Old Cook's Rantings

And Here Are The Cookbooks!!!

2009-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Finally, the two cookbooks I'm so proud of are available.

The newest book, a Chef's Journey...Home, was a labor of love.

How do I thank the women in my life who taught me the love of food and cooking? By gathering theirs and other recipes that my family grew up eating and loving and offereing them to all of you.

By sharing these dishes, I hope their memories live on for many generations to come.

Many of my friends, fellow chefs and food lovers, also traveled back in time to remember the foods they loved growing up and share them in the book.

$19.95 To order either book, please go to my website, achefsjourney.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Share a Recipe Cookbook is a compilation of recipes contributed by chefs and cooks from all over the world.

Over 100 favorite comfort food recipes that are inexpensive to prepare for your family. These are the dishes we all made when we were first starting out and had very little money, but wanted to cook delicious meals for our families. The recipes are also those our parents cooked for us when they were starting out.

All of the proceeds from this book go to chef scholarships to help our future chefs. Anyone enrolled in a culinary school is eligible for a scholarship. We've already been fortunate enough to give a $1,000.00 scholarship to a student attending Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, Nevada.

$14.95 To order either book, please go to my website, achefsjourney.com

Moving On In Another Direction

2009-03-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

My poor old blog has been so neglected and probably will be from now on since I've moved on in another direction as far as sharing recipes with everyone.

I've just completed my 2nd book and it will be out and ready for the world this month. For anyone interested, please go to my website - http://achefsjourney.com and find out all about it and the first book.

I hope I see everyone in a kitchen one of these days.....

Jean

If You're Ever Passing Thru Goldendale, Washington...

2008-04-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

Since the barrel tasting does not start until today (Friday), yesterday we headed south from Yakima to the Goldendale area to check out some wineries. South of Goldendale (small farming town, about 4,000 population) on the Columbia river is where a lot of new wineries are clustered. The most breathtaking views in the world - I may be a little prejudiced because my Grandparents had a ranch on the Columbia until the government took it over for the Hanford Nuclear plant, so I get very nostalgic when I'm in that area, it's so wild, and huge and craggy and beautiful!

Finally got to Maryhill Winery - we've loved their wines for a few years now. I was surprised to find they only started the winery about 7-8 years ago, so guess we found them early on. Their Zins and Syrahs are just wonderful.
http://www.maryhillwinery.com/ourwine.asp

They are building an amphitheater to be finished in a month or so and Cosby, Stills & Nash are the first venue slated - would love to come back for that. The theater has its back to the river and the seating and winery itself faces the river...oh my, the view. (can you tell I'm impressed?)

We spent so much time at Maryhill and tried so many wines, we only hit one more, Marshall winery - a dinky little place just getting on its legs. But, oh the winemaker does know what he's doing. His Syrahs are wonderful. Even if we could have tasted more and still made it home without a drunk driving charge, we spent so much time at each place, we then headed home.

But we made a little detour when we got back to Goldendale - ran across a little house with the sign, The Glass Onion out front. So, in we pulled and found a little gem of a restaurant and gallery in the midst of nothing!!
http://theglassonionrestaurant.com/

Check out their website just to see how the restaurant came to be and also the photographs that Chef Mark McGowan's wife takes.We each had a bowl of his Spring Pea soup with fresh cream and oh my, it was just delicious. On the menu also, was a spinach salad with bleu cheese, bacon, candied pecans and maple dressing! that caught my eye. I handed our server my ACF card (opens so many doors ) and asked if I might just try a little of the maple dressing and out came a little salad for us to try with the dressing. It was just delicious - the salty bleu and the sweetness of the syrup and crunch of fresh spinach and the nuts. AND, Chef Mark was nice enough to give me the recipe and I will be nice enough to share it with you, too.

Chef McGown's Maple Dressing
He uses it with his spinach salad (including bleu cheese, bacon, candied pecans)

1/2 cup maple syrup
2 T. Dijon
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1 1/2 c. olive oil
salt & pepper
1/4 c. brown sugar

With our soup and salad, we had a glass of Cascade Cliff's (a winery we wanted to visit, but alas, didn't think we ought to!) Merlot and it was very good with the salad and dressing, not to mention the soup also.So, that was our day yesterday and what a nice day it was!!

Today, we start drinking (or tasting...) our way thru the Yakima Valley Barrel tasting. So many wines, so little time!

With all the great wines we tried, we almost held to our winery pledge of buying only one bottle per winery on these kinds of trips... almost, had to buy a bottle of Maryhill's Malbec for my birthday dinner coming up... we were rather proud of our restraint!

Mother Sauce - Espagnole

2008-02-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Our cooking friend, 'Houseboat Don', wants to learn sauces, so this weekend we’re going to work on one of the mother sauces, Espagnole and its smaller sauces. I’m making the basic brown stock and then the Espagnole sauce and wait for him to be here to work on to the small sauces.

I’m thinking I’ll have some steaks and chicken thawed out and we can just have a taste testing of the sauces – here’s what we'll choose probably 6-8 from:

Bordelaise

Marchand de Vin

Robert

Charcutiere

Chasseur

Diable

Madeira

Perigueux (this one calls for truffles, but if we make it maybe we can play with truffle salt and/or truffle oil - unless Don wants to pop for truffles.... )

Port Wine

Italian

Mushroom

Bercy

Piquante

Lyonnaise

I’m using my text book from Culinary school for reference and help in making these sauces – Wayne Gisslen’s Professional Cooking. But there are a lot of sources anyone can use, especially having access to the internet to search.

Started out with a huge problem – I forgot to tell Roy to make sure the beef bones were cut in 3 – 4” lengths. He brought home some real hummers. Meat saw, hack saw, cleaver – nothing was working, so had to resort to an impeccably cleaned table saw. But, even that was precarious, think about holding those slippery little devils safely away from the blade. Finally, between the table saw and a wedge, we managed to get usable sizes.

They are in the oven roasting, then the mirepoix will be roasted and the brown stock will begin. And the adventure goes on. This should be a lot of fun.

Tuesday, 2/12/08
I had approximately 17 lbs. of beef bones
10-12 qts. cold water
Mirepoix:
1 lb. onions, chopped
8 oz. carrots, chopped
8 oz. celery, chopped
1 lb. tomatoes or tomato puree (I used puree)
Sachet:
1 Bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
8 peppercorns
4-6 parsley stems
1 whole cloves

Roast the bones in a 375 – 400 F. oven until well browned – the browner, the more flavor for your stock. Remove bones from pan and place in a stock pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Skim and let stock continue to simmer.

Drain and reserve the fat in the roasting pan. Deglaze the pan with water, scraping up all the goodies on the bottom of the pan and add to stock pot.

Toss the vegetables with some of the reserved fat from bones in the roasting pan and brown well in the oven – again, the browner, the more flavor.

Add the browned mirepoix, the tomato produce, and the sachet to the stock pot. Continue to simmer for a total cooking time of 6 to 8 hours, skimming the surface as needed. Add water to keep the bones covered. I made this stock over two days, 3 hours on Tuesday and brought it back up to a simmer and continued for 5 more hours.

Strain through a china cap lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Cool the stock, vented, in a cold-water bath and refrigerate.

Wednesday, 2/13/08
Wednesday, I continued the stock for 5 more hours. Then on to making the Espagnole Sauce. Now, this is where I took a slight shortcut. My amount of stock ended up being 8 quarts and the below ingredient amounts are based on 6 qts., so I added 1/3 more of everything.

Mirepoix:
1 lb. onions, medium dice
8 oz. carrots, medium dice
8 oz. celery, medium dice
----
8 oz. butter
8 oz. bread flour
6 qts. brown stock
8 oz. tomato puree
Sachet:
1 small bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
3-4 parsley stems

Sauté the mirepoix in the butter until well browned. Add the flour and stir to make the roux. Continue to cook, until the roux is browned.

Gradually stir in the brown stock and tomato puree, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and skim the surface. Add the sachet and let simmer for about 2 hours, until the sauce is reduced to 1 gal. Skim as often as necessary.

Strain through a china cap lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Press on the mirepoix gently to extract their juices.
----

Now, this is where my shortcut comes in – because I goofed! I forgot I needed equal amounts of the Espagnole Sauce and the brown stock to make my Demiglaze! But, I had a little container of wonderful ‘gold’ that I used. I always have on hand a product called “Glace de Gibier Gold” from More Than Gourmet (you can buy on line). I made up the amount I needed and continued with the demi –

1 gallon brown sauce (Espagnole)
1 gallon brown stock

Combine the sauce and stock in a stock pot and simmer until reduced by half. Strain through a chinois (fine china cap) or a regular china cap lined with cheesecloth. Cover to prevent a skin from forming. Keep hot in a bain marie, or cool in a cold-water bath for later use.

Here's my demiglaze and it tastes absolutely wonderful! Luscious looking also! :)

I am now ready for Houseboat Don to arrive and continue with our small sauces.

Next blog with cover the small sauce we make from the Demiglaze, how we use them and more importanly how we all like them! I'm getting so anxious!

Camaraderie Vineyard's Wine Maker's Dinner

2007-10-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

Along with my fearless and valiant Sous, Roy and I presented Camaraderie Vineyard's guests with an 8 course Wine Maker's Dinner that we were both very proud of.

Camaraderie Vineyards Wine Maker’s Dinner
October 20, 2007

our menu

Lobster-Mango Spring Roll
Apricot Vinaigrette

Popcorn Tossed with Truffle Oil

Leek Trio
Leeks Mimosa with Hazelnuts
Parmesan-Leek Bread Pudding
Vichyssoise
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chilled Asparagus
Timbale of Caviar, Crab, Avocado
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Salad - Three Ways
Celeriac Remoulade
Chickpea and Carrot
Roasted Beet, Red Onion and Chives
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Herb-Crusted Mahi Mahi
Oven-Roasted Fennel and Tomato
Balsamic Reduction
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Braised Lamb Shanks
Caramelized Onions and Shallots
Potato Puree
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cheese Board
Wensley Dale Boroughs English Cheddar
Homboldt Fog Goat
Holland Smoked
Dried fruit
Walnut bread
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Late Harvest Riesling Sorbet
Fresh Berries
Chocolates

What a fun dinner and great group of folks to cook for. Almost all the courses/dishes I have cooked before, but a couple of them I’d either heard about or been given the ideas from chef friends I trust enough to go with offering them untried.

I have no idea where I first heard about Truffle popcorn, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to play with for quite a while. We had some company coming for dinner a week or so ahead of the wine maker’s dinner so decided to ‘test’ with them. We made three batches, one with kosher salt & truffle oil, one with truffle oil & truffle infused salt, and one with truffle oil, truffle salt and lemon zest. All agree the third was the very best! Earthy flavors with just a little zestiness to it.

TRUFFLE POPCORN
a Chef’s Journey recipe

1/2 cup popcorn
vegetable oil to coat the popcorn very lightly
1 1/2 T. truffle oil
truffle infused salt, to taste
2 Tablespoons lemon zest

Measure out popcorn in a heavy pot. Add just enough vegetable oil to lightly coat the kernels.
Pop the corn and remove from heat.
Immediately add the truffle oil, truffle salt and lemon zest and toss the popcorn until all is incorporated.
Serve immediately.

The popcorn and Lobster-Mango Spring Rolls were to be ‘walk around’ starters for greeting the guests. I had intended to use butter lettuce leaves for the rolls, but decided they would not be as easy to use as a one-bite amuse-bouche as they would be with rice paper. The rolls are made up of strips of lobster, mango and cucumber rolled in rice paper and served with an Apricot Vinaigrette, which is really more of a sauce than vinaigrette, imo.

LOBSTER-MANGO SPRING ROLL WITH APRICOT VINAIGRETTE
Rick Tramonto, Amuse-Bouche

1 cooked lobster tail from a 1 1/2 - 2-lb. lobster (for 3 5-oz. lobster tails, drop in boiling salted water for 6 minutes)
1/2 cucumber -- peeled
1 ripe mango
4 to 8-inch round dried rice paper sheets (or butter lettuce leaves)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T. Apricot Vinaigrette

Remove the lobster meat from the shell in one piece & cut the meat lengthwise into quarters.
Trim each piece so that it is about 4" long.
Pull out the digestive tract if it's present.

Remove the seeds from the cucumber with a small spoon.
Discard the seeds.
Cut 4 strips from the cucumber, each one about 1/3" thick and 4" long, so that they match the lobster strips.
Make the strips as even as possible. Save any extra cucumber for another use.

Peel skin from the mango w/peeler.
Slice the flesh to the pit, squaring it as much as you can.
Cut 4 strips from the mango to match the cucumber strips.
Make the strips as even as possible.
Save extra for another use.

Fill a large, shallow bowl with warm water and spread a lint-free dish towel on a work surface.

One at a time, drop the rice paper in the water till all are submerged.
Soak for 3 minutes or till they are completely softened and pliable.
Life the sheets out of the water and spread them out on the dish towel to drain, making sure they don't overlap.

Arrange a strip of each - lobster, cucumber, and mango across the bottom third of the wrapper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fold the wrapper over the filling and roll into a tight cylinder up to the halfway mark.
Fold in the two sides and continue to roll till sealed.
Place the roll on a flat plate, seam side down.
Repeat to make 3 more rolls. Allow to rest for a few minutes to seal completely.

To serve, cut the rolls on the bias into thirds. (For an 8 course dinner, I cut each roll into 5 pieces)
Spoon some vinaigrette. On a small plate and set a slice on top of the sauce, cut side down. Or, slice the spring rolls into smaller pieces and serve on small plates w/a small ramekin of vinaigrette for dipping.

Can make up to 3 hours ahead

Next course up was the Leeks 3 Ways - a wonderful dish to be presented on a rectangular dish – I served the Vichyssoise on the left in demitasse cups, the Leeks Mimosa with Hazelnuts in the center, and the Leek Bread Pudding, cut in squares and plated on point, on the right. This is a great dish, with one exception – the Leek Mimosa was not a standout and I think I will replace the third part of this dish with either a Bell Pepper & Leek Sauté or a Leek & Ginger Slaw. Will be a much better balanced plate (taste and presentation).

VICHYSSOISE
House & Garden, 9/62
Serving Size : 6

2 cups potatoes -- finely diced, raw
4 tablespoons butter
6 large leeks (opt. add 1-2 shallots with the leeks) -- cleaned & cut into 1" pcs
3 cups chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 dash nutmeg
2 cups sour cream -- or heavy cream. May need just 1 1/2 cups
chopped fresh chives

Cook potatoes in salted water to cover till just tender. Melt butter in skillet & cook the leeks gently, tossing them lightly, for a few minutes.
Add the chicken bouillon and bring to a boil. Lower heat & simmer the leeks till tender.

Add the potatoes to the leeks & the broth & season to taste w/salt, pepper & nutmeg.

Put this mixture in a blender (blend in two-four lots.) & blend for 1 min. or till smooth.

Chill. When ready to serve, mix in sour cream or heavy cream. Thin with chicken stock or milk if necessary. Garnish w/chopped chives.

Parmesan-Leek Bread Pudding

3 tablespoons butter
3 leeks\raw -- white part only
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 loaf Italian bread -- torn into 1 inch pieces

In a sauté pan over medium heat, gently soften the leeks in butter. After the leeks are tender, remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, half-and-half, eggs, seasonings, and cheese. Stir in bread and leeks.
Pour mixture into a large baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes.

Serves 8
I’ll have to do a little searching to find where this recipe came from.

Soup course is a family and catering favorite – Chilled Asparagus Soup with Timbale of Caviar, Crab and Avocado. You couldn’t ask for a prettier presentation soup, nor a better flavored.

CHILLED ASPARAGUS SOUP with TIMBALE OF CAVIAR, CRAB & AVOCADO
Serves 8

1/4 cup butter
3 small leeks -- white & pale green parts only, 4 cups approx.
2 lbs. asparagus -- ends trimmed, coarse chop
1 1/3 quarts chicken stock -- or canned low-salt broth (43 oz.)
1 quart chopped spinach leaves -- 4 oz.
1/2 cup flaked fresh crabmeat
2 2/3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 tablespoons minced shallot
1 cup diced peeled pitted avocado
2 2/3 tablespoons good-quality black caviar (such as oestra)

Melt butter in heavy large pan over med. heat. Add leeks & sauté till soft, about 5 min. Add asparagus and stock; bring to boll. Reduce heat to medium, cover & simmer till asparagus is tender, about 8 min. Add spinach, cover & simmer till wilted, about 4 min.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender till smooth. Transfer soup to large bowl; season to taste with salt & pepper. Cool, then cover & chill till cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Mix crabmeat, 1 T. lemon juice & shallot in small bowl. Season to taste w/salt & pepper.

Mix avocado & remaining I T. lemon juice in another small bowl; mash coarsely. Season to taste w/salt & pepper.

Place tomato can, biscuit cutter or pvc pipe cut in 2-3” length in center of one soup bowl.
Spoon in 1 T. avocado mixture; smooth top.
Spoon in 1 T. crab mixture; press lightly to compact.
Spoon in 1 T. avocado mixture. Top with 1 tsp. caviar.

Carefully lift off can. Repeat in remaining soup bowls with remaining timbale Ingredients. Ladle soup around each timbale. Serve immediately.
Over the years, I now have pvc that I use rather than any metal rings - works much better.

Salad – three ways is a winner and I’ll certainly offer this again. It’s made up of three distinctive flavored salads. The colors are great together and look wonderful plated in a triangle with the point of the triangle being the beet salad and the back two ‘legs’ of the chickpea and celeriac.

The celeriac is dressed with one of the best tasting Remoulade I’ve tasted – if you’re a purist this does not have anchovy, but why not play with it. The two times I’ve made the salad, I’ve had leftover remoulade and found the best use for it. Grill some burger patties and thick onion slices brushed with butter and seasoned with salt & pepper. Brush Kaiser rolls with butter and as the patties and onion are done, lay on grill to brown. Spread lots of remolaude on both sides of the bun and top with the patty and onion slice. Oh what a wonderful burger this is!!

CELERIAC REMOULADE
“We serve this on its own as a salad, but it's also an excellent side dish or garnish, or with a roast pork sandwich or as a light meal with a piece of cold chicken.” A note by Thomas Keller in his book, “Bouchon”.

Remoulade:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup crème fraiche
2 T. minced cornichons
2 T. minced rained nonpareil capers -- preferably Spanish
2 1/4 tsp. Dijon
1 T. cider vinegar -- (about)
2 tsp. minced Italian parsley
2 tsp. minced tarragon
2 tsp minced chervil
2 tsp. minced chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-----
1 lb. celeriac (celery root) -- (1 large)
Fresh Lemon juice (optional)

For the remoulade: stir the mayo and crème fraiche together in a small bowl.
Squeeze any excess moisture from the cornichons and capers and stir them into the mixture.
Add the mustard, vinegar, and herbs. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, to allow the flavors of the remoulade to develop.

For the celeriac: Cut off and discard the tops and bottoms of the celeriac; remove the skin.
Using a mandolin or knife, cut the celeriac into 1/8-inch-thick julienne. You should have about 4 cups.

Put the celeriac in a bowl and toss with enough remoulade to coat the pieces; reserve any remaining dressing. Taste & season the salad as necessary.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.

Just before serving, toss the celeriac with additional dressing, if desired, and adjust the seasonings a final time, adding a squeeze of lemon juice or more vinegar if needed.

Makes 3 cups; 4 to 6 servings.

Chef Keller's notes: Make the salad two to eight hours before serving it, the flavors develop, & the acid seems to tenderize the celeriac slightly. Don't overdress it - the salt in the dressing will pull moisture from it, resulting in more liquid than you want.

