A friend of Jan’s, Heidi, gave us a jar of wild plum sauce and Jan asked me to think up a dinner to go with it. Jan does not particularly like duck, so the most obvious use—Peking Duck—was right out. As I was reading a Chinese menu, I saw “lettuce cups with plum sauce” and that gave me an idea for a California Fusion Asian pork “taco.”
Karl’s California Fusion Asian Pork “Tacos”
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Pork
I am making Asian pork lettuce cups this week. The filling for lettuce cups is meat heavy with a deeply flavored sauce. I wanted my second dish to be simple and elegant. Last week, I made Szechuan salt & pepper shrimp and it was so popular Jan wanted something similar this week. Anyone for Szechuan salt & pepper scallops?
Karl’s Szechuan Salt & Pepper Scallops
with Oyster Mushrooms
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Seafood
It’s my birthday dinner and this almost always means lamb. I have done a variety of grilled lamb dishes—like Greek lamb, Moroccan lamb, and kefir lamb. My favorite is Uyghur Shashlik, in Kashgar, these are small bits of lamb coated in a cumin based spice blend.
Karl’s Uyghur Shashlik Flavored Lamb
Filed under California Fusion, Lamb, Main Dishes, Sauces and Spices
I am making a California Fusion birthday dinner with Uyghur lamb and naan. If I was trying for a traditional Uyghur menu seafood would be right out—the closest ocean to Kashgar is at least 2,000 miles away over the Himalayas. But hey, this is California and I’ll make what I like.
Karl’s Szechuan Salt & Pepper Shrimp
with Grilled Pearl Onions and Mushrooms
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Seafood, Shrimp
This posting is more of a “what do I do with the leftovers.” When I make a whole roast chicken we will usually eat only about half of it. If I have a left over breast, I will slice it for a Chinese chicken salad. If I have made the pan drippings into gravy, I have the joy of biscuits and gravy for breakfast, today with leftover fruit salad.
Karl’s Biscuits and Gravy
Filed under bread, Breakfast, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry
In Southern cooking (U.S.), a buttermilk marinade is frequently used to tenderize the chicken pieces before frying. I decided to try the technique in roasting a whole chicken. I found a few recipes that called for cutting up the chicken, but none for leaving it whole. While I have made buttermilk roast chicken before, every recipe has room for improvement.
Karl’s Buttermilk Roast Chicken II
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry
One of the benefits of passing out jams as Christmas gifts is that you get other peoples’ efforts in return. This year, I received some Bartlett pear jam from Michael and Jennifer. While it is good on my breakfast toast, I thought it would make a good base for a chicken marinade. To complete my dinner I had a large vegetable side dish and buttermilk biscuits for the starch eaters.
Karl’s Roasted Chicken
with Sage and Pears
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry
Miriam has been moving this week and her mother and sister have been helping her. In this situation it is polite to feed your workers, but with the kitchen half packed up it can be a challenge. Takeout pizza is the usual solution, but my daughter is capable of being creative. A little chicken, vegetables, fruit, a bit of mayonnaise and viola you have a salad.
Miriam’s Chicken Salad
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Poultry, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetables
Jan invited her new half-brother to dinner so I was planning a nice meal. In the end he came down sick and didn’t come. I’m afraid he missed a really nice meal.
Karl’s Lemon Marmalade Roast Chicken
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces and Spices
Several days ago, a friend of Jan’s (Jennifer Anderson) gave her three yuzu to pass on to me. Yuzu’s flavor is describes as a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin orange. It is the key ingredient in authentic Japanese ponzu sauce. Having turned this bounty into ponzu sauce it seemed clear to me that salmon teriyaki would be a good use for it. Steamed rice and pickled vegetables are the obvious go-together for a weekend Japanese meal.
Karl’s Ponzu Salmon Teriyaki
Filed under Broiling, Main Dishes, Sauces and Spices, Seafood
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 