fresh peas and branzini

03-31-2012 Sat. mild, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- milk | croissant | Norwegian pancake | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- sauteed fresh peas with pork | baked branzini with herbs and olive oil | pan-fried potatoes | avocado and fennel salad | wine

• Mediterranean seabass, English peas
  

provencal garlic soup

03-30-2012 Fri. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- herb tea
LUNCH --- rice with vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- mango
DINNER --- Provencal garlic soup with poached egg and toasted bread | scrambled eggs with flat-leaf chives | pan-fried potatoes | sauteed snap peas | wine

• good soup

Chinese taco buns with BBQ pork shoulder

03-29-2012 Thu. mild, sunny.



BREAKFAST --- green tea
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- mango
DINNER --- Chinese taco-shaped bun with roasted pork shoulder and lettuce | sauteed glass-noodles with bean sprouts, bitter melon and okra

homemade Cha-shao pork


Boston lettuce


glass noodles (mung bean noodles)

• homemade Cha-shao ( Chinese BBQ) pork shoulder is much better this time, sufficient marinating time ( two days) and proper tight-up to get right texture.
  

rice bowl with tea

03-28-2012 Wed. mild, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- herb tea
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- herb tea | mango
DINNER --- rice bowl with tea

• not over yet, look blue, feel blue
  

simple and green

03-27-2012 Tue. chilly, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- herb tea
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings and soup
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ginger and lemon broth
DINNER --- sauteed smoked tofu and chive flowers | sauteed baby spinach | rice

• still sick, hope it will be over soon. front garden is full of life, beautiful blossoms
  

tomato soup and dumplings

03-26-2012 Mon. chilly, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pastrami sandwich
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | pear
DINNER --- steamed dumplings | tomato and egg drop soup

Iceland poppy, new member in the front garden

• too sick to eat much of anything
  

Mexican slasa, rice and beans

03-25-2011 Sun. cool, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- tea | mango | grapefruit | bread with cheese
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ten cups of herb tea
DINNER --- refried beans | salsa with mango and avocado | Mexican rice | sunny-side-up egg | puffy pita bread | wine

• fresh salsa with a mango twist, tastes good.
  

congee

03-24-2012 Sat. cool, rain.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bread and cheese | croissant | grapefruit | mango AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- congee rice soup | threaded pork | thousand-year-old egg | Chinese pickles | fermented tofu | smoked tofu and chive flowers

• being sick is no fun, congee rice soup not for the soul, but for the poor soar throat
  

a brave new world

03-23-2012 Fri. very warm, hazy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed vegetable and chicken
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- ( at Marilu's) Mexican banana chips with tomatillo salsa | passion fruit cocktail || Peruvian salmon marinated in citrus juice | Venezuelan pan-fried white corn pancake with shredded chicken and avocado ( Arepa) | Peruvian three milks cake | wine

• Marilu ventures into New World cuisine. Arepa the white corn fried pancake is very good, freshly fried, assembled at the table with chicken and avocado, and cream chili sauces
  

Francesca's curry

03-22-2012 Thu. warm, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at 33 Cafe) pizza with red pepper and green pepper topping
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- curry potato angel hair | sauteed mustard green with fresh soy beans | sweet and sour lotus root | rice | wine

• got a bag of fresh handmade curry mix from Francesca, the best.
  

Turkish clam rice

03-21-2012 Wed. warm, rain.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed chicken
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- pan fried lotus root chips | Turkish clam rice | sauteed red pepper and okra | wine

• a staple in years of home cooking.
  

make it simple

03-20-2012 Tue. warm, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed bean sprouts and flat leaf chives
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- pan-fried pork chop | spicy cabbage | rice | wine

• simple and quick meal
  

early spring flat leaf chives

03-19-2011 Mon. warm, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with kung-pao chicken
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- grapes
DINNER --- baked Japanese sweet potato | silken tofu with mushroom and okra | scrambled eggs with flat leaf chives | sauteed bean sprouts and Chinese squash | rice | wine

• it is early spring special, bright yellow eggs with new green flat leaf chives
  

a green day

03-18-2012 Sun. warm, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | bead and French brie | grapefruit | muscat grapes AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- Thai-style scallop cake | spinach gnocchi with porcini sauce and fresh peas | steamed & pan-fried Brussels sprouts | wine

bok choy ready to plant in community garden


forget-me-not in back garden


Thai scallop cake


spinach gnocchi with porcini and peas

• not like those green shirts all over the place yesterday, we have green vegetables planted in the garden, and a dinner with fresh peas, spinach pasta, and minced kaffir lime leaf in scallop cake.
  

Sea snails and sea bream

03-17-2012 Sat. very warm, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | bread with French brie | grapefruit | muscat grape AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
BEFORE-CONCERT-DINNER --- ( at Raku ) sake poached sea snails | orange clam three ways | sushi sea bream and blue shrimp | grilled beef skirt steak Ssam with kimchi sauce | 12hour pork chop with grilled fennel,Brussels sprouts, carrot and Japanese pumpkin | beer

sake poached sea snails


orange calm three ways


sea bream and blue shrimp sushi


grilled beef Ssam


12-hour pork chop

• a beautiful spring day with summer temperature and busy green fingers
• Raku has good special menu with interesting ingredients and adventurous cooking. sake poached sea snails are very tasty with firm texture, crunchy but not chewy. the dish Ssam is a take on Korean cooking, with buttery lettuce leaf as wrap, assembled at table.
  

a little French

03-16-2012 Fri. warm, cloudy and rain


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at C. B.) stir-fried green beans | satay chicken | rice noodles
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- duck confit | pan-fried red skin potatoes | sauteed green beans | wine

• duck confit requires very little effort, but a way plan ahead.
  

Matsuzaka noodle bowl

03-15-2012 Thu. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried bitter melon
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- matsuzaka noodle bowl with scallop, dried shrimp, cilantro,shallot, garlic, hot chili, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and pickled ginger | stir-fried chive flower and smoked tofu | wine

• a fusion of Japanese and Thai.
  

early spring

03-14-2012 Wed. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- baked Japanese sweet potato fries | rice bowl with grilled teriyaki eel | spicy cabbage | sauteed snow peas | sauteed bitter melon and beech mushroom | wine

go on a bowl of rice

early blooming

• the spring arrives early this year.
  

steamed dumplings

03-13-2012 Tue. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with tofu skin wrap spring roll and tong-hao porridge
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- bok choy ans mushroom soup | steamed dumplings | wine

• almost summer weather.
  

snow peas

03-12-2012 Mon. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- potato and chorizo stew
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- Tong-hao porridge with crusted peanuts | twice-cooked chicken | stir-fried lotus root and snow peas | rice | wine

• unseasonably warm, sow the snow peas and shell peas
  

a perfect day to start vegetable garden

03-11-2012 Sun. mild, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | grapefruit
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | apple
DINNER --- steamed Brussels sprouts | Spanish chorizo and potato stew | stir-fried yellow chives and shiitake mushroom | wine

camellia blossom from garden

• Spring is around the corner, camellia is blooming in the garden. first day of work at the community vegetable garden, soil preparation.