anniversary celebration in crescent city, ca.

Well we did it and it was great!  My brother, Rick, and his wife, Donna and myself were trying to figure out how to surprise our parents for their 55th wedding anniversary.  We brainstormed on different ideas, gifts, etc., but in the end the simplest idea worked the best;  I would arrive in Crescent City as a surprise and they could decide to do whatever they would like to do--and we would do it! 
                                                                            

The surprise arrival went off without a hitch--they never suspected a thing.  We turned it into a three night celebration.  Donna had the cake ready (carrot and cream cheese, of course) and on the 1st night we had a nice family dinner at the Thai House, which has some of the very best Thai food around, including my brother's favorite dish, scallops and red curry in a sizzling clay pot.  Cake and cocktails after.  The next night we went to the opening night of a photography exhibition at the Crescent Harbor Gallery that turned out to be like old home week--everybody was there, and on the third night, thanks to a gift from my cousin Keith, Dad barbecued a whole salmon, and I made a broccoli pilaf, a mustard tarragon buerre blanc sauce for the fish, bacon/caesar salad and a fresh apple bundt with king apples from the garden. Truly a very special meal and very special get together for two wonderful and amazing parents.

refrigerator dill pickle chips

You might remember last summer when I made half sour whole pickles.  They are so delicious, and I do love a pickle made without vinegar but you have to wait over a week or more to enjoy them--I'm not that patient!  I have been looking around for a really simple but tasty refrigerator pickle recipe and I came across one that is so simple and very good. This refreshing pickle really contrasts well on a warm steak sandwich with roasted garlic mayo, baby spinach leaves and a crusty roll.  This recipe is courtesy of Bobby Flay.

1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

5 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp coriander seeds

3/4 tsp dill seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 cups hot water

Mix together, dissolve sugar and salt and cool brine.

2 pounds Kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/4 " thick.  A mandoline with a crinkle cut attachment would be a nice touch.

1 bunch fresh dill, coarsely chopped  (about 3/4 to 1 cup)

3-4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Toss together in large bowl and pour brine over top.  Weight down chips with a plate so completely covered with brine.  Wrap with plastic and refrigerate overnight to 24 hrs.

Transfer to quart jar and enjoy.  These are very tangy and crisp and will keep about a week.

If you like heat, I could see adding one small seeded Serrano chili for a little kick.  Next batch.

key lime pie highlights recent dinner party

Earlier this month I had a little dinner to celebrate Joseph Leon's birthday.  I started with cream of broccoli soup (you've seen that one before, last Thanksgiving) a Florentine lasagne which is made with spinach and bechamel and for dessert, key lime pie.  The food was good, the company even better, but the pie is worth sharing.  Here is the recipe:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
2 14oz cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of fresh lime juice  (I squeezed 8-9 limes to get this)
2 whole eggs

1 tbl lime zest

Whip cream / powdered sugar / lime slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix the graham cracker crumbs sugar and butter and press into and up sides of 9"  glass pie pan.  Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove and cool. Lower oven to 325 degrees.  Mix condensed milk, eggs, lime juice and zest.  Place in cool crust and bake for 15 minutes.  Chill for 2 hours before serving.  Dust plate with powdered sugar, top with whip cream and lime slice.

thin crust pizza

I have been experimenting with mini pizzas for a while--just ask my brother, he was a willing trial subject in the beginning and even called and asked for more.  But my toppings have gotten a little more sophisticated, with very good flavor and I just had to share the recipe and technique.

First, I use plain pita pockets for the base--so simple, they make a thin crunchy crust and you use them right out of the package.  I heat the the oven to 475 degrees and I place two ten inch cast iron skillets on the rack upside down. Preheat for ten minutes.  That will be the perfect pizza stone for my nine inch pita pockets.  I mix olive oil with a splash of soy sauce for the base of the pizza--secret ingredient-- and then place thin slices of zucchini, little blobs of fresh mozzarella, pulled pieces of raw hot Italian sausage, a sprinkle of fennel seeds, sea salt and cracked black pepper and bake for seven minutes.  To die for.  Variations include fresh mozzarella and arugula or hot sausage with smoked clams and provolone--that one is crazy good.

asian beef salad recipe

I had the book group over for dinner last week. We read a mystery, Dark Places by a new writer, Gillian Flynn.  Good book with a main character with enough head problems and issues to keep you wondering how it will end and it does have a little twist at the finish.  For two weeks prior to dinner I had been hooked on making different variations of one of my favorite meals, Asian salad, so I thought it appropriate to make one for my friends.  Some dim sum for appetizers from Dim Sum Bar right in the neighborhood, pomegranate and mango sorbet drizzled with vodka for dessert and it was a fresh and healthy July summer dinner.  Here is the recipe for the salad.  Serves 4-5.

