My husband has been helping a friend of his build a house, which means most of his nights and weekends are spent there, away from home. After three or four days of only seeing him for maybe an hour before he goes to bed, I tend to get a little cranky. I then insist he’s mine for a night, or a Saturday, whichever comes first. When he’s gone, however, I make myself food—comfort food—that I enjoy, but I probably wouldn’t get him to touch. For example, I love goat cheese, but the mere mention of it makes my husband crinkle his nose. Same with blue cheese and feta and scallops and crab. Love, love, love them all, and he hates, hates, hates them all. To be fair, we have the opposite relationship with beef… In any event, I came up with these quesadillas because a. I wanted something with goat cheese. b. I wanted something quick and easy. c. I wanted something autumn-y.

In a surprising turn of events, I made myself one of these little quesadillas for lunch while hubby was home for a day last weekend, and I got him to try a slice. He said they were damn good quesadillas. Hmmm. That doesn’t mean I have to start eating beef, does it?

Ingredients:

a combination of red and yellow sweet bell peppers (1 per quesadilla is a safe bet)
goat cheese (chévre)
fresh thyme
balsamic vinegar
fresh ground black pepper
part flour/part cornmeal tortillas (if you can find them; they’re new from Mission)
butter

Guidelines:

Roast your peppers. How? Place them under a broiler until the skin is blackened all over, rotating frequently. Remove from broiler, and place in a paper bag, or in a bowl with a towel draped over it, and let them sweat for 25-30 minutes. Once they are cool enough, peel the blackened skin off, remove the stem and seeds, and cut the peppers into strips.

In a sauté pan, toss the peppers with fresh thyme, fresh ground pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Heat until most of the balsamic vinegar has evaporated.

Butter one side of two tortillas.

Spread goat cheese on the unbuttered side of one tortilla.

In a medium pan, place the buttered side of one tortilla on the pan’s surface. Top with the roasted pepper mixture. Place the other tortilla over the top, butter side up, and cook on medium heat, flipping as necessary, until the top of each tortilla is golden brown and the goat cheese is warm.

Let cool briefly and cut into wedges.

My husband and I recently drove to Colorado (yes, again; we seem to do this 2-3 times a year, which is why we’re moving back there!), and for the trip, I packed the car full of goodies. Into the cooler went Naked smoothie drinks, snap peas, baby carrots, garlic and herb dipping spread, sandwich makings, apples, cheese, and an assortment of breakfast/protein bars. A few of those bars happened to be Lara Bars, and one of them was their Key Lime version. It contained dates, cashews, almonds, coconut, and lime juice. I couldn’t believe it. That’s it? Just five ingredients?! Totally raw and with no preservatives? How nice! But it was basically just a date bar, and I’m really not a fan of dates. In addition to being a high glycemic food, I just don’t find dates that tasty. I gave the bar a try though, and it was good. Too much to eat at once, but good. Surprisingly good. Good enough that I wanted to make my own version, in the form of need-a-quick-pick-me-up sweet bites. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

12 oz. fresh dates
¼ cup key lime juice
¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
sprinkle of Chinese Five Spice (optional)

Guidelines:

Pit the dates.

In a food processor, combine all of the above ingredients. Pulse until a semi-smooth texture is achieved. If your mixture isn’t as smooth as you’d like, try adding a bit more key lime juice. Honestly though, I wouldn’t worry about. Date and almond chunks just add to the texture.

Spread the mixture into a lightly oiled bread pan. Freeze or refrigerate for several hours, then score the bars by running a knife down the center length-wise, then cut the bites into desired widths.

For best results, keep chilled. The bites are sticky, and room temperature bites are even stickier! If you don’t like the stickiness, try adding some oat flour into the mixture. I haven’t tried this, so I can’t vouch for the results. If you try it, let me know how it works.

I discovered Melissa and Bitchin Camero, her food blog, when I started my Project Food Blog Cook-Off. In my search for recipes, I found Melissa’s Basil Lime Shrimp with Plantains. Her recipe won the second round of the Cook-Off, and it has become one of my favorite all-time recipes. Bitchin Camero has also become one of my favorite food sites. I visit it regularly, and have pulled numerous recipes from it. I thank Melissa for agreeing to an interview, and now I’ll turn it over to her and let her tell you about herself before we get into the Q&A.

*****

Melissa says:

I was born and raised in Miami, FL, the daughter of Cuban parents.

I spent a lot of time at my grandmother’s house after school watching her make traditional Cuban meals like Palomilla steak and onions, chicken stuffed with prunes, and her most famous black beans. My mom cooked every night when she got home from work. Frozen meals, packaged cookies, and sugary cereal were wholly absent from our house. And unlike other Cuban moms, she made all kinds of food — American, Italian, Greek, Spanish. Everything was made from scratch, and I always wanted to help.

