Bored. Bored. Bored.

Eating the same meals, week after week, may be fine for some people. But I love food, and I love variety. And the whole family was getting bored, bored, bored with our same-old weekly menu. So last weekend I went through the file of recipes I've been collecting to find new and interesting meals.

Every cook has one of these file. We see a recipe in a magazine, newspaper or online and rip it out (or print it out), then put it in a file to cook another day. But instead of trying those recipes they pile up. Until one day you empty that fat file and fill up the paper recycling bin.

Not this time.

I sifted (pun intended) through the recipes and took out three that, as it turned out, were really good. The first one I cooked—Scallop Gumbo—was from The New York Times. Here's the link... http://nyti.ms/bldQ5X

If you don't want to click to the site, I've copied and pasted their recipe below. On a "Fussy Scale" I'd rate it a 6 out of 10. (A 1 is making toast. A 10 is making a souffle.) You start by making a roux, which is not hard but requires constant attention. This is typical of New Orleans-style recipes.

I also served it like they do in Louisiana, with a mound of delicious rice in the center of the bowl. Then you surround the rice with that stew-like soup.

This recipe serves 6 full bowls or 8 smaller bowls.

What to buy

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

Salt and black pepper

2 to 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water

2 cups chopped tomatoes with their juice (canned are fine)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried

2 bay leaves

Cayenne to taste

1 pound bay scallops (the smaller ones)

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish.

What to do

1. Put oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, add flour and cook, stirring almost constantly, until roux darkens and becomes fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes; as it cooks, adjust heat as necessary to keep mixture from burning. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and raise heat to medium. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes.

2. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and cayenne. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat so soup bubbles steadily. Cook for about 20 minutes or until flavors meld. Add scallops and cook until they are no longer translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve, garnished with parsley.

If you make this, please post your review on this blog.

A Tasty Morsel

One of my NYU students just started a food blog and I think it's terrific. If you like food (and who doesn't like food), here's what you should do...

Read his blog:

http://gourmetwithabudget.wordpress.com/

Follow him on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/gourmetonbudget

Join his Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_157384210982285

(This weekend, I'm making the Grilled Shrimp Salad with Feta and Rice Wine Vinaigrette)

Waiter, there's a taco in my soup

Meghan, who sits outside my office, has to put up with my incessant rantings about the food I've made and the restaurants I've been to. Well, the other day she gave back, in the form of a delicious and oh-so-simple recipe for Taco Soup.

I made it last weekend and Meghan was right. Now, with the cool weather coming, I feel an uncontrollable urge to share the recipe with you.

LIBBY'S TACO SOUP (modified a bit by Neil)

What to buy

- 1 lb boneless chicken breast

- Emeril's essence

- 2 cans 14.5 stewed chopped tomatoes

- 1 can Rotel tomatoes

- 1 can corn (with juice)

- 1 can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

- 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

- 1 package Hidden Valley Dip mix

- 1/2 package taco seasoning

What to do

1. Sprinkle Emeril's essence on chicken and grill. Let cool. Dice.

2. Put all ingredients into a pot and simmer on a low flame for 1 hour covered.

3. Serve w/cheese, avocado, and/or sour cream.

Ole!

Famine and Feast

I know this blog is about food, but today I'm going to write about fasting.

This past weekend was Yom Kippur. I spent Saturday September 18th repenting by not eating, which is not fun. But the Break-the-Fast meal is always a blast. My niece Sydney thinks it's the best meal of the year.

This year we went to my sister Fran's studio apartment in Manhattan. Fran is an amazing cook, but her studio has a very small kitchen that can fit one and half people. (How do you fit half a person in a kitchen, you may be wondering. Someone is in the kitchen, the other person is in the doorway shuttling plates and bowls to the table, is the answer.)

Fran served requisite fare, and most of it was carbs. Rye bread and bagels, cream cheese, lox, herring, tuna salad, egg salad. Usually there's a kugel, but not this year.

We couldn't show up empty handed, so I made a blintz souffle. I think it was my grandmother's recipe, or maybe it was Fran's mother in-laws' recipe. No matter what, it was super delicious. Here's how to make it.

Old-Fashioned Blintz Souffle

What to buy

- 1/2 stick unsalted butter

- 2 packages of frozen cheese-filled blintzes (6 per package)

- 4 eggs

- 1/2 c sour cream

- 1/2 c OJ

- 1/4 sugar

How to prepare it

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in 9 x 13 baking pan

3. In blender beat eggs, sour cream, OJ and sugar

3. Lay frozen blintzes in melted butter crosswise. Pour blended mixture over blintzes.

4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve immediately.

