Pork Chop

Robert Cooking the Pork Chops

Darryl cooking

Perfect Chops!

Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Mashed Potatoes and Red Cabbage

We were at McCall’s Meat and Fish and saw some beautiful pork chops. We bought 3 of the last remaining 4 chops and decided to invite Robert to join us since Darryl was out of town. After we got home Robert suggested we delay the dinner a day so that Darryl could join us upon his return. I was worried they had sold the last remaining chop but luckily they hadn’t.

I returned to the store and was able to get it. We decided to do a joint dinner, we would cook some dishes Robert and Darryl the others. Robert made Pork Chops with Porcini and a Reduced Wine Sauce to go over the chops. It was perfect. We made Mashed Potatoes (that were unfortunately heavy not light – sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn’t). Darryl made Sauteed Red Cabbage.

I very much like joint dinners. It spreads the work out and everyone gets to participate. All it requires is friends that like to cook and clean up!

Thanksgiving

Scott, Joy, Brenda and Cathy all cooking

Turkey on the rotisserie

Joy adding a little love to the turkey

Almost Done!

Done!

Bea with Carrots and Salmon Tartar

Turkey on the Noodles

Bread Pudding from Cook's County

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

Timmy on Grinder

Apple Pie

Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving means tradition. For us, we always make the same great turkey recipe. We made the same Renaissance Turkey that we cooked last year. It is wonderful and I believe will be an annual event for us. Cathy found a recipe in The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper for Christmas Capon (Cappone Natalizio). This recipe was for a spit roasted capon, we substituted a Heritage Turkey from McCall’s Meat and Fish. What made the dish so incredible was another recipe from the same cookbook for: Tagliatelle with Caramelized Oranges and Almonds, a Renaissance preparation of pasta that the sliced turkey was to be served over. This is a great recipe, totally different from what people expect (other than those that came to our house last year). You can find this recipe on our blog of: November 23, 2012.

When I ordered the Heritage Turkey from McCall’s I told Nate I wanted a big enough turkey to serve 10 and have leftovers. When I picked up the turkey the day before Thanksgiving he had reserved a 16-1/2 pound turkey. Cathy and I worried as we drove home that the turkey might be too big for the rotisserie. The motor might not be strong enough to rotate the giant bird. We thought of alternatives if the motor blew out. Roast the turkey on the grill, throw it in the oven, etc. The motor worked fine however and once again the turkey was perfect. This recipe when we tell people about it puzzles people. Turkey on Thanksgiving over Pasta? Huh? Turns out everyone loves it.

Before I put the turkey on the spit, I washed and cleaned the inside of the turkey. When I removed the turkey and started to carve it I discovered I had missed the gizzards that were in a plastic bag inside of the turkey cavity. Luckily for us the plastic didn't melt and damage was done. Cathy was laughing so hard she dropped the pan of turkey drippings on the floor which created a mess but was quickly cleaned up by Joy using newspaper and Joy Dishwasher soap. It made no difference and at the time amused us all.

This dinner was especially easy because everyone pitched in to assist. Brenda and Joy came down to stay with us and helped us make the two appetizers.

We served Carrot Puree With Caraway And Feta from Moro the Cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark. This is a favorite. You get the recipe from our blog of: Feb. 10, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

We also made Salmon Tartar from a salmon that Shumon had brought us from Alaska. We love Salmon Tartar as an appetizer and it is very easy to make (as long as you have good salmon!). You can get the recipe on our blog of: Jan 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

Bea brought two bottles of Amaroni Wine that went perfectly with the turkey. Michael also brought wine that we drank in a subsequent meal. Timmy provided two bottles of great champagne.

We made Shredded Brussel Sprouts this is a recipe that requires lots of dicing. I am glad we had the kitchen help! The recipe was from City Cuisine by Feniger Milliken. You can get the recipe on our blog of: Jan 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

We purchased Mushroom Bread Pudding, Salad and fabulous pies: Apple and Pecan from Cook’s County Restaurant, to complete the dinner. Every year we use Cook’s County to complete our Thanksgiving Dinner.

