I'm a bit ashamed. Clearly this a work-in-progress photo. But as the end result was consumed in a matter of minutes, I can only be kinda upset that a final version photo didn't happen. Because this also marks a culinary triumph; one in which I was able to convince my roommate that not only is fennel delicious and useful for more than just sprinkling on salads, but that it's also uber-easy to make. Although now that I have accomplished this great feat, it means that she comes home with about 5 pounds of fennel from our weekly farmer's market. At least it's cheap!

Anyway, this recipe is an old favorite of mine. When I lived in Toronto, a friend of mine introduced me to Giada de Laurentiis. I was a bit skeptical a first (I mean, she smiles an awful lot) but when I tried some of her so-called "easy" Italian, I was hooked. Hooked enough to borrow my friend's copy of her recipe book and scan in every single page. So now I have Giada's glorious food wherever I travel. And, goodness me, is this recipe glorious. Mostly because it's so simple. Literally, you slice fennel, sprinkle it with olive oil, pepper, and salt. Roast it in the oven. Add parmesan to it. Roast it some more. And you're done! Well, now that I've given you the entire recipe, I feel foolish posting it but nevertheless...

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for baking dish
4 fennel bulbs, cut horizontally and into 1/3 inch slices, fronds reserved
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Method

Preheat over to 375F. Lightly oil a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with the oil. Bake until the fenel is fork-tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel and serve.

Serves 4-6 (or just 2 if you're feeling fennel-y)

Ok folks, get ready, we've officially reached a new period of blogdom. It's high time I join the program and start showing actual (read: my) pictures of what this food looks like when cooked. Enough of the professionals. Time for the amateurs to step up. Although it'll be a few more years before the recipes on here stem only from my creativity, the pictures hopefully from now on will regularly be my own.
And don't let the poor lighting fool you on this one, this dish was absolutely amazing and gets major bonus points for taking less than half an hour to make!

From the New York Times, in their infinite wisdom:

Ingredients
2 pounds fennel with fronds still attached (3 medium bulbs)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, preferably a spring onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds firm white fish fillets, such as Pacific cod, Pacific halibut or striped mullet

Preparation

1. Trim the stalks and fronds from the fennel, and set them aside. Quarter the bulbs, cut away the cores and slice thin across the grain. You should have about 4 cups sliced fennel. Chop the fronds, and measure out 1 to 2 tablespoons (to taste).
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fennel and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the fennel mixture is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low, and continue to cook 5 to 10 more minutes until the mixture is very soft and fragrant. Stir in the chopped fennel fronds, and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. While the fennel is cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough for the fish to fit in a single layer. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and arrange in the baking dish. Cover with the fennel stalks you set aside. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake 15 minutes.

Check the fish; if you can cut into it with a fork, it is done (cod will cook more quickly than halibut). If it is still tough in the middle, cover and return to the oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven and check again. Remove the fennel stalks from the fish and discard.

4. Place the cooked fennel on a platter or on individual plates, top with the fish fillets and serve.

Yield: Serves four.
Advance preparation: The cooked fennel will keep for two days in the refrigerator.

A Foodie's Footnotes