OnTheMove-In the Galley

Hollandaise Sauce... the easy way

2012-01-30T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hollandaise Sauce is addictively delicious, so tasty a topping it could almost make a slab of cardboard seem edible. The classic egg sauce can be a bit touchy to prepare, requiring a double boiler, barely simmering water and a bit of patience as you whisk in the melted butter. Use too much heat and you risk scrambled eggs. Unsightly separation is another common challenge with this classic sauce.

Italian Mushroom Soup

2012-01-25T00:45:00.000-08:00

Snowmageddon! that's what the newspapers called our recent snow and ice storms, and now a series of wind events are stacked up off the west coast. Oh joy, TV weather dudes see more power outages on the horizon. This blustery January weather calls for a hearty, comforting soup, something easy to prepare, something special that invites you to linger over a steaming bowl of deliciousness.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

Bacon Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich This might have been was a bit over the top, but I couldn't resist the temptation. Blame it on the snowstorm, Seattlites do get a little crazy when it snows. Six inches of snow followed by an ice storm meant I didn't drive anywhere for the better part of a week. I hung out in the kitchen and cooked up kettles of soup, pots of chili, even beef stroganoff

Green Chili, Chicken and Cheese Tamales

2012-01-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

The Daring Cooks' January Challenge: Tamales Rojos de Pollo con Queso Tamales, oh how I love those tempting, little packages with their savory, spicy filling snuggled inside fluffy masa, all wrapped up like presents in their corn husks or banana leaves. Tamales can be soul-satisfyingly delicious, or they can be dreadful disappointments with minimal filling and leaden dough. It's a risky business

Grilled Portabella Burgers

2012-01-09T23:06:00.000-08:00

A Meatless Monday meal with iPhone photos Preparing a meatless meal is no great feat, not even a big deal... unless you focus on it... worry it to pieces... let it make you crazy. There are so many easy choices, but today they all seemed too ordinary. Cheese pizza? Tomato/red pepper soup and grilled cheese sandwich? Stir fry rice bowl? Nope, tasty but too routine and lunch-like. What should I

Looking ahead...

2012-01-07T17:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, 2011 departed in a rush and suddenly it's a week into the new year. 2012, it's here already, how did that happen? I'm still stuck in holiday mode with the Christmas tree only half naked, interesting items lurking on refrigerator shelves, and wild disorder in my workspaces. What have I been doing this past week? Whatever, one burst of activity will handle the surface chaos and set the stage

Cheddar Cheese Wafers

2011-12-23T00:53:00.000-08:00

...appetizing treats for any season The sights: Homebaked hostess gift packages filled the kitchen countertops this week, some plates ready to be delivered to friends and neighbors and other baskets destined to travel to holiday dinners or parties. Pretty bows added some color to the more neutral golden browns and beiges of sweet and savory treats. The smells: Mmmmmm, the pungent scent of

Sour Cherry Lemon Sourdough Bread with Nuts

2011-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Oh yum, this bread is beyond delicious, it's downright addictive. How else can I explain slice after slice of a warm 1/2 pound boule disappearing before supper? With full stomachs we let it substitute for our evening meal on baking day. A second rustic loaf, sliced and lightly toasted, filled in as breakfast for two the next morning. We really needed to slow down, stop after one slice, or

Chicken, Artichoke and Parmesan Penne

2011-12-17T01:05:00.000-08:00

What do you do with leftover cooked chicken? or even deli roasted chicken? I welcome it to use in enchiladas, tortilla soup, filled crepes, quiche, chopped salad, sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. Today, along with a handful of ordinary pantry ingredients, shredded chicken transformed a mac 'n cheese casserole into a zippy, company-worthy entree. Not that I'm having much casual dinner company the

Cantonese BBQ Pork Bun

2011-12-14T01:07:00.000-08:00

Daring Cooks: Baked Char Sui Bao Our Daring Cooks’ December 2011 hostess is Sara from Belly Rumbles! Sara chose awesome Char Sui Bao as our challenge, where we made the buns, Char Sui, and filling from scratch – delicious! It's surprising when one word triggers an unexpected flood of memories, snatches of forgotten conversations, a slide show of images... scenes from the past. Bao was a

FREE iPhoneography Workshop online - January 5-6, 2012

2011-12-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that correctly. This online 2-day workshop by CreativeLive features Jack Hollingsworth, an experienced commercial photographer who now works with all things iPhone - ebooks, podcasts, webinars, apps, workshops, photo tours.... Typically CreativeLive workshops are broadcast during the working day, with a full repeat shown each evening. This isn't a commercial, just an enthusiastic

Dynamite Chili with Chili Cheese Cornbread Waffles

2011-12-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

Dragon's Breath Chili is the actual title, but this chili deserves a string of superlatives like dynamite, awesome, over-the-top-delicious, swoon-worthy... OK, now I'm getting carried away. This all began with a great chili recipe I found online at the FoodNetwork site. Not every In the Galley post features an original recipe let alone an original idea, and that's the case today. I was

