15 February 2009

Valentine's weekend. Always a weird holiday...

Winter is on its way out, and the promise of Spring is near. Time to stop hibernating and pay a bit more attention to the waistline. I am looking forward to supper and music on the dining porch soon. For tonight's Sunday Supper, I went a little less comfort food and tried to be somewhat healthy. Our buddies Jeff and Cory joined us, so it made it all worthwhile. I veered to a classic French entree, Fish en Papillote (Fish in Parchment Paper). I steamed some wild line-caught Cod in parchment with organic matchstick carrots and leeks. It was a refreshing change from heavy comfort food. Now, if only "birds had bank accounts," as Lucinda Williams croons, all would be fine and dandy.

Spring or be sprung!

The Menu:

- Fish in Papillote: Wild Line-Caught Cod in Parchment
with Matchstick Carrots and Leeks

- Classic Shrimp Cocktail

- Hearts of Romaine with Simple Dressing and Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

- Grilled Chiabatta with a Drizzle of EVOO

- Thin Pear Tart with Cream Cheese Crust

08 February 2009 – The Grammys

The 51st Grammy Awards are on tonight! I hear that Radiohead is doing a great live number with a high school marching band. Carrie Underwood is performing, and she is always good live. I also hear that Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus may be singing together, but I am not sure what I think about that combo. I like Taylor but can live without Ms. Cyrus! I came down with a cold over the weekend which is not a lot of fun. I have not had a true "head cold" in a while and hope it clears up soon. Anyway, I am not really up for cooking a Grammy-worthy dinner, so I settled for chicken soup. However, I am doing a slight moderation by making a Asian style chicken potsticker soup with flash fried wonton strips. I added some thai chiles, garlic and ginger to spice things up. Hopefully, it will help clear the crud in my head! As an extra bonus, I found this great clip from the 1975 Grammy broadcast. (below) The oh-so-fabulous Gladys Knight performs the nominees for "Song of the Year," and she rocks. One of the nominees was the late Peter Allen for his composition of the Olivia Newton-John classic, "I Honestly Love You." He lost out to the Bergmans for "The Way We Were," but Gladys stole the show. Enjoy, and may the best singers win.

The Menu:

- Spicy Asian Dumpling Soup with Flash-Fried Wonton

- Baby Chicken and Vegetable Egg Rolls with Two Dipping Sauces

01 February 2009 - Super Bowl Sunday

Oh well, it is Supper Bowl Sunday, and Jim tells me it is a very important day in sports. I am really not sure who played, but I think Pittsburgh won. I like Pittsburgh and really enjoyed the beer bong when I visited for the AIGA retreat a few years ago. Instead of the typical Super Bowl Sunday menu, I focused on a Panini theme for tonight's menu. Our friends Jeff and Cory joined us for the festivities. Jim and Cory watched the game while Jeff and I worked in the kitchen. We all sported our 3D glasses for the halftime commercials and rocked to the Boss for 12 minutes.

Anyway, I sported an evening of simple Italian inspired flavors for the big event, and I wish that Super Bowl Monday was a national holiday...

The Menu:

- Cannellini Bean Puree with Toasted Baguette

- Grilled Asparagus, Truffle Oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano Bruschetta

- Arugula and Fennel Salad with Fresh Goat Cheese

- A Trio of Twisted Paninis:

• Three Cheese Panini with Parmiaggiano-Reggiano,
Crotonese and Cacio di Roma
• Prosciutto Cotto, Mozzarella and Hot Mustard Panini
• Roasted Chicken Panini with Arugula and Asiago Cheese

- Dessert Paninis with Strawberries and Hand Whipped Cream:
• Nutella and Brioche
• Shmores Panini: Semisweet Chocolate with Cream of Marshmallow