I make salmon about one a week, so it is a challenge to keep this dish fresh. Frequently I will glaze the filet with one of my marmalades and broil it 2 inches from the heating element. If you look at the pictures of some of my past broiled salmon posts this has not been ideal. The high heat tended to burn the sugar in the jam before the fish is cooked through.
Karl’s Broiled Salmon on a Bed of Leeks
Filed under Main Dishes
Daughter Eilene—who hates mushrooms—was off with her friends. I wanted to make some mushroom soup. Jan had also wanted a leek soup—a creamy soup that is mostly potatoes and leeks. I thought that I could combine two recipes to make a mushroom-y leek soup.
Karl’s Mushroom Leek Soup
Filed under Side Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian
I love twice cooked pork, but to make it requires that you have some slow-cooked, Asian-flavored pork to start with—highly spiced Mexican pork will not do. Many American Chinese restaurants start by boiling pork belly, then slicing it, and frying it to make a very fatty dish. In China, what I was served was usually made with lean pork. Traditional, twice cooked pork is basically a Chinese leftover dish—or as my Chinese students called it “peasant food.”
Karl’s Twice Cooked Pork II
Filed under Main Dishes, Pork, Sauces and Spices
Jan really liked the last mushroom soup I made. She asked for a soup just for the two of us, Eilene—who hates mushrooms—was off on an overnight. Reworking that recipe actually improved it quite a bit.
Karl’s Mushroom and Barley Soup
Filed under California Fusion, Main Dishes, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian MD
Jan is going to another pot luck organized by NUMU Los Gatos. She and her students have been interviewing relocated American Indians who live in the South Bay—having moved to the city from various reservations in the 1950s, ‘60s, and 70s. Last time, I made a big pot of ham and beans. To switch things up, I decided to do larger than usual Mac & Cheese this time.
Karl’s Mac & Two Cheeses
with Bacon & Leeks for a Crowd
Filed under California Fusion, Casserole, Main Dishes, Pork, Vegetables
My son-in-law, Chris, requested fish for his Sunday birthday dinner. I have been making a lot of different kinds of marmalade recently and I have been looking for uses for them—besides just spreading them on toast. I have made salmon with lemon and dill, so I though adding a sweet glaze would be just the thing. To go with my salmon, I served Heart of Palm, Mandarin Orange, and Arugula Salad and Colcannon California.
Karl’s Mandarin Marmalade Glazed Salmon
Filed under Broiling, California Fusion, Fish, Main Dishes, Seafood
This is more of a California Fusion revamp of the original, rather than a traditional colcannon. Potatoes are the staple of the traditional Irish diet and colcannon was, most likely, mostly potatoes with a little bit of vegetable added in—usually cabbage. Jan is always pushing me to add more high fiber vegetables and to cut back on the simple starches—i.e. potatoes—so mine is now about a 50/50 ratio of potato to veg. I also doubt that chicken broth or garlic were readily available in a humble traditional Irish cottage.
Karl’s Colcannon III
Filed under California Fusion, Holidays, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I needed a vegetable to go with my barbecued Sichuan Turkey. One of the soy sauces I have been experimenting with is Chinese dark soy sauce. It is thicker and has a more complex and less salty flavor than Kikoman’s. A few weeks ago I made a dish with green beans that my family really liked.
Karl’s Leek and Bell Pepper with Dark Soy
Filed under California Fusion, Chinese, Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Stir-fry, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Jan is off on her yearly stitching retreat with her friends for four days. While she will tolerate barbecued lamb, she will not eat it any other way. Her absence allows me to make dishes that Jan will not eat.
Karl’s Lamb Stew with Leeks
Filed under California Fusion, Lamb, Main Dishes
Last Tuesday was St. Patrick’s Day and no one in this household likes what is sold as “corned beef” in the supermarkets. In fact, except for Chris, my son-in-law whose family is from Boston, we do not favor “boiled dinners” (everything thrown into the same pot and boiled). For us the classic dish for Irish Day is the Salmon of Knowledge.
Karl’s Roasted Salmon with Leeks II
Filed under California Fusion, Fish, Main Dishes, Seafood
karllueck
Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 