The not so Endless Summer

Summer has come and gone. I blinked and it was Fall. Seasons are such a weird thing to get used to. Although they are great and bring a nice change, I can't say I don't miss the consistency of 70 degrees in Los Angeles.

Just because it's over on the east coast, doesn't mean I can't enjoy summer produce all year long. My favorite summer vegetable is heirloom tomatoes, but a close second is fresh corn.

I made these zucchini and corn fritters over 5 months ago, but you know how things go, life get's in the way. No surprise here, I'm craving them right now. 

Both of these ingredients are plentiful and easy to find any season, no matter what coast you're on. 

Try them out as an appetizer or as a side dish! 

Zucchini and Corn Fritters 

Ingredients:

Yields: 10-12 small fritters 6-8 medium fritters

2 Zucchinis, shredded

1 cup of corn 

1/2 of one onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup corn meal (about)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro (or parsley), minced

1. Start by shredding the zucchini and wringing out all the excess moisture and water using a dish towel or cheese cloth.


2. Saute corn and onions in a pan with a small amount of canola oil.


3. Combine the zucchini, corn, chopped onion, minced garlic, egg, baking soda and herbs to a bowl and mix well. Add corn meal in small increments until the batter is well combined, but not too runny.


3.  Using a spoon, scoop dollops of the batter into a frying pan on med high heat. Flatten the top out a bit with your spoon to ensure they cook evenly. Fry on both sides until golden brown and drain on a paper towel.

4. Enjoy with a cool yogurt dip or spicy hot sauce.


Enjoy!!

Cinco De Drinko

I realize this post is a little late. Cinco De Mayo is always a great excuse to drink! J's favorite cocktail is a margarita. A few weeks ago he had a craving to make his own using high end alcohol instead of that overly sweet mix and cheap tequila.  After a few taste tests we came up with a winning mixture. The simple recipe is as follows.

J's Margarita





Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Tequila (get the good stuff)
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice (save a slice as a garnish)
Ice
Salt for rimming the glass


1. Start by using a wedge of lime to wet the rim of  your glass.


2. Fill a very shallow dish or plate with course sea salt. Slowly roll the edge of your glass in the salt.


3. Next, juice the limes. I used this handy juice press.


4. In a cocktail shaker place a handful of ice. Pour in the pre-measured tequila, cointreau, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.


5. Shake till your hearts content!


6. Pour from the shaker into your salted rim glass.


Sip and enjoy!

Fishin' For New Recipes

Hello! I'm back again for a long overdue post. I appreciate if you're still checking back to support Dining Out Was So Last year! This time I'm bringing you all my take on Fish 'N Chips. You really can't go wrong when you're frying anything in batter. Having had this dish in England and in Ireland at some of the "best" fish 'n chip joints, I knew I'd have a lot to live up to.

I adapted this recipe for the fish, while J found the most random YouTube video for the chips (in this case french fries.) I'm not the biggest fan of tartar sauce, so I made my own version with greek yogurt for dipping. That turned out to be my favorite part. I may or may not have used just a spoon to eat the leftovers.

Fish 'N Chips

Ingredients:

Beer Battered Fish:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 can of beer

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 pounds of cod fillets

vegetable oil for frying

1. Cut cod fillets into strips that are all about the same size. Dry the fish on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. This will ensure that the batter sticks to the fish.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, seasonings, beer, milk, and eggs until well mixed. Add panko breadcrumbs last and fold into batter. You want this batter to be the consistency of pancake batter. If it's too runny add flour, if it's too thick add more beer or water.

3. Pour 1/3 of the batter into a baking dish. Place cod on top of batter and pour the remaining batter on top to ensure that every piece is covered. Let stand for 15 minutes.

4. Heat up a large pot of oil until it is glistening. Slowly insert battered cod into oil. Place a few pieces into the pot without overcrowding. You don't want them to stick together. Cook fish until the outside is golden brown.

5. Place on a paper towel as you cook the rest of the batches.

Chips/French Fries:

1. In a bowl mix together peanut or walnut oil (do not use olive oil), paprika, salt and pepper, and dijon mustard.

2. Cut potatoes into thin equal strips and place in bowl. Coat the potatoes with the mixture you just made.

3. Place coated potatoes on a baking sheet evenly. Do not let the potatoes overlap.

4. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes flip the fries and put them back in for another 10 minutes.

Yogurt Dip:

Greek Yogurt

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice and Zest

Salt and Pepper

Red Onion

Chives

Parsley

1. Chop all ingredients very finely and mix in a bowl.

Delicious with our without the yogurt dip. Squeeze some lemon on top and you'd swear you were in a pub in England eating ye ol' fish 'n chips!

Enjoy!!!

