Rotisserie Pork

We invited Tom over for dinner. It was a nice day and I wanted to Rotisserie a Pork Roast. We purchased the pork at McCall’s Meat andFish. With the pork roast we served Polenta. I hate to be definitive, however, if you like Polenta and we do, especially in winter, the Rustic Coarse Polenta Integral (Yellow)  available via the internet from Anson Mills is without a doubt the best we have ever had. It is very course and tasty.

We started with a Tomato Salad with Burrata Cheese and Olive Oil. I love the salad because it has a variety of tomatoes giving it different textures and tastes.

Tom brought Dessert from Proof Bakery.

Cathy's 65th Birthday

Chilled Oyster Veloute with Sorrel and Black Caviar

Roasted Diver Live Scallops with Seaweed Butter and Marash Pepper

Jason serves the Cote de Boeuf

Jason and Jasmine with Tomato Salad and Potato Gratin

Tomato Gratin

Potato Gratin with Garlic and Black Winter Truffles

Pear Galette with Candied Citrus and Crème Fresh

Cathy isn’t into making a big deal about her birthdays. But this her 65^th, is special – yea Medicare! Shumon and Scott both delayed trips so that could celebrate it with her. We really appreciated that. We decided to serve a dinner at home, but we didn’t want to cook or clean up, that would take the fun out of the celebration.

Coincidentally I ran into Jason Mattock who cooked my 65^th birthday at the late restaurant Palate. He is a wonderful cook. I suggested to Cathy that we hire Jason to prepare the meal at our house. We asked him and he said he would. We like his cooking so much, that we gave him absolutely no direction. Make what ever you want, we knew it would be good. It was outstanding.

He arrived with another chef, Jasmine and took over our kitchen. They cooked like it was their house, informally with no pressure on us. We wanted it to be a relaxed wonderful meal and it was. Weather in Los Angeles can be unpredictable at this time of year, luckily the gods were with us and we were able to eat outside overlooking the city from our back deck.

We started with Cremant de Bourgogne Sparkling Wine on the front steps just before sunset.

For the 1st course we had Chilled Oyster Veloute with Sorrel and Black Caviar accompanied by 2 bottles of Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve that Bea brought for the festivities.

The 2^nd course was Roasted Live Diver Scallops with Seaweed Butter (who knew) and Marash Pepper. We served an amazing wine: Liber Q Grand Vin du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet 2012. This wine is aged underwater in seaweed. Perfect spiritual accompaniment for live scallops.

The 3^rd, and main course, was 45 dry aged Cote de Boeuf with an Anchovy-Potoato Gratin with Garlic and Black Winter Truffles. With the meat courses we raided our cellar and served two Hermitage La Chapelle wines, a 1989 and 1990. Wow these were amazing and perfect for the food. They aged well. With the main course they also served an Old Fashion Heirloom Tomato Salad.

The birthday cake was scrumptious, a Pear Galette with Candied Citrus and crème Fresh. We served a Vin Santo del Chianti Armida Reserva 2006 with the Galette.

You couldn’t ask for a better celebration. We started at 7pm, eating and drinking an the party ended at midnight. We spent the entire night outside. The kitchen was spotless, the guests were satiated and all was well with our little area of Silverlake.

Jason is cooking at Canelé Restaurant in Atwater Village near us. On Monday nights he is doing a pop-up restaurant at the same location named Mongrel. You should check out his wonderful cooking. The link to the pop-up is: Mongrel Dinner. Jasmine can be found cooking at Forage Restaurant here in Silverlake.

Best Mangos Ever

We had Shumon over for dinner. As a Bangladeshi he is an expert in eating Mangos. Having a cook at home, he isn't an expert in slicing them, but he did an admirable job! These California Mangos are amazing. I also thought that only mangos from India (imported at great expense) were good. These are even better but only this brand: California Keitt Mangos. They are silky in texture, both sweet and tart and wonderful. We served them for dessert topped with Grand Marnier. Not traditional but yummy!

For the main course, we wanted to feature tomatoes since summer is coming to an end. Once again we made Tomato and Lentil Pasta from a recipe from Lacanda Veneta Restaurant in Los Angeles. You can get the recipe from our blog of: July 22, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

Cross Cultural Meal

We decided to invite Robert and Darryl over for dinner while their house is under re-construction. Scott also joined us. I wanted to rotisserie some meat, and once again we decided on Lamb Shawarma from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi. This is a great recipe. You can get the recipe from our blog of: Oct. 13, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe. I really like rotisserie cooking, it is much more forgiving then cooking on a flat grill. The food gets evenly cooked and wonderfully smoked. We purchased the meat, of course at McCall’s Meat and Fish.

