On Our Table Tonight: Spicy Mussels and Shrimp

Alright y'all, tonight we combined two of our favorite seafoods (shrimp + mussels) for the sake of compromise and yumminess.

I'm pairing mine with quinoa and he's going big time with  linguine. Must be nice to be a dude, right?

Tonight I'm cheating on Pinterest because Giada had what I needed, and that is this recipe. Isn't she gorgeous, though? Seriously. I want her hair stylist ... and the ability to eat pasta and look like she does.   Anyway, here it is:



What You'll Need:

Olive Oil (1/4 cup)
Garlic Cloves (5, minced)
Bay Leaves (1-3, as desired)
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (1 teaspoon)
Dry White Wine (1 cup)
Diced Tomatoes (1 can - 28 oz)
Mussels (24, about 1/2 pound, debearded)
Large Shrimp (20-30, about 1-1.5 pounds, peeled, deveined, butterflied)
Fresh Basil Leaves (1/2 cup, torn)
Warm Crusty Bread

Notes:
*Can add on anything to adjust tastes, add chili paste for heat level (if you want to be so inventive like us). 
*Cilantro and shallots would be good, too.
*We used fire-roasted tomatoes and lots lots more red pepper flakes and about 7 cloves garlic.

                                    

The Steps You'll Take:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. 

2. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the flavors blend, about 5 minutes. 

3. Stir in the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes longer.

4. Take some tongs, transfer the opened shellfish to serving bowls (discard any shellfish that do not open). 

5. Add the shrimp and basil to the simmering tomato broth. Simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes.

6. Divide the shrimp and tomato broth among the bowls. 

7. Serve with the warm bread.

Recipe courtesy of: Giada de Laurentiis for the Food Network


That's all there is to it. Thanks for reading and supporting my effort here on the blog. I'm having a fabulous time writing again.

Not mentioned in the recipe is our secret ingredient: Adorable Sous Chefs! Meet Boone and Baier, our sweet boys!

Everything is better when these guys are around!

Cheers, darlings,

B

Dinner Tonight: Pasta Fresca with Proscuitto, Peas and Tomatoes

I just adore Pinterest. It's inspiration and ideas in cute little squares. 

Pinterest also makes me hungry. Really hungry.

And aren't all the pretty pictures of food just delightful? They beckon me to click them and answer the perennial question, "What's for dinner?"

Well, tonight was no exception, I tried another Pinterest recipe that Val SoCal pinned. The recipe links back to this blog: Taste For Adventure. 

Last time, the Pinterest recipe was a huge hit and round two was brilliant likewise.

Pasta Fresca with Proscuitto, Peas and Tomatoes

What You'll Need:

(9 oz.) Fresh Pasta (Toscano and Sons in West Atlanta is a great place to get it)
(3 oz.) Proscuitto thinly sliced
(1 cup) Cherry Tomatoes
(4 tablespoons) Good Olive Oil (love love Bella Cucina)
(one medium) Shallot
(3 cloves) Garlic
(1/4 cup) Mint
(1 pinch each) Coarse Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated, for topping, if desired)



The Steps You'll Take, All Six of Them:

(Prep: Chop the shallot, garlic cloves, mint, cherry tomatoes and proscuitto.)

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped shallot. Toss those around until they brown, about three minutes. Add the garlic and allow that to develop, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the sliced proscuitto and sauté until it starts to crisp, 2 minutes.
4. Add peas and tomatoes, and sauté until the peas brighten up. Season with salt and pepper.

Step by Step

5. Cook pasta until al dente. Keep about a 1/2 cup of pasta water on the side. Drain pasta and transfer it to the skillet.
6. Toss it all around to coat. Add the reserved pasta water. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil.
7. Toss to coat. Serve with the chopped mint garnish.

There it is, y'all!

On the Side:

We paired a light salad with our entree: Arugula, shaved parmigiano-reggiano and a lemon pepper vinaigrette I made from scratch. It was a perfect compliment to the pasta.

Vino:

We found this wine at Holeman and Finch. It's a Chateau Les Angres, 2010 Bordeaux. It's delicious.

Cheers to great love, life, and food,

B

Rathbun brings KR Steakbar to Peachtree Hills

     Renowned Chef Kevin Rathbun's latest concept, a steak bar with a bit of Italian flare, opened its doors to the lush little pocket of Buckhead called Peachtree Hills over the weekend. 

