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

"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!

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

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....)
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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.
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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

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

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!!!

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...