While we were at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, we decided for some crazy reason to buy Green Corn Tamales from The Corn Maiden to serve as appetizers. They are delicious and you can get them frozen and stock up!

In a complete cross-cultural mix-up of Mexican, Middle-Eastern, we also decided to go Japanese style and serve Raw Tuna, also from McCall’s. We had some delicious Mangos and served it with the Tuna. We topped it with Japanese Vinegar and sliced Radishes.

I had been desirous all summer of making Baked Eggplants and Tomatoes with Bread Crumbs and Basil, this recipe from Chez Panisse Cooking by Alice Waters and Paul Bertolli, is absolutely one of my all time favorites. If you like tomatoes and eggplant, this is for you! You can get the recipe from our blog of: August 17, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

For dessert, happily, once again, Peach Crisp from McCall’s. Super meal! Great leftover lamb for sandwiches!

Beans and Sausage

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When we went to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market we saw fresh Cannellini Beans in the pod. We had never seen them in a market. We like them and decided to buy them. We found a recipe for cooking them in The Food ofCampanile by Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton. At the market we also purchased Smoked Tomatoes. They were dried and had an incredibly smoky aroma. We added them to the recipe.

At McCall’s Meat and Fish we purchased some Fennel and Garlic Sausages to seve with the beans.

To start we had a Little Gem Salad. This was the perfect Pork and Beans!

Cannellini  Beans

The Food of Campanile

Mark Peel Nancy Silverton

Yields   4   to   5   cups

Cannellini beans are almost a meal all by themselves. Just add a drizzle of olive oil, a shaving of Parmesan, and a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper; with a good piece of bread and a glass of wine, you can eat your way to blissful satisfaction. To take a slightly more bourgeois approach, these beans make a perfect companion for grilled steak with black olive tapenade. A drizzle of truffle oil adds an air of true elegance to what most people would consider crude peasant food. Nancy especially likes to eat these beans cold with a fork, standing at the open refrigerator door.

If cannellini beans are not available, great northern beans, although a little smaller and not quite as flavorful, can be used. This cooking method can also be used for a wide variety of beans—borlotti, scarlet runners, small navy, cranberry—-just about any kind of dried bean.

2         tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½         large onion, peeled, trimmed, and diced (1/2 cup)

6         garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed

1         teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1-1/2         teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1 bay leaf

1         smoked ham hock, or 1/4 pound bacon, in 1 piece

3         tablespoons balsamic vinegar

8 to 9 cups Chicken Stock, or a mixture of half stock and half water

2         cups dry cannellini beans (1pound), rinsed

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper                           /

Have   ready

The Chicken Stock, warm, in a large saucepan
over low heat

In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot, over low heat, preheat the olive oil. Sweat the onion with the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ham hock or slab of bacon, vinegar, 5 cups of the stock, and the dry beans. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer very gently, just barely bubbling the beans are tender, about 1 to 2 hours, adding stock as needed to keep the bean covered. Periodically skim any foam that rises to the top. This keeps the broth clear. If the heat setting is low enough, the beans should not stick to the bottom of the pot. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the beans only once every 30 minutes; if stirred more often, they might break apart. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Remove the ham hock or bacon and bay leaf. Discard the bay leaf. Allow the ham hock or bacon to cool. Using your fingers, separate the meat of the ham hock from the fat and the bone, shred the meat, and add it to the beans. Or, using a sharp knife, cut the bacon into 14-inch dice, and add it to the beans. Use as desired, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 week.

Jar B Que, Zuni Creamed Corn

Shumon had stopped by for dinner. We made a Tomato and Bread Soup from a new recipe. I won't include the recipe, because we decided it wasn't as good as the Pappa al Pomodoro from the Italian Country Cookbook by Rodgers and Gray,  that we love. You can get the recipe for our favorite tomato soup from our blog of: August 26, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

For the main course we made Char Shu Pork Chops from Jar Restaurant. I LOVE this recipe. You can find it in our blog of: July 30, 2012. It is fantastic! We accompanied the pork with Zuni Creamed Corn, from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers, definitely another keeper of a recipe. 

Creamed Corn

The Zuni Café Cookbook

Judy Rodgers

Simple and very rich. A spoonful with a few grilled or sautéed shrimp makes a nice appetizer. Pick out the youngest ears of corn in the bin, those with small, juicy kernels. They are fairly tender to start with and need little more than heat­ing through.

This recipe includes a basic technique for shaving fresh corn kernels from the cob. Your goal is to harvest the rounded tips of the kernels, leaving most of the tough kernel casing behind, while still capturing all the sweet juice.

You can substitute creme fraiche for the mascarpone; the result will be silkier and a little less sweet.