Chickpea and Carrot Salad
Thomas Keller recipe

1/2 cup chickpeas, quick-soaked (cover with water, bring to a boil, boil 1 minute, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 1 hours then continue with the recipe.)
1 med. leek, white & light green parts only
Bourquet Garni (a mixture of 8 thyme sprigs, 2 parsley stems, 2 bay leaves & 1 tsp. black peppercorns)
1/2 onion, peeled
1 small carrot, peeled
Kosher salt
2 T. olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed
2 thyme sprigs
1 cup finely julienne carrots
Freshly ground black pepper
1 T. chopped Italian parsley
1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

Drain the chickpeas, put in a large saucepan, and add about 6 cups water, or enough to cover them by 2 inches.

Cut the leek lengthwise in half and rinse under cold water. Add one leek half to the pan, reserving the remaining half for another use. Add the bouquet garni, onion, and whole carrot to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chickpeas are tender.

Pour the chickpeas and their liquid into a large shallow container and let cool. Once they are cool, remove and discard the bouquet garni and vegetables and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. (The chickpeas can be covered and refrigerated in their liquid for 2 to 3 days.)

When ready to assemble the salad, drain the chickpeas in a colander.

Combine the olive oil, bay leaves, garlic, & thyme in a large skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil is hot. Add the carrots and toss in the oil for about 1 minute to cook them slightly (I like them cooked longer until al dente)

Add the chickpeas and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the chickpeas for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and let cool. (The salad can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

Just before serving, remove the bay leaves, garlic, and thyme from the chickpeas and stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Makes 2 cups

ROASTED BEET SALAD
Thomas Keller recipe

1 1/2 lbs. red beets -- (3 to 4 large)
3 T. olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 T. red wine vinegar -- (about)
2 T. fresh orange juice
1/2 red onion -- peeled*
1 T. chopped tarragon
1 T. minced chives

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Wash the beets and trim the stems, leaving about 1/4 inch attached. Place them on a large piece of aluminum foil and toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Lift up the edges of the foil and squeeze together to form a packet. Place in a small baking pan and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beets are tender, offering no resistance when pierced with a knife.

Carefully unwrap the beets and let stand just until cool enough to handle.

Rub each beet with a paper towel to remove the skin. Cut off
and discard the stems. Cut the beets into quarters, then cut the quarters crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place in a bowl.

Season with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Add red wine vinegar, orange juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Toss and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Let the beets marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to a day, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before finishing the salad.

About 30 minutes before serving, cut three or four 1/8-inch-thick slices crosswise from the onion and separate the slices* (reserve the remaining onion for another use). Toss the beets with the onion, tarragon, and chives.

Just before serving, check the seasonings and add additional salt, pepper, and/or vinegar to taste.

Makes 4 servings

*I found I prefer cutting a whole red onion into 1/8-inch-thick slices and just use the inner smaller circles of the onion - much prettier presentation.

Our fifth course, the fish course, was a wonderfully herbed crusted Mahi Mahi on a bed of Fennel and drizzled with a Balsamic reduction – the flavors were just wonderful.

HERB-CRUSTED MAHI MAHI, ROASTED FENNEL AND TOMATO with Balsamic Reduction

Fennel:
2 large fennel bulbs -- tops trimmed; cut each bulb in half lengthwise, then cut into thin strips.
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 Bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 red Thai chilies (or small serranos) I used serranos
1 T. sugar
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. dry sherry
2 T. butter
2 tomatoes -- seeded and julienned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic Reduction - see recipe

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place fennel, olive oil, bay leaves, thyme, and chilies in a roasting pan and roast uncovered for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325 F.

Add the sugar, vinegar, and butter, toss together until butter is melted.

Cover, return to oven and continue to roast for another 15 minutes longer, or until the fennel is caramelized and tender. Add the diced tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

BALSAMIC REDUCTION
a Chef’s Journey recipe

1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Reduce Balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until reduce to ½ cup. Turn off heat and slowly add bits of butter whisking each addition thoroughly. Add the freshly ground pepper and whisk all together. Set aside.

Mahi Mahi

2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 T. tarragon -- chopped
2 T. chives chopped
2 T. parsley -- chopped
1 T. thyme -- chopped
Salt & pepper
12 2 oz. mahi mahi fillets
1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil

In a food processor, add the bread and turn into a fine dust.
Add the herbs and pulse just to combine.

Season the fish side of the fish and dip into the herb-crumb mixture.

In a non-stick sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil.
When the oil is hot, sear each fillet on both sides, crumb side down first, for about 2-3 minutes per side. Cook to a temperature of 140 F.

Remove filets to a warm platter and keep warm.

Then we finally reached the entrée – here was another wonderful surprise, after all this food, only one plate out of 10 came back to the kitchen with more than just a bone left on the plate! I can’t really blame them, this is probably my favorite lamb shank dish – I could eat it once a week! They were served over a simple mashed potato with sour cream, chives, thyme and parsley.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND SHALLOTS

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound onions -- sliced
5 large shallots -- sliced (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
6 3/4 lamb shanks -- ¥(6 3/4 to 1)
all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 1/2 cups canned beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions & shallots; sauté until brown, about 20 minutes. Mix in rosemary. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle lamb shanks with s&p; coat lamb with flour. Heat remaining 2 T. olive oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Work in batches, add lamb shanks to skillet and cook until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer lamb shanks to plate.

Add 1 cup dry red wine to same skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Pour into Dutch oven with onion mixture. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups red wine, canned beef broth, tomato paste and 2 bay leaves to dutch oven. Bring to boil, stirring until tomato paste dissolves. Add lamb shanks, turning to coat with liquid.

Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lamb is almost tender, turning lamb shanks occasionally, about 1 ½ (I find closer to 3) hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Uncover Dutch oven and boil until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, stirring and turning lamb shanks occasionally, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon Potato puree onto plates. Top with lamb shanks and sauce. Sprinkle lamb shanks with additional chopped fresh rosemary and serve. Serves 6. Bon Appétit - January 1996

Cheese course came next – I was able to find a selection of three cheeses that ultimately worked our wonderfully well together.

Wendley Dale Boroughs English Cheddar (a cow’s milk cheddar)
Homboldt Fog Goat
Holland Smoked Gouda
Dried apricots
Honeycomb
Walnut bread

Nut Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots or mangoes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of an 8x4x2inch loaf pan*; set aside. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine the egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts and apricots. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for '10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.
4. Makes 1 loaf (14 slices)

*I used mini-loaf pans for mini-loaves which are about 2”X4” – sliced about 3/8” makes a great tiny piece of toast to add to the cheese plate or platter.

And the finale of the evening was a beautiful, tasty sorbet from an old chef friend from Toronto, Chef Paul Silva, a chef who raises the level of cooking for everyone lucky enough to cook with him.

Late Harvest Riesling Sorbet with Fresh Berries
Chef Paul Silva, Toronto

1 2/3 cups late harvest Riesling
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

Heat all ingredients over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Then bring to a boil for 30 or so seconds and cool for an hour or so in the fridge.

Use your ice cream maker to finish. (Took about 30 minutes in mine), then into the freezer.

Stir every half hour three times once it goes into the freezer to keep it light.

We served with a strawberry fan, blueberries and raspberries and a selection of chocolate chunks.

-- --- - - - - - - - - - -

I can’t thank the four wonderful folks at Comaraderie Vineyards for allowing me to again cook for their guests. Vicki, Don, Maryann and Gene are four of the nicest, most talented wine makers I’ve met in a very long time. And are they ever foodies!!

It Was a Goat's Cheese Week!!

2007-09-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

I think I've bought more Goat's cheese this past month than I have in years. And I've certainly found some wonderful dishes to use it in.

We've had a couple of open house parties to go to this past month, so I've been wanting to 'stock' up on some entertaining ideas for the upcoming holidays.

A few months ago, I bought a jar of Garlic-Pineapple Salsa that we just love. Even mixed with Pesto, it has a delightful flavor. I've been playing with duplicating it and now have one that is close, but not quite there - will play with more. It's missing the fresh 'upfront' pineapple, so will work more with fresh and a couple other ideas.

Garlic-Pineapple Salsa

1 cup pineapple, crushed, drained, but keep juice
2 tsp. honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. crystalized ginger, minced

2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 T. onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (will replace with dried pepper flakes next time)
pinch cumin (will omit next time)
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar

Mix all the ingrdients together, thin with a little of the juice if necessary. Cover and let sit in refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

This is a work in progress - but, it's very good right now!
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Two other dips/spreads tried this past weekend were keepers also - one, from Southern Living's Christmas book is especially flavorful - it would also be great tossed with hot pasta! That's it in the foreground -

Peach & Pecan Tapenade with Goat Cheese

...except no one around here had dried peaches, so subbed about 2/3 dried mango and 1/3 dried apricots - this is so good!! I made half the recipe and it's a very nice amount for a crowd of ~20.

1 cup orange juice
2 cups dried peaches, chopped
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 T. honey
1 T. capers, drained
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (use fresh)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
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12 oz. goat cheese
lovash or specialty crackers

Bring orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over med. heat.Remove from heat and add chopped dried peaches.Cover and let stand 30 min.

Drain, if necessary.Combine olives and next 5 ingred. in a serving bowl. Stir in peaches and pecans.Place tapenade on a serving platter with goat cheese and crackers.

Spread cheese on crackers, and smear with tapenade.Makes 3 3/4 cups.

Do ahead - but don't add pecans until service. Will keep in frig 2 days.
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The second is a dip from Nigella Lawson's book, Feasts (more on this book later in this posting)

Basil and Goat's Cheese Dip
You can use feta in place of goat cheese.

1 cup walnut pieces, toasted
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cup basil leaves
1 packed cup soft goat's cheese
3 T. garlic-infused oil

Process the walnut pieces, scallions & basil leaves, then add the goat cheese and oil; process again to make a grainy paste.Transfer to a bowl.

This topping would also be great tossed with a little hot pasta and sprinkled with a little Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add a little rustic bread and dinner's ready.
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Another dish we tried and could not stop eating on is a take off from a Sandra Lee dish, Couscous with Goat Cheese (again with the goat cheese!) This was a clean the pantry/frig dish for me.

4 oz. fideo
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pinenuts, toasted
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup currants
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely hopped parsley leaves

Cook the fideo and salt in water until just done; drain and pour into a serving bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients and toss together. At this point, either serve the fideo, or cover and chill for a few hours. At serving time, put in microwave for just 1-2 minutes - just to take the chill off, but not hot. This will help melt the cheese and bring out all the flavors.

Grandma Shelledy's Lefse

2007-09-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

My two grandmothers were two of the most diverse women that anyone could ever imagine - Grandma (always called 'Moremommie' for some unGodly reason) Fry was as high-falootin' and snobbish as you could imagine in our small town of Yakima, Washington. Ever the lady, short but seemingly tall and stately, she looked down her regal nose at just about everyone in that town. BUT, oh my, she was the most most loving, wonderful Grandmother any child, especially a girl could dream of having. She and her four sisters doted on my sister and me all of their lives.

Grandma 'Mom' Shelledy was the complete opposite in temperment and stature. She was short and plump with pure white hair always pulled back in a bun, held tight with little brown combs. As a young woman, she cooked for the ranch hands on the Columbia River, was a post mistress in her small town, was almost the sole parent of her seven children while my Grandfather was off being a sherriff and probably carousing the countryside. In her later years, she still cooked on her wood stove and the most wonderful foods came out of her kitchen. Lefse is probably my favorite of all she ever made.

It's a Norwegian bread, looks just like a tortilla except for the shape, my Grandma's were usually like triangles of dough she cooked on the wood stove. She made lefse for the family for all my life and probably years before that! I don't know how she kept up with us when the whole family was around her huge round kitchen table, soft butter and the sugar dish in front of us just waiting as the lefse came off her old wood stove. I know we must have eaten faster than she could cook them.

This recipe is how she dictated her it to my sister, Joan and me, many years ago. I made these again the other day (while I was cooking potatoes for Tourtiere Tarts, I thot why not go for it) - I also wanted to 'test' the way the recipe was written. I disovered the most amazing thing - all my life I thot Grandma cooked lefse in triangles, but now I realize what she did - there were always so many of us panting for more lefse that after she cooked these circles of dough, she would portion them out in pie shapes, therefore feeding 4 or 6 of us with one lefse!!!!! It only took me 67 years to figure that one out! she'd be so proud!

Mom Shelledy's Lefse
5 large white potatoes (the old & mushy type)
2 cups sweet cream -- half & half, or milk & water (but cream is the best!)
1 tsp. salt
3 T. butterFlour for rolling the lefse out (I made 1/2 this recipe and needed ~ 1 3/4 cups flour kneaded into the dough to make it workable)

1. Boil potatoes and mash until very fine.
2. Add cream, salt, and butter; beat until light.
3. Let cool (fairly)
4. Add flour until workable.
5. Roll out and bake on top of griddle (or wood burning stove)

More traditional instructions -Follow above through #4 - the dough will be fairly dry, but stay together to be rolled out.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.Roll the dough out into ropes and cut into 2" chunks.

Roll chunks into thin circles (or long ovals, or whatever) like tortillas.Heat a griddle to about 400 F.

Place a circle of lefse on the dry griddle and cook until brown spots appear on the heated surface. Flip and cook the same way on the other side.

Lay cooked lefse on cooling rack as you cook the rest.

To serve: Some folks like just butter, my family always smeared the softened butter over and topped with a sprinkling of granulated sugar.

Fold twice or roll into a cylinder. Eat and enjoy!!

Oh my, it's amazing the memories that come while making these - I'll have to post a picture of my Grandma, she is just the epitome of what a Grandma should always be.

And Grandma Fry, of the exquisite Chocolate Set and her sets of Fostoria and Limoges Haviland and all good things in life, was also the epitome of what a Grandma should be!!!

A Dinner of Hors D'oeuvre

2007-09-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

No pictures of this wonderful little dinner, but my, what a fun dinner!

There are a couple of open house parties scheduled for the coming weeks and I wanted to play with some new hors. Every one turned out a keeper. Our dinner consisted of:

Salmon Spread - a mixture of -
smoked salmon
cream cheese
thinned with a little creme fraiche (or mayo)
capers
corn - roasted and cut from the cob would be best, or use frozen corn thawed
chives
lemon juice
pinch of cayenne

Very tasty on toasted bread rounds and surprisingly spread on hard-cooked eggs.
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PESTO-GOAT CHEESE SPREAD:

In a food processor, put all the ingredients:
11-oz. log goat cheese
8-oz. pkg. softened cream cheese
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 c. toasted pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
2 T. balsamic vinegar

and process till smooth. Chill 2 hrs. before serving. Makes 3 cups.

Store in frig up to 1 week, or freeze up to 4 mos.
Serve w/toasted pita chips or sliced baguettes.

I think this would be very good tossed with some hot cooked pasta also.
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Grilled Apple Sausages and Pineapple
Hard Cooked eggs, which turned out to be wonderful with the Salmon Spread, will do a stuffed egg with this soon.

Fun dinner treat this was!

Using The Chocolate Set!

2007-09-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

While I was growing up, my mother had a chocolate set given to her by her mother - it was a wedding present to my grandparents. I thought it was the most beautiful, fragile thing I'd ever seen. Over the years my mother did make use of the set and serve me hot chocolate once or twice, but mostly it sat in the china cupboard with the other Limoges Haviland, untouched. One day, when I was in my early thirties, she decided it should come to my house because I had loved it so much over the years and she also knew I would made use of it much more than she.

I have used it over the years, not as often as I wish I had, but a couple of weeks ago I saw a recipe for 'Alcoholic Hot Chocolate' by Nigella Lawson - while the name turned me off, the recipe sounded delightful. Since the resident bartender usually makes our weekend lavish drink experiments, Roy offered to make the renamed "Rummed Hot Chocolate" for us and I ran for the Chocolate Set.

We sat in the front courtyard on a Sunday morn drinking our chocolate in the style that my Grandmother would have been so proud!

Rummed Hot Chocolate
Nigella Lawson recipe

2 cups milk
3 1/2 ounces best-quality dark chocolate -- bittersweet or semisweet, as preferred
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark rum -- or to taste

Put the milk into a saucepan and break the chocolate into pieces and add to the milk along with a cinnamon stick, honey, and sugar and heat gently until the chocolate is melted.

Add the vanilla and mix with a small hand whisk and still whisking, add a spoonful of the rum first and taste to see if you want more. Add more sugar if you want this sweeter, too. Take out the cinnamon stick and pour into 2 cappuccino or caffe latte cups.

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I'm promising myself we will use the Chocolate Set and this hot chocolate often this coming winter!!!

...And More Fun In The Kitchen

2007-08-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Just a P.S. to the Crab, Shrimp & Scallop Roulade posting - The goop from 'sieving' the onions from the sauce was too tasty to discard, so added back to some leftover sauce and made Mac & Cheese. I would do this again as the main recipe - it was just delicious.

and served with the roulades - great combination, altho one roulade would be plenty!

MORNAY SAUCED MAC & CHEESE

2 1/2 Tablespoons butter
3 1/2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk, 2% lowfat, heated
Salt & white pepper
couple grindings of nutmeg
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated
8 ounces onion, finely diced and simmered for 15 minutes in 2 T. butter and set aside
1/3 cup cracker crumbs or panko
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Melt butter in a saucepan; blend in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to make a smooth paste. Stir over moderate heat for 2 minutes without coloring. Remove from heat.

After the bubbling subsides, add 1 3/4 cup of the hot milk and whisk briskly to make a smooth sauce and blend thoroughly. Put back over moderate heat and add the rest of the milk a few drops at a time to desired consistency. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Whisk in salt, pepper and nutmeg - tasting as you add the spices.
Remove from heat and let cool several minutes before adding the cheese.
When cooler, add the cheese and the onions; stirring until cheese is melted. At this point you can chill the sauce for later use, or freeze it, or add to pasta at this time.

Pour into a greased baking dish and top with a sprinkling of cracker crumbs or panko and dabs of butter
Bake in a 350 F. oven for 30-35 minutes.

Description:
"This dish was a by-product of making the Crab, Prawns & Scallop Roulades for Don Kaiser. It's wonderful."
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On top of all the cooking/testing/tasting Roy & I did on Wednesday - Neighbor Neery brot over two crabs (of the 16!!) she and the boys caught this day. Managed to clean them and threw in the frig for tomorrow - No more cooking today!

And so to Thursday and more fun. Wednesday, I received a C.D. from Lorraine, that was just a hoot. Two Toronto Chefs speakingFrench demonstrating recipes. The name of the CD is "Au pied de cochon" which my handy-dandy little translator says "with the foot of pig".......will have to find out more about this from Lorraine, plus the names of the two chefs who are an absolute hoot!

Willl have a lot of editing to do if I don't have this info correct - but, everything is in French and I barely got thru one year of Latin in high school.... The chefs are (apparently?) David Emmanual Fafard and Jean-Francois Boily and because they so inspired me, I only managed to get thru one recipe on the c.d. -

Le Saumon

dans le Papier Journal

Salmon wrapped in Newspaper

It looked so fun (and tasty), I headed for the freezer and neighbor Christine's salmon that she gave me months ago to 'do something' with! This is what I copied from the sub-titles -

Bake the salmon at 400 F. for 20 minutes per pound of salmon 'roast'

Sprinkle with sea salt and fill cavity with something - the boys used pesto.

Soak four sheets (with no color) in some water

Wrap the salmon up tightly and lay on a baking sheet

Place in the middle of the 400 F. oven for 1 hour (I cut my 'roast' to 3 lbs.); remove from oven and let rest before unwrapping.

I made this in the a.m. and did not make any kind of sauce to present this dish with, so it's not a really pretty presentation - but, it was delicious and Roy and I picked at it for nearly an hour!

While picking on the salmon, I had to do something with the crabmeat from yesterday -

Crab & Corn Fritters
Ray’s BoatHouse restaurant in Seattle

2-3 qts. canola oil for frying
1 cup a.p. flour
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup crabmeat
1/2 cup each: corn kernels, diced red bell pepper & diced green onions

Heat oil to 350 F.

In mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, white pepper, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, butter, crabmeat, corn, bell pepper and green onion and mix well.