Pasta with Tuna Sauce

2011-12-01T22:57:00.000-08:00

Following a week of Thanksgiving indulgence, you might think dinner would feature a small salad or light soup. No way, not tonight, I really craved pasta. Convinced that portion control would trump calorie count, I foraged around in the kitchen seeking inspiration. Which sauce would offer the most flavor in the least amount of time? Fettuccine al Limone is always a favorite, but cans of

Zesty Cranberry Relish

2011-11-29T15:53:00.000-08:00

Not just for holiday dinners, enjoy this cranberry relish any time. Cranberry Relish a la Martha Stewart adds colorful zest to the traditional brown Thanksgiving dinner. Think about how many tables feature a browned beige bird surrounded by pale mashed potatoes, brown stuffing, brown gravy and pale beige rolls. Cranberries look festive, but can disappoint flavorwise. There is no disappointment

When a Recipe Doesn't Work... Make Hash

2011-11-18T01:44:00.000-08:00

Sweet & Savory Chicken Hash An online recipe for Maple-Mustard Baked Chicken Thighs with Potato Wedges tempted me, but it didn't meet expectations. I can't blame the BGSK recipe for last night's dinner disappointment. No, it was more a recipe selection error by this cook, trying a chicken preparation not well-suited to our taste preferences. What's not to like about baked chicken and

Daring Cooks: Chinese Tea Eggs

2011-11-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Daring Cooks' November Challenge: Cooking with Tea Hard-boiled eggs are so basic, so ordinary, so taken for granted. Ditto for tea, that ubiquitous drink. But not so much in November as the Daring Cooks worked with tea. Sarah from Simply Cooked was our November Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to create something truly unique in both taste and technique! We learned how to cook

A Hummus Update

2011-11-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

Peel the chickpeas? You must be kidding!!! Hummus with roasted red pepper - doesn't it look creamy? Joshua Bousel's Hummus post today on SeriousEats generated a lot of comments. Several readers addressed the issue of texture, and were quite persuasive about the magic of peeling the chickpeas (or garbanzo beans, if you prefer). Oh, sure! do you know how many of those little legumes are packed in

Best-ever Burger Buns

2011-11-09T01:16:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when your burger bun melts in your hand, leaving you to juggle a partially eaten patty and condiments while juice runs down your arm? Some restaurants provide sturdy buns, but often they are as wimpy as grocery store offerings. Kaiser rolls from local bakeries are more substantial, often too substantial and heavy. I really crave a soft interior to soak up the juices and a nice

Crab Cakes with a Piquant Remoulade Sauce

2011-11-05T01:37:00.000-07:00

You've heard the cautionary warning, "Never try out a new recipe on guests." Well don't believe it. This week a new recipe and technique worked out just fine... even after the cook sipped a Vieux Carre' or two during the cooking. Several crab cakes topped each plate of fresh kale salad for a first course at our recent "Southern" dinner, and they were a hit. Crab cakes are nothing new in my

Vieux Carre'

2011-11-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hello November! I returned from two weeks in Southern California, RL had spent two weeks on the boat, and "whoosh!" suddenly October was gone, history, totally over. We celebrated being home by reconnecting with good friends and hosting a participation "Southern" dinner. Cathy S's opening cocktail, the Vieux Carre, was a tremendous success, richly boozy, decadent and oh-so-smooth. That first

Check back in November

2011-10-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

I've gone walkabout for a bit, still cooking but not posting until November. See you then!

Pasta Frittata

2011-10-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

Menu plans come first, then an ingredient list and finally a shopping trip. That would happen in an orderly world, but not in my kitchen this week. We moved back ashore, have been here for almost two weeks, but haven't quite transitioned mentally. For example, in the boat galley I know the exact location and quantity of foodstuffs, tracking them all with an Excel spreadsheet. But here in the

My iPhone Exercise - Part 2

2011-10-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

A small step forward... Setting: Columbia City Ale House, noon, 30+ feet from a large window, bright day Image: Swordfish Bruschetta iPhone 4: HDR on The two images below are shown as shot, without any Photoshop adjustments. I shudder to recall my first iPhone photo (link), that dark, grainy, mushy-focused image. This week we met friends at the same restaurant and swordfish bruschetta

Gazpacho

2011-10-05T01:06:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year! Vine maples begin turning from deep green to a vibrant orange and red. They're always the first to signal the new season. Dahlias and chrysanthemums add strong, warm color to the yard, and also signal football tailgating season. (Go Dawgs!) Remember those huge pompom mum corsages? The transition from summer to autumn is visible in the landscape and at the market.

