Corn Polenta with Eggplant and Tomato

Oh boy is this dish wonderful. You can only make it in the summer when you can get fresh corn. It is called: Sweet corn polenta with Eggplant from the cookbook Plenty by Ottolenghi. Usually one buys packaged polenta and then stirs it with water over a low heat till it is ready. For this recipe you get fresh corn on the cob, cut the kernels off the cob then boil till they are soft. You then blend them in a Cuisinart till the corn is smooth. Feta cheese is added to give it a slightly sour taste. The eggplant topping is sweet and the combination is magical. You can find the recipe on our blog of: Aug 11, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

This is a real taste treat! I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

Lentil Pasta

One of my all time favorite pastas is: Lentil Pasta. It really depends upon great tomatoes. In the summer when tomatoes were at their best we made several batches of Oven Candied Summer Tomatoes from: The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.

This Italian Lentil Pasta recipe is from the restaurant Locanda Veneta in Los Angeles. It is so rich, you would swear it was made with meat. You can get the recipe from our blog of: July 22, 2008. Click the date to get the recipes for both the pasta and the tomatoes.

We started the dinner with a Nectarine and Prosciutto Salad. You really owe to yourself to make this pasta!

Paella

We had to visit my sister in the hospital who was ill (she is better now). Since we were near Harbor City we decided to visit a Spanish Market: La Espanola Meats. They have a wide variety of imported Spanish products. Being there reminded us of Paella and we decided to make a Paella. We used the recipe for Paella with Shellfish and Artichokes from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert. This is a very good recipe. We really enjoyed the depth of flavors.

We started the meal with a Tomato, Burrata and Pesto Salad.

Paella with Shellfish and Artichokes

The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen

Paula Wolfert

I created this paella recipe after visiting Alicante in southern Spain. It's not nearly so daring or inventive as some of the "new paellas" being served in Spain today, but it's been much appreciated when I've served it to my guests. I prepare it with fresh tuna, shrimp, mussels, and artichokes simmered in a saffron and paprika-infused broth, using time-honored paella cooking techniques.

Serves 8

1         red bell pepper

Fine sea salt

1         pound tuna steak, cut into 1 inch cubes

8         large shrimp

1         large ancho chile

1/3         cup dry white wine

1         pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded

Freshly ground pepper

5         tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2         tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

1-1/4         cups canned diced tomatoes

2         teaspoons Spanish smoked pimenton or sweet paprika

2         pinches of saffron threads

6 to 8 cups fish stock, or 2 packages (8 ounces each) frozen fish fumet diluted with 4 cups water

1         package (9 ounces) frozen artichoke hearts, cut into 1-inch pieces

8         scallions, cut into 1-1/2-inch lengths

2         cups short- to medium-grain rice, preferably bomba

2         tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley Lemon wedges, for serving

1.   Roast the red bell pepper under a preheated broiler, turning, until charred. Transfer the pep­per to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for 5 minutes. Peel the roasted pepper, discarding the core, ribs, and seeds; cut the pepper into i-inch pieces.

2.   Salt the tuna cubes and the shrimp and let stand for 30 minutes; pat dry with paper towels. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, cover the ancho chile with I cup boiling water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes; drain. Discard the stem and seeds and coarsely chop the chile.

3.   Bring the wine to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the mussels, cover, and cook over high heat until they begin to open, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a bowl. Pull off and discard the empty top shells, leaving the mussels on the half-shell. Season the mussels with pepper and cover with foil; reserve the cooking liquid.

4.   Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped ancho chile and the garlic. Cook over moderately high heat until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add the toma­toes, pimenton, saffron, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Transfer to a food processor and puree to a coarse paste.

5.   In a medium saucepan, bring the fish stock to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and main­tain at a simmer. In an 18-inch paella pan or a very large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the tuna and shrimp and cook over moderately high heat, tossing, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Add the artichokes and scallions to the pan and cook over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add the ancho-tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of the fish stock, the reserved mussel cooking liquid, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.

6.   Scatter the rice evenly into the pan and stir. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook for 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add another 3 to 3-1/2 cups of simmering stock and cook, shaking the pan and rotating it for even cooking, until the liquid has evaporated again, about 10 minutes longer. Just before the rice is done, during the last 10 minutes of cooking, gently press the roasted red pepper, mussels, shrimp, and tuna into the paella with the back of a spoon. Continue cooking, shaking the pan, until the rice is just tender but still a bit moist.

