Blue Sky Today

At 9 AM in Los Angeles, this was the color of the sky - much different than the previous days. As some parts of Southern California are still engulfed in fire, many areas are thankfully under control.

My heart goes out to all those people who have been affected by the fires. It was reassuring to see the outpouring of goodness, care, and concern from far and wide.

Although this rose is absolutely beautiful, luminous and bright, it was given a most unfortuate name.
This is Wildfire Hybrid Tea Rose.

Today's photograph and post were insipred by a red rose blooming in Vienna, Austria posted by Merisi.

How about some nice hot soup?

Minestrone!

Ingredient Still Life:
Including pancetta and the rind from the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The finest Italian ingredients from the A-1 Deli in San Pedro, CA

Garnish with shaved parmesan and basil.


I made this soup for Steve. Get well soon.

The Light of a Wildfire Sunrise in Los Angeles

On the deck, looking east through the smoke from the Port of Los Angeles toward San Diego.


Heartfelt wishes for the best to all of my neighbors throughout Southern California.

Capelli d'Angelo with Everything Sauce

I love these little pasta nests. After cooking the capelli d'angelo in salted water for about 4 minutes, I use a big slotted spoon to gently place them in a pan with melted butter/olive oil garlic and parsley. Here they are topped with my "everything" pasta sauce. It is ground beef and Italian sausage with fennel seeds, red and green bell peppers, garlic, onions, and puttanesca ingredients; capers, black olives, anchovies in a tomato sauce with herbs.


An elegant little nest with big flavor. I serve them with freshly grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on the side.



Thanks once again to Simona of Briciole blog for introducing me to capelli d'angelo.

The Ultimate Pumpkin Patch!

Camarillo, California
Just off the 101 Freeway

Happy October!

Schnitzel à la Holstein

Octoberfest Menu continues...

Schnitzel à la Holstein – Baron Friedrich von Holstein (1837–1909), primary German diplomat after Otto von Bismarck, serving Kaiser Wilhelm II. The gourmet Holstein liked to have a variety of foods on one plate, and the original dish consisted of a veal cutlet topped by a fried egg, anchovy, capers, and parsley, and surrounded by small piles of caviar, crawfish tails, smoked salmon, mushrooms, and truffles. Contemporary versions tend to be pared down to the cutlet, egg, anchovies and capers. (from Wikipedia)
Oh my, I like the Baron's original version! Caviar? Truffles?

Keep the veal warm while making the caper sauce and cooking the sunnyside up egg.
Caper Sauce: Deglaze pan with white wine, then add capers, parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Butternut Squash Ravioli, Sage Browned Butter, Balsamic Reduction

Fresh pasta, butternut squash filling, fresh sage in browned butter, balsamic reduction, freshly grated parmesan cheese.



A delicious Autumn dish!

Post post 1/23/08: I had a request for the recipe here. This is store-bought, high quality, fresh ravioli filled with butternut squash. Cook to al dente in salted water. Meanwhile, melt butter then saute sage leaves in the browned butter, it takes about one minute per side, drain them on paper towels. Gently toss the drained pasta in the browned butter, salt if desired. Plate the ravioli then drizzle balsamic reduction (you can buy this or reduce your own balsamic vinegar to a syrup), top with the sage leaves, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Very easy and very delicious!

Wine Recommendation for Thanksgiving Dinner

We visited the Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, California. I was impressed with all their wines. They are dedicated to growing wine varietals traditional to France's Rhône Valley. All Tablas Creek wines are estate grown using environmentally sensitive, sustainable practices. They chose the Paso Robles area because of its hilly terrain, limestone soils, and ocean influence.

I saw a bottle of the Côtes de Tablas at Bristol Farms the other day, it was selling for $22.99. I am going serve it as one of my Thanksgiving wines, as it would certainly complement the turkey dinner.

Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas is a blend of four estate-grown Rhône varietals: Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Mourvedre. Like most wines of the Southern Rhône, it is a blend of varietals, featuring the fruitiness of Grenache balanced by the spice and structure of Syrah, with meaty, earthy notes from Mourvedre and Counoise. The 2004 Côtes de Tablas has a juicy berry nose of currants, raspberries, licorice and spice. The mouth is full of rich, sweet Grenache fruit showing good acidity and a long finish.


I also recommend these wonderful wine tumblers by Riedel Crystal. Great for everyday use, as they can go in the dishwasher.


What are you serving with The Bird this year?

Puff Pastry Again

HOT, GOOEY, FLAKEY!

Store bought Puff Pastry sheets are great! Especially if, like me, you don't have the skills and patience of a baker.


Ingredient Still Life.
Three cheeses; mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan, plus heirloom tomatoes with gray salt, and basil.
The original inspiration for the ingredients in this turnover came from Lisa's Tomato Tartlet at Champaign Taste.