An iPhone Exercise

2011-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Photo Number One Setting: Columbia City Ale House, weekday evening, very dim light Image: Swordfish Bruschetta I am very late to the party it seems. The whole world is light years ahead, using their smartphones for photography. Actually taking a photo isn't difficult... once I locate the shutter... if my hand doesn't shake... if there's adequate lighting... if my arm is long enough... No, the

Avgolemono with Lamb Meatballs

2011-09-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Greek Lemon Soup Eureka! An unexpected find! There was one lonely roll of ground lamb lurking at the back of a freezer drawer, camouflaged amidst similar-shaped chubs of pork sausage and some homemade cookie dough. Mmmmmmmmm, we enjoyed juicy, feta-stuffed lamburgers and a Fattoush salad for lunch, but that still left half a pound of ground lamb for another day. In the week’s cold, stormy

Migas? Chilaquiles? Migaquiles???

2011-09-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Warm sunny days, on or near the water, with someone waiting on me... in my dreams. At least these sunny thoughts kept me from frowning at the gray, windy weather outside the galley windows this week. Those same thoughts took me traveling back through some wonderful memories. Quick flashback to my first trip to Texas. It was memorable for a photo tour of the Alamo, a leisurely drive through the

Taco Soup Saga

2011-09-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Think of your favorite taco ingredients added to a flavorful broth, and presto! There you have the basics of Taco Soup, just skip the shredded lettuce. There's Beef Taco Soup, Chicken Taco Soup, Whatever's in the Fridge Taco Soup... you get the picture. My latest version was more in the style of Keep Messing With It Till You Like It Taco Soup. After three days of messing with it, we really

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

2011-09-10T01:14:00.000-07:00

September could be nicknamed Zucchini Abundance Month. It’s a time when colorful little blossoms transform overnight into baseball-bat sized giants. Have you noticed? they’re everywhere! Friends, distant relatives even strangers become overly generous and try to gift you with shopping bags full of this squash. Zucchini recipes pop up in print and online - who knew there could be so many

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

2011-09-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Pork tenderloin is an essential staple in my galley. It is the little black dress of entrees, simple but ready to be dressed up or down with accessories depending on the occasion, the accompaniments and the preparation. That comparison occurred to me as I planned a company dinner with no time to shop and limited provisions on board. There’s always a package of pork tenderloin

Nutty Nectarine Dessert

2011-08-31T01:35:00.000-07:00

The sheer beauty of summer peaches and nectarines, carefully arranged in vibrant pyramids of color, grabbed my attention as I ambled through Carr’s produce department. Temptation overcame caution and I bought a big bag of these nearly-ripe, seasonal beauties. Okay, so they weren’t local, after all I was in Ketchikan, but these were the closest I would come this year to fresh, in-season stone

Sweet 'n Tangy Chipotle Sauced Pork Tenderloins and Peppers

2011-08-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Curiosity struck yesterday morning, it just tiptoed up and ambushed me in the galley. "How did all of those jars and bottles end up in my refrigerator? When did this happen? And what do I do with a tablespoon of this and a bit of that?" It was time to play around

Fresh Fish

2011-08-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: the fish are NOT on F/V Reality, they belong to the boat alongside. We eat a lot of fresh seafood during the months we cruise in SE Alaska. How fresh? So fresh that it can take under an hour to go from on-the-hook to on-the- grill. The flavor and texture of just-caught fish, crab and prawns are special, way beyond delicious. Access to such fresh seafood has spoiled us so much

Cruising Cookies

2011-08-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

Cookie-licious Treats, the 2011 version Factoid: 100+ posts since the beginning of In the Galley in April 2009. That number was a surprise, as were the 6000 hits noted in Blogger's statistics report. The recipe index highlights my varying food interests, listing twice as many seafood items as vegetable dishes. I love fruits and vegies, but the index suggests I love fresh seafood, breads, soups

Cookies by Hilary

2011-08-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

These cookies are gorgeous! Who knew that a bit of frosting could transform a simple cookie into a work of art? Add a steady hand and a bit of artistry to the mix and you have this batch of seaside beauties created by Hilary W. You'll just have to imagine another batch, each cookie individually wrapped in cellophane and presented in a sand pail filled with brown sugar sand - imagine it because

Taco Salad Revisited

2011-08-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Do you remember your first introduction to taco salad? I don't, but it was way back in the early-married years. It must have been love at first bite for it seems I've prepared it and loved it forever. Taco salad is the easy answer to no time/quick prep dinners. I remember an evening, no make that a very early morning long ago, when the TGIF crowd arrived, woke me up to join the party... and

Salmon and Sweet Pepper Salsa

2011-07-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

I had a serious fish issue. What should I do with one more coho fillet? The galley freezer was full, we had already enjoyed BBQd salmon and iron skillet salmon this week, and the evening was too cool and wet to send the Capt outside to man the grill again. This called for something new, a flavorful recipe that would rev up our appetites for yet another salmon dinner. Here’s another

Pickled Sea Asparagus

2011-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

What is sea asparagus? It’s not really an asparagus, not even in the same family of plants, but Salicornia virginica is commonly known as “sea asparagus”. It is also called American glasswort, perennial saltwort and Pacific samphire. This intertidal perennial is found all along the Pacific Northwest coast in saltwater marshes, on tide flats and on beaches. It thrives on shores that don’t have

