Happy as a Clam!

I don't know why I was so intimated.  It's a itty bitty thing.  But I never venture to that part of the market.  Well, a nytimes recipe and a friend's birthday were two very good reason to learn how to cook clam.  Readers, it was easy!  No big deal.  I was so happy to make something for the first time!  Just remember two things about clams:  they should be closed shut prior to cooking and open afterwards.  

Linguine with Tomato Clam Sauce (based largely on the nytimes recipe)

20 garlic cloves

2 pints of cherry tomatoes

6 T. olive oil

1/4 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

1 pound of linguine

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 C. white wine

2 pounds of manila clams

1. Heat oven to 450.  Smash and peel 14 garlic cloves; peel and finely chop the remaining 6.  Toss the smashed garlic with tomatoes (leave them whole), 2 T. oil, salt and pepper.  Spread tomatoes out in a layer and roast for 15 to 20 minutes.

2.  Cook pasta until it is 2 minutes from being done to taste.  Drain and leave aside.

3.  Warm 4 T. oil in a pot.  Add garlic and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds.  Add the wine and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in roasted tomatoes and garlic.  Add clams.  Cover pot until all clams are open, 5-10 minutes.  Use tongs to transfer open clams to a bowl.  Discard any that do not open.

4.  Add the pasta to the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Return clams to the pot.  Toss and serve.  

 A word on cleaning clams - easy!  Soak them in salted water for 20 minutes.  Repeat.  Make sure the clams are live clams.

My kids are back at school.  Picture day was last week.

Lust List

A good friend of mine owns the Nespresso espresso maker.  This machine makes single shots of espresso.  I had my reservations about drinking espresso that comes in capsule form but you would not believe how good it is.  Plus it is really compact and very sleek looking.  It also comes with a $250 price tag.  My friend works from home.  This is her Starbucks.  But me, I get to work out of an office.  I am also a Starbucks goldcard member.  There is no way I can begin to justify such a purchase.  Isn't it pretty though?

The jewel toned capsules... 

 

Lattes, Americanos - the world is your oyster with this machine.  Then there is the affogato.  Espresso poured over vanilla ice cream.  I have been dreaming of the affogato since my friend made it for me this past weekend.  You cannot imagine how complimentary the warm creamy bitter espresso is to the cold sweet scoops of vanilla ice cream.  How did I live this long without even knowing what an affogato is?!?  

Christmas is in three months...

Salad Days

Just when we are entering into the Autumn months, we've been hit with a heat wave.  I'm talking in the low 90s.  I'm not complaining or anything (kind of).  This is soba salad weather!

2 bunches of soba noodles 

3 cups of arugula

1 cup of romaine lettuce

1/4 of a red onion

1 tomato

Sauce:

3 T. soy sauce

1 T. sesame seed oil

2 T. agave nectar

3 T. grapeseed oil

4 scallions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1.  Boil soba per instruction.  Drain and set in a colander full of ice.

2.  Chop up all the vegetables.

3.  Make sauce by mixing ingredients.  Taste and feel free to add any one of the ingredients to taste.  When I make this kind of sauce, I usually wing it.  It takes too much effort to measure everything.  Experiment, eyeball the ingredients.  

4.  Pour sauce over soba and vegetables.  Enjoy!

Then I did something totally illogical.  I baked!  


It might be because I wanted to use my cute ceramic egg holder.

The key to a good mochi cake is Mochiko.  

There is no substitute - so don't even try.


Mochi Cake (adapted from week of menus)
1 box of Mochiko (sold virtually everywhere.  usually in the 'oriental' food aisle.)
1 1/2 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 can of evaporated milk
4 eggs
2 t. baking powder
2 t. vanilla


1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2.  Melt butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
3.  In a bowl, combine sugar and butter.  Whisk until the sugar is pretty much dissolved.
4.  Add milk and vanilla.  Whisk some more.
5.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Whisk after each addition of egg.
6   Add Mochiko and baking powder.  Whisk.
7.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes.  

I added fresh raspberries.  Your cake should be springy and dense at the same time.