There's lots of fishes in the sea, make sure you catch this one!

We all hear the same story that breaking up with a guy should not be hard because there are lots of other men out there. Yes, there are LOTS of men out there, but are they worth catching? It depends on your tolerance, values, likes and dislikes. However, making a meal for one is a lot easier especially when fish is the main course. Before I started cooking, I thought fish would be one of the hardest things to cook but the opposite is never more true. With a lot of experimentation, whole fish has turned into one of my go to meals. Fresh porgy is in season now and very affordable at two to three dollars per pound. Two sizeable whole fish will cost you no more than $8 and make sure to look for ones that have clear eyes and smell like the sea. The fish guy-can't think of the official name will clean and gut it for you.
1.  When home from the grocery store rinse the fish with water and season with salt, pepper, thyme,Mrs. Dash, olive oil.
2.  Place seasoned fish in pot.
3.  Cut up onions, tomatoes, garlic; Place on top of fish.
4. Add about three tablespoons of water or more,if you like lots of gravy. (Remember, this is not a boiled fish recipe!)
5. Let fish steam in the covered pot for about fifteen minutes.
6.  During cooking, spoon gravy over fish for fabulous flavor.
7. Finish with a dab of butter in sauce.

For those that cannot eat fish with a head, please overcome being grossed out and take the leap. It will be well worth it. You can always take the head off after cooking the fish. You get the best of both worlds. The flavor from the head without having to eat it. Porgy is a bony fish so be careful when eating but remember that bones do give fish and meat its flavor. Buon appetit!

What do summer dresses and corn have in common?

Long gone are the winter coats and heavy boots; beautiful summer dresses and cute sandals take their place. A plethora of summer vegetables-fresh corn, fill the grocery store bins. There is nothing like sweet, summer corn, so I made a dinner of steamed fish and corn but had three ears of corn left over! A single person's dilema, what to do with all these left overs? Corn fritters come to mind. I reminisce about all the different types of fritters I ate as a young child. Scallion, codfish and plantain fritters made me the happiest especially when made by my parents; these memories made me yearn for piping hot fritters. I did not have scallion, codfish or plaintains but used the left over steamed corn to make my fritters. Improvisation, a cooking skill that I am honing is thwarted by my cookbooks, hence I found a recipe for corn fritters and made the batter in fifteen minutes. I made a batter for about four people and fried the fritters until golden brown. My dilemma with cookbooks, the recipes are usually written to serve at least three people, but I resolve to eat the fritters over a period of mornings. Fritter nostalgia curbed and an appetizing breakfast here I come!

Kitchen tools- Part 1

Infinite possibilities with the can can man

Ewww! A can of tuna for dinner but this  gem of a can gives you five dinners during the work week. My uncle, a cook at heart, showed me the usefulness of these little cans of tuna. He said, I'm going to show you how to make a delicious dinner out of a can of tuna. I said to myself, no way, but he proceeded to

cut up some onions and tomato sauteed them in oil, added the tuna (drain water) to the onions and tomato, sprinkled some salt and pepper, added a tip of water then covered the pot. While preparing the tuna, he steamed fluffy rice and dinner was done. I was amazed at this, and the food tasted delicious. As a quick work night meal, this dish is my saving grace. I have added some variations.I prefer to buy chunk light tuna in water; this seems to work best for me.

Tuna sauteed with anchovies, canned whole tomatoes, red onions served over pasta or rice original recipe

Tuna sauteed with olive oil, capers, green onions, fresh tomatoes served over rice

Grilled tuna melt with cheddar cheese

Tuna with sun-dried tomatoes, onions, Mrs. Dash, paprika, capers served over pasta

The classic: tuna salad sandwich

ENJOY!

Spring Fling with Pineapple Upside Down Cake

The warmer weather brings forth the sweet and juicy fruits that we love so much. Pineapples, being one of them, was a feast to my eyes at Whole Foods with the beautiful display of pineapples they feautured. Being Jamaican, I always reminisce about eating juicy pineapples as a kid. My memories and the beautiful display sparked my cooking enthusiasm. I first thought I would make pineapple juice with pears and mangoes but instead went with pineapple upside down cake that I have never eaten before, and I have always wanted to try it. I go to my trusted friend in cookbooks,  Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything and a recipe for pineapple upside down cake is right before my eyes. The recipe was really easy to follow and I was scared about scrambling the eggs with the melted butter but a tip (via foodnetwork) is to temper the ingredients so this won't happen. I combined the dry with wet ingredients, placed the pineapple in the buttered and sugared cast iron pan then gingerly layered the cake mixture on top of the pineapples. I excitedly put the cake in the oven and waited impatiently for an hour for it to finish. It looked beautifully brown when done but when transferring to the plate, the cast iron was so heavy, a piece of the cake came off. I recovered the cake and then thought to myself scars give us character even in the food world.

What is your favorite summer or spring fruit?

Build a better man(or sandwich)

Is there a perfect man out there for us single ladies. Maybe, one would answer, but while enjoying life and searching for Mr. Right, making a delicious sandwich is a great alternative to the sometimes futile search for love. This sandwich starts with lovingly frying an egg and then sauteeing some cooked chorizo sausage. Then cut two slices of your favorite artisan bread. Place the egg on top with the chorizo sausage and two slices of avocado to cool the spice of the chorizo. Have you built a better man? Certainly not, but the perfect sandwich for yourself, yes!

Chorizo sausage love

I absolutely love Niman ranch chorizo sausage, and yams are so good no matter what time of year.
I was thinking of this dinner for a couple of days before I made it.  Today was the day, I came home and started cooking. The funny thing is, the sound of the knife slicing through the yam and the sizzling of the chorizo calmed me down. For a no fuss dessert, some chocolate chips to take advantage of being single and cooking.