The Day We Went Fishing

I woke up on Saturday morning without any goals or expectations for the weekend. I have been so busy lately that I just needed a day to catch my breath and just be. It doesn't happen often.

As I was making our usual weekend breakfast of pancakes (this time coconut, almond, and blueberry), I asked C. if he had any plans for the day. "J. and I are going fishing with Paul this afternoon, didn't you know?". Perhaps he had mentioned it, but it had escaped me.

Sounded like the perfect plan.



Honestly, although I do love being outside and in nature, I have never been very good with outdoor sports, which makes me the oddball in the family as everyone else is. I grew up with my grandfather, uncles and cousins always talking about bird hunting, fishing, mushroom picking...

There were always fishing poles, wellies and wicker baskets in the pastry shop. As soon as the work day was over, which was sometimes as early as noon, they would all hit the river or the mountains around us.

I enjoy just being in nature and watching others, but I can count with one hand the times that I actually participated in the events.



We met Paul in Juno Beach. It was a particularly windy day and the current was strong. I never thought that fishing right on the shore in these conditions was a possibility. But I trusted them, of course.

J. was fascinated with all the sand fleas, clam strips, and different bait that the grown ups had. Miren was just happy. Running around and throwing wet sand to the birds around.

I just sat and watched them closely. I took it all in. The wind, the smell of the ocean, the sun on my shoulders and especially, the kids.



It was about an hour into fishing when I saw C. struggle with his pole. There it was, a beautiful, silver and blue pompano. A beautiful thing. And not to sound overly romantic, but that day, I appreciated that fish more than anything. I had to explain to J. how that pompano gave up its life for us. He stared at me as I was saying it. I knew his mind was trying to process it all.

We arrived home exhausted and saved the pompano for Sunday.



After the farmers' market trip on Sunday morning, I stopped by Karen's house. She shared some of her cherry tomatoes with us and I thought they would be perfect with the fish.

Tomatoes tossed in olive oil and salt and roasted are one of the best things in life.



I even showed J. how to clean the fish, something my own mom had taught me when I was young. Possibly as young as 11 I was already cleaning whole fish. I particularly remember the tiny anchovies, one by one, spine and all.



We roasted the fish simply with salt, lemon slices, lots of herbs, a drizzle of olive oil. 400F for 20 minutes. Perfect.

Served it with the roasted tomatoes. Also a raw purple carrot and dill salad.

The perfect Sunday lunch.



We spent Sunday afternoon at home. The boys built an amazing tunnel and slide track for all of J's marbles and mighty beans (again, don't ask!), while I baked these lemon, pistachio and poppy seed cakes.

No complaints there.

And so I got my rest and that is exactly what I needed.




I also wanted to let you know that I have been invited to be a speaker at this year's BlogHer Food, which will be held in Atlanta on May 20-21. Tami, Stephanie and I will share a panel to discuss "Finding Your Visual Voice" and our own personal experiences with food styling and photography.

If you are attending, please say hi. Hope to see you there!


Lemon, Pistachio and Poppy Seed Cakes

Makes 1 dozen cupcake size cakes

2 eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) natural cane sugar
1 Tbs lemon zest
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs olive oil (85 ml) olive oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) almond milk
1/3 cup (35 grams) pistachio meal
1/3 cup (45 grams) superfine brown rice flour
1/4 cup (35 grams) millet flour
2 Tbs (15 grams) tapioca starch
2 Tbs poppy seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt


Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C).

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and almond milk.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and stir until it comes together.

Pour the batter into a muffin pan lined with baking papers. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Peppergrass, Sorrel and More Weekend Cooking

"Can you make pancakes for breakfast before going to the farmers' market?" asked J. as soon as I walked downstairs Saturday morning. He was up early. He knew it was the weekend and that a trip to the farmers' market was the first thing in order. Just like every other Saturday morning."Can I help?"

Our bellies full with chestnut and sauteed apple pancakes, my mom and I headed down to the farmers' market. It is always so nice to have alone time with her.



"Let's go see what Jody has this week" I told mom. "The padron peppers might be ready".

On the way there, we picked up eggs and my new wild strawberry plant, which I hope starts giving fruit soon (keeping fingers crossed).

We looked through Jody's stand. So many varieties of greens that is always hard to choose. The padron peppers weren't ready, but we spotted greens I have never seen before.

"Taste this". Peppery and lemony cress. "It's peppergrass" Jody told us. It was fresh and bright, similar to watercress, but different. We put that in our baskets as well as some sorrel, chervil, tender Bibb lettuce, and some heirloom carrots. "it will be great in a salad".



