a five-course dinner at home

9-30-2011 Fri. mild, some sun.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---apple
DINNER --- sweet shrimp sashimi | lightly pickled eggplant | mizuna and pickled beet | simmered eggplant, zucchini, tomato and Japanese leek | wine and soy braised short ribs | rice | wine || herbal liqueur | Marcano almonds

sweet shrimp

pickled and pan-roasted eggplant

pickled beet and mizuna

• sweet shrimp back in season, truly sweet and tender.
  
• DD's lightly pickled eggplant by D.D. has silky and slightly crunchy texture, not easy to get from eggplant. ( 24h pickling: Japanese thin eggplant cut in length, salt, rice vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, shallot, garlic. 5min pan-roasting: skillet medium to high heat. )
  

blue-black sage attracted a humming bird

9-29-2011 warm, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER ---wonton soup with green mustard and shrimp | curried cauliflowers | stir-fried red pepper and smoked tofu | rice | fennel and lettuce salad | wine

• a humming bird visited blue-black salvia in our fall garden this morning, I was not fast enough to catch the image of the interesting visitor.
  

chop + stir-fry

9-28-2011 Wed. warm, shower.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried cabbage and pork
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Japanese green tea | apple
DINNER --- stir-fried celery, carrot and zucchini | fried wheat gluten balls stuffed with minced chicken and eggplant relish, stewed with tomato | rice | fennel and radish salad | wine

• the essence of Chinese cooking: chop carefully, stir-fry quickly.
  

simply good food

9-27-2011 Tue. warm, drizzle.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- sauteed vegetables with white beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---apple
DINNER --- pan-fried pork chop with spiced coating | Sichuan style stir-fried spicy cabbage with fermented fava bean sauce | rice | fennel and lettuce salad | wine

• rushed Tuesday dinner in 30 minutes, simple but good.
  

Broscht and black rye bread

9-26-2011 Mon. warm, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- cassoulet (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- vegetable broscht ( beet, carrot, cabbage, tomato, onion, celery, mushroom, spinach) | homemade black rye bread (rye, wheat, burned sugar syrup, dark chocolate, caraway) | smoked mussels | sauteed green beans | fennel and radish salad | wine

• go Russian, dark and rich without meat.
  

Duck confit, patience pays off

9-25-2011 Sun. warm, cloudy.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | ciabatta bread | honeydew | concord grapes
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- marcano almonds | Spanish herbal liqueur
DINNER --- duck confit | vegetable confit | homemade dark rye bread | fennel and lettuce salad| wine

duck confit


vegetable confit


burned sugar syrup for dark rye bread

• patience pays off in slow cooking of confit. duck legs were marinated for 2 days, and cooked in fat and broth at 180 degree for 8 hours ( overnight), pan-seared before serving. vegetables are simmered in the stock of vegetable+duck over low heat for one hour.
• dark rye bread uses burned sugar syrup ( again made with a slow process) and dark chocolate.
  

Tapas and Empanadas

9-24-2011 Sat. warm, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | concord grapes | honeydew
LUNCH --- ( at Panas ) platter of empanadas of grilled chicken, chipolle steak, roasted pork, samba shrimp, smoked eggplant, sauteed spinach, corn, with sauce verde, Aji, chimi and pimenton
DINNER --- tapas at home: sauteed baby squid with ginger and pimenton, served with roasted red pepper sauce and concord grapes | bread with spicy eggplant and sun-dried tomato relish| bread with roasted red pepper and almond spread | green olives with smoked mussels | sauteed spinach | fennel,cherry tomato and radish salad | wine

Panas Gourmet Empanadas

homemade tapas spread

squid platter

• finger food mostly, fun to make and fun to eat.
• empanadas at Panas, shells are thin, crispy but not deep dried, the fillings are moist and tender.
  

Duck cassoulet

9-23-2011 Fri. warm, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with sofrito
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---apple
DINNER --- tapas ( Marcona almonds, flat bread, olives, cherry tomatoes and smoked mussels )| Ruavieja Licor de hierbas (Spanish sweet herbal liqueur) | duck cassoulet ( low-heat-simmered duck, roasted pork shoulder, fried bacon, white beans) | fennel and lettuce salad | flat bread | wine

tapas and drink
while waiting for the slow-cooking cassoulet

• a long process of slow cooking without using duck fat confit. the duck was simmered at low-heat with vegetables ( celery, fennel, carrot, shallot, garlic, and bay leaf) last night for 4 hours, stock strained and fat separated, meat saved. white beans and pork are precooked. this evening the cassoulet was layered with sauteed bacon and onion puree, duck, pork, and white beans, immersed in the duck stock, baked in oven 375 degree for 2 hours, not covered. it tastes very good, rich without too much fat.
  

Sofrito

9-22-2011 Thu. mild, damp.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed bitter melon and eggplant relish
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- pasta with sofrito sauce | sauteed cauliflowers | wine

• at end of the season, ripe and strong-flavored tomatoes from farmer's market make very good sofrito.
  

bitter melon and eggplant

9-21-2011 Wed. mild, damp.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- black quinoq with Marcona almond and dried cherries
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- Lebanese style eggplant relish ( eggplant, tomato, shallots, garlic, cilantro and crushed nuts) | sauteed bitter melon with fermented black beans | steamed Chinese taco buns with PPQ pork and shiso leaves | rice | fennel and lettuce salad | wine

• a meal with everything from the recipes collection ( all linked )
  

Chinese taco buns

9-20-2011 Tue. cool, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed eggplants
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- Chinese taco buns with BBQ pork, shiso leaves and tomato | stir-fried green beans with Sichuan spices | black quinoa with Marcona almonds, green olives, dried cherries and cilantro | fennel and lettuce salad | wine

"lotus leaf" bun


black quinoa, Marcona almonds

• lotus-leaf buns are soft and airy, go well with BBQ pork and juicy tomato.
  
