Thursday, February 27, 2014

Pan Roasted New York Steak with Demi-Glace and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Pan Roasted New York Steak with Demi-Glace and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing




Oh, the irony!

The most popular dish I've ever published on this website is my Chicken with Mushroom Demi-Glace I prepared for #SundaySupper last autumn. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite dish I've ever profiled.

I'm still baffled by it. The recipe is from Chef Robert Irvine who is one of my favorite Food Network personalities, but more than that, the demi-glace is a derivative of an espagnole sauce which is taught in culinary schools. If it's profiled there, I assume it's fundamental which indicates I failed miserably the first time around. The other issue I have is with my garnish. I intended to top it with a small salad but the only thing that made it on the plate was a bit of bacon and a couple of spinach leaves.

I had to rectify this situation.

The Challenge

...can be summed up in one word: Redemption

The Source

I used the method described on page 41 of Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio. I used a salad by Alton Brown from foodnetwork.com and a basic demi-glace from Le Cordon Bleu.

Ingredients

8 ounces baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry with paper towels
2 large hard boiled eggs, sliced thin
1 8-ounce container sliced white mushrooms
8 slices thick-cut bacon
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, sliced thin plus 1 shallot minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 New York steaks
2 sprigs fresh thyme plus 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons cut into small cubes unsalted butter, divided
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, crushed with the side of a knife
1 bay leaf

Method

1. Make the salad: Combine the spinach, eggs, mushrooms and sliced shallot in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Fry the bacon until crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate and crumble into bits. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat and pour into a small saucepan and set aside separately from the spinach.


2. Roast the steaks: Using the olive oil, steaks, thyme sprigs and 2 tablespoons butter, prepare the steaks as I described in step 2 previously. While you allow for carryover cooking...


3. Prepare the demi-glace and finish the dish: Discard the leftover oil from the pan you roasted the steaks. Place it back over medium heat and add the chopped shallot, beef stock, chopped thyme, red wine, peppercorns and bay leaf. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the fond and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce by about half or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the butter cubes one at a time until melted. Place the saucepan with the bacon fat over low heat. If the fat has solidified, render again then whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and mustard over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss with the spinach and bacon bits. To plate, place the steak off to one side, spoon some demi-glace over it with the salad off to the opposite side. I also served with mashed potatoes.



Successful?

I didn't realize it at the time but the demi-glace I describe above is a bit of a short cut, however it tasted much better than my earlier iteration. The salad was flavorful and complemented the beef well.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Light Stunt: Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse




As I've networked within the community, I have discovered that women who write food blogs far outnumber men who do which makes me part of a minority. I would also be willing to bet that a woman is reading these very words. Now, I love each of my readers equally but ladies, this post isn't for you to read. I will now ask you to bring your significant others into the room to read between the two lines of asterisks.

***************************************

Gentlemen, allow me to quickly introduce myself. I am DB and I have assumed the alias Foodie Stuntman. As you're aware, Valentine's Day was about a week ago. I must admit, I'm not a big fan of it as I discussed previously. So, as opposed to displaying your affection on a holiday manufactured by Hallmark Cards where we're obligated to do so, surprise her when she doesn't expect it. She'll appreciate it more. (And no, don't prepare this dessert because you came home with a door ding on her passenger side rear fender or spent too much money hanging out with the boys at the sports bar the Saturday prior.) To that end, I found this dessert online that's easy to prepare.

Now, this site is called Crazy Foodie Stunts and I always challenge myself, so...

The Challenge

Get us guys in the kitchen to make something for our significant others.

The Source

Adapted from a recipe I found on iVillage

Equipment Needed

(I've attached sample pictures of some of the items.)

1 medium saucepan
1 baking spatula
1 heatproof (stainless steel or Pyrex) bowl medium size
3 additional large preparation bowls
1 hand mixer or stand mixer if you're lucky to have one.
1 whisk
4 cocktail, wine or martini glasses

Ingredients

3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon whole milk
2 large eggs, separated (You'll need 2 of the 3 additional bowls for this)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
whip cream, for serving
Chocolate shavings or chips, for garnish

Method

1. Fill the saucepan halfway with water. Place the heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan. If the water touches the bottom of the bowl, pour a little bit of the water out enough so that the water does not touch it. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chocolate and milk in the heatproof bowl, then place the bowl back over the simmering water. Stir with the baking spatula until melted, then remove the bowl from heat and let it cool off for a minute or two. (By the way, if you want to sound sophisticated, this is called a double boiler set up. Yes, you could melt the chocolate in the nuclear oven, but I've never found radiation very tasty.)