7.   Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a kitchen towel or paper towels and a foil tent. Let the paella rest for about 10 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes: Bomba rice produces the most delicious paellas because each grain has the ability to cook up plump and creamy after absorbing a maximum amount of flavorful liq­uid. An excellent paella can also be made with other short- to medium-grain rices from Spain, California, and Italy. But if you decide to go "the full bomba," remember that a cup of dry bomba rice requires 3 cups liquid; a cup of short- to medium-grain rice requires only 2 cups liquid.

I save shrimp peels in the freezer. When I want to make a fish stock, I defrost then bake the shells in a very slow oven (200T) for about 1-1/2 hours. I crush the shells to a powder and use it to flavor stock for paellas and arroces.

I imbue my kitchen-cooked paellas and arroces with an outdoors wood-smoke flavor by adding some pimenton de la Vera, paprika from Spain's western region, Extremadura. This smoky, brick-red paprika has a warm, rounded flavor. It is produced by drying and smoking mature red peppers over oak fires, then stone-grinding them to a smooth powder almost like talc.

A good, dry paella is ideally cooked in a proper paella pan—a two-handled, wide, shal­low, flat-bottomed pan with sloping sides. This type of pan allows liquid to evaporate quickly while the rice cooks, uncovered, over low heat. As an alternative, you can choose a very wide and shallow skillet.

Char Shu Pork

We invited Tom and Scott over for dinner. Stone fruit is finally in the market, at its summer peak. We started with a Peach Salad with Burrata and Almonds. This is a wonderful summer salad. We dressed the lettuce with olive oil and Saba.

We love making the Char Shu Pork, using the recipe from Jar Restaurant. We purchased the pork, of course, from McCalls Meat and Fish. We have made it many times. We follow the recipe exactly except we omit the Red Dye. Scott was skeptical when we said we were making Char Shu Pork, but it is excellent and he really loved it. You can find the recipe on our blog of: July 30, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

With the Pork we served Japanese Sweet Potatoes topped with Crème Fraiche and chives. The sweet potatoes are purple in color and quite sweet.

Dessert was from Proof Bakery.

Scallops

Black Rice

We initiated our new large frying pan, by sautéing fresh scallops that we purchased from McCall’s Meat and Fish. We love the new pan (which Robert and Darryl introduced us to). With the scallops we served Black Rice using a recipe from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin. You can find the recipe on our blog of: April 25, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

We made the scallops using a recipe for: Tagliatelle with Nantucket Bay Scallops from: The Young Man and the Sea by David Pasternack. The recipe is very easy and quite good.

Tagliatelle with Nantucket Bay Scallops

The Young Man and the Sea

David Pasternack

Simple pasta preparations like this are a nifty way to use delicious but expensive varieties of seafood cost-effectively. For one thing, you ensure that the seafood is the unquestioned star of the dish. Make sure you don't move the scallops at all after you put them in the saute pan; if you do, you won't get that gorgeous, burnished brown crust we all love in sautéed scallops. Even more important, keep the scallops in the pan for no more than 30 seconds to prevent them from going Goodyear. You can also make this dish with Alaskan king or lump crabmeat, or with caviar (use the less expensive Mississippi paddlefish eggs), cooking the roe with a little pasta water or creme fraiche. Regardless of the seafood type, this is a fast-moving recipe, so have all your ingredients and equipment (colander and measuring cup) ready to go. Serves 4

¾      pound fresh tagliatelle

¾      pound Nantucket Bay scallops

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2         tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6         tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons broken up into bits

Leaves from 12 sprigs chervil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh pasta and cook for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Coat a large, preferably nonstick, saute pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat the oil over a medium flame until it smokes. Add the scallops and distribute the 2 tablespoons broken-up butter around the pan. Count to 30 seconds, then shake the pan. Remove immediately and pour the contents of the pan onto a large platter. Set aside.

