15 March 2009

I am trying to loose some weight, so I am trying to go a bit lighter on the comfort food. For tonight's Sunday Supper, I found some recipes from the cooking class we took when we were in Thailand in 2007. It was great fun, and we love Thai food. It is a little difficult to find all of the ingredients, but someone told me about an Asian market in Marietta. I will have to check it out next time. It has been a dreary, rainy weekend, and I am looking forward to Summer so we can have dinner on the side porch!

tây jai!


The Menu:

- Thom Yum Kung (Spicy Wild Caught Shrimp Soup with Lemongrass)

- Phad Thai Goong (Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Wild Caught Shrimp)

01 March 2009

Ted Wilson, 83

Calvin, 14

We were in Fargo last weekend, so I did not prepare a Sunday Supper. We actually came home a day earlier than expected because one of our dear, sweet cats, Calvin, passed away unexpectedly last Friday night. He had been having some health issues, so we boarded he and his brother, Leo, with the vet so he could observe Calvin. The vet called to tell us that he developed a sudden massive tumor in his stomach and that it was terminal. He thought he had a few days to a few months to live, but he died later that night. At least Leo was with him when he passed. So, we came home on Sunday instead of Monday. Jim picked Leo up from the vet on Monday morning. After he got home, he got a call from his dad's wife to tell him that he was being rushed to the hospital and that he should come. His dad had some recent health issues but seemed to be doing okay. Apparently, he suffered a subdural hematoma. By the time Jim got to Georgia Medical College Hospital in Augusta, his dad was on life support. Jim's sister and niece flew in from Seattle on Monday night, and I picked them up at the airport and drove them to Augusta to say their final good bye. Jim's dad passed away on Tuesday morning. So, it has been a terribly sad week for us, especially Jim. His dad's service was on Friday, and it was very moving and fitting. There will be another memorial service in April out in Seattle. Ted was a great man, and he will be missed.

We were exhausted today, so we just hung around the house. They were predicting 2-4 inches of snow, but it never materialized. It did snow some this morning, and it was nice while it lasted. I went to the grocery yesterday, and it was a total madhouse! Everyone was buying their milk and bread for the big snow event. My mother used to make her "Snow Soup" when it was supposed to snow in Georgia. She always claimed that, if she made it, it would make it snow. It is basically beed and vegetable soup, and I made a turkey and veggie version for Jim. So I decided to make snow soup today, but alas, it didn't work! However, it was comforting and simple after a terrible week. Here's to a
better week ahead...

The Menu:

- Mom's Homemade "Snow Soup"

- Skillet Fried Cornbread

- Rice Krispy Treats (For Jim)


The Snow!

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

18 January 2009

Wow. We have been watching the inaugural festivities this weekend, and it's been so inspiring and breathtaking. Obama's whistle stop journey to Washington was amazing, and today's "We Are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial was moving and mind blowing. This is what America looks like. I love the instant diversity that we are seeing. It's about damn time.

In honor of this new age, I decided to sample a couple of different culinary regions for tonight's Sunday Supper. It's been pretty cold in Hotlanta this weekend, so the thought of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches sounded great. Therefore, I decided to make a Yucatan lime soup with mozzarella and pesto paninis. I am somewhat currently obsessed with paninis for personal reasons but that's another story...

Anyway, I can't wait for 12:01 PM on Tuesday! We are taking the day off to watch every moment of the inauguration. My appetite for change is immense, and I am very excited to say that tonight's Sunday Supper blog is the last one of the Bush administration! Good riddance, and don't let the door hit you on the way out – well maybe!

YES WE CAN!

Bill


The Menu:

- Yucatan Chicken and Lime Soup with Homemade Tortilla Strips

- Mozzarella and Pesto Paninis

11 January 2009 - Bollywood

It's my first Sunday Supper of 2009, and the Golden Globe Awards are tonight. In honor of one of my favorite films of the year, "Slumdog Millionaire," I am cooking Indian inspired cuisine! I posted the trailer, and I highly recommend this film. So, we are going Bollywood for tonight's dinner with Tandoori Chicken as the centerpiece. Sorry for the poor quality of the photography. My camera battery was dead, so I had to shoot with my 2.0 pixel iPhone camera. Hope your new year is off to a great start, and here's to many enjoyable Sunday Suppers in 2009.

The Menu:

- Free Range Tandoori Chicken

- Basmati Rice

- Saute of Fresh Green Beans

- Grilled Flat Bread