Everyone had a great time and the food was perfect. What more can you ask for. And Nate was right, the 16-1/2 turkey served 10 and we had leftovers for some turkey sandwiches and the making of turkey stock and soup.

Bucatini All’amatriciana

Bucatini All’amatriciana is a classic and favorite pasta recipe of ours. We decided to make Mario Batali’s recipe from The Babo Cookbook. We replaced the guanciale with bacon in our modified version.

Bucatini All'amatriciana

The Babo Cookbook

Mario Batali

Bucatini are sometimes referred to as "garden hoses," not only for their tubular shape but because they are hard to control on the fork. I love their very chewy texture and the fact that guys with ties usually have to lose the tie after eating these. We make guanciale—bacon made from pig's jowls or cheeks—in-house, but you could substitute pancetta, or good slab bacon. There is a cool organization called Bacon-of-the-Month Club, which I highly recommend (see Sources, "Grateful Palate").

Serves 4

¾     pound gvanciale or pancetta, thinly sliced

3     garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1     red onion, halved and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1-1/2     teaspoons hot red pepper flakes

kosher salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to taste

1-1/2     Cups Basic Tomato Sauce

1     pound bucatini

1     bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

pecorino romano, for grating

1.   Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

2.   Place the guanciale slices in a 12- to 14-inch saute pan in a sin­gle layer and cook over medium-low heat until most of the fat has been rendered from the meat, turning occasionally. Remove the meat to a plate lined with paper towels and discard half the fat, leaving enough to coat the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Return the guanciale to the pan with the vegetables, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion, garlic, and guanciale are light golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato sauce, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3.   Cook the bucatini in the boiling water according to the pack­age directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the simmering sauce. Add the parsley leaves, increase the heat to high, and toss to coat. Divide the pasta among four warmed pasta bowls. Top with freshly grated Pecorino cheese and serve immediately.

Bucatin

Duck and Apple Tart Tartin

Tarte before Baking

Just out of the Oven

Flipped onto a serving plate

We saw a recipe for Duck Confit and Apple Tarte Tatin in The Wall Street Journal it looked interesting and we decided to make it. It would very easy because you can purchase the prepared duck legs and the puff pastry. All you need to do is assemble it in a cast iron pan. Like all Tarte Tatins it is made in a cast iron skillet and with the crust on the top. It is then flipped over to serve, the crust is on the bottom and the caramelized Apples and duck are sitting on top. We served a simple Nectarine and Walnut Salad with the tarte.

Duck Confit and Apple Tarte Tatin

Wall Street Journal

Active Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1-1/4 hours

Serves: 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

2 legs duck confit

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for pan

5 cooking apples, such as Gala or Pink Lady, peeled, cored, quartered and cut into Vh-inch slices

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 1/2 pound), thawed overnight in fridge

All-purpose flour, for work surface

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrape fat and skin from duck legs and reserve. Use a paring knife to remove all meat from bone and roughly chop. Set aside.

Melt 2 teaspoons reserved duck fat and skin with 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Working in batches, add apples to pan, sautéing until lightly brown and slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan, ovenproof skillet or tarte Tatin dish. Sprinkle pan with honey and cider vinegar. Transfer apple slices to pan and arrange in tight concentric circles, then top with chopped duck. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper. Set aside.

Remove thawed pastry dough from refrigerator and let sit on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Carefully unfold dough, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out dough out so it is about 1/8-inch thick and about 2 inches larger than pan. Gently brush off any excess flour from dough, then lay dough over duck in pan. Press pastry down around duck at edge of pan to form a seal. Trim any overhang. Use a fork to prick dough all over.