1 head of savoy cabbage,  4-5 outer leaves reserved, 1 1/2 cups of cabbage shredded
2 cups of baby arugula leaves
2 cups of baby spinach
1 serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 lb cooked spagetti, chilled
1 cup shredded carrot--long threads, if possible
4 green onions, chopped on the bias--reserve 2 tbl for garnish
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
3-4 tbl of Girard's spinach dressing--thanks Donna! This is good stuff--use it on a classic spinach and bacon salad, too.
2 lb top sirloin steak--longer is better than thicker
hoison sauce
salt and pepper
2 tbl crushed garlic
4-5 tbl vegetable oil

From the savoy cabbage, separate the 4-5 large outer leaves, clean, and save to be the base to place your salad. Slice and shred 1 1/2 cups of the cabbage and reserve. Marinate the steak in garlic and 2-3 tbl oil in a zip lock back in the refrigerator for an hour. Salt and pepper the steak and in a hot heavy skillet, add about 2 tbl of oil and cook steak about 4 minutes on each side (med rare).  Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Combine the rest of the ingredients up to the Girard's dressing, reserving 2 tbl of green onion for garnish.  Place a savoy cabbage leave in an oversized bowl or plate.  Arrange mixed salad on top.  Slice beef in thin slices, brush with hoison and place 3-4 on top of salad.  Garnish with reserved green onion. Enjoy!

sea salt, berkeley, ca.

I got together with my friend Deidre Joyner last week, well I hadn't seen her for a while because she is so busy in a good way, of course, but I insisted I could just ride along while she took care of business and would not get in the way.  Between going to and from properties (she sells real estate at Red Oak) and taking and picking up the kids to a variety of activities, you can work up quite an appetite so we stopped for lunch at Sea Salt on San Pablo in Berkeley.  Sea Salt, as you might of guessed has a mostly seafood based menu that promotes the use of sustainable fish in dishes such as a BLT (bacon, lettuce and trout) Maine lobster roll, dungeness crab cakes, a variety of oysters and fish and chips, to name just a few dishes. 

Well, I can rarely pass up a chance to order fish and chips and Deidre recommended it.  Because of our crazy schedules we had to be in and out fairly fast but unfortunately they were a little short staffed and our order was not on the fast track, but after a little reminder the fish and chips arrived and it was well worth it.  The large pieces of cod were just a light crispy golden brown with a moist interior. The fries were well done and came with a garlic aioli which made me very happy and the unique red cabbage slaw with bits of cilantro was zesty and not at all watery.  All in all a very satisfying lunch.

eel river still pristine at redway, ca.

Well, another Father's Day, another birthday--really quite lovely. The first few days in Crescent City had great weather, and a wonderful visit with family, including my brother's mother-in-law Anitra and a very special visit and lunch with my high school English teacher and college mentor, Doris Whalen. Thank you for encouraging my writing--it comforts me to this day.

On Thursday we headed for the redwoods for a now four year annual family get together.  One of the highlights for me was a day trip up 101 to Redway, CA. to look for mom's family cabin and river access.  From the 1920's to 1950's my family had a cabin at Redway (the Hampton's of Eureka at the time)--there are photos of my grandparents (mom's folks) courting next to a Model T Roadster at the Eel River.  Mom said her first date with my dad was probably on that same beach. The cabin is long gone but luckily the river edge remains white and pristine, handholds worn into the rock face are still visible, and a path, where a road once was is still the hot ticket to access this little slice of natural beauty, time immortal.

jl designs new shop at 499 castro

Joseph Leon just launched his new store, JL Designs, with a champagne reception on May 20 at the corner of Castro and 18th (499 Castro) in the once Ritz Camera location. It can't get much better location wise on this corner with windows on all sides that look out to the center of everything and everybody.

Joseph is a top notch and well known floral designer with a long time shop in the famed St. Francis Hotel's shop row. His floral designs and his collection of new objet d'art and collectibles, (much in storage anyway) simply outgrew the little space. When this location became available, it was ideal. Floral orders are still available, but Joseph's collection of furniture, lamps, crystal, silver and porcelains is not to be missed--there is a treasure here for everyone.