I'm Back -- sort of

I missed this blog! And thank you to those who've been waiting patiently (and not so patiently) for me to update. Well, I'm all moved in, but not unpacked. I do have the kitchen in working order. As soon as I figure out some storage options for the things with plugs, I'll be good to go!

Anyhoo, here is the last blog-worthy meal I prepared in the old joint. I was so inspired by Giada De Laurentiis' Artichoke Gratinata one weekend, I made it that day. I paired it with the best non-cornmeal-fried fish I'd ever made. Here's how I did it:

Lots of garlic. For real. You need it for the both dishes.

Warm your olive oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add the artichoke hearts, parsley, salt and pepper.

Don't forget the red pepper flakes! Spicy is good.

The recipe calls for the artichokes to brown on the edges, which should take about three minutes. A. I had a wimpy stove and B. I wanted more color. Here's my attempt:

Moving on. Throw in some chicken broth and Marsala. I love any recipe with liquor. Aah. The bargain that is Trader Joe's chicken broth.

Now cook all of this juiciness down for a bit.

The recipe calls for transferring to a baking dish. The beauty of my All-Clad Petite Braiser is that it's stove-top and oven ready. You're also supposed to melt some butter and make some bread crumbs. Enter my frozen homemade bread crumbs. I try to always have some on hand.

Toss with some Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top of the artichokes. Bake until golden.

Giada paired this with cod, so I thought I'd give that a try too. She rocked hers with Lima beans, yuck. My love for anything garlic, capers and kalamata olives goes deep. Why not slide all of that goodness on some fish?

I grabbed a nonstick skillet and added some olive oil.

I seasoned the cod very simply -- Greek seasoning, black pepper and a touch of kosher salt.

Now, I know this makes me suspect, but I love well-done fish. I know the rule says that if it flakes, it's overcooked. My rule is: if it doesn't flake, keep cooking! Anyway, look at that gorgeous color. I browned it this well on one side.

Remove the fish from the pan and get thee to some foil and make a pouch for the fish. Let the fish rest while you prepare the adornment. Here's the fish after resting. See? It wasn't dry.

Using the fishy nonstick skillet, add a little olive oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Throw in the olives, capers, a little butter, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Place this on top of the fish, reseal the pouch and get thee to a barely warm oven (225 degrees or maybe I used 300. I can't remember.) Here's what you'll have when it's done. I'm looking at the monitor doing my food dance because I have to admit it looks good. Plate and eat, Baby!

Tools of the trade:

• Shun Chef's Knife
• Totally Bamboo Butcher Block
• All-Clad Petite Braiser
• All-Clad 10" Nonstick Skillet
• OXO Wooden Turner