What's Cooking (Take Four)

I consider chimichurri sauce to be a pesto variant.

I know there is a whole world of 'variant pesti' out there, using cilantro, mint, rosemary, etc.

A lot of Indian chutneys probably qualify as 'variant pesti'.

-Paul W.

I had to post to say again how much I am liking microwave poaching an egg in a coffee mug with 1/2 cup of water. The mug should be tapered more narrowly at the bottom. I have not mastered getting my yolk how I like it yet. The white is perfect, and I am cooking for 56 seconds. The yolk is almost to the runny part. My eggs are large, so I will reduce the cook time by a minute next time. Todays egg is on a thin slice of sourdough jalapeño cheddar, toasted, and with two slices of Fontina cheese. An egg is placed on top and sprinkled with dill, salt, and white pepper.

[Jenise]

I've made various 'other' pestos of which my favorites were arugula and mustard greens. But these days a jar of Costco pesto is my go-to for quick improvisations. I absolutely loved the pesto cream sauce and mushrooms with the chicken thighs and so did my dinner guest. I served it on spaetzle with broccolini on the side. The starter was a salad of spicy local greens with sliced underripe plums and a chunky shallot vinaigrette.

Then yesterday a friend and I waddled down the coast onto Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands for the annual Penn Cove Mussel Fest. In advance we bought tickets for the chowder tasting, which had us zooming all over this tiny, quaint town (lots of Victorian architecture) to taste nine different entrants in a mussel chowder contest and vote for a winner. Five were very good and two were outstanding though one was the clear winner. In the process we discovered a heavenly bakery, a Dutch store selling licorice (for my friend) and Speculoos cookies (for me), and a wine bar. Fun day!

The white is perfect, and I am cooking for 56 seconds. The yolk is almost to the runny part. My eggs are large, so I will reduce the cook time by a minute next time. .

OK, trying to understand this. That would make cooking time negative 4 seconds?
My parents used to love poaching their eggs in microwave, don't think I've ever tried.

The white is perfect, and I am cooking for 56 seconds. The yolk is almost to the runny part. My eggs are large, so I will reduce the cook time by a minute next time. .

OK, trying to understand this. That would make cooking time negative 4 seconds?
My parents used to love poaching their eggs in microwave, don't think I've ever tried.

Microwaves are quite the time savers.

Kept it simple and beautiful tonight: pan-seared arctic char and maitake. Both seasoned with fresh thyme and paprika (smoked for the fish, sweet for the 'shroom). The crispy fish skin is an extra treat.

[Jenise]

I love arctic char and have bought it in Canada, but never see it on this side of the border. I'm at least familiar enough to know that the skin is like a little wet suit. I'm surprised it fries up crisp (I'm not a skin eater so have never tried).

No dinner plan yet. Had a tooth extracted this morning and I'm pretty uncomfortable. Will probably make soup, or tomatoes and beans.

I'm at least familiar enough to know that the skin is like a little wet suit. I'm surprised it fries up crisp (I'm not a skin eater so have never tried).

It's a little more delicate than salmon skin but it also has a layer of fat just below the surface to protect it from the heat. Just a sprinkle of salt and you've basically got fish bacon.

I like char a lot. Not so meaty as salmon but a little less oily so a little firmer, and a delectable, slightly delicate flavor. I think of char as a real fin fish, a flat fillet, whereas salmon is usually cut in a chunky style so more like a steak.

Had a tooth extracted this morning and I'm pretty uncomfortable.

Ouch. Is that still from the fall you took a little while ago?

Jeff, char sounds good (I'm a skin eater).
Jenise, hope you feel better soon.
Last night pork chops, rice with furikake, sesame spinach, crunchy salad (endive, chicory, radicchio). The pork chops were an easy Eric Kim recipe where thin chops are marinated in jalapeno/cilantro stem/garlic vinaigrette, grilled, then garnished with jalapeno/onion relish. Easy and tasty. But my favorite part of meal was the salad dressing- silken tofu blended with miso, sesame paste, honey, and rice vinegar. Probably too creamy looking for Jenise, but great with the sturdy greens (well greens and reds).

Dale, do you watch Eric Kim videos?

More a reader than watcher, but I have seen a few.
Independent of food content I have enjoyed his writing.

[Jenise]

a little less oily so a little firmer, and a delectable, slightly delicate flavor

That's how I'd describe it too. Wish we saw it here, I'd buy it often.

