Il Tricolore

Gnocchi-Broccoli-Pomodoro

I think that it takes only a little stretch of the imagination, or would that be a willing suspension of disbelief, to see that the colors of the Italian flag, il Tricolore, reflected in this meal I recently "created".  This makes me chuckle as the dish is centered around gnocchi a potato based dumpling which originated from Italy.

A New Dish

It is something that I had never made before and was done on a whim when I decided that the Trader Joe's Outside-In Stuffed Gnocchi I was fixing needed some augmentation if I was going to have a complete meal. My first thought was broccoli, i.e., a vegetable, or green. There were also tomatoes on hand, which were not getting any younger, so in they went as well.

I really enjoy cooking, even if it’s been mostly to feed just myself for the past twelve years.  Much of the fun depends on putting together what I have in my pantry, freezer  or fridge.  This time it turned out more than OK.  It kind of reminds me of the first few weeks of Quarantine Quitchen. 

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National Shrimp Day

National Shrimp Day

Shrimp & Tricolor Pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

May 10, among other things, is National Shrimp Day in the US of A.

Shrimp Bowl: photo by Cliff Hutson

Some say that shrimp is the most popular seafood in America; and seems to be a hit worldwide as well.

Shrimp Fried Rice: photo by Cliff Hutson

A search of "shrimp" in my food photography files seems to bear out the hypothesis that I am doing my share when it comes to consumption. I hasten to point out that I try to be judicious in my purchases. 

Southwest Asian Salad: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops

We are wrapping up National Seafood Month with a brief look atone  of one of my very favorites - scallops. This turns out to be most fortune on my part as they seem to be among one of the most sustainable choices.

What Are Scallops?

Scallops are a type of bivalve mollusk, meaning the interior muscle is surrounded by two shells similarly to oysters, mussels, and clams. Inside the shell, scallops have a white adductor muscle (the part we to eat)  Scallops are called “hotate” when served in sushi.

Scallops Chuka Soba: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallop Tacos: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops with Pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops and Broccoli Slaw: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops and Peppers: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops Stir-fry: photo by Cliff Hutson

Risotto alle capesante: photo by Cliff Hutson

Cooking Scallops

I find scallops easy to cook. And, as the above photographs illustrate, I have come up with more than one way to make a meal out of them. However, I can not offer any recipes as I am at a point in my life where I just throw things together. Nothing is ever written down, and what is supposed to be the same dish turns out a little different every time. But, I offer the following which seem pretty good:

Sustainable Seafood Recipe  "This recipe is "a nice combination of flavors and textures." 

Seafood Month Challenge

Lionfish: photo by Cliff Hutson

National Seafood Month

October is National Seafood Month, a time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries, and the health benefits of eating a diet rich in seafood.

Scallops and Broccoli Slaw: photo by Cliff Hutson

How to Celebrate National Seafood Month

There is more than one way to celebrate the month. The one I really like is put forth by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, which helps us make better choices for healthy oceans. They have issued a challenge ( #SeafoodMonthChallenge ) to post one seafood dish each week on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

I am not going to throw myself in to this, but I was challenged enough to go through my archives to find some photos that I thought were pretty good.

Shrimp Tacos: photo by Cliff Hutson

Calamari Steak and Pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

Cod and Greek Salad: photo by Cliff Hutson 

It should be noted that I prepared all of these dishes prior to photographing them. And, I ate them soon after that.

Lionfish

I am issuing an additional challenge that people should try to eat more Lionfish. Eating an invasive animal for lunch or dinner is a great way to protect our environment. It reminds me of the the TV program, "Dexter". Which is to say, this is one of those instances where I can kill and eat something without any pangs of remorse nor guilt.

National Cashew Day

Who knew?

Cashews: photo by Cliff Hutson

National Cashew Day is celebrated annually on November 23. This day was first observed in 2015; so I am not embarrassed about not finding out about it until yesterday.

But, I have enjoyed eating them for years. Not only are these so-called nuts tasty, they are healthy. Cashews contain copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and vitamin K, along with lesser-known phytonutrients, such as antioxidants, tyrosinase, melanin, elastin, proanthocyanidins, and oleic acid, provide hard-to-ignore benefits for the body. The seed, or drupe, can be eaten on its own, used in various cuisines, or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter. 

I am not a doctor, nor do I portray one on TV, but I have read that one can lower their risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease by eating a serving of cashews or a tablespoon of cashew butter, a few times a week.

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Salade méditerranéenne

Salade méditerranéenne: photo by Cliff Hutson

Avocat, laitue beurre, houmous, le flétan pané, huile d'olive et vinaigre

Michael Poland
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" 


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Rice and Beans

A Dish of Many Cultures

Arroz y Frijoles: photo by Cliff Hutson

Rice and beans are a popular combination in many different cultures around the world, and for good reasons. The dish is economical, low in fat, and packed with complex carbohydrates. In addition, a meal of rice and black beans (which you can see I do not use all the time) is high in protein and has at least 10 seven vitamins and minerals.

One source says that this combination, which is practically a national dish in Brazil, is nutritious and filling, and may be a key to weight loss as well. If one is to believe WebMD, it may aid in disease prevention, too.