Greek Shrimp Taverna

2011-07-20T01:28:00.000-07:00

Brrrrr. It was a dark and stormy night at the dock, and damned cold as well. Maybe not so dark, since it was summer in SE Alaska. But the evening was far too wet and windy to barbecue the shrimp on the aft deck, though the Capt. would have obliged. Instead I turned to a colorful, spicy indoor recipe to warm us up. Polar fleece, sturdy rain gear and an occasional visit to the hot springs pools

Crab Cakes with Green Chile Tartar Sauce

2011-07-13T01:39:00.000-07:00

For a good measure of a restaurant and its kitchen, order a crab cake appetizer… if they offer it on the menu. (Note: this works best along the coast, not so much if you’re inland.) A great crab cake will highlight the fresh Dungeness crab, not the bread crumb filler or any crunchy, strong-flavored vegetables so often found inside. No diced, raw green pepper or fennel for me, please. Hellman’s

Minty Honey Lime Sauce for Fruit Salads

2011-07-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Managing fresh produce onboard presents an interesting challenge for a cruising cook, even in our cooler climate. Rhapsody has one standard-sized household refrigerator with no extra coolers, etc. for cold storage. That calls for restraint when I provision. It is so tempting to select fruit and vegetables at their peak of ripeness, colorful and vitamin-rich, bursting with flavor. That works

Nutty Chocolate Apricot Bites

2011-07-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

Entertaining aboard is very relaxed. There are no large formal dinners afloat on Rhapsody, oh no. Casual events, impromptu or even participation dinners are more my style. While I love to cook, entertaining is more about socializing with interesting people than about the food. Barbecued salmon is the Capt’s specialty, and I love creating the side dishes to fill out the

Crab Pizza

2011-06-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

Friends shared some of their crab catch with us recently. (link) What do you do with a big batch of Dungeness crab? It’s surprising how much meat one large crab yields. Multiply that by several critters, and you have crab for a crowd, or several meals for two. There was no question about where to begin. Our first meal was fresh cracked crab, still warm from the steamer, with some melted

Crepes Milanese

2011-06-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Doesn’t this dish just sing out “Spring”? Well, the recipe grabbed my attention when I skimmed an old Sunset 2002 Recipe Annual. I’m a lover of crepes in all presentations; flat stacks of crepes, folded dessert crepes, rolled savory crepes, simple crepes, elegant sauced crepes, filled crepe purses… they are all good. Then there’s the attraction of vegetables and eggs paired for breakfast or

Almond Sourdough Waffles

2011-06-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

What do you serve guests on board for breakfast or brunch? Granola with yogurt works fine for me, but it isn’t special enough for company. Sticky buns are always popular, but pancakes or waffles are favorites as well. The sourdough pot travels with us on the boat, allotted its own special corner in the refrigerator. It might as well be part of the family, or even a loyal but needy pet. It does

Alaska Blogging Note

2011-06-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hooray! We crossed the border and have arrived in Ketchikan... and do I have some stories, recipes, and photos to share. We're not in any port on a regular schedule this year, and our mobile Verizon HotSpot is not connecting to the internet so posting is sporadic at best. I have prescheduled a few posts to publish for the next few weeks, while we are out cruising and having fun. The fun will

Greens with Potatoes Salad

2011-06-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge Potatoes, MMMMMMMMM, mmmmmmmm. I love them roasted, baked, twice-baked, boiled, steamed, fried, peeled, unpeeled, mashed, smashed, chunked or whole. But I can pass up potatoes wearing a heavy blanket of mayonnaise dressing. Too often that’s the case with potato salads - very heavy with too much goop that overwhelms the flavor balance. Even warm German

We're Cruising! See you soon.

2011-06-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

We're off on another adventure, leaving the dock tomorrow morning at 0700 and heading north... finally. It may be a while between wi-fi links as we cruise the waters between Campbell River, B.C. and Ketchikan, Alaska. So check back in a week or ten days to catch up on what's cooking in the galley.

Blueberry Almond Biscotti

2011-06-01T01:01:00.000-07:00

I needed an antidote to the dreary weather we've had this year. What do you do when Spring is cool, gray and damp? day after day? week after week? I know, I know - "ignore the weather" is the recommended Pacific Northwest option. Go outside and do something fun or useful. But my inner California Girl core yearns for sunny Spring weather that lasts longer than one day in a row. The Capt. put on

Green Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

2011-05-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Oh no, not another green salad. Green salads can be so boring, so routine, SO predictable. It’s far too easy to turn out the same version of "The House Green Salad" meal after meal. Not that a plain green salad is bad. No, it’s the lack of any element of surprise that disappoints. So, there is reason to celebrate when you find a green salad that stands out with its difference, whether its a

Carnitas Tacos with Spicy Coleslaw

2011-05-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

May has become my Mostly Mexican Menu Month. I'll blame it on the Cinco de Mayo postings all over the internet, or maybe it's my response to a lack of Mexican restaurants in town (and no, I don't count the local Taco del Mar as a dine-out destination). Whatever the reason, thoughts of Mexican food keep popping up in my mind, like spiraling bubbles in a champagne flute. I keep a brief journal in

