Tomato Salad, Ripe Melon, Chicken with Figs

We started with a Tomato Salad and then Fresh Melon. The Melons this year have been incredibly sweet and delicious. We then had a favorite: Chicken with Figs. This is a fabulous recipe that we love. We always serve it with Couscous. Fresh figs are available twice in the year. This is an absolute favorite recipe for us. You can get the recipe on our blog of: June 27, 2007. The recipe is from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Click the date to get the recipe.

Lobster Salad, Shrimp and Corn Pasta

Lobster Salad

We had dinner at Henry's Cuisine our favorite Chinese Restaurant. We had left over Lobster and decided to make a Lobster Salad for a first course it was delicious with: Lobster, Tomatoes and Avocado. We didn't put any Dressing on the Salad, it didn't need it! We then had Shrimp and Corn Pasta. This was a very good, easy recipe (as long as you buy peeled Shrimp). We will duplicate this dinner again!

Shrimp Pasta with Corn and Basil

New York Times

 

This particularly American combination of flavors — shrimp and corn — is light, summery and very tasty, both sweet and slightly spicy. If you are feeling flush, you can make this pasta with lobster instead.

 

Yield:4 servings

 

INGREDIENTS

Salt and pepper

1       pound pasta, such as linguine or spaghetti

3       tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1       small garlic clove, minced

1½    pounds small shrimp, preferably wild, peeled and deveined, patted dry

Generous pinch of red-pepper flakes

2       cups tender corn kernels (from 2 or 3 ears)

2       tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

2       tablespoons roughly chopped basil, plus more basil leaves for garnish

 

PREPARATION

 

1.            Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions.

2.            As pasta cooks, put oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic. Cook gently without coloring, about 1 minute.

3.            Raise heat to medium-high and add shrimp. Season with salt, pepper and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until shrimp puff and turn pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and continue cooking until warmed through.

4.            Drain cooked pasta and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Pour skillet contents over pasta and toss. Sprinkle with scallions and chopped basil. Garnish with basil leaves.

 

 

Tomato Salad with Burrata, Zucchini Pasta

We started with a Tomato and Burrata Salad. We then had Zucchini Pasta one of our favorite summer dishes. Actually, to be clear, the pasta isn't made from Zucchini, the sauce is. It is sautéed until it is a rich dark mass. We found a great Burrata Cheese that we used in the salad.

The browned zucchini almost tastes like a meat sauce. It is a delicious pasta especially appropriate for you vegetarians. The zucchini is sliced very thin and sautéed until dark and crisp. They cook down to very little, so start with a lot of zucks. You can find the recipe for this simple and delicious pasta in our blog of: June 19, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. This is one of those dishes that makes me realize I could be a vegetarian (theoretically speaking - I will never give up my love a great steak!).

Tomato Salad with Russian Dressing

We love summer for it lets us make Tomato Salad with Russian Dressing! It only works when Tomatoes are perfectly ripe. We can't eat this without thinking how much we miss Mark Peel and Campanile. Mark and Nancy Silverton created a magical restaurant. You can find the recipe on our blog of: July 4, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil

When Corn is at its sweetest we like to make Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil. This is a great and easy to prepare summer dinner. We highly recommend it! You can find the recipe on our blog of August 8, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe.

Hurricane and Earthquake!

We were supposed to go out to dinner. We were told a hurricane was heading to Los Angeles. This NEVER happens in Los Angeles. All of the restaurants cancelled reservations. We were forced to stay at home. Then there was an Earthquake! Quite a day! We made Shaking Beef, it was appropriate given the Earthquake! Nothing was damaged.

 

We always like Shaking Beef. It is a great Vietnamese Dish. We have made it many times. When it is served you can squeeze Lime Juice over the meat and sprinkle with Salt. You can find the recipe on our blog of: June 28, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe. 

Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs With Spicy Corn

This turned out to be an exceptional dinner. We had eaten at ChiSpacca and brought home leftover Charred Jimmy Nardello Peppers. We substituted them for the Pickled Jalapeños called for in the recipe and it turned out fabulously. We love Corn and this preparation was perfect! A memorable home cooked dinner!

Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs With Spicy Corn

New York Times

 

The spicy, salty jalapeño brine balances sweet corn kernels, which roast on a sheet pan alongside chicken thighs in this simple, summery weeknight meal. The chicken, marinated with basil, garlic and a little mayonnaise, stays juicy even after a brief stint under the broiler. You can serve this hot from the oven or at room temperature — it’s equally good each way — and cold leftovers are excellent piled onto lettuce or avocado for a salad the next day.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 to 6 servings

 

2       pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1¾    teaspoons fine sea or table salt

2       tablespoons mayonnaise

¼      cup finely chopped basil, plus more for garnish

2       garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

⅓      cup chopped pickled jalapeños, plus brine from the jar

4       cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (from about 4 ears)

3       tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

5       scallions, thinly sliced

1       jalapeño, sliced into rings

1       lime, halved

 

PREPARATION

 

1.            Season the chicken all over with ¾ teaspoon of salt. In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, basil, garlic and 2 tablespoons jalapeño brine. Add the chicken to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.

2.            Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss together corn, pickled jalapeños, olive oil, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and half of the scallions (save remaining scallions for serving).

3.            Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet, spacing it out. Roast for 12 minutes. Spoon the corn mixture onto the empty parts of the baking sheet. Drizzle chicken and corn with oil. Continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes longer, stirring the corn once while roasting.

4.            Turn the broiler on high and broil the chicken and corn until golden brown in spots, 2 to 4 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn, though a little blistering is nice).

