What's cooking?

[Robin Garr]

Conceptualizing a simple, warming leftovers variation on shepherd's pie: A bed of mashed potatoes topped with a layer of sauerkraut, garnished with some shredded leftover pork butt, a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano and bake until hot. It ought to work ...

That sounds really good!

I'd probably add some chopped apple and onion in the kraut, like my mom used to make.

[Jenise]

Roasted fennel and eggplant with chicken-based Italian sausage. Have had fennel salads every day since discovering last week that Trader Joe's sells two big bulbs packaged together for $1.99. That's about a third of what those bulbs would normally cost us up here--they're typically $3-4/a pound.

[Robin Garr]

That sounds really good!

I'd probably add some chopped apple and onion in the kraut, like my mom used to make.

It was great, Patti! Your variation sounds really appetizing too, although we made it with just kraut, like Mary's mom used to make.

(My mother would have fainted if anyone had brought sauerkraut into our house.

[Robin Garr]

I couldn't resist making this dish from Mark Bittman's top 25 "Minimalist" recipes featured in today's New York Times. It's a ridiculously easy and remarkably delicious dish of hot spaghetti tossed in garlic-scented olive oil with soft-fried eggs that break up to mix with the garlicky olive oil to make an instant sauce. It went great with a simple but appealing 2009 California-appellation Pinot Noir from "The Pinot Project" in Calistoga.

Recipe: THE MINIMALIST; Pasta From the Pantry - New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/10/dinin ... antry.html

Tonight, we had fried pork chops with wild rice and green beans with balsamic onions. Simple but really good.

Tonight, we had fried pork chops with wild rice and green beans with balsamic onions. Simple but really good.

We did porkchops too, with sourdough biscuits and peas. Also simple but really good.

[Robin Garr]

Carnaroli risotto with fresh fennel, asparagus, onions and garlic, cooked with the asparagus-steaming water and finished Marcella-style with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Yesterday morning we had waffles and maple syrup for the first time in too long a time. We did not have fried chicken with them as they did at Cal Irvine on MLK day, which resulted in an interesting dust up.

Last night we had pizza with store bought crust, our Italian tomato sauce, Pecorino Romano, Casia di Roma, and Penseys' Pasta Sprinkle.

Braised veal shanks in an interesting mixture of onion, garlic, white wine, fire-roasted tomatoes, bay leaves, chopped anchovies, orange zest and lemon zest strips. Gremolata is a mix of parsley, garlic, orange and lemon zest. I'm serving over chive mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus on the side. It is a very foggy, damp day here, with rain predicted tomorrow. We will have leftovers tomorrow...I love that the braised dishes are still great or even better the next day.

[Robin Garr]

Very good-looking, thick but small lamb loin chops, labeled by Whole Foods as "Good Stuff from Around Here" and "Locally Raised" as well as hormone-and antibiotic-free, but it's irritatingly non-specific about the specific producer or location. Still, I've got them sitting at room temp with a good coat of coarsely crushed black pepper, and tonight will do a quick pan-sear and oven-finish and serve with pureed celeriac and either a Cote-du-Provence or Coteaux-du-Languedoc for February's WT101.

A simple bowl of Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima beans with sauteed onion and celery with a dusting of romano pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.

Drew

A simple bowl of Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima beans with sauteed onion and celery with a dusting of romano pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.

Drew

Happy the hear that someone else around here likes lima beans!

Tonight, we had fried pork chops with wild rice and green beans with balsamic onions. Simple but really good.

Mike, I would be interested in hearing about those green beans w/balsamic onions. sounds delicious.

[Robin Garr]

We pulled a portion of tomato-basil and ground bison sauce for pasta out of the freezer and "improved" it with some sauteed fresh fennel and onions.

We were going to have a grilled rack of lamb that's been marinating in garlic, olive oil, lemon zest & a little juice, Dijon mustard and fresh herbs but it's way too windy to grill so it's in the oven. We'll have sugar snap peas and carrots, a nice big salad and a bagette with it.

We had a dish tonight that has a name we don't know. Anyhow you take boneless skinless chicken breast halves and stuff them with proscuitto, goat cheese, fresh sage leaves, and some pepper. Then you tie them together with butcher cord, coat the outsides with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then you saute' them in olive oil four minutes on each side, starting with the smooth side. Then you put them in a 400 degree F oven for twelve minutes. When they come out, you sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve.

They were excellent with rice and peas. We have had this dish in restaurants a couple of times, but forget what they called it.

Tonight it is shrimp, and Spanish Chorizo quesadillas, with jack cheese, and roasted until golden garlic halves. Dipped in a guacamole of avocado, 1 Chile pepper in adobo, sour cream and fresh lime juice. A green salad on the side with almond oil/champagne vinegar vinaigrette.

Chicken vindaloo tonight.

-Paul W.

Tonight it will be Hungarian goulash served over homemade egg noodles. Should be perfect match for the cold/cool weather.

[Robin Garr]

We celebrated Chinese New Year a day early last night with a stir-fry of julienne pea pods, green peppers and onions with diced tofu with a little brown miso for flavor. Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Tonight it will be Hungarian goulash served over homemade egg noodles. Should be perfect match for the cold/cool weather.

Winger, do you suppose your Missus would share her recipe for the goulash? Sounds great for a cold evening meal. Thanks.

[Robin Garr]

Simmering pot of Filipino adobo for dinner, filling the house with the alluring scents of pork and chicken simmering in soy sauce and white vinegar with lots of star anise ...

Fresh Dungeness crab...really big guys, finally! A green salad with greens from my garden, mainly arugula and red leaf lettuce with a citrus vinaigrette. Think I will toss in some orange segments, and avocado. I got four crabs, so we can have fresh crab sandwiches tomorrow and introduce the guest coming to visit with our grandson to fresh crab. While here, he will see his first real mountains, lakes and the ocean. How cool is that?