Add to dry ingredients and mix with a fork until just combined. Do not overmix.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into hot oil Cook until fritters are golden brown and fully cooked on the inside, about 3 – 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. sambal oelek
2 T. water
2 T. Thai fish sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the fish sauce. Then add fish sauce and stir just until combined.

I have to say after all the tasting we did between the salmon and the fritters, dinner was not looking too good, but I had sirloins thawed out for a couple of days and had to use them. So, went ahead and made the Gingered Tomato Chutney to go with the grilled steaks - instead of Roasted Dijon potatoes I had planned, we ate MORE of the fritters with the steak!

The chutney is from Cuisine at Home, issue #65 - I liked it very much, Roy could not stay out of it!

for one cup chutney:

1 1/2 ccups cherry tomatoes, halved, divided

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 T. white wine vinegar

2 T. fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp. garlic, minced

3 T. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. jalapeno, seeded, minced

salt to taste

Simmer 1 cup of the tomatoes, onion, sugar, vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan over med-high heat, stirring often, 12 minutes.

Add lime juice and tomato paste, return to a boil, and simmer 3 minutes or till thickend to jam consistency.

Stir in remaining tomatoes, jalapeno, and salt. Set chutney aside. Grill the steaks and top them with the chutney. Roasted Dijon Potatoes are good to serve with this dish.

Today is Friday and now it's time to put the rest of the salmon in the oven for Marlene's Oven Smoked Salmon - it's been brining with brown sugar, kosher salt, and liquid smoke since last evening - but, this is the only cooking I'm doing today!!! Going to a movie and out to dinner tonight!!

CRAB, PRAWN & SCALLOP ROULADES

2007-08-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

My good friend Don Kaiser called last nite to describe a dish that a friend (or brother?) of his had seen on TV – a filled piece of fish, stuffed with crab, prawns and scallops, and had a sauce that might have been a hollandaise sauce. I think that’s all Don knew about the dish and wanted to know how he should put it together.

So, this morning I got to play. Don is not crazy about hollandaise sauce, so that was out. From thinking about it in the middle of the damn night, I knew pretty much what I wanted the ‘stuffing’ to be. That just left the sauce to really play with.

This will be a very easy dish to make for company, because all the stages can be done ahead of time and chilled and/or even frozen.

Crab, Prawns and Scallop Roulades

The filling:
1/2 cup leeks, the white and the light green part, cleaned and minced (2 oz.)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. butter (clarified, if you have it)
1/4 cup bell pepper, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or Noilly Prat
Salt and pepper
3 oz. crab meat
3 oz. prawns, coarsely chopped
3 oz. bay scallops, cut in half
1 1/2 T. capers, chopped
The white sauce:
2 1/2 T. butter
3 1/2 T. flour
2 cups milk
Salt and white pepper
Couple grinding of nutmeg
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1/2 cup gruyere cheese
8 oz. onion, finely diced
2 T. butter, again clarified if possible
4 filets of fish (cod, sole, halibut or a firm fleshed fish of your choice)
1/4 cup dry white wine or Noilly Prat
4 thin lemon slices

The filling:
Sauté leeks and garlic in butter until soft, but not browned, 3-4 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and wine; raise the heat and simmer until liquid is almost gone, about 3 min. Season lightly with salt & pepper.

Add the seafood and cook until the shrimp is just turning pink and the scallops are cooked. (If using cooked crab, do not add yet.)
Add the crab, if using cooked and the capers; just heat through. Remove from heat.

At this point, you can put in bowl and chill until ready to use. Can be done one day ahead.

The White Sauce:
Melt butter in a 2 1/2 qt. saucepan; blend in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to make a smooth paste. Stir over moderate heat for 2 minutes without coloring. Remove from heat.

After the bubbling subsides add 1 3/4 cups of the milk and whisk briskly to make a smooth sauce and blend thoroughly. Put back over moderate heat and add the rest of the milk a few drops at a time. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Whisk in the salt, pepper and nutmeg – tasting as you add the spices. At this point you can chill the sauce for later use. You can even freeze it.

When ready to use, thaw or remove from the refrigerator and heat in a double boiler or over a bain-marie. You may have to thin a little with milk.

After the sauce has heated, remove the from the heat and let cool several minutes, then add the gruyere cheese, a little at a time, stirring well between additions.

Simmer the finely diced onion in the 2 T. of butter without browning for 15 minutes. Add to the sauce and combine well. Force through a sieve.

To complete the dish, lay out the 4 filets and sprinkle each with a little salt, then spoon 1/4 of the filling on each filet, roll up being careful to push the filling in as you go. Secure with toothpicks.

Spray a baking dish with pam and pour the 1/4 cup white wine in the bottom of the dish. Lay the fish bundles seam side down, or stand up in the baking dish. Lay one thin slice of lemon over each roulade. Bake uncovered in at 350°F. oven for 30-35 minutes until the fish flakes when prodded with a paring knife.

To plate: spoon a little of the sauce on a plate and lay slices of the roulade on the sauce, adding a little more sauce to the top.

It was very, very good!! Now, I hope Don likes it also!!

P.S. Could not stand to throw the 'goop' from the sieve away - it had a great flavor, so cooked up some Campenelle, tossed with the goop and added a tad more of leftover sauce. Now, that's going to be good!!

I had intended to make a Mornay sauce, but I kept coming back to a Soubise sauce, so it's kind of a bastardized-Mornay/Soubise sauce. Whatever we call it, it is delicious.

Hangtown Fry....Finally!!

2007-04-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Since my twenties, my mother was fascinated with the Hangtown Fry, but for some reason she never made the dish. I probably didn't help the effort much because in those days, I was not a fan of oyters as I am today. Having just gotten her old recipe books (clipped recipes and handwritten treasures) and going thru them, my interest was piqued and this morning I made the dish for the first time. I did a little research first to try to get as close to the authenic recipe as possible and I think, I found it. Here's a little of the history and lore of Hangtown Fry from Placerville, CA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hangtown Fry History

Hangtown fry could possibly be the first California cuisine. It consists of fried breaded oysters, eggs, and fried bacon, cooked together like an omelet. In the gold-mining camps of the late 1800s, Hangtown Fry was a one-skillet meal for hungry miners who struck it rich and had plenty of gold to spend. Live oysters would be brought to the gold fields in barrels of sea water after being gathered in and around San Francisco Bay. Such a meal cost approximately $6.00, a fortune in those days.

However it came to be, ordering a Hangtown Fry became a mark of prosperity for gold-rich miners, the status symbol of the day. The recipe swept the entire Northwest Territory, from California to Seattle, in the mid-1800s. A few drinks and a Hangtown Fry were considered a gentleman's evening.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Start out the dish by frying two slices of bacon (for 2 servings), cut them in half and set aside keeping warm. Bread, eggwash, bread again 3-4 small oysters per person; fry these in clarified butter. Add two slices of bacon per omelet in the pan with the oysters, placing them like railroad tracks in the pan.

Mix together two eggs (per person again) with seasoning & a little milk and pour over the oysters and bacon. Cook slowly until eggs are set and lightly browned. During the cooking, lift the cooked eggs to let the uncooked part run underneath onto the hot pan.

To serve, fold in half and slip onto a hot platter. Serve French fried potatoes as an accompaniment. (Next time, I think I'll serve as a frittata, not folded, so I can get the effect of the beautiful fried oysters and the 'rail road' bacon strips.) This was wonderful and I so wish my mother was at a place she could have enjoyed this dish with us also. Hangtown Fry is a wonderful, historical dish.

This week also saw the first of the '07 rhubarb crop, thanks to our neighbor, Kemp! Within two hours of picking a cobbler with a puff pastry topping was in the oven - oh my, was it delicious. I just combined sugar, cornstarch and salt with the rhubarb and put in a pie dish and topped it.

I also tried a "Seared Seafood and Wasabi Salad" - Saturday night. Didn't really care for the completed dish, but the Wasabi Vinaigrette was wonderful and especially good brushed on the cod filets and portabellos that I grilled to top the salad. Will definitely repeat this. (this vinaigrette was very good tossed with the rice noodles also)

Wasabi Vinaigrette

1/4 c rice wine vinegar

1/4 c soy sauce

2 T. Wasabi paste

2 T. brown sugar

1 piece ginger root (1") - peeled and minced

1 large clove garlic, miced

1/4 c dark sesame oil

1/4 c corn oil

Combine rice wine vinegar and wasabi paste; stir till smooth.

Add soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.

Combine the corn oil and sesame oil and in a slow steady stream, incorporate the oils into the other ingredients to form an emulsion. (a food processor can be used) This vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead of using.

All in all, it was a nice week of cooking - Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Bread, Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops, Home made Creme Fraiche and Chocolate Creme Fraiche Ice Cream - will try Grandma Fry's chocolate ice cream custard method next time trying to incorporate chocolate into an ice cream base.....

Also, made Three-Sster Stew from a packet I picked up at the Portland Farmer's Market - it's a Native American Blend and the stew was wonderful. Checked out the website and there was an Enchilada recipe using the same seasoning packet that looked very good!

Cynthia and I have pushed through an Ethiopian Dinner to be reviewed April 30th.

A Weekend with the Burrs

2007-04-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

Company coming means another batch of 18-hour bread!! Roy starts salivating as soon as the bread mixture begins fermenting and looking breadlike.

Our friends, Joyce & Bill Burr came to visit this weekend - Joyce is a realtor, still working and Bill has recently retired from a company who did business with Roy for years. We four have been friends for a number of years and always have a ball when we get together - especially because Bill is a wonderful cook, who never shys away from a good recipe or food. So, we are two peas in a pod.

Friday nite's dinner was done in the manner that I really prefer the last couple of years. Nothing is done at the same time. We have an appy, then we visit, then comes a soup or salad, then we visit, then the entree, then we...... Besides being so easy because no multiple dishes have to be correctly timed and completed at the same, it's just more fun do a dinner party this way. Sometime we have the appetizers in the living room around the fire, move into the kitchen around the island for soup or salad and finally to the dining room for the main course. I so loved Morris's Buttermilk Blue Cheese Creme Fraiche on the Sweet Potato & Pear Soup, I copied it for my Butternut Squash Soup and was that ever a hit! I love the combination - and the sprinkling of (fresh ;) ) bacon bits mixed with a little duck cracklin's - super! The Creme Fraiche is a method that June Jacob's gave me and it's so easy and tastey. I just added Roquefort cheese to taste and used it as a garnish for the soup.

CREME FRAICHE - HOW TO MAKE (June Jacobs)

2 cups whipping (heavy) cream preferably NOT ultra-pasteurized
1/4 cup buttermilk -- room temperature

1. Warm cream in heavy small saucepan to lukewarm (85 degrees F). Remove from heat and mix in buttermilk. Put the mixture into a clean glass jar (that has a tight-fitting lid), Leave the jar open and cover with a piece of waxed paper fastened with a rubber band. Let it stand in a warm draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room.

2. When the cream has "clotted," remove the paper and replace it with the lid. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Teacher's Tip Stored in this manner, the Crème Fraîche should keep until you've used it up (and made more!) Like fine cheese, it may develop a "skin", but you can remove it and use what's underneath.
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Well, murphy's law - my heavy cream WAS ultra-pastuerized and the only buttermilk on the shelves around here was/is reduced fat/1 1/2% milkfat/50%less fat than whole milk!!!
But, it works beautifully!

Decided to go with it and see what would result - oh my, it is delicious, creamy, beautiful creme fraiche. I left it 30 hours.

June’s notes: - it WHIPS!!! so when you want that great tang on a strawberry shortcake, you can have it fluffy!

As well, it doesn't break if it gets boiled the way sour cream does, so it's great for finishing sauces.
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June
06/03/05 08:00 PM
I regularly make crème fraiche with heavy cream and buttermilk, so I keep it in a quart jar. Here's the recipe:
makes about 2 cups.

The entree was penne sauced with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (recipe from Kevin/UptownKevin, a friend from C2C - and this is the story of why we had the same thing two nights in a row...

Well, I must say I am so proud of myself - and what a fun time I had Thursday! I had dinner all planned - Three Sisters Stew (meatless), with a Native American Spice packet, that I tasted and picked up 2 packets of at the Portland Farmer's Market. It was delicious - but that's another story, for when I DO make it...

Roy was whining about a veggie dinner (see above... ) so thot I'd surprise him with a shrimp appy. I had a recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce that I’d been wanting to try, so we had - oven-roasted shrimp and drizzled this sauce over them - wonderful.

I also had just cleaned the above two ducks and was really wanting to do something with the scraps, etc. Had some of the cream sauce left over from the shrimp - so cooked up a little pasta.

Fried one slice of diced bacon and removed, added the small pcs. of duck scraps and seasoned floured pcs. of liver (just used about 6 slices, cause I HAVE NEVER CARED FOR LIVER) and fried those up.

On to plating - tossed the pasta with the cream sauce and put in bowls, topped with slices of the duck and liver and sprinkled with bacon and bits of the cracklins from rendering the duck fat. Oh My, was that wonderful!!! and for the first time in my life I loved the fried liver!!!!!

Now, I've scraped my entire menu, almost, for dinner Friday night with the Burrs. I'm going to do this all again, but I'll serve the pasta, sauce and liver slices with the sautéed duck breasts!!!

And, this story is a little bittersweet because my mother and I battled all my life about me not willing to eat liver...and now that I have enjoyed it, I want to tell her so much, but it won't really mean anything to her where her mind is now...damn.

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce - with Shrimp or Duck

1 large shallot -- minced
4 cloves garlic -- minced
2 large red peppers -- roasted
1 ½ to 2 cups half & half or heavy cream (I naturally used heavy cream... )
Butter
Extra Virgin Olive oil
S&P
Cayenne pepper, just a pinch or to taste

Roast the red pepper, peel, de-seed and dice.

Coat a sauté pan with olive oil & butter, and sweat the shallot and diced red pepper on low heat.

After several minutes, add the garlic and season with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne.

Once garlic has been cooked, pour mixture into a blender, add heavy cream and puree. Pour the mixture back into the pan and add additional cream if needed. Let the sauce reduce for approximately 10 min. on low heat, stirring often.

Season again if needed.

Now, back to Friday nite - I made more sauce and tossed it with the penne and served it topped with duck cracklin's and fried duck liver slices. Served along side pan-seared duck breasts. Dessert was slices of Glazed Chocolate/Pumpkin Loaf.

Saturday, off to Port Townsend for eating, wine tasting and shopping! I picked up a lot of fun things at the Food Co-op:
- Teff Flour, for Cis's and my fledgling passions for Ethiopian foods.
- lots of chocolate for the pantry and some for Saturday's dessert.
- a new snack folks were raving about at the Co-op that I've never seen before - Sahale's Sing Buri (cashew, pineapple, peanut, lemongrass, chinese chili) and Sahale's Socorro Blend (macadamia, hazelnut, mango papya, chipolte). Haven't opened them yet.
- Sour Cherries to try out the wonderful Bittersweet chocolate braised rabbit and griottines (sour cherries) - another goodie from Morris' restaurant.

On the way home, we picked up clams, mussels, prawns, a crab and Asiago Potato bread in addition to a few bottles of wine from the Wine Sellar in P.T. Found some bargains and some old favorties - temperanillo! and a few others.

Sunday morning, I wanted to use some of the leftover crab and prawns, and while searching the Bed & Breakfast website, found a dish that sounded awfully good - from the Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast, "Guia's Crabmeat Au-Gratin - and it lived up to expectations, it's a keeper!

Served the Au-Gratin over toasted slices of 18-hour bread - wonderful!

Guia's Crabmeat Au-Gratin presented by Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast
Can be served over buttered toast or as a brunch casserole.
6 tbsp. butter
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
6 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 cup red sweet bell pepper diced small
2 tbsp. flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup milk
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. dry sherry
2 lbs. crabmeat (it certainly does not need this much! I used one pound - a combination of prawns and crabmeat)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. paprika
2 tsp cayenne (optional) (I just sprinkled some over)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium skillet melt butter and sauté the onions, pepper and parsley for about 4 minutes. Add the flour all at once and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat to simmer. Add the softened cream cheese. Stir until combined. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until smooth.

Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sherry.
Place the crabmeat in a large greased ovenproof casserole dish and pour the milk mixture over it. Fold gently to combine.

Sprinkle with parmesan, cayenne, and paprika. Bake for 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.
Serves 8.

This was another wonderful time with Bill & Joyce. Next time will be at their house and Bill will be making Singapore Slings for us - says he has the best recipe ever for them......(to be continued.....)

DINNER AT VESTA'S

2007-04-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a night we had at Scottie's (aka Morris) new restaurant, Vesta's!!!

We started the evening early feeding the geese at Don's floating home, which is gorgeous with a kitchen to make any cook green-eyed envious! We also had a bottle of wine....

We arrived a little early for our 7 p.m. reservations...signed anxious.

Morris started us off in grand style with an Oyster Mignonette - absolutely wonderful flavor (he must have an oyster bed outside the back door). This was followed by two courses of a selection of cheeses we could have made a dinner of... Sotto Cenere (cow's milk cheese with truffle), a smoked sheep's milk cheese, and a Blue Valdeo cow & goat blend cheese. All three were wonderful. Nathan, our 'cheese guy' was so informative on the cheeses and patient with me as I tried to copy down all the info I possibly could.

This was to be our little nest for the evening - and Laura made sure all was well for us here. We were so proud to hear we were the first to be invited to the Chef's Table!! Bird's eye view of a fine tuned, orchestrated kitchen crew.

Pacific Diver Scallops, 4th course, Indian Spiced Lentil Sauce - I've never thought of scallops as 'comfort food', but this dish was just straight comfort and wonderful.

Foie Gras Torchon in Duck Consomme, 5th course, braised duck leg, duck breast Tataki style style, duck prosciutto - Foie Gras has been growing on me since I first tried tasting it in Phoenix a few years ago and I'm hooked now because of Morris' dish - all of us could have licked the plate!! The consomme, oh my!!

Mache Lettuce Salad - 6th course, Silver Falls Goat Cheese, English Cucumber, Grand Marnier Macerated Berries, Roasted Hazelnuts, Pinot Grigio Vinaigrette. Just delicious and what a set up for our next course, which I think, all of us decided was the hit of the night!

Bitter Chocolate Braised Rabbit - 7th course, Thyme Papardelle, Wild Mushroom Ragout, Griottines (stoned and graded bitter red cherries in a light syrup of alcohol). I can not do justice to this dish in words, the flavors were just outstanding!!

Chef Gwyn's Silver Medal Sweet Potato and Pear Soup - 8th course, Buttermilk Blue Cheese Creme Fraiche, Pepper Bacon, the flavors of this soup with the garnishes were wonderful and trying to get a little of everything in each spoonful, difficult!

AND THEN, and then....the entrees - I'm just sorry we weren't a party of eleven so we could taste each and every entree offered!!

My 9th course...Merlot and Plum Glazed Rack of Lamb - honey mustard roasted banana fingerling potatoes, caramelized Cippolini onions - fantastic!

Roy's 9th course...Forest Mushroom Stuffed Veal Chop - lemon thyme spatzle, celery root puree, stone fruit chutney, Amaretto huckleberry demi - fantastic!

Don's 9th course...Banyuls Glazed Braised Rolled Pork Roast - sweet potato mash, savoy cabbage with chestnuts - fantastic!

At this point we collectively decided we would have to wait to try the desserts another visit - there was absolutely no way we could eat one more morsel...but Morris had other plans -

Caramel pot de creme
chocolate sorbet, toasted marshmallow

Chocolate Amaretto Mousse with Vanilla Ice Cream

caramel bourbon sauce, caramelized banana

(Roy and I would have liked more of this one, but Don was rather selfish....the plate all but licked clean!

By the third dessert, I think my camera was over full also - the picture didn't take -

Layered Apple Spice Cake, Mulled Cider Ice-Cream Float

apple & caramel puree, honey cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream, apple chip. Wonderful! The float was just the perfect ending to a perfect evening with Morris!

