Do it your way – Spearmint and lime gravlax on labneh and chives

Posted on October 14, 2012 by petitedecadence

You know how people are always telling you how you’ve gotta do things your way and live your own life and be your own man (woman!!) and then down the road you’ll be horribly succesful and get absolutely all that you desire and the world will bow at your feet? Well I’ve been trying to do that all my life and I have yet to see even my very spoiled dog do any bowing. Not even a curtsy, seriously. But I have been doing all the things that I enjoy and bring me peace and satisfaction, and even if its hard at times in the end it’s always rewarding. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it twice; DO WHAT YOU LOVE. I don’t mean to be preachy, but seriously, I think it’s the most important thing in the world! I can only imagine being 70 and looking back…I wonder what I’ll want to tell myself? I’m glad I have all this money in the bank or…I’m glad I ate gravlax and spent my bucks in riding and cooking and gardening and buying oil paints every time I felt like it? Ok I’ll be frank, I’ll probably want to tell myself both. But I’m sure I’ll get there! Everyone says so right? And we all know that if everyone says so then it must be true. And plus, even Frank Sinatra sang about it. So that’s what I tell myself every time I go to the market and I see a huge salmon fillet, just waiting to be played with. And I did play my way; I put a little twist on the classic Nordic dish. I made my gravlax with loads and loads of spearmint (’cause its so much milder than dill) and lime rinds, because those three together even when non-gravlaxed make a great combo, imho. And when you put it over pumpernickel and a deliciously creamy labneh sauce, (also called jocoque, aka strained yoghurt) rich in chives and a drop of lime on top…..well you’ll certainly be glad you’re doing it your way. Don’t lie, you want to read more for the recipe, right?

(Note: you could also substitute the labneh for homemade cheese!)

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Fancy schmancy – Grilled manchego and snow pea sandwich

Posted on August 22, 2012 by petitedecadence

There really isn’t much I can say to sell you on this recipe…it contains the words grilled and cheese in the title, so I don’t really need to make an effort, do I? Everyone knows that those two words are heaven in a sandwich, guaranteed. Even if it’s just two slices of buttery grilled bread with gooey cheese in between and nothing more. But I took it upon myself to make a melt-in-your-mouth grilled cheese using wheat thins. (Not the crackers, the flat bread) I know, wheat thins don’t even count as bread, at least not in my book. But they make excellent shells for grilled cheese, because they’re so thin they become crispy and deliciously buttery. And if you pair them with semi cured Manchego de oveja*, snow peas and wilted arugula with a generous dab of dijon mustard….well…need I say more? I know, imported spanish cured cheese seems a bit fancy for wheat thins…but it’s seriously an amazing combo! Or maybe it was the peas. Or the arugula. Or the butter. Or the fact that I served them with sweet corn cobs grilled in parsley butter. Take my word for it, whatever it was, you’ll want to try one! Read more for the recipe.

*For those who don’t have it around, Manchego de oveja is a DO spanish cheese made from the milk of sheep originally from the La Mancha region, hence the name manchego. It varies in hardness according to the time it’s been cured. You can read more about it right here.

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Shameless pleasures – Baked eggs w/ creamy goat cheese sauce

Posted on July 4, 2012 by petitedecadence

Some things are just shameless pleasures. Not guilty, just shameless. Think of buying overly expensive shoes that you’ll use only three times a year (I never do that. I swear.) or watching three movies on the same sunday. Or having a scone….and then having another one. It’s that tiny instant in your head of ohwellwhocares that lets you do this kind of thing and precisely that little voice in my head which yesterday said “It’s ok, you’ve had breakfast, but that was way back at 7 am, and look at the terrace now, it’s so sunny and summer-y, wouldn’t you like to brunch out there? Of course you would….now go do it” And I of course, being extremely obedient, did. It’s not like I ate a whole dish of baked eggs at 11:30 in the morning on my own right? Oh. Wait. It totally is. Butwhocares. This dish is so delicious I’d gladly do the same every other day of the week. Besides, baked eggs are something I always forget, and I shouldn’t because they’re so easy and good and healthy (that’s of course when you don’t bathe them in cream) and easy to mix and match with whatever ingredients you have in the fridge…. Anyway, here is my shamelessly delicious recipe, with loads of cream, cheese, tomato and basil. Read more to find it.

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No more Christmas – Fried rice with quail eggs over bok choy leaves

Posted on January 5, 2012 by petitedecadence

I’m back from the holidays! I know I left without any warning, but I figured everyone would be eating so much anyway that the internet could do without one more food blogger for a month. I’ve been cooking like crazy though, and since I didn’t actually have a proper holiday, I had quite a bit of time on my hands to think up new things to simmer, bake, reduce, fry and chop. I’ll start today with a not-very-holidayesque recipe, but still quite delicious and apt for all those who are sick of having leftovers, as is my case. This mainly because in my house we have a yet to be diagnosed kitchen disorder which prevents us from cooking anything in small, appropriate amounts, leaving us with enough to go around for a week. And so our Christmas turkeys (in Mexican tradition we have turkey for Christmas dinner) become staple diet until sometime in January. Not that I’m complaining, it’s only once a year, and hey, I got to make my own turkey this year (and it was scary. I never thought weight mattered, but when you’re facing a naked empty 23 pound animal all sorts of things can go wrong) which turned out delicious, if I do say so myself.
Enough Christmas rambling, I intended to write a post sans the holiday references, but failed. So I’ll get on to today’s recipe: Fried rice with rib-eye and quail eggs over bok choy leaves. No need for further description, it is every bit as delicious as it sounds. Read more for the recipe. (And make it even though it takes quite a bit of chopping! its worth it!)

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Love in a bowl – Serrano Parmesano Risotto

Posted on November 1, 2011 by petitedecadence

Remember that time when you ate risotto for lunch and dinner and next day lunch? No? You’ve never done such a piggy-like thing before? Hmm. Weird. Maybe that’s because you haven’t made risotto with a nice and old, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, jamon serrano, tons of butter, and avocado. This kind is the second best risotto I’ve ever tried (it was here), the first one being a Black risotto with calamari, which you can enjoy right here in Mexico City, but which I’m not adventurous enough to try and make myself yet. (How do you go about using squid ink? Where do you even buy it?) For this recipe though, I did feel bold enough to try it with a recipe I made up myself, using good ingredients as the secret for good results. I chose jamon serrano, which one could say is the spanish version of prosciutto, but which tastes quite different. And then I did something (if you’re squeamish/vegan/a health nut , I would suggest you stop reading) quite naughty; I toasted the rice in those white slices of fat. I know. I’m terrible. But you can really justify it to other people once you present them with a hot bowl and a spoon. They won’t be complaining once they the get tiny bits of golden, delicious, cheese covered goodness. Read more for the recipe!

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