What's Cooking (Take Four)

[Jenise]

Maybe I shoul try that on the fam, Dale, this weekend.

Karen, they're house guests with two teenagers. I was a teenager once and I still have a food phobia, so I'm sympathetic. One won't eat stretchy white cheese (but she'll eat cold pizza), the other doesn't like white creamy sauces. Both love Asian, Italian and Mediterranean flavors. And I have crazy kitchen skills so there's no excuse for not tailoring the menu to their tastes. They're on their own for bfast and two lunches. My trial menu is:

Friday
salmon roasted with ginger-black pepper rub
tatsoi fried rice
cabbage slaw with nappa cabbage and five-spice roasted peanuts
shrimp and chive dumplings (or that tomato-dumpling salad)

Saturday
barbecued chicken marinated 24 hours in lemon, lime and garlic
panzanella
romano beans with pesto
melon

Sunday
Ribs
broccolini and mac salad
corn
potato salad
chocolate cake

[Jenise]

Dinner tonight: corn on the cob and strawberry (fresh, local, incredible!) shortcake.

[Jenise]

By the time dinner time came around, we decided we didn't need the corn. Strawberry shortcake all the way!

Well, everything sounds delicious. I have always been a fan of teaching kids how to cook and being in the kitchen with grown-ups to cook and help. That is why our kids ate everything and liked being in the kitchen. Our two sons cook up a storm and are better in the kitchen than their wives. Watching the grand and great grands now, they know little about where food comes from, One grandson still uses parm in the green can and he is a pro golfer at an upscale country club. Teaches golf now, and is also a former head waiter at a high-end restaurant. Prefers fast food to cooking....blows me away! When I drive by the high schools at lunchtime, so many kids are walking back from a fast food place or food truck. I guess bringing lunches from home is not cool.

[Jenise]

No, lunches from home probably aren't cool. Sounds like your grandson has an addiction to ultra-processed foods (yeah, it's a known thing).

The last time this family was here about five years ago the youngest daughter pulled me aside as they were leaving and informed me, "You are the BEST cook! But don't tell my mother I told you." I'll cook for her any day. I've decided to skip the ribs (it's going to be HOT this weekend, though to them from Austin it will be cool) on Sunday and make an array of salads. The centerpiece will be crab/artichoke/pasta. No one will miss the ribs, especially since they wouldn't be smoked.

I made a Russian Sharlotka apple pie, which uses as few as four ingredients, handy for Russian cooks who, historically, did not have easy access to various ingredients. I used four big apples and a springform pan. Really easy.

Sharlotka 4x3.jpg

[Jenise]

That's a cool looking crust. I've not heard of this recipe before. So the four ingredients, I'm guessing, are apples, sugar, butter and flour?

Close. It's apples, sugar, eggs, and flour.

I used a recipe with a few more ingredients: a pinch of salt, bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond flavoring. But I've made it before without nutmeg and almond flavoring. This time I cored and sliced the apples in rings; before, I've cut them into chunks. Some recipes don't even bother peeling the apples. Like I say, it's easy.

That looks very tasty. Is it as delicious as a regular apple pie?

I'm wondering that, too. It looks very good but sharlotka recipes all lack butter.

I'm wondering that, too. It looks very good but sharlotka recipes all lack butter.

It's delicious in its own right, but difficult to compare to an American apple pie. It's not nearly as sweet and has a sponge cake texture--more of a coffeecake than a pie. You could always put ice cream on top to sweeten it up. Certainly worth an easy try to see if you would like it. I sure do.

It's delicious in its own right, but difficult to compare to an American apple pie. It's not nearly as sweet and has a sponge cake texture--more of a coffeecake than a pie. You could always put ice cream on top to sweeten it up. Certainly worth an easy try to see if you would like it. I sure do.

I have rustled-up a recipe from the Great And Powerful Google Machine. I'm ready when the mood strikes.

[Jenise]

Yesterday I made a shrimp and snap pea salad using two containers of shrimp cocktail ($9.99 ea) from Costco. In it is also a pound of cooked pasta, a jar of smashed artichokes, and a lot of dill. I needed to have something ready-to-eat for house guests from Texas in case they arrived hungry, and one of the group is ovo-pescatarian. I had planned to by Costco's shelled Dungeness crab because it's decent and highly local, but they didn't have any. You ever have those moments where you and your cart spin in the aisle asking yourself "what do I do NOW?" That was me. When I saw the shrimp cocktails (it's a pound of cooked shrimp with a little pot of cocktail sauce and a couple slices of lemon, not something I buy) I thought well okay, I can do that.

I otherwise NEVER buy pre-cooked shrimp. People sometimes bring these cocktails to parties we go to and the shrimp are always kind of small and flavorless. This time, however, they were larger with a good snap and briney flavor like fresh shrimp, not cooked-then-frozen as is usual.

So of course my guests got in later than planned and went straight to bed at their nearby rented condo. Oh well--they'll get it for lunch tomorrow.

I am doing my Independence Day menu today. Yesterday, I seasoned baby back pork ribs, they go into the oven later today. A non-fat sour cream and horseradish, green onions, and potato salad to use up multi-colored spuds. Fresh chives from the herb garden will be added, plus salt, and pepper. Fresh green beans with onion, cooked in chicken stock and combined with fresh Tarragon, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. A simple menu for a wonderful 118 degrees today. Small fires all around us, Cal Fire, and local departments are in fine shape this year and are on them almost immediately. We have lots of air support, as well. My yard is lush and green, trimmed well, and I water daily to keep it moist. I love where I live except during June, July, and August. It is weird looking out at beautiful Mt. Shasta, still with a load of snow, when the valley is so hot.