Etymology of "gooey" - it may be a derivitive of the word burgoo; a thick stew made with meats and vegetables, usually cooked outdoors in huge kettles for many hours. Apparently, people bring what they have on hand to add to the stew. Have you ever tried burgoo?

Mmmm...Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

You may remember my matzoh ball soup from last month? Well, I froze the rest of the soup for later. (Not the matzoh balls, however, those need to be made fresh). So, here is that soup again served with curly egg noodles this time, and carrots, celery, shallots and garlic sauteed in a little of the chicken fat.

The freshly sauteed vegetables, cooked to the point of caramelization, bring a new richness to the previously frozen soup.

Hungarian Goulash

"Look for paprika imported from Hungary and buy a new container from the market, throwing out that musty tin that's been sitting for years in your pantry." Wolfgang Puck

A Wolfgang Puck/Austrian Inspired Dinner Party


Hungarian Goulash and Homemade Spaetzle - it was delicious thanks to Wolfgang's inspiration and Merisi's input all the way from Vienna!

Ingredient Still Life.

Start by caramelizing the onions in olive oil, then add garlic.

Toast the caraway seeds then grind them in a spice grinder and add to the onions.

Smokey! Add the two paprikas...sweet and hot.
I took Merisi's advice not to make a "California Goulash" as she says there are no fresh herbs in her experience...so I added only dried marjoram.

Andrew, the butcher at Bristol Farms cut the beef shanks into cubes and advised me to put the bones in the stew for more flavor.

Deglaze the pot with balsamic vinegar then add the chicken stock, bay leaves and tomato paste, and the meat and bones.

This Le Creuset French Oven is perfect for this dish. Merisi's advice was to put it in the oven at 195 degrees not to let it boil and cook even longer than the original recipe for a very tender meat.

Later that day:
Side Bar - The cook's treat. Remove the bones from the stew. Marrow anyone?

At the Dinner Party:
The goulash is served in Pat's beautiful China "Evesham" made in England.




Sally kicked off the dinner party with a pizzette appetizer, her interpretation of Wolfgang's famous pizza from Spago with smoked salmon and caviar.





Pat's scallop dish: Scallops, Cauliflower Cream, Balsamic Reduction. See 10/09 post for details.




One course, two salads: Lauren made Wolfgang's couscous salad while Gail prepared sliced roasted beets and mache in a butter lettuce cup with Wolfgang's mustard dressing.




Salzburger Nockerln: Patrick made his with cherries, Wolfgang's recipe calls for raspberries. "Salzburg is a wonderful town on the Bavarian Border famous for its small hills called 'Nockerln'. This dish celebrates the hills of Salzburg with its hills of heaped Meringue. It’s rich, indulgent and utterly delicious. This is a true Austrian dessert that brings back memories of good times and loved ones. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. " WP





Elegant dinner party with friends who love to cook!






The Hungarian Goulash with Spaetzle.


Detailed recipe at wolfgangpuck.com

Why a blog is so neat:
We are having an Austrian inspired dinner party in Southern California and I get excellent authentic advice and support from a woman in Vienna whom I have never met. Isn't that something? Thanks Merisi!

Lori Lynn

P.S. That said, you may want to visit the Foodie Blogroll, of which I am a proud new member.

Spaetzle!

For our "Wolfgang Puck" themed dinner party I made his goulash with spaetzle.

The "scoop" of spaetzle on top of the tender and delicious goulash is my artistic interpretation:)

Eggs are always so photogenic. Eggs are mixed with milk.

Flour is mixed with salt and pepper. Freshly grated nutmeg is added.

Wet and dry ingredients are combined. The dough is refrigerated for at least an hour.

This nifty gadget, a sliding spaetzle maker, is really handy and makes this a fun recipe. The dough is ladled into the feeder then slid back and forth over the holes. (It gets a little messy). This was a good investment of only $12.99, as I will surely make spaetzle again, especially for my nephews.

The dough drips into the boiling water.



After boiling for about 4 or 5 minutes the spaetzle is shocked in ice water. Then drained and coated very lightly with peanut oil.

Butter is melted in a pan, then the cold spaetzle is heated in the butter and finished with chopped parsley, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper.


A big thank you to my blogger friend, Merisi in Vienna, Austria for her recipe guidance and authentic input. Please visit her beautiful blog "Merisi's Vienna For Beginners - Virtual Postcards from Vienna"

The goulash recipe is next!

Scallops, Cauliflower Cream, Balsamic Reduction

This is just one of the fabulous dishes we had at our dinner party. Caramelized scallops are served over a heavenly cauliflower puree with cream, finished with a swirl of balsamic reduction.


Pat's inspiration for this dish came from Chef Reddington of Redd Restaurant, Napa Valley.


The cauliflower florettes are sauteed with capers, slivered almonds, and golden raisins. A delicious combination of flavors and textures.

She chose Treana 2005 Central Coast 50% Marsanne 50% Viognier from the Mer Soleil Vineyard to pair with this dish. Excellent!

