Clambake Quesadillas

Clambake Quesadillas

This past weekend I bought a bag of clams at our local farmers market. With them I made spaghetti alle vongole, one of my favorite meals. Since then I’ve been noodling on a clams second verse, and this morning, quesadillas came to mind! On my way home from dropping my boys off at school, I stopped by the store. A mind map exercise led me somewhere like this: I love clams plus...ooh, look fresh corn. Clams and corn! I also love corn and scallions, and bacon with all those things. So, I added those fixings -fresh corn is here! finally!- to my cart and then spent a hefty amount of time in the cheese aisle to get to just the right combo. Ultimately I chose Monterrey Jack and Asiago Fresco, a younger, softer version of its Asiago kin. These are great- the corn and scallions pop brightly in both taste and color, while the clams and bacon sing quietly but critically in the background. Delicious!

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Rustic Shrimp Bisque

Rustic Shrimp Bisque

Do you love seafood bisques but find yourself wishing for something lighter on occasion? This cream-free bisque is a beautiful marriage of shrimp, brandy and aromatics and uses cooked rice in place of the cream. You'd never know!

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Fish Taco Salad

Fish Taco Salad

Fish tacos, well crafted, have got to be one of the best dishes ever. And late spring through summer is the perfect time to enjoy them. There are times however, when tortillas and all the fixings sound a bit heavy and require more energy and input than I'm willing to expend. Solution: Salad! 

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Lobster with Herbed Egg Noodles and Sherry

Lobster with Herbed Egg Noodles and Sherry

This lobster pasta is a cholesterol bomb but totally delicious and worth it! I used two lobster tails, steamed them, and then made less of the sauces. I did not use or miss the salmon caviar; this is a very rich meal!  This dish is not hard but you really have to pay attention and multitask. Have everything ready to go and at arm's length. Do not overcook the pasta before adding it to the skillet or you'll end up with a gummy mass.

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Salmon, Rosemary-Rubbed Side of, with Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips and Mushrooms

Salmon, Rosemary-Rubbed Side of, with Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips and Mushrooms

This recipe was in the Dec 2010 Bon Appétit and is absolutely divine. I once omitted the parsnips and just added more potatoes and the dish was still fabulous so feel free to be flexible. I've never served this on salad greens but tend to serve the veggies around the salmon on a large platter; you can garnish with rosemary sprigs if you want. Also, the wine deglazing is nice but not necessary, so if you don't have any red wine open or you don't want to open a bottle, just skip this. The salmon is so moist that no one will miss the wine drizzle.

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