Return the pan to a medium-high flame. Add the pasta water, the drained pasta, and the remaining butter. Simmer until the liquid has almost disappeared. Turn off the flame and add the scallops (plus any liquid they may have given off) back to the saute pan, along with the chervil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and toss to combine. Divide among four serving bowls and sprinkle each with some fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Wedge Salad

I was in the mood for a salad that Barbrix calls the wedge. It hadn't been on their menu for a while. We decide to make it ourselves using a recipe for Iceberg lettuce salad with roquefort-butter miIk dressing from New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel. We augmented the salad with Bacon (my favorite seasoning!). It was great. I hope Barbrix puts it on their menu again!

Iceberg lettuce salad with roquefort-butter miIk dressing

New Classic Family Dinners

Mark Peel

[makes 6 servings]

Many salads are really about the dressing, and some more than othets. That would certainly apply here. The blue cheese is the source of 95 percent of this salad's flavor and at least 90 percent of its calories. But the salad is also about texture, and that comes from the crunchy, juicy, thirst-quenching lettuce. Many chefs turn their noses up at iceberg lettuce, but I welcome it in this classic steak house salad. Look for a large head of iceberg lettuce that is dense for its size, or you'll be disappointed when you cut it into wedges and find very little lettuce and a lot of air. I've heard people say that you shouldn't waste good blue cheese on a salad dressing, but I disagree. You should definitely use the best Roquefort you can get to make the best possible dressing. Making the dressing a day ahead of time and letting it sit overnight allows the garlic to mellow and the mixture to thicken. Make sure to rub the thyme leaves between your fingers when you add them to the top of the salad; rubbing the leaves releases their aroma and flavor.

ROQUEFORT-BUTTERMILK DRESSING

1       small garlic clove, halved, green shoot removed

Pinch of kosher salt

2       teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

¾      cup buttermilk

4       ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled

(1/2 cup tightly packed)

½      teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

SALAD

1       large dense head of iceberg lettuce

Freshly ground black pepper

3       ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup)

1       tablespoon thyme leaves

2       tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.             Make the dressing: Place the garlic, salt, and thyme in a mortar and pestle with I teaspoon of the buttermilk, and grind the garlic to a paste. Using a fork, whisk in the Roquefort, remaining buttermilk, and the pepper Cover and let sit overnight. Stir together before serving.

2.             Make the salad: Strip off the dark outer leaves of the lettuce. Cut the lettuce through the core into 6 wedges. Don't cut away the core, because the core holds the wedge together.

3.             Place each wedge on a salad plate or a platter and spoon on 2 to 4 tablespoons Roquefort-buttermilk dressing (to taste). Grind on some pepper and top each wedge with a tablespoon of crumbled Roquefort; ½ teaspoon of rubbed thyme leaves, and a teaspoon of parsley, Serve cold.

NOTE Fresh garlic only! Pre-minced garlic in olive oil is never a useful alternative to freshly minced garlic because it's bitter Using this product is a good way to mess up a perfectly good recipe. It isn't even permitted for use in restaurants by the health department because it's susceptible to botulism.

Sausage and Polenta

We hadn’t had Sausage in a while and we decided to pick up some links from McCall’s Meat and Fish. Many times we have made the recipe Polenta con Salsicce, (Polenta with Sausages) from The Fine Art of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli. This recipe is an absolute winner! The Porcini Mushrooms makes for a rich sauce. When served with Polenta it is a perfect cool evening dinner!

Polenta con Salsicce

(serves   6)

(Polenta with Sausages)

from The Fine Art of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli

Sausages cooked in a wonderful sauce made with wild mushrooms and all poured over slices of polenta. It makes one look forward to the cold weather.

4 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
6 large sweet sausages

1 red onion

5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups meat or chicken broth

Polenta

Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl of lukewarm water for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the sausages in half; chop the onion fine.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a medium flame. When it is warm, add the chopped onion and saute until golden brown (about 12 minutes), stirring with a wooden spoon every so often. Add the sausage pieces and saute very lightly for 10 minutes, then add the tomato paste and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add the soaked mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

In a second saucepan, heat the broth to boiling. When it is hot, pour it into the saucepan containing the sausages. Let simmer very slowly until a large quantity of broth has evaporated (about 25 minutes).

While the sauce is reducing, make the polenta. When the polenta is ready and on its round board (or pasta board), cut it into slices with a string.