Daring Cooks: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2011-05-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

To roux or not to roux... don't laugh, that really is the question. Ask yourself, before selecting your gumbo recipe...“Will this be a roux-based gumbo, or not?” There’s no right or wrong answer since the results can be tasty either way. Tasty, but different. “Will I use okra, or file powder, or both or neither?” Individual preferences dictate the answer here. My response is

Free 3-Day Food Photography Workshop

2011-05-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

May 13-14-15 FREE Food Photography Workshop starts Friday!Join Penny De Los Santos in a three-day online Food Photography Course http://www.creativelive.com/courses/food-photography-penny-de-los-santos Check it out and sign up immediately if you're interested. No, this isn't a commercial, it's more like a heads up on an opportunity. I"m looking forward to participating on Friday, and the rest

Ad-Lib Posole

2011-05-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

Note: this should really be dated April something, but the post just sat around as a draft for an entire month! Now it's May and we're back aboard, the weather is wet and blustery with whipped-up water inside the marina. That's reason enough to warrant a posole party, even though it's past Cinco de Mayo. I may be back on the boat but I still can't find my usual recipe, so here's the Ad-Lib

An Easy Cinco de Mayo Lunch

2011-05-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tamale Plate Cinco de Mayo didn't register on my mental calendar until this morning, too late for any major cooking event. I took the easy route and rummaged through the fridge and freezer drawers. A package of frozen pork tamales saved the day. Not just any old storebought tamales, oh no! These were handmade, crafted with care by the ladies of a local South Seattle church (and sold as a

It Looks Like Clam Chowder

2011-04-28T01:20:00.000-07:00

A Potato Soup-Style Clam Chowder Meals can be, well... let's call them interesting, just before we move back aboard Rhapsody. What's left in the kitchen? The freezer is finally empty, the refrigerator looks bare and the pantry offers few staples to work with? Who wants to cook? Not me, however I still chose to eat at home; it would have been such a bother to tidy up just to go out to eat, and

A Southwest Corn Salad with Black Beans and Peppers

2011-04-26T01:31:00.000-07:00

aka Fiesta Salad, Mexicorn Salad, Confetti Corn Salad... An explosion of color on a plate, this black bean, red pepper and corn salad sets the mood for any Cinco de Mayo feast. Throughout the year it's a versatile dish, a proven crowd pleaser whether served as a salad, side dish or even an appetizer. The basic ingredients, simple preparation and multi-day serving life combine to make this a

Kale and Egg Skillet

2011-04-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Green eggs and ham? No, not quite, but the tang of fresh kale and the comforting smoothness of a poached egg did please my palate this morning. Incredulous at this breakfast item, RL opted for fruit and coffee, insisting that kale only belongs at lunch or dinner. Leftovers-for-Breakfast is one of my favorite things, a new possibility every day. Opening the refrigerator door each morning to

Daring Cooks - Edible Containers

2011-04-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

Renata of Testado, Provado; Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Consider the term - Edible Containers. The everyday cooking world is full of savory examples; stuffed peppers, stuffed mushrooms, filled crepe purses, tortilla wraps and quesadillas, chowder or chili in a bread bowl, stromboli

Another Hummus Recipe

2011-04-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

What! did I really need one more recipe for hummus? Probably not, but this hummus seemed so much smoother, silkier, even tastier than the usual recipe. (here). I found this version while paging through an under-utilized cookbook on an overcrowded shelf; either wasting time or looking for inspiration. The ingredients and procedures are similar to other hummus recipes, with small variations in

Chicken Broccoli Sort-of Caesar Salad

2011-04-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

It’s April again, almost time to move out of the house and aboard the boat. I’m running a bit behind on my schedule for clearing out the freezer and using up all of the perishables in the kitchen. I think I say that every year, usually in March. No matter, it makes meal-planning an interesting game. When I opened the refrigerator door last night, WOW!, thoughts of summer cruising flashed

Bacon and Date Tart

2011-03-31T00:30:00.000-07:00

Success! This Puff Pastry Tart with bacon, dates, blue cheese, greens and a balsamic reduction made a delicious open-faced appetizer. Cover the tart with it's own lid and presto! it's a sandwich ready for "ladies who lunch". In early March I vowed to recreate a dish from our SW road trip, Cafe Bink's savory tart. (see here) It has taken weeks to follow through on that public declaration.

