What's Cooking (Take Three!)

[Jenise]

Nor should you, Mike! We're just so glad to have the cold behind us. Still, a cool season: yesterday's 75 was a season high, where last year we hit 89 in April. 102 sounds like death.

So all this salad stuff--isn't this the second time you've mentioned salad recently? Is this an attempt at healthier eating or have you just realized that lettuce is wonderful?

It was the wasabi arugula. We saw some at the farmers' market, tried it out, and really liked it. It looks different from regular arugula and has a hint of a wasabi burn to it that lingers as an aftertaste. We had to buy it and the only way to use it was in a salad. Unfortunately, it lost its character in the mix, even with just some romaine and a small amount of vinaigrette. Next time, I'll just eat it on its own.

I've had many peppery, almost hot arugulas (I grow one) but have never seen any referred to as wasabi arugula--great description for a taste I'm familiar with and love. Now that you're into it, take it to a salad version of Bistecca Florentine. On the plate: spicy arugula, olive oil drizzle, lemon drizzle, salt and parmesan cheese. Top it with just-grilled slices of steak. MMMMMMMMM.

[Jenise]

Shucks. Missed out on the lobsters yesterday. Got there too late--they under-ordered and sold out early. There were still some 'reserved' ones not yet picked up at 4:30 when we were in there, so in a few hours they might be available--on Friday, nine reserved lobsters went unclaimed. We put our name in for the surplus, even though that would mean a trip back to the store, and to cover ourselves considering the late hour of decision I bought a rack of Tony Roma ribs from the meatcase. I've never bought those before. Wouldn't again. They were overcooked for my tastes, and all the smoke flavor was in the sauce instead of the meat itself.

Today we're celebrating a friend's birthday at a dinner at their home. No cooking!

I fired up the grill for the first time this year. Made the usual vegetable medley in the perforated pan, then swordfish and a hunk of bavette -- to eat over the next few days -- and shrimp kabobs for tonight.

Jeff, you are so organised, and it all sounds delicious. Are those perforated pans good, I can see that nothing falls through, which is a good thing, and grilled veggies are a good thing, so I am probably talking myself into it anyway :
I did have to goggle bavette sounds like bread,not beef.

Nor should you, Mike! We're just so glad to have the cold behind us. Still, a cool season: yesterday's 75 was a season high, where last year we hit 89 in April. 102 sounds like death.

So all this salad stuff--isn't this the second time you've mentioned salad recently? Is this an attempt at healthier eating or have you just realized that lettuce is wonderful?

It was the wasabi arugula. We saw some at the farmers' market, tried it out, and really liked it. It looks different from regular arugula and has a hint of a wasabi burn to it that lingers as an aftertaste. We had to buy it and the only way to use it was in a salad. Unfortunately, it lost its character in the mix, even with just some romaine and a small amount of vinaigrette. Next time, I'll just eat it on its own.

I've had many peppery, almost hot arugulas (I grow one) but have never seen any referred to as wasabi arugula--great description for a taste I'm familiar with and love. Now that you're into it, take it to a salad version of Bistecca Florentine. On the plate: spicy arugula, olive oil drizzle, lemon drizzle, salt and parmesan cheese. Top it with just-grilled slices of steak. MMMMMMMMM.

That would definitely be worth a try with the wasabi arugula - sounds delicious!

Last night, we had neighborhood drive-in movie night. I made chicken skewers that were basted with a sambal-based glaze while grilling. These came out really well and were quite popular. Also made a bean salad with plenty of cilantro in it and a lime vinaigrette.My wife did her now-traditional whoopie pies, which never last more than a few minutes.

[Jenise]

That's so cool. What was the movie?

This time around, it was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original, with Gene Wilder). There are, of course, a lot of kids in attendance so we always do something that's very kid friendly, but with some interest for at least some of the adults.

Jeff, you are so organised, and it all sounds delicious.

Thank you.

Are those perforated pans good, I can see that nothing falls through, which is a good thing, and grilled veggies are a good thing, so I am probably talking myself into it anyway :

Ooh, I like it a lot. Here's a pic to entice you further!: http://public.fotki.com/jeffg165/wine/grilling/4asparagus.html

I did have to goggle bavette sounds like bread,not beef.

Sorry about that. It's a French cut; I don't know why my local supermarket is suddenly carrying it. But if you like skirt steak, this is a similar cut: it is less fatty and it also has a pronounced cross-grain but it is double-wide so there is some tender middle to be had.

And, at my market, it's about half the price per pound of skirt steak.

