What's cooking?

[Robin Garr]

... It was delicious! Of course, when you are really hungry, everything tastes so much better, don't you agree?

Karen, it sounds as if we're very much on the same page. And that wisdom about hunger and flavor goes back a long way, to Cervantes' Don Quixote, I believe: "The best sauce in the world is hunger." ("La mejor salsa del mundo es la hambre.")

Marinated tri-tip on the grill, a stir-fry of broccoli, sugar snap peas, red bell peppers and assorted cherry tomatoes. I will finish it off with a drizzle of lemon juice and walnut oil. I am going to the Flour Mill this morning to buy grains and will make a decision on some sort of grain to make into a cold salad.

Braised oxtails with mustard greens and black-eyed peas. Yummy!

[Robin Garr]

Using up some leftover spinach wraps to make a spicy burrito dinner. 

[Jenise]

Food's been pretty boring here the last few days! Had my teeth whitened on Thursday, and I've been on a bland-colored diet of non-staining foods washed down with white wine and green tea ever since. Will probably break the mold today with a red wine dinner.

Braised oxtails with mustard greens and black-eyed peas. Yummy!

Oh yeah! Yum!

Sort of channeled Robin last night and made an almost vegetarian dinner for myself while Len is out of town.
Sauteed califlower, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and.......slivered Proscuitto. Quite addictive.

Wild Pacific Salmon, marinated for an hour in pineapple juice, lemon juice, then rubbed with a mix of different powders which includes chile powder, cumin, lemon zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, then oven roasted. Fresh green beans steamed, and then tossed with caramelized onions, lemon and a bit of hazelnut oil. I'm trying a baked Arborio rice recipe, which has sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, onion, Romano, and garlic. I have had very good luck with a number of baked rice dishes lately and wanted to find one for Arborio rice. It smells divine and it is not even cooking yet.

[Robin Garr]

Diced roasted beets and crisp cucumbers tossed with Capriole goat cheese to make a delicious summer salad. 

Robin, last week, I had made some cabbage soup which was pretty good.

Then I had a root canal and the assistant was Ukrainian (I tried out my Russian) who said that in Ukraine, borscht is served hot.

I got hungry for borscht and bought some, ate it cold with my cabbage soup and mmm good.

But I =LOVE= roasted beets especially 1) babies and 2) golden!

I think I recently mentioned Thomas Keller's "cheese course" that involves red and gold beets with goat cheese. VERY similar to what you did!!

Love cooking this time of year. Have been keeping containers of roasted peppers; fried, marinated zucchini slabs; pickled beets; sauteed beet greens; pickled peaches in Indian spices; snap peas to make composed salads or as side veg to a roasted lamb chop or other grilled meat. Very quick and easy dinners this week as I am on call and very busy at work.
Next week I'll have time to do real meal prep. Thinking about ricotta gnocchi with a pea shoot and shelled pea sauce.

On the grill tonight will be Baby Back Pork Ribs with a Mustard-Bourbon Sauce. They were well rubbed yesterday with a home made spice concoction and rested in the fridge overnight.

Sides will be Israeli Couscous topped with oven roasted eggplant, colorful bell peppers, chunked red onions, then
drizzled with lemon vinaigrette.
Fresh corn, avocado, red onion and cherry tomato salad, with fresh basil and a champagne vinaigrette. Corn will be charred on the grill first, of course.

Dessert is Spumoni ice cream, with fresh blackberries.

Slow roasted a brisket yesterday for today's buffet (12 hrs -- it came out perfect). Today I've got a pork butt on the grill to make pulled pork later, along with my homemade barbequed chorizo and a grilled steelhead (requested by my sister). I'm trying to decide on sides. I would prefer a Mexican inspired rice salad, but my family is traditional and would prefer potato salad. If I make potato salad, I prefer sour cream potato salad, with chunks of celery, red onions and capers or dill pickles (or both). My family prefers the traditional mustard and boiled egg potato salad. Decisions, decisions!! Got carrot cake and caramel and chocolate chip brownies for dessert. My husband is already on his way to the grocery to pick up a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream. We will all over indulge!

Jo Ann, I would SOOOO eat that!

Played a decent round of golf this morning then came home and fired up the smoker. Four racks of baby backs are in there. Will grill some corn as one side. Cole slaw already made as the other. Strawberry pie for dessert. Just need to find a nice Zinfandel now.

[Robin Garr]

This slaw turned out great! I'm giving credit to the fresh green summer cabbage and sweet white onion sliced paper-thin, a little grated carrot and chopped Bubbie's bread-and-butter pickles, flavored with celery seed and light hits of cider vinegar, sugar and Hellman's mayo, kosher salt and fresh-ground Telicherry pepper, then chilled for an hour or so to let the flavors blend. 

Grilled a beef tenderloin with a few chilis and cayennes from the garden, along with an onion. Wifey made baked parmesan-crusted potatoes. Opened a zin to go with it.

Robin, that looks so good. We have Bubbie's B & B pickles out here too. I like Trader Joe's better....they are more like what Gene's mom used to make, and what I should make. Getting to lazy! Maybe it is the heat....whew!

Played a decent round of golf this morning then came home and fired up the smoker. Four racks of baby backs are in there. Will grill some corn as one side. Cole slaw already made as the other. Strawberry pie for dessert. Just need to find a nice Zinfandel now.

Golf and BBQ. No better way to spend a holiday IMO!

Played a decent round of golf this morning then came home and fired up the smoker. Four racks of baby backs are in there. Will grill some corn as one side. Cole slaw already made as the other. Strawberry pie for dessert. Just need to find a nice Zinfandel now.

Golf and BBQ. No better way to spend a holiday IMO!

Agreed! Although could have used a little less heat on the course....90+ is a bit much.

Ribs120704.jpg

MMm instant mouth-water!

[Jenise]

We smoked ribs for the Fourth. FORTY POUNDS OF THEM!

We smoked ribs for the Fourth. FORTY POUNDS OF THEM!

Your smoker must be bigger than mine.......

We smoked ribs for the Fourth. FORTY POUNDS OF THEM!

Forty pounds of ribs? How many people were you feeding? I so admire your willingness to entertain and cook such large amounts of food. I think my age is beginning to kick in, because the idea of it scares me to death.