Morris, I wish I had a better command of the English language to be able to do justice to the wonderful food you presented us with tonight!! 2nd Sous, Zack, here's a young chef who is like a mad scientist in his kitchen - don't think he'll be second much longer, he was a delight to watch in the kitchen! I would have loved to have spent more time with Chef de Cuisine Gwyn Manney, but she was working her tail off getting ready for Easter brunch!!! Morris, Gwyn, Zack, Laura, Nathan and and everyone else boh and foh - thank you all for one of the most delightful dinners and evenings we have ever experienced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm so full after just writing about this dinner, I'm surpised I can continue, but I just must - Morris has created a children's menu which is so creative and fun, I would grab a kid off the street and bring 'em in to try this menu out!! Just a couple of examples -

Burger Trio - "Three small burgers with all the fixins on the side so you can make them how you like." (we saw a number of these flying out of the kitchen - I wanted to order them!)

Peanut Butter Pizza - "A soft dough circle spread with peanut butter. Comes with raisins, bananas and jelly to decorate however you want." (would loved to have seen this one!)

Ocean Critter Sticks - "Rainbow Treasures fish shapes made of trout i fun ocean shapes with artichoke tartar sauce"

Does Morris have a winner here??? You bet - what a place and what a team!!

A WeekNite Dinner Review

2007-04-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

These are all Cuisine at Home recipes and they are wonderful!

Seared Flank Steak w/Shallot-Mustard Sauce
Oven Fries with Lemon-Fennel Salt
Green Salad with Feta and Fresh Fruit

1 flank steak, about 1-1/2 lb.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. corn oil
6 Tbs. cold unsalted butter (4 Tbs. cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
3 Tbs. finely minced shallot
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon

Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof 12-inch sauté pan over high heat until very hot. Add the oil to coat the pan and sear the steak on one side until well browned, about 1-1/2 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook until the second side is well browned, about another 2 minutes.

Put the pan in the oven and roast until the steak is cooked to your liking, 5 to 7 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest, lightly covered with foil, while you make the sauce.

Set the same skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter melts, add the shallot and garlic and cook until soft and translucent but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium high, and boil until syrupy, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add the broth and thyme and boil until about 1/3 cup of liquid remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the mustard. (Don’t let the sauce boil after the mustard is added.) Stir in the 4 Tbs. butter cubes, a few at a time.

Stir in half the tarragon and season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.With a sharp knife, slice the steak thinly across the grain on the diagonal, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with remaining tarragon.

We enjoyed the flavor of the steak with the Shallot-Mustard sauce. My Flank Steak was very large and 5 minutes in the oven brought it to the exact rare-to medium rare that we prefer. Leftover steak went into Fajitas wiht Pico de Gallo.

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Oven Fries

2 lg russet potatoes about 1 3/4 pounds peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4 -1/2” sticks.
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon-Fennel Salt

Put the sliced potatoes in cold water to rinse off starch. Remove potatoes after about a minute and drain. Dump water and refill with enough to cover the potatoes by 1 1/2 inches and add some kosher salt.

Put a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil turn the heat down so they simmer for about 3 minutes. Gently drain and place on paper towels to dry. Place in a bowl and gently toss with the olive oil.

Remove pan from oven and arrange the potatoes quickly on the sheet pan leaving about 1/2 inch between slices. Roast for about 15 minutes, turn fries over and roast again for about 6-8 minutes and turn again till nicely brown. Total cook time is about 30 minutes. Finish with Lemon
Fennel Salt.

Lemon Fennel Salt –
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 heaping tsp. white peppercorns
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Toast fennel, coriander and peppercorns in a small dry skillet over med. heat until fragrant, about 2 mins. Pour into a mortar or spice grinder and grind till a fine powder. In a small dish combine the lemon zest and salt with the spices.

The oven fries with their Lemon Fennel Salt was a real winner!! I kept the salt mixture and will use it on lots of dishes, but the fries will definitely be a repeat and soon!
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Green Salad
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch white sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 avocados - peeled, pitted, and cubed
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, parsley, lemon juice and garlic. Add the avocado, and stir to coat with the dressing.

Just before serving, add the salad greens, and toss to coat with dressing. Sprinkle sliced almonds and feta cheese over the top. You can add sliced pears or tangerines supremes.

The salad was nice, just nothing to write home about, but with toasted almonds and feta, it can't have been too bad!!
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and for dessert - this wonderful pie!

Lemon Buttermilk Pie with Strawberry Topping 1

For the Lemon Buttermilk Pie - Whisk Together:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 T. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Minced zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Pinch salt

Pour into:
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

For the Strawberry Topping - Heat -- Pour over:
1/4 cup honey
Juice of 1 lime
2 pints strawberries -- hulled, halved

Preheat oven to 350°.

Whisk pie ingredients together in a large bowl until blended.
Pour into pie shell and place on a baking sheet. Bake until filling is just set, yet still a bit jiggly, 40 - 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature; chill if not serving right away. (Let chilled pie stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.)

Heat honey and lime juice for strawberry topping until melted. Pour over berries and let stand at least 5 minutes. Just before serving, arrange on pie with a slotted spoon.
Cuisine at home, April 2004, Issue 44, p. 49

When I served the strawberries, I spooned them to the side of the slice of pie so we could enjoy the wonderful flavor of the berries, honey and lime. What a wonderful combination of flavors.

***************************
On to the 2nd Cod dish - from the cod from our little fisherman neighbor. This is an old Gourmet mag. recipe and I almost overlooked it because it just looked too bland, but I had everything for it, so I went ahead and made it. It turned out to be a wonderful comfort dish that is worth making and repeating!! The flavors are just perfect together. I had a bottle of L'Ecole No. 41, '05 "Walla Voila" Chenin Blanc to serve with it and it was an excellent match!!

COD, POTATO, AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

2 medium fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise; 1 1/2 lb total), stalks cut off and discarded, and fronds reserved for garnish if desired
1 1/2 lb large boiling potatoes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb skinless cod fillet (1 inch thick), cut into 6 portions

Garnish: chopped fennel fronds or fresh flat-leaf parsleyAccompaniment: lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut fennel bulbs crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices with slicer. Peel potatoes and cut crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices with slicer.

Transfer fennel and potatoes to baking dish and toss with garlic, salt, pepper, and 4 tablespoons oil. Spread vegetables evenly in dish and bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until just tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Season fish with salt and pepper and arrange on top of vegetables. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

My dish of potatoes/fennel was fairly deep, so it took a total of 45 minutes to cook thru. Served with roasted Asparagus with Balsami and Olive oil - Very nice!
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Very nice few days of cooking and eating - but, very lazy when it came to the camera - do better!!

Corned Beef Hash & Other Rantings!

2007-03-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Corned Beef Sandwiches!!! Oh my, with the German cheese, they were so good!

It’s Sunday morning – the first Sunday brunch at home in six weeks and it’s nice to be home; gorgeous weather. This is a great dish and certainly a repeat – the ketchup can be used on so many dishes, meatloaf, salmon patties, sandwiches, on and on. It’s really delicious. The hash recipe came from Cuisine at Home magazine.

Corned Beef Hash With Eggs & Spicy Ketchup

FOR THE SPICY KETCHUP WHISK TOGETHER:
2/3 cup ketchup
2 T. whole grain mustard
1 T.honey
1 T. fresh minced parsley
1 jalapeno -- seeded, minced
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. Tabasco -- or to taste
FOR THE HASH, SIMMER AND DRAIN:
1 1/2 cups russet potato -- peeled, diced
1 1/2 cups sweet potato
peeled – diced
SAUTE IN 2 T. UNSALTED BUTTER -- ADD AND STIR IN:
1 cup onion -- diced
1 cup red bell pepper -- diced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt
2 cups cooked corned beef, chopped
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Cooked potatoes
1/3 cup heavy cream
PLACE IN HASH:
4 eggs
FINISH WITH -- SERVE OVER:
2 T. minced fresh parsley
Fresh cracked black pepper
4 English muffins -- split,
toasted -- and buttered Prepared Spicy Ketchup

Whisk together the ingredients for the ketchup in a bowl; set aside.

Simmer both potatoes for the hash in water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Sauté onion, bell pepper, pepper flakes, and salt in butter in a sauté pan until tender about 5 minutes. Add the corned beef, Worcestershire, and vinegar; cook 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cooked potatoes and the cream; cook until heated through, then season with salt.

Make 4 small 'wells' in the hash to hold the eggs.

Place 1 egg in each well. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 3-4 minutes for 'easy' yolks; cook 1-2 minutes longer for firm yolks.

Finish hash with parsley and pepper. Serve hash and eggs over toasted English muffins - and don't forget the ketchup!
Makes 4 cups hash, 4 eggs
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Mini Crab Cake Sandwiches – another winner. We had these for a Sunday brunch in Pasco, WA, with a bottle of Prosecco. But, I can’t remember where this recipe came from. These are perfect for being on the road with all the convenient products used; but they could be ‘spiffed’ up using more homemade ingredients.

Mini Crab Cake Sandwiches

1 pound crab meat
1/4 cup green onion -- diced small
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup panko crumbs -- Japanese bread crumbs available at most supermarkets
2 eggs, slightly beaten (Note: the eggs weren’t called for, but I added them because the cakes were a little difficult to hold together – this solved the problem!)
2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce
2 tubes (8 each) refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
8 oz. bag ready cole slaw (with the dressing included)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Make biscuits and cole slaw according to package directions and set aside

Heat oven to 400 F.

Mix crab, onion, soy, panko and chili sauce well in a bowl and shape into 16 tight little patties and place on greased baking sheet

Bake cakes until crispy brown then carefully flip, should be about 10-15 minutes each side

Cut biscuits in half and place one crab cake on each bottom half, add some cole slaw then top with other biscuit half

Makes 16 little sandwiches, or 1 giant huge one
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Some misc. notes to finish up our swing thru the western states -

There is a great market here in Pasco, Yolks, and the wine mgr. is one knowledgeable gal - had her recommend some 'finds' for us - meaning 'cheap'.

One was Gnarly Head old Vine Zin from Lodi, '05 - $9.78 this was the best of the lot so far.

Barrelstone Columbia Valley, Barrelmaster's Red Wine, '03 - $4.99!!ran a close 2nd to the above and we WILL be buying a case today to take home. (label doesn't say what the blend is)

Bohemian Highway, Cab '04, St. Helena, CA - $6.59another repeat.

Yolks also has a great deli area and I picked up some cheese -Butterkase - "soft, buttery German-style snacking & cooking cheese. Melts well, perfect in sandwiches."Instead of Muenster on our l/o Brisket sandwiches tomorrow's brunch will be with the Butterkase.
(this cheese was wonderful on the sandwiches - picture at top)

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Good News!! I found the button to push to allow anyone to add a comment to my blog - so if anyone has any comments good, bad (well,not too bad please), bring 'em on.

March Travels

2007-03-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well, as usual, my pictures are a$$-backwards, so I'll start with last night, March 15th. Had the other half of the night before's Salmon and also had Mac & Cheese sauce in freezer (from Christmas??) - what comes to mind with those two goodies?? What else but Chef Kelly Johnson's "Three Cheese Mac & Cheese that I tasted a few years ago when a group from Chef2Chef met in Tecumseh, MI to cook our fool heads off together?

CJ/KELLY'S THREE CHEESE MAC & CHEESE

1/4 cup +2 T. a.p. flour
3 c milk
1 tbsp DIJON mustard
2 Tbsps butter
6 ozs White Cheddar Cheese
6 ozs gruyere cheese
1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
9 ozs Penne or short tubular pasta
3 ozs Parmesan cheese
Panko to mix w/Parmesan to top dish.

Combine flour, 1 cup milk & Dijon, stirring till smooth.
Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over med. heat.
Add flour mix. to butter; cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, 1 min.

Gradually add remaining 2 cups milk, stirring constantly.
Cook, stirring often 10-15 min. or till thickened & bubbly. Remove from heat.

Add the cheddar, Gruyere, nutmeg & salt and pepper to milk mix., stirring till cheese melts.
Stir in Pasta.

Spoon mixture into baking dish, top w/Parmesan/Panko mixture.
Bake 400° for 30-40 min.
Let set up for 5-8 min. cut in squares.

Serving Ideas : The way Kelly served:
Topped with pc of Roasted Salmon topped with BBQ sauce & Saffron & Basil oil drizzle.
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This time I added a little of Chef Tom Douglas' Dry Rub on the Salmon and grilled for 5 minutes before adding the BBQ sauce - what a nice zing the rub gave the overall dish! We were tired from being on the road all day, so didn't remember the asparagus I had in the fridge - damn, to add to the dish. It would have been a prettier plating with the asparagus. But, oh my, was this delicious!

DRY RUB FOR SALMON

3 Tbsps firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsps paprika
2 tsps kosher salt
1 1/2 tsps freshly grd. black pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme ( or 1/2 tsp. dried)

Combine the rub ingred.
Sprinkle fillets w/lemon juice
Coat either both or one side of each salmon fillet.

Roast at 375 - 400° to temp. of 140°.

The spice rub can be made a couple days ahead and stored, tightly covered, at room temp.
Good wine with the salmon - an Oregon Pinot Noir.
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I can't count the number of times I used this rub while I was cooking at the ForestHouse Lodge - it was a real winner.

Wednesday night dinner was a great trailer/travelin' meal. We started with cups of Trader Joe's Cream Corn & Roasted Pepper Soup (it comes in a waxed cardboard container (32 oz.) and it's a great starter for dinner while salmon and veggies do their thing on the grill.

I topped the cups of soup with gruyere and a little of Tom Douglas' dry rub - great flavor!

The rest of dinner, Salmon, red potatoes (if you microwave the halves for 1 min. they finish off in just about the same time as the red peppers) and red bells.

Wonderful traveling dinner and so little clean up!

Roy went to lunch one day this week and he was served the most beautiful capers - he talked the waiter out of some to bring home for me to see. Now, I have to say, I feel really ignorant - I've seen these in/on olive bars, but....I thought they were a type of olive!! I didn't know capers grew so large. Man these are great! Further proof we are never too old to learn....

More good dinners are in the offing - not too sure what we'll do - in the freezer I still have 2 lbs. of crab (thinking of some crab cakes and ????) and some noodles, think those will go to Szechuan Noodles. Stew meat, steak, small razor clams, and white bean chili. In reality, I really don't have to buy anything else to see us thru the rest of the trip....right.

Just a P.S.

2007-03-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

A Trader Joe's Sushi Sampler - wonderful!

I was afraid this pix would get lost in the hundreds I seem to be 'saving' - what a treat this was. Roy Richard, who normally curls his lip when I mention wanting sushi, even joined the act!

Bison, Beautiful Bison!

2007-03-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

Talk about over-indulgence!! Bison patties with just everything in the world that should go with them...including Purple Cherokees!!

Our food log for Monday, March 5th – fun day for food. This past Thursday while we were at the Food/Craft market in downtown Palm Springs (having a glass of wine), we saw a little card advertising a Mango Tandoori Chicken Pizza with a ‘Spicy Golden Curry Sauce’ and ‘Sweet Mango Chili Sauce’. Well, we were certainly hooked and yesterday we went back to the little place and grabbed a table out on the patio in the shade and people watched while we had a couple glasses of wine, me a BV merlot with our pizza.

While the pizza was good, nothing spectacular, what really stood out was the Sweet Mango Chili sauce – we loved this. Never did detect the spicy golden curry sauce advertised…. So, it is time to play with a little mango puree and my Asian Sweet Chili Sauce. This really is a great flavor combination.

Had to walk off all this wonderful lunch – and where better than the tourist shops in Palm Springs???? Finally found the perfect little present for our old friend, a mountain man who’s still on the top of the mountain….. and a couple of other goodies.

And…for dinner we had our new friend’s bison. The meat was so juicy and flavorful – so glad I kept it completely simple so the taste could shine! Formed the meat into two patties, nice thick patties, brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Grilled just to 134 F. I got a little carried away with the sides that I grilled also, but they all sounded like they just needed to be included. First of all, not grilled, but we found three beautiful Purple Cherokee heirloom tomatoes – my absolute favorite!! On the grill, I added little portabellos (or large creminis…), red potatoes, and thick onion slices.

We’re so glad we stopped these poor people on their daily constitution and barraged them with questions – Dave & Sue Beckstrand from Pine City, Minnesota, who raise Bison. They do not ship the meat, they raise theirs as we raised pigs all those years, selling them to friends/relatives either by the half or whole. But, they have a friend who does ship Bison meat, so will certainly look into that soon! Thank you again, Dave & Sue for a wonderful surprise package that morning – we so enjoyed visiting with you.

Almost forgot one of my purchases yesterday – I forgot it for hors yesterday, so will have it for breakfast this a.m. – a sushi sampler!! (Roy will probably have l/os of some sort, he’s not a big sushi fan!)

Tonight’s dinner? The Duck Salad we had months ago that was just wonderful –

DUCK SALAD WITH CHEESE TOASTS AND PORT-CURRANT SAUCE If you are not able to find Pont l’Evêque cheese, either Taleggio or Brie would also work well in this lovely starter from Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago.

2 6- to 7-ounce boneless duck breast halves

8 (1 1/2x1-inch) slices Pont l’Evêque cheese or Brie (about 3 ounces)

8 (1 1/2x1-inch) pieces good-quality fruit-and-nut bread (such as walnut-raisin), toasted (I used the bread recipe in my blog)

3 tablespoons walnut oil or olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar (or Champagne vinegar)

6 cups mixed baby greens

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped Port-Currant Sauce (did not make - next time...)

Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle duck breast halves with salt and pepper. Add duck, skin side down, to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium. Remove duck from heat and let stand 5 minutes. (didn't do - used leftovers and didn't heat them)

Meanwhile, place 1 cheese slice on each toasted bread piece. Whisk oil and vinegar in large bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add greens; toss to coat. Divide greens among 4 plates. Place 2 cheese toasts in center of greens on each. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Thinly slice duck breasts crosswise; divide equally among salads, fanning slightly.

Drizzle warm Port-Currant Sauce around salads and serve. (I didn't get the Port sauce made, but had some reduced apple cider that I drizzled over)

Makes 4 (appetizer) servings.

PORT-CURRANT SAUCE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 750-ml bottle of ruby Port

1 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

1/3 cup dried currants

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, apple and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and golden, about 12 minutes. Add Port; reduce heat to medium. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain mixture; return liquid to saucepan. Discard solids in strainer. Add stock to saucepan; simmer until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in currants. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat.)

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Bon Appétit September 2000, Charlie Trotter's, Chicago, IL

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The cheese toasts are just wonderful with this salad.

Today will be a maintenance day, no fun side trips…and tomorrow we’re off to Las Vegas, but just for one night.

Had a couple of questions re the duck on the grill and other goodies –
Yes, Lorraine, I cooked them in a Cast Iron skillet on the grill over, I think, high heat. So I could ‘catch’ the fat!!

Clive’s chutney? I’ll have to go back to all the chutney recipes collected over the years to see if he has posted this one – or, I guess I could go ask him….duh.

A Sunday In The Sun!

2007-03-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

YUM! Duck breasts cooking on the grill along with grilling garlic sourdough topped with Gruyere

Duck breast layered on the Gruyere sourdough toast and topped with Clive's Masala Chutney Navideno - and leftover (frozen) rice mixed with l/o butternut squash, roasted in oven.

I'm feeling really good about our eating on the road - other than not passing up those beautiful Alaskan King Crab legs for the Sauteed Crab Leg dish, we have been eating out of the freezer....the little freezer in the trailer!! The above dinner was from the freezer - gruyere, rice and the duck breasts. The butternut squash, we had a portion of a week or so before we left home, so I just grabbed it and added it to the stock in the frig as we left.

We still have in the freezer to play with - 8 huge prawns, ~1/2 smaller prawns, a chix back quarter, ham & beans, White bean chili, lb. of razor clams, 4 pkgs. (2 oz. each) frozen fresh crab meat, and in the frig I brot along a lb. can of Costco's lump crab. So, I will have no trouble having fun with trailer dinners.

