Shrimp, Tuna, Kuchen, and Corn on the Cob

Tonight we had a heck of a good meal. Shrimp, Tuna, Corn, and Kuchen! Talk about a mismatched meal! We're traveling this weekend, so Grandma and Daniel hosted us. Daniel was born in France and my Grandmother is a fabulous cook as well, so good food was guaranteed.

The shrimp was cooked in a bath of olive-oil, tons of garlic, and a bit of salt and pepper. It was soft and salty, and very subtle. Local, fresh, shrimp is fantastic and is almost always good. A nice seafood dish, and was perfect on a summer day.

The tuna was basically a tuna filet with a wasabi sauce on the sides. It had a cool flavor and a tender texture. The wasabi was great as well, and perfect on the tuna. I like wasabi more than hot sauces because with hot sauces the flavor stays in your mouth throughout the rest of the meal, so I don't get to taste the other flavors. But, with wasabi, the spicy sensation is short so you can actually taste your food afterward.

The corn we had was just plain old corn on the cob. Salty and buttery, and delicious. Now, Kuchen is a type of cake, more like a crumble though. I made this with my Grandmother, which was very simple. And, the recipe was passed down from her mother, so it was interesting that it had a history. It had a nutty, almond smell, and a sweet flavor that made you sit down in your seat and go "ahhhhhhhhhhhh". Well, not exactly, but close. Topped with apples and cinnamon, this was a fabulous dessert.

So, total mismatch dinner a: train wreck or a wonderful meal? You tell me. Some say opposites attract, which in this case, was true. With flavors that compliment each other nicely, and a variety of foods, this meal was definitely love at first bite.

Fries, Tzatziki, Spanikopita, Who Could Ask For a Better Sunday?

On Sunday we had Fries, Tatziki, and Spanikopita, Greek Night! The fries were a beautiful golden color, the tatziki creamy and delicious, and the spanikopita was flaky and spectacular. Perfect for a hot summer night in May, and perfect for me.

The fries and tatziki were amazing, and wonderful together. These aren't fries that you would go get a burger king...those fries are a disgrace to the potato world. No, these fries are homemade fries straight from the oven! Crispy and crunchy and delicious in every way. Now, the tatziki was the COMPLETE opposite. It was creamy and had a cool flavor, like you just walked by a fan in the Sahara Desert, you want to stay there all day, and never move. So, tatziki and fries together were great, crispy and creamy and warm and cool at the same time. Simple to make, and wonderful to eat, tatziki is one of the most amazing foods...ever.

Spanikopita is a pastry with a delicious flaky crust on the outside, and a warm, soft, spinach filling. It is sort of like a mini, savory, turnover. Mmmm....Crispy and warm and yummy in every single way!

So, Greek night??? Was it επίθ. κακός or επίθ. καλός, αγαθός (bad or good)? Well, you tell me, but I think it was pretty επίθ. νοστιμότατος, υπέροχος (delicious). Surely, a love at first bite or αγάπη κατά την πρώτη φέρνει αποτελέσματα.

Eggplant Parmesan

Last night we had Eggplant Parmesan, and it was wonderful, and simple to make! I helped out my dad with this one. This dish was delicious, and filling. Served on a plate with broccoli, this dish was amazing.

We basically took slices of eggplant, each one cm long, and set them to cook in a pan for four minutes on each side. Next, we took three slices and stacked them on top of each other, showered them in tomato sauce, and then sprinkled cheese on top.

The eggplant was soft and plain, just as an eggplant should be. Sounds pretty boring, but when you add garlic-y tomato sauce, and a slight amount of cheese, It's perfect. It was very subtle, but really good after a long day. Simply, love at first bite.

Chicken with THE BEST Red Pepper Sauce

You don't usually expect to have the main part of the meal be the sauce. Normally, it's just something to compliment the larger portion of food on your plate. Like red sauce on spaghetti and meatballs. This meal was the complete opposite.

My father is a magician. He cannot pull a bunny out of a hat, but he sure can turn a somewhat unappetizing red pepper into a beautifully creamy crimson sauce, and that is a lot better than some random bunny (probably animatronic...). Who knew someone could make possibly the most delicious sauce ever out of just a few roasted red peppers, garlic, black pepper, vegetable oil, and a dash of nutmeg.

Of course I can't leave out the chicken. It was delicious, as usual. Thin sliced chicken breasts, dusted with ground coriander, little salt and pepper, blackened in a pan. Chicken never disappoints. I also can't ignore the vegetables. Good old steamed broccoli. Whoever came up with the idea of eating broccoli raw, is insane. It tastes like chalk. Steamed broccoli, however, is one of the best tasting vegetables, and goes well with everything.

Yet another meal that makes my day. I swear, even though this sounds gross, I could have eaten that pepper sauce with a spoon, and it was healthy as well. I'm glad to say, an absolute love at first bite.