• black quinoa has rich color and more flavor than the plain kind.
  

Japanese Shishito peppers

9-19-2011 Tue. cool, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with chive flowers and smoked tofu
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- English tea
DINNER --- tempura of shishito peppers | Provencal garlic soup with poached egg | sauteed eggplant with shiitake | rice | fennel and lettuce salad | wine

• late crop of shishito peppers from local Japanese market, the size, the flavor, and the thin-walled texture all reminds me the little Padron peppers in Spain.
  

Empanadas, street food to semi-fast food

9-18-2011 Sun. cool, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | honeydew | apple | ( from Panas ) empanadas: chiopotle steak, smoked eggplant, roasted pork & onion, with sauces: salsa verde, Aji, pimenton, and plantain chips |
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | spicy roasted peanuts
DINNER --- oven-baked fries of Japanese sweet potato | sir-fried baby squid with ginger and scallion sauce | stir-fried chive flowers with smoked tofu | rice | fennel and lettuce salad | wine

fall blooms from garden


empanadas from Panas


little squid and chive flowers

• discovered the newly opened Panas on the way to farmer's market, will try more of those no-nonsense empanadas in their chic-simple dinning hall soon.

a fisherman's tale of whole fish and crabs

9-17-2011 Sat. chilly, damp.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | Ciabatta bread | lachsschinken cured ham | brie | honeydew
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | steamed crab with ginger rice vinegar dipping sauce
BEFORE-CONCERT-DINNER --- Ciabatta bread with green olive and Marcona almond spread | simmered whole rock fish in ginger and scallion sauce | sauteed zucchini | rice | wine
AFTER-CONCERT-DRINK --- tea | Spanish fig and almond cake | Chinese lotus seed moon-cake

a continental breakfast


a fisherman's tea time


simmered rock fish

• had steamed crabs and simmered whole fish ( both local and wild) for a delayed Middle Autumn Festival.
• the concert was a fixed menu of 5 movements, Mahler Symphony No. 2, served by a big orchestra ( 6 trumpets, 8 French horns, countless strings and a long array of percussion) and a big chorus with an alto and a soprano. A captivating masterpiece, much better in a live performance, with all the offstage "sound of distance" effects.
  

a taste of golden autumn

9-16-2011 Fri. autumn cool, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed green beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- heirloom golden tomato and chayote salad | baby potato and chorizo stew | sauteed soft tofu and lightly pickled mustard greens with spicy roasted peanuts | wine

• temperature comes down significantly. last harvest of heirloom tomato has intense flavor. warm and hearty potato stew welcomes the arrival of the autumn
  

fruits, vegetables and nuts

9-15-2011 Thu. cool, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with ratatouille
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- creamy celery root and apple soup | okra tempura | pan-roasted pear with piquillo and pistachio sauce | sauteed green beans | rice | wine

• some experiment on combination of fruits, vegetables and nuts.
  

Ratatouille

9-14-2011 Wed. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed vegetable buns
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums
DINNER --- simmered silky tofu with cilantro, mushroom and minced chicken | ratatouille ( zucchini, carrots, shallots, tomato and herbs) | rice | fennel and radish salad | wine

• loading with the last vegetables of the summer, they start fading away from farmer's markets.
  

Ciabatta, Frittata, Italian for Tuesday

9-13-2011 Tue. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- pear
DINNER --- ciabatta toast ( rubbed with ripe tomato, topped with olive oil, marinated anchovy, and aged cheese) | Italian chopped fennel and radish salad with anchovy dressing ( wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic and vinegar-marinated anchovy fillet ) | frittata ( spinach, basil, leek, oyster mushroom, sausage, and egg ) | sauteed spinach and mushroom with garlic | wine

ciabatta toast with anchovy and cheese

chopped salad


greens frittata


creamy and garlicky spinach

• a deviation from usual Tuesday's hurried cooking, inspired by the current City Kitchen Column of NYT : "Italy, so close you can taste it".
  

stuffed, dumplings, squid and moon cake

9-12-2011 Mon. warm, sunny. full moon


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with chicken and vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums
DINNER --squash and apple soup | stuffed baby squid simmered in rice wine sauce | steamed dumplings with filling of shiitake, young green mustard and minced chicken | fennel and lettuce salad| wine || Chinese moon cake | green tea

Chinese moon cakes for Autumn Moon Festival
with fillings of red bean paste, pine nut and lotus seed, dates

• baby squid is in the similar size as steamed dumpling, one with filling of seasoned sweet rice and mushrooms and simmered in wine sauce, the other with minced greens and chicken, steamed in bamboo steamer, served with garlic soy dipping sauce.
• it is Chinese Autumn Moon Festival today, beautiful deep sky with bright full moon.
  

Back to roots

9-11-2011 Sun. a beautiful day.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | honeydew | ciabatta bread | soft cheese
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- butternut squash and apple soup | vegetable confit ( leek, field potato, celery root, carrot, shallot, mushroom, tomato and herbs, slow cooked in white wine, olive oil and lemon juice) | low-heat-simmered and chilled whole chicken, with ginger scallion dipping sauce and Thai basil | rice | fennel and lettuce salad | wine

celery root and carrot

ready for confit

squash and apple soup

low-heat-simmered and chilled chicken

• transition to early fall, with several kinds of root vegetables and a bit warmer and hearty soup of squash and apple.