Post Your Food Photos !

Sorry Carrie...don't know how to do either yet...but I am learning to play Bridge from my Mother-in-law. So there is hope...and I agree, Jenise has to cook!

No fair! From what I've seen, we would all be happy to eat Carrie's food any time. Be happy to help out, though.

Speaking of food, Bob took a shot of what I made I made for dinner last night:

IMG_0419.JPG

Jenise, that is one gorgeous plate of food (and a gorgeous plate, to boot.) Is that new, to go with your new kitchen?

[Jenise]

Thanks, it was good and the fish was cooked perfectly, but my execution on the wrapper was not perfect. With a bit more work, I should be able to tighten it up. I had originally planned to serve it over the spinach and on looking at the picture think I should have stayed that path, but I was so in love with that emerald green that I decided at the last minute to go linear instead. It's fresh and local spinach, with the biggest leaves I've ever seen--some are 10" long. The result is strong and fabulously earthy tasting, not tender enough for raw salads but incredible as a cooking green.

The plates--I've had these a few years. I don't have a single 'set' per se but a number of different shapes, sizes and colors that I can choose from, or layer, depending on the mood of the course. This meal would probably have looked best on white but I haven't unpacked that box yet.

Ah, summer cooking has begun and here is a delicious dinner we had last night. I loved the mango, tomato, cilantro salsa with chipotle powder

Jenise, beautiful plated dish, food and plate. I love fish and spinach together. By the way, did your spinach have a large stem end and pointed opposite end? I don't know what the type is called, but we are getting some great spinach at the Farmer's Markets here, as well. The stems are hefty and I remove them prior to cooking.

[Jenise]

Jenise, beautiful plated dish, food and plate. I love fish and spinach together. By the way, did your spinach have a large stem end and pointed opposite end? I don't know what the type is called, but we are getting some great spinach at the Farmer's Markets here, as well. The stems are hefty and I remove them prior to cooking.

Very pointy tip, yes. I just thought of the perfect description for the leaf shape that eluded me yesterday: arrowhead. The stems certainly would have been too, but they'd been removed by the vendor so what I had was pan-ready.

Your fish tacos look like what I should have for lunch. Did you make the tortillas yourself?

I planted the arrowheaded spinach last year - billed as "asian" - It grew very well but it is not bolt resistant and even in a shaded spot bolted after just a few pickings.
Trying a bolt resistant variety this year - has a heavily savoyed leaf- and is a great producer. Will wait to see how long it stays.
It is nice to see the increased # of spinach options in the seed catalogs

Your fish tacos look like what I should have for lunch. Did you make the tortillas yourself?

Heck no, I buy them at Trader Joe's, they are Mama's Flour Tortillas from Trader Joe's. The company has been in business since 1939. Very good torts, I liked the way they puffed up when I put them in a non-stick pan with just a brush of evoo.

We love shrooms and onions with a good steak!

Karen, what was the marinade on those steaks? Looks like a glaze of some sort. Mmmm.

RCP: Killer Marinade

1/3 cup salad oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. Grey Poupon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 -3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 T. fresh lemon juice.
Whist all together. Marinate any red meat overnight or all day.

We love shrooms and onions with a good steak!

Karen, what was the marinade on those steaks? Looks like a glaze of some sort. Mmmm.

RCP: Killer Marinade

1/3 cup salad oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. Grey Poupon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 -3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 T. fresh lemon juice.
Whist all together. Marinate any red meat overnight or all day.

Thank you Karen! I am going to try that next time I make flank steak.

Man'oushe, or at least my attempt at it. Thinly rolled out pizza bases, topped with oil and za'atar (thyme, sumac, sesame seeds and salt), then baked until golden. My youngest son ate three of the four!

Celia, you done good. Those look like the ones I can get in my heavily-Middle-Eastern neighborhood!

C, yum! Now I'm craving to do something similar once the weather cools down a bit from the heatwave here.

Oooh, thanks Jeff. They're ridiculously moreish (moorish? ) - my son asked me to make them again today.

Salil, I bought a premade mix, and most people say to use thyme, sumac, salt and sesame, but a couple of times I've heard the Lebanese refer to it as "oregano". I'm not sure whether wild thyme and oregano are similar?

Oooh, thanks Jeff. They're ridiculously moreish (moorish? ) - my son asked me to make them again today.

Salil, I bought a premade mix, and most people say to use thyme, sumac, salt and sesame, but a couple of times I've heard the Lebanese refer to it as "oregano". I'm not sure whether wild thyme and oregano are similar?

The right herb to use is hyssop, thyme is a decent substitute. I have three kind of pre mixed zaatar at home - A Jerusalem one (easy on the sumac), a Nazareth mix and a Lebanese mix. I prefer the Jerusalem one, but that's just a matter of taste.

Jacques, thank you! That's very interesting, will investigate further...

[David M. Bueker]

A couple of shots from our weekend with Thor & Theresa (food in photos prepared by Thor - I failed to photograph Theresa' tasty crab cakes):

Veg ready for grill.jpg

Shaking Beef.jpg

I've never grilled radicchio. I can see it is cut in wedges, do you add olive oil, salt and pepper prior to grilling?

Here's my take on the manou'she (or Arabic plural - mana'ish). The top one is with Jerusalem za'atar. the bottom with Lebanese.

Jacques, very cool! I love how green your top one is...

David, that beef salad looks delicious!

The starter for yesterday's dinner: Avocado parfait in zucchini coat on tomato-bell pepper-sauce with North Sea shrimps

[Jenise]

Wow, Heinz. The avocado mixture--that would be a mousse I presume? Did you secure it with gelatin?

Wow, Heinz. The avocado mixture--that would be a mousse I presume? Did you secure it with gelatin?

Yes, it's a mousse secured with gelatin. The mousse should be eaten the day of preparation because otherwise it would oxidize and become discoloured.

I've never grilled radicchio. I can see it is cut in wedges, do you add olive oil, salt and pepper prior to grilling?

I love grilled radicchio. I make mine exactly as you describe above.

[David M. Bueker]

Yes, the radicchio had olive oil, salt & pepper as did the other veggies.