2. While the chocolate is cooling, add the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks. Use the whisk to stir until thick and creamy. Then add the chocolate from the heatproof bowl and stir everything using the whisk until just combined.


3. Add the heavy cream to the remaining preparation bowl. Using your mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. (Only the first three minutes of the video I've provided are relevant.) Add the chocolate mixture to the cream and stir until just combined.


4. Clean the beaters from your mixer and re-attach. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form using the same procedure in step 3. Stir in some of the egg whites then fold in the rest of the egg whites. Spoon a portion of the mousse into each of your serving glasses, cover with either plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. While you're waiting for it to set, be sure to clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes before grabbing a beer and watching the game. When you're ready to serve, top each glass with whip cream and garnish it with chocolate shavings or chips.


5. Enjoy the appreciation from your significant other.

***************************************

So ladies, you've seen the picture above. However if your guy presents this dessert on you suddenly, please accept the gift at face value and appreciate it as a token of affection. No, he isn't softening you for some bad news later on.

In other news, Mrs. Stuntman and I did celebrate Valentine's Day but we decided to do so on Sunday the 16th at Frances in San Francisco. You might recognize it because it was awarded one Michelin star in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The dishes we ordered were:

Roasted Turnip Empanada-Sultana Raisin, Salsa Verde

Tuscan Kale & Butter Bean Soup-Farro, Crostini, Roasted Chicken and Garlic Broth

Winter Vegetable Casserole-Hen of the Wood Mushrooms, Buttermilk Biscuits

Sonoma Duck Breast-Pumpkin Seed Dukkah, Roasted Winter Squash, Blood Orange

Crisp Bintje Potatoes & Charred Broccolini, Taleggio di Peghera

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Adding Some Class with Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic





Something new for 2014...

Standard operating procedure for almost any blogger is to write a blogroll. I, too, have my own blogroll but I have felt for some time that blogrolls are inadequate.

Primarily the issue I have is that it gives no incentive for the reader to click on the link beyond the suggestion, so I thought why not bring that blogger to my readers? Instead of telling you why I read a blog, ask the author to demonstrate what makes them so exemplary. This is the reason I've created this new (hopefully) monthly series called Adding Some Class with...

For my inaugural post, I present to you Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic. You might remember her on a number of different occasions. In September of 2012, I wrote a guest post for her while she was out of town. More recently she featured me on her website last month where she replicated my Bucatini all'Amatriciana, which happens to be my second post on this site.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. For me, Kim separates herself from any other blogger with her wit and humor. More than any other food blogger I've met online, somehow she draws out my sarcasm. In fact, I wrote a pretty straight forward guest post in 2012 because I figured if I tried to outwit her, I'd lose. For example, when I was sending her some pictures for her Burning Down The Kitchen feature, I told her she couldn't print out my avatar and throw darts at it to which she replied I'd never throw darts. We have a bow and arrow for things like that.


Kim's sense of humor isn't her only quality I admire. For one, she manages two sites. Her other one is Kiss My Smoke where she profiles grilled dishes. None of this would matter, however, if she wasn't a talented cook. She is the proverbial double-edged sword where she makes stunning desserts on top of drool-worthy entreés. On top of all this, her photography is light years better than the chicken scratch I publish here. Just look at that picture above.

So, without further ado, I'll leave you in the expert hands of Kim...

