Happy (as a Freakin' Clam)

I still cannot believe I had not cooked seafood for myself until a week ago. I love it so, yet I always viewed it as an "out to eat" commodity. But now there are so many exciting possibilities!

So to begin, I simmered:

~1 c. pinot grigio

chopped parsley

sprinkle o' dill

1 garlic clove, chopped

The dill is surprisingly necessary and apparent in the final product. The only time I've consciously had it was when Dear Moth baked salmon fillets topped with sour cream & dill; a very comforting childhood memory).

When it was a'bubbling, I added (2 cups?) of chopped mushrooms; crimini and shiitake and oyster. Such a scrumptious bunch, they are.

I let them simmer until the sourdough bread that Bean had plans with (he made french toast and fried eggs -- a combination I will never understand) was done. Then I added the clams; precisely one dozen. How many does one person eat? I am at a loss; when I was a child we would race for the last one without having any inkling of what "one serving" was. So I played it by ear.

A study in clams:

Stuffed Tomatoes

Simon had determined to go to a Magic the Gathering tournament (you heard me) tonight, and consequently I had planned to take my sketchbook and find someplace that served delectable sushi in which to spend the dinner hours.

However!

As was foreseen, Simes wimped out, so we made separate suppers again at home. I was in fact quite excited about this one. We went to the grocery first, where I acquired tomatoes, and a bottle of vermouth in a simply beautiful bottle.

So:

1. Saute spinach and parsley in olive oil.

2. Scoop into a hollowed-out tomato (unripe!) or two.

3. Crack an egg on top.

4. Top with feta cheese!

Bake in the oven (400 degrees) for about 1/2 hour. Mine was still a bit shaky when it came out, but I did not want to upset the balance of disgustingly-burnt yolk to runny whites.

Here's a view of the half-eaten blob. It was better than I expected it to be; a very simple and satisfying combination of tastes.

Arancini!

Ever since we went to Giorgio's Martini Bar last, Bean has been infatuated with the memory of their arancini appetizer. I had never tried anything like this; they are cheesy rice balls coated in bread crumbs and fried, a dish originating in Sicily (and thus being very appropriate for a Greek restaurant such as Bean is wont to adore).

Tonight, we decided to try making them ourselves.

First, saute:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

When it's browned, add:

1 cup rice

1 1/2 cups water

We used sushi rice in the hopes that it would all stick together in the end. Better safe than sorry, for there is, you see, a hard-to-overcome fear of deep-frying that runs throughout the household. I am inclined to agree. But! We decided to try it this once.

After some scrounging, we added fresh parsley and saffron; a festive affair! And the smells were delicious.

When all of the water is absorbed, mix in:

1 cup shredded Parmesan

1 beaten egg

Form into balls, and into each stuff a bit of delicious Italian cheese that you had previously bought and subsequently forgot about. Then roll each ball in (respectively):

A pile of flour

A pile of egg and milk

A pile of bread crumbs

Here they are about to jump in a pot of boiling oil:

Portabella Caps

I've always wanted to try these. Today, Bean craved french toast, and I wanted to use the plethora of mushrooms that resided in the refrigerator. Ironically enough I bought more of them while we were shopping for wine and bread and things...and stuffed them with:

spinach

mushroom innards

lil' butternut squash (how is it still good?!)

parsley

olive oil

cabernet sauvignon (days old)

and after I'd steamed all of those for a bit, I stuck them in the oven with some mozzarella cheese, and it was SCRUMPSH!

More Couscous

A simple dish! Made of microwaved leftovers, & c.

couscous

steamed broccoli

onions

shredded Parmesan cheese

parsley

basil

salt

pepper

olive oil