Smoked Salmon Risotto with Two Kinds of Onion

The original recipe for this dish was given to me by my friend Medi and has since become a family favorite.  I have tinkered with it a bit over the years. It is fresh and comforting at the same time, with the creaminess of mascarpone cheese added at the end, the rich flavor of the smoked salmon conrasting with the sweetness of the leeks, and the coolness of the greens on top.

You can use any kind of smoked salmon, either hot or cold smoked.  I usually prefer hot smoked, because it has a stronger smokey flavor that I like, but either will do.  In the photos, I have used a cold smoked salmon because that is what they had in the store today.  I can imagine it would taste good with any kind of smoked fish.

If you have never made risotto before, you need to be aware of the type of rice to use.  You want a short grained rice.  The consistency of the risotto will be creamy as a result of the starch in the rice but the rice should maintain a bite. Arborio is the most commonly available kind of short grained rice that is used in Italy, but there are other types.  My personal favorite is carnaroli, but it is harder to find and tends to be a bit expensive.  If you are looking for a budget version, try a rice labeled for  rice pudding.  It tends to be cheap and it makes a perfectly acceptable risotto.

Your risotto will taste better if you use a flavorful stock.  While I would love to be the type of person who has homemade stock in the freezer, in actuality, it rarely happens.  So I make liberal use of stock cubes.  Yes, stock cubes.  I always have vegetable and chicken on hand, and it makes a huge difference to soups to throw in a cube for a bit of extra flavor and salt.

Serves 4 to 5

2 large leeks or 3 medium sized

200 to 300 grams smoked salmon
1 big bunch chives
1 lemon, both zest and juice
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
250 grams mascarpone cheese
4 dl (1 1/2 cups) short grained rice
pepper to taste
100 grams arugula or other baby lettuce
About a liter or so of boiling water
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

First, cut your leeks lengthwise and rinse carefully in between the layers to get out any sand that has snuck in.  Slice crosswise, discarding any dark green bits that look like they won't be tender. Zest your lemon and squeeze the lemon juice.

In a pot, put in a couple of tablespoons olive oil and heat to medium.  Pour in your chopped leeks and saute until the leeks start to wilt.  Add in the rice and stir for a minute.  Add in the bouillon cubes and about about a cup (2 dl) of water and stir until the cubes melt.  Add in a very generous grinding of pepper, the lemon zest and the lemon juice.  Let the rice simmer, stirring occasionally, until the water is almost absorbed and then add some more water and repeat, stirring occassionally.  Continue adding water in this manner until the rice grains fatten and the rice tastes cooked.  The rice should be tender but still retain a tiny bite.  This whole process will take 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the rice you choose, the heat, and the size of the pot.  So be patient.  When the rice is finished, you should make sure that there is still some liquid. Risotto should be quite loose.

As the rice is cooking, mince the chives, and cut or tear your smoked salmon into bite sized pieces. When the rice is done to your satisfaction, add in the mascarpone cheese, the salmon, and the chives.  Stir until it is all incorporated and the salmon is heated through.  If it seems too thick, add a touch more water.  Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

For each serving, spread a portion of the risotto on the plate and top with a generous handful of arugula.  You could dress the arugula with a bit of lemon juice, salt and olive oil, if you like, but I find that it is not necessary.

Simple Supper: Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

My favorite canned olives are green Spanish olives stuffed with anchovies.  They come in a tall thinnish can and seem to taste the same, regardless of the brand.  You can't really taste the anchovies but they give a delicious "unami" flavor to the olives.  I generally keep a can or two in the cupboard to whip out if guests drop by for a drink.

This zesty pasta has the same "cupboard" mentality because all of the ingredients can usually be found in a well stocked larder. While most recipes for this famous dish use canned tomatoes, I prefer to use fresh ones, even in the winter when tomatoes are not that great. It makes the dish a bit lighter in flavor but by all means, use canned if fresh is unavailable or too fiddly for you.  You can also leave out the thyme and the dish will still taste great.  But if you can be bothered, the fresh thyme sprinkled on top adds a herbal note which contrasts nicely with the vinegary flavors of the olives and capers.