I remember asking permission to make Chicken Marsala when I was about 11 or 12 and was home from school early. My mom obliged, but then I got sucked into an episode of Saved by the Bell (Zack Morris is just so dreamy!) and the chicken burned. That was my first time making dinner for the family and we ended up ordering pizza. I was so sad.

By high school, I was hosting weekly Fajita nights for my friends. In college, I gave up my dining hall plan as soon as I moved into an apartment with a stove. I cooked almost every night and people thought I was insane. I just couldn’t deal with the over-processed, over-cooked and bland food at the dining hall. Except for the sour watermelons. I definitely dealt with those. Often.

After grad school in NYC, I built websites for SparkNotes.com and lived in a tiny studio in the East Village. I had about 1 square foot of counter space and the tiniest of ovens. The lack of space drove me out of the city and into Brooklyn. I still couldn’t deal. I finally left NYC after 4 years and moved with my then-fiancé back to Miami.

We bought a condo, remodeled the kitchen, and I began cooking like a fiend. That brings me up to the present day. I cook lunch and dinner almost every day of the week. My co-workers at the digital agency I work for think I’m insane. I’m beginning to notice a pattern…

How did you get into blogging about food?

I started bitchincamero.com about 4 years ago. It used to be a quirky Flash site with a picture gallery and links to my online portfolio. That was a nightmare to update. About 3 years ago, I migrated over to a blog that was supposed to be about my life. I quickly realized I didn’t have much to say to the world, but I did find myself posting recipes for friends and family. Once I moved to Miami and had a real kitchen, I started posting recipes almost exclusively. When my kitchen was finished in December, I redesigned the site and focused it completely on food.

You’ve only been a food blog for about nine months then. How has your blog evolved during that time? Have your goals changed?

At first, I thought I was just chronicling my dinner and posting recipes as a way to remind myself and to share with friends. I wanted to create enough recipes to make a cookbook to give to family and friends for Christmas 08. I really thought no one would read it. I gradually got more interested in photography and food styling. My husband gave me a great food-close-up lens for Valentine’s Day and I’ve been working on my photos ever since. Once those started improving, a lot more people started stopping by my site. That made me want to post even more and to post really GOOD recipes instead of just dinner. I think having the blog has pushed me to think more creatively about food, about what I want to write, about what my “culinary perspective” is all about. I guess you can say my blog has made me a better, more inspired cook.

My goal now is to make delicious food and take mouth-watering pictures. My hope is that people see how easy it is to make a quick, delicious dinner and get back in the kitchen. Sure, it’d be nice to make a living from blogging, but I’m not holding my breath.

How is that family and friends cookbook coming along? Do you have any interest in writing and publishing a cookbook for the industry?

Ha! I haven’t even started! The cookbook is going to be a collection of my favorite recipes from the blog. I think I have 75 strong contenders right now. Each recipe will have a paragraph about how the recipe came about, or why it’s special to me. I want it to be really visual, with big, beautiful photos and little text. I suppose I should really get to work if I’m going to have this ready for the Holidays.

I would love to write and publish a cookbook for the industry. It’s my ultimate dream. Know anyone who’s interested ?

I’m one of those people who have noticed your photographs. Have your photography skills always been this advanced? What is your number one tip for taking mouth-watering photographs?

I’ve always loved taking photos! I took a few photography classes in college, but the whole film developing thing was a bit much for me. Once I bought my digital SLR, I really got into it. Then my best-husband-in-the-world bought me a 50mm lens for Valentine’s Day that’s great for close-up, low light shots. My food photography has improved so much since then and I’ve even been experimenting with more food styling.

My number one tip for taking mouth-watering photographs? Take your picture in a bright, sunny room and avoid using your camera’s flash at all costs. The flash makes everything an unnatural color and not so appetizing. Your best spot for a photo might not be the most logical. For instance, I find that I get the best lighting on the floor of my apartment. It’s not at all strange to find me lying on my stomach, snapping away at a plate of food on the floor. I’m sure I’m a sight to behold. The goal is to actually want to eat the photograph. Take close-ups, use interesting angles and never take just one!

What is “food styling”?

I suppose “food styling” means plating the food in a way that makes it look as pretty and as appetizing as possible. Instead of putting a pork chop next to a side of mashed potatoes, I might place the pork chop on top of the potatoes, and then sprinkle it with fresh herbs. It’s all about presentation. If the food looks good on the plate, you’ll be all the more excited to eat it. It’s something I’d love to get into more, but I just cannot wait any longer to dig in! Even the time it takes to photograph the food is torture.

How do you feel about the “food styling” and “designer” food trends? Do you think it enhances the eating experience? Whatever happened to good old-fashioned meat and potatoes?

