Campanile Tomato Salad

I had been waiting all summer for this dish. It is a Green and Red Tomato Salad with Russian Dressing from Campanile Restaurant. Part of the reason is that I am sucker for Russian Dressing. This salad is loaded with it. Combine it with hot crusty French Bread and you have a perfect meal. This is a fabulous salad when tomatoes are at their peak. We used on red tomatoes for this version. You can find the recipe on our blog of: July 4, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Lobster Pasta

We decided to make Lobster Pasta. We didn’t want to be responsible for killing the lobsters, so Nate at McCall’s Meat and Fish did the deed for us. We brought them home and quickly made the pasta. Our T'ai Chi teacher had lent us his copy of The Young Man & the Sea and we liked the recipes in it so much we purchased our own copy. We used the recipe for Spaghetti with Lobster & Chiles from The Young Man & the Sea (Cute title huh?) by David Pasternack. It was fabulous. I would make this again.

We started with a simple salad of Melon Spritzed with Lime Juice and Prosciutto. I like Melon Salads in the Summer!

Spaghetti with Lobster & Chiles

The Young Man & the Sea

David Pasternack

This is a remarkably simple main-course pasta dish that I can't remove from the menu at Esca. The hot chiles play off the cool mint beautifully, and they complement the sweetness of the lobster meat. Don't be afraid to cook lobster at home. If you're squeamish about killing a live lobster, have your fishmonger kill and cut up the lobster for you. Just make sure you cook the lobster the day it's brought home from the fish market.

Serves 4 to 6

4         1-pound live lobsters

1         pound dried spaghetti

3         tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus high-qualit extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2         cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 to 3 diced serrano chiles, to taste (or poblano or jalapeho,               depending on the amount of heat you prefer)

2       cups Basic Tomato Sauce

10     mint leaves, rolled and finely sliced

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil (the water should taste like the ocean) for the lobsters, and another pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

On a cutting board, hold the lobster facing your knife hand. Place the point of a very sharp chef's knife on the lobster's head just behind the eyes. Swiftly press the point in and bring the blade down to the cutting board, severing the head. The lobster will move and twitch, but it is no longer alive. Pull the claws from the body, using a slight twisting motion. Remove the tail: twist the tail in one direction and the body in the other. It should come apart cleanly. Set the tails aside.

Add the claws to the lobster pot and cook for 5 minutes (they will turn red). Use a slotted spoon to remove and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, cover with a kitchen towel and crack the claws by pressing down with a mallet or the handle of a chef's knife. Remove the meat from the claws and set aside in a bowl. Remove the meat from the knuckles (the segment between the claws and the body), and set aside in a separate bowl.

Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the box directs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the spaghetti in a colander. Put the pasta in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

To cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise: place on a cutting board with the underside of the tail facing up. Use your body weight to press the blade into the tail, cutting through to the outer shell. Then cut across the tails so that each one is in four pieces.

In a large straight-sided saute pan or in the pot used to cook the spaghetti, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over a medium-high flame until smoking. Add the lobster tails and, stirring with a wooden spoon, cook until they start changing color, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles and cook until the garlic is translucent, about 1 minute. Add the cup of reserved pasta water, the tomato sauce, and the meat from the lobster claws. Simmer the sauce until it reduces slightly, about 4 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and the lobster knuckle meat, and toss with tongs to coat. Let the pasta reheat in the sauce for about a minute.

Serve the pasta in wide shallow bowls, being sure to evenly divide the lobster pieces. Drizzle with a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the fresh mint, sea salt, and pepper.

Zuni Chicken and John

John came down from San Francisco to stay with us. So of course we made a San Francisco dinner, our all time favorite: Zuni Chicken and Caesar Salad.

We have made this many times and when we are San 

Francisco we ALWAYS go to Zuni Cafe and enjoy the original. The recipe for the Caesar Salad is from our blog of June 25, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

You can get the recipe by clicking this link: Zuni Chicken.

Zuni cooks their chicken in a wood burning stove, we cooked two chickens on our rotisserie, I am trying to migrate from using briquettes to just hardwood, the flavor is better. This time it worked out perfectly! 

Shrimp and Corn Pasta

When Doshi and Pat joined us for July 4^th, they brought a great salad of Cherry Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella Balls. We really liked the salad, and have made it several times. I like the way the two chief ingredients are matched in size. Simply dress the salad with some herbs and Olive Oil and Vinegar. For the main course we made Fettuccine with Rock Shrimp, Corn & Jalapeno from The Young Man & the Sea by David Pasternack. This was a good recipe. We are definitely enjoying the book’s fish recipes.

Fettuccine with Rock Shrimp, Corn & Jalapeno

The Young Man & the Sea

David Pasternack

Rock shrimp are delicious, forgiving, and so easy to cook with. How did I come up with this dish? I had all these "Biker Billy" jalapenos (a variety of large jalapeno that turns red upon ripening) in my garden one summer, and I wanted to do something with them in the restaurant. Peppers and corn are the essence of summer to me, and the jalapenos add just enough heat to make the dish interesting. I let the jalapenos turn red before using them so they are not super-spicy. This dish moves quickly, so set out all the ingredients before you begin.