I use brown rice instead of white rice, which is said to double the amount of magnesium, potassium and zinc, and add six times more fiber. Adding peppers adds adds a dose vitamin C.

Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday: photo by Cliff Hutson

While I will gladly eat rice and beans any day of the week, it has become my go to meal on Meatless Monday. I pretty much limit eating red meat to no more than twice a month, for reasons of health. But, I frequently eat other meats and seafood; after all, I am an omnivore. However, on Mondays I make an attempt to avoid all meat. I see this as an example of environmental vegetarianism, which could be seen as choosing what is best for the earth and my body.  Frances Moore Lappé says that this “a daily action that reminds us of our power to create a saner world.” 

Fancy Beans over Rice: photo by Cliff Hutson

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Food Friday

Two Photos I Really Like

The theme of my Photo-A-Day project this year is "Notice the Ordinary", which was inspired by a quote from Charles and Ray Eames. I had in the back of my mind that it should not include any food photography as that was the premise I used for last year. But, that idea went out the window in a hurry. Then this week I came up with two photos that I think I really nailed and feel compelled to post on this blog.

Vegetarian Noodle Bowl

Vegetarian Noodle Bowl: photo by Cliff Hutson

This is one of those times I am probably feeling too pleased with myself. No recipe was used, I just took what I had on hand and tossed it together in proportions that seemed right to me. It is a real fusion, too. The soba noodles are presumably Japanese, but these were made in China. The soy sauce is a Japanese brand, but the plant is in Wisconsin. And, zucchini and string beans are not very Asian. But, that is OK as I sautéed them instead of doing a stir fry.

Santa Barbara Salad

Santa Barbara Salad: photo by Cliff Hutson

There is nothing too imaginative about this; a mixture of Escarole, Endive, and Radicchio lettuce with tomato and Feta cheese. But, I like the lighting and the depth of field. It was very tasty, as well. 

Food Friday

piatto della pasta

piatto della pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

Pasta integrale con gamberetti e peperoni rossi

Food Friday

Netherlands Breakfast

Netherlands Breakfast: photo by Cliff Hutson

Netherlands Breakfast - Gouda cheese, unsalted butter, and apricot jam; on white bread. Goes best with coffee.

N is for Nectarine

Today is brought to us by the letter "N".

http://photographicdictionary.com/n/nectarine

Chilled Rice Salad

Freddo insalata di riso

I have always disliked the solutions, found in so many newspaper or magazine supplements, for "meals in X amount of minutes" that start off with "put sixteen ounces of cooked whatever in a bowl or pan". It assumes that somewhere along the line I had the time to cook the whatever. However, one thing I almost always have on hand is cooked rice. I use it in stir fry, scramble it in eggs, or try to just reheat it - which never seems quite right. Recently,  I came upon a new way to use it.

A quick and easy meal for a hot summer night, assuming one has leftover rice, like I do. Just combine cold basmati rice with parsley, tomato, and cucumber in whatever proportions suit your fancy. I recommend topping with Italian salad dressing, but your taste may vary.

Chilled Rice Salad

Buon divertimento in buona salute!

Картичка - Любов - Флирт - Червен портокал - pozdrav.net

Картичка - Любов - Флирт - Червен портокал - pozdrav.net

You can say that again!

Eat Fresh, Eat Local

Sweet Corn
Originally uploaded by The Marmot

My wife and I have frequented the local farmers market for years. We have done this for several reasons. There is a commitment to support the local economy (albeit no one will be sending their kids to college on the amount we spend). The products seem to be fresher and tastier than those at the mega marts. Then there is the ability to find items that are, for one reason or another, not available in the markets around here, but seem to be better than those that are.

Our favorite find this past year was Reed avocados. The Reed is a large, round avocado that slips easily from the peel, and has very good flavor and texture. It will stay firm even when ripe, so it's perfect for sandwiches and in salads, but not as good for guacamole.

The photo of sweet corn was taken at the farmers market about a year ago. Yes, I know it was winter. But, in Southern California, where the land ranges from the deserts to the sea, the seasons have little meaning. We are still harvesting tomatoes from Susan's garden, even though we have had a couple of nights of frost. But, I digress. The point is that when we first moved out here we could buy corn and strawberries from farm stands next to the fields where they were grown. These were only a few minutes away from home. Sadly, most of these have been forced out by housing development. One of these developments, not far from us, has assumed the unlikely name of "Sycamore Grove". Rightfully, it should be called "Strawberry Fields".

But, strawberry fields are not forever. Just before we arrived, an agricultural preserve had been established on a large tract of land to the southeast of us. It was to have lasted for perpetuity. It turns out that perpetuity is only ten years, not time without end as my thesaurus would have it.

Anyway, we are now buying further removed from the fields, but as local as possible. Little did we know that we have become part of a growing (no pun intended) trend. Seemingly, “eat local” has become a mantra of the environmental movement. It makes sense that buying crops that are not transport hundreds, if not thousands, of miles has a lesser impact on the planet. Being organic as most of the growers at the farmers' market is also a positive thing.

We are not hardcore in our commitment. Apples from Washington state are fine with us, those from New Zealand are not. We still shop at the supermarket when we feel the need. But, we have resolved to only eat what is in season and avoid imports, except for bananas. It remains to be seen how this works out for us.