COOKING FOR TWO AT HOME 

( #cookingfor2athome )

In the last few weeks I have received requests from friends to help them build a set of home recipes to explore new things to eat, or simply to learn about home cooking. Flattered as I was I felt that home cooking is an expression of our home culture, of who we are. I tentatively begun to write and begun to receive encouragement and good feedback from the results, particularly from my friend +Charmaine Chow  who came up with the idea of a blog. I decided to revive my Blog where originally I wanted to explore many things of my interest or that give me happiness. Here is then my first batch of recipes for this Blog.  

The recipes have peculiar names because they have been used and modified by my captive audience (my family) until they are favorites at home. Although I usually cook for four (unless we have people dropping by for a bite and friendly chat), I have written the recipes to be for 2 people; that is to say, 2 hungry people.

1)      “Papi Rice”: this is a favorite at home that can be used to go with many things on the side, that is to say, with beef, poultry, pork, etc.

a.      Tools: 3 Qt. Sauce pan.

b.      Ingredients: 1/5 to 1/4 package (~ ¾ cup) of angel hair pasta broken in pieces about 1 inch long or a bit less. 1 ½ cups of your favorite long grain rice (My favorite for this is Basmati). 3 Tbsp. (Table spoons) of unsalted butter. 3 cups of chicken stock; I use the same amount of water and add 3 tsp. (tea spoons) of “better than bouillon” chicken base.

c.       Procedure: melt the butter in the sauce pan and then add the pasta ate medium to high fire. Put the stock 2~3 minutes in the microwave or on the stove so it is very hot when you use it. Move around the pasta in the butter until the pasta begins to darken and then add the rice. Continue to stir and mix around until rice turns white, about 2 minutes, and then add the stock and increase to high heat. When it has a high rolling boil and it begins to reduce the liquid, check for taste and correct if necessary, cover, lower the heat to minimum and let it cook that way for 20 minutes. DO not open. After 20 minutes turn off the heat and let it rest another 5~10 minutes without opening. When you are ready to serve fluff with a fork and serve. You can add a a little parsley for decoration and garnish on top of the rice.

2)      “Lamb Rib Chops Casaluz”: I love these lamb chops, and they go great with “Papi Rice”

a.      Tools: 11 inches skillet or larger

b.      Ingredients: 6 lamb rib chops, 1 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, 4 Tbsp. of virgin olive oil + 1 for marinade, ½ tsp. of cumin, ¼ tsp. of kosher salt, ¼ tsp. of sweet paprika., a few sprigs of parsley (you can substitute for rosemary as an alternative).

c.       Procedure: in a mortar mix the parsley, salt, cumin, and paprika and mash it. Add 1 Tbsp of oil and mix it. Rub the chops with this mixture and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour (can be longer, it is better if it is not less than ½ hours). In the skillet mix the butter and the rest of the oil and heat at medium heat. When the oil is hot and before smoking, add the lamb and fry it until desired doneness ~3-4 minutes per side for medium rare. 

Feel welcome to drop feedback. 

Enjoy