FOR 4 SERVINGS AS A SIDE DISH, 6 TO 8 AS PART OF AN APPETIZER:   -

·      3 cups scraped corn kernels and their

·      milky juice (see method below]

·      (6 to 12 ears young corn, depending on size and condition)

·      Scant 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

·      Salt

·      A little water, as needed

·      Up to 1/2 cup mascarpone, at room temperature

·      Freshly cracked black pepper

Scraping the corn: Shuck the corn and remove all the silk. Trim the tip of each cob, but don't break off the stalk-it makes a convenient handle. Holding the cob at an angle, position the knife blade flat against each ear and slide it smoothly down the length of the ear-don't cut too close to the cob. Rotate the ear a little after each swipe, until you have harvested all of the tips of the kernels. Now, scrape the whole cob, this time with the dull side of the knife, to force out the milky juice at the base of each kernel. Since the corn tends to fly and the juice splatter as you scrape, you may want to contain this inconvenience by setting up the operation in a wide bowl, tub, or shallow roasting pan. Holding the dull side nearly flat against the stripped cob will direct most of the juice into the vessel instead of onto your kitchen walls.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, add the corn and a pinch of salt, and stir with a spatula as you slowly heat the corn through. If the corn is at all dry, flick in a little water with your fingertips and stir as it steams. Taste a kernel of corn-if it isn't very tender, add water by the spoonful and stir as the corn cooks to tenderness. Once the corn is tender, stir in mascarpone, a few spoonfuls at a time, to taste. Serve just as it tries to bubble at the edge of the pan. Top with pepper.

Butter Poached Lobster Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops

We had some left over pasta from the Lobster that was rich in sauce. We purchased Scallops and Shrimp from McCall's Meat and Fish and made an excellent Seafood Pasta!

Butter Poached Lobster

We decided to cook lobster at home. We purchased Butter Poached Lobster Tails from Lobster Gram in Maine. They airfreight it overnight. We found a recipe for Butter Poached Lobster Over Leeks in Food and Wine Magazine. We invited Scott and Bea over for dinner.

We started with a Tomato Salad with Burrata Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar. The dish is VERY rich. I think I still prefer the lobster at Newport Can Tang!

Butter Poached Lobster Over Leeks

Food and Wine Magazine

1         stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter

4         large leeks, white and tender green parts, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

¼         cup dry white wine

1         tablespoon finely chopped tarragon, plus 1/4 cup leaves

1         cup heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1         medium beet, peeled and coarsely shredded

teaspoon fresh lemon juice

tablespoons water

1         pound cooked lobster meat (from three 1 1/2-pound lobsters)

1         pound capellini

In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and chopped tarragon and cook until the wine evaporates, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over low heat until the cream is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Return the creamy leek sauce to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet. Add the shredded beet, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the water over moderately low heat whisking constantly. Add the lobster meat and cook just until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until barely al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the leek sauce-reserved pasta water and the butter from the lobster; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Transfer the pasta to plates or shallow bowls and top with the lobster meat. Garnish with the beets and tarragon leaves and serve at once.

Pasta in Frying Pan

We saw this unusual recipe in the New York Times for a pasta that you only cook half way through. You then sauté it in the sauce. The noodles absorb the sauce and it is quite delicious. The recipe is straight forward and I recommend it.

Scott Conant's Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

By SANDRA BALLENTINE

New York TImes

INGREDIENTS

                  3 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and quartered

                  3 ounces olive oil

                  Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

                  1 pinch crushed red-pepper flakes

                  1 pound dry spaghetti

                  2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil

                  1 tablespoon butter

                  6 leaves fresh basil, shredded

                  2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

PREPARATION

1. Blanch the tomatoes and remove the skins. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes crosswise. Set aside in a bowl.
2. Heat 3 ounces olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until it smokes slightly. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Since the tomatoes will reduce and the salt will be concentrated, it is better to season initially with a lighter hand.
3. Chop the tomatoes with a potato masher until they are in fine chunks and all their liquid is released. Be sure they are chopped and crushed fine, for a semichunky sauce. Simmer for 25 minutes over medium heat.
4. While the sauce simmers, heat the water for the pasta. Cook the spaghetti in salted water about half of the way cooked. Drain, reserving some of the water.
5. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente. If the sauce is over-reduced, use the pasta cooking liquid to adjust it.
6. At the last moment, remove the pan from the heat; add the extra-virgin olive oil, butter, basil and cheese. Mix thoroughly until the pasta is an orangy color. Taste again and adjust the salt if necessary. Remove to a platter. Serve.

YIELD

4 servings

Salmon Salad

Left over Salmon means Salmon Salad, but not the kind you got as a child out of a can!

