While I've been away

As I'm sure you've noticed, I have not posted in well over a year. I do have a good reason thought!

Reason 1:

Isn't he adorable? This is baby Cameron, born on June 3rd.

Reason 2:


We moved in at the end of August!

Now that we are settled in with house AND baby, I will be posting as often as possible!

Farmers Market Pictures

Every Tuesday and Friday I stop by the Farmers Market at Copley Square. There are so many different farms and different vendors. I love to walk around and just look at all the gorgeous (and fresh!) produce.

Excuse the graininess of the following pictures, they were taken with my camera phone.

Baby Ginger

Rainbow baby carrots

Baby eggplants

Deliciousness

For the past few days the idea of lentils and turkey sausage has been floating around my brain. I'm not sure where or when it came from, but I sure as heck am glad it did. We had some broccoli rabe turkey sausage in the freezer and a whole jar of green lentils. We also have carrots, celery and leeks that needed to be used up so I put them all into good use!

I had wanted to cook the sausages in the oven, but when that made our apartment as smokey as a poker hall I reconsidered and braised them with the lentils.

We also had salt boiled baby potatoes (freshly dug!), baked baby eggplants and heirloom tomatoes. Overall, an A+ dinner!

The lentils and sausage were very easy to prepare as well. I've included the recipe as it was made (as I intially created it) as well as how I'll make it next time (and you can bet your last lentil, there will BE a next time!).

Sausage and Lentils (2 servings plus leftovers)

1 cup lentils

1 carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped (next time I will grate)

1/2 cup leeks, diced

1 TBLSP olive oil

Salt, Pepper

1/2 Tblsp cumin (I would up this to 1 TBLS)

2 cans of chicken broth

2-3 cups water

I would add chopped fresh parsley or cilantro next time.

2 links turkey sausage (I had a broccoli rabe version)

cooking spray

Heat 1 Tablespoon oilve oil in large skillet (with lid). Add celery, carrot, garlic and leeks. Saute gently for 1 minute. Add lentils and 2 cans of chicken broth, stir well. Cover with lid and cook over med. high heat until lentils are tender. You may need to add more water depending on what kind of lentils you have. I ended up using 2 cups of water because my darn lentils wouldn't cook!

Meanwhile poke holes in turkey sausage and put in oven to bake at 350. If your oven is as temperamental as mine, you'll take it out in 10 minutes and have to open all your windows and doors. (Next time I will cook the sausage in water and crisp the skin in a frying pan).

Serve the lentils and sausage in a pretty plate!

The white blobs on the right hand side are the salt boiled baby potatoes. They look strange but taste great! You cook the potatoes with lots of salt (I used 2 Tablespoons) and let the water boil away. DON'T rinse the potatoes because that would defeat the purpose. Once the water has boiled away you are left with a salty, perfectly cooked potatoe.

My farm fresh baby potatoes (pre-boiling):

Farm fresh baby eggplant (pre-baking):

Omnivore's Hundred

Copied from Omnivore's Hundred founder Andrew of verygoodtaste.co.uk (AWESOME BLOG!!)

Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s the deal:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Red out any items that you would never consider eating.

Here's my (Arghavan's) list!