[Jenise]

I'm still on soft food, so yesterday cut a frozen package of veal into strips and sauteed them with half a huge onion before adding a can of diced tomatoes, wine, water, bay leaves and garlic. Simmered that for about two hours before adding a bit of cream and re-seasoning it into a thoroughly delicious bisque-like soup. Made enough for last night plus two mugs for the coming days.

That sounds very yummy Jenise.

Yesterday, for lunch, I toasted a slice of garlic-infused sourdough bread. Then I topped it with a couple of slices of Gruyère cheese. Put it in the microwave until the cheese just begins to melt and spread a little. On top of that, I added Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Onion Jam (heaven), then some chunks of a canned albacore. I drizzled a little more of the jam on top. It was delicious.

https://katyssmokehouse.com/product/fre ... -oz-can-2/

This comes from Trinidad, CA, a quaint town on the ocean not far from where I grew up. Twice a year, I am gifted a few cans by a retired attorney whose house I watch while he and his wife are at their home on the ocean nearby. It is very good.

[Jenise]

Karen, interesting text on the tuna. " This product is a low acid food and does not expire. " I didn't know anyone was even allowed to sell a food product without an expiration date.

[Jenise]

I consider chimichurri sauce to be a pesto variant.

I don't, or haven't. More a vinaigrette variant, but I see what you mean.

Today I'm making a giant corned beef hash to take to a St. Patrick's Day themed wine thing tonight. Too lazy to peel all the potatoes, I bought (unsalted) frozen hashed browns. Worth the investment!

You heard it here first, folks! Jenise will be zapping "Jose Olé" burritos in the microwave any day now.

Karen, interesting text on the tuna. " This product is a low acid food and does not expire. " I didn't know anyone was even allowed to sell a food product without an expiration date.

I thought that was an interesting comment as well. I went online to buy a few cans as I have run out of them. It is very expensive but oh well, then I got to the shipping. They wanted over $17 to ship 3 cans to Redding, which is 2 1/2 hours away. I'll wait until my neighbor goes to his ocean house again and can pick it up for me! It is a great product and yesterday I made another lunch using it. By the way, I have seen many products that do not have expiration dates. Yesterday, I opened a jar of the garlic onion jam from Stonwall Kitchen I mentioned and it did not have a date stamped on it. I know it has been in my pantry a long time, but it still tastes great and smells fine. Over the years, I have used many products that were years past the expiration date. I am 85, do not get vaccinated with the questionable jabs they call vaccines these days. I do not get sick, and I am still alive, upright, and sassier than ever!

I consider chimichurri sauce to be a pesto variant.

Over here 'pesto' invariably means a cheese based mix. I don't eat cheese but love chimichurri; my first was at Gaucho's in Amsterdam and I've not had one since that measures up to Gauchos.

20240328_Gauchos-2-small.jpg

Complimentary chimichurri in boat behind steak plate

Today have been assisting Joan making another batch of Seville marmalade. After they'd thawed from the freezer she quartered and poached them.

Today was the tedious task of slicing them and removing the pips. These small bitter oranges have loads of pips. Many come out during the poaching, but there were still quarters hiding seven pips.

Now just needs to add sugar and jam 'em.

[Jenise]

You heard it here first, folks! Jenise will be zapping "Jose Olé" burritos in the microwave any day now.

Ha! Not on your life. At home it will always be real potatoes, but as shortcuts go this one worked very very well. And it still took over an hour to put it together. I left for the store just before 5:00, started cooking around 7 and finished around 8:30. I'd have been up all night if I'd insisted on starting from raw potatoes. Btw, the uncured corned beef I got at Trader Joe's? Excellent.

Tonight I'm gathering with the Dorks, and am taking another one of my original creations, a French-vietnamese fusion kind of fresh rolls with gorgonzola cheese, roast beef (deli sliced at the market), lettuce, mint, and cilantro which I'll drizzle with a red wine vinaigrette at service. I'll cut each roll in half and stand them up like pipes on a tray. They'll stick together just enough to keep them from falling over, but be pull-apart friendly for helping yourself. The wine theme is syrah from anywhere, so these will go well.

Today I'm making dhansak--a Gugurati-style mixed dal and vegetable puree. This is a famous Parsi dish. The Parsis are Zoroastrians who migrated from Iran to India to avoid Islamist religious persecution. Most of them settled in western India. They brought with them a distinctive Persian style of cooking.

-Paul W.