Aged tofu

9-30-2010 Thu. cool, rain


BREAKFAST --- coffee | Pocky chocolate sticks
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- dried plums
DINNER --- stir-fried chive flowers and smoked tofu | sauteed shrimp and okra | steamed fermented tofu with shiitake | rice | fennel salad| wine

• fermented tofu seems to be a bit too ripe this time, the texture not as firm, the taste is almost reminiscent of blue cheese
  

Bok choy in season for dumplings

9-29-2010 Wed. cool, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed green beans and corns
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- steamed dumplings | fennel and arugula salad | wine

• hand made dumplings of 50 pieces in 30 minutes. bok choy is in season, juicy and crispy.
  

Tuesday is for simplified food

9-28-2010 Tue. warm, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with clay pot dish ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- toasted garlic bread | Sichuan style stir-fired green beans | pan-fried thin pork chop | rice | fennel and arugula salad | red wine

• multitasking and making the dinner in 30 minutes.
  

Clay pot for the early fall

9-27-2010 Mon. cool, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with ratatouille ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple | green tea
DINNER --- black corn chips with guacamole | parboiled Chinese spinach | stir-fried snow peas | clay pot of wheat gluten, wood-ear, shiitake with tomato and onion sauce | rice | red wine

• a bit more hearty food for the fall is here.
  

Fine just the way it is

9-26-2010 Sun. cool, rain.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | brie | concord grapes |figs | sugar nut melon | pear | yogurt drink
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- black corn chips with homemade guacamole | steamed buns with greens and shiitake filling | marinated cucumber and bamboo shoots | pan-roasted stuffed jalapenos | sauteed shrimp and soft tofu with petite mushrooms and snow peas | ratatouille (zucchini, eggplant, tomato, mushroom, red pepper and caramelized onion) | rice

• pair figs and brie, suppose they can be grilled, baked or stuffed. but they are fine just the way it is, and figs are fun to paint as well.
  

Five-course feast

9-25-2010 Sat. hot, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | sugar nut melon | pear | yogurt drink
BEFORE-CONCERT DINNER --- steamed manila clams with lemon juice | pan-fried baby potatoes | wine braised whole rock fish | steamed Brussels sprouts | corn on the cob | fennel salad | Chilean white wine
AFTER CONCERT --- tea

• Mahler's symphony No. 7, five movements, over one hundred members in the orchestra.
  

Vapiano: "fresh causal dining"

9-25-2010 Fri. hot and humid, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- apple | rice with braised short ribs ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- cocktail drink | crackers
DINNER --- ( at Vapiano ) carpaccio ( thinly sliced raw beef filet, arugula, mushrooms, aged Parmesan, cipriani sauce ) | pizza cipolle ( thin crust, olive oil, mozzarella, red onions, grilled cherry tomatoes ) | Italian beer || ( at Cacao ) hot chocolate | mango creme cake |

• Vapiano makes Italian food with German efficiency. customers put in requests directly to cook stations, pizza and pasta are made-to-order. dinning hall seating is around long commune tables. a bit chaotic ( both in the dinning hall and at cook stations ), but a fun and chic place. Carpaccio is outstanding, meat almost sweet and buttery, arugula fresh and spicy. the pizza is decent, at least not a gooey and soggy fare usually seen in lots of pizza places here.
  

cooking as an entertainment

9-23-2010 Thu. hot, humid.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with red pepper sauce ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple | tea | sesame flute cookie
DINNER --- parboiled fresh soybeans | sauteed yellow zucchini with sofrito sauce | steamed fermented tofu with ginko nuts and pickled vegetables | Shanghai style braised short ribs | rice | fennel and bartlett pear salad | wine

• a full scale dinner in a week evening, cooking is the entertainment.
  

Harvest moon

9-22-2010 Wed. warm, thunder storm.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried cabbage (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- parboiled fresh soy bean in pot | pasta with hot red pepper sauce | sauteed king mushroom in rice wine | fennel and bartlett pear salad
MOONLIGHT-TIME --- Chinese moon cake | green tea | Turkish delight

• Fresh soy beans and taro roots, wine and moon cakes are among the special food for Chinese harvest moon festival

• official beginning of autumn at 11:08pm. the storm moved away, sky was clear deep blue and the harvest moon with bright Jupiter nearby shined upon us, view from the tea house.
• 《把酒问月》 李白 （701－762 A.D.)
  青天有月来几时 我今停杯一问之
  人攀明月不可得 月行却与人相随
  皎如飞镜临丹阙 绿烟灭尽清辉发
  但见宵从海上来 宁知晓向云间没
  白兔捣药秋复春 嫦娥孤栖与谁邻
  今人不见古时月 今月曾经照古人
  古人今人若流水 共看明月皆如此
  唯愿当歌对酒时 月光长照金樽里

Tuesday's quick dinner

9-21-2010 Tue. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed shrimp and tofu ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple | dried plums
DINNER --- stir-fried cabbage with fermented fava bean sauce | sauteed zucchini, tomato and mushroom | pan-fried pork chop | fennel and bartlett pear salad | rice | wine

• making dinner in 30 minutes, thin-cut pork chop only takes a couple of minutes to pan-fry.
  

