layered and baked ratatouille and pizza with a rainbow of vegetables

9-15--21-2025

DINNERS --- Thomas Keller's Confit Byaldi: layered and baked ratatouille  | Jim Lahey's No-Knead pizza | clam and tofu soup |  steamed egg custard | parboiled greens | scrambled eggs | stir-fried chive flower and bean curd   

• Hummingbird showed up in the garden, probably the last visit of this summer 

From French Pyrenees to Catalonia coast

10-14-2011 Fri. mild, rain to shine.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- soup wonton
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- pear
DINNER --- ( a Spanish and southern French dinner for the cooking club) figs with Serrano ham | pickled mussels with roasted red pepper | Spanish sharp goat cheese | Marcona almonds | Spanish cava || braised stuffed baby squid and pickled mackerel | pear and bitter green salad | butternut squash and granny smith apple soup | duck confit | saffron rice | layered ratatouille with sofrito sauce | Provencal rose | Bordeaux white wine || Crema Catalonia | Spanish herbal liqueur | Spanish almond chocolate

figs with Serrano ham


Spanish pickled mussels

Spanish goat cheese and almonds

squid and mackerel


serving pear salad


layering ratatouille

sofrito and thyme-garlic sauces for ratatouille


baked ratatouille

duck confit, saffron rice

• this version of layered ratatouille is " a combination of all sorts of recipes... bits from Jose Andres, Thomas Keller, Smitten Kitchen, Pixar, and some bits from nowhere" (D.D.). two sauces and layered structure are crucial.
  

ratatouille from Pixar's Ratatouille

10-09-2011 Sun. warm, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | orange bread | pear
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- ( in the garden ) oven baked white sweet potato fries | Swedish pickled herring with pickled beet | artichoke hearts, green olives and marcona almonds | layered and baked ratatouille | rice | wine

• Pixar is one of the best things made happen by Steve Jobs. Onion named him the last American who knew what the $%@! he was doing