Parker's Fish and Chips with String Beans with Shallots

2009-07-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Parker's Fish and Chips

Absolutely the best fish and chips our family has ever tasted, and we've just returned from Britain! Truly delicious. The fish was moist and flaky. The batter recipe is light and flavorful (and could probably be adapted for lots of other fried foods). The process was simple, straightforward, and relatively quick. We just wished we had brown vinegar! The recipe says it serves six, but our family of six had probably half left over--it all reheated very nicely the next day. (The photo shows only about one third of the total meal.) It was a little bit pricy at $25.00 for the fish, but it was two meals in the end. And Daddy (who doesn't like seafood) loved it. A definite A+.

The Chips

These had excellent flavor. They were soft inside and slightly crispy on the outside. They were extremely easy: just slice and toss with oil and spices on the baking sheet. Really nice spice combination with the fish. An A.

String Beans with Shallots

We all really enjoyed these luscious beans. They're blanched and then sauteed in olive oil and butter with browned shallots. It's a lovely flavor combination. These are also very easy. And inexpensive. An A.

The Final Product

Lovely meal.

Stewed Berries and Ice Cream

Yummy! This would be terrific on a cool fall evening. The recipe calls for 3 half-pints of fresh raspberries (two stewed, one added at the last minute), but we used a bag of frozen raspberries for the stewed 2 half-pints. Other than the berries being (perhaps) more broken than if we had used only fresh, the result was beautiful. And is there anything better than berries with vanilla ice cream!? A definite A.

The Adventure

2009-07-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of exploration, we (Morgan and Rachel) have decided to cook our way through the Barefoot Contessa's cookbook(s).

I, Rachel, have used Ina's recipes for years, and I've loved every one I've tried. But there are many more to experience. I love Ina's style: welcoming atmosphere, beautiful food, pleasing flavor combinations, fresh flowers, and enthusiastic friendships.

I, Morgan, am excited to learn more about cooking fine food.

And we'll both enjoy experiencing the adventure together.

We'll post our results: photos (though unprofessional they may be), thoughts about the recipes, and what we think about the final product.

Cooking with the Contessa

Parker's Fish and Chips with String Beans with Shallots

The Adventure