Textures of tofu

9-20-2010 Mon. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with curried chicken
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed shrimp with soft tofu and minced tofu skin | sauteed snap peas | rice | fennel and avocado salad | red wine

• the variety of tofu comes endless, sort of like cheese. besides of flavors ( sweet, salty, smoky, tart, or stinky ), the textures can be silky soft, smooth firm, creamy, crispy, or chewy. the combination of minced tofu skin ( chewy like meat) and really soft Korean silky tofu works very well in the shrimp dish
  

Autumn sun, Autumn moon

9-19-2010 Sun. warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( in the garden ) coffee | Norwegian pancake with apple | middle eastern yogurt drink | concord grapes | sugar nut melon | bartlett pear
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( in the tea house ) green tea | roasted moss crackers
DINNER --- ( in the garden ) tempura of fermented tofu, shiitake with daikon dipping sauce | pan-roasted shishito green pepper | curried taro roots with green onion | sauteed green beans in garlic tomato sauce | red wine | moon cake

sunshine at breakfast table

tempura

under the autumn moon

• a beautiful day, read Sunday paper in the garden after breakfast, read "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" in the tea house during the afternoon tea time, the autumn moon arises during the garden dinner
  

a Perfect day for figs

9-18-2010 Sat. warm, sunny and clear


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( in the garden ) coffee | middle eastern yogurt drink | Concord grapes | fresh figs | sugar nut melon | Asian brown pear | coconut cream bread | scallion pancake
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( in the garden ) green tea | fresh figs | steamed taro roots with honey sauce | moon cake
DINNER --- ( in the garden ) grilled fresh figs with rosemary and olive oil | steamed manila clams with lemon juice | fresh corn sauteed with onion and sweet pepper | pan-fried taro roots with Japanese green onion and Chinese five-spices | steamed fermented tofu with pickled vegetables and sesame oil | Chilean white wine

breakfast in the garden

afternoon tea time, moon cake and taro root


giant green onion from the Japanese store


fresh figs from the Iranian store

grilled figs for appetizer at dinner

• perfect early fall weather, too nice to be inside. the sun is warm and bright, the moon is cool and near full. Fresh figs are beautiful to look at and interesting to eat as fruit or as an appetizer.
  

Thousand autumns of thousand spices

9-17-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with hot pepper and mushroom sauce ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed cauliflower and bitter melon with tomato and green onion | chicken curry with garam marsala | basmati rice | fennel salad | mojito

• an adventure into Indian spices, the curry dish uses about fifteen spices ( including three forms of coriander) and they turn an ordinary onion into a magic curry sauce.
  

The scent of porcini

9-16-2010 Thu. warm, rain

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- ( at Oreste and Francseca's ) North Indian kofta with sweet peppers chutney | Pinot Grigio | Rigatoni ai funghi e salsiccia ( Apulian pasta with porcini and white mushrooms, tomato, and hot peppers ) | Primitivo del Salento ( Apulian Red ) | Selection of Mediterranean Sheep Cheeses | Nero d'Avola ( Sicilian Red )

• hearty food from Auplian home cooking by Oreste. porcini and Italian hot pepper made strong and complex flavor. the dried porcini is slow cooked in water over very low heat, then sauteed and incorporated in the pasta, the strained porcini broth has strong scent and is placed at the table to be drizzled over the pasta plate.
  

Experiment with dumpling filling

9-15-2010 Thu. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed bitter melon
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- steamed dumpling with filling of minced chicken, seasoned tofu skin, shiitake and mustard green | fennel salad | red wine

• finely chopped tofu skin added more chewy texture to the dumpling filling
  

Tichi's Gazpacho

9-14-2010 Tue. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stew of wheat gluten and mushrooms ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | sesame cookie roll
DINNER --- gazpacho with croutons and pickled diced cucumber | smoked salmon | toasted garlic bread | stir-fried bitter melon, red pepper and mushroom | rice | fennel salad | red wine

• Tichi's gazpacho is from " Tapas a taste of Spain in America " by Jose Andres, recipe-tested and recommended by DD. comparing with countless watery versions of the soup, this one has more intense flavor, and the garnishes add layered textures.
  