     Rathbun is no stranger to the restaurant scene in Atlanta; he claims fame to the trilogy of beloved restaurants known as Rathbun's, Rathbun's Steak and Krog Bar, all of which are nestled in the Old Fourth Ward area that has history so vibrant, it seems only right that Rathbun situated his foodie mecca in the deserving neighborhood. 

     And with the introduction of KR Steakbar to Peachtree Hills, a neighborhood not yet brimming with a decadent food scene, it seemed Rathbun would be a harbinger to the area; inspiring change of pace in an oft forgotten corner of Atlanta. With that in mind, we asked our closest fab foodie friends to try it out last night.     

Concept drawing of KR Steakbar

     We knew the food would be good, we've never had a bad experience at any Rathbun's restaurant. But the restaurant's concept seemed to get lost in the glow of the fancy lighting and confusing decor. The restaurant is pretty and chic to be sure, but I just didn't "get it". There were intricate wrought-iron doors, dark bordeaux wall paint, sheep and boars staring at you in the powder room - it was unsettlingly medieval.

    Perhaps that all seems fitting for a steak bar (blood and boars and ropes dangling from the ceiling), but the food seemed to get lost in translation for me. The waitress explained a preferred "try a bunch of small plates and share" method of ordering ... sounded like tapas.

    And it basically was. The courses were all presented in the same small white plates, suggesting a sense of congruency between the dishes, irrespective of their category: salumi, apps, pastas, sides, meats.

      Everything was meant to be shared in a group.  Everything was in small plates. And for a steak bar, I imagined the steaks to be big and brawny, where the entrees are substantial and fit for one, not small to be shared like an app. I certainly didn't expect a departure from the traditional big steak and order a bunch of sides idea. That's not to say I didn't like this set-up though. 

      However, I'm the first to admit that I am certainly no foodie, just ordinary gal who tends to order veggie sides for every meal. I don't even eat steak, but eaters like myself matter too. I do understand Italian food and this just didn't cut it for me. But  to be honest, I'm definitely the last person to listen to when it comes to steak.

     So try out KR Steakbar. My friends loved it and are eager to return. Get the Sophia cocktail (that was delicious). And I'll keep in mind that KR Steakbear only had its first weekend and I'm nearly positive the experience will evolve to meet the demands of the clientele.


It is Kevin Rathbun, after all. He's always winning.

Cheers to good food and friends,

B

Pinterest Recipe: Proscuitto, Asparagus and Parmesan Angel Hair

In my humble opinion, whoever invented Pinterest is an absolute genius. I love that it provides countless hours of resort wear distraction and that sometimes, it even doubles as a dinner planner.

So yesterday, in the midst of the famed "go out somewhere, get delivery or cook" discussion, my handy dandy Pinterest app led me to this little gem of a recipe. My man loved it, so I thought I'd share.

I tweaked it a bit according to our tastes, making it a little healthier.

                                                                                                        Ingredients:

                                                                                 

8 ounces of angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 garlic cloves (or more, if you're us)

1 small onion, diced
About 1/2 bag of frozen peas

Sun dried tomatoes
3- 4 oz. of prosciutto, cut into strips
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 of a jar of Arrabiata (or whichever pasta sauce you prefer, we like heat)

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Black Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Chopped ingredients, ready for skillet.

 1. In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, cook the onion, garlic and olive oil until fragrant.

2. While that's going, prepare your proscuitto and veggies then toss this into the skillet as well. Sprinkle Red Pepper flakes. Cook until the asparagus is bright green, about 3 minutes or so. Save the sun dried tomatoes for later.

Garlic, onion and olive oil heating up.

3. In a large pasta pot, boil your water for the angel hair and prepare the pasta according to the directions on the box. 

4. Meanwhile, into the skillet, add the peas and the sun dried tomatoes.  Also add in 1/2 the jar of Arrabiata. Allow those to 

cook with the sauce and other ingredients few minutes.

5. Take a ladle and add just a little bit of the pasta water into the skillet. Drain pasta when done. The starch from the water helps everything absorb flavor.

6. Add the pasta into the skillet and the remaining 1/4 of the jar of Arrabiata, or all of it if you'd like. Let that hang out for a few minutes, or as you wish.

7. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve.

This pairs well with a light salad or is enough on its own. We thought it was delicious. 

Here is a link to the original recipe that inspired this one. We added veggies and opted for a spicy arrabiata that is a bit lighter rather than a heavy cream.

ValSoCal: Prociutto, Asparagus and Parmesan Spaghetti

Enjoy, buon appetito.

Cheers to Pinterest and sharing good food with those you love.

B