Well hello Crazy Foodie Stunt readers. I'm pleased as punch to be here with you today. Any friend of DB's is a friend of mine.
I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Kim and I am the lady behind Cravings of a Lunatic. It's a blog about recipes, and my silly life. I have to admit most of the recipes are fairly indulgent, but there's the odd salad thrown in just to keep my readers on their toes. I also have a grill site called Kiss my Smoke. I started that one last year to share my love of grilling with my readers. Years ago I learned that asking my hubs to grill was a good way to throw food away. The man gets seriously distracted outside. I'd go out to check on how the food was coming along, the grill would smoking and he'd be in the pool with the kids. Needless to say I had to take over the grill, and what started as necessity turned into passion. I love to grill and pride myself on being pretty dang good at it. Hubs grilling responsibilities have been downgraded to starting the grill, or covering the grill. Occasionally I'll let him do the dishes, because I'm a giver.
I have to admit I was a bit nervous about swinging by DB's place to guest post. I don't do many guest posts. I tend to put too much pressure on myself and get super nervous. Add to that DB's food philosophy and I was a bit of a wreck. I love that DB pushes himself to try new techniques, his approach to cooking is inspiring. He's so adventurous and curious when it comes to food. I knew I didn't want to show up with a simple recipe. I tend to be known for easy, accessible recipes, lots of no bake and quick recipes for busy families. This seemed like a good time to show what else I can do. I used to spend hours perfecting techniques and trying new things. However these days I'm so busy with my family's crazy schedules that I rarely have that kind of time any more. But for DB I made the time, because I adore him.
Like all things in my life good intentions turned into crazy antics. I planned a day that I had lots of time to make these since it's step heavy. Let's just say the plan went to hell in a handbasket pretty quickly. I cleared my schedule, I preheated the oven, I started pulling out the ingredients so I could mise en place. To my shock I didn't have enough cream. I always have enough cream. Usually I have tons of it in the fridge. But not the day I needed it apparently. So a trip to the store was in order. When I got back I continued pulling out ingredients and realized I didn't have enough eggs. Seriously, you would think I would have made a list before running out the first time. So another trip to the store was in order. By the time I got home I needed a nap. No, just kidding. I pulled everything together, cooked and popped it in the fridge. Then I realized with all the trips to the store that I had lost the light for photos. I waited until the next day and was so excited to photograph the dish. I waited for hubs to get home so I could take some in process shots. You definitely need two people for that. We got everything set up and I had him taking the photos while I torched the tops. I got half way through the first one when the butane ran out. Some bad words were said then hubs ran into the garage to grab the big torch. The tip was broken off so we couldn't use it. More bad words were said. I finally decided to pop them under the broiler. Don't pop them under the broiler. I don't find it works the same as a blowtorch. Meanwhile Hubs had run to grab me a new deep fryer and was thoughtful enough to grab me some butane. I had made extras so we grabbed them, and ran into the studio to take photos. We had three minutes to shoot the photos before the light was gone. By the time we were done we were both exhausted and wanted to hurl the Crème Brûlée out the window. Now aren't you excited to make it?
Crème Brûlée Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 cups heavy cream
1 whole vanilla bean, split and scrape the inside bits out
10 whole egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, (vanilla sugar if you have it)
6 tablespoons superfine sugar (for the final step!)
Directions:
Custard Step:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan combine the heavy cream, the whole vanilla bean and the bits you scraped out of it. Simmer over medium low heat until it starts to steam. Remove from heat and allow the vanilla bean to steep in the warm milk for another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the bean.
In a stand mixer whip the egg yolks and the sugar (vanilla sugar preferably) until they become pale yellow and thick. This will take a few minutes, and it quite cool to watch. It will go from a fairly vibrant yellow to a gorgeous pale yellow.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Some people do, some people don't.
Now while your mixer is on low, pour a little bit of the cream mixture slowly into it. Start with about 1/4 cup and work slowly up to 1 cup of cream. The purpose of this is so you do not cook the eggs. Slow is the way to go. Once you have that first 1 cup added to the egg mixture you can then slowly add the rest of the cream mixture. Mix until combined.
Now you can fill your ramekins with the mixture. Depending on the size you could end up with anywhere from about 6 large to 12 small. Place them in a rimmed pan and place in the oven carefully. Pour cold water into the pan (on the outside of the ramekins of course). Shut the door and wait for the magic to happen. Bake for about 20 to 40 minutes, pull them out before they get brown, and they should have a little wiggle to them in the middle.
Allow to cool for about 30 minutes on counter. Then transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
Torching the top step:
Pull the Crème Brûlée out of the fridge. Allow to set on the counter for about 20 or 30 minutes before doing the sugar.
Spoon the superfine sugar over top of the ramekins. Take your torch and start to work on the tops, use a lower setting so you don't over-torch them. Try not to point straight down, an angle is good for torching slowly. You want to torch them to your own taste. Some folks like a nice light, barely golden top, some folks like it darker. You do what works for you.
This is where the fun comes in. That first crack of Crème Brûlée is the best sound in the world. I try to steal the tops of everyone's else's Crème Brûlée. It's like candy.
Serve with a big old smile!
Recipe adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman
This dish is a tad step heavy. While making it only takes a short time, there are lots of inactive time so be sure to plan ahead. Quite honestly I'd say this is a 2 day project. I would suggest making the custard the night before or in the wee hours of morning, then you can give it lots of time to set up in the fridge. That's super important before you tackle the next stage, which will be torching sugar on the top of it. 
I went with the classic vanilla Crème Brûlée. I tossed some raspberries on top to entice my very picky daughter to try this dessert. The fresh raspberries go perfectly with the creamy custard inside and the candy coating you crack into to get to the custard. This is definitely a dish that requires some patience, some time, and some basic blowtorch knowledge. I would not say it's overly difficult though. The only issue I ran into was forgetting my ramekins cracked months ago so I used tiny canning jars. It worked perfectly. My only regret with this dish was not taking more time to wipe the edges of the dish for the photos. I sloshed the around a lot while making some other dishes at the same time. Next time I'll take the time to wipe the edges for a cleaner presentation. Other than that I couldn't be happier with these. They were a huge hit.
I told DB I'd love to come back another time when I have the forethought to plan well enough ahead so I can share a recipe for cured meat. I have plans to whip up some bacon soon, as well as some pastrami. I've taken great strides to slow my life down recently so I can spend more time doing things that I love. Things like spending time at the barn with my horse, working out and spending time with my family. And I'll be honest, a girl needs more time for important things like watching The Real Housewives and The Kardashians.
Thanks so much to DB for having me today. It was my pleasure to do this. I hope you invite me back again soon.
Toodles and smoochies! xx

