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Archive for June, 2012

Ribs for Pop

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 20, 2012 | 5 Comments »

 

We didn’t have much planned for Father’s Day – a rather made-up holiday where we are supposed to honor dad – something we should be doing daily as far as I am concerned.  However, since summer is coming and we are ready to grill, I decided to make some ribs – just for Steve and me – to have a Father’s Day dinner.  We were in the city so no grill was at hand.  I made a rub of chili powder, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper.  I smothered the rack of baby backs with the rub, placed them in a double layer of aluminum foil, added some white vinegar, and wrapped them up tight.  Put them in a 400ºF oven and roasted for about an hour.  Opened the foil and let them crisp a bit and served them up with some sautéed cabbage and warm potato salad.  It almost felt like a summer barbecue and tasted that way, too.  The one thing we missed was a bowl of something to dip the ribs in.  Next time!

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Bee’s Primroses

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on June 20, 2012 | 4 Comments »

 

On our last trip to upstate New York, we found Aunt Bee, my bestest friend, doing her gardening thing in earnest.  Landscape design plans scattered all over her office.  Plants, containers, rakes and hoes lined against the outside wall of her office building.  Steve was taken by one group of potted plants ready to be delivered to a customer.  He said that the perky little blossoms of Japanese primroses made him happy.  SO, we share them with you in hopes that they will make you happy too.

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Strawberries Have Arrived

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on June 14, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

 

At the local farmers market, pints of Jersey strawberries were featured at $5.00 each which I thought a wee bit pricey.  But, at the local actual farm market in Schoharie, New York yesterday, mammouth, perfectly ripe, deep red, juicy berries were $5.00 a quart so, of course, I bought more than I can possibly use ‘cause I was getting a bargain.  I’ve done absolutely nothing with them except give them a cold wash and left them out on the table for us to snack on all day long.  At the rate we’re going, they’ll be gone by this afternoon.

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Lychees By the Pool

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on June 11, 2012 | 2 Comments »

 

If you are fortunate enough to have these three things – a huge bowl of lychees, a glorious summer day, and a swimming pool – follow my advice and load the bowl of lychees with chopped ice and languish by the pool all day, popping ice cold lychees in your mouth whenever the temperature gets too hot!  Summer’s coming!!!!!!

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A Chinatown Run

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

 

I had to make a Chinatown run the other day to stock up on Asian ingredients for my pantry – soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, chili oil, rice noodles, etc.  Coming out of my favorite Vietnamese market the streets were lined with fruit vendors – tiny ladies loud and smiling over piles of exotic fruit.  I dug down in my pockets to count my remaining dollars and started ordering – rambutan, lychees, mangosteen – these I knew and loved.  But there were also Chinese wax apples and jackfruit, neither of which I had ever tasted.  The wax apple you see here – shaped a bit like a pear – it tasted a bit like an unripe pear, too – just a bit sweeter.  Mangosteen and rambutan are old favorites – both of which I first tasted in, of all places, Paris at L’Ami Louis.  I love them both.  The white flesh of the mangosteen tastes a bit like a really ripe mango mixed with pineapple and the rambutan is quite close to the lychee in texture and taste.  The jackfruit didn’t make it to the camera – I tasted, but it didn’t hit the spot – fibrous, sticky, not too appealing visually or texturally but it had a rather pleasant pineappley taste.

 

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It’s Great to Have Thoughtful Friends

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 6, 2012 | 2 Comments »

            Last Monday as I was sitting in my every morning window seat at JOE, our favorite coffee bar, I saw two of my favorite dogs approach – Milly and Zach.  Milly always sets up a howl waiting for me to come out and give her some morning lovin’ while her owner, Stuart, gets his latte.  This morning Stuart came toting a shopping bag along with the dogs.  And, what should be in that bag but a taste of spring –fiddleheads, asparagus, and ramps straight from the farmer’s market near his country house.  When we opened the bag the smell of damp earth and verdant greenery almost – but not quite – overcame the heady coffee aromas.  But, when I got home my kitchen smelled just like the woods.  You know what was on our dinner menu – here it is – a quick sauté in extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper – the veggies needed nothing more – so green, so crisp, so spring.

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Now I Know Its Spring – Rhubarb Pie!

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 4, 2012 | 5 Comments »

 

Ramps herald it, but rhubarb really lets you know that spring has sprung.  Here you see me with my first batch of the season.  Although I have big plans for rhubarb chutney and strawberry-rhubarb jam, the first order of business is pie.  I had cut enough that we had rhubarb pie one night and strawberry-rhubarb cobbler the next.  For the pie, check my post of February 28, 2011 for the pastry recipe.  The filling is sliced rhubarb, a bit of grated fresh ginger, a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, a cup of sugar, and about ¼ cup of instant tapioca.  My lattice-top was a little wonky as I was speeding to get out to enjoy the last bit of warm spring sun with my glass of rosé.

 

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Grits on the Grill

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 4, 2012 | 4 Comments »

 

The other morning brought a classic down-home breakfast – Sunnyside-up eggs, bacon from Oscar’s Smokehouse (www.oscarssmokedmeats.com), and a big mess o’ grits.  I can bypass the first two, but I do love grits.  I made so many that I packed the leftovers in a loaf pan thinking I might fry some in butter for the next day’s breakfast (of course, covered with maple syrup).  That didn’t happen  ‘cause I got an inspiration – sliced the grits and coated the slices well with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper and put them on the grill.  Meanwhile, back at the stove, I sautéed some asparagus (fresh from the ground) with some ramps, added a little chicken stock, lemon zest, and butter and when the grits came off the grill, I spooned some of the asparagus sauté over the top.  Let me tell you, we were all still talking about the dish the next day.  I am going to work on perfecting it through the summer and will keep you posted on my progress.

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