Category Archives: Holidays

by | September 17, 2015 · 6:18 pm

Karl’s California Fusion Barbecued Tri-tip

A barbecue is very traditional for a Labor Day weekend, this year I decided to do tri-tip. Tri-tip is a very popular beef roast to barbecue in California—popularized in Oakland and Santa Maria in the 1950’s. The problems with this cut—it’s thick fat cap and odd shape—leads much of the rest of the world to slice this roast into steaks. The Hispanic world—of which California is really still a part of—knows better. Done right it is flavorful, moist and juicy—of course done wrong it is carbonized, dry and chewy.

Karl’s California Fusion Barbecued Tri-tip

Karl’s California Fusion Barbecued Tri-tip

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by | September 17, 2015 · 6:16 pm

Karl’s Moro Beans

I am doing a Cal-Mex barbecue for labor day and I decided to make beans to go with my tri-tip. Moro Beans are a Mexican heirloom varietal. When Jan and I went to Napa, she bought me a package of these beans from Rancho Gordo. They describe Moro beans as a cross between pinto and black beans. They say that these beans are flavorful enough to stand on their own with few additional flavors. I decided to take them at their word and keep it simple.

Karl’s Moro Beans

Karl’s Moro Beans

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by | July 13, 2015 · 3:51 am

Jan’s Red, White, and Blueberries

Jan made the dessert for our Fourth of July weekend dinner. It of course had to be patriotically themed, but the recipes in the newspaper were all full of sugar. The kids are on the Atkins diet so sugar. The berries themselves are suspect, but she did not have to add extra sugar the whipped cream.

Jan’s Red, White, and Blueberries

Jan’s Red, White, and Blueberries

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by | July 10, 2015 · 8:52 pm

Karl’s Salt and Pepper Tri-tip with Green Pepper Sauce

I decided to experiment with pickled green pepper (Piper nigrum ). This is a new spice for my family, so I plan to go cautiously. When I did my surf and turf for Miriam’s birthday I discovered just how good a tri-tip could be with simply salt and pepper.

Karl’s Salt and Pepper Tri-tip with Green Pepper Sauce

Karl’s Salt and Pepper Tri-tip
with Green Pepper Sauce

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by | June 24, 2015 · 8:19 pm

Jan’s Low Sugar Chocolate Mousse with Drambuie Butterscotch Sauce

For me Claudia’s Chocolate Mousse is the mousse by which all others are judged. It is however, not a health food. It has replaced cakes in our house as the holiday treat. Jan has spent years perfecting the techniques of making mousse, but it took her years before she dared to tinker with mom’s recipe.

Jan’s Low Sugar Chocolate Mousse with Drambuie Butterscotch Sauce

Jan’s Low Sugar Chocolate Mousse
with Drambuie Butterscotch Sauce

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by | December 11, 2014 · 1:18 am

Karl’s Spiced Biscotti

Adapted from Joy of Cooking

Every year we make several Christmas give-aways—food treats to bring joy to our friends. Recently, I became allergic to tree nuts. Our usual biscotti recipe has almonds in it, so this year I am making a second batch of nut-free, spiced biscotti.

Karl’s Spiced Biscotti

Karl’s Spiced Biscotti

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by | December 10, 2014 · 10:15 pm

Karl’s Thanksgiving Orange and Sage Roast Turkey

My original plan for this year was to get a small turkey (10 pounds) and to spatchcock it. I was planning to lay the turkey over the dressing so that the turkey juices would drip onto the stuffing. However, for the second year in a row, Whole Foods got my Kosher turkey order wrong. I still got a turkey, but it was 16 pounds—way too big to lay over the pan if I opened it up. I would have to go with a more traditional approach.

Karl’s Thanksgiving Orange and Sage Roast Turkey

Karl’s Thanksgiving Orange and Sage Roast Turkey

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by | March 30, 2014 · 6:14 am

Karl’s Shire Seed Cake

Adapted from Recipe Wise

Eilene is having friends over to watch the last Lord of the Rings movie. It is time to think up some new Shire themed recipes. I am thinking seed cake and honey chicken wings.

Karl’s Shire Seed Cake

Karl’s Shire Seed Cake

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by | March 30, 2014 · 5:58 am

Our Spring Break

Some may have noticed that I have not posted anything in the last week. We have been on spring break in Death Valley and the Owens Valley. Jan was born in Lone Pine— actually in Bishop, where the only hospital was at the time—and she needs to get back to the high desert every few years to recharge.

While I normally use this blog to post recipes, Eilene has become quite the nature photographer. She took over 500 pictures while on this trip. Here are just a few of the best. Continue reading →

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