Smoked Salmon,nectarine Salad

We invited Robert and Darryl for dinner. Their house is torn up for construction. We decided to smoke a salmon in the egg. We used the recipe for Honey-Cured, Smoked Salmon from Cooking with Fire and Smoke by Phillip Stephen Schulz. You can find the recipe in our blog of: Jan 15, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. This requires the salmon to be cooked low and slow in the egg. We love this recipe and it gives great leftovers (if we don’t invite too many eager eaters over). We have made it many times.

We started with a Nectarine Salad made with Almonds and Saba.

Left Over Steak Julia Child Stognoff

We had left over Cote du Boeuf and decided to make Beef Stroganoff. Robert suggested we make: A Fast Saute of Beef for Two from The Way to Cook by Julia Child. I feel the name of the dish is a bit of a joke, yes, it is a fast saute, once you have do the 20 steps that precede it! I wanted to feel it is healthy since it isn’t served over noodles. Making this dish reminded me of the one that Jill used to make with her secret ingredient of pickles! It was a warm Los Angeles night and we ate outside on our deck overlooking the city. 

A Fast Saute of Beef for Two Recipe

From The Way to Cook by Julia Child (Alfred A. Knopf)

This is a meal in one with beef tenderloin chunks, potatoes, and mushrooms. Do not let the long ingredient list dismay you. It's not that difficult to make.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

The Onions:

6 to 8 small white onions about 1 inch in diameter

1/2 cup chicken stock

A pinch of tarragon or mixed herbs

The Potatoes:

3 or 4 medium boiling potatoes

A pinch of tarragon or mixed herbs

3 tbsp minced fresh parsley

The Mushrooms:

6 to 8 large fresh mushrooms

1 tbsp minced shallot or scallion

The Meat:

2 center-cut beef tenderloin steaks 1-1/2 inches thick, or the equivalent cut from a piece of tenderloin

The Sauce:

2 tbsp minced shallots or scallions

1/3 cup dry French vermouth

1/4 cup beef or chicken stock

1/3 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup stock blended with 1/2 tbsp cornstarch)

Other Ingredients:

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Butter and light olive oil or peanut oil

Preparation:

The Onions:

Drop the onions into boiling water for 1 minute. Drain. Shave skin from the tip and root ends, then slip off the remaining skins. Pierce a cross 1/4 inch deep in the root ends, for even cooking. Simmer slowly in the covered saucepan with the stock, herbs, and a little salt until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with the rest of the items.

The Potatoes:

Peel the potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch slices; cut the slices into 3/4-inch strips, and cut the strips into cubes. Dry the potatoes. Set one of the frying pans over high heat, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil, and when the butter foam has almost subsided, add the potatoes. Saute without disturbing for 1 minute, swirl the pan by its handle to toss them, and leave for another minute to sear them. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and saute over moderate heat, tossing fairly frequently, for about 15 minutes. When lightly browned and tender, keep them just warm, uncovered, over a pan of barely simmering water.

The Mushrooms:

Trim 1/4 inch off the stems of the mushrooms and either wipe the caps clean with a towel or wash them rapidly, if dirty, and dry them. Quarter them. Saute several minutes in hot butter in your second frying pan, adding the shallots or scallions at the end, just as the absorbed butter reappears on their surface and they begin to brown.

The Meat:

Whether you are using steaks or a piece of tenderloin, cut off outside fat and slice the meat into 1-1/2-inch chunks. Dry them well before sauteing.

Midway point:

Everything is cooking at once except for the meat, which is lying in wait. The onions are simmering away in their saucepan; the potatoes are sauteing. When the mushrooms are done, turn them into a side dish.

Sauteing the meat:

Set the mushroom saute pan over moderately high heat, adding a little butter and oil. When very hot, almost smoking, add the meat. Brown, tossing frequently for several minutes, until barely springy when pressed -- the beef must be very rare because it gets a little more cooking later. Toss it with a sprinkling of salt, and scrape it into the dish with the mushrooms.

The Sauce:

Spoon all but a tablespoon of fat out of the pan, stir in the minced shallots or scallions, and saute a moment; then pour in the wine, the stock, and any juices from the onions. Boil rapidly and let reduce almost to a syrup before adding the optional cream (or the stock/cornstarch).

Final simmering:

Scrape the beef, onions, and mushrooms into the pan and bring to the simmer, basting with the sauce, just to warm the beef through without overcooking; it should be rosy rare. Taste the sauce carefully and correct seasoning.

Serving:

Toss the potatoes over high heat to crisp, adding a tablespoon of butter, the herbs, and parsley. Strew the potatoes over the meat and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

The Way to Cook22 by Julia Child (Alfred A. Knopf)