My six degrees of separation story about Todd English is that my dad helped him get building permits to open up Olives (and later, Figs) in Charlestown, MA in the 1980s. I’d never actually eaten at his restaurant until I went there for my BFF Prairie’s 24th birthday in 2000. I don’t remember everything I had, but I do remember having something involving a lobster ragout over squid ink pasta. I’d seen squid ink pasta on Iron Chef and very much wanted to try it, delightful gothy black pasta. Mmm! Say what you will about what Todd English has become, as MC Slim JB does very well, but back when he was into cooking, the man knew how to make some dang pizza and he knew how to make some effin’ crab cakes. I received The Olives Table several years ago as a birthday or Christmas present, either from Prairie or from my mom, I’m no longer sure. I liked the sound of his crab cake recipe as it didn’t involve red bell pepper or mayonnaise, bold moves indeed!  I made the crab cakes and I made an aïoli also from the cookbook and whoa. Oh, Todd English, you’re the real Iron Chef USA.

Adapted for the home, his cookbooks are easy to follow and replicate in your kitchen. If nothing else, these crab cakes are worth trying. Rather than welcome a C&D, the link there is for “mini” crab cakes, but it’s the same as the recipe in his cookbook; the recipe omits the fact that you will get four crab cakes from that recipe.

After taking the summer off from R&R as summer is the busiest time of year for me in terms of work (I work on the actual labor portion of my lab’s annual report and annual news magazine), I am ready to talk about a cooking adventure going on right now in my kitchen (I’m taking five). I am making some veggie burgers using a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. As I’d mentioned a couple months ago, I am still in search of the perfect veggie patty. Their recipe uses cremini mushrooms, bulghur wheat, lentils, and raw cashews. Yum. I’m really looking forward to seeing these all done and cooked up and maybe making a little aïoli to eat with. I, uh, forgot to get hamburger buns. LOL! Raw cashews were a component of many things I ate at a raw vegan restaurant recently (another post about that in a bit; the topic will be “Why can’t the Phantom Gourmet find accessible, healthy restaurants instead of places that are cheese-and-grease hurricanes?”). They do have a nice, creamy quality. I like ‘em! I’d love to find cashew butter made out of raw cashews. I should look into this.

Anyhow, another thing I made is a favorite late summer treat: mission figs with blue cheese and prosciutto. Trader Joe’s provided all components. Rather than broiling them, I’m just eating them as they’re prepared. It’s wonderful. I may broil the remaining figs with the cheese (a nice double-cream blue cheese; forget the actual name and too laaaaazy to get up and check) and prosciutto per husband’s request when I handed him a plate of uncooked ones. hee.

In other food-related musings, I really enjoy watching any television production that involves Gordon Ramsay (except the F-Word, which I think is kinda boring despite being the most informative and one least likely to show him belittling people) and have been searching the internets for uncensored video clips. I found a particularly enjoyable clip of him on Late Night w/Conan O’Brien and then a more recent one on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. Both are brilliant and I highly suggest you watch them. I didn’t realize Gordon Ramsay had such a low opinion of women. I’d like to think that maybe his wife drove over his foot or something. Ordinarily, I’d think he was a humongous dick, but I can’t help but like him or admire him for having such balls. Bullies, icons of the weak-willed. hee