Mexican mole adobo

9-13-2010 Mon. warm, fog and sun


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with ratatouille ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | apple
DINNER --- sauteed cauliflower and onion with mole adobo | clay pot of stewed wheat gluten, shiitake, wood-ear, day lily buds and eggplant | rice | fennel and avocado salad | red wine

• many kinds and many names in the family of Mexican sauces, adobo is a complex red chile-based sauce with onion, garlic, corn meal, almonds, lime and other spices

Stinky tofu

9-12-2010 Sun. cool, misty.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | brie | concord grapes | sugar nut melon | Chinese chive pancake
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | steamed crabs
DINNER --- steamed fermented tofu with pickled red chili, bamboo shoots and wood-ear | ratatouille ( eggplant, yellow and green zucchini, green beans stewed with caramelized onion and tomato ) | rice | fennel and avocado salad | red wine

• stinky tofu showed up again on the shelf of the local Chinese grocery store after several months of absence.
  

Rock Fish and bartlett pear

9-11-2010 Sat. warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | sugar nut melon | scallion pancake
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- steamed crabs
DINNER --- corn fritters | parboiled spinach with sesame oil and chili sauce | pan-fried baby potatoes | rice wine braised whole rock fish with ginger and bartlett pear | Chilean white wine

• fresh rock fish, ripe bartlett pear, it is a good match
  

change of season and scene

9-10-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- saffron rice with Spanish sweet peppers and green beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed shrimp with white mushrooms and black wood-ear | curried angel hair potatoes | rice | fennel salad | red wine

• too busy moving to have an afternoon tea break.
  

Autumn is around the corner

9-09-2010 Thu. cool, breezy, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stuffed jalapeno ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- saffron rice with smoked oyster, clam, sweet Spanish pepper and caper berries | sauteed green beans with minced chicken and chili sauce | fennel salad

the hue of early fall

Spanish rice with saffron

• cool breeze, bright blue sky, and ripe sweet peppers and tomatoes
  

As hot as it gets

9-08-2010 Wed. hot, sunny


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried chive flowers and smoked tofu (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | apple
DINNER --- Korean noddles with hot chili paste, zucchini, and wood-ear | pan-roasted stuffed jalapeno | sake

• Korean hot chili paste made jalapeno taste rather mild.
  

Back to the kitchen

9-07-2010 Tue. warm, sunny


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed buns with fillings of mustard green and shittake
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | roasted moss flavored cracker
DINNER --- stir-fried chive flowers and smoked tofu | sauteed snap peas with minced garlic | scrambled eggs with jalapeno and green onion | rice | fennel and lettuce salad | chilled sake

• happy to be cooking fresh green vegetables again
  

Up in the air

9-06-2010 Mon. warm, cloudy


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | pancake | mixed fruits
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- (on plane) tomato juice
DINNER --- ( at airport ) burrito with braised pork, vegetable, and hot tomatillo sauce | coffee

• keep low expectation on food today
  

Saffron risotto

9-05-2010 Sun. warm, clouds and sun.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | blackberry pancake | fruit salad
LATE LUNCH --- ( a family gathering at P.'s ) simmered green beans with onion and tomatoes | baked salmon with mustard sauce | saffron risotto | cole slaw | white wine
DINNER --- ( at P.'s ) angel hair pasta with sofrito sauce and green olives

• tried out P's new kitchen, risotto turned out delicious, creamy with golden color from saffron infused broth
  

The living sea

9-04-2010 Sat. cool, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant
LUNCH --- ( at A. & W.'s ) frittata
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at S. & E's ) beer | chips and cheese
DINNER --- ( at Fin Bistro ) ceviche | pan-fried sole fillet with rice

horsetail and sea-washed drift wood

kelp with very long root

salmon at the salmon hatchery

• the salmon hatching season has just started. the hatchery is upstream about thirty miles from the sound.

The tide raises, the tide falls

9-03-2010 Fri. cool, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | blue berries | croissant
LUNCH --- (on the beach) turkey and lettuce sandwich | fruit salad
DINNER --- ( at A. & W.'s, on the deck) roasted red pepper and potato | avocado, olive and cheese salad | yellow cherry tomato | baked salmon topped with cilantro | white wine

a million dollar view from the window



lunch on the beach

afternoon tide

dinner on the deck

• a beautiful day to hang out on the beach, see the tide raising and falling. the pale blue tint of the light reminds me of Norway
  

To the lighthouse

9-04-2010 Thur. hot, sunny ---> cool


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- parboiled pea leaves | steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- (at airport) grilled portobello mushroom sandwich
DINNER --- (on V.Island) celery and fennel soup | bread | black tea

V. Island Lighthouse

across the sound

• dashing across the Continent to an island with a lighthouse. "The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark." --- To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
  

Garden party

9-01-2010 Wed. hot, sunny


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed zucchini and mushroom
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- honeydew
GARDEN PARTY --- ( at Susann's ) cheese | wine | vegetable dip | cake
DINNER --- fennel salad | sauteed chyote, needle mushroom and twice-cooked pork | rice

• beautiful garden party given by Susann. good to see friends.