the petite pig

who won the next food network star?

i came into work this morning and checked my typepad account and saw that my hits were through the roof.  "huh?" i thought, as i haven't posted a new entry for a little while now (my move to san francisco along with trips to target and bed, bath & beyond have taken over my life!) but then i realized, last night must have been the finale of season 3 of the next food network star.  as someone that lived in a tivo-less house and now lives in a tv-less apartment, i have missed the last 4 episodes.  however, my cousin amy was kind enough to catch me up on last week's melodrama with our mr. jag.  i still haven't the seen the episode but from the sound of it, it seems that it was pure reality-tv exploitation.  all of that could have easily been edited out but that would have been too easy.

anyhow, so i've restrained myself from checking out who actually did win season 3 on the food network site.  i only found out that the two women were left (finally, a woman!) when the ladies from last season (beth, carissa, evette and i) started an email chain discussing our thoughts on the show.  i was a bit surprised that it was the two women left (nothing against either of them) as the network already has a "rory" and an "amy" (i.e. there are already too many caucasian women on the network, no?).

so, you tell me . . . who won?  and if nobody tells me, i'm sure i can find out somehow, but it's just more fun hearing all you nfns viewers' opinions.

where to dine? an east coast food pilgrimage

i try to make it back to the east coast a few times a year - to see family, old friends but also of course, to eat.  while california has the east coast beat in the produce department, there are meals i miss dearly that only the east coast can offer me.  my  most lasting food memory will always be the hot-humid summers in maryland where my parents would bring home a bushel of blue crabs fished from the chesapeake, we'd cover our dining table in old copies of the washington post, roll up our sleeves and go to town with the old bay.  and then there were our many trips up to new york city, where all i experienced were the restaurants of chinatown (yes, i have visited many a cities with my family never doing one touristy thing except for visiting the city's chinatown). 

so, i will make my pilgrimage back east at the end of july and middle of august, going through maryland/washington, d.c., new york city and boston to recapture some of these food memories of my childhood.  my dad will indulge me with a bushel of blue crabs when i get home.  i'm sure i'll make it to many hole-in-the-wall dives in chinatown serving up steaming bowls of jook and noodles.  but i know there is so much undiscovered eating out there and i'm asking you all to help me come up with a list of new places to try out during my 15 days on the east coast.  your favorite fine-dining establishment in new york?  or best italian restaurant in boston's north end?  or the latest up-and-coming restaurant of d.c.'s budding food scene?   i'll put it on my list and let you know how it goes.

couscous salad (the perfect picnicking salad)

 

picnic season is upon us but finding the right salad to picnic with can be a bit challenging.  if you go with the standard mixed greens and dress it beforehand, you'll inevitably end up with a soggy salad by the time you get to your destination.  and while you could always go with the old standbys of the potato, pasta or green bean salad, they have been done time and time again.  so, i thought i'd share the recipe for my couscous salad, which features craisins, pine nuts, mint and parsley with a lemon dressing.  it has become one of my favorite picnic treats for its great flavors, vibrant colors and of course, practicality as an easy, portable salad.

this couscous salad actually evolved from my first attempt at making tabbouleh last summer.  a few friends and i had planned a picnic up in the santa cruz mountains at ridge vineyards.  a few days before our outing, i had experienced a wonderful tabbouleh, so mediterranean flavors were definitely on my mind as i was brainstorming our picnic menu.  i easily decided on a little grecian themed alfresco meal and would attempt to recreate that wonderfully lemony tabbouleh and serve it alongside some grilled meats and flatbread. 

i had couscous on hand so i decided to substitute that for the bulgur wheat tabbouleh typically calls for.  after some more ingredient improv-ing of what i thought went into tabbouleh (i know i could have easily looked up a recipe, but what fun would that have been?), i ended up with a dish that more resembled a couscous salad than the parsley heavy tabbouleh.  so, it wasn't tabbouleh in the traditional sense, but i definitely knew i had stumbled upon something that would be delicious if i just played around with it some more.  over the past year, this couscous salad has gone through several iterations and has arrived in its final form as a great accompaniment to anything in your picnic basket this summer . . . enjoy!

herb and couscous salad with craisins and pine nuts and a lemon dressing
serves 4 to 6

1 cup water
2 tbs. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 cup couscous
1 tsb. olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup craisins
1/3 cup parsley, chopped (about 1 bunch)
1/3 cup mint, chopped (about 1 bunch)
2 medium lemons, zested and juiced
2 tsp. kosher salt

in a medium saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to boil.  add couscous, cover with lid and turn off heat.  let sit for about five minutes, remove lid and fluff couscous with a fork.

heat olive oil over medium heat in a small frying pan.  add pine nuts and lightly "toast."  they're done when they've reached a golden brown. 

add pine nuts, craisins, parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt to couscous and mix through.

pack up in a plastic container and take on your next picnic.  this can also be a great side to an entree.  i've been serving it alongside my bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with an apple white wine reduction sauce and the flavors are fantastic compliments to each other.