Years ago I’d walk down the street and have a marvelous sandwich at a local restaurant. I am not trying to re-create it here, it’s just something I’ve never tried and would love to make one and check it out. After all, it might get my husband off a lifetime meat & potatoes kick for at least one lunch!
I’m thinking at least 12-grain toasted bread. It’s vegetarian, not vegan, so slather some homemade guacamole on both sides, layer with perhaps butter lettuce, sprouts, and room-temperature Brie. Sauteed sliced mushrooms would be a good touch, but a duxelles would be better as it wouldn’t squish out. As would sliced tomatoes.
Hot toast, veg, warm Brie or Camembert, greens, what’s not to love? Oh, fried green tomatoes on the side with a quick pickle of thinly sliced European (seedless) cucumber with French breakfast radishes, also sliced and pickled, a bit of apple cider vinegar and splash of salt and pepper. Sugar, a pinch. I know Bobby Flay would do honey but I do organic sugar. So be it from the church of Dee.
My husband ate an entire mini-meatloaf last night, I substituted turkey for beef. Tonight we’re having a spatchcocked Cornish game hen (I’ll cut out the backbone and crush the chest bone, I think my butchers appreciate that, as they do the meals I bring in for them to taste) marinated in lemon grass and garlic and chiles. I think we’ll cook it indirectly on the grill. With it will be small multi-colored potatoes and that is to be determined. We just may place the potatoes in a cast iron pan on the hot side of the grill to roast, along with some heirloom carrots. That’s just salt, pepper, a little thyme and olive oil.
Lunch is fajitas, at least for him. I’ll make salsa and guacamole and have a chicken breast in the frig. Breakfast is either smoked bacon or blueberry sausages, eggs and toast with local jam. He’s been gone for two weeks and leaves again in 24 hours so I have to make sure he has home-cooked foods because he eats in restaurants all the time. I loved my father, still do even though he is gone, but he traveled also and got used to the thought that Mom could make him a dish he desired in an instant. No, I don’t have any veal chops or heavy cream.
I made my father a classic cassoulet once which is a two-day process with duck, sausage and beans and veg and crust that has to be dealt with every hour. He said it was his favorite meal of all time. That means a lot to me.
When one gets in from an airport he can not ask for cassoulet at home and have it done in 1/2 hour. It’s simply not on the menu. There is your answer. Sorry, hon. My husband has never had a classic cassoulet. I don’t mind cooking one, it’s just that it might be an out of the blue request when his plane lands at 11:00 p.m. Don’t worry, I go to the gas station up the street and get him his favorite frozen thin crust pizza and a 2 liter Dr. Pepper. All he has to do is call me from the airport and I’ll turn on the oven. Cheers from the cook, Dee
Cooking with Dee 