Mexican Pork with Poblano Peppers

2011-03-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

... it was a dark and stormy night. No, actually it was a damp and dismal day, the kind of day when only a fragrant kitchen would improve the afternoon. What is more appealing than the smell of roasting peppers? or more tantalizing than the sizzle of onions and garlic? You see where I'm heading with this, right? Southwest something! The refrigerator and freezer held a variety of protein

A Deli-Style Rye Bread Recipe

2011-03-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

We dined well on Thursday, St. Patrick's Day, but when the celebrating was over we were left with good memories and a lot of corned beef. Extra meat? not a problem, it was just an invitation to enjoy a corned beef sandwich... Oh yes! Reuben sandwiches, always a favorite. The Reubens were my excuse to try a new recipe for rye bread from the Hertzberg cookbook, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a

Rye Crackers

2011-03-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

...with lox, cream cheese, capers and dill for a St. Patrick's Day appetizer. I'm not Irish. No, I'm not even close to Irish, not with my ancestry from Austria, Germany and Alsace-Lorraine. Nonetheless I do love to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Irish music and food. On the 17th our house will ring with old songs from the Chieftains, Irish Rovers, Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, with a

Daring Cooks: Papas Rellenas

2011-03-14T01:55:00.000-07:00

Kathlyn of Bake Like a Ninja was our Daring Cooks’ March 2011 hostess. Kathlyn challenges us to make two classic Peruvian dishes: Ceviche de Pescado from “Peruvian Cooking – Basic Recipes” by Annik Franco Barreau. And Papas Rellenas adapted from a home recipe by Kathlyn’s Spanish teacher, Mayra A quick read through Kathlyn’s March challenge post brought to mind several other "filled" foods;

Light and Luscious Lemon Cake

2011-03-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Gateau au Citron or French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon Need to add a little sunshine to your life? just one slice of this lemon cake can do just that. At the very least it will cause a smile,a happy sigh of pleasure. I promise. It's just that good. I don't need much help in the smile and sunshine department lately. The delight of a recent sunny road trip along the coast and in the southwestern

Shrimp and Grits

2011-03-07T23:13:00.000-08:00

Shrimp and Grits - that's a tempting entree or appetizer in any month, so don't wait for Mardi Gras to indulge. Picture a bowl of decadent cheesy grits, finished with a bit of cream and butter, tucked beneath sweet wild shrimp and sauced with a zingy andouille gravy. Garnished with a gremolata of lemon zest, parsley and green onion, mmmm mmm, that’s comfort food at its best. If you just can’t

A Balsamic Reduction

2011-03-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

... the basics. Basics indeed! the recipe is more a brief list of suggestions with room for personal tweaks and experimentation. ReluctantGourmet notes: You can make reductions sauces from all sorts of liquids. One of my favorites is a balsamic reduction sauce where you slowly cook down a cup of balsamic vinegar until it reduces by half or if you like, even further until it becomes syrupy.

A Savory Luncheon Tart

2011-03-03T00:41:00.000-08:00

Bacon and Date Tart: puff pastry with blue cheese, arugula and a balsamic reduction Food memories from our February road trip are still fresh, so fresh that I can close my eyes and savor the tastes all over again. Fast-forward the memory tape to our amazing lunch at Cafe Bink, a dining gem tucked away in a corner of a Carefree, Arizona shopping mall. A simple, stylish interior set the stage

Minestrone Soup

2011-02-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

Mama's Minestrone ...at Papa's Italian Restaurant (Prescott, AZ) Earlier this month we followed blue skies and sunshine down the Oregon coast, continued into Southern California and headed east into central Arizona. Sunny weather encouraged photo shoots and outdoor activities, but the snow on the ground in Prescott reminded me that February is still a winter month. Brrrr, break out the parkas

Arizona BBQ

2011-02-17T05:59:00.000-08:00

We found a winner, a real BBQ award winner, and we found it by chance in Cottonwood, Arizona. Hog Wild BBQ has been voted the Reader's Choice for BBQ Restaurants in the Verde Valley for five years straight. It also ranked as one of the state's six best BBQ places by the Arizona Republic newspaper. That's the same paper that listed the Mile High Grill's burgers as among the best in the state.

Daring Cooks: Cold Soba Salad and Tempura

2011-02-14T01:32:00.000-08:00

The February 2011 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by Lisa of Blueberry Girl. She challenged Daring Cooks to make Hiyashi Soba and Tempura. She has various sources for her challenge including japanesefood.about.com, pinkbites.com, and itsybitsyfoodies.com. As a new member this was my first participation and I was a bit nervous as I read through Lisa's challenge. Relief set in as I

On the Burger Trail

2011-02-10T22:03:00.000-08:00

Visualize a meal in North Central Arizona. Does that bring images of tortillas or Indian fry bread, beans, chili and peppers, salsa and guacamole... ? or perhaps enchiladas, tamales, burritos, tacos, rellenos... ? Not in the old mining town of Jerome. At Jerome's Mile High Grill it was all about the hamburgers. The menu is full of other tempting items, breakfast through dinner offerings and

Road Trip Dining

2011-02-02T01:33:00.000-08:00

Meals on a road trip are one part of the whole adventure. For me a well-written restaurant menu can resemble a tourbook, its commentary guiding the route to a memorable meal. But some meals don't require any guidance. For example, our lunches in South Bend on Willapa Bay always involve oysters. Fresh oysters, harvested-that-very-morning oysters, barbecued or barely cooked pan-fried oysters. An