But...the nicest experience happened to us yesterday. We were our riding our bikes IN THE SUNSHINE and came upon a couple meandering around the park and as we usually do, we stop and chat them up. Well, this time, whooooeeee, did it pay off! We met Dave & Sue Beckstrand from Pine City, Minnesota - who just happen to raise Bison!!! Hello! boy, did I jump on this. None of us had business cards with us, so we met them back at their place and Dave gave us his card with his email address. They do not ship their bison, they do as we did when we raised pigs, they sell them by the halves to friends, but he has a friend who does ship, so he will give me all the info on this. While we were talking, Sue came out with a pkg. in her hand - a lb. of Bison ground meat. Oh boy, all the way home I'm thinking what WILL I do with this treasure...finally decided and I'll do it tonite - just make patties, nice big, thick patties, rub with melted butter, add s&p and grill them. I haven't had breakfast yet, and I'm just dying to get going on dinner. I have some little red potatoes, so will probably grill those also along with a green salad & berry jam vinaigrette.

Oh happy food days!

And good news from our friend Bob & Sharon (harborwitch as she is known on some boards) have found a wonderful home t0 get them out of the tiny, little yacht where they had to down-size so much it's a wonder she was able to pull of these wonderful dinners that she is know for!! Can hardly wait for our next stop at their place.

Also, need to talk to Tracie, she was a cooking fool this weekend evidently. Jimmy (grandson) and his 3 roomies have 'hired' Trace to cook 3 dinners a week for them. With her taking culinary classes, she is so anxious to do some serious cooking, but cooking for one really doesn't cut it - this will be so perfect for her...and them! And a personal chef's business is being born!

BRUNCH IN THE SUNSHINE!

2007-03-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

SAUTEED CRAB LEGS

Blackening Seasoning, Cream Sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano

What a wonderful brunch we had this a.m. Daphne (C2C) posted a link to a website with dinner recipes for one or two peoples. This is a great site. The first one I tried this a.m. was Sautéed Crab Legs and we were able to get some gorgeous Alaskan king crab legs for the dish. It is a definite keeper –

(I will go find the chef's whose dish this is - I forgot...)

Sautéed Crab Legs

12 oz. crab claws (we used 2 King Crab legs)
¾ c. heavy cream
1 T. fresh garlic, minced
2 T. blackening seasoning (recipe follows)
½ c (2 oz.) grated parmesan cheese
1 ½ oz. olive oil
Pinch of parsley
Toasted French Bread (used Roasted Garlic sourdough)

In a large skillet, add oil & heat. When pan is hot, add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add crab claws and stir in pan until hot.
Add blackening seasoning and parsley.
When seasonings are incorporated into the claws, add the heavy cream and let mixture heat thru. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
Add cheese to finish and pour over toasted French Bread.

Blackening Seasoning:

2 T. paprika
2 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. each: garlic and onion powders, and cayenne pepper
¾ tsp. each: ground white pepper & ground black pepper
½ tsp. each: dried thyme leaves and oregano leaves

Mix all together.

I made up ½ of the above and it was just a little more than the 2 T. needed. Since we were in the sunshine, I don’t cook inside – so I made this on the grill. One burner on and one off, so I could control the heat under the pan. After the heavy cream was added, I pulled it off the lit burner and closed the lid so it would heat and the parmesan would start to melt. It works great outside on the grill!

Add a fruit platter to the brunch and of course a nice champagne and you’re all set.

A Day With HarborWitch & Bob

2007-03-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful day of tasting Lodi's finest!

Life is unpredictable...eat dessert first!!

Sharon's Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Sorbet.

Sharon's appy - Teleme Cheese fondue with seasoned Pita triangles - an appy you can't stop nibbling on.

Just had a great day (Saturday, 2/24/07) with Sharon & Bob - we started out with a brunch at our house, nothing special (fried tatoes & onions, ham, fruit platter and, of course, champagne-with a couple of Bloody Marys to get us started), but we did try a Tobin James (Calif.) sparkling wine for the first time and as all of the T.J. wines, it was very tasty!!We then moved on to the Lodi area wineries. It's so much more fun to go wine tasting with folks who also like wine.

We hit four wineries - and at three Roy & I were true to our promise to ourselves - JUST BUY ONE BOTTLE PER WINERY!! After all, I'm just a little old lady on Social Security....But, at the fourth one, Oak Ridge Winery, oakridgewinery.comwe lost our will power and not only bot multiple bottles, we joined another wine club! Even picked up a bottle of their Marsala - have never purchased Marsala at a winery before, it sure tasted nice.

(I used some of the Marsala Monday nite (2/26) in C@H’s Pasta book – Wild Mushroom Pappardelle – it’s a great Marsala and this is a wonderful dish)

After the winery tour, we headed back to Sharon & Bob's yacht...she has had to down-size so completely since the last time we were here, I have no idea how she/they do it!! But the food was wonderful and we spent the next 4 hours appreciating it!Started out with flambeed Teleme cheese with fantastic pita bread triangles which were sprinkled with the best flavored seasoning - I need to get it in writing, 'cause she told me, but no way did I remember.

Oh, before the 'mundane' ;) flambé...their friend Sarah (with an 'h') fixed us a tasty hors that we hadn't tried before....crackers with peanut butter (has to be crunchy - none of this smooth stuff!) and tabasco. Now, there is a treat! (We’ve since learned Sarah wants to go to Culinary School – so, watch out cooking world, here comes Sharon & Sarah!!)

Oh my, I almost forgot the Beef Sushi and Daikon salad!!! The flavors - man, this was a wonderful dish! I didn't get a picture of this, we ate it too fast!! This recipe is in a book that I also have at home.

Sharon has a recipe that she got from a friend for Native Indian Quinoa (Fried??) Cakes. She made them once fried and tried baking them this time. I'm still on the fence with this item, as Sharon says, it needs cheese or a topping or something. But don't know that I'll ever try making it...but who knows I may play.

But, the accompaniment to the cakes were beautiful sautéed duck breasts that Bob removed from two gorgeous (that they now get to play with!!!) ducks. She cooked them to perfection and tender?? Oh my, they were delicious. (their little friend Sarah had never tasted duck and was hoping some would be left for her.....well, let me tell you, there was none left from R & J )

Dessert - Morgan Freeman has a restaurant and cookbook that Sharon got a deep, deep, deep, deep Chocolate Sorbet recipe from. Anyone who loves chocolate will adore this! With it she served a candy cluster (chocolate, of course, nuts and dried (?) cherries?). I had brot the makings for the Raspberry Cream Cheese stuffed Jalapenos to add to the hors, but didn't finish them for that and decided to add to the dessert, which I think would have been wonderful...but, we were just too damn full to add one more thing to that dessert plate!! (hope they enjoyed them the next day!)

We struggled on back to the trailer and just rolled into bed like two beach whales - and slept like babies!Thank you again, Sharon & Bob, for a wonderful day.

*****************

From: Morgan Freeman & Friends - Carribean Cooking for a CauseFrom the Ocean and Vine Restaurant on St. Barth's

Executive Chef :Greg Wangard

Chocolate & Port Wine Sorbet

2 cups water

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 vanilla bean halved lengthwise

1/2 c. port wine

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla bean, and wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add the chocolate stirring just until combined. Remove from the heat and strain. Place the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice. Stir every 10 minutes until cool.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.We served these with the sorbet!

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Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters
1 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped

6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and the cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the water is not touching the top pan.

Remove the double boiler from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom of it and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water.

This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters.Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

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Greek "nachos"

Teleme cheese

1/2 to 3/4 c. ouzo

3 whole wheat pitas

3 TBS olive oil

Penzey's Zatar seasoning

Place the pitas on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Zatar seasoning. Warm in a 350 oven.Warm the cheese slightly while cutting the pitas into 6 wedges each. Heat the ouzo and pour over the cheese & flambe.Serve with pita chips.

Zatar is a mixture of sumac, thyme, white sesame seeds, and salt.

--------------------------------
Beef Sashimi (Gyuniku No Sashimi) from "Asia the Beautiful Cookbook"

1 lb choice beef tenderloin or lean sirloin/porterhouse steak

3/4 tsp salt (I used 3/4 tsp Penzey's Szechuan pepper-salt, roasted)

2 tsp crushed garlic

Trim the beef of all fat. Rub with salt, then with the garlic. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.Sear the surface of the meat evenly in a very hot skillet or over glowing coals.

Remove from the heat and refrigerate to cool quckly.

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Daikon "noodle" salad

Grate aprox. 2 cups daikon radish. (I used a rotating slicer to create "noodles").

Place in bowl with 1/4 c rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil to taste. Season with Szechuan pepper-salt and add a good handful of chopped cilantro.

Slice meat very thinly and serve with the Daikon salad and wasabi to taste.

_________________

Vineyard notes -
BORRA VINEYARDS

Tastings:
borravineyards.com

The ’03 Merlot ($16.00) and ’04 Zin ($20.00) were both very good. But with our new limit set on ourselves with so many wineries to visit, we only bot one – the ’03 Barbera ($24.00) What a wonderful wine this is!!
Tasting fee $9.28 = $35.86
~~~~~~~~~

Michael-David winery –
lodivineyards.com

7 Deadly Zins winery!!!
Tastings:
’01 Michael David Cab ($18.) – great!
’05 7 Deadly Zins ($17.00) – wonderful
’04 6th Sense Syrah ($17.) – another wonderful one

One bottle of 7 Deadly Zins.
~~~~~~~~~~

Van Ruiten Vineyards
vrwinery.com

Tastings:
’02 Syrah ($15.) light tasting, watery
’03 Cab-Shiraz, Estate grown ($15.) – heavier, pepper tastes, very good.
’03 Cab (15.) – off flavor, somehow
’03 Petite Sirah, Estate grown ($18.) – liked very much
’02 “Old Vine” Zin ($18.) – very good.

Bot – one bottle Old Vine Zin.
~~~~~~~~~~

Oak Ridge Winery
oakridgewinery.com

Gave in and joined their wine club – great wines overall!!

Sparkling Raspberry – ($11.99) w/20% off. Bot this.
Silk Oak Merlot ’04 ($9.99) very good!
Silk Oak Cab ’03, wonderful and great with chocolate ($15)
Simply Red (blend of Merlot/Cab/Zin/Souzao/Shiraz) ($9.00) bot this
3 Girls Cab ’04 – wonderful! Bot 2 bottles
Conti Royale Marsala – ($11.) – bot one bottle

The above included present wine club selections also.
~~~~~~~~~

You'll Alwlays Be My Best Friend...You Know Too Much!!!

2007-02-24T05:08:00.000-08:00

"The Charcuterie Plate" - The Charcuterie Restaurant, Healdsburg, CA

Rosette de Lyon Salami, Duck Rillette, Pork Pepper Pate, Garlic Salami, assorted olives and cornichon. Very good with a Dry Creek Merlot.

Finally got to eat at the Charcuterie - have been lusting after this place for years and Coleenie and Roger took us to lunch there after our arrival Thursday, Feb. 22nd. While this lunch was wonderful - everyone else had pasta - I was very disappointed in the dinner menu. I had visions of all sorts of pork specialties - O.K., the pate and rillette I was able to sample, but where were the galantines, the crepinettes, the other sausages and goodies????? Were not offered on the dinner menu either! I wanted so much to taste the professionally made products we had tried (after a fashion...) in culinary school, but twas not to be.

What fun to be with C&R again - the kind of friends you just take up where you last left off no matter how long it's been...and it's been too damn long. And they are both healthier than I think I've ever seen them - boy does retirement agree with these two!

Before we get to the food - must comment on Collenie's wonderful life as an artist - seems like everytime I get a handle on her 'style' she morphes into another level. She's now into COLORS!! And oh my, are they gorgeous colors - their house is full of art, I can't even say mostly hers, she has so many other artists also, but hers are my favorites! And best of all bests, she allowed me to choose my favorite as a house warming present - I'm not writing which I chose, I will wait till I can take a picture of it and post here. She doesn't do a lot of 'food' pictures, but this picture will always remind me of the food and wine we have enjoyed over thirty years!! Coleenie, I so thank you.

And she cooked for us in her newly remodeled kitchen that is a page out of Monet's color scheme. Cook's Illustrated's Daube Provencal - oh my, what a treat -

Daube Provençal -11/2005
Serves 4 to 6

3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well
1 boneless beef chuck-eye roast (about 3 1/2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces salt pork , rind removed
4 large carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (about 2 cups)
2 medium onions , halved and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
4 medium cloves garlic , sliced thin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 bottle red wine (bold, such as a Cabernet)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
4 strips orange zest (from one orange), removed with vegetable peeler, each strip about 3 inches long, cleaned of white pith, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 cup niçoise olives , pitted and drained well
3 anchovy fillets , minced (about 1 teaspoon)
5 sprigs fresh thyme , tied together with kitchen twine
2 bay leaves
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes , drained and cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Cover mushrooms with 1 cup hot tap water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and chop into 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 4 tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with 1 paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add half of beef. Cook without moving pieces until well browned, about 2 minutes on each side, for total of 8 to 10 minutes, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke. Transfer meat to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and remaining meat.

3. Reduce heat to medium and add salt pork, carrots, onions, garlic, and tomato paste to now-empty pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add wine, gently scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add broth, water, beef, and any juices in bowl. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to full simmer. Add mushrooms and their liquid, orange zest, 1/2 cup olives, anchovies, thyme, and bay, distributing evenly and arranging beef so it is completely covered by liquid; cover partially and place in oven. Cook until fork inserted in beef meets little resistance (meat should not be falling apart), 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

4. Discard salt pork, thyme, and bay leaves. Add tomatoes and remaining 1/2 cup olives; warm over medium-high heat until heated through, about 1 minute. Cover pot and allow stew to settle, about 5 minutes. Using spoon, skim excess fat from surface of stew. Stir in parsley and serve.
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What a wonderful dish this is - I'll have to get with June and see how her's compares - ingredients - to this one. It would be hard to top. They served a MacMurray (remember Fred MacMurray and June Haver???) '04 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, very tasty. Also, joining the Provencal on the table - noodles and a green salad of grapes, pears, gorgonzola, candied walnuts and a Balsamic/Oil vinaigrette. Great flavors. And, for dessert - a cheesecake sampler!! It's fine - we love cheesecake!

We brot a couple of Washington wines with us to invade their Napa wine country offerings - and I must say our wines held their own!!

This was too short a trip - if we can work into their busy schedules, we will stay at least two days from now on - not enuf time to get caught up. As an example of how much the two of us can talk, one year she & I rented a house on the beach and spent three (?) days before the guys joined us and the only time we were not talking was when we were asleep!! She is one of the most interesting, well-read and just a tad opinionated women I've ever known and I love her dearly!! Thank you Coleenie and Roger for a few fast flying hours.

And in October (?), they are off to China on an artist's trip - I can hardly wait to see how her art emerges after this....

P.S. Always have to make a forage thru her new cookbooks - found this to play with later - probably fill a jalapeno or.....?
dried apricots, gorgonzola, mayo, mint, walnuts - fun combination.

Dinner On Top of the Hill....again!

2007-02-24T04:20:00.000-08:00

Fig & Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Prepping the tenderloin for stuffing.

Kelly making use of her AllClad...in the best possible way.

Travis, the little King (or Superman)of the Hill!!

Wednesday, the 21st (Feb), found us back up the hill in Weimar with Brent, Kelly and Travis - it was good to be back up there with them. I so miss our Saturday afternoons together on their back patio, trying new wines and cheeses or in our kitchen trying new dishes and luring Brent to taste by not telling him what they were till he'd had a bite!

Kelly and I cooked together more this visit than we ever had and what fun. I wish she and Tracie lived closer, the three of us could really tear up a kitchen and produce some damn good food!

Our dinner started out with an appy of sourdough rounds and "scraping of the Raclette" cheese. It is a little strong in the odor dept., especially when cold, but it gets so nice and mellow when warming up. I don't think Brent even tried this one, since he smelled it before he saw it. The rest of us enjoyed it.

We'd planned on having the Raspberry Cream Cheese Jalapenos, but I neglected to read the recipe thru and missed the part that the jalapenos needed time in the freezer (1-2 hours...), so we decided to just add them to dinner - turned out we were able to have them separately as an appy anyway - we were too busy trying wines to hurry dinner. This is a keeper recipe - (thinking this will be right up Sharon & Bob's alley - on Friday or Saturday)

Raspberry Cream Cheese Jalapenos

Jalapeno peppers -- seeded and split lengthwise
8 oz cream cheese -- softened
1/2 c raspberry preserves (we used a mixture of Huckleberry and ??)
2 eggs -- beaten
3/4 ts salt -- divided
1 t vegetable oil
1 c self-rising flour
1 c cornflakes -- crushed
oil for frying
powdered sugar for garnish

1.Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Place jalapeno peppers in the water 10 to 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain and cool.

2.Blot interiors of the jalapeno peppers dry with a paper towel.

3.Combine cream cheese and raspberry preserves together; mix until smooth. Fill each jalapeno pepper with some of the cream cheese mixture, but do not overstuff.

4.In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/4 tsp salt and vegetable oil. In another small bowl, mix remaining salt, and flour. Place crushed cornflakes in a third small bowl.

5.One at a time, dip the stuffed peppers into the egg mixture, the flour mixture, the egg mixture again, and finally the cornflakes crumbs. Place coated peppers in a medium dish. Freeze for 1-2 hours.

6.Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat (can also use a deep fryer). Fry the frozen peppers 3-4 minutes each, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powered sugar. Serve warm.

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On to the entree, what a nice dinner this is - Kelly served the tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed green beans - delicious.

Fig and Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

An apple glaze and sweet dried figs complement the savory blue cheese in this simple yet refined dish. Serve with wild rice and steamed green beans.

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 cup dried figs, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon apple jelly, melted

Preheat oven to 450°.

Slice the pork in half lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side.

Open the halves, laying pork flat. Place pork between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle figs and blue cheese over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch margin around outside edges. Roll up the pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with long side. Secure at 2-inch intervals with twine. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, and place on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Brush jelly over the pork. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand for 10 minutes. Discard twine; cut pork into 12 (1-inch-thick) slices.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 slices)Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007
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Even tho I'm not a big fig fan, I'll certainly make this at home - the flavors are great together!!

For dessert, we had a Cheesecake Sampler - and of course we (almost all of we's...) had to sample all! Great dinner, thank you so much for all the fun Kelly, Brent and Superman!! But, I still miss the hell out of you guys! Best neighbors, friends and kids we could ever have.

And on to one of my oldest bestest friends in the world - Colleenie and Roger's!

DINNER WITH THE CULINARY STUDENT

2007-02-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

Here is Tracie's dinner plated: Asian Pork Tenderloin, Asian Hot Cabbage slaw and Sushi-Roll Rice salad

The Asian Pork
Tenderloins
from Saturday nite.

(these are the wontons we had Saturday nite - I can't get pictures posted where they are supposed to be....)
--------------------------

Arrived at Tracie's Friday afternoon and had dinner at her culianry school headed up by Chef John Gregson and his (full-time) students. The menu:

Baked Brie en Croute ~
the puff pastry was baked perfectly, no doughiness at all! (Almost unheard of with students) The napping sauce was some type of champagne vanilla sauce (I'm guessing) and very tasty. The only fault with the dish was there was so little Brie, it was hard to say what might have been the filling.

Roasted Corn Chowder ~
another winner, flavor was very good and the corn was roasted almost too much as a lot of the kernals were very tough, but the consistency and flavor was there!

Rogue Valley Salad ~
the plating of this salad was spot on - the pear slices thin enough for easy eating and the balance on the other side by a tomato slice. The only problem with the salad was so little dressing we could not get a taste of it.
There were only three of us and four entrees offered - so we could not taste everything, damn it. But, we did well with what we could!

