One Of The Greatest Combos Ever

Lunch, Monday July 16: lox bagel (sesame bagel, cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato, 
lettuce, onion, capers).

I didn't put this together. There is a new coffee shop down the street that I really like. They have a small menu of sammiches and other tidbits. Most importantly, they always have shortbread, one of my favoritest thingses.

This is also a nice example of the penchant for Americans to create culinary mash-ups. Scandinavians devised the method of preserving salmon in salt. Native Americans smoked it. The capers are Italian. Cream cheese probably originated in Britain. The crusty chewy ring of manna probably started with Uigher merchants on the silk road.

New Yorkers put them all together.

I Got Inspired

Supper, Friday July 13: ceviche (scallops, shrimp, yellow fin, lime juice, scallion, cilantro, salt); cucumber salad (cucumber, sun dried tomato, miracle whip, rice vinegar); yellow italian beans; swiss.

We visited St Augustine FL recently. The main reason for the visit was to attend a concert there, but really we will take just about any excuse to visit there. Our favorite activity is what we like to call the "Sangria and ceviche tour." We walk about window shopping and duck into any place that looks like they have sangria and ceviche.  

So, I got inspired.

Ceviche is really easy. Prep the seafood (peel, dice, whatever) combine the ingredients. let it steep for an hour or two (this depends on the seafood and the size of the pieces.) Enjoy! The acid in the lime juice "cooks" the seafood and does a good job of killing bacteria.

This was a hot day and I had no intention of eating hot food, so even the beans are cold. Eaten this way they are yummy with a little ranch.

Too Much Lettuce

Lunch, Sunday June 24: bean soup; cheese, lettuce, and cucumber wrap; olive; stuffed pepper.

Not much to say. We have a lot of lettuce from the garden so instead of a salad "how about a wrap.?"

It Doesn't Get Any More Southern Than This

Supper, Saturday June 16: smoked pork; mixed greens; fried squash, fried taters.

I have ranted on BBQ before. I don't need to right now. I'll come back to it later. 

The greens of my youth were chopped, and boiled with smoked pork, jowls or hocks, until you could almost eat them with a straw. 

I exaggerate, but they most certainly were cooked until soft. Now if that was mustard or turnip greens then that would not take too long, but if it was kale or collards then it could be an all day affair depending on the season (winter collards ate more tender, and sweeter to boot). As for now I tend to cook greens with a little tooth left, but that does depend on the culinary context. In this instance we have a very traditional accompaniment so I cooked them a little soft. On the other hand If I were going to serve them as the centerpiece under a salt block seared piece of grouper I would likely leave them a bit al dente. 

I play around with seasoning too. Traditional is OK. A little chopped onion is good with a little vegetable base. Sometimes I will add a little crushed tomato or crushed red pepper. Coarsely chopped kale sauteed in olive oil with garlic and sesame seeds is great. 

There are a bunch of new approaches to be found on the interwebs. Greens are a "superfood" dinja know? Who knew? We've been eating healthy in the south all along.

Where's The Psgetti?

Supper, Saturday May 26: stir fry pods (snow peas, garlic, chopped cashews, soy sauce, mirin); meatballs (ground beef, ground pork, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper); marinara; shredded parm.

I REALLY like pasta. The low carb thing is a little difficult for me. I can see the logic of it: lower the thing that is most of your diet. That doesn't make it easier though. This was a good combo though. Meatballs and sauce with a side of something that is chewy and saucy itself. 

I do have an admission: it's not really parm. There is a local creamery that makes fantastic cheese. This selection started as a cheddar process then was further treated and aged so that it came out similar to Argentine Parm. I tasted it at the shop and knew immediately that I needed some for the meatballs I had recently made. (Actually we are just suckers for cheese, but that is my story and I am sticking to it.)

The Perfect Avocado?

Friday, May 25: Weird Food Thing

Somebody stole the seed. 

The skin of what should be a seed is there, but inside that is nothing. The bonus here is the size. Look at how much smaller the center is than usual. We got a lot more avocado than usual. Wouldn't seedless avocados be awesome?