On Christmas morning my family likes to go out for dim sum (点心; snacks), Chinese small plates. For the last several years we have gone to Tai-pan in Palo Alto, but this year Miriam talked up into trying something new. It was not quite a disaster, her suggested restaurant was over-flowing with a four hour wait, but we finally found a strip mall place that was actually excellent.
Karl’s Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
Filed under Chinese, Sauces and Spices, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Every Christmas for more than the last decade I have made marmalade as a giveaway. a few years ago I started making special batches of intense jams that contained only the zest and juice of the oranges. Last weekend I was lemon bombed and I wondered if I could make a marmalade of just lemons.
Karl’s Micro Lemon Marmalade
Filed under Desserts & Treats, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian
I am making broiled salmon with dill tonight and I wanted a starch dish to go with it. I thought apples and rice. Then, I thought green onions and tarragon would fit in nicely.
Karl’s Green Onion and Apple Rice
Filed under California Fusion, Rice, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
I am making lamb for Easter and I wanted a salad to go with my lamb and pasta dishes. A Greek salad seemed to be the way to go. This is a rustic salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, feta cheese dressed with salt and herbed olive oil. In America this is usually serves over a bed of lettuce. I decided to use a mixed herb salad.
Karl’s Greek Salad Bar
Filed under Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
One of the recent Cook’s Illustrated had a recipe for the perfect rice and pasta pilaf (read Rice-A-Roni™). While this dish is famously San Francisco Italian, its origin is actually Armenia. While the dish made from the box is always passably edible, trying to make it from scratch is usually a disaster—either the rice is underdone or the pasta turns into mush.
Karl’s San Francisco Pulao
Filed under California Fusion, Pasta, Rice, Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan, Vegetarian
I wanted a salad to go with my bean soup. Mesclun greens are a combination of baby greens. While these, by themselves, make a perfect acceptable salad it is always better to add a few crunchy veggies for interest. Today, I am using green beans, red radish, and red onion.
Karl’s Mesclun Salad with Lightly Pickled Vegetables
Filed under California Fusion, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian
I am making bread to go with my ham and navy beans. I wanted something lighter and different than my usual Guinness beer bread. I decided to use a Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale.
Karl’s Ale Almond Bread
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
This is not so much a new recipe as an experiment in bread making. I made my first foray into crusty breads a few weeks ago. In my experience in bread making, cooking the dough in a dry oven produced a soft crust. I had made a large batch of dough and I thought I would bake half of it in a dry oven and half in a moist oven. Small details make big differences.
Rustic Italian Bread Baked in a Moist Oven
Rustic Italian Bread Baked in a Dry Oven
Filed under bread, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Jan’s friend needed a soft soup after her oral surgery and Jan’s family is descending upon us. Blended soups are the order of the day. In addition to Ezo Gelin and Avgolemono, I will be making Maafe. Maafe, at its simplest, is a sauce made with peanuts and tomatoes with onions and sweet potatoes being a frequent additions. After that, the variations for this soup/stew are near endless. Traditionally, this dish is probably served “chunky,” but I will blend it into a smooth creamy soup for people with problems chewing.
Karl’s Maafe II
West African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup
Filed under Main Dishes, Potatoes, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian
Jan has a friend who is getting oral surgery and will have a week where she will not be able to chew. My brother-in-law and his family are also coming to the Bay Area and they all have troubles with their teeth. Soft soups are the order of the day and I decided to make three soups that I have made before: Ezo Gelin, Maafe, and Avgolemono. Half I will give to Jan’s friend as a mitzvah and we will have a soup tasting for the family with the rest.
Karl’s Ezo Gelin Soup II
Filed under Beef, Main Dishes, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegetarian
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 