I think “food styling” is good to some extent. You want your plate to look neat and appetizing. A sprinkle of cheese. Some fresh herbs. All of that is a nice touch, but you don’t need to take it too far. Styling food so much that it doesn’t even look like food, or looks too precious to eat — it’s just not my thing, though I’m happy to gawk at it if given the chance. And I’m definitely a meat and potatoes kind of girl. Just make sure the sauce isn’t slopped all over the plate

What is your “culinary perspective”?

I guess you can say my Culinary Perspective is Adventurous and All-Natural. I like using whole grains and flours, fresh vegetables, natural sweeteners, lots of color, lots of flavor and spice, and I pull inspiration from a lot of different cuisines, Spanish and Latin, Vietnamese and Japanese, Indian and Mediterranean. I love putting new spins on traditional dishes, or creating something from “nothing” when the fridge is empty. Mostly, I like to try my hand at new things, be adventurous and discover new flavor combinations — like the Latin/Thai Lime Basil Shrimp with Plantains.

Currently, you work for an ad agency doing internet work. Have you ever worked in the food industry? Do you have any interest in doing so?

I’ve never actually worked in the food industry, and have absolutely no interest in the restaurant business. Way too cutthroat for me. Weekends are for the beach, not for slaving in a hot kitchen (unless it’s my own hot kitchen). Mostly, I love to cook for people I know. I can put special touches on dishes that I know they’d like and they’re all too polite to tell me if my food is terrible. It’s much more rewarding this way.

I do love recipe creation though. I could spend hours in the kitchen tweaking things until they’re just right. My dream job would be to create recipes, write cookbooks, and work on the blog.

Is there anything you won’t eat, or cook with?

I don’t think there’s anything I would refuse to eat. Maybe cow testicles. I don’t think I could stomach those. Yeah, let’s change the subject…

I don’t deep-fry. Nothing against deep-frying, I love onion rings and fries and chicken wings. Deep-frying is just far too messy and I’m a slightly psychotic about the cleanliness of my kitchen (as in, I scrub it down twice a day). I haven’t tried cooking offal or organ meats yet, but I think I’m getting really interested… Other than that, I’ll cook pretty much anything. If it doesn’t work out, there’s usually a frozen pizza in the fridge!

What would you make with the following ingredients: wild rice, pork (in any form), oranges, cabbage, and peanut butter?

Kelly! What are you doing to me?!?!? Ok, let’s see… It’s like I’m on Top Chef and drew the last knife. I guess I’d make Honey/Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin with an Asian-inspired Spicy Peanut Wild Rice & Cabbage Salad (with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, cilantro and toasted sesame oil). Hmmm. Maybe I’ll actually make this and post it when your article goes up

*

Thanks, Melissa. It’s been a pleasure finding out more about you. Blog on!

I love that time of year when August is just shy of rolling into September. The days are still plenty warm, but they’re getting shorter, and you know that if you blink, you’ll miss the last of summer. It’s also the time of year when a lot of crops are ready for harvesting. On these evenings, my husband and I always rush out to the tomato plants to see what we can devour. If the pickings are slim, we take turns eating what’s ripe, but it’s always fun to find a nice handful of ready-to-eat fresh off-the-vine cherry and grape tomatoes. This recipe was inspired by those evenings, and the changing seasons, and, of course, freshly picked tomatoes.

I like to serve this salsa with pork adobo tacos, but it’s also tasty on plain corn chips.

Ingredients and Guidelines:

For a small bowl, combine the following:
2 cups assorted cherry and grape tomatoes, halved (if you can, use a combination of yellow, red, orange, purple, and green tomatoes)
1 tomatillo, finely diced
½-1 jalapeno, finely diced
3 tbsp. red onion, finely diced
small handful cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice

Mix well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes to let flavors marry.

It’s not uncommon that I get strong, undeniable urges for red curry dishes. Usually, this is not a problem, as our local Thai food restaurant makes the most addicting red curry on the planet. I’m at the point of believing it contains illicit drugs, it’s that addicting! But, as sometimes happens in small towns, the owners, who also serve as the cook and wait staff, decided to take a vacation. For the entire month of July! I know, right?! One whole month without their cooking. Sigh. Oh, yeah, I can make curry, too. But I like theirs a lot, and I particularly like not having to cook. But finally, toward the end of July, I broke down and made my own red curry dish with ingredients I had on hand. It hit the spot, and it was stupidly easy. Try it out, and see for yourselves.

Ingredients:

*Note: Adjust according to the number of people you will be serving. This serves 2-3.

½ lb whole wheat spaghetti
½ lb shrimp
½ red pepper, sliced
1-2 tbsp. red curry paste
3-4 tbsp. lime juice
¾ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking spaghetti)
fresh basil
peanuts
olive oil

Guidelines:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve ¾ cup of the cooking liquid before draining the noodles.