As we were walking back to our car, I reminded my mom of how my paternal grandmother, amama Dolores, never ate lettuce. Despite growing lots of greens in her own garden, she always said that lettuce was for the chickens. We laughed. We were definitely going to eat our greens.

At home we roasted potatoes and baby beets. Also made pesto with some of the peppergrass and sorrel, and slowly poached salmon with herbs in olive oil. It was a delicious salad indeed.

We ate it with a creamy tomato soup scented with sorrel, similar to this one.



For dessert we had dark chocolate and quinoa shortbread cookies. Soft and intense. I dipped them in some hemp milk in the middle of the afternoon. It hit the spot.



Salmon, Roasted Potato and Beet Salad with Peppergrass and Sorrel Pesto

Peppergrass and Sorrel Pesto

1 clove garlic
2 Tbs pine nuts
1 cup peppergrass
1/4 cup sorrel
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup olive oil

In the food processor, finely chop the garlic and pine nuts. Add the peppergrass, sorrel, and salt. Pulse until it turns into a fine paste. Add the grated parmesan and pulse twice to incorporate. Add the olive oil while machine running until pesto turns into a smooth paste. Reserve.

6 baby beets
6 baby golden potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Toss all ingredients in a baking pan and roast at 425F for about 20-25 minutes.

2 (6 ounce) pieces of salmon
1/4 tsp salt
Fresh herbs (thyme, sorrel, parsley, etc)
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup olive oil

Season salmon with salt on both sides. Tide the herbs around the salmon with butcher's twine. Over low heat, heat the olive oil in a shallow pan that will hold both pieces of salmon. Add the garlic. When it starts to form small bubbles around the garlic. Add the salmon and gently cook it for 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness. I half way cover the pot with a lid.

To assemble the salad, toss the roasted beets and potatoes with some of the pesto. Arrange peppergrass and sorrel leaves on a platter, season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1 Tbs lemon juice. Top with flaked pieces of salmon, beets and potatoes.

Creamy Spring Buckwheat, Chocolate and Chestnut Pudding Cakes and Thinking About Japan

Today I feel lucky.

I look around and I am surrounded by my family, my children thriving, playing without a care in the world, like healthy children do. Seeing the images that come from Japan are heartbreaking. How we can lose it all in an instant. In the blink of an eye our lives can turn upside down. Such devastation.

As soon as I heard about the news on Friday, I thought of my friend Keiko and wondered how her loved ones would be doing. I tried to imagine how I would deal with such news from afar, just as she is. Then, she confirmed her family is well. A sigh of relief.

I could't write a post without acknowledging all those people who have lost it all, but also the stories of survival and hope.

We are thinking about them.



And as for our weekend, it was quiet.

I spent lots of time writing while C. and my parents took care of the kids. I am so thankful for the beautiful weather so we don't have to be cooped up indoors. Well, at least the kids don't have to and that is what counts, no?

And so I continue creating and editing. Feedback from my editor has been great so there goes another sigh of relief.



M. loved snapping fresh and plump sugar snow peas out of their shell. So sweet that she ate pod and all.

J. played hard to get, shying away from my camera. He was busy flying his new kite.



And then we cooked, we cooked a lot.

Like creamy buckwheat with peas, fennel and watercress or chocolate and chestnut pudding cakes.

Not bad, wouldn't you say?



UPDATE:

Here is a good list of resources of how we can all help through donations.

Also, Chika is hosting a sakura fundraiser here.

I have also donated to the International Medical Corps.

I will keep updating as I hear more.

Thank you.

Creamy Buckwheat with Peas, Fennel and Watercress

Serves 4

3 cups of water
1/2 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1 shallot, thinly diced
1/2 medium fennel bulb, diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup watercress
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
chicken stock, optional

Bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the buckwheat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Drain.

In the meantime, in a separate sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Sweat the shallots and the fennel until tender.

Add the cooked buckwheat, peas, mascarpone, parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper. If you feel it's too dry, add a little bit of chicken stock to lighten it. Serve immediately.

Ivory Lentil Salad, Strawberries and Buttermilk

As I am sitting in front of the screen trying to write this post, my mind went blank.

I have been cooking and photographing so many recipes lately that it is hard to remember which recipe I was going to tell you about. "Wait, was it the snapper or the vegetable tart?... Wait, what was I going to talk about?". It gets confusing.

I also realized that most of my blogging has been set aside for weekend cooking and baking when mom and I spend time in the kitchen together. I hope you don't mind. I hope that our everyday simple meals are also interesting enough to draw you into the kitchen. I hope so.



