Vinegar. . . let me count the ways.

Vinegar is a miracle solution.

- Makes you poached egg white whiter
- Is the sour in "Sweet and Sour"
- Essential for pickling
- Cleans hard water stains from shower doors.  I keep a spray bottle full.
- Freshens your coffee maker
- Spray on weeds to kill them

Then come the varietals:

Balsamic - flavor no calories
White wine and Sherry - flavor without alcohol
Apple cider - a digestive, great when paired in pork dishes
Red wine - a staple in the Italian kitchen

And here is a list of uses from Readers' Digest.
http://www.rd.com/home/150-household-uses-for-vinegar/


My first post in a long time.  Hopefully first of many.

Lobsta'

I just had to.  Everyone talking about this season's lobster catch.  I wasn't disappointed.  It was clean tasting, sweet and tender.  If my mom was here, she would have picked through the body...too much work for me.  It was delish...and a treat.  Have a second one for lobster roll...

Happy Eating!

Canning Time.

Canning season is in high gear. Over the weekend, zucchini relish, yesterday "Garlic Dill Pickles". I would call them Kosher Dills, but I'd probably get some push back from my NY friends...;)

I'm trying to develop my own recipe.  This is a 'hot pack' method with dill blossoms, dill seed and garlic.  In several I added some black mustard seeds to see what type of "kick" I could get.  Seven pounds of cukes yielded 3-quarts and 5-pints.  Gotta' work on the poundage.

Happy Eating!

Chinese Style Chicken Thighs

Can be made with any chicken dark meat.  You need the extra cooking time of dark meat to get the glaze to happen.

2-3T Tamari or Soy
2-3T Honey
A few spinkles of Five Spice Powder (I find this spice mixture invaluable. From chicken, to sugar cookies to grilled shrimp)
...
Oven and 375
Toss everything in pan. Start on skin side down until desirered crunchy/gooeyness.

While the cat's away . . .

Hi,

As most of you know Robbie's had a health crisis and is recovering in a facility near home.  Most nights I've been getting heat at home meals, but a couple of times I've cooked.  First is Marinated Lamb Shoulder Steak with Pan Roasted Potatoes and Fava Beans.  I marinated the lamb in lemon, garlic, olive oil and oregano.  Below is also the mis-en-place for the roasted potatoes. Another meal was a Tamari Marinated Wild Sockeye Salmon with Jasmine rice with Toasted Sesame Seeds and Scallions

The lamb was moist and very flavorful.

Almond Crusted Salmon

Tonight:  Sustainable Sockeye Salmon with Almond Crust.  The veg is Beer Braised Cabbage with Bacon.  Delish.  Send an email for the details.  Not really recipes.

Veal Milanese w/Peas

Once and a while I splurge for veal cutlets...not from the mega mart but from the Italian market. They are sublime and simply prepared.  These are the first garden peas from our garden.  Love to pick and eat the same day.

It's really a splurge...but so yummy...and reminds me of my childhood.  Veal was so CHEAP...now it's a delicacy.

Lentil Salad Tonight.

This was the salad tonight.  Lentil with grated radish, carrots, spices, chopped red pepper and toasted almonds.  Delish!

Recipe here.

Before an after

I don't like it when my Robbie has to travel for business...but I do get to eat foods he won't.  Tonight it was Mussels in White Wine.

Before

After

Mussels are so quick to make.  Health protein and yummy.  This recipe is shallots, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, diced tomato and parsley.  You can add a little saffron when sauteeing the shallots to get an exotic taste and color.