In the summer, this dish tastes fresh but comforting while in the winter, the zesty flavors lift tired palates. So basically, you are good to go, year round.


Serves 4
500 grams spaghetti or other pasta
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
8 medium ripe tomatoes
300 grams olives*
4 tablespoons drained capers
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes, if desired
pinch of sugar if necessary
olive oil

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.  While the water is heating, start the sauce. Chop the tomatoes with the skins on.  Chop the onion and garlic finely. Chop the thyme.

Add a generous glob of olive oil to a frying pan and turn on the
heat to medium.  Add the onions and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes until translucent.  Add the chopped tomatoes and thyme.  Season with a bit of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if you are using them.  Stir and let it cook until the tomatoes start to break down.  Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.  If the mixture starts to look a bit dry, you can add a dash of water or a bit more olive oil. If the tomatoes are not very flavorful, you can add a pinch of sugar to bring out some sweetness.While the tomatoes are cooking, chop the capers and olives.

When the water for the pasta is boiling, add a generous tablespoon or two of salt and add the pasta.  Bring the water back up to boiling, stirring occassionally and cook the number of minutes that is stated on the packet.  When the pasta is done, take a cup of the cooking water and set aside, and then drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, add the capers and olives to the tomato sauce.  Stir and simmer for a minute.  Taste and check your seasoning.  If you like it a bit more zesty, you can add some of the juice from the olives or capers.  Let the sauce simmer until the pasta is cooked.  Toss the sauce and the hot pasta together, adding a bit of the pasta water if it looks to dry. Serve with hot, topped with parmesan cheese and a bit of chopped fresh thyme on top.

*If not using olives stuffed with anchovies, add 4 anchovies, finely chopped, with the tomatoes at the beginning.

Simple Supper: Roasted Broccoli and Lemon Farfalle

Although I think that there is nothing more comforting than warming stews and braises when blasted by the snowy days of winter, I sometimes feel the need for something a bit fresher and lighter on the tongue. Something that hints that Spring is coming. This dish fits the bill with the freshness of lemon adding zest to the broccoli and pasta.  The broccoli is roasted which gives a heartier flavor than if you simply sauteed or boiled it. Roasting vegetables in a hot oven like this, simply tossed in olive oil with salt and pepper, can transform even the most mundane into something lovely.  Try it with cauliflower, brussel sprouts, zuchinni, eggplant, and peppers! As a bonus, my kids almost always eat vegetables that I prepare this way.  As there is nothing so frustrating for a parent than preparing dinner and having the kids turn their faces away after a bite or two, this last advantage should not be taken lightly!

Feeds 4

2 to 4 heads of broccoli, depending on the size  (more perhaps than you think you need---it shrinks when it cooks)
1 onion
4 to 6 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
a few rashers of bacon, optional
500 grams of farfalle or your favorite pasta.
parmesan cheese to taste
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put a big pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.  Salt generously and throw in your pasta.  Cook the number of minutes as indicated on the box.  Take a cupful of the cooking water before you drain the pasta and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat your oven to 225 C (450F).  Prepare the broccoli by cutting off the stems and breaking the heads into bite-sized florets. Don't throw away the stems! Cut the hard skin off and the inside piece is tender and delicious. The kids and I usually eat these pieces raw as I am cooking but if any survive, they can be roasted with the rest.  Put the cut broccoli onto a baking sheet and sprinkle very generously with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to make sure that the broccoli is evenly coated in oil. Spread out in one layer on the baking sheet and put in the oven.  Stir once or twice while it is cooking.  They are done when they start to have some color and some bits take on a slight char.  It takes about 15 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces and your oven.

While the broccoli is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Slice the onion in half and then slice again into strips.  Peel the garlic and slice. Slice the bacon into thin strips crosswise, if you are using it. Zest the lemon with a grater and then cut the lemon in half.

