wild and not so wild

4-30-2011 Sat. mild, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | apple | scallion pancake | bread | cheese | Lachsschinken
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at the local Japanese food store) sushi ( mackerel , salmon)
AFTER-CONCERT-DINNER --- wild watercress and spring bamboo shoots salad | bread with roasted red pepper relish | tofu soup with spring bamboo shoots, maitake mushroom and mitsuba Japanese parsley | patato and chorizo stew | wine

wild watercress

wild Japanese parsley

chorizo and potato

• a few wild delicacies that spring brings us, and a few refined food such as silky tofu and rich chorizo sausages
  

Olive Oil and Onions

4-29-2011 Fri. mild, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed vegetable buns
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- salad of daikon, radish sprouts, and Lachsschinken | homemade focaccia | roasted baby vidalia onions with sherry vinegar vinaigrette, allioli, lingon garlic chutney, topped with blue gouda, roasted pinenuts, and chives | spring stew of fingerling potato, peas, onion, and leek | chive frittata

• A day of bread making and onion roasting. A loaf of focaccia begins at 10am in the morning with the poolish pre-ferment, and comes out of the oven at 5pm, just in time for an early dinner.
  

completely Chinese

4-28-2011 Thu. warm, rain to sun.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- potato salad
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | apple
DINNER --- jellyfish salad with daikon, arugula and French radish | stir-fried spicy cabbage with fermented fava bean sauce | scrambled eggs with Chinese flat-leaf chives | sauteed shrimp with snow peas | rice | wine

• Chinese cooking treats vegetables with respect to their different forms and tastes.
  

Bonito, Spanish and Japanese

4-27-2011 Wed. warm, storm.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed green vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Japanese green tea | apple
DINNER --- white miso soup with bonito flakes, simmered daikon, beech mushroom, and dried shrimp | parboiled snow pea leaves | toasts with tomato and menchego cheese | salad of boiled potatoes, Spanish bonito tuna, sweet peas and eggs | wine

• not a very successful meal, white miso soup a bit too sweet, the Spanish tuna potato salad somewhat bland and mushy.
  

as green as it gets

4-26-2011 Tue. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- chao-mian with mushroom and chicken (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- salad of French baby radish, arugula, frisee and green olives | stir-fried green beans with fermented black bean sauce | sauteed snow pea leaves with spring onion | rice | wine

• the fresh spring color and taste of green vegetables.
  

much hype about ramps

4-25-2011 Mon. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- Wulong tea
LUNCH --- pasta with ragu sauce
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---Wulong tea | apple
DINNER --- salad of jellyfish, chayote, frisee and arugula with citrus dressing | chao-mian: stir-fired egg noodles with ramps, shiitake, snow peas, and smoked chicken | wine

wild ramps

arugula among jellyfish, chayote

chao-mian with ramps , etc.

• ramps grow wild and have short season in spring, unique garlic flavor in bulbs and leaves. currently there is much hype about them, and their price tag goes crazy high.
  

New England fantan bread

4-24-2011 Sun. warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- chai with honey
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
EASTER DINNER ( at Sharon's ) --- fennel and cheese salad |broiled green and white asparagus | mashed potatoes | baked salt-encrusted whole fish with parsley and lemon, mustard sauce | roasted rib-eye steak | New England fantan bread | wine | chocolate cake | chocolate covered strawberries

New England fantan bread baked by Andy


better than easter lilies

• a perfect day for easter bunny and egg hunters. a big holiday dinner by Sharon.
  

following José to Spain

4-23-2011 Sat. warm, humid.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | baguette | Norwegian goat cheese | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- white asparagus salad with Manchego cheese and citrus dressing | piquillo stuffed with Spanish cheese | chroizo sauteed with oyster mushroom and spring onion | pan-fried baby potatoes with caramelized onion | baked whole fish with olive oil, lemon and lemon thyme | Spanish rose

• recipes and executions from José Andrés Made-in-Spain, literally following him from his " store around the corner from my house in the US" to Spain surf and turf.
  

