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| Indian Candy |
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| Gazpacho made by Tom from Tomatoes from his garden |
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| John's wonderful Birthday Gift |
John Carpenter had gifted me for my birthday a fantastic
magnum of 1982 Pomerol wine. To drink this wine required a special dinner and
good friends.
Bobby who loves to cook meat, but isn’t supposed to eat it
volunteered to cook grill it. He also isn’t supposed to drink. Bobby fell off
the wagon, big time. But he assured me it was worth it! It was a warm Los
Angeles night and we were able to eat outside.
We started on the front patio with Indian Candy and Gazpacho.
Indian Candy is dried Salmon that I suppose our American Indians created. It is
chewy and tasty. Tom is a devoted gardener and he Gazpacho was from his own
tomatoes and vegetables.
The three huge Cote de Boeuf steaks were much more than all
of us could possibly eat. Robert cooked them perfectly. He gets bonus points
for carving.
To accompany the meat we made Potatoes and Onions Roasted
with Vinegar and Thyme from Chez Panisse Cooking by Bertolli and Waters. This
is a great potato recipe.
We had an amazing amount of desserts to top off the evening.
Cathy and I baked a delicious Fig Upside Down Cake. This is a real winner and
easy to make. You can get the recipe from our blog of: Sep 4, 2006. Click the
date to get the recipe.
We also had a Peach Crisp from McCall’s Meat and Fish and Pastries from Proof Bakery.
It was a special night crafted around John’s great wine.
Potatoes
and Onions Roasted with Vinegar and Thyme
Chez
Panisse Cooking
Bertolli
and Waters
For
4
Although
they are good next to just about any roasted or grilled meat and poultry, I like
to serve these potatoes and onions with braised dishes. The potatoes are half
peeled, leaving a spiraling band of skin attached. This not only makes them
look appealing, but allows the vinegar to penetrate them during their slow
roast. If they are to brown evenly, it is important to turn the potatoes and
onions (about every thirty minutes, and more frequently during the last half
hour) to coat them with the vinegar and butter.
8
white (the size of a golf ball) boiling onions (9 ounces)
12
small (the size of a golf ball) red potatoes (1 pound)
2
tablespoons unsalted butter
3
tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2
teaspoon salt
Freshly
ground pepper
6
sprigs thyme
Preheat
the oven to 350°F.
Peel
the onions. Starting at the top of each potato, pare away a 1/4-inch-thick band
off the skin, leaving half of it in place. Put the onions and potatoes in a
baking dish just large enough to hold them. Melt the butter and pour it and the
vinegar over the potatoes and onions. Add salt and pepper and mix until they
are coated. Burv the thyme sprigs in the vegetables and cover the dish with
foil. Bake in the oven for 2 hours, stirring the vegetables each half hour to
recoat them. Be sure to cover them after stirring. When done, the onions and
potatoes should be a deep brown color.