Heat a pan on medium high heat and put in about two tablespoons

or so of olive oil.  When the oil is hot, put in the bacon, if you are using it, and the onion.  Saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts taking on some color.  Throw in the garlic and stir. Cook further, stirring occasionally, but keeping an eye on the garlic because you don't want it to burn.  As soon as the garlic starts taking on a tiny bit of color (or starts to smell very aromatic) throw in some of the pasta water--about half a cup.  Throw in the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice of half of the lemon.  Stir, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get any lovely caramelized bits into your sauce.  Season with salt.  You can add more pasta water if it all evaporates.

When the pasta is done, mix the pasta with the sauce in the pan and the roasted broccoli. Generously grate in some parmesan.  Toss to mix everything up.  While this pasta does not have much sauce, if it looks and tastes too dry, add in some more olive oil and pasta water.  Taste and adjust the salt, peppar, and lemon juice.

Serve hot with more parmesan and black pepper.  For those who like heat, some red chili pepper flakes would be lovely added into the sauce as it is cooking.

Simple Supper: Basil Pesto Pasta

I can still remember in the 1980s when basil pesto (pesto alla genovese) became fashionable in Los Angeles where I grew up.  Suddenly, it was on every restaurant menu and bottles of pesto appeared in the pasta aisle in the supermarket.  No one really knew how this mysterious sauce was made, but it seems to involve a lot of hand grinding, so the best course of action was to buy the jar, or even better, the sort-of-freshly-made-plastic-canister in the refrigerated section.  We didn't know any better and it tasted pretty good.  Fast forward to the 1990s and my first trip in Italy. There, in any grocery store, you could find a big bowl of what looked like freshly made pesto. Glistening bright green with flecks of cheese, this looked and tasted amazing.  It tasted reminiscent of the pesto of my childhood but better. A lot better.

Some years later, my best friend was married in Italy and the first course of her wedding supper was basil pesto.  It was served in the traditional way, with green beans and potato mixed in with the pasta.  It was so delicious that I had two helpings, despite that this was just the beginning of a five course meal.

When I finally made pesto myself, I was shocked to realize how

simple it was to make at home, and I find it now hard to understand how anyone could buy the jarred kind.   Perhaps the mystery lies in that you really need to have a food processor or what I like to term a "woozy woo", which is a mini food processor (if you don't have one of these, I suggest you buy one immediately).  If you don't have one of these two items, then indeed, making the sauce by hand in a mortor and pestle could be time consuming...although I bet it really isn't that hard...maybe I will try sometime.  In the meantime, here is how to make one of my family's favorite dishes.  I have substituted tomatoes for the potatoes in the traditional dish, which I think makes for a fresher dish.


Feeds 4 as a main course, 6 to 8 as a side dish

For the pesto sauce

2 bunches basil
50 grams parmesan
75 grams pine nuts
pinch salt
1 to 2 garlic cloves, according to your taste
about 1/3 cup olive oil

For the pasta
150 grams haricot vert
300 grams cherry tomatoes
400 grams spaghetti or other pasta

Garnish
grated parmesan
a sprinkle of pine nuts


Put a big of water to boil.  Don't forget to liberally salt it.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare your pesto.  In

your food processor, put in a pinch of salt, the pine nuts, parmesan,
garlic and basil. Add in about half of the oil.  Pulse to mix.  If the mixture seems dry and is not grinding smoothly, add some more oil.  You want a thick paste that still has some texture.  You can always add more olive oil if necessary.  Taste.  It should be very flavorful. If it tastes a bit flat, then add a pinch more salt or some more parmesan.  If it is too strong, then add a bit more pine nuts to give it a creamier mellow taste.  Remember, though that the flavor will be very diluted by the pasta so it should be strong.  Set aside.

Prepare the green beans by chopping off the tops and tails.  I like to chop mine in half because it makes it easier to eat.  Slice each cherry tomato in half.

