Miriam was working in Rome this week and she was coming back through Chicago. Needless to say, it took her two days to get back and she is exhausted. As a result, the kids are not coming over this Sunday for dinner. Instead of my usual feast, I will be making a gumbo, a Louisiana signature dish.
Karl’s Filé Gumbo
(Andouille, Chicken & Shrimp)
Adapted from a Leite’s Culinaria recipe
Most of the people of Portuguese ancestry in San Jose actually come from the Azores. Although many families have been here for more than one hundred years, they still maintain a strong sense of cultural identity and family ties to the home islands. If they have room in their yard for a garden, you may be sure that kale is growing in there. Caldo Verde, green broth, a kale and potato soup is a staple of Portuguese cuisine.
Karl’s Caldo Verde
Portuguese Kale Soup
Filed under Green Vegetables, Pork, Soups
I am making Santa Maria barbecue this Sunday and this needs a special kind of beans. I finally found a source for heirloom Santa Maria pinquito beans. If you live in the South Bay (San Jose, CA area) it is just a short 30 minute drive down to just south of Gilroy to where the 101 briefly becomes a two lane highway. Garlic World is an overgrown roadside fruit stand that specializes in Gilroy’s primary crop—I love when the wind is out of the south in the morning, it smells of garlic. Garlic World also carries Suzie Q’s pinquito beans.
Karl’s Santa Maria-Style Beans II
Filed under Beans, Pork, Side Dishes, Starches
Char siu is a common ingredient in many Chinese dishes. There is nothing quite like a fresh char siu baozi for a quick comfort meal. However, in Mainland China most home cooks do not make their own, because most apartments lack the oven necessary to cook it properly—at least in the cities 25 years ago (personal experience).
Karl’s Char Siu
Chinese Barbecued Pork
Filed under Barbeque, Main Dishes, Pork, Sauces and Spices
Son-in-law, Chris, is leaving on another trip, so the kids are not coming over for Sunday dinner. Jan requested something forbidden by his ketogenic diet, lasagna. Since this is also our anniversary week (31st) I agreed to make it for her. I also made her favorite salad, carrot, to go with it.
Karl’s Italian Sausage Lasagna
Filed under Casseroles, italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Pork
Eilene is having friends over for Tuesday night shows and I always try to make something exotic for them. Looking at the recipes for Game of Thrones, they are either too simple, too complex, or take too long to make.
Karl’s Game of Thrones
Stuffed Meatloaf
Filed under Beef, Main Dishes, Pork
Today, as I was thinking about making a ham steak, I was wondering what I could do that was new and different from the usual brown sugar, vinegar and clove glaze. I have settled on Asian coleslaw for my salad and a sweet potato and peanut soup as my starch. I also planned orange marmalade custard for desert. This is a bit unusual for me. Normally, I decide on what I will do with the main dish and that will lead me to my side dishes.
Karl’s Hawaiian Ham Steak
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork
Jan had been going on about the stuffed arepas that she had had at Pica Pica. You can fill these corn bread pockets with almost anything. I want to make my filling Venezuelan, but this was for a weekday meal, so I did not want to start from scratch.
Karl’s Venezuelan Arepas Rumberas
(corn pockets with pulled pork)
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork
I wanted to do braised French pork for dinner, but nothing on-line even came close to what I had in mind. I pictured something herby, falling off the bone tender, with a rich pan sauce. Looking in my spice cabinet, I picked out the herbs I thought would go together, not a fines herbes, but a unique blend of my own. It may not be actually a French recipe, but I associate these herbs with French cooking.
Karl’s French Braised Pork
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork
I do not always look on-line for ideas for dinner. Sometimes, I simply say, “What do I have in my kitchen?” I had spent too much of today planning my birthday/Chinese New Year’s feast. When I pulled my head out of the computer, I noticed that it was time to start making dinner, before a hungry wife and daughter appeared on my door step.
Karl’s Ham and Barley Soup
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork, Soups
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 