What's cooking?

Of course mint smells like mint, and epazote smells like gasoline.

Refreshing enough in a well aged Riesling, but I don't think I'd buy Epazote Chocolate Chip ice cream even if Breyer's made it.

[Jenise]

Not the epazote I've had! But I can't say I can define what it smells like, either, so you're ahead of me.

Dinner tonight: Bellingham Supper Club's coming over. I'm doing a halibut/lobster ceviche with margaritas for the stand-around-and-enjoy-the-view part of the evning, and slices of hibiscus flower cured flank steak, grilled rare, with a guacamole compound butter, one each of the aforementioned tamales and a tomatillo-pasilla salsa.

[Robin Garr]

Moo goo tofu pan? A plant-based spin on the classic Cantonese-American chicken-and-mushroom stir-fry, using smoky grilled sesame tofu from the Whole Foods salad bar in place of chicken. Tastes like ch ... Um, let's just say it tastes great,

I've take the next step with my preserved. Today I removed the pulp and placed the peels in a new sterilized jar and covered with vegetable oil. Then I strained off the syrup and placed into a second jar to refrigerate and use in dressings. So far, I really like this original version much better than my first attempt with the P. Wolfert recipe with the addition many herbs and spices. This is a much cleaner taste. And, I like the 3:1 salt to sugar ratio. The sugar is totally undetectable; but the salt is rounder in some way. I'm pretty certain I'll be using this ingredient a lot in coming months. I'll keep you posted.

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Quiche made last night with eggs from our hens, swiss chard, green onions, baby turnip and beet greens (thinnings) from our garden. Bacon, pamesan, mozzerella and milk from the store. We can't grow it all...

....pamesan, mozzerella and milk from the store. We can't grow it all...

Time to start raising dairy cows.

I've thought about dairy cows, but Gail has flatly refused to milk 'em.

Anyway, you wouldn't be allowed to make parmigiano reggiano. I think you'd have to settle for the grana padana designation.

[Robin Garr]

Iranian eggplant khoresh. Very nice with basmati rice and a cheap-and-fruity Parker Station California Pinot from California Wine Club and Persian music on Pandora. ...

Today was canning sauerkraut day, and then after a quick and easy dinner of grilled cheese on homemade rustic French-ish bread, I made these for tomorrow's breakfast. OK, so I ate one already. OK, two.


Pecan Cranberry Muffins.

Recipe here.

[Jenise]

Tonight we're having some returning snowbirds to dinner. I'll serve sliced prime top sirloin with a rosemary-tomato vinaigrette and grilled zuccini with a nicoise olive bread pudding after a green salad.

I'll serve sliced prime top sirloin with a rosemary-tomato vinaigrette and grilled zuccini with a nicoise olive bread pudding after a green salad.

I could sooooooo eat that!!

a nicoise olive bread pudding

Brava!

I'm luxuriating in an after-dinner treat: an excellent chunk of Saint-Agur, spread onto various sturdy crispy crackers, then drizzled with lavender honey. (Winnie The Pooh got some of this right.)

Jeff -- I love Saint Agur. But an interesting fact -- did you know it is one of the YOUNGEST French cheeses?

It was invented in something like 1980 (not bothering to Google, there is a wiki entry). The rather similar cheese, Fourme d'Ambert, is one of the very oldest French cheeses.

We discovered St Agur in a Parisian restaurant, they had melted it on top of something and we both said OH MY!!! Must buy some!

[Jenise]

Tonight: leftover cassoulet. Here's the original dish:

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[Robin Garr]

Thai-style vegetable red curry. 

Nothing very adventurous happening in our kitchen lately. The Francophile cooked dinner last night - the best grilled salmon, with baked potatoes and shallots, followed by a plum crumble with custard. Comfort food all round. Right now there's a pot of "red soup" simmering on the stove. Red Soup consists of onion or leek (leek this time), stock, canned tomatoes, and whatever else happens to make it into the pot. This one's heavy on the carrots, with some lentils and barley and a few beans. We make this a lot.

Jeff -- I love Saint Agur. But an interesting fact -- did you know it is one of the YOUNGEST French cheeses?

It was invented in something like 1980 (not bothering to Google, there is a wiki entry). The rather similar cheese, Fourme d'Ambert, is one of the very oldest French cheeses.

We discovered St Agur in a Parisian restaurant, they had melted it on top of something and we both said OH MY!!! Must buy some!

Wow, I did not know that. The wikipedia says 1988.

Thanks, Frank.

[Jenise]

Arrived home from Atlanta at 2 in the morning yesterday, got a little sleep and then went into major kitchen bitch mode in order to pull off the neighborhood wine group's first ever Pizza Night. With the help of three volunteers, I made twelve 16" pizzas, three each of four different kinds, and then once the gang showed up we were able to pull four out of the oven every 30 minutes.

Today I'm a little hung over. But on the counter are four marinating artichokes, and I pressure-cooked some diced pork shoulder in order to try to duplicate the texture of the pork vindaloo at Cardamom Hill, the Keralan restaurant in Atlanta I was fawning over in another thread. Nailed it at 20 minutes and later will work on the sauce.

Arrived home from Atlanta at 2 in the morning yesterday, got a little sleep and then went into major kitchen bitch mode in order to pull off the neighborhood wine group's first ever Pizza Night. With the help of three volunteers, I made twelve 16" pizzas, three each of four different kinds, and then once the gang showed up we were able to pull four out of the oven every 30 minutes.

Mmmmmm! Pizza!!!!

I could eat that. What kinds did you make?

[Robin Garr]

With a bounty of fresh spinach in the spring garden, aloo saag, an Indian potato-spinach curry. 

Made pizza for supper using Cynthia's dough recipe.

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[Robin Garr]

Made pizza for supper using Cynthia's dough recipe.

I could eat that.