Bierock are Volga German stuffed breads. The Volga Germans were brought into Russia by Catharine the Great for their “modern” technical skills. However, their cooking was not one of those skills. Many would consider both German and Russian traditional cuisines a wasteland—there is only so much you can do with cabbage, flour, potatoes and a little beef when you do not have access to, or can afford, fancy spices.
Karl’s Bierock
Filed under Beef, California Fusion, German, Main Dishes, Vegetables
Jan is off on her yearly stitching retreat with her friends for four days. While she will tolerate barbecued lamb, she will not eat it any other way. Her absence allows me to make dishes that Jan will not eat.
Karl’s Lamb Stew with Leeks
Filed under California Fusion, Lamb, Main Dishes
With Jan out of town, I made a lamb stew for Sunday night’s dinner. I also made this lamb soup. Son-in-law, Chris, asked why I did not simply throw everything into one pot. In my mind I had an image of the thick, rich lamb stew and a second vegetable soup with lamb bone broth. While it may all end up in the same place, it would not be the same dining experience to mix the two dishes.
Karl’s Lamb Bone Soup with Cabbage and Green Beans
Filed under California Fusion, Lamb, Side Dishes, Soups, Vegetables
I cannot claim this recipe as my own. Miriam brought me some Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia when she came back from Italy. I was under strict instructions never to use this vinegar in a salad dressing. The Acetaria San Giacomo’s website had photos to show off their products and one was of raspberries with vinegar and a light dusting of powdered sugar. This was clearly an acceptable use of “the good stuff.”
Raspberries with
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale
di Reggio Emilia
Filed under Desserts & Treats, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian
While I am still not convinced that the flavor is as good with gas grilling—over charcoal—it is certainly more convenient. Wanting something a bit different for a weeknight dinner, I settled on chicken satay. Satay, in the end, is just marinated meat grilled on a stick. While originating in Indonesia, it spread over Southeast Asia with each culture adding its own distinctions. Usually it is accompanied by a dipping sauce, some kind of peanut sauce being one of the more common.
Karl’s Chicken Satay with Pineapple Peanut Sauce
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces and Spices
I needed a sauce to go with my chicken satay. While I made a peanut sauce for my Vietnamese Summer Rolls, I wanted this one to be more Indonesian. Out went the hoisin sauce and the fish sauce. Palm sugar is a common Indonesian sweetener—and is lower on the glycemic index than white sugar. I also had that fresh pineapple I was planning to grill, so in it went.
Karl’s California Fusion Peanut Sauce
Filed under California Fusion, Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
Filed under Barbeque, Side Dishes, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian
Adapted from a Smitten Kitchen recipe and a Just Bento recipe
Once again, Eilene is having friends over. I decided I would make chicken teriyaki and rice. I wanted to make a side dish, but it was too late to make pickles. I have been making blended soups lately, so I thought I would make a carrot soup with an Asian twist.
Karl’s Japanese Style Carrot Soup
Filed under California Fusion, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Jan wanted something light for dinner. I went on-line for ideas and was surprised what some people—especially the diet cooking magazines—considered “light.” In my mind, anything with pasta is not “light” by definition, but easily a third of the recipes were some form of pasta and sauce.
Karl’s South of the Border Salmon Patties
Filed under California Fusion, Fish, Main Dishes, Salads, Seafood
Jan requested a “light” dinner, by which she meant low carbohydrates. I decided to do “South of the Border” salmon patties. This, of course, called for guacamole. Having already mixed Mexican and Northwest cuisines, I decided to take it a step further and mix grilled plums with my avocado.
Karl’s Grilled Plum Guacamole
Filed under California Fusion, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 