What's cooking?

First Morels.jpg

Gasp!

Yes. I was going to have my measly criminis in a pasta dish tonight but that morel polenta picture puts my plan to shame!

[Robin Garr]

lathera.jpg

Last night we did another hearty veggie dinner, Greek Fasolakia Lathera (under construction in the photo). Green beans, potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic sauteed in fruity green olive oil, stewed with crushed tomatoes and scented with dill.

A rustic potato leek soup made with baby leeks, just out of the garden onions and just dug yellow potatoes. I'm playing with an appetizer that I will serve with the soup; sliced and broiled baguette coated with evoo, then smeared with goat cheese, smoked trout, and a sprinkle of diced red onion, fresh dill and capers.

[Robin Garr]

I've got some coconut milk (light) and tofu left over, so I'm thinking about a Thai-style red curry involving both with some broccoli and onions and rice.

I've got some coconut milk (light) and tofu left over, so I'm thinking about a Thai-style red curry involving both with some broccoli and onions and rice.

Tofu leftover? NJ and I never have any leftover tofu.

Dinner at the new Clarizios Italian Antipasti and Deli that is getting great reviews such as "a real jewel for Redding, very ethnic, great food, beautiful restaurant, great staff".....we'll see. I am so hoping for a good one. They don't have a website yet, so I could not preview the menu. I think every restaurant should have a website with their menu, but perhaps the mystery is the key.

Dinner at the new Clarizios Italian Antipasti and Deli that is getting great reviews such as "a real jewel for Redding, very ethnic, great food, beautiful restaurant, great staff".....we'll see. I am so hoping for a good one. They don't have a website yet, so I could not preview the menu. I think every restaurant should have a website with their menu, but perhaps the mystery is the key.

I like the way Italian is still considered 'ethnic'!

[Jenise]

We've got three couples coming to dinner tonight. Was going to do BBQ but woke up to rain, so I've shelved that and will be doing Armandino Batali's meat loaf instead, a great choice since I just learned that one of my guests had a colonoscopy three days ago and "they did some work down there" such that she has been advised to eat soft foods. This will work out better all around.

So with the meat loaf I'll be serving a mixed mushroom and spinach fettucine, and before that a salad of baby greens with parmesan-fried shrimp, and before that grilled artichokes with a smoked tomato dipping sauce, and after dinner the chocolate-crusted plum tart with rosemary I posted yesterday.

I like the way Italian is still considered 'ethnic'!

Just Italian, or are there others that bother you?

[Robin Garr]

Dreamcatcher Farm pork chop dry-rubbed with black pepper, kosher salt and smoked Spanish paprika, char-grilled to a pale rosy pink center.

6 lb. prime rib with a dry rub. Roast potatoes roasted in Turkish oregano, garlic, coarse salt, lemon juice. It is a method that I love to use with potatoes, they come out delicious. 440° for 40 minutes, turn, more salt, oregano and roast another 40 minutes. 1 cup of water is added at the start, the potatoes form a crust on the bottom. More water is added when you turn them, and they form a crust on the other side. Green beans with onion, garlic, bacon and fresh tomatoes, a romaine salad with an orange muscat vinaigrette. Home made vanilla ice cream. This is what Gene wanted for his day today. Another couple is joining us.

Father's day brunch: bresaola dressed with arugula, olive oil, capers and lemon juice; poached egg atop fried escarole with a dump of caviar; mango, pineapple and blueberry salad. A nice nap to follow !

[Jenise]

6 lb. prime rib with a dry rub. Roast potatoes roasted in Turkish oregano, garlic, coarse salt, lemon juice. It is a method that I love to use with potatoes, they come out delicious. 440° for 40 minutes, turn, more salt, oregano and roast another 40 minutes. 1 cup of water is added at the start, the potatoes form a crust on the bottom. More water is added when you turn them, and they form a crust on the other side. Green beans with onion, garlic, bacon and fresh tomatoes, a romaine salad with an orange muscat vinaigrette. Home made vanilla ice cream. This is what Gene wanted for his day today. Another couple is joining us.