Pour the sauce into a large sauceboat and serve hot, along with the polenta. Place several slices of polenta on each individual dish and cover it with the sausage sauce.

Krushna Cooks

The mad chef at work!

Eating (and drinking) Appetizers on our front deck

Finger Lickin Good!

Krushna loves to cook. He made us the best Chicken Spinach ever. It was delicious. We decided we would all eat with our hands Indian Style. I now know where the expression "Finger Lickin' Good" comes from. It must have been translated originally from Hindi! Robert and Darryl brought not one but 2 desserts that they made: a Carrot Cake and a Peach Tart. They were both yummy.

Pork

Left-over Pork Loin and Polenta made for a great dinner!

Salmon

McCall’s had some beautiful salmon. So we decided to have a fresh salmon dinner. We made Slow-Roasted Salmon With  Cabbage,   Bacon,  and  Dill from It’s About Time by Michael Schlow. It is a delicious recipe. We highly recommend it!

SLOW-ROASTED SALMON

WITH  CABBAGE,   BACON,  AND  DILL

It’s About Time

Michael Schlow

1           head savoy cabbage (3/4 head regular green cabbage can be substituted)

6         slices bacon, cut into 6 to 8 pieces each

1           onion, cut into small dice

8         ounces (1 cup) water, plus additional if needed

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed

1         teaspoon chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish

2         ounces (4 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling over roasted fish

4 small knobs butter (a "knob" is about 1 teaspoon)

Juice of 1 lemon

Makes dinner for 4

Try cooking salmon like this, and you might never cook it any other way again. The low-temperature oven really does improve the texture of the fish. The combination of salmon, cabbage, and bacon is perfect for cooler weather, making this an ideal meal for fall, but it's great anytime. For a hearty variation, add some diced, blanched potatoes to the cabbage as it finishes braising.

Halve the cabbage lengthwise, cut out the core, then remove the leaves and slice them into 2-1/2-inch squares.

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Place the bacon in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Render the bacon until cooked but not crispy. You should have approximately 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) fat; if you have more, discard the excess.

Add the onion and saute for 1 minute.

Add the cabbage and water and let simmer uncovered until the cabbage

is tender, about 15 minutes. If all the water evaporates during cooking, add more as needed until the cabbage is very tender.

Meanwhile, place the salmon fillets on a nonstick sheet pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over each fillet. Season with salt, pepper, and half the dill. Top each fillet with a knob of butter and place in the oven.

Cook 15 to 18 minutes for medium rare, 21 to 24 minutes for medium (depending on the thickness of the fish), and if you cook it any longer than that, I can't be held responsible.

When the cabbage is meltingly soft and tender, season with salt, pepper, and the rest of the dill. Keep warm while the salmon finishes cooking.

Remove the salmon from the oven and drizzle with the lemon juice.

TO SERVE

Divide the cabbage between four dinner plates, top with the salmon fillets, and drizzle a little more olive oil over the fish.

Season with freshly ground pepper, sprinkled on and around the fish.

Garnish with additional fresh dill, if desired, and serve.

Krushna's Birthday

"Elvis with the Pork Loins

Krushna and Kashmera

Crab Dynamite

The cooked Pork Loin (check out the char!)

Potato Gratin and Pork

The Birthday Cake

Kashmera and Krushna were in town. Usually they stay with us but because we are doing some remodeling there was no room at the inn. We were touched that Krushna wanted to have his birthday dinner at our house, flying in after finishing a film in Mumbai. They invited a lot of their friends to share in the fun.

Krushna had requested pork so we purchased 2 large Pork Loins from McCall’s Meat and Fish. We tied them together so they could be placed on a spit to roast on our rotisserie.

We hired Elvis (his nickname) to serve, clean up and assist, so that we could enjoy the party. He was an excellent addition, making it much easier for us.

We used the recipe for Herb-Crusted Pork Loin Roast from License to Grill by Chris Schlesinger. It was delicious and moist and smoky and tender! You can find the recipe on our blog of: July 2, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

Kashmera had requested Crab Dynamite (our go to appetizer that everyone loves). The sauce is terrific but it MUST be made with Japanese Mayo. We started with a recipe that we found on The Fine Lobster Blog called: Creamy Spicy Lobster: a twist on a Nobu Classic. Everyone loves it! We served Japanese Rice with it. We purchased excellent  canned Lump Crab meat from McCall's Meat and Fish. Everyone and I mean everyone loves it! The recipe can be found on our blog of: Sep. 5, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Robert and Darryl did double duty, 1^st making a potato gratin and also a wonderful dessert.