1. Venison: I'm sorry, but I won't eat Bambi
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros: During my conference in Phoenix
4. Steak tartare: During honeymoon in Paris (three times!)
5. Crocodile: Or Captain Hook's crocodile
6. Black pudding- During my study abroad days in London
7. Cheese fondue: During honeymoon in Paris and also at home!
8. Carp
9. Borscht: At Cafe St. Petersburg in Newton, MA
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari: Who doesn't love Calamari?!
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich: Does PB & Fluff count?
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart: 1st and last time thank you very much! (New Year's Eve 2000)
16. Epoisses- Bought it at Deluca's on Charles Street
17. Black truffle- I haven't actually eaten it, but I have a cryo-vac jar of it that I'm too stingy to open
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes: Pear wine at a winery in Wisconsin
19. Steamed pork buns- At China Pearl in Chinatown (Too often to count!)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes: Thanks to the Copley Square Farmer's Market and my brother in law Kris!
22. Fresh wild berries: Strawberries
23. Foie gras: At my birthday dinner at Elephant Walk (2006)
24. Rice and beans: I made rice and beans at home quite often
25. Brawn, or head cheese: I was tricked into having some in Paris
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper: I'd probably die...I have a VERY low pain tolerance
27. Dulce de leche: OF COURSE!!!
28. Oysters: I've had oysters a few times in the past...but only once has been raw
29. Baklava: My mom makes the world's BEST baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas: Yes please!!
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl: Lunch at Faneuil Hall
33. Salted lassi: Tastes very similar to Doogh, don't you think?
34. Sauerkraut: What else would I put on top of my brats?
35. Root beer float: I do NOT like Root Beer in any form.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea: High Tea at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston with Jackie
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O: Jell-O shot?
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail: I made oxtail stew a few years back...
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects- NO, NO, NO
43. Phaal- I'm not sure I'd survive the experience
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu- I'd like to try it, but I'm a weenie
47. Chicken tikka masala: Yes please!!
48. Eel- I've had it but I do NOT like it
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut: I had one once during the 5 seconds the Krispy Kreme was open in the Pru.
50. Sea urchin: Sushi style!
51. Prickly pear: Does it count if it was in a Martini?
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone: Sushi style
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal: :(
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine: While visiting my sister at McGill
60. Carob chips: It's in my trail mix
61. S’mores: Of course!
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake: I've had dough-boys (which is what funnel cakes are called in RI)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain: I serve them with my Arroz con Pollo
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho: At my conference in Phoenix, it was a watermelon gazpacho...SO GOOD!!
72. Caviar and blini: Thanks to my cousin Ali!
73. Louche absinthe:
74. Gjetost, or brunost: LOVE IT!
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini- Yum! My sister made pitchers and pitchers of this for my bridal shower.
81. Tom yum- I hope to one day have an authenic version
82. Eggs Benedict- I have it often when we go out for breakfast
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers -bought some at the herb section of Roche Bros.
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab- Oh yeah baby!!
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish- Not my favorite, but it's good
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox- Does a bagel and smoked salmon count?
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta: I make it quite often, in fact I have blogged my favorite method/recipe
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Martini's at Martinis

Last night, some girlfriends and I met up at Martini's in Norwood, MA. We had (as you may have guessed) martini's. The restaurant (pub? bar? lounge?) also has a very limited menu. If I remember correctly, they have 3 or 4 apps, a few burgers and sammies, a salad or two and 2 desserts (one of which they did not have the night we went).

The martini's though, were amazing.

This one is called a Caramel Delight. It tasted out of this world. Pretty much a big glass of caramely, booze filled goodness.

The one below was called a "Von Dutch"- a mix of strawberry and chocolate liqueurs! It was like eating a chocolate covered strawberry! Oh so good!!

A Caramel Espresso Martini, I didn't try this one but apparently is was WICKED good!

Some other drinks that we tried...The Panty Dropper, The Wet Nipple, The Pomegranate Martini, and The Horny Toad (the only one that was NOT yummy).

Thanks to Julie for the pictures!!

Chelow Kabob Anyone?

Chelow Kabob is without a doubt one of the most delicious foods to have ever been created. It typically consists of chicken, beef or lamb pieces that have been marinated, skewered and grilled over an open fire. It is one of the most popular Persian dishes and is usually served with grilled tomatos, raw onion, fresh herbs and chelow (steamed rice).

Kabob Bargh

Ingredients:
1 lb of skirt steak-cut into 2 or 3 inch pieces
1 cup yogurt
2 limes-juiced
1 large onion-cut into large chunks/wedges
1 T dried mint
Salt and Pepper

Directions
1. In food processor, process onion pieces, mint and lime juice until mushy.
2. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pepper and pour into tupperware or plastic bag.
3. Add yogurt and stir (or smoosh) till combined.
4. Put meat pieces into container and let marinate for as long as 24 hours or as little as 1/2 hour.
5. Light grill!
6. Thread meat pieces onto SOAKED bamboo skewers (or real persian kabob skewers).
7. Grill meat until brown and delicious.

Serve with rice (chelow) and enjoy!!

I served my Chelow Kabob with skewered/grilled onions and red bell peppers.