Beet and Beef Borscht

2011-01-23T00:45:00.000-08:00

Borscht - how can a word have so many consonants and just one vowel? Go ahead, say it, "Borscht". Doesn't it resonate with Central and Eastern European food flavors? For me it calls up two competing soup memories. Is borscht a cool and silky strained beet broth, presented in a clear-glass cup to celebrate its vibrant, neon-red color. Or is it the surprisingly pink peasant soup, meaty and full

Black Bean Soup with Chorizo

2011-01-17T00:04:00.000-08:00

Black bean soup provides a world-class cure for the winter weather blahs. It’s true, this soup wraps a comforter around your shoulders and beams sunshine on your soul. January has officially been declared Soup Month, and black bean soup is a fine choice to celebrate the occasion. We have enjoyed this soup for decades, although the recipe and the toppings have changed a bit over the years.

Kale Salad with Pinenuts, Raisins and Parmesan

2011-01-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

Kale is a popular green, maybe even nudging Brussels sprouts out of favorite vegetable status. When did this happen? I didn't notice, but it's not too surprising. Kale is such a versatile ingredient, long overlooked as just another green. Not so any longer. (Flashback memory of my childhood rejection of canned asparagus, canned spinach, canned green anything except beans. Let's celebrate

Stuffed Mushrooms (plus Sausage and Pasta)

2011-01-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate those days, the days when you never slow down but the project list is no shorter? Yesterday was a really busy day, full of a ton of little projects, but few of them on the official To Do list. Oh yes, one of those days. Suddenly it was late and we were hungry, really hungry. I didn't have a menu plan but the fridge held some fresh produce and several small containers of

Thai Coconut Green Curry Soup

2011-01-03T00:45:00.000-08:00

New Year’s Eve afternoon lunch Lunch with good friends was the perfect way to enjoy the last afternoon of the year. Lunches tend to be relaxed affairs, an easy menu without the pressures of a multi-course dinner, so even the cook can relax. Sarah and Gerry had arrived with champagne and apricot nectar, so the relaxation began immediately with a round of Bellinis. Eventually we got around to

Savory Stuffed Squid

2010-12-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

I don't cook squid very often, in fact I go for months at a stretch without eating it or even thinking about it. But on a wander through Uwajimaya this week I was drawn to the seafood case and zeroed in on the tray of squid. I saw the array of glistening cephalopods, lined up soldierlike in precise formation, and my brain first registered "Wow! they look good", followed by "seafood-for-two

Spicy Mango Chutney

2010-12-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Chutney? why would I make any when the pantry already holds several jars of Sharwood brand mango chutney? I can blame it on Trader Joe's tempting packages of Chile Spiced Mangos. That new item appeared in my shopping cart when I wasn't looking, or so it seemed. Around our house dried mango is a popular snack food. We love most things spicy, so chile heat topping sweet dried mango should be

Breakfast Hash

2010-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

December is often a month full of baking sweet things like cookies, sticky buns, coffee cakes, quick breads, et al. Baking is fun but I was tired of being splattered with flour and up to my elbows in dough. One morning the kitchen counter still held half a pan of Awesome Sticky Buns, but that just didn't tempt me. No, I'd grown tired of all things sweet. Sigh, I really do prefer savory bites.

Fettuccine with Lemon Sauce

2010-12-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Menu: Fettuccine with Lemon, Mixed Greens Salad with Vinaigrette, toasted slices of French Bread and Sliced Oranges or Clementines for dessert Do you have a favorite, go-to dish that is simple to prepare, tasty enough for company and only calls for a few ingredients typically found in the pantry? One such recipe is Fettuccine with Lemon. The original version came from Marcella's Italian Kitchen

Spiced Nuts

2010-12-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like a nut, sometimes I don’t… No wait, I’m always ready to nibble on Spiced Nuts, even if they were intended for another purpose, and not meant for snacks. Really, you can’t eat just one… they are too delicious, almost addictive. These sweet, spicy nuts are a favorite appetizer at home and on the boat. Quick and easy to prepare, they are perfect for impromptu company. Such

Tuscan White Bean Soup- a variation

2010-12-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

Photo; Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage and Winter Vegetables, and a basket of toasted pita chips, some sprinkled with sumac and some with za'atar. Comfort food for a rainy day lunch. It was a stay-at-home kind of Seattle day, gray and damp outside with no particular reason to be out and about. A new bread experiment with an Italian braided loaf sat rising on the kitchen counter. Ingredients

Chicken Marbella

2010-12-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

Weekly menus can become repetitive, a routine of pizza on Friday, roast chicken on Sunday, grilled steak and fish... well, you get the point. I do experiment with a lot of new recipes, but all too often I shop for and cook the familiar. Chicken Marbella had been ignored for many months while we ate other chicken dishes - roast chicken, coq au vin, arroz con pollo, cacciatore, curry, piccata,

Parmesan Puffs

2010-12-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday was one of those busy days, full of appointments and a few necessary errands; a special day, since it was my first solo outing since recent surgery. By evening I had no energy left and all that sounded good for dinner was a big salad... and something else, something crunchy and comforting and easy. It would take too much effort to hop back in the car and drive to the local bakery,

Red Beans and Rice

2010-11-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

The great jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong loved red beans and rice so much that he used to sign his letters "Red beans and ricely yours". I would love to embark on a leisurely eating tour through Louisiana. Just imagine meal after meal of Creole and Cajun cooking, dining on gumbos, etouffees, jambalayas, crawfish and barbecued shrimp, blackened redfish, grillades and grits... the list goes on.

