even more that this was true.

If you take a look at my last few posts, you’ll see I’ve been subsisting on cheese, brunch foods and dessert. I suspect my recent eating habits don’t make for a well-balanced diet. As much as I wish brunch foods and desserts had their own little slot on the food pyramid, it’s probably best they don’t. I blame my food intake for my feelings of sluggishness and general ickiness and determined it was high time I ate a salad.

Evidently the universe thought I should eat a salad too because the cosmos aligned so that I rediscovered a Broiled Shrimp and Spinach Salad recipe and happened to have all the ingredients already in my kitchen, surprisingly since shrimp, green beans and fresh dill are not normally staples for me. Therefore, I declare Broiled Shrimp and Spinach Salad a small miracle.

I went about chopping green onions and squeezing lemon with high hopes for this salad. I suspected it would be exactly what I needed to combat the ill effects of my recent sugar overdose and taste fabulous. But immediately after thinking this, I determined I just jinxed my salad. There was no way it could live up to my unreasonable expectations since I do, in fact, have a habit of anticipating far more amazing things than is really fair for the object of my expectations. (Movies and boys are routine disappointments because of this.) But, I needn’t have worried–my expectations were met. The shrimp makes this salad substantial, the green beans add just the right crunch (had I not slightly overcooked them), the lemony dressing is zippy but balanced by the fresh dill. In short, happiness is a Broiled Shrimp and Spinach Salad.

Adjustments: I used cooked, frozen shrimp instead of cooking raw shrimp. So basically, I didn’t broil the shrimp for Broiled Shrimp and Spinach Salad. But this cuts the work you have to do in half (especially nice when your throwing this together for lunch, as I did.) It also means your eating a cold salad instead of a warm one, but that’s fine by me. Also, I added more lemon juice to the dressing.

Assessment: I am completely charmed by this salad and plan on having it again for lunch tomorrow. I wish I hadn’t halved the dressing recipe because I will want this salad again later in the week and will have to make the dressing again. Not that it was any trouble at all. The whole dish was easy, elegant and wonderful. If only life were like Broiled Shrimp and Spinach Salad.

Canned tuna smells funny. Let’s just get that out of the way up front. I always feel a little guilty when I eat a tuna sandwich in front of other people because then I have to subject them to the smell, and that seems unfair.

So like many foods in my life, I started off with anti-tuna feelings, and now I see I was wrong. Very very wrong. This version of the Tuna Sandwich is made with olive oil, white wine vinegar and garlic instead of mayo, which makes me feel healthy and smart when I eat it. And I love feeling healthy and smart.

Honestly, you should buy Nigel Slater’s Real Fast Food for his commentary as much as the recipes. Here’s his description of this sandwich: “even in the depths of winter it can remind me of summer.” I hear you, Nigel. And he says the ingredients are based “on the classic Pan Bagna.” I’m sure we all know what that means.

Adjustments: I didn’t have the red bell pepper, anchovy fillets or black olives that the recipe calls for, and this sandwich was still good.

Assessments: I’ve eaten three of these sandwiches in a week’s time. It’s madness! For some reason, it’s become the only food that makes sense to eat after running. And I think I ate a bug today while running. The tuna sandwich tasted better.

I’ve come to the conclusion that you can’t reduce the amounts called for in reductions because it leaves you working with too little. Case in point: Pan-Roasted Artic Char (a fish) with Thyme-Syrah Wine Sauce from Fresh Herb Cooking by Linda Dannenberg. It’s both super-classy and completely feasible to make in a reasonable amount of time. I cut the recipe in half, since I was cooking for two and not four, but at the very end the reduction separated into wine clumps and oil. Sounds unappetizing, but it wasn’t half bad. The small bits of the thyme-flavored wine were actually quite tasty, and I imagine it would have tasted (and looked) lovely had I made the sauce correctly. I just cooked up some green beans and tossed them in some butter as a side. Actually, Brian did that, I’ll give credit where credit is due.

I tried to figure out why sauces separate sometimes–I’ve had this happen once before with an icing involving browned butter. It tastes amazing when you do it right but turns into a total mess otherwise. I thought it might have been from overheating. A chef-type I know suggested volume issues. I dunno. Any knowledge on this phenomenom appreciated.

Adjustments: 1 black peppercorn (since that’s what I have) in place of the white peppercorns (which are milder). And the suggested salmon if you couldn’t find Arctic char.

Assessment: I’m assuming I’m to blame for this one not turning out absolutely perfect. I’ll give it an enthusiastic “good!”