Chinese this past weekend: pork lo mian and grilled marinated chicken wings.

Tonight's dinner will be Thai pad prik gai bai krapow (stir-fried chicken with bird's eye chiles and holy basil).

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

[quote="Paul Winalski"]Chinese this past weekend: pork lo mian and grilled marinated chicken wings.

Tonight's dinner will be Thai pad prik gai bai krapow (stir-fried chicken with bird's eye chiles and holy basil). [quote]

Fabulous. Do you have rice with all your Asian meals?

Do you have rice with all your Asian meals?

Usually I have jasmine rice. But for dishes that already have a significant starchy element to them, such as noodle dishes or iddli and sambar, I don't serve rice.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

That makes sense; I wouldn't double up on carbs either.


Dinner tonight: I paid a fortune to have Katz Delicatessen in New York overnight a wad of pastrami and pickles, and we're having a Jewish couple over for sandwiches. How fun is that?

Dinner tonight: I paid a fortune to have Katz Delicatessen in New York overnight a wad of pastrami and pickles, and we're having a Jewish couple over for sandwiches. How fun is that?

It's a mitzvah. ::smiley with tallis::

That makes sense; I wouldn't double up on carbs either.


Dinner tonight: I paid a fortune to have Katz Delicatessen in New York overnight a wad of pastrami and pickles, and we're having a Jewish couple over for sandwiches. How fun is that?

That sounds like a heck of a lot of fun!

[Robin Garr]

Lotsa Pasta had good, fresh (US-made) burrata the other day, so we cut the big round in half and, on the first day, dropped a quarter of it on top of crisp summer salad. That was good.

Then things got even better: A simple, spicy chopped-tomato sauce on (whole-wheat) linguine ... knock the remaining burrata into large dice, and spoon the creamy mixture over the tomatoes and pasta. The result was more delicious than it had any right to be.

tomato-burrata.jpg

Then things got even better: A simple, spicy chopped-tomato sauce on (whole-wheat) linguine ... knock the remaining burrata into large dice, and spoon the creamy mixture over the tomatoes and pasta. The result was more delicious than it had any right to be.

Sounds wonderful.

Seized a foraging opportunity whilst near a pine forest and came home with some beautiful saffron milk caps (mushrooms) so tonight I've made some pasta and will serve it with the mushrooms sautéed with garlic, shallots and bacon.

I had snow peas and water chestnuts left over from making lo mian, so I used them in place of the green peppers in a simple Cantonese stir-fried beef with green peppers. It was delicious, and I like the crunch that the water chestnuts add.

-Paul W.

I made a batch of Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon and ran away.

(I made it for Pumpkin to eat during the week while I'm traveling on business.)

That boeuf bourguignon recipe is one of my favorites!

-Paul W.

Just made a Puttenesca sauce to go with penne pasta for dinner. I'm the only one who llikes this sauce so having it while Jo has her '2' mealette (i.e not a 'normal day on her 5:2 diet).

sliced a large clove of garlic and put in pan with three anchovies from a tin and some of their oil.

Chopped one large mild 'Cayenne Pepper' and two small hot 'Spike' chillis, and added to pan
Chopped olives and added, then added a spoonful of capers.and added to pan

Skinned 1.5 large 'coeur de boeuf' tomatoes, squeezed out seeds and moisture, chopped and added them to pan, now on low heat under cover to meld

Went into garden in rain shower to pick a radish for accompaning salad.

That sounds excellent, Peter. I love pasta dishes with simple but flavorful dressings (...it's almost not a sauce).

Ah you chaps Robin, Paul, Jeff, Peter are cooking a wonderful storm.

Tonight we are having one of those odd dishes from my childhood called (mea culpa) Chop Suey the recipe my mum uses came from one of those fund raising cookbooks. (I wonder if she still has it, I'm doing it from memory)

Ground meat, chopped sliced grated vegetables, onion, celery, carrot, green beans, cabbage, a packet of chicken noodle soup, simmered together. And the sooo exotic finishing touch.....canned bean shoots and soy sauce . Wow.
It still is a simple tasty meal and I appreciate that for my mum it ticked a lot of boxes
a) we liked it.
b) it made a small amount of inexpensive meat feed the family
c) quick, easy, one pot
d)we kids ate a lot of vegetables we might otherwise have struggled with

I still like it and so does the boss. With fresh bean shoots or just a lot more shredded cabbage.
And mea maxima culpa. I sometimes use the leftovers to fill spring rolls.

[Robin Garr]

No need for apologies, Barb! That sounds like a fine old Chinese-American ... er, Chinese-Australian custom!