When the water is boiling, add in your pasta and cook for the number of minutes it says on the packet.  About 3 to 4 minutes before the pasta is done, put in the green beans.  When the time is up, take a mug or measuring cup and scoop out a cup of the pasta water and set aside.  Drain the pasta and green beans in a colander. Put the pasta and beans back in the pot (or in a big serving bowl) and pour over the pesto sauce.  Using a big pair of tongs, toss the pasta until the pesto evenly coats the pasta.  If it seems a bit dry, add a bit of the pasta water.  Add the tomatoes, and do a last toss.

Serve hot with more grated parmesan and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

New Year's Supper: Luxurious but Easy

This New Year, I felt for something special but really couldn't be bothered to spend the whole day cooking a dinner.  It would just be family, so I decided on a menu of foods that we really love to eat and to eat the way we love, by which I mean lots of little things eaten at the bar in the kitchen, rather than a sit down formal affair.

To start, we had Gravad Lax.  My father-in-law, a former butcher and fish monger pronounced it excellent, which is in my book, the highest praise possible.

Then, we had my version of Oysters Rockefeller.  This delectable dish is supposed to have been created by the famous New Orleans restaurant Antoine's and named after the then American's richest family.  There are many recipes out there but it is claimed that no one has recreated the original correctly.  I don't care about that, however, because my version tastes delicious and everyone that I have ever made it for has been equally entranced.

Up next was a dish of scallops that Peter recreated after eating them at the wonderful restaurant Fäiviken near Åre.  At that magical meal, we were served the largest scallops we had ever seen, from Norway we were told, served simply in its own shell with a bit of butter and set to cook over juniper smoke.  There really isn't a recipe for this.  You put a pat of butter into the scallop shell and put them over the BBQ which has been topped with juniper branches and let the smoke infuse the scallops, while the heat cooks them. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good photo of these.

Our main course was a pasta with lobster sauce, where I was trying to recreate the wonderful pasta I have had several times in Italy. The secret to infusing the sauce with lobster flavor is to fry the shells in the oil that you will use in the dish.  It is impossible to recreate the flavor of eating this dish while sitting on a sunny terrace in Italy, but I was pleased enough with the result to eat a third helping, which I do not advise but seemed a very good idea at the time.

Finally, we finished with some madeleines and a rich salted chocolate rye cookie, made famous by the San Francisco bakery Tartine, but which I had for the first time at the Green Rabbit here in Stockholm.  Do not think I was so ambitious as to make two desserts.  The madeleine batter takes just a few minutes to throw together and I had some left over chocolate cookie dough in the freezer, which I garnished with candied orange peel instead of sea salt.

After all of that, I could barely move, so I waddled over to the sofa and lay down, nursing my excellent glass of Quinta Do Vallado 10 Year old Tawny Port.  And fell asleep well before midnight. Which was fine by me.  Happy New Year!

 Oysters Rockefeller

Allow at least 2 per person, or 6 if you are greedy.

The hardest thing about Oysters Rockefeller is to shuck the oysters.  Luckily, Peter is excellent and this task and does it happily.  If you don’t know how to do it, you can find a good description here.

2 dozen oysters, shucked on the half-shell

One package frozen spinach, about 500 grams

150 to 200 grams bacon, diced finely

About 1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan to garnish

Breadcrumbs to garnish

Heat some olive oil or butter in a pan on medium heat and add the bacon, diced fine.  When the bacon is cooked, almost to how you like to eat it, add in a big sploge of cream and the packet of frozen spinach.  Stir occasionally while the spinach thaws and cooks for a minute.  Salt and pepper to taste.  The spinach will let out a bit of water, so let the water cook down so that the cream is thick, about 10 minutes.  If you think it does not look creamy enough, add some more cream.  Be careful not to salt too much, because the oysters will be salty.  If you like, you can add the juice from the oysters into the spinach which will add both salt and bit of sea flavour. 

