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7-30-2011 Sat. hot, sunny.
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | watermelon
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Canary melon cubs wrapped with lachsshinken | ciabatta | foi gras | roasted red pepper hummus | olive hummus | spicy roasted nuts | mojito
DINNER --- pasta salad with black olives, artichoke hearts and smoked mussels | new baby potato stew with chorizo | BBQ chicken wings | BBQ burgers | beer
AFTER-DINNER-TEATIME --- (in the tea house) ice cream with blue berries | Long-jing green tea | Fujian kungfu tea |
sesame rolls
- a family BBQ gathering and relaxed tea chat in the tea house into the night
7-29-2011 Fri. very hot, sunny.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- baguette and German cured ham
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums
DINNER --- sweet corn fritters | scallop ceviche with cucumber and sweet pepper | sauteed napa cabbage with wood-ear and oyster mushroom | chilled Matsuzaka noodles with dashi sauce | salad of lettuce, fennel and radish | wine
- the end of a busy week, the start of a busy weekend. scallop took longer than white fish to make into ceviche
7-28-2011 Thur. hot, hazy.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- stew of new potato and chorizo
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- nectarine
BEFORE-THEATER-DINNER --- (at Jaleo 7th) Valencia fizz | Selection of all cheeses (six kinds of sheep and goat cheese ) | Ajo blanco con cangrejo (Chilled almond and garlic soup with crabmeat and green grapes ) | Lomo Ibérico de bellota con manzanas (Fresh loin from the legendary, acorn-fed,black-footed Ibérico pigs of Spain served with roasted apples) |Espinacas a la catalana (Sautéed spinach, pine nuts,raisins and apples) | Croquetas de Jamón Serrano (Traditional Serrano ham fritters) | Bacalao con salsa verde (Slow cooked cod loin with a parsley sauce and black garlic) | Alcachofas salteadas con ‘Tapenade’ ( Fried baby artichokes with a black olive and anchovy sauce ) | Papas arrugas (Canary Island-style wrinkled baby potatoes served with mojo verde (cilantro, cumin, garlic,Sherry vinegar and olive oil sauce) | Chistorra envuelta en patata frita (Slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in a crispy potato) | white wine
- Valencia fizz, a creamy nutty cocktail : Plymouth Gin, Benedictine, Chufra Horchata , bitters, lemon and egg white
- "Fresh loin from the legendary, acorn-fed,black-footed Ibérico pig" does not taste anything special and it is pretty tough in texture.
- outstanding sauces: the green sauce for baby potatoes ( cilantro, cumin,garlic, sherry vinegar and olive oil) , the black sauce for artichokes: ( black olive and anchovy )
7-27-2011. hot, bright sun.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed silky tofu and shrimp
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- canary melon
DINNER --- ( with Shawn and Betsy ) lachsshinken and canary melon skewer | ceviche boat | baguette | roasted red pepper hummus | foie gras | martini: spellbinder || garlic soup with poached egg and toasted bread | marinated artichoke hearts and squid with preserved lemon sauce | ratatouille | new baby potato stew with chorizo | wine
- Confucius : freinds come to visit from afar, how delightful!
7-24-2011 Sun. very hot, sunny.
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | baguette | Norwegian goat cheese | lachsschinken | blueberry and melon mix
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- barley tea
DINNER --- Rotini salad: rotini, Irish bacon, black olive, artichoke hearts, shrimp, Spanish marinated red pepper, and green onion, with mustard sauce | sauteed squid with scallion and Spanish sausage | fennel and lettuce salad | beer
Rotini 
squid looked like maniche- stay with cool dishes, salads of everything. the Irish bacon from a local store is actually kind of ham, with lean and firm texture and smoked flavor.
7-23-2011 Sat. very hot, burning sun
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | honeylope | watermelon | scallion pancake
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- beer | oysters | chilled barley tea
DINNER --- chilled Korean buckwheat noddles with cucumber, radish, beef, and hard-boiled egg | sauteed sweet corn, onion, and red pepper | wine
Honeydew x Cantaloupe = Honeyloupe
fruits from farmer's market
beer and oyster
Chilled Korean noodle soup - summer fruits full load from the farmer's market: honeyloupe ( not as good as honeydew) , watermelon, white peach, nectarine , plume, blueberries .
- first try on chilled Korean noodle soup, two things not quite right yet: fat in beef broth, noodle not chewy enough.