5.            Garnish chicken and corn with basil, remaining scallions and fresh jalapeño slices. Sprinkle with more pickled jalapeño brine and squeeze with lime juice. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

Many, many times we have made Scott Conant's Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce, an absolute favorite. The key is that the Pasta is only cooked half way through then finished by immersing it in the sauce to complete the cooking. You can find the recipe for this great pasta on our blog of: September 16, 2919. Click the date to get the result. We started with a Caesar Salad. Love this dinner!

Sheet Pan Miso and Maple Salmon

Sheet Pan Miso and Maple Salmon is a go to Salmon recipe for us. We like the ability to prepare a dinner on a single sheet-pan. What could be easier? When Wild Salmon is available we will make the recipe several times. You can find it on our blog of: November 5, 2021. Click the date to get the recipe. With the Salmon and Green Beans we served Monsieur Marcel mixture of Rice and Red Lentils. It was a great healthy dinner!

Dave Chang's Ginger-Scallion Sauce

We had left over Chicken from my Birthday dinner at Majordomo, but wanted more of the Ginger-Scallion Sauce served at the restaurant . We found this recipe for it in the Lucky Peach Cookbook.

Dave Chang's Ginger-Scallion Sauce

Lucky Peach

 

Makes about 1 cup

1¼ c     thinly sliced scallions

¼ c        finely minced fresh ginger

2 T        grapeseed or other neutral oil

1t           soy sauce

½t          sherry vinegar

½t          kosher salt

 

Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed. Though it's best after 15 or 20 minutes of sitting, the ginger-scallion sauce is good from the minute it's stirred together up to a day or two in the fridge. Use as directed or apply as needed.

Braised Pork

With the leftover SSAM pork from my Birthday dinner at Majordomo we made Braised Pork in Caramelized Soy Sauce. We had met the author of the cookbook in Bali. It's  wonderful recipe. You can get the recipe on our blog of: July 10, 2017. Click the date to get the recipe.

Lamb Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

With leftover Lamb Chops and Potato recipe from our Saturday night dinner, we decided to use the Chops as the center piece of a Lamb Salad that was tossed with a Mustard Vinaigrette from Wolfgang Puck. The Salad was delicious on a warm night!

Wolfgang Puck Vinaigrette

 

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Mustard

Salt and Pepper

½ Cup Olive Oil

 

Mix Vinegar and Mustard till smooth

Slowly whisk in Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Birthday Weekend Blowout

 

My 79th birthday was on Friday. Since John and Renato had come down from San Francisco to help us celebrate we decided to cook a dinner for them on Sat night. We invited Tom and Scott to join. John brought some incredible wines which we all drank with everyone's favorite: Crab Dynamite. Scott contributed the Crab. You can find the recipe for Crab Dynamite on our blog of: November 27, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe.

In addition to the crab we had Rosemary Rack of Lamb with Crushed Potatoes that went perfectly with the wine. We finished with the best Basque Cheese Cake ever from Republique and a delicious Sauterne. It was quite a night!

Rosemary Rack of Lamb with Crushed Potatoes
New York Times
 
Tender rack of lamb, though expensive, makes an elegant roast for a special-occasion dinner, and it’s quite easy to prepare. A brief marinade of pounded garlic and anchovy, Dijon mustard and olive oil heightens the flavor. For a simple accompaniment, roast small crushed potatoes in the same pan. Each eight-bone rack may be sliced into four thick chops, or eight thin chops, if you prefer.
 
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 servings
 
2      lamb racks, about 1½ pounds each, preferably frenched (see Note)
Salt and pepper
2                tablespoons Dijon mustard
3                cloves garlic, minced
4                anchovy fillets, minced
Extra-virgin olive oil
1½ to 2     pounds small, round potatoes, scrubbed and left whole
2                tablespoons roughly chopped rosemary
2                tablespoons roughly chopped parsley, for garnish
PREPARATION

1.    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Season lamb generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, garlic and anchovy (or pound together in a mortar for a smoother texture). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Smear lamb all over with marinade and set aside.

2.    Meanwhile, boil potatoes until the tip of a paring knife meets no resistance, 10 to 15 minutes depending on size. When potatoes are done, drain, transfer to a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer, and set aside to cool.

3.    Heat oven to 450 degrees. With palms or the back of a wooden spoon, crush potatoes gently to crack open and slightly flatten. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, and turn to lightly coat.

4.     Lay lamb racks on top of potatoes, with bones curving downward. Scatter rosemary over meat and potatoes. Roast, uncovered, until a meat thermometer registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 25 minutes. (Cook to 135 degrees for medium.)

5.    Remove lamb to a cutting board and let rest, tented with foil. Return potatoes to oven and leave to roast 10 to 15 minutes more, until nicely crisped.

6.    Use a large chef's knife to slice the racks by cutting between the bones. (One rack will yield 4 thick chops or 8 thin ones). Transfer chops and potatoes to a warm platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
 
TIP
You can buy lamb racks that are “frenched” (trimmed of fat, with the bones scraped clean) and ready to roast at a butcher shop. Supermarket lamb racks often need additional trimming. Frenching them at home is not absolutely necessary, but do remove extraneous fat.
 

Butter Chicken

Our friend Kashmera made Butter Chicken for us. It was fantastic! Unbelievably rich, creamy and tasty. I loved it (and the leftovers). We decided to make it ourselves from a recipe in The New York Times. Suffice to say, if you want delicious Butter Chicken ask Kashmera to make it for you. Don't bother with the New York Times recipe.