Salmon Lox - Gravlax

2010-11-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

It’s November,we have moved back ashore and we're not fishing, so why am I posting this now? Because I found a well-wrapped package of my lox in the freezer on our last trip to the boat, when I cleaned out the fridge and freezer drawers. Here it is, two and a half months after it’s cure, and the lox is still moist and full of flavor. Just one taste and the lox brought back memories of summer

Lentil Soup

2010-11-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Not my best photo, but you get the idea - lentil soup is a filling comfort food on a snowy Seattle day. Lentils are not showy or beautiful, but these little legumes are a tasty, nutritional superfood. Did you know that lentils are packed with protein, cholesterol-lowering fiber, B vitamins, and about twice as much iron as other legumes? I didn't until I did a Google search and found this

Hummus and Toasted Pita Chips

2010-11-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I have been home for two weeks with my brand new knee and am ready for some cooking action... well, almost. Limited to two trips per day downstairs, and walking with one crutch, I'm not exactly flying around the kitchen. RL calls himself The Butler and has been doing super work as Chief Cook, but today I couldn't resist whipping up a batch of hummus, one of our favorite snacks. Hummus

Brief Hiatus

2010-11-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

This fish platter from the galley has absolutely nothing to do with with my blogging absence for the next week or two, but it makes me smile. I have been busy in the kitchen recently, working on a number of cook-to-freeze items. I'll post some photos and recipes as we enjoy each dish, and maybe coax RL into sharing a comment or two as he as he shifts roles from diner to cook. More soon...

The Muffuletta Stromboli

2010-10-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

Was it Cajun-Italian fusion confusion? No, more like an off the wall notion that worked, utilizing bread dough and a variety of savory items already in the fridge. Our muffuletta-filled stromboli offered a delicious combination of flavors that played off the contrast between a tangy, salty olive salad and the mellow richness of cheese; all that layered with a smokey, cured meat and snuggled

Foolproof French Bread

2010-10-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Bread, homemade and still warm from the oven, mmmmmm mmmmmmm, it’s pure delight. Fresh bread is near the top of my list of comfort foods. Just the thought of a buttered slice triggers hunger pangs, as I recall the taste, the contrast of the crisp, crunchy crust with the light, airy center. Oh megayum! Sourdough boules, No-Knead Dutch oven wonders, French baguettes, Italian rustic loaves,

Brussels Sprouts Rock!

2010-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

What’s happened to Brussels sprouts to make them so delicious? Those nasty, foul smelling, evil tasting little pseudo-cabbages of my childhood have been replaced by tasty morsels of pure delight. No really, they’re becoming my favorite Fall vegetable, right up there with kale, peppers and sweet corn. I’m not alone in my enthusiasm, SeriousEats named Brussels sprouts their “2009 ingredient

Awesome Sticky Buns

2010-10-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Morning menu: Pecan sticky buns, fresh fruit, sweet smokey bacon and a smoked salmon frittata. MMMMM, waking up to the scent of baking sticky buns is heavenly, but since I am the designated baker that is only a dream. The next best thing might be pulling a pan of uncooked buns from the refrigerator to pop into a cold oven, sitting down with a cup of tea to enjoy the tantalizing aromas wafting

Popcorn with Chopsticks

2010-10-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Chopsticks, a multi-purpose kitchen tool "What are you doing? no, Why are you doing that?" is a frequent query when I'm caught indulging in my favorite snack food. Me? I'm eating popcorn with chopsticks. It's all due to niece Hilary, and I thank her weekly for the inspiration. It's obvious I'm eating popcorn, my favorite snack food and occasional meal substitute. The chopsticks? well, using

Bacon Cravings

2010-09-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

What makes bacon so irresistible? its tantalizing aroma? the snappy sizzle while it cooks? or the sweet/salty tang of the flavor? Eating healthy, eating local, focusing on fruits and veggies, ingesting fewer processed foods… I can support the convincing logic of all that, but I just can’t get past my bacon cravings. Have you noticed the abundance of bacon references lately, everywhere you turn

WildBerry Crisp

2010-09-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

For years I’ve proclaimed I didn’t care much for desserts… dark chocolate doesn’t count, it’s a major food group all by itself, a health necessity. I’ll eat an occasional dessert and enjoy it, I’ll bake cookies or muffins for RL, but I just don’t crave sweets. I prefer things savory. Other people bake berry pies, but I just eat berries. So what’s with the Wildberry Crisp