homemade pizza

6-30-2013 Sun. warm, cloudy.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | scallion pancake | watermelon | mango and blue berries 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | tea quail eggs | cherries
DINNER --- homemade pizza :  fresh mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce, pepperoni | cherry tomato salad with radish and avocado | wine 

 

• simple but  fresh ingredients made all the difference. the dough did not go through 24h preparation this time, it seems to work alright.

summer fare

6-29-2013 Sat. warm, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | bread and blue cheese | watermelon  AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | tea quail eggs | cherries | lychee 
DINNER ---  gazpacho | ceviche | broiled salmon with ginger sauce | boiled new potatoes | sauteed fresh corn with roasted red pepper | wine | raspberries with ice cream

 

•   summer fruits in full swing, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, watermelon, white peaches, black plums, mango, and lychee.

red stem chard from garden

6-28-2013 Fri. warm, shower.  



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- lentils with ragu 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- boiled dumplings ( dill, chicken, shiitake) with homemade shells | sauteed red stem chard with garlic | boiled new potatoes with mustard sauce | wine 

• chard is from M.'s garden, cut before dinner time.

french lentils with vegetable ragu

6-27-2013 Thu. warm, cloudy. 



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with vegetables 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach 
DINNER --- French lentils with sauteed onion,tomato, celery, carrot, zucchini and pesto sauce   |  fennel and cherry tomato salad | wine 

 

• everything in small scale to get vegetable flavors  mingle. French  lentils did not keep the dark green color when simmered.

bitter melon and mustard greens

6-26-2013 Wed. hot, cloudy.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---  plum
DINNER --- scrambled eggs with tomato | sauteed bitter melon with shittake | sauteed mustard green | rice | fennel and avocado salad | wine 

• go easy

the most homey nostalgia

6-25-2013 Tue. hot, sun and storm. 

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice noodles with shrimp patty 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plum
DINNER --- steamed dumplings | salad of fennel, cherry tomato, radish, avocado, and lettuce | beer 

 

• see years go by

rice noodles and shrimp patty

6-24-2013 Mon. hot, cloudy.  


 BREAKFAST --- coffee
 LUNCH --- boiled new potatoes and fresh peas 
 AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- cherries 
 DINNER --- rice noodles with  zucchini and tomato sauce | Vietnamese-style  pan-fired shrimp patty | sauteed green beans | cherry tomato and fennel salad | wine | coconut milk jello and raspberries 

 

• a bit chaotic in terms of ingredients

tea time in the tea house, fireflies blinking

6-23-2013 Sun. warm, rain and sun.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread | water melon | mango | cherries 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- steamed artichoke with lemon butt dipping | sauteed sweet corn with roasted red pepper | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape | boiled new potatoes | wine 
AFTER-DINNER-TEATIME --- ( in the tea house with friends )  Long-jing green tea | Tie-guang-ying fermented tea  |  tea quail eggs  |  fresh lychee and coconut milk jello | pan-fried shrimp lollypop | almond brittle | tea cookies |  mango cheese on crackers 

 
 

• finally we made it a tea party in the tea house, good time with friends, tea light, full moon, and fireflies blinking around.

Garden party

6-22-2013 Sat. warm, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | bread | chicken liver pate | mango | cherries 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea 
DINNER --- ( at Sonia's garden party)  Vietnamese summer rolls | party food | wine 

• a perfect evening for garden party,  lots of food

new potatoes and green beans

6-21-2013 Fri. warm, sunny.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH ---  steamed new baby potatoes and sauteed fresh peas 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- pan-fried pork chop | pan-fried new potatoes | sauteed green beans | rice | cherry tomato and cucumber salad | wine 

 

• new comers at the market, potatoes and green beans, tender, snappy and sweet

tilapia pickled by lime juice

6-20-2013 Thu. mild, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with silken tofu and mushroom
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---  peach
DINNER --- ceviche with lightly pickled cucumber and daikon | sauteed fresh peas and garlic scape | rice | cherry tomato and fennel salad | wine 

 

• tilapia works well for ceviche, pickled and "cooked" by fresh lime juice for a day, the texture is form but not dry.

Tilapia

6-19-2013 Wed. mild, rain. 


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta  with olives and pickled pepper
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- pan-fried  tilapia filet | simmered silken tofu and mushroom | Shanghai salsa | rice | fennel and cherry tomato salad | wine 

 

• tilapia filet is all flesh no flavor

tuna in olive oil and pasta

6-18-2013 Tue. mild, rain.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- brown rice with green beans 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER ---  green and black olives and marinated Gigante beans | pasta with oyster mushroom, roasted red pepper and  white tuna | sauteed radicchio | sauteed spinach with garlic and chili sauce | fennel and cherry tomato salad | wine 

 

•  innovative pasta sauce made from randomly found ingredients, tasted pretty good.

coming off from trellis

6-17-2013 Mon. warm, sunny. 

