Pho

2 litres (or quarts) broth
1 white onion, sliced into rings
a bunch of mushrooms, sliced (I usually quarter them)
3 slices fresh ginger root
1 lemongrass
1 cinnamon stick
1 or 2 star anise
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 package rice noodles
green onion
veeeeeerrrrry thinly sliced beef (I get this at my local Asian supermarket)
bean sprouts
basil leaves
lime, cut into wedges
chile peppers, sliced into rings
sriracha

In a large soup pot, combine broth, onion, mushroom, ginger, anise, lemongrass, cinnamon, fish sauce and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 45-60 mins.

I usually cook my rice noodles like regular noodles, but they don’t take as long to cook.  Just throw them on the stove in boiling water until they’re soft.

I am kind of compulsive, so I layer mine like:
Noodles, beef, then I ladle boiling broth over to cook the beef, then add green onion and pepper rings to the bowl, then bring sprouts and basil to add when you need more.  Also, add as much sriracha as you like!

I always have a broth-to-things-in-the-broth imbalance, but I feel like it tastes so damn good I don’t care. Also, do yourself a favor and get some of those flat spoons to eat with.  Mine cost $1.19 each.

Spaghetti a la Homer

This is one of those indulgent recipes, but it's simple and so good...
I do things in a very specific order, so get ready for detailed instructions. You'll probably get your own rhythm going after a try or two, but it takes a little bit of trial and error to get down.

1/2 cup butter (no subs)
1/2 cup shredded Myzithra cheese
Spaghetti










I always make sure the water is boiling and chuck the spaghetti in to cook before I do anything else. It doesn't take long to brown butter, but it's labor intensive, so you need to make sure you can pay attention to it alone.


Melt the butter over medium heat. Seems obvious enough, right? I went with 5-6 on my stove.












When it gets just a little foamy, get ready to do some whisking! I had fun whisking constantly and taking pictures at the same time tonight :)











You just have to stand and whisk for a few minutes until the butter starts to change color. Once it starts to change, it goes fast, so pay attention.











I think it took me from 6:21 to 6:26 to get it the right color.













You'll notice it get darker, so keep it over heat until it gets just darker than the color of caramel - it should have a slightly nutty scent to it. Take it off the heat immediately!










Pour butter over drained spaghetti and drain once more, so you don't have a pool of butter at the bottom of your plate.

Sprinkle with myzithra - I sprinkle some on and stir, then sprinkle more on top. Some recipes call for the cheese to be added to the hot butter, but I've found it melts too fast and makes a gloppy mess, so I just add it after.

Caribbean Fish with Pineapple Salsa

Marinade:
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Caribbean jerk seasoning (I used a lot more, I like jerk seasoning)
4 (6oz) swordfish, halibut or tuna steaks, 3/4" thick

Pineapple Salsa:
2 cups diced pineapple
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (can be adjusted to taste)
Salt to taste

Combine all marinade ingredients (except fish, duh) in a blender, blend until smooth.
I am lazy and didn't blend anything, LOL. It still tasted fab.











Place fish in resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over fish, close bag securely, turning to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour (I actually marinated mine all afternoon, the shark I used was a little denser than most fish)










Combine salsa ingredients in medium bowl, let stand about 30 minutes. Adjust ingredients to taste, if you want.












Drain fish and discard marinade. Grill or broil 6 to 8 minutes, or until cooked as desired. Serve with pineapple salsa.













I had asparagus as a side - boil 1/2 cup water, throw the asparagus in with the lid on, let cook 3-5 minutes, depending on your taste, throw a little butter on there and top with fresh parm. Yum.

My bf was too much of a weiner to try shark, but I liked it. Very un-fish-like consistency, but still good. I wouldn't use this recipe unless you have a meatier fish - it would overwhelm a little white fish. Last time I made it, we grilled the swordfish, and it was better, but cooking it on the stove was fine too.