Serves 4

1   pound dried fettuccine

3     tablespoons plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1     medium jalapeno, stemmed and seeded, sliced in rounds

1   pound rock shrimp, peeled and deveined

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6     ears corn, kernels removed from cob (about 3 cups)

2     cups arugula, rinsed and spun-dry, chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook 1 minute less than the box instructs for al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil over a medium flame in a deep, straight-sided saute pan. Add the jalapeno and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Season the rock shrimp with salt and pepper, then add to the pan. Sear the shrimp on all sides for 6 to 8 minutes total. Add the corn, stir well to combine, and cook for about 1 minute more. Season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

Reduce the flame to medium and add the arugula. Stir to combine. Add the pasta and the reserved pasta water. Use tongs to combine the ingredients, and continue cooking for about 1 minute more. Season with additional salt and pepper. Use the tongs to transfer the pasta to four serving bowls, and drizzle some high-quality extra-virgin olive oil over each bowl before serving.

Lamb Chops with Bengali Food

Baigan bhaji with raita

Bagare Chana

Our friend Shumon joined us for dinner. He brought some typical Bengali foods for appetizers. We made Gael's Tandoori Lamb Chops from a recipe in an excellent cookbook: Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran. He runs Devi restaurant in New York City. The lamb, of course was from McCall's Meat and Fish. You can get the recipe from our blog of: July 16, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe. It was incredibly tender and delicious.

With lamb we made Jeera Rice (Basmati rice with black cumin).

For dessert we had the Indian Ice Cream: Kolfi that is made with condensed milk. It was a great dinner.

Fruit Salad and Tomato Pasta

Oh my, but this is a good pasta. Only in summer can we have this dinner. A Nectarine Salad with Hazelnuts, Burrata Cheese and Saba. The Penne with Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar from: Rogers and Gray: Italian Country Cookbook is a miracle. You would swear there was meat in this thick tomato sauce. It best, of course made from heirloom tomatoes from the Farmer’s Market. You can get the recipe from our blog of: Aug 4, 2007, Click the date to get the recipe.

Ramadan (Breaking the Fast)

Shumon brought over a typical Muslim Ramadan Iftar Dinner. During the month of Ramadan Muslims fast all day they then have a large dinner late at night. This is what they might eat. Vegetable Eggplant Bhaji, Onion Pakora, Channa (two kinds of Chick Peas), and Chicken Rezala. It makes the fasting worthwhile!

Sausage and Radicchio

The New York Times had a set of grilled recipes that looked right up our alley. Grilled Sausage, Grilled Radicchio and Grilled Garlic Bread. What could go wrong with that? One complete dinner all grilled on the Weber! Cathy decided to add Balsamic to the Radicchio, an inspired addition.

We purchased the Fennel Sausage at McCall’s. They have the best sausage! I recommend this as a fast, super easy, super tasty meal!

      

Grilled Sausages and Radicchio

New York Times

By MELISSA CLARK

TOTAL TIME

15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 large heads radicchio, about 10 ounces each

3 to 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste

1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste

2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausages

1 lemon, halved

Basil leaves, for servingPREPARATION

1.     Light or heat up the grill. Halve radicchios lengthwise through stem end, and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil (or more if you need it to coat) and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2.     Put radicchios, cut side down, and sausages on the grill and cover. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until outer radicchio leaves are dark brown. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool while sausages finish cooking, about 5 minutes more.

3.     When cool enough to handle, thinly slice radicchios. The outsides should be charred, and the insides should still be crisp and raw. Combine in a bowl with another 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Taste and correct seasonings, adding lemon juice, salt and olive oil to taste.

4.     Spread radicchio on a platter and top with grilled sausages. Garnish with basil and serve.

YIELD

4 servings

Grilled Garlic Bread with Basil and Parmesan

By MELISSA CLARK

New York Times

TOTAL TIME

10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6 slices rustic, crusty country bread, 3/4-inch thick

Olive oil, for drizzling

2 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Basil leaves, for serving

PREPARATION

1.     Light a grill or turn heat to high. Drizzle both sides of bread with olive oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes without turning, until one side is crisp and beginning to char.

2.     Remove bread from grill and rub grilled side thoroughly with the cut garlic. Evenly distribute Parmesan on the grilled side and return toast to the grill, cheese side up. Close lid and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Transfer to a cutting board, slice each piece of toast in half and serve garnished with basil leaves.

YIELD

6 serving

Melon Salad, Scallops, Red Rice and Darryl's Chocolate Cake

In our quest to conquer Thai cooking we made Red Curry of Scallops from Thai Food by David Thompson. For some reason that we don't understand, the curry didn't turn out to be red in color. When we were in Bangkok we had a Lobster in Red Curry Sauce and wanted very much to cook it at our house. This clearly isn't the recipe although the taste was correct. We will keep looking.