Entertaining Made Easy!

Happy holidays everyone! How many holiday parties did you go to this year? I've been so busy lately. It finally is slowing down, but not for long. This weekend is NYE!!

I had one small get together at our place for the holidays. It was to celebrate Hanukkah a bit early with J's brother and sister-in-law and two friends of theirs. We had lots of food that I had no time to blog about, but I will share a recipe for these fantastic basil parmesan latkas that I made.

Thanksgiving was not so long ago even though it feels like months. We were back in LA and spent it with J's mom in the valley. I made this appetizer that was a perfect snack before the huge meal we ate.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta

Ingredients:

French Baguette- sliced into rounds

Butternut Squash- diced

Portobello Mushrooms- diced

Goat Cheese- crumbled

Minced shallots and garlic

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Italian seasoning

Chives for garnish

1. In a roasting pan scatter squash and mushrooms. Evenly drizzle with olive oil, add garlic and shallots, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. In a 375 degree oven roast squash and mushrooms for about 30-35 minutes. Measurements are really not key here. Whatever is left over use it in a scramble for the next morning(that's what we did!)

2. Cut baguette into rounds drizzle with olive oil and toast until slightly crisp. You're looking for soft inside crispy outside texture.

3. Boil balsamic vinegar in a small pot until it is reduced into a syrup. This can take up to 30 minutes depending on how much balsamic is in the pot.

4. Assemble bruschetta by spooning squash and mushroom mixture on baguette rounds. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese and chives. The last step is slowly drizzling the balsamic reduction on top. Careful not to drizzle too much or it will overpower the entire thing.

So easy!

Here are a few other appetizers I've made over the years that would be perfect for a New Year's Eve party or your next gathering!

Bruschetta with Truffle Basil Spread

Antipasto Platter with Cheese Sticks

Vegetable Egg Rolls

Enjoy!!!

Eastern Market Inspiration

I think my cooking spirit has returned. I was in a bit of a rut the past few months and posting seemed more like a chore rather than a hobby. Tons of things have been inspiring me lately. I made this lamb ragu month ago and have been dying to share it with you. I would say this is on the medium to hard level for cooking because of all the ingredients and steps. I'll save everyone the time and just post pictures. I got the recipe from Food & Wine magazine and only made a few adjustments.

My inspiration to find the recipe came from a trip to Eastern Market in Washington, D.C. Eastern Market is DC's oldest fresh food market. It's the type of market you would see in Europe. High ceilings, lots of light and tons of chatter, the butcher, the cheese counter, a bakery and everything in between. I wanted fresh and true ingredients. I was not let down.

Porccini Mushroom Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu

Ingredients:

My changes included: Ricotta Salata (harder and more crumbly than regular ricotta) because it's saltier and the cheese counter let us try it and recommended it, additional fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) because fresh is usually better, no fennel seeds (couldn't find them), i forgot to picture the red wine but I definitely used it, I also used a few fresh diced tomatoes.

sauteing the vegetables

browning my delicious lamb with the seasonings

adding everything together

fresh tomatoes in addition to canned

letting it simmer

FRESH pasta

assemble all the ingredients into the biggest bowl you can find because you will want a large portion

Take your fork and spin until you have the perfect bite of thick porccini pappardelle and lamb ragu!

Enjoy!!

Happy Halloween

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, I know that song is intended for Christmas, but I just can't help but sing it on Halloween. Maybe it's because it's the most neutral holiday out there! You can celebrate no matter your age, religion, relationship status, and it's pretty fun too!

J and I had a Halloween party over the weekend and I wanted to share some of the exciting photos. You will see all our decorations, snacks, cocktails, and of course costumes! Much of my inspiration comes from pinterest. The best site on this planet, the site that takes up all my non working hours, and really a site more entertaining than Facebook! Check out my boards and follow! http://pinterest.com/nicoletirosh/

Happy Halloween!!!

Here's a sneak peak into our party:

Pumpkins by J and I

Bar area, "PICK YOUR POISON"

Table spread part 1: Spooktacular Cake Pops, chocolate dipped pretzel rods, black tortilla chips, cheese with Halloween toothpicks!

Quite a spread! Wait what's that you say? Is that a baby pumpkin puking guacamole?? Why yes, yes it is!

mwuhahahha

Poisonous Punch: Blood Orange Soda, Ginger Ale, Pineapple Juice and Vodka! Floating ice hand to keep it chilly.

Other decorations around the house -

Window stick-ons and sign

Coffee table centerpiece, some real pumpkins a few fake.

So festive!

Spooky cobwebs around the house (my favorite!)

Poison Ivy and Batman :)

We had a great time at our party. Wish you all could have been there!

Enjoy your Halloween!!!