Sofrito for pasta

4-22-2011 Fri. chilly, rain.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- pasta with sofrito and celery mushroom ragu sauce | broiled chicken drumettes | wine

• it takes patience to slowly caramelize onion to look and taste like syrup, a key ingredient of sofrito.
  

ad hoc Sichuanese

4-21-2011 Thu. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- (at C. A. Chinese restaurant) satay chicken | pan-fried string beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed eggplant and tomato with Sichuan chili sauce | sauteed soft tofu and shrimp with Sichuan peppercorn sauce | rice | wine

• ma and la
  

steamed dumplings

4-20-2011 Wed. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with spicy cabbage
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | apple
DINNER --- salad carrots, celery, soft goat cheese and walnuts | steamed dumplings with fillings of minced chicken, shiitake and finely chopped boy choy | wine

• you can go home again if you can make those dumplings
  

give knife a break today

4-19-2011 Wed. mild, cloudy.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- cracked wheat with eggplant relish and cauliflowers
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- jellyfish salad with radish and arugula in citrus dressing | stir-fried spicy cabbage with fermented fava bean sauce | twice-cooked pork with beech mushrooms | rice | wine

• the cabbage is torn into irregular shaped small pieces, not cut into threads by knife as usual. stir-fired over high heat quickly with Sichuan chili paste and fermented fava bean sauce, the resulting texture is cruncher.
  

good appetite under the blossoms

4-18-2011 Mon. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- cracked wheat with eggplant relish ( leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- scrambled egg with Chinese flat-leaf chives and smoked tofu | green curry cauliflowers | twice-cooked pork and beech mushroom with cauliflower puree | rice | wine

• a nice spring scene with dogwood and cherry flowers.
  

Steamed whole fish

4-17-2011 Sun. mild, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | flat bread | lingonberry jam | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- long beans with garlic yogurt sauce and hot chili oil | steamed whole fish in ginger and sumac sauce, with Thai basil and lemon | rice | wine

spring in full swing

a visitor

new growth in sun

• garden in full color spectrum, beautiful spring day.
• the whole fish is wrapped in a foil pouch with wine and herbs, steamed in its own moisture sealed in the pouch in oven for 30 minutes.
  

go nuts over Turkish cuisine

4-16-2011 Sat. mild, storm.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | scallion pancake | apple | Persian grapes
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- black eye pea and red onion pate with flat-bread crackers | spicy roasted peanuts | Greek white wine || watercress and soft goat cheese salad with radish, fennel and walnuts | Turkish feta cheese dill turnovers (puaca) | Spanish Rose || Persian flat bread with roasted red pepper relish, eggplant relish and cucumber yogurt dip | Lebanese cracked wheat with pine nuts and allspice | twice-cooked soy duck with pistachio and basil sauce | Italian primativo red wine || Turkish delight sweet pastries | Turkish anise liquor ( Raki )

salad watercress, goat cheese, walnuts

Puaca

relishes and dip


cracked wheat and soy duck

• an eastern Mediterranean dinner for the vegetarian and wine connoisseur friends. five kinds of nuts are used in various ways: peanuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and pistachio.
  

cook fresh, store less

4-15-2011 Fri. mild, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rolls with cured pork
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- pan-roasted jalapeno stuffed with minced chicken and wild chive | Shanghai style stir-fried "three kinds of threaded vegetables" ( 炒三丝）： carrots, celery and shiitake | rice | wine

• down to last items in the fridge by Friday, good practice to cook fresh, store less. wild chives are collected from the garden.
  

Under the spring moon

4-14-2011 Thu. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rolls with Bavarian style cured pork
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---apple
DINNER --- simmered cracked wheat and vegetables | boiled and pan -fried baby potatoes | oven-roasted Brussels sprouts | twice-cooked pork shoulder with caramelized onion | wine || eastern Mediterranean anise liqueur ( Turkish Raki or Lebanese Arak )

• a nice spring evening, the first dinner outdoor of the year. Raki the anise liqueur changes from clear to milky color when water or ice is added.
  

Fusion without boundaries

4-13-2011 Wed. chilly, cloudy.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed vegetable buns
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- black tea
DINNER --- egg drop soup with tomato, fennel and mushrooms | Lebanese egg and olive salad | Cantonese style BBQ pork shoulder and caramelized sweet onion | Indian flat bread Naan | wine

• the Canton-style pork shoulder was marinated for two days and oven-braised for two hours, though long time procedure, the actual work is minimum. the meat was tender and flavorful, goes very well with sweet onion and flat bread. the marinating/oven-braising method can be applied to pork belly as well.
  

quick meal for Tuesday

4-12-2011 Tue. mild, storm.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with green curry cauliflower (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- Shanghai-style dumpling soup | sauteed Chinese broccoli | pan-fried pork chop | rice | wine