We apparently served a lot of wine, as testified by the exuberance with which guests tried on different shirts that Kashmera had brought them from India. Once again, Tim regaled us with his adventures.

Saffron-Braised Chicken With Olives and Dukkah

If the olive isn't in a Martini, let it be used in the dish!

Ever hear of Dukkah? Neither had we. When we saw the recipe in the New York Times, we decided to make it. It is always fun to make something that we have never tasted before. We have no idea what it should taste like, but it was good. I would make it again. I really liked the Dukkah topping and it wasn’t hard to make, and I have never met a dish that had olives in it that I didn't like!

Larry McGuire's Saffron-Braised Chicken With Olives and Dukkah This recipe from chef Larry McGuire of Jeffrey's and Josephine House in Austin, Texas, pairs chicken braised in saffron-scented white wine with briny green olives and a dusting of the Egyptian spice mix dukkah

A LITTLE NUTTY | Toasted pistachios give the spice mix sprinkled over this dish a rich, round flavor and a pleasant crunch. Christopher Testani for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Jamie Kimm, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart; Illustration by Michael Hoeweler

The Chef: Larry McGuire

Larry McGuire Illustration by Michael Hoeweler

His Restaurants: Jeffrey's and Josephine House are the latest in his McGuire Moorman Hospitality mini-empire in Austin, Texas

What He Is Known For: Creating atmospheric restaurants with an attention to detail that extends from ingredients to flower arrangements. Menus of Texas-size ambition and Austin-style cool.

MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD IS what Austin, Texas-based chef Larry McGuire wants to eat right now. "Those spiced, herbal flavors work really well here because it's hot weather food," he said. For his first Slow Food Fast contribution, Mr. McGuire shares a recipe for a saffron-laced braise of chicken thighs, carrots and olives simmered in white wine and dusted with dukkah, a zesty Egyptian spice-nut mix with a nice hint of crunch.

At 31, Mr. McGuire owns six of the hottest restaurants in town with partner Thomas Moorman. The latest are Jeffrey's, a fine-dining institution spiffed up and reopened last year, and Josephine House, a casual spot in a cozy blue cottage next door. This dish is straight out of the Josephine House playbook: simple, satisfying. "It's what a home cook wishes they'd do," said Mr. McGuire. Now you can.

—Kitty Greenwald

Saffron-Braised Chicken With Olives and Dukkah

Total Time: 35 minutes Serves: 4

2 pounds chicken thighs and/or legs, bone-in and skin-on

Pinch of sweet paprika

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1½ tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon saffron

1½ cups dry white wine

4 large carrots, cut into 2-inch-long sticks

1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice

6 large cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed

¾ cup pitted green olives (such as Castelvetrano)

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1½ cups chicken stock

1 cup pistachios

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Juice of 1 lemon, plus 4 lemon wedges for garnish

1. Sprinkle chicken all over with paprika and salt. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken, skin-side down. Cook until skin crisps and browns, 5 minutes, then flip and cook 3 minutes more. Remove chicken from Dutch oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place saffron in a small bowl, cover with white wine and let sit until saffron softens, 5 minutes.

3. Stir carrots, onions, garlic, olives and bay leaves into Dutch oven and season with salt. Cook over high heat until vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it coats vegetables, 1 minute.

4. Return chicken to pot, skin-side up. Add saffron-wine mixture and stock. Bring liquid to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot. Braise chicken until cooked through, about 12 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make dukkah: In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast pistachios, shaking often, 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to a food processor. Add remaining spices and ½ teaspoon salt to skillet and toast until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer spices to food professor and pulse everything together until a coarse mixture forms.

6. Skim fat from braising pot. Season braising liquid with salt and lemon juice to taste. To serve, divide vegetables among four bowls and top with chicken. Spoon braising liquid over top and garnish with dukkah, chopped parsley and lemon wedges.