I'm completely flattered that Kim went through the effort to make this dessert for me. I can just tell by the pictures that they came out perfect too: the creamy custard contrasts well with the hard shell to create a balance of textures. I'm also a little envious of Kim's blowtorch because I've always wanted to prepare a crème brûlée myself properly, but lacked the equipment. (I'm also reluctant to intentionally light my food on fire. I've never made a claim against my renter's insurance policy and I'd like to keep it that way.)

Oh and homemade cured meat? I absolutely love the idea! Just let me know when The Real Housewives season is complete.

I also referred to pictures, as in plural? Kim took additional shots but added some cinnamon to the shell. Her pictures follow:






Seriously folks, if you aren't already familiar with her, get to know her. You'll thank me for it. She can be reached at Facebook, G+, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, twitter on top of her Kiss My Smoke Facebook and Pinterest pages. Visit her on all of them.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Tea Smoked Roast Chicken

Tea Smoked Roast Chicken




Cross this one off the To Do List.

I found this recipe several years ago but never got around to preparing it. It appealed to me because of the unusual cooking technique. Then it occurred to me that I already had many of the ingredients used to prepare the dish leftover from my chicken wings post, so the timing was good.

The Challenge

Unusual cooking method: Smoking a chicken using tea leaves.

The Source

This is a Chef Andrea Reusing found on Food & Wine magazine's website but I adapted some of the ingredients.

Ingredients

2 quarts water
6 cloves garlic, smashed
9 dried red chiles, divided
10 star anise pods, divided
3 tablespoons honey
Two-inches fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Zest of 1 small orange
1 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 cup soy sauce
1 small yellow onion, quartered
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 whole chicken, approximately 5 to 6 pounds
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons loose jasmin tea
Vegetable oil, as needed
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, crushed
Kosher salt
Fried rice, for serving

Method

1. Brine the chicken. In a large stockpot, combine the water, garlic, 5 of the red chiles, 4 star anise pods, honey, ginger, orange zest, cinnamon, onion and 1 tablespoon sugar. Simmer the brine over medium heat for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let it cool. Once the brine has reached room temperature, add the chicken to the stockpot. Rotate the chicken so that the brine has coated all of the skin, then rest it so it is breast side down.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Smoke the chicken. Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit, then line a stovetop-safe roasting pan with a double layer of aluminum foil. Remove the chicken from the brine and discard the brine. Pat the chicken inside and out with paper towels, then truss the chicken. Break the remaining red chiles and star anise into pieces, then combine them with the rice, remaining sugar, and tea. Pour the tea mixture into the roasting pan so that it coats the bottom evenly.


Place a rack on top of the tea mixture, then the chicken in the rack, breast side up. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil, sealing all sides, plus any overlapping pieces of foil with tape. Place the roasting pan over high heat for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low for 5 minutes. Remove from heat entirely and let it stand for 3 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil cover and let it rest for an additional 10 minutes.


3. Roast the chicken. Remove the rack with the chicken from the roasting pan, then the aluminum foil from the bottom along with the tea mixture. Return the rack back to the roasting pan, then rub oil over the chicken. Season them with the Szechuan peppercorns and kosher salt. Roast the chicken in the upper third of the oven for 35 minutes, then increase the heat to 425° Fahrenheit and roast for an additional 35 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 165° Fahrenheit. Remove from oven, but let the chicken rest for approximately 10 minutes. Carve and serve with fried rice.