So just as we have been doing every Sunday morning, yesterday we headed out to the farmers market. It was sunny, breezy and beautiful. We did our round and got our usual eggs, heirloom cherry tomatoes, radishes and strawberries. Also several kinds of greens and beets.



Do you ever get anxiety after you go to the farmers market? I do. A good kind of anxiety. The kind that makes me want to cook everything at once and photograph it as soon as we get home. The fresher the better.

"Wait, don't put those away yet" I told my mom. "I need to take photos of them". She shook her head.

While I was upstairs shooting, she cooked some ivory lentils for lunch. They cook in about 20 minutes and have the perfect texture for a salad. A little bite still left in them. Perfect with spicy radishes, peppery watercress, sweet julienne carrots and a chili and garlic vinaigrette.



Kai Kai Farms had beautiful tiny little strawberries. So sweet. Then I remembered this recipe and decided to adapt it to include buttermilk, millet and a little bit of corn flour for some extra texture.

It was so good. We had it after dinner while playing a game of "Go Fish".



I also wanted to tell you that I am honored to be listed in Babble's Top 100 surrounded by such great bloggers. Thank you Babble.com!

Spring Ivory Lentil Salad with Spicy Garlic Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 cup ivory lentils, rinsed
3 cups cold water
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
2 cups watercress, washed
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp chili flakes
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, water and salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and cool for 5 minutes.

Toss the lentils, radishes, carrots and watercress.

To prepare the vinaigrette, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan. Add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook for 2 minutes or until it starts to get a bit of color. Do not burn the garlic. Add the vinegar. It will splatter so stand back. Turn the heat off and swirl the vinegar into the oil. Pour over the salad. Season wih salt and pepper. Toss and serve.

Salmon, Fennel and Parsnip Stew for Two

Before I tell you all about this recipe and what I have been up to these days, I must thank all of you for the kind comments and wonderful feedback regarding my upcoming book. I greatly appreciate the support and knowing that you will be there in 2012 excited to see it.

Thank you.



As you might suspect, it has been quite busy around here. I spend most of my mornings cooking, styling and shooting recipes for the book. There are always thousands of ideas floating around in my head and it is not always easy to narrow down to those that will make it into the manuscript. So for now, I am testing away and editing later.

I start my days early. Buckwheat porridge, eggs and hot tea are my usual. I help J. get ready for school and start thinking of the recipes for the day. I have a wonderful girl that is helping me with M. in the mornings while I work. It would be impossible otherwise. She is in her discovery phase (aren't they always?) and lens caps, reflectors and tripods seem to be her favorite toys.



One of the highlights of my day is when M. and I sit down for lunch. She runs to the table, tries to climb up on to her high chair and grabs her spoon. Ready to eat. She takes after me.

This time it was salmon stew made with leeks, fennel, parsnips and a touch of coconut milk. M. ate it with a smile on her face. Pieces of salmon with one hand and parsnips with the other. I had picked up some microgreens at the farmers markets days before and added some to mine. I love the sweet and bright flavor of the purple shiso. It really complemented the soup.

The salmon came as a gift from the kind people of Norwegian Salmon whose campaign had been running on my blog. It really was a delicious soup.



I also wanted to tell you about the trip M. and I took last weekend to see my friend Nadia in New England. It was a winter wonderland. The snow, the farm, the cows, the chickens, the horses.... I loved spending time with her and it was beautiful to see M. bond with her. Nadia posted some photos of our weekend in her blog.

We also had an amazing lunch at Bea's house. She cooked a delicious meal for us. Soup, crab, apple and fennel slaw verrine, salmon with watercress pilaf and asparagus and my favorite, pistachio financiers and chocolate cake, which I ended up having for breakfast the next day. It was beautiful to watch M. and Lulu laugh and play together. Fun girls.

Thank you Nadia and Bea for your hospitality. I will be eternally grateful.



And to top it all off, my parents arrived this weekend.

I'm in heaven.

Salmon, Fennel, Parsnip and Coconut Stew

Makes enough for 2 people

2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 leek, washed and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
2 parsnips, scrubbed and diced
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
8 oz salmon, cut into chiunks
Microgreens as garnish (optional)

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil and cook the leek, garlic and fennel for about 5 minutes until tender. Do not let it get brown. Add the diced parsnips, vegetable broth, coconut milk, salt and pepper.

Cover the pot and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes until parsnips are tender. Add the salmon, cover and let it simmer for another 3 minutes or so, until it turns light pink. Adjust seasoning.

Serve with microgreens, if desired.