Dabbling In Food Porn

  
Typically, Avogolemono is served with shredded chicken. A classic Greek preparation, it is simply flavored with lemon and egg and chicken broth or stock, brought together in harmony with a simple liason. In this version, the egg whites are beat to a stiff peak before completing the soup and I also add the fragrant zest to the egg whites for total utilization of the lemon. You will need:

• 2~ 32 ounce boxes of your favorite chicken stock(low sodium is best)
• 1½ cups orzo
• 3 eggs, whites and yolks separated
• 1 to 2 large lemons, zest and juice from all, separate
• Salt to taste

Begin by bringing orzo and broth to a boil. I suggest using a large stock pot for this one! Beat the egg whites with a wisk or electric whisk until stiff peaks form, in a separate bowl. Sprinkle the lemon zest into the whites. Slowly add egg yolks and lemon juice(they can co mingle for a little bit), ramping up spead until the its all incorperated evenly. Ladle out a spoonful of the hot stock, into a side dish and SLOWLY add to eggs until gone. This is called a liasion and is a thickening technique. Next, add the liasion to the hot soup slowly, and stirring continuously. At this stage, you’ll be glad to have a large stock pot in use as it will swell, even doubling. Don’t stop stirring until fully bubbling. Turn off the heat. By whipping the egg whites, there is literally no need to add cream, it should thicken straight away. Remove from heat and serve immediatly, with or with out meatballs. 

These wonderful meatballs are great by themselves or paired with a light and airy Avgolemono soup. Actually, I came across the idea of pairing a meatball with this classic greek preparation somewhere on the internet and basically ran off with it to make one of my favorite quick and easy meals.  For the meatballs you will need:

• 1# ground lamb
• 1# ground veal
• one small bunch of fresh spring or green onions, thinly sliced
• large handful of dried peppermint or spearmint
• large handful of Aleppo Pepper
• pinch of marjoram
• large shake of Sunny Paris Seasoning(includes purple shallot, chives, green peppercorns, french basil, french terragon, chervil, bay leaf and dill weed), but no more than a ¼ cup
• a dash of red wine and or worchestershire
• salt to taste
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, depending on oven(mine has convection bake so it browns real nicely). Combine all dry ingredients and the ground meat together, well. Add egg, wine and/or worchestershire and mix to combine. The mixture should be kinda wet so as to dehydrate the herbs and shallot. Let sit for about ten minutes, then roll into meatballs with your hands and line on parchment paper on a sheet pan. Bake until brown on top, then use tongs to flip the balls over and bake on other side, removing once to check doneness, if you like em extra crispy you can return to oven, but take care not to over cook them. Remove and set to side. 

This is my go to easy veg. Great with baby carrots, or large rounds, it can be fixed in about 30 minutes. The only ingredients you need are:

1-2# carrots

2 large pats of butter

Lemon juice, splash or one whole lemon(save zest)

Big squeeze of honey

Dried mint, or other green herb

Instructions: fill pot small pot of water with carrots, boil until water reduces by half. Add juice of lemon, honey, butter, and reduce further. When most of the liquid is reduced, add herbs. Sizzle in pot while stirring occasionally, and voila!

****With the reserved zest, spread out on parchment paper and let dry for one to two days. Can be saved in a glass jar and used like an herb for various applications.

    Copper River Salmon with Honey Dijon Glaze & Spinach Salad with fresh raspberries and slivered almonds.

               My mother used to make this amazing salmon entree when I was growing up. It was minimally seasoned, but had this delicious topping of Honey Dijon Mustard that was broiled and gooey. One day, I was messing around, and I got it just right. I decided to top it on a spinach salad that came with a strawberry dressing and itty bitty dried strawberries in a kit, but added toasted almond slices, and whole raspberries. The berries complimented the freshness of the exquisite Copper River Salmon, a seasonal delicacy, and in addition, the heat from the broiled salmon gently wilted the baby spinach and the toasted almonds gave good crunch factor.  The following is procedure for making the salmon.

  Preheat oven to high broil, around 450 degrees F. Place rack on the top shelf.  Make sure to pull any pin bones from the salmon with proper tweezers, and scale the skin of the fish. Rub generously with olive or avocado oil. Sprinkle the flesh with your favorite seasoning, such as Old Bay or Nantucket spice blend(Penzeys). Heat a cast iron pan or calphalon pan (make sure it can go from stove top to oven) on high heat, and place seasoned flesh side down for 2-3 minutes, or until a crust forms. With a flat spatula, flip the fillet over, and cook another 3-4 minutes, or until the skin is crispy. Depending on the thickness of the fillet, it may still be somewhat raw in the middle. This is exactly what you want.  With a spoon, add a thin layer of the mustard to the salmon, and remove to oven. Broil for approximately 3 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling and browned on top. Remove from the broiler. Do not walk away, it can scorch very easily. I also recommend propping the oven door open for easy viewing. Let sit for 2-3 minutes before serving.

    This is method of cooking is great for salmon. It helps achieve a crispy outer layer while keeping the inside moist. The honey Dijon adds piquaint-ness and sweetness. Copper River Salmon is considered top of the line, running as high as $29.99 a pound, and is only available for a few weeks in early spring. I recommend any sockeye, king, or other wild variation if unavailable. Please enjoy!