Cicken Chasseur ~ the breast was so moist and tender, I asked if they had brined, but they had not - they had just cooked it perfectly. The Chasseur (or Hunter sauce) was the classic hunter-style brownsauce wih mushrooms, shallots and white wine. This sauce is usually served with game and other meats, but their rendition of it did not overpower the dish at all. Very good. The potatoes could have been a little larger servings, but very flavorful. The veggies perfrectly crisp tender and the asparagus nicely shaved on the tough ends. Everything on this plate was as good as it can get.

Caramelized Salmon ~ again, perfectly cooked - removed at exactly the right moment, still moist, just beginning to flake, wonderful! Same plate garnish and same tastiness!

Rack of Lamb Persillade ~ This was not my choice dish (it would have been if Roy hadn't beaten me to it...), so maybe that's why I missed the 'persillade' - I did taste a bite of the lamb and the sauce, which was perfectly (how many perfects can we have with these entrees??) cooked and the sauce complimented the lamb - with not a mint leaf in sight! But, the persillade, which is a garnish mixture of chopped parsley and garlic similar to a gremolata (parsley, lemon zest and garlic) I completely missed out on - that would have been a nice finish to this dish to taste.

the desserts - things kind of fell apart at this time in the dinner. The Banana Foster was a dish of vanilla ice cream and the bananas were flambeed at the table. But, they were slices rather than one banana sliced in half lengthwise, don't know the reason for this, but it did affect the presentation. The taste was there, but not the ambience.

I'm not sure who was responsible for the alternate dessert, Green Tea Creme Brulee, but we were told it was a last minute addition and I was sorry to say, it should have been left off the menu completely. The brulee should be a crispy burnt sugar topping to a creamy smooth custard beneath. There was no crispiness, nor was the custard the least bit creamy - it was the consistency of an overcooked pudding. I won't comment on the flavor because I am not a tea fan in any form, so it would not be fair for me to judge that, but neither Roy nor Tracie cared for the flavor.

Overall, I was very impressed with the dinner - the students were at all levels in their classes and they all worked together as a kitchen team should and needs to.
---------------------------

The next night, Tracie had a dinner menu all planned out for us to cook together and I was finally able to be her sous for the night. Her menu -

Thai Curry Shrimp - this is a purchased item that she has been wanting us to try so we can figure out how to make it ourselves. It is a great tasting hors and I think with a little of Kelly Johnson's seasoning -
(ratio 2/1/1) Kosher Salt (grind in spice grinder ~30 sec., so it's not so obtrusive & sticks better.), madras curry powder, sugar plus some red chili flakes and panko - we could get a start on these little goodies.

Wontons in Hot-and-sour chili sauce (w/pork & shrimp -we made these New Year's '04 and are they ever good!!!) See picture above -

Asian Pork Tenderloin
Spicy Asian Slaw
Sushi-Roll Rice Salad

Five Spice Banana Pineapple Splits

Asian Pork Tenderloin
(Cuisine at home, December 2006) Makes: 2 Tenderloins

Combine; Rub and Sear:
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed (1 - 1/2 to 2 lb. each)
2 T. Chinese five-spice powder
1 T. kosher salt
1 T. ground black pepper
2 T. peanut oil

Simmer:
1/3 cup Chinese plum sauce
2 T. honey
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 T. pineapple juice
1 t. chili garlic sauce
Garnish with: Fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400°.
Trim tenderloins of silverskin and excess fat. Combine five-spice, salt, and pepper, then rub over both tenderloins.

Heat oil in an ovenproof saute pan over medium-high; sear pork on all sides, 5 minutes. Simmer remaining ingredients (except chives) in a saucepan for 1 minute; pour over pork. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 140°. Remove pork from pan; let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh chives.

Spicy Asian Slaw (Cuisine at home, December 2006)
Makes: 5 Cups

Whisk Together:
2 T. pineapple juice
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 T. chili garlic sauce
1 T. Chinese plum sauce
1 t. cornstarch

Saute and Add:
6 cups green cabbage, cubed
1 cup red bell pepper, julienned
2/3 cup carrot, julienned
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 T. peanut oil
1/2 t. kosher salt

Stir in and Cook until Thickened:
Reserved sauce

Whisk first 6 ingredients together in a bowl; set aside. Saute cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, and ginger in oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. After 1 minute, add the salt. Continue sauteing for 2 minutes, or until cabbage starts to wilt.Stir in reserved sauce; cook 1 minute, or until slightly thickened.

SUSHI-ROLL RICE SALAD

Wonderful toppings for this salad (recipes follow): Sweet Chile Sauce and Wasabi Oil

1 1/2 cups short-grain sushi rice
1 3/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium carrot
1 1/4 teaspoons wasabi paste (Japanese horseradish paste)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 large seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and chopped (1 cup)
3 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
3 tablespoons drained sliced Japanese pickled ginger, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 firm-ripe California avocado
8 fresh shiso leaves (optional) (can sub a combination of mint, cilantro and basil leaves)
1 (6-inch) square toasted nori (dried laver), cut into very thin strips with scissors

Rinse rice in several changes of cold water in a bowl until water is almost clear, then drain in a colander 30 minutes.

Bring rice and 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, then simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand, covered, 10 minutes (do not lift lid).

While rice is standing, bring vinegar, sugar, and salt just to a boil in a very small saucepan, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved, then cool 2 minutes.

Spread rice in a large shallow baking pan, then sprinkle with vinegar mixture and toss with a wooden spoon. Shave thin lengthwise slices from carrot with a vegetable peeler, then cut slices diagonally into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

Whisk together wasabi, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons water, and oil in a bowl, then add rice, carrot, cucumber, scallions, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds and toss gently. Halve, pit, and peel avocado and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Arrange 2 shiso leaves (if using) on each of 4 plates. Top with avocado and rice mixture and sprinkle with nori strips.
Makes 4 servings.

SWEET CHILE SAUCE*****
Recipe By :Food & Wine magazine

1 red bell pepper - corred, seeded & finely chopped 1 red jalapeno or other small red chile, seeded & minced -- (I used 2 Jalapenos-seeds & membrane)
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c water
1/2 c honey
2 T. soy sauce

Combine all ingred. in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Simmer ovr moderate heat, stirring occasionally, till the sauce is thickened slightly & syrupy, ~20 min.
Serve at room temp.Sauce can be refrigerated and kept for up to 1 week.
Yield: "2 c"

WASABI OIL*****
2 T. hot wasabi paste
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 T. mirin
Cold water
1/4 c canaoloa oil

In a bowl, combine wasabi paste, sugar & mirin.Quickly whisk in oil.A purée consistency is ideal.
Description: "This is wonderful and not overwhelmingly hot!"

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We were so full after the entree we could not have dessert - will fix it another time - it's so good!!

So, another wonderful dinner at Tracie's - but with a difference, she's feeling more comfortable in the kitchen with me now!!! and that's a real good thing. Thanks Trace, for a great day!

FIRST LEG OF THE TRIP

2007-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, Feb. 13, ’07 left Port Angeles for Portland, our first stop in this 6 + week trek around the western U.S. Found what I was searching for immediately upon arriving at the R.V. park - SUN! Quickly retrieved the chairs, beverage table, books, and a glass of wine from me, a martini for Roy. It lasted ~2 hours, then cold and now it’s raining as only it rains in Portland. Heavy.

Wednesday, Feb. 14 – It’s Valentines day!! For the first time, I sent an electronic card to Roy – well, I guess I can call it that, not a commercial one, but one I made with pix to send to him. Here are the pictures –

This was as we were leaving for our Bon Voyage party on board the ship for our Mexican cruise in 1976 – my nickname in those Angela Davis days? PH (pubichead…) I loved my Afro –

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/cjdacook/RJ.jpg

This one was just a couple years ago, Roy helped me with a catering job – we were done and just cleaning up – and as it was for friends, I had already hit the wine, can you tell????

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/cjdacook/ROYMEATJACKS.jpg

Our Valentine’s Dave Menu????

VALENTINE’S DAY
FEB. 14, 2007
Portland, Oregon

our menu

Roasted Beet and Grapefruit Salad
18 Hour English Muffins

Roasted Garlic Mashed Yukons
Filet Mignon
Creamy Roquefort Sauce

L’Ecole No. 41, Ferguson 2004
Commemorative Reserve
Columbia Valley

Snickers Brownies
French Vanilla Ice Cream

Canoe Ridge 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon Port
Columbia Valley

It’s 1 p.m. and the brownies are done – finally, the damn oven in here just does not cooperate!

Candy Bar Chocolate Brownies
Dave Lieberman – Food Network

Rich, decadent, moist and chewy with chunks of candy bars melted in, you couldn't ask a brownie for more. One of the best parts about them is that you can do them in one bowl, so cleanup's a breeze. The one thing you have to remember is to put the candy bars in the fridge before you got to chop them up or you'll get mush instead of chunks.

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, melted, plus a little more for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
10 mini chocolate-peanut candy bars, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups), refrigerator cold (recommended: Snickers "fun size")

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9 by 13-inch cake pan (aluminum is fine) with butter. Beat the 1 1/2 sticks butter and the sugar together in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then stir in water and vanilla. Sprinkle the salt and baking powder over the mixture, then mix in. Do the same with the cocoa.

Finally, stir in the flour until just blended. Put the candy bars in a food processor or blender and pulse on low speed until all the bars have been reduced to a coarse crumble. Fold the crumble into the batter thoroughly. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the center is set, the edges look a bit crusty, and the top of the brownies start to crack a little. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

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The beets and garlic head are in the oven roasting. Potatoes ready to go. Portland has a Year-Round Farmer’s market today from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., we will go check things out there and see what we can cram in the fridge.

Oh that farmer’s market was a sight to behold!!! Right out of the 60s – with a great little retro store behind the market!! Couldn’t smell any funny cigarettes, but they had to be there, somewhere!

Roasted Beet and Grapefruit Salad
Dave Lieberman – Food Network

6 small beets
1 medium ruby red grapefruit
2 ounces alfalfa sprouts, trimmed
Salad dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
3 pinches salt
10 grinds black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Thyme leaves from 10 delicate sprigs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil. Roast about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove beets from oven, unwrap and let cool 5 minutes before peeling. Slice the beets into eighths.

Remove the peel of the grapefruit with a sharp knife, cutting all the way down to the grapefruit flesh. Then cut the individual grapefruit segments out from their skin, using the supreme technique. Place the grapefruit segments in a bowl. Take the inner grapefruit remains and squeeze whatever juice you can out of it over the top of the grapefruit segments in the bowl.

Make the dressing by mixing together all the dressing ingredients along with all the juice that you can strain from the bowl of grapefruit.
Assemble the salad: Make a little heap of alfalfa in the middle of the plate. Scatter the cut beets around the plate. Pinch off pieces of the grapefruit segments and scatter them around the plate. Drizzle generously with dressing, top with a couple more grinds black pepper and serve.
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I prefer roasting beet my way to the above – just rub with olive oil and roast open on a sheet pan.

This vinaigrette is just spot on – it is delicious. I had Champagne vinegar in the trailer so used that and didn’t have fresh thyme, but the dried leaves worked o.k.

The entire combination of this salad works. And it was even tasty with the L’Ecole wine, which having read the label – no wonder I liked it, my favorite blend, Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc.

Overall, the dinner was very good. The filets were Christmas presents from Mattie and Wendy and so tender and juicy!! The brownies were good, but damn are they rich. Sent the rest in to the folks in the Portland office where they were promptly dealt with…those I probably won’t make again, but the beet and grapefruit salad, I certainly will!!!

Thursday, the 15th, we finally got to meet up with Scotty/Morris-what an absolute sweetheart! He acted like he had all the time in the world to explain about the ‘making of a restaurant’ – when it looked like he had people lined up waiting for him to make decisions. We love the building and what he is doing with it and I’m so glad we got to see the before and it will be opened and the rage of Vancouver by the time we get back up here. If only I were 29 years younger, I’d be right there in line with my application!! Left a bottle of my favorite champagne for him to enjoy on opening nite.

His menu looks over-ambitious, but I sure hope he can pull it off, it’s sounding wonderful. He also will have a pastry chef on site – which to me is one of the most important people to have!

Can’t tell more than that till we get back here to try it out once it’s opened! Flakey old FoodDude, didn’t make it – never seem able to connect with him. Will try another time thru.

It’s now Friday a.m., Great-White-Father is up and about and time to get this caravan on the road to Medford. Tracie has her menu lined up and reservations made for this evening at the Culinary School!! Going to be a fun time! I think Susan is doing the Saturday brunch for us…

Talked to Kelly for a minute yesterday and she has her menu in place also – we will prep together while imbibing Sex on the Beach. Great-white-father will act as bartender to keep us happy!!! We’ll be with Kelly and Brent on Wednesday (?) of next week.

Everyone in California is bragging about the weather – and the damn sun better stay In place till we get there – tired of this Portland rain!!! Medford? Don’t know yet.

The Old Sea Captain and The Chef

2007-02-05T06:18:00.000-08:00

We have a delightful, if a little intense, single neighbor who is a fishing boat captain - he works out of Alaska. But he is land-locked right now and we will have a chance to get to know him - he is one big time foodie, so this will be fun!

Saturday afternoon, the afternoon before Superbowl(!), Jay decided it would be a hoot to have a 'professional' chef cook for him so off to the fish mongers he and Roy went. Supposedly to pick up 'a couple' of seafood goodies to have for an impromptu Superbowl party on Sunday. My first mistake was letting the two of them go by themselves!! Lobsters, steamer clams, oysters - in shells and in a jar, scallops, smoked salmon, mussels!! for three people?? I grabbed the phone and called every neighbor to get some help eating all this bounty, but of course every single one, except one couple, had parties to go to by then!

Now, the funny happening Saturday nite for me was, I woke up ~2 a.m. with all these thots running thru my head - it was like it used to be when I was planning a catering job or a big job at the hotel - what would I fix, how did I want to cook, what order serving, what kind of presentation, the whole gamut going thru my mind like we were having a huge party, instead of 5 people coming together to do justice to the bounty of these two jokesters!! Jay had said to do whatever I wanted with the food - so, that's why my mind was in such a turmoil, there were so many ways to go!!

Oh, and to add to this feast, I had already thawed out chicken wings, some crab, and had gotten jalapenos for poppers for Roy & me to have for a small celebration during the football game. (In case I forget to mention it later....the chicken wings are still in the frig)

Finalized Superbowl Menus - for FIVE (!) people

Cranberry Crab Spread (a throw-together that turned out great!)

Ron's (a neighbor who was going to another party brot this over to add to what we had...) Smoked Salmon Spread

Two Smoked Salmon (mine & one purchased by the 'boys') with Lemon/Caper Sauce (I/we all like mine - thank you Marlene - better than the one purchased)

Jalapeno Poppers Rockefeller - a new dish -everyone loved

Scallops with Caviar and Sour Cream - I used to do this catering, served on/in Asian spoons.

Mussels with Balsamic Cream & Bacon

Lobster Medalions with Balsamic Cream & Bacon - this was an experiment to see if lobster worked in the sauce, but found we liked the mussels much better!

Grilled Oysters - always a favorite, but the 'captain' had never had them grilled.

Steamed Lobsters and Clams with garlic butter - another fav.

Loaves of sourdough for sopping!

AND the neighbor couple brot another appy, that was quite good - will have to get the recipe!

AND DID WE EVER DO JUSTICE TO THIS FEAST!!!

RECIPES

CRANBERRY CRAB SPREAD

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. milk
8 oz. crabmeat (fresh or canned and flaked)
2 T. green onions, minced or chives
Dashes of salt and garlic powder
4-6 shakes of Tabasco
½ cup dried cranberries
Parsley, sliced green onions, or chives for garnish

Whisk together the cream cheese and milk till well combined.
Add the crabmeat thru garlic powder and combine well.
Stir in dried cranberries, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours.
Garnish and serve with crackers or toasted bread rounds.
Makes about 2 cups.
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JALAPENO POPPERS ROCKEFELLER

I would love to give credit for this recipe, but I didn't add the name when I copied it from C2C forum - damn. Sharon???

Makes 12 appetizer servings
(Note: I only had 4 jalapenos and some scraps of yellow bellpepper, so I cut the jalapenos in half lenghtwise and filled them that way and the bells were in squares, so just topped them with the filling and a pc. of bacon - one guest wouldn't try the jalapenos, but ate all the bell pcs., so I think I'll do this again for a 'popper' tray)

24 jalapeño peppers, top cut off and seeded
12 oysters, off the shell, chopped with liquid
1/2 cup cooked spinach, well drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon Pernod
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
12 slices bacon, partially cooked and cut in half

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix the chopped oysters, spinach, green onion, bread crumbs, egg, Pernod and seasonings together. Stuff the peppers with the mixture. Top each pepper with bacon and insert toothpick through to hold in place.

Bake the peppers until they are soft, heated through and the bacon is crisp. Approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes then serve.

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OVEN SMOKED SALMON

Marlene (da Cook) Cochran from the Yukon recipe

Salmon, dressed
Brown sugar
Kosher salt
Liquid smoke
(qtys. depend on size/number of salmon pieces)

Split the salmon along the backbone.
Remove the backbone and ribcage. Remove pin bones.
Leave skin on. Slice each side into 2" sections.

Lay the pcs. on a sheet pan; coat with brown sugar.
Sprinkle with kosher salt & liquid smoke.
You will be rinsing this off later, so be generous.
Cover w/plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Rinse the salmon pcs, pat dry, and place on cooling racks, which have been sprayed with vegetable spray.
Place in a 150 F. oven, until the salmon flesh takes on a translucent look, leaving the door open a crack to let moisture out.

This should take 6-8 hours, depending the thickness of the pieces.
Refrigerate for short-term use, freeze airtight for longer storage.

Serving Ideas : Oh boy am I in trouble - marinated this for 18 hours (and I must say it looked good enuf to eat at that time!); turned the oven on this a.m. and found to my dismay the damn oven goes no lower that 170 degrees...so went ahead and put the salmon in and then we had to go work on the rental. AND we always have to stop for Mexican food after that hard work.

Fast forward to coming into the kitchen after Mexican food and two margaritas each - and smelling this wonderful smoked salmon. It was 6 1/2 hours later and the salmon was absolutely perfect. So good in fact, that if I don't stop nibbling at it, I'm going to puke.

My favorite go with for this salmon – a mixture of cream cheese, little mayo to loosen, sliced green onions (or thinly sliced red onion), capers, and fresh lemon juice to taste.

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SCALLOPS WITH CAVIAR AND SOUR CREAM

Recipe By :a Chef's Journey via an old family favorite

Vegetable or Canola oil
12 sea scallops, sliced in half horizontally
sour cream for piping
thinly sliced red onion pieces
caviar for topping

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Season scallops with salt and pepper.
Cook scallops until golden on the bottom, about 2 min.

Turn over and saute till done, about 1 more minute.
Drain on paper towels and let cool.

Top each scallop with a dab of sour cream (this is easy to do with a plastic bag and a corner cut off to pipe onto the scallop)
Top the sour cream with red onion pieces.
Carefully spoon caviar on top.

Description:
"Serve on Asian spoons for a nice presentation."
Yield:
"24 pieces"

Final Week of New Year's Resolution!!!

2007-02-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

Well, the damn resolution is finally over and I ended up doing a lot better than I thot we would - in fact good enuf to say I did stick to it!!

Jan. 28th - Leftover filling from (1/27) Jambalaya Stuffed Bell Peppers used for twice baked potatoes - nice.

Jan 29th - Mixed cooked Cavatelli with the rest of the fresh Tapenade cheese from Pike Place market - with additional kalamatas, capers, su-dried tomatoes. great dish, Roy devoured. This cheese is suggested to be eaten with a week - so this is a wonderful way to use it up and not waste it.

Jan 30th - the two leftover Jambalaya Peppers - glad we're thru with those - three nites of the same flavors gets old.