• a quick meal with few ingredients and simple preparation
  

Thai coconut green curry

4-11-2011 Mon. very warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed chive flowers and smoked tofu
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- salad of chayote and jellyfish with citrus dressing | Thai coconut curry cauliflower with Thai basil | sauteed bean sprouts and shittake | rice | wine

• Thai green curry uses fresh Thai green hot chili with its hot index almost 10, coconut milk makes the dish richer and milder, some sugar also helps.
  

foraging for dinner

4-10-2011 Sun. mild, clouds and sun.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | Lachsschinken | Norwegian goat cheese | yogurt drink
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Chai
DINNER --- sauteed taro roots with Thai basil | stir-fried chive flowers and smoked tofu | sauteed soft tofu and shrimp with wild greens ( shepherd's pouch) | wine

shepherd's pouch in the garden

foraged tender micro greens

shrimp, tofu and greens

• wild shepherd's pouch shows up in garden before most of other plants in spring. gather their young leaves, not the stem or flower, they taste fresh and a little bit like arugula.
  

Yellow Chives

4-10-2011 Sat. chilly,cloudy


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | apple | baguette | brie | Lachsschinken (smoked pork loin from Bavaria ) | yogurt drink
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---green tea
DINNER --- spicy pickled cabbage | sauteed baby octopus with ginger and scallion sauce | scrambled eggs with Chinese yellow chives | rice | wine

• yellow chives are tender, sweet, and fragrant, a vegetable delicacy in spring.
  

a quartet of plants

4-08-2011 Fri. chilly, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- Chinese noodles with snow peas and bamboo shoots (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- clementine | (at art show opening ) cheese and wine
DINNER --- Spicy pickled cabbage | pan-fried potato and onion | sauteed Chinese greens | pan-fried Brussels sprouts | wine

• a quartet of vegetables, hitting different notes of flavor and texture.
  

stew with Chinese noodles

4-07-2011 Thu. chilly, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- wheat gluten stew with vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- pan-fried lotus root chips | fresh Chinese thick noodles with bamboo shoots and snow peas in Sichuan Ma-la sauce (焖面）| stir-fried eggplant with Thai basil | wine

• the Chinese thick noodle is boiled or steamed first, then to stew with layers of other ingredients in a pot. a Northern Chinese dish.
  

new deal and good deal : Lebanese mezza

4-06-2011 Wed. mild, sunny


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried cabbage
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---apple
DINNER ---(at N.D. cafe) Lebanese mezza platter: kibbeh, falafel,fatayer(spinach pie), tabouleh, shakshouky ( roasted eggplant with tomato, scallions, garlic, pomegranate, lemon juice and olive oil) , humus, baba ghannouge, grilled chicken and beef, rice, garlic sauce, yogurt sauce | beer | wine | rice pudding | creme brulee

• N.D. Cafe serves homey Lebanese food, in a neighborhood with a significance in the US history.
  

Sichuan peppercorn

4-05-2011 Tue. chilly, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- salad of avocado, arugula, green olives and pickled lemon | stir-fried spicy cabbage with fermented fava bean sauce | pan-fried pork chop | rice | wine || Sichuan style pickled cabbage with Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, corriander seeds and chili pepper

making Sichuan style cabbage pickle

make it spicy, sweet, hot and sour

• one of many ways to use Sichuan peppercorn, make spicy oil or spicy broth as marinade for vegetables, cabbage, young ginger or cucumber.
  

steamed dumplings

4-04-2011 Mon. warm, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- gnocchi with ragu sauce
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- steamed dumplings | vegetable soup of young bok choy, mushroom, and fresh bamboo shoots | wine

• put the food processor away, hand-chopping vegetables can be a way of relaxation.
  

Food plants

4-03-2011 Sun. mild, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | flat-leaf chive turnover | middle eastern style mint yogurt drink | apple | Persian orange
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- Lebanese spicy eggplant relish | flat bread | sauteed chard and pine nuts | wine-marinated chicken and bean sprouts in spiced garlic sauce and Thai sweet basil | rice | wine

a book from Oxford University Press , d.d.

spicy eggplant relish

• the New Oxford book is full of the most beautiful and exquisite drawings of food plants.
• the spicy eggplant relish is from a rural Lebanese recipe, with 4 kinds of spices and 3 kinds of fresh herbs.