Category Archives: Recipe Ideas

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Holiday Dinner

Posted on January 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

Yes, on January 12 we attended my husband’s company’s holiday celebration. Do the holidays ever end?

That said, it was held at a science museum/aquarium and it was cool to see it at night and with a small crowd.

I only tasted two different appetizers so can’t tell you much about that. I was impressed by the dinner and the service (all the tables were swept for service, meaning each waiter had two plates and placed them in front of the diners).

We started with a salad of baby spinach in a balsamic vinaigrette with grapefruit supremes and pine nuts.

Dinner was beef tenderloin over mashed potatoes and with green beans. Dessert was a tiny slice of cheesecake with chocolate cake and jam.

I told you about this because I’ve never been a fan of big parties or weddings, but everything here was done very well. It wasn’t frozen food off a truck, or canned. Brava, ladies who organized it! Must go finish cooking us dinner now. Dee

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The Bug

Posted on January 8, 2013 | 1 comment

I believe I got a mild version of the flu that is sweeping the nation. It only put me down and out for 24 hours. All I know is that I took to bed at 3:00 Sunday afternoon and was ready for a light supper 28 hours later.

I steamed a bunch of green beans, then gave them a pat of butter and some salt and pepper. Normally, I enjoy a pasta such as pappardelle or tagliatelle with this dish but I’m trying to clean out the frig so we had two small baked russet potatoes, seasoned and served with a dollop of sour cream.

To my embarrassment, when we were first married nearly ten years ago (two weeks hence) I fussed and spent a couple of hours on dinner every night. Until I made chicken piccata, my version of it.

Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, pounded out to an even thickness. Salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, place in hot pan with hot olive oil. They won’t take more than four minutes per side. Add the juice of a lemon and a few capers. That first dinner was an epiphany for me as the chicken was done in less than eight minutes and dear one, a steak man from birth, said it was the best chicken he’d ever had.

I added that chicken to my culinary pantheon with thanks to my brother for bringing the inspiration for the veal version home. Herbs are optional, a tomato fillip may be desired. But face it, dear reader, I’m cleaning out the frig!

Shhhh, don’t tell my husband I’m cleaning out the frig. I have a 5# bag of small russet potatoes and he loves them so we’re looking towards some stew, rosti, scalloped potatoes until they’re gone. He likes to think everything is brand new and frowns on “leftovers” unless it’s a meat loaf sandwich. An hours-old refrigerated burger can be sliced into a meat loaf sandwich and he won’t even ask the last time we had meat loaf.

Can I tell you what I got us for our tenth anniversary? Of course we’re not doing anything or going anywhere. It’s something I found when looking for dresses for this thing we have to go to this week. Probably not, because he may even read this once in a while. Tell you later, Dee

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Pasta Dinner

Posted on January 5, 2013 | 1 comment

Last night I sauteed a bit of bulk sweet Italian sausage, steamed some broccoli and added it in with some cooked pasta and goat cheese. Salt and not much pepper, chili flakes and a little parm and it was a great meal. We had enough to share… ’nuff said. Dee

ps when I perfect this recipe I’ll give it to you. Unfortunately you are not at my home, eating my meals, otherwise you’ll know I cook on the fly with good instructions from French and Italian cooking schools. Once you learn the basics, you can fly.

pps Yes, I graduated!

ppps This is why I do not bake. And my husband is a physicist. Opposites attract.

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Enjoy!

Posted on December 23, 2012 | 2 comments

It’ll just be us two this year, me and my husband, plus Zoe the dog of course. She has her dinner, taking up much of my freezer.

When I shopped I forgot that we needed to eat for two days, was thinking long-term. The holiday desk didn’t want to deal with me but sent me right to the butcher’s counter (I’m cooking for two) and they took our order. The produce section was busy and if I go again it’ll be early in the morning, or go to another market.

I did make some awesome meatballs for our spaghetti this evening with ground round, sauteed shallot and garlic (allowed to cool), one egg, seasonings, parmigiana and bread crumbs. Plus parsley. They were baked for 40 minutes then simmered in sauce.

Holiday Menus:

Christmas Eve: Rack of Lamb Persillade; Scalloped Potatoes and Haricots Vert. Yes, lamb with potatoes and green beans.

