blossoms, zucchini and saffron

9-18-2014 Thu. mild, clouds. 


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- potatoes and sauteed cauliflower
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple 
DINNER --- burrata cheese, tomato,  arugula and zucchini blossoms | smoked tofu and cilantro | curry cauliflower | clam rice with saffron | wine 

 

• blossoms are sweet, fresh or dried

Mediterranean silver and green

4-27-2014 Sun. mild, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | scrambled eggs with canton sausage | grapes | strawberries 
 AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
 DINNER ---   steamed artichoke, lemon olive oil | fennel salad | sauteed asparagus | sauteed chard | simmered Spanish mackerel with white miso and ginger | saffron rice |  wine

 

• a beautiful spring day,  happy plants and flowers

lamb kabob with saffron rice

3-25-2013 Mon. chilly, snow to rain.



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pizza 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- broiled lamb kabob with spices | yu-xiang eggplant | sauteed bitter melon | saffron rice | wine 

• cut of lamb leg, marinated for two days. 
• belated snow in spring 

an afternoon with Götterdämmerung

02-11-2011 Sat. cold wind, snowy.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | chibatta bread | jam and butter | grape fruit | scrambled eggs with cilantro
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple | mini doughnuts
DINNER --- sauteed baby spinach | broiled lamb chops | sauteed celery, mushroom and carrots | saffron rice | wine

• 6 hours for the conclusion of the Ring cycle: Twilight of the Gods
  

a tableful for the golden season

11-03-2011 Thu. cool, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with kungpao chicken
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- butternut squash and apple soup | Spanish cured pork loin and cheese | caramelized carrots with smoked bacon and cilantro | sauteed garlic scape with egg | saffron rice | wine

butternut squash soup, saffron rice

caramelized carrots, Spanish cured pork loin, garlic scape

• hearty, bounty of the golden season
  

a glorious autumn day

10-10-2011 Mon. very warm, sunny.



WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | orange bread | apple | fresh orange juice
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- coffee latte | ice cream
DINNER --- pear and bitter green salad with Spanish dry sherry vinegar dressing | duck confit | saffron rice | steamed and pan-fried Brussels sprouts | wine

magnificent butterfly in the Smithsonian garden



fall blooms in the Smithsonian garden


homemade tablecloth, vegetation inspiration




pear salad



duck confit

• took a long walk to Smithsonian gardens to see plants and butterflies under a glorious autumn sky.
• pear and duck confit for the perfect fall day. duck legs were marinated in garlic salt for 24 hours, then cooked in duck fat at 170 degree in oven for 8 hours.
  

an escape to East Mediterranean

1-26-2011 Wed. cold, snow and icy rain


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with vegetable ragu source
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER ---Lebanese green olive and egg salad | Turkish saffron rice with clams and smoked mussels | boiled beet leaves with sesame oil dressing and toasted sesame seeds | wine

• cooking an escape to East Mediterranean from the snowy and icy reality. lost power right after the dinner.
• the Minimalist makes his exit today: -- I refused to buy into the notion that there was a “correct” way to prepare a given dish; rather, I tried to understand its spirit and duplicate that, no matter where I was cooking... the question was not, "Would I cook this as a native would?" but rather, "How would a native cook this if he had my ingredients, my kitchen, my background?" -- M.Bittman
  

Autumn is around the corner

9-09-2010 Thu. cool, breezy, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stuffed jalapeno ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- saffron rice with smoked oyster, clam, sweet Spanish pepper and caper berries | sauteed green beans with minced chicken and chili sauce | fennel salad

the hue of early fall

Spanish rice with saffron

• cool breeze, bright blue sky, and ripe sweet peppers and tomatoes