A semi-self-invented (and very good) recipe, a fabulous Cabernet, snow outside, the White Album…

Ready to eat!

work in progress

Delicious cabernet from Chile

cinnamon raisin bread dipped in Stonewall Kitchen Herbes de Provence dipping oil

Major snowstorm today, trek to Coles gym in said snow, preparations for my trip to Maine, dissertationing, as always…and cooking!   Jason is away, but does that mean I don’t indulge in some creative endeavors in the kitchen?  Definitely not.  Actually, I’ve been exercising frugality in every way possible & our kitchen is delightfully stocked…so no thank you to delivery.

The intended recipe:

Caramelized onions (in olive oil), cubed sweet potatoes, spinach, israeli cous-cous

All went well except the cous-cous.

The end product was absolutely fantastic — and healthy — but I ended up totally ditching the cous-cous.  I never prepared Israeli cous-cous in my life until Jason did a handful of delicious concoctions, one of which was with caramelized onions (you see where I got the idea) & shiitake mushrooms.  Absolutely fabulous when he made it!  I had a rough time with this cous-cous.  It was bought recently (not that that matters, but whatever) at Citarella, NYC’s reputable gourmet-specializing-in-seafood store.  I followed the package directions, and it just wouldn’t cook.  I had to text Jason three times for helpful hints…alas, to no avail.  He thankfully got back to me right away, but the cous-cous was terrible.  I opted to leave it out, fortunately.  I wish I had some advice for those of you who want to prepare Israeli cous-cous.  I guess I would say use more water than the recipe suggests & cook on a long, slow simmer.  20+ minutes.  Maybe Jason will disagree.  Anyway, I chucked it.

The rest of the recipe was stellar: I used a generous amount of olive oil, which I heated before adding thinly sliced onions.  I caramelized them on low heat for about 10 minutes before adding peeled/cubed sweet potatoes.  I cooked those for about 20 minutes, then added spinach leaves.  Also added kosher salt & pepper & some dried rosemary when I added the potatoes.  It was fantastic!  And just for fanciness, I shredded a bit of parmagiano-reggiano over the top.  Just a bit.  Didn’t miss the cous-cous one bit!

The wine was scrumptious: $12 at Cabrini Wines in Washington Heights.  Toro De Piedra Cabernet Sauvignon from Curico Valley in Chile.  2007.  Really wonderful!  Delicious full-bodied red, not too fruity.

Also, I should add that I needed a little pre-dinner snack & decided for a slice of cinnamon raisin bread dipped in Stonewall Kitchen Herbes de Provence dipping oil.  I am a HUGE fan of cinnamon raisin bread with something savory — like fried eggs with salt & pepper.  Or a cranberry sandwich bread with some melted jarlsburg.  Delicious.  Thanks to Gill for providing the dipping oil!

To top off the wonderfulness of the evening, I’ve been raiding Jason’s itunes…the White Album is the BEST.  Definitely reminiscent of 8th grade…and so super awesome.  Siouxsie & the Banshees has an awesome cover of Dear Prudence, as does Brad Mehldau.  Mehldau also has a wonderful version of Martha My Dear.  Tori does an as-per-usual bad ass cover of Happiness is a Warm Gun.  Sounds almost nothing like the Beatles version, but it’s pretty awesome.

Happy cooking!