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Leena (Teaches Someone Else to) Cook: Nick’s First Lesson

Leena (Teaches Someone Else to) Cook: Nicks First Lesson

This is Nick and I, circa 1999-ish. I know what you're thinking. I was just as hot in 12th grade as I am today. Who knew?

Meet Nick. I’ve known Nick since my freshman year of high school, when I tripped while jogging and fell on my face in front of the entire gym class. Nick teased me endlessly, and a friendship was formed.

In our 15 years of friendship, we have bonded over many things–marching band, roller blading, and most recently, food. Nick loves it but wants to learn more, and I love it, know a lot, and love to talk. A perfect combo if you ask me.

Recently, Nick asked if I could help him form a weekly dinner plan that he could execute in between attending nursing school and his  day job. His goal? To stop eating frozen pizzas and tv dinners when he is short on time, and to use his few free days to cook more.

Check out the plan I created for him and how well it worked for him (plus food porn) after the jump.

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July 26th, 2010
Posted in Leena Cooks, Mains | View Comments

Gastro Friday: What’s in Your Canning Cabinet? 2010 edition

Gastro Friday: Whats in Your Canning Cabinet? 2010 edition

The innards of my canning cabinet. And yes, the cans are totally organized into groups based on ingredients and recipe. I'm a food nerd.

About once a year, I like to ask, what is in your canning cabinet? This year, I’m really proud of mine. For the first time ever, I have room in my actual kitchen for my canned goods–two entire shelves, in fact!

More food porn and peeks inside my canning cabinet after the jump.

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July 23rd, 2010
Posted in Canning, Gastro Fridays, The Gastronomical Leena | View Comments

Leena Cooks n Cans: Cucumber and Zucchini Pickles/Relishes for July’s Tigress Can Jam!

Leena Cooks n Cans: Cucumber and Zucchini Pickles/Relishes for Julys Tigress Can Jam!

From cucumbers and zucchinis to two pickles and three relishes: bread and butter pickles, garlic dill pickles, Indian-style relish, Spicy Garlic Dill Relish, and in front, Zucchini BBQ Relish, all for July's Tigress Can Jam!

Wow. When Gloria over at Laundry, ETC. named this month’s can jam project to be cucurbits, to be honest, I wasn’t excited. WTF are cucurbits, you might ask? According to Gloria, “it refers to Cucurbitaceae, a plant family commonly known as melons and gourds, including crops like cucumbers, squashes (including pumpkins), loofahs, melons and watermelons…” To me, there is nothing special about cucumbers and zucchini. At all. I was the opposite of excited.

And then a bitch canned five different products. FIVE! And then a bitch remembered, oh yeah! I’m a pickle whore! and a bitch was able to stock her larder for the entire winter with pickles and relishes and experiment with a few new recipes. The bitch felt a bit like, well, a bitch.

Cucurbits, you have humbled me. I am not worthy.

Five recipes and food porn after the jump.

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July 19th, 2010
Posted in Canning, Condiments, Leena Cooks, Pickles, Relishes | View Comments

Leena Cooks and Bakes: Coconut Cream Pie Tart

Leena Cooks and Bakes: Coconut Cream Pie Tart

I came, I saw, I conquered and ate 2/3rds of this coconut cream pie tart by myself. What you gonna do?

Now that the 4th of July has past, we Americans are in the heart of the summer bbq season. And frankly, there are enough meat and side dish recipes on food blogs to drown a nursing home. But bbq desserts? We could ALWAYS use more desserts. One can only eat so many apple pies in one lifetime.

Meet my coconut cream pie tart, a nice, cool and refreshing treat that just so happens to be my favorite dessert of all time. Recipe and heaps of food porn after the jump.

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July 5th, 2010
Posted in Leena Bakes, Leena Cooks, Pie, Tarts | View Comments

Leena Cooks n Cans: Chinese five spice pickled cherries for Tigress Can Jam June

Leena Cooks n Cans: Chinese five spice pickled cherries for Tigress Can Jam June

My pitted dark cherries, ready and waiting to be pickled!

Click for tigress can jam food blog challenge

(note- this recipe was originally posted on July 28, 2009, but it is too good not repost for this month’s Tigress Can Jam: Berries. Photos and recipe the same, but content has changed. Enjoy!)

It is time once again for this month’s Tigress Can Jam, and the topic is berries. Since I am OBSESSED with my kick-ass five spice pickled cherries, and cherries have just come into season in California ($2 a pound, baby!), I figured this month’s can jam would be a great excuse to make my seasonal stock of pickled cherries.

These cherries are sweet and tart, tangy and addictive. They rock in both sweet and savory food applications, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. And no joke? They will change your life. Even if you hate pickles.

