Eilene trimmed our grape plant—it was starting to overrun the fig tree. I looked at all of these fresh grape leaves and thought dolmas! I have made them with bottled preserved leaves, but I am sure they are even better with fresh leaves. When you say “dolma” you have only said “stuffed thing.” What is stuffed and what you stuff it with can cover a world of possibilities.
Karl’s Greek Dolmas
Filed under California Fusion, Lamb, Main Dishes, Rice, Steaming, Vegan, Vegetarian
An oft asked question on the internet is: What is the difference between Creole Spice vs. Cajun Spice blends? There is a lot of confusion surrounding these two mixes of spice. Frequently, they are treated as being identical, but they are not. Continue reading
Filed under California Fusion, Sauces and Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian
Adapted from Frugal Feeding
My girl’s are all over the place today. Mom is going over to Miriam’s after work, to swim and de-stress. Eilene is up in San Francisco with a friend. They will be hungry when they finally get home, but there is no telling when that might be.
Karl’s Saffron Chicken and Leek
Corn(ish) Pasties
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Vegetables
Jan has a hankering for chili. She pointed out that I have not made it in a long time—looking at my posts, not since February of last year. For Jan, chili means “chili with beans.”
Karl’s Chili California con Carne
Filed under Beef, California Fusion, Main Dishes, Vegetables
Before I left home for the first time, I sat down with my mother’s recipe box and wrote down my favorite dishes. As I was making my chili California I had thought about using my mother’s recipe. I took it out and looked it over. I was surprised to find that it did not actually include any “chile.” I remember loving my mother’s “chili” as a child, but I am not sure I can call it “chili” any more—it was more of a German beef and beans. Continue reading
Filed under Beans, Beef, California Fusion, Main Dishes
Purslane started showing up at the farmer’s market recently. As you may know by now, I am always up for trying something I have never tried before. This week I am going to the Cal-Mex border and making chili beans and oxtails rojo. As a side dish, I decided to sauté purslane with Anaheim chilies and Mexican green onions (cebollines).
Karl’s Purslane with
Chilies and Mexican Green Onions
Filed under California Fusion, Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Jan is hosting the Dean’s lunch today. Her staff ordered enchiladas, but there are Vegan and lactose-intolerant deans who will not eat those. She asked me to come up with an alternative.
Karl’s Cal-Mex Salad
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Poultry, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian
Eilene is having friends over tonight and one of them is a picky eater. If it is not Vietnamese or sweet she will not like it. I would make pho, but it takes a long time to make the stock. Jan suggested that she would like chicken teriyaki.
Karl’s Barbecued Chicken Teriyaki II
Filed under Barbeque, California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry
This meal started in a very different place than it ended. In the morning, I suggested to Jan that I make fish that night. Lately, that has meant fish tacos, but I am getting board with that. Jan suggested lobster rolls, but that is too expensive in California. I suggested Langoustine, which are kind of Italian mini-lobsters. When I got to the store, I found no Langoustine and there was not even any lobster.
Karl’s Crab Cakes
with Aioli and Champaign Pickled Radishes
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Salads, Seafood
The kids are not coming over for dinner tonight, so Jan wants cheese and crackers for dinner (AKA deli dinner). She wanted some plain crackers, but I have been testing the limits of fresh crackers. Today’s savory cracker is rosemary Parmesan topped with salt and pepper.
Karl’s Rosemary Parmesan Crackers
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 