Love the sound of those potatoes. What kind of roasting pan do you use?

Love the sound of those potatoes. What kind of roasting pan do you use?

It is a non-stick baking sheet with shallow sides. I line it with non-stick foil, (I try to make things easier on my pan washer) The potatoes brown so nicely with this method and we love the lemon flavor with the oregano. Here is a link Jenise to the recipe. I've know Evelyn/Athens for a long time from another site. She is a great cook.
One thing, my potatoes have never taken as long as she says. Mostly, I use just dug yellow spuds and the skins are very tender. I never peel.


http://www.food.com/recipe/greek-potatoes-oven-roasted-and-delicious-87782

[Robin Garr]

After a delicious local pork chop last night, we went veggie again tonight with a sort-of primavera pasta involving broccoli, peas, diced green peppers, tomato, onion and garlic over conchiglie pasta.

[Jenise]

Love the sound of those potatoes. What kind of roasting pan do you use?

It is a non-stick baking sheet with shallow sides. I line it with non-stick foil, (I try to make things easier on my pan washer) The potatoes brown so nicely with this method and we love the lemon flavor with the oregano. Here is a link Jenise to the recipe. I've know Evelyn/Athens for a long time from another site. She is a great cook.
One thing, my potatoes have never taken as long as she says. Mostly, I use just dug yellow spuds and the skins are very tender. I never peel.

http://www.food.com/recipe/greek-potatoes-oven-roasted-and-delicious-87782

Thanks. I've printed out the recipe and tucked it away--though I make carbs for dinners involving guests, I'm personally still on carb restriction so it could be awhile before I try this, but I sure like the sound of it.

[Jenise]

Simple dinner tonight of salad plus spaghetti squash with marinara sauce. Almost less because it's Meatless Monday, though it is, than that I'm also in the kitchen preparing tomorrow's lunch: bistro salad, chicken and mushroom crepes and then chocolate crepes with fresh raspberry sauce for 25 of my gal pals. It's going to be part cooking lesson, an interactive meal where any lady who wants to can learn by making her own crepe(s)--most of these friends will have never made a crepe before. Tons of prep work to do.

[Robin Garr]

In memory of Red Pepper Chinese, a wonderful local "authentic" Chinese eatery that closed too soon, one of their dishes, pan-fried tofu over braised fresh chard from Mary's garden.

[Jenise]

In memory of Red Pepper Chinese, a wonderful local "authentic" Chinese eatery that closed too soon, one of their dishes, pan-fried tofu over braised fresh chard from Mary's garden.

Hmmm...I'll trade you my spaghetti squash!

I like the way Italian is still considered 'ethnic'!

Just Italian, or are there others that bother you?

Well, truth be told, I'm not a big fan of the term 'ethnic food' because people use it to mean 'food from a minority culture' and ignore the fact that their majority culture is also an ethnicity. And beyond the linguistic imprecision this also assumes that the majority culture is the normal natural food, despite the fact that it is just as culturally specific and quirky as the 'ethnic' food.

But those philosophical issues aside, I responded because I didn't think that most places in the US still considered Italian to be a minority culture. I know Italians were considered 'ethnic' 50-60 years ago, but thought that for the most part olive oil, pasta, and tomato sauce were now accepted as part of American cuisine.

Regardless of all that, I hope it was a good meal!

[Robin Garr]

In memory of Red Pepper Chinese, a wonderful local "authentic" Chinese eatery that closed too soon, one of their dishes, pan-fried tofu over braised fresh chard from Mary's garden.

Hmmm...I'll trade you my spaghetti squash!

How about we go halves?

Here's dinner. Mary said it was as good as Red Pepper, but I think she was just being kind.

pantofu.jpg

Sea scallops sautéed in a little butter, then a sauce made with white wine, lemon, chives, garlic, parsley, over pasta. Need to look in my pantry but it will be a thin noodle like angel hair or thin spaghetti.

I was jonesin' for a Cobb Salad. Here she is!

Ms. Cobb.jpg

[Robin Garr]

I was jonesin' for a Cobb Salad. Here she is!

Yum!