Jan 31st - Sichuan Shrimp with Chili Sauce - one of the worst written recipes I've ever made, but once things got sorted out, what a tastey dish! rewrote the recipe -

SICHUAN SHRIMP WITH CHILI SAUCE*****

6 T. oil -- divided
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Mix together -- while assembling other ingredients:
1 lb. large shrimp - not more than 24 to a pound -- cleaned 2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. mirin
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Seasonings:
1 T. mashed and finely mined garlic
1 T. mashed and finely minced ginger
1 green onion -- thinly sliced
1 tsp. hot chili paste (optional) - but very good in it
(for your mise en place, you can have all the above seasoning ingredients in one small bowl - the the peppers (below) should be separate)
3 Red hot Chili Peppers -- "genuine Tabasco peppers work really great" (I used 2 Jalapeno, seeds and membranes included), minced
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Sauce - mix together in small bowl:
5 T. ketchup
1 T. sugar
1/2 T. salt
1 T. mirin
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Vegetables:
10 spears asparagus -- cut off tips whole, and the rest (stems) cut in 1" steep diagonal cut
1 stalk celery -- cut in thin diagonal slices
1 good size bamboo shoot -- cut in long thin slice to compliment the other vegetables
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1 dash Toasted Sesame Oil

Boil a qt. of water in your wok. Immerse all the veggies and boil rapidy till they reach peak color brightness and are crisp tender. Remove to a bowl and keep warm. Dump water and dry wok.

Put 5 T. of the oil in the wok and get it smoking hot; add the shrimp and stir till just pink and done. This shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. Put onto plate and discard all excess oil and quickly wipe out wok.

Heat the last 1 T. oil in wok. Get it smoking hot and toss in the hot peppers. Cook them for a minute, at most, till you are getting good whiffs of cooking chili. Add the other seasonings and stir for 15-20 seconds.
Add the sauce ingredients and stir to mix. Add back in the shrimp and veggies. Stir till all reheated. Give a quick dash of toasted sesame oil, then a quick stir.

I served this with lots of rice and it's really good!! It's hot, but good!

And as I was entering the recipe into Master Cook, I found my old recipe for Sichuan Chile Sauce - completely forgot I even had one! So, will keep with this recipe and make some up next time.

Sichuan Chile Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic -- peeled and finely chopped
1 piece fresh ginger -- (1 inch) peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion -- peeled and finely chopped
6 fresh red chiles -- such as jalapeños, deseeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup Chinese red rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons Chinese yellow rice wine
2 teaspoons salt
Water as needed

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the onion and stir-fry for another minute.

Add the chiles and the vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes, adding water if it gets too dry.

Add the remaining ingredients except the water and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process to a fine puree, adding water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

Place the sauce in bottles and refrigerate.

Yield: About 1 1/4 cups

This recipe is reprinted with permission from Dave DeWitt at Fiery Foods.com.

NOTES : This is a classic chile sauce from one of the hottest regions--foodwise--in China. It can be used in stir-fry dishes, added to soups, or sprinkled over rice.
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Also on the 29th, made some wonderful seafood stock - made differently than I have previously. Layered mirepoix on two b. sheets and topped with the seafood shells, I had 3 lbs., and roasted - what a wonderful flavor!!

Seafood Stock --
3 lbs. shells
mirepoix - 50% onion, 25 % each carrots and celery
Roasted this for 25 min. at 400 F. - in my oven, this was just perfect - lots of good goop on the b. sheets.

Deglazed the sheet pans with with water, in the oven, and added to stock pot along with 8 oz. of Noilly Pratt and 1 1/2 gal. cold water. Simmered for just about 1 hour.

The stock is not the 'classical' white seafood stock, but rather a caramel-color and so very tastey!!

The rest of the week we were not very healthy eaters - P.A. was having sales all over town for Alaskan King Crab legs, so picked up some of those plus a couple Dungeness Crabs and some Mussels.

The mussels went to Cameon's Mussels with Balsamic Cream and Bacon dish, the Dungeness I cleaned and made up 2 and 4 oz. pkgs. and put in freezer. The Alaska King we had steamed and the rest went to Crab Louis!!! Delightful dinners. And of course, as we did when the kids were little, we had "Choo Choo Train Rice" - which, for obvious reasons has been renamed over the years to Fried Rice with Ham!! For some reason Mattie named it the Choo Choo thing and it just stuck...

FRIED RICE WITH HAM
Recipe By :a Chef's Journey via an old family favorite
Serving Size : 6

2 T. peanut oil
1/3 cup green onions -- thinly sliced, includ. tops
1/2 teaspoon ginger root -- peeled & minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic -- minced
2 each eggs -- lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup approximately of ham -- finely diced cooked, lean
1/4 - 1/3 cup fideo pasta
1/2 cup peas -- frozen, tiny
2 T. soy sauce
2 cups rice -- cold
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat oil in wok or large skillet.
Add next 3 ingredients & stir fry 1 min;add eggs & scramble loosely breaking them w/spatula.

Add next 6 ingred. & stir fry 2 min.
Add rice & stir fry till hot.
Add sesame oil & stir. Serve.

Serving Ideas : add leftover veggies, chicken, pork, etc.
NOTES : Always make fried rice with cold rice.
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Well, we are well into February and still doing a pretty good job of eating healthy....overall! but, with these seafood sales and neighbors deciding it would be fun to have a 'professional' chef cook for them....and that's another story!! We shall persevere...

Third Week of Resolution!

2007-01-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

This week just flew by for some reason – probably ‘cause we were getting out of Dodge!

Tuesday, the 16th – I played with the dish I made in Windsor for the fundraiser dinner two years ago. Bresaola Layered With 3-Peppercorn Chevre and Huckleberry Puree.
At the dinner, Lorraine and I served it as a salad course, but I wanted to make it over into an hors, so tried two options –

Prepping: combined the Chevre and mascarpone cheeses.
Rather than making the original huckleberry puree, I thinned Huckleberry jam w/jalapenos with tawny port to a dropping consistency.

1 - Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on each round of Besaola, a drizzle of the jam/port and topped with a few of the micro greens that had been tossed with EV olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

This didn’t work – the bresaola was not strong enuf and came apart.

2 – Toasted 18-hour bread rounds; spread with cheese mixture, layered bresaola over and spread a little more cheese mixture on the meat; drizzled the jam/port over and sprinkled with the micro-greens. This turned out wonderful and the heat from the toast added a nice creaminess. Very happy with this version.

This was supposed to be an appetizer, but we at so much of it – this was dinner, so was it a new one or an old one????? I’m thinking old with a twist.

Wednesday, the 17th – another old one, Chicken Picatta. Now, I’ve made this many times over the years, but for some reason it all came together for Roy and he could not stop raving about it. Served with a rice pilaf and some fruit.

Chicken Picatta
Season 4 chix cutlets, pounded thin, with s&p; dust w/flour. Spray a pan with nonstick spray, add a mixture of olive oil and butter- a Tablespoon of each, and heat over medium heat.

Saute cutlets 2-3 min; flip and sauté 1-2 min more with the pan covered. Transfer cutlets to a warm plate; pour off fat from pan.

Deglaze pan with ¼ c. dry white wine (I always use Noilly Pratt vermouth for this step); add 1 med. clove of minced garlic and cook till garlic is slightly brown and liquid is nearly gone, 2-3 min.

Add ½ c. chix broth, 2 T. fresh lemon juice and 1 T. capers, swish together; lay the cutlets on top and cook 1 minute on eah side. Transfer cutlets to serving plates and finish sauce with 2 T. butter and 3-4 slices of lemon. When butter melts, pour sauce over cutlets and garnish with fresh parsley – that’s it! A simple dish is a wonderful dish!!

Thursday, the 18th – at the beach, Port Townsend, left sunshine in P.A. to go to stormy looking weather in P.T!! Dinner this nite was the old standby, Pasta with capers, sundried tomatoes, Kalamatas and a little Parm. As a side dish, we again stopped and picked up Seaweed Salad – boy, do I just love that salad, from the seafood deli on the wharf. Also had leftover Herb bread.

Friday, the 19th – fixed Roberto’s Sausage and Veggie Roast – love that dish – picked up some Andouille at the Food Co-op in P.T. so used it in this dish.

ROAST SAUSAGE WITH ONIONS, PEPPER & POTATOES

Recipe By: (Roberto), Kernersville, NC USA
"Amounts are irrelevant - this is ultra simple and delicious."

Bell Peppers - green, red, yellow - whatever you prefer to use - cored, seeded and cut into nice chunks.
Potatoes, scrubbed & cubed into large chunks.
Large onions, of any variety, peeled and chunked.
Salt & Pepper, Olive oil
Sausage - Italian is the primary choice but this is wonderful with Kielbasa, Bratwurst, Chorizo, Andouille, whatever you can get a lot of for a little.

Combine all cut vegetables in a large foil roasting pan and drizzle with a goodly amount of olive oil, season with salt & pepper.
I add some crushed red pepper, a little Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano and mix well.
Cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven for about an hour.

While the veggies cook, parboil your sausage in a little water in a covered pan for 15 to 20 minutes.

When veggies are starting to get nice and soft, cut the sausage into nice size pieces and add to the roasting pan.
Cover and bake 3/4 to 1 hour, then uncover & roast under the broiler, stirring occasionally, till the sausage is browning nicely and the veggies start to show signs of browning.

Serve with grated cheese, bread and a salad, or a raw vegetable antipasto, or soup, or anything.

Saturday, the 20th – a movie date nite!! Saw DreamGirls – what a wonderful movie – laughed, cried, sang along… and the on the pizza place a number of people have been telling us we ‘must’ try – Waterfront Pizza. We had a ½ and ½ - Greek (seems like all I’ve eaten this week is Greek flavors!!) and Roy’s side was sausage, pepperoni, etc. The pizza was great – they make a sourdough pizza dough that is lighter than air! And so tasty.

Sunday, the 21st – we had l/os from Roberto’s Sausage and Veggie roast with a green salad and a honey/mustard dressing. I guess the dressing is the only new thing we tried this week!!

Monday, the 22nd – it’s only 6:30 a.m. so haven’t had dinner yet, but as I have to report for jury duty, tonite will be l/os fro the freezer. There is some ham & beans, beef/veggie soup, and a couple other things to choose from.

So the count this week – new 2, if you count the pizza and the dressing, all the rest old ones. One week to go, and it certainly was not as hard as I thot it would be – it’s sure fun to look for some of the old favorites.

And I'm very please that we have held to the 'diet' regime of eating a heck of a lot healthier so far this year. I've been cooking and eating like I was still working full time and wow, my clothes are not fitting anymore!! Treadmill every day and watching what we eat - it's working!

2nd Week of Resolution

2007-01-16T05:38:00.000-08:00

Did pretty well this week -
Tuesday, the 9th - Beef Stew (l/o) over pasta
Wednesday, the 10th - Taco Salad
Thursday, the 11th - Chicken Breasts w/Spicy Citrus Glaze - this is a very healthy dish that I first made in '99

Sear chicken breasts or strips of in butter (about 4 min. on each side).
While this going on, mix together:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup thawed frozen o.j. concentrate
2 tsp. orange zest
2 cloves of garlic minced
salt & red pepper flakes

Pour the honey mixture over the chicken and cook, turning to coat for about 2 min or till sauce begins to thicken. Garnish with scallions and serve with rice.

For a starter for this dinner, we had Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup - garnished with one meatball (from freezer), capers, kalamatas and feta sprinkled over. Very good!!

Friday, the 12th - Postponed Christmas party dinner in Bellevue.

Saturday, the 13th - Got home late afternoon from Pike Place so had Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup from Trader Joe's (wanted to compare to the online order product Burr's gave us and it's just as good!) topped with goat cheese.

Pesto Stuffed Tortellini topped with Parmesan, capers, kalamatas and Pancetta (most of which were purchased in Seattle). This was a nice combination, will definitely repeat.

Sunday, the 14th, I made the dinner to be reviewed on C@H forum on Monday.

Chicken Pho with noodles, fresh herbs, and lime - here's my review of this dinner that I posted on the forum:

Now this is a tasty dish - pretty too!! (will try to post pictures here)

The broth is just a wonderful flavor - I've never charred cinnamon nor ginger, but I'll sure do it often now!And the overall combination - great!

In addition to the Pho, we had stir fried Bok Choy
Nuoc Cham - from Mai Pham's Southeast Asian cookbook:
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp. chili paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
2/3 cup hot water
2 T. lime juice with pulp (author's note:"very important to include the pulp")
1/4 cup sugar
grated carrots

Red Bean Buns - I wasn't sure how to finish them, so steamed half and baked half. Love them both ways!!

Monday, the 15th - an old Cooking Light recipe that we especially like -
Conflake-crusted halibut with Chile-Cilantro Aioli (instead of making the Aioli, we tasted different chutneys/sauces we picked up in Seattle and all were great with the fish and 'chips'.
Oven fries with Yukon potatoes - these are becoming my favorite potato to use for oven fries.

So, for the week - four old dishes; two new dishes; and one night out to dinner - which the food was not the least bit tasty.

The third week will be mostly at the beach - and I'm taking the stuff for a lot of our old favorites (and healthy) that we've been making in the trailer for a long time. One nite tho, we are eating out at a local pizza joint that neighbors around here have said is the best pizza around.

A TRIP TO SEATTLE

2007-01-14T06:42:00.000-08:00

WITT's Christmas party had to be postponed because of 'the storm' so it was held Friday (1/12) in Bellevue - dinner terrible. It was held at an Italian chain that I'd not heard of before, Maggiano's Little Italy. Only one dish passable they served a hot artichoke dip that was tasty.

But, on Saturday we went to Pike Place Market and The Spanish Table and spent the kid's inheritance!! What fun.

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
1600 Pike Place (across st.)
Blank Slate Tapenade cheese - a soft, fresh farmer's cheese with a mixture of gr/blk/kalamata olives, garlice and lots of herbs and spices.
6 oz. / $5.75 (have brochure) Beecherscheese.com
What a wonderful selection of cheeses - first stop so had to watch the sheckles and bot only one (the tapenade), but they also had a Blank Slate Honey. It was a hard choice.

La Buona Tavola
(truffle Café Specialty Foods)
1524 pike Place (across st.)
TruffleCafe.com
Three Pack-
Truffle & Salt
Mushroom-truffle pate
Acacia Honey & Truffle

Trader Joe’s
Belletoile - Brie Triple Cream - wonderful
Castello Blue – real creamy/delicious
Tortellini w/pesto filling – 1 lb. (had for dinner when we got home mixed with a little capers, kalamatas, parm and some of the Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta.)
Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper soup (2) (had a cup of this also for dinner, very good flavor! sprinkled with goat cheese)
Creamy Corn & Roasted Red Pepper Soup (1)
Spinach & Chive linguine – 8 oz.
Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta
Rst’d Red Pepper Artichoke Tapenade
7 bottles wine –
Bears’ Lair Cab - $4.99 (Napa)Falcon Ridge Lodi Zin ’04 - $5.99
1-877-994-4616
Chariot Gypsy ’03 Red -7.99 (American Canyon, CA)
Barefoot Zin (Modesto) – 4.99 Barefootwine.com
Trader Joe’s Chilean Collection, Merlot – 3.49 Central Valley, CA
Haywood ’03 Merlot - $4.99 (Geyserville) haywoodwinery.com
Montepulciano D’Abruzzo ’05, Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Italian – 4.99

The Spanish Table – Food & Wine from Spain & Portugal
(Matiz Catalan) Squid Ink Pasta – Fideo
La Hacienda De Ybarra - Pimientos del Piquillo de Lodosa
(piquino peppers)
AlCaparras Capers ( big hummers)
Two Temranillo wines –
Campo Viejo, Crianza ’03, Rioja $9.99
Legaris Crianza, Ribera Del Cuero ’03 – $16.99 (Owner recommended) had with dinner tonight - great temprnello
Spanish Style Aurelia’s Chorizo, 6 oz. - $9.99
Redondo Iglesias – Dry cured Serrano Ham/
18 mos old.

Delaurenti Specialty FoodWine Store in Pike place
Fennel Crackers
Talatta Filetti di Aciughe, all’olio’di oliva – Anchovies $6.99
Bresola from Uruaguay – ¾ lb.
1 end piece $1.50/9.99 lb.
¼ lb. $5.76/ 23.99 lb.

Trying to work all of these goodies into a 'healthy regime' in eating for the next couple months will be hard! But, a good challenge.

First Week of the Resolution!

2007-01-09T16:43:00.000-08:00

I committed myself in the form of a New Year's resolution to only fixing old recipes for the entire month of January! Well, I know (and knew it at the time probably) that no way could I go a whole month without trying a new dish - so I'm modifying my resolution. Two nites a week I can have fun with new recipes and the rest of the week I'll have fun with oldies that I'd forgotten about.This really is fun. Especially because I use my recipes as kind of a diary - I always write the date (YES, even in my coffee table type up-scale books!!) and if we're doing a project, or someone's here, just things that are going on in our lives that particular day.

So today is the 9th of January, the second week of the new year. I’ve tried to keep the resolution, but I really have not listed every dinner I’ve made, so now I’ll look over what I have done.

January 1st’s menu is listed in previous blog – all old recipes and ate this food on Monday (1st) and Tuesday. Wednesday, had ham/cheese grilled with ham and beans (old recipe); Thursday – Confetti Pasta (old, healthy recipe) – fettuccine, ham, peas, milk, cottage cheese, Parm, s&p&nutmeg.

Also on Thursday fixed the first of two versions of Sex on the Beach drinks. (thanks to dollop and Jan)
Dollops first –
1 ½ oz. each:Peach Schnapps & Vodka
2 oz. each: Cranberry, Orange and Pineapple juices.

Very good, but…

Next day we tried Jan’s offering –
¾ oz. each: Peach Schnapps, Vodka, Pineapple juice
3 oz. Cranberry juice
Splash of o.j

This was the best I think because of the larger amount of the cranberry juice. Love that flavor.
Well, love this drink. We’ll take the makings for this drink every time we go to a ‘warm’ state.

Also on Thursday, I started the 18 hour bread and finished it on Friday afternoon. Damn near ate the whole loaf before dinner.

Friday, old recipe again!! ‘Baked Beans’ which we really liked the first time around and ‘Tar-Heel Ribs’ with a marinade:
2 cups cider vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. molasses
1 ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Black pepper & salt

Marinated ~8 hours, drained & brushed with a combination of ½ Huckleberry BBQ sauce & ½ Heinz Chili Sauce (I didn’t have the ingredients for the sauce called for in the recipe). Roasted for a couple hours and had planned on grilling on the Barbie later with more sauce. BUT…we encountered Seattle weather in Port Angeles that nite and I stuck the buggers under the broiler instead.

While this is an old recipe, I made it Aug. 3, ’04, I really, really like the combination of the Berry bbq sauce and chili sauce mixture. Will definitely do this again.

Saturday – a brunch morning. Friday nite we saw Ina Garten in her ‘Barefoot in Paris’ and got a real yearning for the ‘Herbed Baked Eggs’ – added some minced ham to help disguise the egg a little ( ;) ) and it was a very nice dish. Will do this for company.
No Champagne tho, had Bloody Marys instead.

Sunday, the 7th – Had Emeril’s ‘Steamed Baby Bok Choy with Broiled Salmon & a Warm Roasted Tomato & Lemon Vinaigrette’ – what a nice light, fast dinner this was.

The standout of the dinner was the Roasted Tomato & Lemon Vinaigrette –
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ c plus 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. fresh marjoram leaves
The zest from 1 lemon
Salt & pepper
¼ c lemon juice
2 T. basil leaves

Saute quickly the tomatoes in ¼ c. of the olive oil, marjoram, lemon zest, s&p and lemon juice. Move to the oven and broil till well caramelized, 8-10 min. let rest while roasting the salmon, then add the julliened basil leaves – season again with s&p.

Love this ‘vinaigrette’ – will use it on lots of things, bet it would be good just over a bowl of pasta!

