" fish collar " & "rabbit brain"

4-14-2019 Sun. 


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | grapefruit
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---  tea
DINNER --- simmered Chinese silk gourd, Chinese yam, mini king mushroom and fried wheat gluten puff ( aka rabbit brain) | cauliflower with Francesca's curry mix | broiled rock fish collar | rice 

• shock factor. 

cuury sauce from fresh vegetables and spices

9-12-2015 Sat. warm, shower


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | bread and cheese | watermelon | grapes AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---figs and cheese | bread and salami | wine
DINNER --- burrata and tomato salad | sauteed fresh corn and chili | vegetable curry with baby squid | wine

• according to d.d., vegetable curry is pureed  from stewed fresh vegetables and herbs and spices. squid is cooked separately and added in for short time.

the scent of Garam Masala

11-30-2011 Wed. cold, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with ragu sauce
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- pear
DINNER --- sauteed baby spinach | oven-baked sweet potato fries | chicken curry with greens and Garam Masala | rice | wine

• homemade curry.
  

Marbled quail eggs

7-07-2011 Thu. hot, hazy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- plums
DINNER --- tea quail egg | radish, cherry tomato and lettuce salad | curry taro roots | stir-fried chive flowers with smoked tofu | sauteed green beans with black bean sauce | rice | wine

• quail eggs cracked and simmered in tea and spice broth, then cooled down to room temperature to serve
• fresh homemade curry mixed by Francesca
  

Who ate my herbs?

5-10-2011 Tue. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pickled spring bamboo shoots and cucumber
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed cauliflowers and okra with coconut curry sauce | stir-fried spring bamboo shoots, shiitake and Cantonese sausage | rice | wine

the crime scene: chewed-down Thai basil and savory


vegetable dinner

• some rabbit out there must have enjoyed very much the unusual flavors of Thai basil, Italian savory and French tarragon.
• planted seeds of Shiso today.
  

naan puffy, chicken curry

2-23-2011 Wed. cold, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with short ribs and cabbage
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Japanese green tea | apple
DINNER --- homemade puffy bread | pan-fried Brussels sprouts | chicken curry with greens and Garam Masala | saffron rice | wine

puffy naan

curry chicken

• made curry sauce from scratch, made puffy naan from scratch as well.
  

Curry leaves and a magic box of spices

11-19-2010 Fri. chilly, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH ---rice with tong-hao porridge
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | apple
DINNER --- ( at Marilu's) Paneer ( Indian cottage cheese ) | white wine || shrimp patties | Malayalee ( Indian curry fish ) | sauteed snake gourd | lemon rice | red wine || sweet potato puran-Poli ( Indian sweet bread with sweet potato filling )

• Marilu's Indian dinner in her brand new kitchen and dinning room with everything glowing in a golden hue.
  

Fall vegetables in the golden hue of curry

11-12-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried cabbage and pork
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- roasted-then-fried butternut squash patty spiced with cumin and curry | marinated jelly fish threads with chayote with kelp paste | curried onion and string beans | rice |pear and fennel salad | wine

• quite a bit of spice and curry into the fall vegetable dishes
  

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.
  

Vaguely Indian, bitter melon and curry

5-11-2010 Tue. chilly, rain


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- orange bread
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- sauteed Indian bitter melon and red pepper | curried rice with zucchini, mushroom and okra | fennel salad | white wine

• vegetarian food again. Indian bitter melon is smaller and has stronger bitter taste than the Chinese one.
  

Vegetables and spices

4-20-2010 Tue. mild, cloudy

BREAKFAST --- coffee | Pocky thin bread sticks
LUNCH --- eggplant and goat cheese pizza
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | apple
DINNER --- fennel and avocado salad | five-spice stew of eggplant and tofu | curried angel hair potato | rice | red wine

• there is endless combination of vegetables and spices
  

Francesca's curry

3-25-2010 Thu. warm, cloudy

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH ---- (at Cafe 34 ) Thai curry soup
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | apple
DINNER ---cilantro and tofu salad | curried angel hair potatoes | Tong-ho puree with crushed peanuts | rice | red wine

• Francesca ground fresh curry leaves and spices to make the curry mixture. It has amazing aroma and subtle flavor.
  

Curried angel hair potatoes

• 1 big potato
  
• 4 green onions
  
• 1 tbs Francesca's curry mixture
  
• 1 tsp cooking oil
  
• salt
  

1. peel the potato, cut the potato into thin threads, as thin as possible like angel hair pasta
   
2. wash the potato threads in cold water till the water becomes clear
   
3. soak the potato threads in cold water for 10 minutes, drain
   
4. cut the green onions into the size as that of potato threads
   
5. heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium heat, add green onions and curry mixture, cook for 2 minutes
6. turn to higher heat, add potato threads to the pan, add salt and 1 tsp water, stir and cook for 5 minutes
   
7. it is done when the potato threads turn translucent, do not over cook it