Place tart in upper third of oven and bake 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until golden and crisp, 15-20 minutes more. Remove cooked tart and immediately set a plate upside-down on top. Carefully invert tart onto plate. Knock on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or the handle of a large knife to release duck from pan. Let cool slightly, then serve warm.

i tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about Vi pound), thawed overnight in fridge

All-purpose flour, for work surface

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrape fat and skin from duck legs and reserve. Use a paring knife to remove all meat from bone and roughly chop. Set aside.

Melt 2 teaspoons reserved duck fat and skin with 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium. Working in batches, add apples to pan, sauteing until lightly brown and slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan, ovenproof skillet or tarte Tatin dish. Sprinkle pan with honey and cider vinegar. Transfer apple slices to pan and arrange in tight concentric circles, then top with chopped duck. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper. Set aside.

Remove thawed pastry dough from refrigerator and let sit on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Carefully unfold dough, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out dough out so it is about Vs-inch thick and about 2 inches larger than pan. Gently brush off any excess flour from dough, then lay dough over duck in pan. Press pastry down around duck at edge of pan to form a seal. Trim any overhang. Use a fork to prick dough all over.

Place tart in upper third of oven and bake 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake until golden and crisp, 15-20 minutes more. Remove cooked tart and immediately set a plate upside-down on top. Carefully invert tart onto plate. Knock on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or the handle of a large knife to release duck from pan. Let cool slightly, then serve warm.

Teriyaki Salmon

Hungry Cat Salad

We decided to make a simple fish dinner. We purchased Salmon at McCall’s Meat and Fish and used the recipe for Teriyaki Salmon, With Pickled Vegetables And Sesame, Seeds from: A Change of  Appetite by Diana Henry. We cheated on the recipe and instead of making our own pickled vegetables we purchased Seaweed Salad from Gelson’s. We served the fish with Rice. To season the rice and fish, just before serving, after the food was plated we added: Ochazuke Wakame. It is available on Amazon.

We started with one of our favorite salads that we call: The Hungry Cat Salad. You can get the recipe from our blog of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

I could live on this. It's so easy and yet utterly beautiful looking, I always feel better after eating it. The pickled vegetables are a great thing to know about. Make extra and keep them in the refrigerator for eating at lunch. You can make this dish with mackerel and chicken breasts, too (chicken needs to be cooked for 20 minutes).

Teriyaki Salmon, With Pickled Vegetables And Sesame, Seeds

A Change of  Appetite

Diana Henry.

SERVES 4

FOR THE SALMON

¼        cup soy sauce

1         tablespoon sugar

2         tablespoons mirin

1               tablespoon dry sherry

4         (4-1/2 oz) salmon fillets

2         teaspoons black sesame seeds

FOR THE VEGETABLES

½        cup rice vinegar

1         tablespoon superfine sugar

½        cucumber, halved and seeded

2         small carrots, peeled

4         radishes, trimmed and cut into wafer-thin slices

1/3      daikon radish, peeled

½        teaspoon salt

1         tablespoon pickled ginger (plus whatever liquid clings to it)

¼         cup microgreens

For the salmon, mix the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sherry and stir to dissolve the sugar. Put the fish in the marinade, turn to coat, cover, and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

To make the vegetables, heat the vinegar and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Set aside to cool. (Or, if you are in a hurry, you can just whisk together the vinegar and sugar in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.) Keeping them separate, cut the cucumber, carrots, radishes, and mooli into matchsticks, each about 2 inches long. Sprinkle the salt on the cucumber and put it into a colander for 10 minutes, Rinse and pat dry, then add all the vegetables to the vinegar mixture and toss to combine.

When you're ready to cook the fish, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the salmon, in its marinade, for 12 minutes; it will remain moist and only just cooked in the middle. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds. Add the pickled ginger and microgreens to the vegetables, toss, and serve with the salmon. Offer rice on the side.