The second week will be much easier not to want to experiment – Roy will be in Portland Tues thru Thurs., but I may cook up something old that I especially liked…..hmmmm.

And for dessert we had frozen yogurt with Ina Garten’s chocolate sauce – yum!! (but didn’t make the profiteroles – maybe next time)

So, that’s the first week of the year – did I do O.K.??
Yes!! Five nights – old; two nights – new. There were some extras (drinks, brunch eggs, 18-hour bread, but also old meatloaf for sandwiches and herb/Kalamata/sun-dried tomato bread)

New Year's Resolution

2006-12-29T10:44:00.000-08:00

I've never (I don't think) made a New Year's resolution, but I'm going to try one this year. For the entire month of January, I'm going to cook old recipes...I'm talking the old(!) ones. Dishes that our family has loved forever - starting out with the most favorite of family dinners for New Year's day -

Roasted Ham with Maple Syrup/O.J. baste
Mom's Macaroni and Cheese
Monkey Bread
Pink Salad
I'll have to look for a dessert - I want something that will be gone in one sitting - no leftovers!!!

And I'll go from there - one I'm really looking forward to is Cold Oil Chicken..will have to buy an electric skillet. so many....

Beerox (which I have just recently learned is spelled 'bierox')
Braised Beef w/mushrooms & barley
Tuna-Noodle Casserole
Choo Choo Train Rice
Zucchini & Pimento Casserole - (when first found this recipe Jackie and I made this three nites in a row)

There are so many! This is going to be fun.

Pictures of Recent Dishes

2006-12-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well since I can't figure out how to add pictures to an original post, I shall try it here...

This first one is of the Duck salad made the second time withing three days using the leftover Duck Breasts from the Grilled Duck with Risotto dish. It's kind of a clean the frig salad topped with beautiful duck slices.

O.K., edit time - the first picture is of the Soft Shell Tacos that Alix from DiscussCooking forum posted. What a great idea this is and it must be better for us than regular tortillas - especially since I adore flour over corn...

Soft Taco Shells

1 1/2 cups milk

1 egg

1 cup flour (may need up to 1-1/4 cups)

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 pinch salt

Whisk egg in the milk, add the flour and stir til well blended. Add in the cornmeal and stir til evenly distributed. This should be quite runny, don't be afraid to add more milk as needed.

Pour about 1/4 - 1/3 cup batter in very hot, oiled frying pan and rotate pan to coat the bottom with the batter. When the top starts to look dry all over its time to flip. Repeat until you've used all the batter.
This amount usually feeds 4 family members or 2 ravenous adults.

Alix, Discuss Cooking posted on 11/28/06
It makes 12 six inch shells.

Its like a thick crepe, so when you are making them keep that particular texture in mind. I make mine in my 6 inch frying pan as I don't have a crepe pan. I have tried them in my 10 inch frying pan and they work well there too. We just prefer them smaller as they can be a touch messy. LOL.

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TACOS WITH SOFT TACO SHELLS

Made tacos (old family style - lettuce, tomato, olives, cheese & onions) using your soft taco shell recipe. What a treat they were - there were three left after stuffing ourselves and my husband ate those also sprinkled with just a little salt.

I'll just add what I did with the chicken for filliing - it turned out quite nice also -
I tossed together 2 chicken breasts, raw and cut up bite-size with:
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. grd. cumin
1/8 tsp. each - garlic powder and cayenne

Brown the chicken in just a tad of oil; remove from skillet and keep warm.

To the pan, add one (14 1/2oz.) can of diced tomatoes, 1 jalapeno minced up (seeds and membrane included), 1 T. golden Tequila and cook that down a little, about 15 min.

Add the chicken back to the pan along with a cornstarch/water slurry to thicken it up a bit for the taco shells.

------

Will make these little goodies often!!

Duck, Beautiful Duck!

2006-12-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

(must warn those from C@H to please not read the following, if you have meandered over here before the 18th of December)

My Duck tale begins with daughter Tracie and her friend Susan wanting to join us in the "Dinner Party" menu - we'd all decided to do a duck dinner and since her Dad & I were visiting and exchanging early Christmas presents, she decided Mom should help her get the duck. Because we didn't find the required duck breasts, we bot a whole duck and I cut the breasts off, wrapped and froze them for her dinner party. And for my 'hard' work, Trace sent the rest of the duck home with me - not a bad trade on my part.

Fast forward to getting home. I cooked the rest of the duck in a beer braise, removed the meat (yummy tasting, by the way) and started searching for what to do with the hind-quarters of duck meat. I settled on a Bon Appetit recipe - Duck Salad with Cheese Toasts and Port Currant Sauce.

I had enuf of the duck meat for two nice pkgs. so for this salad I only needed one of the pkgs. The salad is tossed with a very simple Walnut oil and Champagne vinaigrette (kept the salad simple, just gorgeous greens and a few green onions) and place on plate. For the cheese toasts - the recipe called for "Pont l'Eveque Cheese and a qood-quality fruit-and-nut bread (such as walnut-raisin), toasted." I had neither, but did have some Brie and dragged the bread machine out and made dough in it for Fruited Snack Bread -

Fruited Snack Bread
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup snipped apricots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package Fleischmann's® Rapid Rise Yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
Confectioners' sugar

In large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, raisins, apricots, nuts, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (125º to 130ºF); stir into dry ingredients. Mix in enough reserved flour to make stiff dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and
elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

Roll dough to 10- × 15-inch rectangle or to 12-inch circle. Place on greased baking sheet or pizza pan. Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and cook on wire rack. Makes 1 (10- × 15-inch) focaccia. Top with sifted confectioners' sugar. Cut into strips, squares or wedges. Top with whipped cream cheese or creamy peanut butter, if desired.
---
Didn't do all of the above - just dumped all the ingredients (3 cups flour) in the machine, made dough, removed and made into just a loaf style bread and baked that up - no powdered sugar or other goodies.

So, for the salad, I toasted two slices, cut them diagonally and while still hot, layed thin strips of Brie on the toast and added them to the salad.
Topped this with pieces of duck meat and sprinkled toasted walnuts over.
Somehow the day got away from me and I didn't get the Port-Currant Sauce made, but I did have some Apple Cider Reduction handy so drizzled that over the salad.

Anyone out there who wants an absolute treat - I hope everyone will try this salad. The 'cheese toast' (such a bland name for such a wonderful garnish) - is absolutely fantastic. And like the chicken roulades with tomato concasse of a few months ago - you need to get a little of everything in the salad to experience the wonderfulness of it!! It is truly orgasmic!

Now, I must keep in mind that this dish was supposed to be kind of a 'throw away' dish to use the unexpected duck I inherited! The real Duck Story here is supposed to be "Pan-Seared Duck Breast & Risotto with Wild Rice, Sweet Potatoes and Sage AND Pear-Ginger Chutney" to be reviewed on Dec. 18th!

I called the only store in 20 miles that I thot I had a chance in hell of finding duck breasts and they did come thru. The butcher said he had three pkgs. in the freezer and I asked him to keep them for me - he didn't know what he had, because he kept saying they were pkgs. of one duck breast - which I assumed meant the entire breast, but he talked like the pkgs. held one half-breast. Got to the store and he has found another pkg., so I grabbed all four pkgs. (~ $13.00 per pkg.) - and because I don't know when I'll be able to get more, blew the week's grocery money and was grinning ear to ear while doing it.

Thawed out one pkg. and lo and behold, it contained 4 (FOUR) half-breasts, each a gorgeous size, about what I had removed from Tracie's duck and had spent ~$14.00 for (well she did). And to think I have three more pkgs. in the freezer!!

The Pear-Ginger Chutney is a wonderful, spicy chutney. I had dried Cranberries so subbed them for the cherries. A great sweet, savory, spicy flavor.

I've never combined wild rice with risotto, much less added sweet potato to the mix, but it is really a nice combination.

AND THE DUCK! I cooked it exactly to the recipe (used a timer and a splatter screen even!!) It was cooked to perfection - just pink in the center and the greatest (I'm so tired of 'wonderful') crispy, tasty skin. I think the pan made all the difference - used a very heavy SST skillet and NO non-stick finish, so I could sear this over the required high heat.

And after the dish is put together, it looks like it could have come out of Bouchon's kitchen (and that's saying something). Then only thing I will do differently next time is fry up some sage leaves for garnish - it needed a little more color. Served dinner with an Abacela winery '03 Estate Tempranillo ( a new wine we have just discovered and absolutely love!) Great match!

Again, this is so repetitive, but to get all the flavors at once...died and gone to heaven! Crispy duck, spicy chutney and the oh so smooth risotto.

This dish gets the second 10 I have every given for our dinners!

P.S. had two halves of the breasts left over (that just sounds wrong!) - so repeated the above salad the next nite!!

More Musing on Bloggin

2006-11-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

I almost feel I should be typing "Dear Diary"...

Still musing over what I shall use this blog business for - thinking maybe since I try so many new recipes (at least 3-5 per week), maybe I'll try to keep track of them - by week?

So, to that end, here's what I cooked since Thanksgiving day - this idea may turn out to be a great way to late find recipes/dishes I'd like to repeat.

11/20/06
Sage Dressing Timbales (original name 'Muffins' - hoakie) - great dish. I added dried cranberries; next time I'll make more like family favorite dressing/stuffing - adding sausage, chopped fresh (or dried?) apples. Also love the idea of 'muffin' shaped dressing that can be frozen in serving size.

11/22/06
Margarita Jello Shooters - Oh My! Denise (defen from C@H forum) got us in real trouble here. Neighbors were in, thank God, to help drink these - and for Roy's descriptive "they're like flavored snot" - he had so many, off to bed he went and was hurting in the a.m. :)

Pumpkin Pie - naturally Libby's - made two to be able to snitch pieces over the next week...(11/29 note: which we did!)

Butternut Squash Fritters with Blue Cheese & Pumpkin Seeds - definate repeat. Nice make ahead appy to be fried at the last minute for serving. Couldn't find pumpkin seeds so subbed toasted pine nuts.

Ribeyes and Fries were on the menu for our anniversary dinner after the neighbors left, but see note on Shooters!

11/23
Scallop Pineapple - made this to take to the neighbors for Thanksgiving dinner - silly a$$ people, only three of us ate this. Neri tried and did like it, but no one else. Started making this when the kids were little and wanted dressing, but didn't like 'adult' dressing, they liked this one.

Southwestern Cranberry Salsa - CrabbyCake's recipe from two or three years ago - love this stuff.

Pumpkin French Toast - from Cornelius Daly Inn, Eureka B&B. This would be a wonderful offering for when company is staying over. It's even decadent.

11/26/06
Roy (Chris' boyfriend) brot us 2 Dungeness crabs this a.m., so I scurried around looking for ideas for using all this wonderful meat. Started out with:
Cranberry Crab Meaat & Cream Cheese Appys - (dollop posted this on C@H forums) - very good, especially using some of the S.W. Cranberry Salsa as topping.

Etta's Classic Dungeness Crab Cakes - from Tom Douglas' Book. Very good flavor, but one of the most delicate cakes I've made - but with no filler at all, the flavor was wonderful, just hard to keep together. Served these as a 'surf & turf' dinner with the steaks from our anniversary that did not get eaten...

The next nite, added the leftover crab cakes to a Cajun Pasta dish that was wonderful!!

11/26
Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Feta and Bacon - June posted this somewhere and one of the dishes I wanted to try for T.day, but just had too much food for that day. One of Roy's favorites and it is really good!

11/28
Lemon Creme Mold - VeraBlue posted this on D.C. forum - Yummy!!! Kept one 'mold' for us and gave three away to neighbors - great feed back. Had some S.W. cranberry salsa left and topped the salad with it - great combination!

Served above with l/o cabbage dish, meat loaf and baked potatoes (wow, haven't had this forever - MEATLOAF SANDWICHES TOMORROW!!

Well now, this will be quite a history of our kitchen...

DINNER AT BOUCHON'S

2006-11-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

WOW!!!!

O.K., notes in hand, here goes! First note is - "truck parked in 6C" - big damn parking garage at the Venetian...The restaurant is gorgeous and then we started…

Had a look at the menu and our tag team servers told us of the 'specials' (that doesn't seem to go with the place )When we had what we thot we wanted to order, we had the sommelier come over to see if we could match one bottle of wine with all the goodies - and what a wonderful choice he made for us. (June and bbally, I'll list the wine first 'cause that's probably what you two will scroll down to see!)Domaine La Milliere 2003 Vieilles VignesCotes du RhoneCuvee Unique

My first first was when they brot out the 'in house' made rolls with a small bowl of butter, of course, but also a bowl of pistachios...I'd not seen that before, but a great combination!Next we were surprised with an amuse-bouche - a small pastry 'thimble' filled with really sweet crabmeat and topped with a crispy tarragon leaf. What a delightful combination.

Hors d' oeuvre(s) - Confit de Canard (confit with riz rouge-red rice- and sweet peas shoots)Roy's Plats Principaux - Gigot d'AgneauRoasted leg of lamb with garlic braised Swiss chard, rosemary roasted sweet carrots and lamb jus (jus - to die for!!)

O.K, now here I have to digress a tad. For years my father-in-law promised to prepare sweetbreads for me, but for some reason the years passed by and he never did and I've never tried them and then he was gone.When the server mentioned Sweet Breads was a special of the evening, I thot well, if I'm ever going to try them, Bouchon's is the place!!

They were out of this world and I'm just now realizing I could have been eating these for 30 years if....The Sweetbreads were served with Hen of the Woods mushrooms, spring onions, thyme all placed on a very subtle vanilla infused béchamel (?). The 'breads' were lightly floured and sautéed quickly for a wonderful crispy outside and creamy inside. (I just know my f-i-l was looking down, thrilled that I was finally having his favorite!)

We chose to have Fromage with honeycomb to end the meal - we selected three from six offeringsSt. Maure de Touraine (goat cheese)Fourme d'Ambert (cows milk)P'Tit Basque (sheeps milk)and of course the honeycomb served in an apple ring.

I suppose talking of money is bad form, but!! We went in expecting to spend at a minimum of $200 - but with the $50.00 bottle of wine, the total came to $148.00!! Can you believe that? (Hell, we could have ordered the Terrine de Foie Gras de Canard at $45.00/for 5 oz!!)
Speaking of the wine, this bottle saw us thru the entire meal and was wonderful with every flavor!!!

Evidently the 'house' pays attention to the requests of customers to the maitre d'. The sommelier began by saying he understood I was a semi-retired chef and they were delighted to have us with them.Towards the end of our meal, one of the servers came over and said whenever we were ready, the pastry chef was waiting to give us a tour of the kitchen. (many of you know me well enuf by now to now how incredibly excited I am at this point!!!)

We were taken back to the kitchen and met Pastry Chef Chris Heron. What a delightful young man and talented chef he is. He showed us the entire kitchen and we met everyone (no, not Chef Keller) at each of the stations. I spied a sauté pan of sweetbreads on the stove and headed over and the cook took me through exactly how he was preparing them - is that wonderful?? And, he seemed so pleased at how much we enjoyed them.

The line cooks told me I could join them in cooking anytime I was in town...oh my!

And that friends, was my dinner at Bouchon's.P.S. 11/06 – During the planning of our annual C2C fundraiser dinner at Florian’s, Chef Chris Heron was planning on joining us in Flo’s kitchen for this dinner! But, pressures of his job prevented this at the last minute. What a thrill that would have been for all of us!

CIA - GREYSTONE

2006-11-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

CIA - G R EYSTO N E
WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!I had the absolute pleasure of presenting Christine Schmidt with her Chef2Chef scholarship, yesterday at the CIA, Greystone. Oh my, talk about goosebumps!!That is the most gorgeous setting, building, campus, garden, yadda yadda, I've ever seen. Can you imagine, a citrus garden, an herb garden to kill for - all a student has to do is walk out the door and gather!Christine ...I don't think we could have picked a better student, she is so passionate and dedicated to what she is pursuing and so very grateful for the help from C2C. She can talk a mile a minute with the cutest New Orlean's accent, I was exhausted after a couple of hours of keeping up with her! She is 52 yrs. young (is that legal to tell?) and she says I am her hero, but my God, she is really my hero, she knew what she wanted and she went for it in such a humungous way!I left the place loaded for bear with all the brochures and goodies one of the administrators, Catherine, told me I just had to have because I needed to come back for at least a week's class - which, I will do come hell or high water before I leave California. (as of 11/06 in Washington, I’ve not made it…yet)

For all who have not taken the opportunity to visit one of the CIAs - I hope you will, just think ‘goosebumps and hair standing up’ experience in those rooms. And the Chefs were so welcoming!!Speaking of Chefs, the one bummer, well kind of, FoodDude was at the hospital - the new baby had just arrived, so couldn't see him. But I left a card from all of us for him. He is very well liked there....and how was your day?

Dave, thank you for the opportunity to represent C2C in this way - the CIA was so appreciative of us all who made this possible for a student....

AND FOR LUNCH...We went to Bistro Jeanty in Yountville for lunch ...oh my! There were two of us, so we made sure we ordered different things to be able to taste.I took Janis' advice and ordered the deep fried smelts with spicy lemony aioli - addictive!!I ordered a second hors for my lunch - Rabbit Pate with Celery Root Apple Salad - another winner. (June, Beef Cheeks weren't on the menu or special, darn.)

My friend order the 'special' Asparagus Soup advertised as not the creamy type. When it came it was topped with a wonderful puff pastry and digging right into it, Coleenie found a gorgeous salmon colored cream soup...????? We kept tasting trying to figure out the flavors and where the hell the asparagus was. Finally called our waiter over ...he had made a mistake, she got the 'signature' Tomato Soup in error. But, she wouldn't let it go back, it was so good. (The chef very nicely gave me the recipe - it really is super!!)Then she had the Coq au Vin - I was surprised how strongly flavored the sauce was for the chix, but it worked somehow ...but a little too bacony, I thot.

Split a Lemon Tart for dessert.Overall, a very nice lunch. The hits for me were the Soup and the Smelts!! Loved those little buggers! Janis also mentioned in her post a few weeks ago about stuffing them .... I dunno, they are kinda small to be messin' with like that, but, maybe I'll give it a try.

Then on to the Tourist Traps - THAT was fun! Picked up three different cuts of pasta - the multi-colored stuff. Bow-ties, long, narrow lasagne type strands, and 4"X6" lasagna sheets - pastel yellow, green and pink - now, what sauce with this? I don't want to cover w/a typical red sauce, maybe some kind of white? Hmmm, someone was talking about Stroganoff in another post, that might be good...O. K. that was my Thursday, Apri121, 2005 - now, I'll go pack the trailer....

A DATE WITH MY HUBBY OR THE FOOD IS GREAT IN P.A.

2006-11-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

A DATE WITH MY HUBBY OR THE FOOD IS GREAT IN P.A.
We are so lucky in Port Angeles to have the number of wonderful eating spots for such a small town - what a group of foodies we dropped anchor in the midst of!!!Last night finally made it to a little wine bar/restaurant called Bella Italia that we had up till then just stopped in to wine taste.

But last night, dinner!!Roy & I almost always order different entrees so we can taste more, but both of us just went gaga over their description of one of the 'specials' - "Roasted beet and goat cheese ravioli in saffron creme fraiche. Served with seared sea scallops"Oh my, the raviolis were just wonderful and now I just have to recreate these at home. And the scallops seared nicely brown, but just perfectly done and not over cooked.We had a bottle of Walla Walla Vintners, Columbia Valley Sangiovese and what a wonderful match it was.

We took a dessert home with us - a chocolate mousse, can't remember how the waitstaff described it, but when we got home and opened this beautiful gift box, there was a huge bowl-shaped tuile filled with the mousse. It was gorgeous and delicious!!Dessert always seems to taste better when you can curl up in your jammies and eat it while you watch a copied episode of Closure - love that show.We had a wonderful date nite!!!

My 2nd Blog

2006-11-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

We'll see how this works out - not sure what I want to use this for, but everyone else has one...