On Christmas morning my family likes to go out for dim sum (点心; snacks), Chinese small plates. Frequently we go to Tai-pan in Palo Alto. In addition to the many and varied flavors, Tia-pan’s presentation is always impeccable—no chopped vegetables sloshed on a plate. Of the many excellent dishes we had, one was the one we always order is Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce.
Karl’s Chinese Broccoli with Mushroom Sauce
Filed under Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Saturday was Halloween and the possibility of an uninterrupted, sit-down dinner were slight. I decided to make pocket breads to have a “grab and go” meal, between trips to answer the front door. A new variation of a bierock was the obvious answer.
Karl’s Chicken Apple Sausage Bierock
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Chicken, Poultry
This is Jan’s birthday week and around this house birthday celebrations tend to get stretched out for a week. Her birthday is in the middle of a busy week, Wednesday, so her main feast will be this Sunday. I was planning on making her favorite, corn chowder with crayfish.
Karl’s Corn Chowder with Langoustine
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Seafood, Soups
Jan has requested corn chowder with crayfish for her birthday, but crayfish were out of season. I made the soup with langoustine. She also really likes mussels, so I decided to steam some as a side dish.
Karl’s Marsala Steamed Mussels
Filed under Main Dishes, Seafood, Steaming
I am making corn chowder for Jan’s birthday dinner. Chowder calls for oyster crackers. I adapted some techniques from Serious Eats.
Karl’s Sichuan Pepper Oyster Crackers
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Jan’s friends are descending upon us this weekend for the annual quilt festival. They are always a challenge to cook for because Barbara does not eat raw tomatoes and Pat does not eat “any animal with a face.” This means the “cute animals,” cows, pigs and sheep—chicken and fish apparently do not count as having faces.
Karl’s Chicken Madeira with Dried Apples
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Stews
I needed a vegetable to go with the chicken Madeira that I was serving for Jan’s visiting friends. I decided on French green beans, Harcourt vert, that are thinner and more tender than regular American green beans. Plain green beans are a bit boring, so I decided to add more interest with herbs and red bell pepper.
Karl’s Harcourt Vert with Red Bell Pepper
Filed under California Fusion, Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I am making chicken Madeira for Jan’s visiting friends. Sauce and meat needs starch. I decided that what was called for was a variation on my mother’s parsley potatoes.
Karl’s Potato Thyme
Filed under California Fusion, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan, Vegetarian
Before I left home for the first time, I sat down with my mother’s recipe box and wrote down my favorite dishes. Her monkey bread is one of those recipes. While it was good and has a fond place in my memory, I still had to change it.
Karl’s Savory Monkey Bread II
Filed under bread, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
Jan likes the idea of BLTs—bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches—but she has an aversion to bacon. Yesterday, she asked me to make her one using turkey bacon. Eilene and I do not dislike bacon, so I made her a more standard version. For myself, I just had to add a twist with some pickled artichoke hearts. Continue reading
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Pork, Turkey
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Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 