Ferris with Tandoori Lamb and Sword Fish

Salmon Tartar

Sautéed Swordfish

Lamb Marinating in Yogurt

Gifts from the Motherland

Ferris was staying with us and we decided to have a joint dinner with Bobby and Darryl. Tim and Scott joined. Timmy enjoyed some gift food that Scott brought him from China.

We started with Salmon Tartar. This is an easy and delicious recipe. It is perfect for an appetizer with wine. You can get the recipe on our blog of: Jan 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

Robert and Darryl Grilled Sword Fish and served it in a Salad topped with a Sauce Vierge It was wonderful and we loved the texture of the persimmons that were served with it.

For the main course we served tandoori-spiced leg of lamb from American Masala by Suvir Saran. With the delicious lamb we served rice. It was a great and fun filled evening.

tandoori-spiced leg of lamb

American Masala

Suvir Saran

SERVES 8

FOR THE SOUR CREAM MARINADE

¾          cup sour cream

1           cup raw cashews
½  cup golden raisins

4           garlic cloves, peeled and  roughlychopped

A 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

¼          cup lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

2           tablespoons kosher salt

1-1/2      teaspoons Garam Masala

1           teaspoon ground peppercorns

¼          teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

¼          teaspoon ground cardamom

½          teaspoon ground mace

1 boneless leg of lamb (about 3-1/2 pounds), tied into a roast

FOR THE SAUCE

¼      teaspoon saffron threads

6 cardamom pods, or ½ teaspoon  ground cardamom

1-1/2      cups whole milk

Blend all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Place the lamb on a cutting board and prick it all over with the tip of a paring knife. Place the lamb in a casserole or baking dish and cover with the marinade, spreading it all over and under the lamb and massaging it into the slits. Cover the casserole or baking dish with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator, uncover, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the saffron in a small skillet over medium-high heat and toast, while stirring, until the saffron is fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the saffron to a mortar and pestle (or, if using ground cardamom, to a small bowl) and grind with the seeds from the cardamom pods (if using ground cardamom, mash the saffron with the back of a spoon in a small bowl). Add 1 cup of the milk and stir to combine. Pour the saffron milk over the lamb and mix into the marinade, spooning it over the lamb.

Cover the casserole or baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the lamb rest in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and carefully transfer it to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Remove the twine from the lamb. Stir the sauce in the casserole and spoon just enough over the lamb to make a thick coating.

Truffle Mania Part 3

Scallops with Truffles and Chive Oil

Kashmera and Darryl

Brussels Sprouts with Truffles

Pasta with Truffles

We were in Beverly Hills and stopped in at The Cheese Storeof Beverly Hills. They had fresh White and Black Truffles. White Truffles are super expensive (and more fragrant), Black Truffles less so. We bought several truffles (large black, small white). We decided to make a 3 course truffle dinner.

We invited Robert and Darryl over to join us. For the first course we served: Scallops with Chive Oil Sauce topped with Truffles. We split the scallops horizontally and barely seared them under the broiler. We used a home made chive oil to with the scallops. You can get the simple recipe for the chive oil from our blog of: June 4, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

For the 2^nd course we made Shredded Brussels Sprouts from City Cuisine by Feniger Milliken. It is a great recipe. If you want the best Brussels Sprouts try this one. You can get the recipe on our blog of: September 11, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

For the 3^rd course we made Pasta with Truffles.

Overall we were disappointed in the meal. It was very expensive and the truffles didn’t have the heavy nose we expected. Sometime you win and sometimes you loose! The disappointment was with the truffles definitely not the recipe for the Brussels Sprouts or the Scallops with Chive Oil. Try those recipes without the truffles.

Thai Pork Fried Rice

Tomahawk Pork Chop 

Thai Pork Fried Rice

Once again we ate at Mozza ChiSpacca. We had the gigantic (and delicious) Tomahawk Pork Chop. We always bring home the leftover pork and make Pork Fried Rice. This one was absolutely delicious. You can get the recipe from our blog of: April 4, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.