Feasts and Fotos

Food and cooking are one of my favorite hobbies, especially being Italian. No matter how busy my days get, I enjoy cooking with wholesome ingredients and spending time with people. It's a chance to communicate, celebrate, resolve, strategize or just enjoy the day and family and friends. Enjoying a great meal is one of the simple pleasures in my life.

I don't use cook books or get to watch a lot of cooking shows but I do like to pick up new cooking ideas to incorporate into my recipes. One of my favorite websites is www.feastsandfotos.wordpress.com. The recipes are simple and easy and very descriptive. And the photography is extraordinary! It really makes you want to try the dish of the day!

I am a big fan of fish so start with this one:

Baked Fish with Roasted Potatoes and Fennel

3 cups (1 pound) red potatoes, cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil (roughly)
1/2 teaspoon each of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup white wine
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tablespoon orange rind
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped
4 6-ounce halibut fillets (or any other firm white fish)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine potatoes, fennel, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, some salt & pepper in a baking dish and toss gently to coat. Bake for 30 minutes.

In a skillet on the stove top, heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Add fennel seeds (or not) and garlic, saute for one minute. Add some salt & pepper, wine, 1/2 of the parsley, orange rind, oregano and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.

Sprinkle fish fillets with some salt & pepper. Arrange fillets over the potato mixture and then spread the tomato mixture over the fillets. Coat a nice layer over them, enough so it starts spilling over into the potato/fennel mixture. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Sprinkle with the remainder of the parsley. Sprinkle some salmoriglio sauce over fillets (or not).

Salmoriglio Sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
Wisk all ingredients together. Easy enough!!


So log on (www.feastsandfotos.wordpress.com)and make sure to take time out every day to eat, celebrate and communicate. I live to love and love to live - always with food!