When the oysters are shucked, arrange them on a baking pan.  You can use the other half of the shell to try to stabilize them so that they lay nicely on the tray.  Put a good tablespoon or so of the spinach mixture on each oyster, smoothing the mixture over so that the oyster is covered.  If you have leftover spinach, it makes a good omelette filling for your breakfast the next day.  Sprinkle a bit of breadcrumbs and a generous layer of parmesan over each oyster.  Bake in a hot oven, about 220 C (425 f) for about 10 minutes or until the parmesan is nicely coloured and the spinach is bubbling.  Eat while hot.

Lobster Pasta

Serves 4 to 6 persons
2 cooked medium sized lobsters

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil or butter

1 onion or a couple of shallots

4 garlic cloves

One packet cherry tomatoes (minus the ones your son ate during the day)

Zest of one lemon

Juice of half a lemon

Splash of white wine (or more lemon juice)

Large handful of fresh basil

250 grams of spaghetti

Salt and pepper to taste

Dried red chili pepper to taste, if desired

Remove all the meat from the lobster, reserving the shells.  Do this by splitting the lobster in half.  Pull out the tail meat.  Remove each claw by twisting and use a knive to cut the shells so that you can remove the meat.  Chop the meat roughly into bite sized pieces.  You can also get the meat out of each tiny leg by using a rolling pin along the leg but I usually can’t be bothered.

Heat a large pot of water, add some salt and cook the spaghetti according to the instructions.

Meanwhile, chop the onions and garlic finely.  Quarter each cherry tomato.  Chop the basil coarsely.

Heat up a large frying pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil.  Fry the lobster shells on medium high heat for a few minutes until you can smell the lobster scent and the oil takes on some color from the shells.  Remove the shells, shaking them to keep as much oil as possible in the pan.

Throw in the pan the onions and let cook on medium heat until translucent.  Throw in the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring to keep the garlic from burning.  Add in the tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon zest, splash of wine, and chili pepper, if desired.  Cook for about ten minutes until the tomatoes start to break down.  Season with salt and pepper.  

About two minutes before the pasta is done, throw in the lobster pieces and basil, reserving a bit for garnish and heat gently.  Add a further tablespoon or two of olive oil. Taste the mixture and correct the seasoning.  If the mixture seems to be a bit dry, add a few tablespoons of the pasta water.  When the spaghetti is cooked, add to the mixture and toss until the spaghetti is fully coated with the sauce.  Garnish with basil.  It is not considered “correct” to eat seafood pastas with parmesan, but add some anyway, if you like.

Lasagna Anyone?

I have just shoved two huge pans of lasagna in the oven after three hours of preparation. My shoulders, neck, and arms ache from all the chopping and stirring. Why so much lasagna, you ask? Well, it is because all my friends are having babies! I have two friends who have just popped the little ones out of the oven and I, helpful person that I am, said, " You must be so tired; let me please make you some lasagna to feed you and your hungry family." Then, a few days later, another friend had a baby, so I said, " I am already making lasagna, why don't I make a pan for you? It will be no trouble at all." So, I got up this morning, went to the store, bought ingredients and started cooking. How long could it take, right? I figure, the lasagna will be in the oven in an hour, and I will go running while it cooks. And the plus is that my family gets an excuse to have yummy lasagna for dinner, too. Three hours later, I am just finishing up. A huge vat of tomato sauce made with beef and pork sausage and flavored with rosemary and porcini mushrooms...and a huge vat of bechamel sauce with Parmesan...a hunking pile of grated mozzarella....Hey! This is starting to be work. Finally, I can begin assembling. I take out the pasta and realize with horror that I have bought the old-fashioned kind that must be boiled before layering up....oh god...well, here goes... OK, so finally I am done. But here's the catch....there was only enough sauce for two pans of lasagna...no lasagna for us for dinner! Peter comes in the kitchen as I am finishing up and hears the bad news. He sulks. It is sad to see a grown man sulk. I promise, I will make you lasagna with bechamel any time you want....just not today.