  
BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at G.Joe)  pastrami sandwich | curly fries 

AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plum | mango 

DINNER ---  sauteed green beans | sauteed  peas with garlic scape and cubed pork | brown short grain rice | fennel and cherry tomato salad | wine 

• peas are phasing out when temperature goes north.

after concert dinner

6-16-2013 Sun. warm, cloudy. 



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread and cheese | water melon | figs
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea 
AFTER-CONCERT-DINNER ---  beer | chicken liver pate with crackers | gazpacho | avocado and daikon salad | steamed artichoke with lemon butter dip | Chinese taco buns with twice-cooked pork, caramelized onion and radish sprouts | wine 

 

• make and serve over the counter, one course a time.

a feast of early summer fruit, vegetables and seafood

6-15-2013 Sat. warm, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | bread | Stilton cheese and figs | water melon | raspberry and mango 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- beer   
DINNER --- avocado and daikon salad | sashimi salmon and mackerel | boiled new baby potatoes with seasoned butter | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape | sauteed baby squid with ginger and lemon juice | wine 

 

 

• a feast of fresh food on a set of beautiful ceramics, some of them recently made by DD.

brown short grain rice

6-14-2013 Fri. mild, clouds.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed vegetable buns 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach 
DINNER --- tomato soup with shiitake and egg drop | brown short grain rice | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape and tofu skin | wine 

   

•  brown short grain rice has its particular firm and chewy texture, it takes twice as long to cook as the traditional Chinese or Japanese short grain rice

Chinese taco buns with roasted pork shoulder

6-13-2013 Thu. storm. 



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with bitter melon 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- Chinese taco buns with roasted pork shoulder and caramelized onion | sauteed radicchio | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape and chili sauce | wine 

• those buns are easy to go down, end up eating too much

a whole cast of vegetables

6-12-2013 Wed. warm, clouds. 


 BREAKFAST --- coffee
 LUNCH --- steamed dumplings 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- stir-fried spicy eggplant | stir-fried chive flowers and smoked tofu | sauteed bitter melon with tomato | rice | wine 

 

• staples of stir-fry

steamed dumplings

6-11-2013 Tue. warm, cloudy.  


 BREAKFAST --- coffee
 LUNCH --- ( at C.B.) teppanyaki 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- steamed dumplings | cherry tomato and lettuce salad | wine 

 

• Chinese version of  teppanyaki, carried out by Mexican cooks.

gigante beans and skiny beans

6-10-2013 Mon.. warm, rain.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- barley and mushroom soup 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach
DINNER --- Gigante beans with spicy garlic and shallot sauce |  scrambled eggs with tomato | sauteed green beans | cherry tomato and lettuce salad | wine 

•   gigante beans are creamy, not mealy.

crazy about fresh peas

6-09-2013 Sun. warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread and cheese | scallion pancake | honeydew
 AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- beer | crackers and guacamole 
DINNER --- Shanghai-style short ribs with ginger and star anise | sauteed fresh peas and garlic scape | pan-fried  new potatoes with herbs and onion | lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomato salad | wine 

 

• fresh peas every meal because it only lasts a short season.

petite peas and petite squid

6-08-2013 Sat. warm, sunny.

  

WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- espresso | croissant | bread and blue cheese | honeydew | mango 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---tea | crackers and avocado spread
AFTER-CONCERT-DINNER ---  ginger and lemon barley soup with baby squid and beech mushroom | sauteed fresh peas with garlic scape and chili sauce | wine 

 

• very  enjoyable late dinner.

Italian Cheese

6-07-2013 Fri. warm, clouds and rain. 

    

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with peas 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- mango | apple 
DINNER --- ( at Sonia's) Gorgonzola boats and pears | pickled peppers and olives | bruschetta | Aperol cocktail | Burrata with asparagus, pine nuts and golden raisins, heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto | wine | Tuscan-style spareribs with Balsamic glaze | Cavatelli with Parmesan and carrots | strawberry and Mascarpone trifles with Amaretti cookie | espresso 

 

•  Gorgonzola:  mild blue cheese, Barruta: fresh mozarella and cream ,  Parmesan: hard cheese, Mascarpone: cream cheese  similar to  ricotta

•