cHocolate, cReaM puFFs & OpeRa

Verdi, pastries and claymation. Sigh.

From the series "Opera Imaginaire" (1993)
Directed by Guionne Leroy & Pascal Roulin

All The Trimmings (Part 2)

This summer my dear friend Ruth made a lot of pies on her native island of Vinalhaven, located two hours off the coast of Maine, using the wild berries of the island and her family's legendary crust recipe, which, along with her tour de main, won her the hearts of many local market goers. Pictured above are the pies she made for her family's Thanksgiving feast, which I was lucky enough to attend for the second yearin a row. I had no difficulty finding room for slices of all three after the turkey and fixings. And her raw apple pie even quelled my inner voice's resolute skepticism. To make matters more American, we headed west towards Boulder at the crack of dawn the next morning. We had ourselves a picnic on the Iowa banks of the Mississppi at noon with the leftovers of the previous day and enjoyed some more of them in North Platte, Nebraska a few hours later. On the road, eating turkey and listening to Bruce Springsteen; we did not drive through the Badlands but The Boss painted us a fine picture.

hUitRes+mOuLesFritEs=deLiCiEuX

The Big Boss of the North shucked all 24 of these oysters in a record seven minutes. Bottles were popped by minute eight of the evening and by minute 27 the mussels and sweet potato fries were on the table. Now that's what I call delicious.

wHat's CookinG graNdma?

I did a quick two-step when I read about this site in this month's issue of Gourmet magazine. Like peaches and cream.

tHe bAnK

brOdy sTyle scALLops

A nice recipe from another famous New Yorker, Jane E. Brody, who, like Grimaldi's resides in Brooklyn.

Sauce:

3 tbsp. dry sherry
2 1/2 tbsp. tomato sauce
4 tsp. oyster sauce
4 tsp. soy sauce
2 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

optional, in my opinion:

1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tbsp. cold water

Stir- fry:

2 tbsp. peanut or canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 pound bay scallops
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tsp. minced or grated gingerroot
1 large red pepper (i used an orange one)
1 large zucchini
(I had a 1/2 cup of uncooked eggplant leftover in the fridge and used it, as well. Turned out nicely.)
4 scallions

1) Prepare the sauce by combining the sherry, tomato sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper in a small bowl. Set bowl aside.

2) If you would like to use the cornstarch to thicken the sauce place it in another small bowl with water, stir and set aside.

3) Heat your wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the scallops and stir-fry them until they become opaque. Remove them with a slotted spoon onto a dish and set aside. Do not discard the oil in the pan, you will continue to use it.

4) Add the minced garlic and ginger to the oil. Allow them to simmer in the oil for about 10-20 seconds. Now, add the red pepper, zucchini and scallions. Stir-fry until they are cooked to your liking.

5) Stir the reserved sauce and pour it into the wok or pan along the sides. Return the scallops to the pan. Stir in the cornstarch one teaspoon at a time. Stir-fry so as to reheat the scallops and serve.

6) I added a little lime zest for garnish, you could also use some chopped fresh scallions.

Recipe taken (and annotated) from p. 162 in Jane Brody's "Good Food Gourmet: Recipes and Menus for Delicious and Healthful Eating" (1990)

Oyster Mushrooms

Handpicked and ready to be sautéed in olive oil, garlic and parsely.

aloHa RosE

flower: rare aloha rose

QuEEn of LouiSiaNa: irMa ThOmas

I was on my bike this morning, ahead of me, a girl on her bicycle had a shirt that read, "Diamonds are nice, so are pearls, but there's nothing like a Mississippi girl". Made me smile and got me thinking about the South and Irma Thomas and how I needed to post a little something again. She's one of my favorites and I hope she'll become one of yours, too. There's no one else like her. Make sure to start with her old numbers, track names found below...

From the "Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection"

1. Cry On
2. I Done Got Over It
3. It's Raining
4. Hittin' on Nothin'
5. Ruler of My Heart
6. Wish Someone Would Care
7. Breakaway
8. I Need Your Love So Bad
9. While the City Sleeps
10. Time Is on My Side
11. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)
12. Moments to Remember
13. Straight from the Heart
14. Take a Look
15. It's a Man's Woman's World, Pt. 1
16. Long After the Night Is All Over
17. Times Have Changed
18. He's My Guy
19. What Are You Trying to Do
20. Nobody Wants to Hear Nobody's Troubles
21. The Hurt's All Gone
22. I'm Gonna Cry 'Til My Tears Run Dry
23. It's Starting to Get to Me Now

cHeRRy piE

made with michigan's very own cherries and the kind words of marion rombauer (joy of cooking).

SittiNG SidEwaYs

The other night I found this bottle of buckwheat ale at the corner store and really enjoyed it. I think it might be nice to try again with a dish of zaru soba. As seen in the photo I found on Google Images, below. Thank you Google.

( tHe iCe CreAm MaN is CominG )

Last night I took a stroll through town to get a scoop of butter pecan ice cream before sundown. The Washtenaw Dairy is a widely respected establishment in Ann Arbor. They make delicious ice cream and waffle cones and have been around since 1934.

Washtenaw Dairy
602 S. Ashley St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 662-3244

p.s. violets are good for your health (full of vitamins A & C).

ChiRp ChiRp ChiRp

...42...