Happy Birthday Pat!

More Cilantro Mint Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette is so fresh, bright and tasty, I'm glad I had some left over. It was perfect with my warm Bahía Magdalena scallops, and equally delicious with shrimp. The conundrum, how to serve it?

Shrimp Cocktail?


Simply tossed with chilled shrimp?


It makes a fabulous vinaigrette for salads:

As salad dressing for a spicy lettuce mix with roasted cashews?

As a light sauce for chopped red and green heirloom tomatoes with shaved Manchego cheese and gray salt?


Wolfgang Puck serves this vinaigrette with Grilled Lamb Chops.
I'll have to try that, too!

Bahía Magdalena Scallops with Cilantro Mint Vinaigrette

These huge fresh beautiful scallops come from Baja California, Mexico. They are served over mixed lettuces tossed with Olea Farms lemon blush olive oil from Paso Robles, California and toasted pine nuts.

The scallops are dusted in flour, dipped in egg, then rolled in Panko breadcrumbs before frying in hot peanut oil until golden brown. Then seasoned with sea salt.

Ingredient Still Life.
Cilantro Mint Vinaigrette inspired by Wolfgang Puck.
Seasoned Rice Vinegar, Hot Chili Sesame Oil, Hawaiian Honey, fresh ginger, mint, parsley, and cilantro are pureed in a food processor then peanut oil is added slowly to make the vinaigrette.

Bahía Magdalena
A very beautiful coastline offers plenty of beaches, inlets, marshes and mangrove swamps that are the sanctuary of resident and migratory sea birds and its waters are rich in species for commercial and sports fishing. The great Bahía Magdalena is not only the gate entrance to the Pacific, it is a natural reserve of gray whales that arrive to its waters to fulfill their biological cycle during the months of January to March. From bajaquest.com



Buen Apetito!

Filet Mignon with Madeira Sauce

Steakhouse Style Dinner Very Easy To Prepare: A super tender Filet Mignon with an intensely rich and flavorful Madeira sauce.

To get a nice crust on the outside of the filet: salt and pepper the meat, then dip it in olive oil. Put the filet in a very hot pan and sear each side for three minutes without moving it. Finish cooking by putting the skillet right into a 450 degree oven to reach desired doneness depending on the thickness of the steaks. This steak took 3 minutes in the oven for medium. Let the meat rest before serving.

MADEIRA SAUCE

Cook 1 cup of Madeira wine with 1/4 cup of minced shallots and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and reduce by about a third.

Then add 1 cup of beef stock and reduce further.

Whisk in 2 T. of butter and add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.

Great with Hot & Garlicy Spinach and Soybeans.

Hot & Garlicky Spinach and Soybeans

Spinach, edamame, thinly shaved garlic, red pepper flakes, and toasted sesame oil make this side dish pop!


Garlic is sauteed briefly in toasted sesame oil, then add boiled soybeans and red pepper flakes.

Add baby spinach and a little sea salt and cook just until the spinach is wilted.

Excellent served as an accompaniment to the Filet Mignon with Madeira Sauce.

Frozen Food - GUMBO

GUMBO - Freeze date 5/27/07 and brought back to life 10/01/07.

I cooked a delicious Chicken Andouille Sausage Gumbo last May.
I used FROZEN okra in the recipe.

After over 4 months in the freezer, it's gumbo time again!
To freeze successfully, chill the container in the refrigerator for a day before putting in the freezer (don't go from room temperature straight to the freezer). The flavors seem to develop better this way, too. Remember to label the container.

"Strummin' my six-string
On my front porch swing
Smell those shrimp they're beginnin' to boil..." JB
I cooked up some shrimp to add to the gumbo...
The shrimp were FROZEN. I defrosted them under cold running water, removed the shells (they were already deveined) and gently boiled them in water with some unsalted butter and made some fluffy white rice...


Stir in some gumbo file (powdered sassafras leaves) when the gumbo is hot. File is an authentic seasoning and thickener. Always stir it in after the gumbo has been cooked, right before serving.

"Just forget about the mumbo jumbo
Hello to the world of gumbo..." JB

Spoon the gumbo over rice, and add the shrimp.

Do you have a set rule for how long something can last in your freezer? I thought maybe over 3 months was too long, but this was even better than I remembered it!

The Classic BLT

Who doesn't love a great sandwich? The Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato sandwich does not need updating, it just needs fabulous ingredients. There is a good reason it is a classic!
Toasted Ciabatta bread, Niman Ranch bacon cooked in a skillet (not a microwave), homemade or good quality mayonnaise, heirloom tomatoes with a little sea salt, and garden fresh mixed lettuces.
I didn't have a pickle, so I served it with Caper Berries marinated in White Balsamic Vinegar. They're delicious!

Do you have a classic dish that should not be messed with?
This post was inspired by Pim of chez pim, she says don't mess with her Pad Thai.