Jenise, I buy those clam shells with the shrimp and cocktail sauce all the time at our neighborhood grocery store. The cocktail sauce is the best I have ever had. I add a splash of fresh lime to it. The shrimp were large and wonderful until one day I picked up a package and noticed they were smaller. I tasted them after arriving home and they were tasteless. I took it back and inquired if they had changed sources for the shrimp. Yep. I have not checked lately but do miss that as I usually got four lunches out of the one clamshell, by adding some of my favorite condiments on the side.

It's delicious in its own right, but difficult to compare to an American apple pie. It's not nearly as sweet and has a sponge cake texture--more of a coffeecake than a pie. You could always put ice cream on top to sweeten it up. Certainly worth an easy try to see if you would like it. I sure do.

I have rustled-up a recipe from the Great And Powerful Google Machine. I'm ready when the mood strikes.

I've used a couple of recipes. The one in the picture was the Food & Wine recipe. The only leavening was the eggs, which worked just fine.

I just discovered I had a Word version for the sharlotka recipe. I didn't use Granny Smiths, just four whatever large apples. Plus, next time I would quarter the apples before slicing.

Apple Sharlotka
Recipe By: From Food & Wine, Matt Danko
Serving Size: 8

4 whole Granny Smith apples — peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour — plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 pinch kosher salt
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting on top

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease the bottom and side of an 8-inch springform pan.

2. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the almond extract and the remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow and a ribbon forms when the beaters are lifted, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently fold in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.

4. Spread the apples in the prepared pan in an even layer, then pour the batter evenly over them. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the batter to sink in a little. Or, rap pan on countertop a few times to allow batter to sink through.

5. Bake the sharlotka for about 1 hour, until it is golden and crisp on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and let rest for 15 minutes. Unmold and transfer to a serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.

Per Serving: 200 Calories; 2g Fat (9.2% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 80mg Cholesterol; 43mg Sodium.

Thanks, Larry.

In re pre-made shrimp cocktail: I am reminded of a story my dad told. When he was a young man, he had a summer job at Sau-Sea. They make shrimp cocktail using teeny shrimp and a good sauce packaged into single-portion glass jars. His job was to boil the shrimp... in vinegar. He quit that job very quickly.

[Jenise]

I little single-serving shrimp cocktails at our neighborhood grocer--thick ugly but clear glass with a little pedestal.

Karen, the ones Costco packages for their stores aren't neccessarily the ones in the supermarkets. Intent is the same, but not neccessarily the result. Most I've experienced (people bring to potlucks, if I didn't mention that) were small shrimp, maybe U-50, almost clear from the citric acid preservative applied during processing. And that's all you taste--the preservative. I never buy frozen peeled shrimp--they're all treated with that. And most shrimp dishes in Chinese restaurants have no flavor because they use that product. Gone are the days when they peeled their own. These I bought at Costco had not seen citric acid. They're really good.

The shrimp in our local grocer were large, cleaned, tail-on, and very good. I know they were fresh because as I stated, a clam shell lasted me at least four days for lunches. This grocery is locally/employee-owned. Very good store with quality products. When they changed to the smaller size, (still considered large) but smaller than the original, is when I noticed the taste was not as good and the shrimp was not as firm.
Costco built their new store last year and is 3 minutes from my house. I do not shop there anymore but use Instacart, so next time I order, I will request the one you speak of.

[Jenise]

Karen, I didn't mean fresh in terms of shelf-life, but fresh as in never frozen vs. frozen-at-sea-with-preservatives. I can't believe they really are that kind of fresh, but the flavor and texture were correct.

Well, the kids are gone. It was a difficult weekend. Not once did Bob's son say, "Is there anything I can help with?" He's tall and strong and he can see that Bob's weaker than he was on Barry's last visit three months ago. There are little things he could have helped with, but never offered, though otherwise at least he helped clear the table. The wife never lifted a finger, nor did their girls. Nor did they ask any questions of the kind real people ask each other, there were no real back and forth conversations. The daughter who supposedly likes pretty much everything would hardly touch the food I made. For instance, I put out a bowl of 1" chunks of pickled corn on the cob (Jo Ann's idea) and the wife said "I've never heard of that," and neither she or the oldest daughter tried them. Barry and the youngest daughter did--one each, no more. I put out a bowl of ranier cherries and the wife said "I always buy the red ones" and looked pained as she tried to eat a ranier. I couldn't wait for them to leave.

Tonight: grilled Toulouse sausage and new potatoes.

I put out a bowl of ranier cherries and the wife said "I always buy the red ones" and looked pained as she tried to eat a ranier. I couldn't wait for them to leave.

Reminds me of the time I offered my cousins some Concord grapes that I grow. They nibbled on them with such care to avoid the seeds that it reminded me of my dog nibbling around a pill in his food and spitting it out. I had never seen so many bites to eat one single grape. It was pathetic. And no second grapes.

[Jenise]

Ha! I grew up on Concords, love them! There's an art for it I guess I picked up then because I can eat seeded grapes now and manage to never chomp on a seed. You have to bite and twirl a bit with your tongue.

Churn Creek Meadows Organic Farms is just down the street from our neighborhood. They grow the best grapes I have tasted. Many red and some green types are smaller than grocery store grapes. I always got a red seedless. Gene would not eat them and I was puzzled because he loved grapes. When I finally got an answer, he said, "I can't stand picking that little stem off the back of those grapes." So, I bought his grapes at the grocery store and mine from the growers. Never could understand that as the ones coming from the farm tasted like a fine wine.