In a large skillet, cook shrimp in a tbsp. or so of olive oil until pink, about 3-5 minutes, depending on size.

Add the red curry paste and lime juice. Stir to combine and coat the shrimp.

Add the red pepper and cook until just softened, but still crisp, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the pasta water. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl, mix the noodles with the shrimp and red curry sauce. Top with slivered fresh basil and chopped peanuts.

I got the idea for this pan sauce from Rachael Ray. She made a similar version, but used it with gnocchi. Check out her recipe here. I opted for a tri-colored, cheese-filled tortellini as it seemed more summery, and thus lighter, than the heavy, potato filled gnocchi. I really like the colorful pasta, too. I’ll give the gnocchi a try in the fall or winter, when it’s cold out and the body is craving something dense to fill it up.

Aside from caramelizing the onion(s), this is a quick and easy dish. Caramelizing the onion(s) takes about 40-45 minutes (at least it does for me; can anyone do it quicker? Rachael Ray claims it takes twenty minutes…). Otherwise, the pasta cooks in eight minutes, and everything else is garnish. Still, pretty simple dish, right? Mighty tasty, too.

Ingredients:

1 package fresh tri-colored, cheese filled tortellini (the small will feed 2 people, and it’s what I based this recipe off of)

1 extra large (or 2 medium) sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
a couple splashes of white wine
Parmesan cheese, to desired amount
olive oil
fresh ground pepper
salt (for pasta water)
*1/2 cup pasta water

*Before you dump your pasta into a colander, scoop ½ cup of the liquid out of the pot. Reserve.

Guidelines:

Thinly slice your onion. In a large skillet, set to medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add your onions and garlic and cook until caramelized, which means to cook until the onions reach a deep, brown color. You may have to adjust your heat down if the onions are browning too fast, or blackening along the edges. You may also add a dash of water if this happens.

Bring your pot of generously salted pasta water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. This usually takes 8-10 minutes, depending on brand and amount. *Before draining your pasta, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.

Once the onions are nearly caramelized, add a couple splashes of white wine, along with the parsley. Add the pasta water, and cook until reduced about ½.

Toss everything in a large serving bowl, grate Parmesan cheese over the top, and add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Panzanella is a bread salad traditionally made with tomatoes and seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh basil. Many recipes also call for fresh mozzarella and onion. In this recipe, I put a Greek spin on panzanella by using artichoke hearts, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and a Kalamata olive bread. I loved it so much the first time, that I craved it for a full two weeks before I broke down late one night, went to the store, and bought all the ingredients to make it again. My husband and I ate that, and drank a glass of Ponzi Pinot Noir Reserve, for dinner at eight o’ clock. It was divine. And now that I’m typing this recipe up, I’m craving it again… Will the cycle ever end? I kind of hope not!

*Note: If you can’t find olive bread, use any country-style crusty bread and throw some Kalamata, or Green olives, into the artichoke mixture.

Ingredients:

½ loaf Kalamata olive bread (or Green olive bread, if you prefer), cut into large cubes
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
feta cheese, to taste
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper (optional)
lemon zest

Guidelines:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large ovenproof casserole dish, toss the cubed bread with plenty of olive oil and sea salt. Bake in the oven while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium skillet, sauté the garlic in olive oil just long enough to release its flavor. Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and lemon zest. Cook until just heated through. Add the fresh parsley and fresh ground pepper (optional).

Remove the bread cubes from the oven. Toss the artichoke heart mixture into the bread cubes. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top, and return the pan to the oven. Bake for about five minutes, just long enough to warm the cheese, or if you prefer your bread crispier, bake until you reach your desired texture.

Serve with herb roasted chicken breasts, and/or a glass of your favorite wine.

Enjoy!

This is a super quick and easy way to make your own barbeque sauce. Homemade barbeque sauce is a great way to control your sodium, sugar, and preservative intake. A lot of packaged barbeque sauces contain MSG and high fructose corn syrup, for example. Plus, homemade just tastes fresher. And you can experiment.

The sauce is shown here as White Barbeque Beans, (which are great for packed lunches, by the way) but you can use this sauce for poultry, ribs, as a French fry dip, etc. If you want to use this sauce with white beans, add 3 cans of white beans to your shopping list. And, if you really want to jazz it up, use a couple swoops of bourbon in lieu of the vinegar. Peach Bourbon Barbeque Sauce. Yummy!

Ingredients:

1 can tomato sauce
¼ cup peach preserves (*Note: You can also use fresh peaches, skins removed, and mashed.)
2 tbsp. red onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tbsp. molasses
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or bourbon, if you choose to go that route)
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped (optional)
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Guidelines:

Chop all of your ingredients.

Sauté the red onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes, just to release their flavors.

Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with whatever suits your fancy.