Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti is one of those dishes that can make me a vegetarian. It is delicious! We have made it many times. It also reheats over and over and only gets better. You can find the recipe on our blog of: Oct. 21, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

Salmon with Sauce Gribiche

Sauce Gribiche is a favorite of mine. We made Salmon we purchased from McCall's Meat and Fish. With the Salmon we served fresh Creamed Corn. You can get the recipe for the Salmon and Sauce Gribiche from our blog of: June 4, 2016. Click the date to get the recipe. You can get the recipe for the Creamed Corn from our blog of: June 16, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe. This was a delicious summer dinner when Wild Salmon is available and Corn is at its peak!

Miso Glazed Eggplant

We made Miso Glazed Eggplant. We had expectations that were NOT exceeded when we made this dish. You win some you loose some!

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

Lucky Peach

Peter Mehan

Make 4 to 6 servings

4         Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise

1         Tbl neutral oil

¼        Cup Redd miso

2         Tbl  mirin

+         Sesame seeds

1.                Heat the oven to 450*F. (Lazy power move: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to make cleanup super easy.)

2.                Slick the eggplants all over with oil and arrange them cut-side up on the baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes—they should be barely wilted, a very light roast

3.                Meanwhile, whisk together the miso and mirin in a small bowl.

4.                Smear the cut side of the eggplants with the miso mixture and roast until the eggplants are tender and the miso is browned and bubbling. 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

This is one of those center-of-the-plate types of vegetable preparations that can easily supplant meat. (Serve it with short-grain rice and any of the pickles in this book, or with store-bought kimchi.) The eggplants take on a super-rich caramelly umami flavor. It's a standard Japanese response to the part of the summer when there's more eggplant around than anyone knows what to do with, and it works very well on a grill—just put the eggplants over a low-to-medium fire, so the miso doesn't bum too fast and the flesh of the eggplant has time to cook all the way through.

Ms. Vo Thi Huong's Garlic Shrimp

I am reluctant to make Asian Food, because we have such good restaurants in Los Angeles. We came across this recipe for Ms. Vo Thi Huong's Garlic Shrimp The Lucky Peach Cookbook and decided to make it. I think I would have made it no matter what, because I just liked the name! We liked it very much.

Ms Vo Thi Huong's Garlic Shrimp

The Lucky Peach Cookbook

Serves 4

3       Tbl neutral oil

6       garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1       large shallot, roughly chopped

2       bunches (12-14) scallions, cut into 2" lengths

1       lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1       Tbl sriracha sauce (or more to taste)

1       Tbl Kewpie mayonnaise

2       Tbl soy sauce

+       cooked jasmine rice, for serving

1.   Heat the oil in a wok over medium- high heat. After a minute, add the garlic, shallot, and scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute.

2.   Add the shrimp to the pan and stir-fry until the shrimp are no longer translucent and beginning to brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.

3.   Briskly stir in the sriracha. mayonnaise, and soy sauce. Toss to bring the sauce elements together and coat the shrimp and vegetables. Remove from the heat and serve hot with rice.

Matt's Pork and Beans!

One of the best meals I had in a restaurant this year was a special dinner that Matt Molina Cooked. He served Pork and Sausage over wonderful beans. It was delicious. The recipe is in his and Nancy Silverton's cookbook: Twist of the Wrist. We made it and LOVED it! The Cooked Fabada Beans are the best! Look for them. We pan cooked Pork Chops with lots of Fennel Rub. Matt used Pork Loin.

Italian Sausage with Giant White Beans, Radlcchlo, and Roasted Onions

A Twist of the Wrist

Nancy Silverton

¼     cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed

4      sweet or spicy Italian pork sausages (preferably flavored with fennel; about 3/4 pound)

16    large whole radicchio leaves 16 small jarred onions, quartered (about 4 ounces or 1 cup)

2      large garlic cloves, grated or minced (about 2 teaspoons)

Kosher salt

2      15-ounce cans giant white beans, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups)

1      cup vegetable or chicken broth

1      heaping tablespoon finely

chopped fresh oregano leaves

High-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

If you’ve made another recipe that called for Garlic Mayonnaise and happen to have some left over In the refrigerator, a dollop of It on the plate makes a delicious addition to this hearty, rustic dish.

45 MINUTES

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oil's almost smoking (you will begin to smell the oil at that point). Add the sausages and cook, turning them often for even browning, for about 10 through. Move the sausages to the side of the skillet to continue to cook while you sear the radicchio. Put a couple of radicchio leaves in the skillet in a single layer and cook them for about 45 seconds on each side, until they’re seared and wilted slightly. Remove the leaves to a plate and cook the remaining leaves in the same way, adding a bit more oil to the pan if it’s dry. While you sear the radicchio leaves, continue to cook and turn the sausages for another 10 minutes, until they're cooked through, and transfer them to a plate when they’re done.

Add a bit more olive oil if necessary to coat the skillet. Add the onions, garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt and sauté for about 1-1/2 minutes, until the onions are soft and the garlic is soft and fragrant, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add the beans and broth, and simmer them until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oregano and season with kosher salt.

Arrange four radicchio leaves in a clover pattern on each of four plates. Spoon the beans over the radicchio, dividing them evenly, and drizzle them with the sauce left in the skillet. Cut the sausages in half at an angle and place the two pieces of each sausage side by side on each plate. Top with a dollop of Garlic Mayonnaise, if you are using it, and drizzle the sausage and beans with the high-quality olive oil.