Successful?

The flavor of the tea was subtle, but still very good. I'd also recommend monitoring the chicken periodically while it roasts at 425° Fahrenheit. If it browns excessively, cover it with aluminum foil and continue roasting.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon-Basil Beurre Blanc, Pancetta, Apple and Fennel for a #SundaySupper Valentine's Dish for Two

Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon-Basil Beurre Blanc, Pancetta, Apple and Fennel




I hate Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong; I can appreciate the sentiment but let's look at what the day has become over the years for us guys: First, we get to spend $150 for a dozen roses that can be bought for $20 the other fifty-one weeks of the year on top of a box of chocolates that will come back to bite us in the ass the first week of March when our lady asks do I look fat?. Then we get to go to a local fine dining establishment where you can get up close and personal...with the couple two tables over because you can hear their conversation as you're packed in the building like sardines.

Romantic, eh?

I have a better idea. Unfortunately, you're on your own with the florists and confectioners, but why not take the time to cook at home? This week, the team at #SundaySupper Movement decided to tackle Valentine's Day recipes for two to help out.

The Challenge

In terms of the dish itself, I wanted to achieve redemption with this dish on a couple of levels. First, I was not satisfied with the sear on the scallops dish I published about a year ago. Second, a couple of weeks ago I had problems adding butter to a sauce so I wanted to address the issue head on.

The Source

I relied heavily on The Flavor Bible for the flavor profiles of the dish but got a little help from The Atlantic magazine and some inspiration from Green Spot Blue

Ingredients

1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
1 small fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 ounces pancetta, diced
6 to 8 sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, chopped fine
1 cup white wine
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, but kept refrigerated until used

Method

1. Place the apples and fennel into a bowl of ice water and set aside.

2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a medium sauté pan. Once hot, add the pancetta and render fat but don't let it crisp, approximately 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.


3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil over high heat. Pat the scallops dry and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once hot, add the scallops and sear on one side only, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to allow for carryover cooking while the sauce is prepared.

4. For the beurre blanc, combine the shallot, wine and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the mixture until it's nearly dry (approximately 3 tablespoons). Reduce the heat to low and whisk in 2 to 3 cubes of butter, continually whisking until melted. Once melted, repeat the procedure with additional cubes until all the butter is used. Control the heat of the sauce by whisking off heat if necessary so the sauce does not separate. It should be thick and creamy. Add in the basil to wilt for 1 minute and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


5. For presentation, spoon some sauce onto a plate, top with 3 to 4 scallops, then scatter the apples, pancetta and fennel and serve.

Successful?

First, since I didn't mark my two year anniversary of this blog properly, I wanted to note here that this is my 100th post.

For the scallops I went over to Whole Foods but found fresh ones to be very pricey. The frozen ones were a little better but in talking to their employee who works behind the seafood counter, the reason I had so much trouble with them last time is because of the nitrates used to preserve frozen scallops that are sold in many supermarkets. The ones I bought didn't contain any that weren't naturally occurring and I was happier with the sear I achieved.

One other revelation I had was when I dined at Arcadia about a month ago. (If you'll remember, I ate scallops that evening too.) Before I ate, I turned the scallops over and noticed that they were only seared on one side but were still cooked through, so I attempted the technique here and was successful.

The sauce also didn't break this time. In fact, it was the highlight of the dish.

If I prepare this dish again, I might treat the apples and fennel with a vinaigrette.

Overall, I'm very proud of this dish. It was the most well balanced plate of food I've conceptualized in both flavor and texture. In addition, I'm also pleased with it's presentation, as I consider it the prettiest I've constructed to date.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Other Sunday Supper Participants

And finally, please check out this week's other Sunday Supper contributors:

Alluring Appetizers:

Exquisite Entrees:

 

Decadent Desserts and Drinks:

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter every Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Presenting: Warm Fennel and Bitter Greens Salad

Warm Fennel and Bitter Greens Salad




This past Sunday, a certain football game was played, Punxsutawney Phil determined the fate of winter, and the second anniversary of the first dish I published on this blog. I wanted to mark the occasion with a little more flair, but time got the best of me.

As I stated earlier, one of my goals for 2014 is to eat more salads so I was looking online for ones that use ingredients that are in season now and came across this one on Food & Wine magazine's website. I thought it looked good enough to present here.

Check back tomorrow for my #SundaySupper contribution.