Christmas Dinner: Filet Mignon with Brussels Sprout and Cauliflower Gratin.

Appetizers? I made some spiced nuts today, also perhaps something based on spinach. Desserts? Tomorrow I’d like to make mincemeat tarts. I don’t do dessert except for ice cream and berries and perhaps a berry coulis.

Wishing you the best of times with your family and friends. Cheers and happy holidays! Dee

 

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Cookies

Posted on December 10, 2012 | 3 comments

Yes, over the holidays I have been roped in to a cookie exchange. I do not bake.

Any ideas? If I have to do this I’d at least try to make it interesting. After much research, as I do not make cookies, I’m looking at both lebkuchen and pecan shortbread cookies.

I remember apple shortbreads were always a hit, also my molasses ginger cookie recipe from decades ago is in one sister’s hand, just short of a scanner to send it back.

Our containers were amazing. All came from our great uncle in Switzerland who sent lebkuchen every year. Pirate treasure chest, traditional Swiss tins, they were used to keep many holiday treats safe from weather and young children.

Those containers held mincemeat tarts, Scandinavians, apple shortbreads of course, date squares, snickerdoodles and many more to go from Thanksgiving to Christmas and beyond.

Butter, sugar, eggs, flour and flavorings. I can do cookies. It’s easier to have an oven that actually works. Holiday cheer! Dee

PS Anyone for latkes?

 

 

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Test Chili Time!

Posted on December 1, 2012 | 2 comments

It’s time tomorrow morning to test-drive my chili for the hopefelly next weekend taste-off. Our  neighbor is new and I know where he lives but don’t have email or a phone address.

I am using LadyBird Johnson’s Pedernales Chili recipe that they served to thousands on their Texas ranch near Austin in the early 1960’s when JFK was president.

The recipe simply calls for “chili meat” and “chili powder.” I wanted Ancho and Cascabel but was only able to find the powder version for Aleppo with is less than hot than Penzeys (great spice shop for visiting and online ordering as well, shop http://www.penzeys.com) and less than their hottest chile, the Pequin.

My last chili venture was over 20 years ago and was a disaster because I’d bought Thai bird chiles, a plant at the farm market and used a part of one and the chili was inedible so I’m afraid of going too spicy.

I bought three pounds of chuck steak and one pound of boneless short ribs. I ordered a meat grinder attachment to the KitchenAid 5 qt. stand mixer I bought myself in 1989 and have been waiting for this attachment to come in for the past few days. Little did I know late this afternoon that I had one just like it, unopened, from December 1993! No, I am not a hoarder. We’ve just had our stuff in storage for so long that coming up with six boxes of Christmas decorations was a bit of a surprise, especially as in over a decade together, we’ve never had a tree!

Of course there will be onion and garlic and tomato. No beans as this is a Texas chili! Will let you know how it comes out and what changes I have to make for next weekend. I’d really like testers to taste the chili alone then add lime, cheddar, chopped onion or parsley. I don’t have cilantro in the frig today. I will bake some cornbread, though. Cheers, Dee

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Cooking Experiment

Posted on October 26, 2012 | 1 comment

I’ve got a pound of pork tenderloin that I’m going to season with salt and pepper, slather with grainy mustard and marinate with hard apple cider in a bag in the frig for a few hours before tying and grilling it and making a sauce.

Yes there is a lovely Gala apple and shallots that will be cooked down with chicken stock and more hard cider for the sauce. There are a few German egg noodles in the pantry, and I’ll find some veg in the frig. Wish me luck! Dee

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Peameal Bacon

Posted on October 26, 2012 | 1 comment

I’ve read that Canadians cut pork loins, trimmed off most of the fat and rolled them in split yellow peas then brined them. Since WWII these pork loins have been rolled in cornmeal and brined. As I’m half Canadian, I must check this out.

My great-uncle John was a wonderful cook. I have a couple of his cookbooks (Larousse Gastronomique) that I can’t even open due to smoke. My great-aunt was a smoker. She was also a keeper of Uncle John’s books and was a wonderful lady. For years she made me go to Canada to see her and take inventory of her goods for when she died.

