What's Cooking (Take Four)

first course will be Iceberg lettuce with guacamole dressing

Nice riff on the traditional blue cheese dressing!

I love guac dressing and often use a smashed-up avocado instead of mayo, which I rarely use. It is fun to take a recipe and make it yours to suit your diet and needs. I always wanted Duke's mayo to be available on the West Coast, I found it to be better tasting. Now, that I never use it, I see our neighborhood market now carries it. They are building a huge new store across the street and have changed their marketing to have available more choices of product. I love it already.

[Jenise]

first course will be Iceberg lettuce with guacamole dressing

Nice riff on the traditional blue cheese dressing!

Avocado + fresh lime juice + fresh garlic and garlic salt + neutral oil + cilantro. All mixed in the bottom of a big bowl, lettuce placed on top and stirred together at the table.

Today's menu was inspired by Jerry Traunfeld who was (is?) executive chef at the Herbfarm in the rainy Cascade mountains east of Seattle. As much as we traveled in the area, we never made it to the restaurant. I finally bought his book and have enjoyed it, since I love cooking with fresh herbs.
Rosemary Grilled Chicken has a fresh rosemary marinade, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, EVOO, salt, and pepper. I will be roasting in the oven. Delicata squash, corn on the cob cut into three sections, mini peppers, and an array of baby zucchini and summer squashes roasted on a sheet pan fresh sage, rosemary, sherry vinegar,
fresh garlic oil, apple cider, salt, and pepper for the veggies.
Also, a Balsamic Potato Salad with red and purple potatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, kalamata olives, and garlic. Dressed with fresh mint, fresh basil, olive oil, and marjoram. You can use rosemary and thyme, or dill, and lemon, or whatever fresh herb combo you love.

That all sounds great, Karen!

And you remind me... I don't think I've seen a delicata squash yet this year. I wonder if there's been a crop issue?

[Jenise]

I absolutely loved the steak we had last night. It was a contest--four ribeyes, two each from two different stores. One Idaho beef and the other newly touted as local (though we don't know exactly how local is "local" in this case, there are a few legit cattle ranches around here). One pair won the vote for tenderness, the other won the vote for flavor so no clear winner, but it was all good. For the seasoning I used a new Penzeys product: Quebec Beef Seasoning Salt. It's absolutely outstanding. I salt the meat on both sides and let it stand at room temperature for an hour before grilling. This seasoning doesn't have a particular taste, it just adds saltiness in a way that makes the beef taste beefier. I'll probably never go back to plain salt and pepper again.

That said, in pennance, today all I want to eat is fruit and vegetables. Might do a tray bake of roasted celery, carrots and potatoes for tonight's dinner.

That all sounds great, Karen!

And you remind me... I don't think I've seen a delicata squash yet this year. I wonder if there's been a crop issue?

I have not seen them in the store yet, and I asked about them and was told they should be coming in soon. However, they are at Farmer's Market and when I saw it, I said, "Oh great, you have the Delicata Squash in". Grower replied, "Yes, finally!" So perhaps they are late this year like the tomatoes were.

We have a wonderful fellow in Redding who bakes and his specialty is huge loaves of organic sourdough breads. My faves are his Kalamata Olive bread, which has large chunks of the olives. Also, the roasted garlic with whole cloves in the bread is fabulous. Today, for breakfast is a thin slice of toasted garlic bread. it is topped with smashed avocado slices, sliced tomatoes, and a fried egg with crispy edges. A light sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano.

I am now the owner of my mother's old recipe box. It has several of my childhood favorites, among them porcupine meatballs. Alas, it does not have her recipe for Swedish meatballs, which comes from my maternal great grandmother Scherman.

Last night I made porcupine meatballs. It came out just as I remembered it. It's good to have childhood comfort food now and then.

-Paul W.

Jenise, is this the spice you posted about?
https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/ ... -3104/pd-s

Made scones for breakfast; had an 2-inch thick 8-oz prime top sirloin tonight using the grill/oven method for med-rare. Yum.

Tonight: two pans of fennel and butternut squash gratin (tip of the cap to Robin) and a whole chicken rubbed with toasted sesame oil, sesame, fennel, and nigella seeds.

[Jenise]

Jenise, is this the spice you posted about?
https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/ ... -3104/pd-s

YES! And I don't usually buy seasoned salts (except for Lawry's, something I've loved since childhood) vs. making my own on the fly. But my brother-in-law buys almost everything they make and used this on steaks a few months ago. I ordered some immediately. It's outstanding.

I have a bottle of Penzeys Quebec Beef Spice. It came as a freebie in a Penzeys order I'd made. I never got around to trying it out. That'll have to change now.

-Paul W.

Republicons are now attacking Penzey's Spices, and as of right now now, their servers are down.

They are up now. Bill Penzey is quite a character.

I have a whole pull-out shelf just for Penzey's freebies. They make great token gifts.

Yay! I found my two missing tongs. They were in our dedicated hot pad/dish towel drawer. Underneath everything, of course.

I get irritated with my tongs in the tool drawer because they tend to pop open and the drawer will not close. I have figured out how to place them there so they do not do that...as much. Maybe someone got mad at yours too and put them under the hot pads??

[Jenise]

Yay! I found my two missing tongs. They were in our dedicated hot pad/dish towel drawer. Underneath everything, of course.

Yay! I found my missing white kitchen scissors as well--and turns out, I'm the culprit. They were in the dining room where I'd used them for some gift wrapping.

But now two of my three pairs of garlic presses are missing.

[Jenise]

Winter's here. We've turned on the heat at last and tonight I'm making a little pot roast. One small chuck eye steak with Indian carrot and farmers market potatoes.

[Jenise]

Winter's here. We've turned on the heat at last and tonight I'm making a little pot roast. One small chuck eye steak with Indian carrot and farmers market potatoes.

How can winter be there...
fall is yet to come?

I get irritated with my tongs in the tool drawer because they tend to pop open and the drawer will not close. I have figured out how to place them there so they do not do that...as much. Maybe someone got mad at yours too and put them under the hot pads??

Not even close. Think cognitive problems.