Crab Soup

We all do it. I mean, honestly, it's hard not to. No matter how much we plan, we all end up wasting food. That tomato, those fresh herbs, some lettuce. Whether I had forgotten or just didn't use it, I seem to have food that goes to waste.

Yesterday I decided to change that. I went to my kitchen and looked at what I had before I planned our meal. I remembered I had a pound of cooked crab that I had to use this weekend. But how? I looked in my cookbooks, but really found nothing that appealed to me. Back in the kitchen I looked again at what I had and besides the crab I had buttermilk, potatoes, carrots and parsley. I felt like I was on Chopped. I knew exactly what I would make - Crab Soup.

This super easy recipe is almost a chowder. However, by using low-fat buttermilk it's actually figure friendly, unlike many chowders. The buttermilk gives it creamy richness without all the calories.

Ingredients

• 1 pound shelled cooked crab
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 1/2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 3 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
• Salt
• Fresh-ground pepper

Instructions

1. Peal potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch chunks.
2. In a 4- to 5-quart pot over high heat, combine potatoes, carrots, and broth. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Lower the heat.
   
4. Slowly add buttermilk to pot and stir until hot, about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add crab, mixing gently for a minute or so.
   
6. Season to taste with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
7. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley.
   
8. Serve with sour dough or crusty bread.
   

Clams In White Wine With Garlic

I got it in my head the other day that I wanted to have tapas - those wonderful little Spanish dishes that are packed with flavor. I decided I would make Croquettes and Steamed Clams. The Croquettes were one big chore to make so I will blog about them later. The clams, however, were not hard at all and they were surprisingly delicious.

Our favorite place to get steamed clams in at Anchor in Castro. This little place truly has the best and I really wanted to replicate that. I found a recipe in a cook book I have: Tapas: Sensational Small Plates from Spain by Joyce Goldstein. This recipe came quite close to Anchor and was fantastic. This meal was also really cheap. The clams only cost me about $8.00. I served them with a loaf of homemade bread from our new breadmaker. YUM!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small clams
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Dash of sherry vinegar (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Instructions

1. If clams are not cleaned, scrub them under cold water. If you have time you can soak them for 1 hour or so in cold salted water in a covered container in your refrigerator.
2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and bread crumbs and saute for a few minutes
4. Add the clams and then add the wine.
5. Cover and cook until the clams open (about 3 - 6 minutes) shaking the pan occasionally.
6. Remove from heat and discard any clams that have not opened.
7. Add vinegar, if using, and transfer to a serving dish.
8. Sprinkle with parsley.
9. Serve immediately with bread.

Seafood Doria

There are so many things I miss about Japan, but one of the biggest is the food. Not the usual Japanese food that most people think about like sushi and tempura. Honestly, I don't even think I had that very often in Japan and besides I can get that here in San Francisco. No, the things I miss are everyday foods that are hard to find here: okonomiyaki, takoyaki, tonkatsu, and doria. Now the first three things I have managed to figure out to make myself, but I could never find a doria recipe. What is Doria, you may ask? Well, it's a yummy rice dish with béchamel sauce, cheese, shrimp, scallops, and mushrooms. Okay, how yummy does that sound?!!!

So, I have been obsessing about Doria for awhile now, but could never find a recipe. I honestly searched and searched and searched. I finally found one on Google Books so I had to buy the cookbook, Let's Cook Japanese Food! by Amy Kaneko. This is a great cookbook for those of you that have lived in Japan and miss those every day foods we just can't get where we are now.

I have modified the recipe a bit, but not much. Below are my instructions. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Béchamel (White) Sauce

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
• A pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of white pepper to taste
  

Body

• 1/2 pound shrimp - peeled, devained and cut in bit-size pieces
• 1/4 pound scallops - cut in bite-size pieces
• 1/2 - 2/3 cups white wine
  
• 1 Tablespoon butter
  
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped white mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 or 2 small cloves)
• Pinch of white pepper
• 2 cups cooked white rice at room temperature (leftover rice is fine and dandy)

Topping

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (or other mild white cheese)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish
3. Combine cut shrimp and scallops with white wine and let stand at room temperature for at least ten minutes
4. Make béchamel Sauce ....
5. Melt 4 Tablespoons butter over meduim heat in a medium saucepan.
   
6. When butter is foaming, add the flour in small increments and stir constantly to create a smooth paste - about 3 minutes. (Add flour slowly and do not allow it to color)
7. Slowly add the milkd to the flour mixture, stirring constantly. (We don't want lumps!)
8. Cook sauce, stirring constantly until it thinkly coats the back of a spoon - about 5 - 7 minutes.
9. Stir in salt and 1/4 cup cheese
10. Add nutmeg
11. Remove from heat and keep warm
12. In large skillet melt 1 Tablespoon butter over medium heat
13. Add onion and cook until translucent - 4 - 5 minutes
14. Add mushrooms and cook until soft
15. Add the shrimp, scallop and wine to the onions and mushrooms
16. Add garlic, salt, white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until shrimp and scallops are cooked through - about 5 minutes
17. Remove from heat and drain liquid from the pan into a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
    
18. Add rice to shrimp mixture and combine
    
19. Add enough of the white sauce to the measuring cup to measure about 2 cups total (a bit more won't hurt
20. Place rice and shrimp-scallop mixture into prepared baking dish
21. Pour sauce evenly of the rice and shrimp-scallop mixture
22. Sprinkle evenly with 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese
23. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown - about 10 - 12 minutes
24. Sprinkle parsley on top of dish and serve hot.