I brought a notebook and gave the notes to her before I went to the airport and then she had another member of the family come in. She promised me one thing, the server in the dining room. It was not to be but that’s OK. I was blessed with the pearl necklace 20 years before, that Uncle John gave her as a wedding present in the 1940’s, and wore it at mine. Her wisdom, candor and love of life were more than enough, but having this reminder of them is precious.

So back to peameal bacon. It is brined not smoked, so it needs to be cooked. Uncle John cooked it in Canadian beer. I remember loving it as a child and remember him stirring it but don’t know the recipe.

Are there any Canadians out there who can help us? Eh? Dee

 

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The Greek Community

Posted on October 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Yesterday I had a craving for spanakopita, and bought some frozen at Whole Foods to heat up for lunch.

Years ago, for my dad’s 70th birthday we took a cruise that Odysseus did many centuries ago. We cheated and called the trip after the Roman god, “Chasing Ulysses” because it sounded better.

The food and people were fantastic. The seas were blue and beaches rocky but while we were asea I could look at the islands on the Ionian sea and picture my Greek mythology books, all while on my SONY portable CD player listening to Enya.

Nearly nine years ago we adopted an Aussie pup. After a couple of days I had researched and ended up with 20 top names. My husband and I narrowed that down to five as we assessed her personality. The result: Zoe, Greek for life. She has been, after decades of working with animals as a volunteer, the happiest critter I’ve ever met. And we had to take out her hips! Inexplicably, she still loves us and even her hip surgeon.

So now we’re in a community where there are dog names like Zeus and now the little Odysseus, a French bulldog. Zoe and I met a lady on the street the other day who says she wants to live here. Her dog’s name is Demetrius. I think they’ll fit in just fine.

We had an “Around the World” dinner outside on the terrace this summer and we each picked a country from a hat. We had to bring a dish and wine from that country. I picked Greece. Made spanakopita from scratch (bought the phyllo dough) and couldn’t find Greek wine so substituted Italian at the last minute. I also marinated some Kalamata olives in oil and herbs and spices. Delicious!

Greece is where I spent my 25th birthday; talked with a cigar store owner trying to buy my dad cigars and we understood each other through hand signals; got to be on a boat through the Strait of Corinth; and eat mezedes and learn to dance at a great birthday party. It will always be in my heart and I hope to show it to my husband someday. Kalinichta, Dee

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Overdone Food… Network

Posted on October 15, 2012 | 4 comments

This morning as I finished the breakfast dishes and started a load of wash, Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction showcased the last few moments of Bistecca alla Fiorentina. This is a classic Florentine dish consisting of a thick porterhouse steak basically unadorned except for sale e pepe e olio (salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil).

Of course he had to marinate in rosemary and who knows what else, and serve with some sort of homemade steak sauce. That would be heresy in Tuscany akin to putting salt in bread. Then he took gorgeous Treviso (long-shaped radicchio) and grilled it but then had to gild the lily with gorgonzola and chives. I grill radicchio a lot but just toss quarters with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and let it speak for itself.

Then Tyler Florence started chiming in with a California home baked “smoked” brisket with some sort of homemade barbecue sauce. Our Uncle Bobby made his own rig and smokes his briskets for 13 hours and ribs for five. Texas-style.

Folks, there is no real NY/Southwest style bistecca alla fiorentina. Nor is there true Marin County BBQ brisket. These people just need to sell television shows and assume the worst of viewers: that we know nothing.

I’ve had my bistecca in Florence and brisket in Texas and think viewers should be shown the correct ways to make food before you do your riffs on it. I must say that Bobby Flay and Tyler Florence are two of my favorite television chef personalities but this is too much.

I’m beginning to agree with Bourdain, that Food Network is the “evil” channel. Just teach the basics and offer riffs. Don’t make viewers think that bistecca comes with steak sauce or that true BBQ comes from California. This, dear reader, is an extreme pet peeve of mine that I’m sure will resurface after I’m sued by the Food Network and the attorneys of Tyler Florence and Bobby Flay.

If so, I’ll plead the 1st and 5th amendments, have Uncle Bobby come to the trial with his smoking rig and my favorite Italian chef come in from Tuscany with true bistecca and the judge will decide for her/himself. Happy eating! Dee

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