More food porn, tips and the recipe after the jump

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June 21st, 2010
Posted in Canning, Fruit, Leena Cooks | View Comments

Leena Cooks n Cans: Spicy Dill Pickled Asparagus

Leena Cooks n Cans: Spicy Dill Pickled Asparagus

From stalk to can: my kick-ass spicy dill pickled asparagus, canned, of course.

While other bloggers have been posting about cooking the perfect asparagus soup or asparagus risotto, I must admit I prefer to enjoy the green veg a different way–by turning them into pickles and canning them. This allows me to enjoy them year round, and is a great excuse to eat more pickles!

Plus I’m totally being patriotic. Did you know that pickles helped Columbus’s crew travel the ocean without getting scurvy so they could discover America?

Did you also know I am totally the sort of person to look up a historical excuse for eating more of my favorite food?!

Good. I just want you to know who you’re dealing with here.

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June 7th, 2010
Posted in Canning, Leena Cooks, Vegetables | View Comments

Leena Smokes: a Delicious Dry-rubbed Chicken

Leena Smokes: a Delicious Dry rubbed Chicken

My bad-ass smoked dry-rubbed chicken half.

I love smoking meat so much. So little work (especially since 1. I own an electric smoker and 2. my husband LIKES to do it), so much delicious, smoky meat for the effort. Thus far on this blog, you’ve witness me smoke pork shoulder, pork ribs and drums of heaven, all with relative success and deliciousness. Oh, and let’s not forget my epic charcoal-smoked leg of lamb.

So on a recent Sunday, while on the hunt for something to cook for dinner that would provide us with food for a few days, I thought of the humble chicken. I could cut it into halves and slather them in delicious dry rub, then smoke them for three hours or so (for a 3.5 pound chicken). The results would equal some delicious dry-rubbed smoked chicken pieces for dinner, and another half of smoked chicken for us to shred and make into bbq sandwiches, quesadillas, enchildas…mmmm. Done and done.

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May 31st, 2010
Posted in Leena Cooks, Mains, Meat, Poultry, Smoking | View Comments

Leena Cooks (n Cans): Spiced Rhubarb Jam for Tigress’s Can Jam

Leena Cooks (n Cans): Spiced Rhubarb Jam for Tigresss Can Jam

Spiced rhubarb jam--the perfect topping for French toast (along with a little vanilla yogurt and flaked almonds!).

Click for tigress can jam food blog challenge

So. By now, we all know that Leena hearts canning and is participating in a can jam with bloggers around the world, right? AWESOME. Of course we also remember all the deliciousness Leena has already canned for the can jam, like her citrus in January (blood orange port marmalade), carrots in February (gajar ki chutney with caramelized shallots), onions in March (onion apple ale relish) and herbs in April (strawberry rhubarb rosemary jam). This month’s challenge: asparagus OR rhubarb. Technically, I did both (I canned pickled spicy dill asparagus in a canning class I taught), but my official entry in May’s can jam is spiced rhubarb jam.

Food porn, directions, and an explanation on how I got bitch-slapped by some spices after the jump.

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May 17th, 2010
Posted in Canning, Leena Cooks | View Comments

Leena Cooks: Artichoke Risotto with Goat Cheese

Leena Cooks: Artichoke Risotto with Goat Cheese

My artichoke risotto topped with goat cheese and Italian parsley.

Here in California, artichoke season is already in full swing. I love to eat them steamed whole, dipping the leaves in butter with a bit of salt and scraping the soft flesh off with my teeth. If you’re a fan of artichokes, you know they have a short season, and I find it necessary to eat copious amounts of them during that time because they just don’t taste as good out of season. And maybe a slight food addiction that I pass as a career choice.

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May 10th, 2010
Posted in Leena Cooks, Mains, Risotto | View Comments

Leena Cooks: Mothers Day Brunch!

Leena Cooks: Mothers Day Brunch!

The makings of a kick-ass brunch for a kick-ass mom.

Dear Mom,

I know we don’t live near each other, but if we did, I would make you this brunch for Mothers Day because I love you and think you are the greatest mom in the world. Why?

Because you used to buy me the newest and coolest snacks for my lunch growing up.

Because even while juggling a full-time job and raising two kids, you still took time out to hand-sew me a million Halloween costumes that rocked (especially the spider suit with moving legs).

Because I’m pretty sure when I was a tiny baby, I pooped in your hand.

Because I watered down EVERY bottle of liquor in your collection as a teen.

Because you listened to me talk nonstop from the day I was born, and woman, if you could survive all of THAT, the least I could do is make you a delicious brunch.

Get ready Mom, for a spring herb, asparagus and goat cheese frittata and homemade biscuits with strawberry rhubarb jam.

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May 3rd, 2010
Posted in Breakfast, Leena Cooks | View Comments
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