This was so good, I think I'll make it for Christmas breakfast this year. Now how's that for mixing things up.

Reinventing the Shmear on a Bagel

I just went to a new bagel place near my office for lunch—and loved it!

It's called Vic's Bagel Bar at 544 3rd Ave (www.vicsbagelbar.com). They took the Cold Stone Creamery idea and translated it to bagels and cream cheese.

First you pick your bagel, and they have big, fat, air-filled bagels that are chewy on the inside and crusty on the outside. There are standard types, like sesame, whole wheat, everything and pumpernickel. Then they have designer styles—flagels, french toast with a sugary crust on top, gluten free and chocolate chip. (Why would anyone add chocolate chips to a bagel?)

Next you pick your mix-ins, just like at Cold Stone. Choose from all kinds of veggies, herbs, fruits, cheeses, potato chips, bacon wasabi, bbq sauce, and chocolate chips (which I still don't get). If you're feeling too hungry to be creative, you can order a signature mixed sandwich. I had the Club Med which included roasted red peppers, olives, capers and fresh basil leaves. Usually they mix this in hummus, but I wanted cream cheese.

I was tempted by the Backyard BBQ (corn, cheddar, bbq sauce and red onion) and the Vermonter (bacon bits, maple syrup and cinammon).

Don't you love a menu that has too many GOOD options and makes your decision difficult.

If you're looking for a bissel of bagel (bissel, that's Yiddish for "a little"), give Vic's a try.

Asian Slaw Extravaganza

It's official. We kicked off of the barbecue season last weekend on Memorial day with our annual neighborhood barbecue in my garden. While our wonderful neighbors were there, fewer and fewer of our children attended, with a large contingency busy with pre- or post-college prep. With no children running around and screaming, the festivities were low key, but still filled with the merriment and anticipation you expect at the beginning of summer.

The planning was even more lackadaisical than usual, which is why we ended up with three different Asian cole slaws. One was Chinese style, another Thai and a third Korean. Each was delicious, in a different way. Just in time for your next barbecue, here are the recipes for all three.

Crispy Chinese Cole Slaw (from my sister Fran)

What to buy

For salad

• 2 T butter
• 1 pkg Ramen noodles (broken)
• 2 tbl sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 head green cabbage cored and shredded
• 1/2 head purple cabbage cored and shredded
  
• 1 grated carrot
• 1 zucchini julienned

For dressing

• 3 tbl peanut butter (soften in micro)
• 2 tbl chicken broth
• 1 tbl minced garlic
• 3 tbl soy sauce
• 1 tbl sesame oil
• 1 tbl hoisin sauce
• 2 tbl rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbl sugar

How to prepare it

1. Melt butter in skillet on medium heat. Saute Ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds until brown. Set aside

2. Combine cole slaw, cabbage and zucchini in a large bowl.

3. Just before serving, whisk together peanut butter, chicken broth, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar in a separate bowl. Pour over cabbage and mix. Garnish with sauteed noodle, sesame seed, almond mixture and serve.


Thai Peanut Cole Slaw (from my neighbor Elizabeth)

What to buy

For salad

• 3/4 cup purple and green cabbage cut up
• 1 carrot julienned
• 3 scallions cut up with green stems
• 1 cucumber seeded and julienned
• Fresh cilantro chopped (to taste)
• Fresh mint chopped (to taste)
• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

For dressing

• 1 red onion or shallot finely minced
• 3 tbl peanut butter
• 3 tbl rice vinegar
• 3 tbl soy sauce
• 3 tbl sesame oil
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 tbl sugar
• salt/pepper to taste
• chili oil or powder to taste

1. Combine veggies in a bowl and set aside.

2. Mix together dressing ingredients. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the slaw and toss. Refrigerate till ready to serve. Can be made a few hours ahead.


Pickled Asian Slaw (from my neighbor Cynthia)

What to buy

• 2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 cups of water
• 1 red pepper julienned
• 1/4 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 carrot julienned
• 1/2 red onion julienned
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed and chopped

How to prepare it

1. In a large saucepan,, bring 2 cups of water, the vinegar and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

2. Add the red pepper, cabbage, carrot and onion and cook, stirring until the carrot and onion are tender—about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the vegetables and spread them out in a large baking dish to cook to room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the cilantro and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate to serve.

About Men & Food

"Men are like bagpipes. No sound comes from them until they're full.

Celtic Proverbs