Lots of Dodgers fans don't know that Jackie Robinson played for the Montréal Royals in 1946. Lots of Montrealers don't know that he lived on de Gaspé street during his stay and that the monument dedicated to him at the entrance of Olympic Stadium used to be right on the northeast corner of Ontario E. and Ave. de Lorimier, where the Delorimier Downs used to be. The monument cost $50,000 and was paid for by the Expos. It was commissioned on January 27, 1987 and inaugurated in the presence of Mrs. Rachel Robinson on May 16, 1987, leaving the artist, Jules Lasalle three months to make all the necessary models and molds. Wheww... Then, in 1989, the city moved the monument to Olympic Stadium on the grounds that it would be more 'visible' to tourist and baseball fans. I took a trip to the monument's old site yesterday. Super depressing. When they removed the statue in '89 they placed a granite podium with a plaque dedicated to Les Royaux (that no longer exists) on home-plate. Originally, the statue of Robinson and the two kids were set at ground level on the pitcher's mound in this miniature version of a ballpark – created for the monument. Now that the Expos are gone I think the city should repatriate the statue to the former Royals playing field. It's where Robinson would have played and piece of pride that was taken away from the neighborhood. From Richard to the present...eastenders have really been getting the fuzzy end of the lollypop...

For information about any of Montreal's public works of art, please, step into the portal...


A baseball related lunch from Lafleur's

tHe EaSteR buNNy really ExiSts

it's just that he may not have 20/20 vision or be white and fuzzy. after waiting more than thirteen years for another one of his visits i learned a thing or two this easter: 1) the easter bunny carries a lot more than chocolate eggs in his basket, and 2) he has a serious repertoire of culinary delights up his sleeve...

if he hasn't been by to see you this year, i hope the sight of this bread and card will make your heart smile as much as they have made mine.

sending many make-believe chocolate eggs your way,
the ketchup kid

PeBBLeS & StiCkS

Lady Julia's blog, Pebbles & Sticks, is fresh out of the frying pan...
The sun shines again...

...BreAkTimE...

This salad celebrates one of the chicory family's most remarkable offspring, the radicchio. The recipe was given to me by a friend's mother, who I also like to call 'mom' whenever I get the chance. When she was young she studied the recorder with a master in Pratolino (where she first tried radicchio)...back in the days when the Villa Demidoff (a Medici Villa then) hadn't been restored and no one seemed to care much about the place. One day, she climbed over a part of the estate's crumbling wall. Not long after making it over did she find herself standing before the great Apennine. I like to think he'd been waiting for her visit...for 320 years. He's gotten all kinds of calls since then, and has had his wounds mended by specialists. Anyways, I hope you get the chance to try it out. I made it this weekend when my mind was beginning to tire from studying and call it the "Fuel for Fire Salad" now. It's like an energy drink, only it's in your salad bowl...

1 small radicchio, chopped
1 pink grapefruit, pith and skin removed
1/2 avocado
1 green onion/chive
1/4 c. almonds (lightly browned in a pan)

Dressing:
1 tbsp. lime juice
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste


The Apennine awaits your visit...

...InTheStackSBeBAckSOOn...

Two words I'm loving these days: El Bulli



(thanks for the visit)

...wALteR thE SeLTzeR MaN...

This one goes out to all you seltzer lovers. This show aired on All Things Considered (NPR) in 2002 as part of the New York Works: Audio Portraits of a Vanishing City series. If you should crave an egg cream by the end: click here.

TRANSCRIPT OF WALTER THE SELTZER MAN

...SoFtBoiLEdWoNderlanD...

Nothing like starting the day with a soft boiled egg and a letter from a friend. If you go online, you'll see that people have come up with 100 & 1 techniques...

Here's one way to make and enjoy a soft boiled egg:

Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Slowly lower egg into water using a large spoon. 3-4 minutes later, remove the egg from the water...

Place in a shot glass, egg holder or small cup. Remove the shell from the top or bottom part of the egg by hitting it with a teaspoon.

Cut off the white tip of the egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Dunk pieces of bread (some people call them "soldiers") into the egg yolk and enjoy...

...FloUrLess deliGht...

Chocolate cake that involves no flour is one of my favorite things. This recipe has been copied directly, word for word, palabra por palabra, from the of Joy of Cooking (p.729). The only thing I did a bit differently was add cinnamon and allspice, about 1/4 teaspoon of each to the melted chocolate. Happy Baking!

Flourless Chocolate Decadence
One 8-inch round cake

Have all ingredients at room temperature, about 70 degrees F.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 2-inch round
cake pan (not a springform) and line the bottom with wax or
parchment paper.

Combine in a large heatproof bowl:
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate chips)
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces

Set the bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water and stir often
until the chocolate and butter are warm, melted, and smooth.

Remove from the heat and whisk in:
5 large eggs

Beat in a large bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form:
5 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

Gradually add, beating on high speed until the peaks are stiff but no dry:
1 tablespoon sugar

Use a rubber spatula to fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the
chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter
into the pan and spread evenly. Set the pan in a large shallow baking dish
or roasting pan, set the dish in the oven and pour in enough water to
reach hallway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for exactly 30 minutes.
Set the cake pan on a rack to cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled,
or overnight. To unmold, slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it
from the pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper liner. Reinvert onto
a serving platter. Using a doily or hand-cut stencil, if desired, sprinkle
with:
Confectioner's sugar (I also used cocoa powder)

Store in refrigerator, but remove 1 hour or more before serving to soften.

StiLL KinG AfTer aLL TheSe Years

...LoVe SToRies...

Like opening a chest of sunken treasure.

La Cabosse d'Or
Read about how the shop came to be...
It's a bit like the LU story.

BuCHE de NoEL

I found these guys while perusing the net for a Bûche de Noël recipe. Couldn't read their instructions, so I went and consulted with Martha.
Happy Holidays...

aLL tHE trimMinGS

ComingSoon.

Scoured the whole of the United States looking for the TASTY Pizza pie.

The results coming soon.