7-21-2011 Thu. very hot, steamy.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed young mustard green
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- silky tofu with marinated mackerel, cucumber and cilantro| simmered winter melon and mushroom with dried tiny shrimp and fermented black beans | salad of fennel, lettuce, carrots and cherry tomato | rice | wine
WINE AND TAPAS GATHERING --- ( at Sonia's ) cheese plate | fresh mozzarella and cherry tomato | wheat berry salad | pilaf salad | black born chips with guacamole | fresh figs | blueberry and strawberry salad | Italian sparkling wine | Austrian white wine 
- with the temperature approaching 100, calls for various salad types of cool food. had a very nice time in Sonia's new kitchen in sea misty blue and gray.
7-20-2011 Wed. very hot, steamy.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- new potato stew with chorizo and chard
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- cherries
DINNER --- sauteed shrimp with Thai basil and spring onion | stir-fry of young mustard green, orange pepper and smoked tofu | salad of marinated jellyfish and radish | rice | wine
- a 40-pound box came from Amazon today, it contains the massive 6 volume set: Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. a random flip lands on a page: science on why you need to stir the liquid when you poach an egg. just what I needed to know
7-19-2011 Tue. hot, muggy.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- quinoa salad
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- cherries
DINNER --- salad of fennel, lettuce, radish and cherry tomato | garlic soup with toasted bread, and poached egg | stewed new potatoes with chorizo | wine
what's going into the broth
garlic soup tasted like chicken broth - had to try this garlic soup recipe Provencal Garlic Soup With Poached Egg from NYT "City Kitchen" recently. two ingredients as simple as garlic and sage could make a very flavorful soup broth, though poaching eggs perfectly need more practice
7-18-2011 Mon. hot, sunny,
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- quinoa salad | cherries
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- sauteed green beans with black bean sauce | sauteed red stem chard with shiitake | fennel and radish salad | rice | wine
- back to work schedule, simple sauteed vegetables. red stem chard from local farmer's market, not as tender as the kind in winter season.
7-17-2011 Sun. hot, sunny.
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread | brie | watermelon | peach with raspberry sorbet | cherries
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- simmered and chilled chicken with ginger scallion sesame oil sauce | quinoa salad with black olive, Gouji berry, watercress, shallot, pistachio and cherry tomato | sauteed baby eggplants and spring onion | avocado salad with fennel, lettuce, radish, and cherry tomato | wine
白斩鸡
- a Shanghai summer special ( should be as famous as Peking Duck) : whole chicken simmered in quite low temperature ( a Chinese version of Sous-Vide?) for quite a long time, then chilled, cut in pieces with bone-in ( have to use a cleaver ) , served with hot ginger scallion sesame oil sauce
7-16-2011 Sat. warm, sunny.
WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | peach | watermelon
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | water melon
DINNER --- sauteed onion, sweet corn, and jalapeno | steamed and pan-fried Brussels sprouts | soba noodles and manila clams with shiso leaves| lettuce, radish, cherry tomato salad | wine
soba and clams in a low bowl
light fare on a new plate- more vegetables, back to home cooking with new plates
7-14-2011 Thu. cool, drizzle.
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- (in the International District, Seattle) Dim Sum
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- (in Fremont neighborhood) cappuccino
DINNER --- ( in Bellevue neighborhood) grilled artichoke | pasta with lamb ragu sauce
drift wood
Toko Shinoda- across the sound to the city. pretty random hit and miss on Seattle restaurant food.
- got one Toko Shinoda's piece at Azuma Gallery.
7-13-2011 Wed. cool, clouds to sun.
BREAKFAST --- coffee | blueberries
LUNCH --- beans and cheese
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- lettuce and tomato salad | corn fritters | Spanish rice with clams | sauteed maitake mushroom and snap peas | sauteed shrimp in ginger scallion sauce | wine
- the tide is low in the morning, and the walk at the beach inspired a dinner featuring shellfish.
7-11-2011 Mon. very hot, sunny.
BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread | blue cheese
LUNCH --- wheatberry salad
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- (in the air) tea
DINNER --- ( on V. island ) tomato salad | baked yam, egg, and cheese pie | wine
island view
- very good wheatberry salad made by Marilu, with fresh cherry tomato, cilantro, preserved fruits and red, white beans
- dashing across the continent to the V. island.