We invited Robert, Darryl and Shumon to join us for dinner. We started with a wonderful salad: Thai Melon Salad from City Cuisine by Susan Feniger & Mary Sue Milliken. This recipe does capture Bangkok! It is wonderful and highly recommend that you try it. The recipe can be found on our blog of: August 12, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Robert and Darryl brought a very light and rich Flourless Chocolate Cake. You have to invite them to dinner to get the recipe

RED CURRY OF SCALLOPS

chuu chii hoi shenn

Thai Food

David Thompson

This is an elegant curry: it should not be too thick or intensely flavoured, or the scallops will be overpowered. So, after seasoning the curry, simmer until almost, but not quite, dry - the degree is determined by taste.

If scallops are not available, mussels, clams, prawns or any other seafood make excellent alternatives. This curry can also be made with whole oi filleted fish, cooked in the seasoned curry or deep-fried until crisp and crunchy, then added at the end.

2 cups         coconut cream

1 TBL         palm sugar

2 TBL         fish sauce

1 cup                  coconut milk or stock

12-16 small scallops, cleaned - about 200 g (6 oz) in all

4                kaffir lime leaves, shredded

1 TBL         thick coconut cream

a little red chilli, julienned

1 TBL         coriander leaves

paste

5-8 dried long red chillies, deseeded, soaked and drained large pinch of salt

5         slices galangal

3 TBL         chopped lemongrass

4 TBL         chopped garlic

3 TBL sliced red shallot
1 TBL scraped and chopped coriander root
10 white peppercorns

1 rounded teaspoon shrimp paste igapi), roasted

First, make the paste.

Crack the coconut cream over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the paste and fry, stirring regularly, for at least 5 minutes, until fragrant. Season wit sugar and fish sauce. Add coconut milk and simmer until reduced, quite thick and separated. Add scallops and half the kaffir lime leaves and continue to simmer briefly, with the scallops immersed, until the flesh is just cooked. (Alternatively, the scallops can be removed from their shells, cooked in the curry, then returned to their shells and the curry poured over them.)

Check seasoning: it should be salty, a little hot and fragrant from the kaffir lime. To serve, arrange scallops on a plate, drizzle over the coconut cream then sprinkle with the remaining lime leaves, red chilli and coriander.

Chicken Korma

 Shumon made Chicken Korma for us. It is a traditional Indian dish that we really like. We appreciate others cooking for us, especially it if is Indian! We started with Proscuitto and Melon.

Corn Pasta

In the summer when corn is sweet, we love to make Corn Pasta. It is an easy pasta to make and has great flavors. It is a favorite summer pasta in our house. You can get the recipe in our blog of: Aug. 12, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

July 4th

Every July 4^th we bring in Bar-b-que from our favorite Bar-b-que restaurant: Bludso’s. They now have a restaurant on La Brea, but I like the OG style in Compton. I order it on the 2^nd, pick it up on the 3^rd and reheat to serve on the 4^th.

Michael had the great idea of putting a pan of boiling water in the oven and letting it steam the meats so they don’t dry out. It was an inspired idea. The meat was much more tender than last year. Boy is it good!

Bea was assigned her usual task of making Margarita’s. They were great! Doshi and Pat brought a wonderful Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad. We loved it!

Cathy and I made, once again, the Watermelon and Feta Salad from Plenty by Yotam Otttolenghi. If you haven’t made this salad try it, it is delicious. You can find the recipe on our blog of: Sep. 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

There were many deserts including an outrageous chocolate cake made by Judi, and a rhubarb pie from Tom. As night finally fell, we watched the fireworks from our deck. It was an amazing display.

Baingan Bharta with Love

We saw a recipe for Baingan Bharta in the New York Times and decided to make it. I requires grilled and smoked Eggplants. We invited Shumon and he gave it that extra special Bengali love in tweeking the recipe. In addition he brought Tandoori Chicken Paratha. It was a great dinner.

Baingan Bharta

Adapted from Julie Sahni

By MARK BITTMAN

New York Times

TOTAL TIME

About 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

            2 pounds eggplant

            2 tablespoons lime juice

            2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

            1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

            3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

            1 fresh hot green chile like a jalapeño, or more to taste, thinly sliced (discard seeds for less heat)

            1 pound fresh tomatoes, chopped

            1/2 teaspoon turmeric

            1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

            1/2 cup chopped cilantro, thin stems included

            2 tablespoons garam masala

PREPARATION

1.

Prick the eggplant with a thin-blade knife. Grill over or next to very high heat, turning as necessary until the skin is blackened and the eggplant collapses. Or broil, or roast on a heated cast-iron pan in the hottest possible oven. It will take about 20 minutes.

2.

When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel (this will be easy) and trim away the hard stem. Chop or mash in a bowl, with lime juice.

3.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles and cook for another minute. Add the tomato, turmeric and salt. Cook until the tomato is soft, 5 minutes or so.

4.

Stir in the eggplant purée and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and garam masala and turn off the heat. Serve hot with warm chapati bread or pita, or over rice.

YIELD

4 servings