Spiced Chicken, With Mushroom Sauce, and Baked Zucchini

Last night, for dinner, we had chicken with mushroom sauce and a side of cooked zucchini. It was delicious. The chicken was spiced to perfection, and the sauce, consisting of cooked mushrooms, carrots. Beautifully served on a bed of salad and cucumbers, this meal was fantastic.

I have tried chicken, in so many ways. I have had it diced and put in soup. I have had it grilled and put on a Styrofoam plate at a barbecue. I have had it with lemon juice. I have had it with tomato sauce. I have had it fried. I could go on forever, but that's not what I'm writing this for. Last night, my dad made chicken, spiced it and cooked it in a pan, and it was perfect. It was peppery, tender, and satisfactory.

My dad also made a mushroom and carrot sauce for the chicken, but I was avoiding it because, I hate mushrooms. I hate them! Something about their spongy texture and bland taste gets to me. Anyways, when I had eaten most of the outside, I had to face the mushrooms. I lifted some onto my fork, and into my mouth. I expected to cringe as a chewed, but, actually, I took another bite, and another, and I realized, I love this stuff. It had a savory and smoky flavor, and a creamy texture. I began to scrape the plate with my fork, hoping there would magically be more. So, congratulations, Dad. You tricked my taste-buds.

The zucchini was cooked in our old fashioned toaster oven, since we don't own a microwave. It was simply done, but tasted fantastic. All it needed was a dash of salt, and it was great. Easy as well, all you need is one or two zucchini shredded, and placed in a pan with butter and herbs and put in the oven for about an hour!

So, chicken with mushroom sauce and zucchini, I will most definitely eat you again! Yet another, love at first bite.

Gluten Free Eating- Bread Substitutes

Last month (April), I was gluten free. Yup, zero gluten. Gluten is in most grains, like wheat, rye, and barley. So no bread for me...or anything else with gluten, which is pretty hard, because most things contain gluten. Bread of course, but somethings you would never imagine, like soap or shampoo. But you don't have to worry about those unless you have a strict no gluten diet or allergy, or if you eat soap regularly...
In my month of being no gluten, there are a few things that you can substitute for bread, that are filling and easy to spread peanut butter and jelly on:

Tortillas- Your best friend when you are gluten free. Make sure you buy the CORN ones, because others might contain wheat. Tortilla's are the closest you will get to bread, besides gluten free bread.
Rice- This is not exactly like bread, but filling and tasty. Try rice, spinach, and cooked chicken in a bowl with maybe a little fish sauce.
Gluten Free Bread- This is like bread but...if store-bought not the best. Gluten free bread made from scratch is the best tasting. If you want to make this, click here to get an Ask.com recipe.
Fruit- This may be surprising, but fruit saved me that whole month. When I was used to a sandwich for lunch everyday, I was scared when I stopped eating gluten. What was I going to eat for lunch? Fruit. It's just as filling , and tastes great.

So if you are going gluten free, make your toast with a tortilla, or gluten free bread. Have a bowl of rice instead of a sandwich. Eat a banana instead of a doughnut!

Homeade Duck Confit

This was the first homemade confit I have ever had. When my family and I went to France, we stocked up on food to bring back to the U.S.A. Most of the food has now disappeared, except for a small morsel of pate, and one can of duck confit. Don't worry, it's the large kind.

Anyways, three cans of confit has shown me that, a good confit is a special thing. I have also had homemade cassoulet made from the same duck. Next time I eat it I'll put it up. It's amazing. Back to the point, when I heard my dad was making confit, I was of course excited. Excited to compare his dish with the French version, excited to see how it's made, and mostly excited to eat it! The can-confit was savory and delicious, the best confit ever...or so I thought...


For dinner last night, my dad finally unveiled his Duck Confit with cabbage, carrots, and garlic. It was delicious. The confit was duck leg quarters that was marinated in herbs, salt, and olive oil. Then it was simmered in a bath of duck fat all day, then drained. Then, put on high heat to crisp the outside, in the oven, draining the rest of the fat. The vegetables were cooked in pan all together, and then placed on a large plate, with spinach and cucumbers. Then, the confit was carefully placed on top.
It was delicious, and beautiful. It melted in my mouth, like butter. It was salty, but not too salty. It was subtle and simply perfect.
Then, when I had eaten most of the meat that fell off the bone onto my fork and into my mouth, I took my fork and shred it into small pieces, and mixed it into the cabbage and carrots. The vegetables were so delicious, I could hardly believe they were vegetables, they were just as delicious as the confit. So two delicious foods on their own, but together...They were amazing. The vegetables were satisfying, and when you got even a small piece of confit, you get excited.


So, can confit or homemade confit? My decision was simple. The authentic French confit, straight from Europe, or the homemade confit, cooked in my oven? Homemade, hands down. It was like comparing canned peaches, with a real peach. Canned peaches are delicious, yes, but are they as good as a peach that still has its soft skin on it preserving it's sweet inside. Duck Confit; definitely love at the first bite.