June 21, 2022 Lunch - Salami Salad. Dinner - Midsummer celebration

June 21, 2022  Lunch - Salami Salad. Dinner - Midsummer celebration

 Woke up this morning with visions of Midsummer.  I knew I had everything for it except bread and Danish beer.   I had fresh Gravad lax, herring in wine sauce, lax sauce, sour cream, and three or four types of cheese.

Suzette wanted to taste the Gravad lax to make sure it was okay, so I toasted two thin slices of bagel and smeared them with cream cheese and garnished them slices of Gravad lax.  Suzette thought the salmon tasted good and decided to make the Spiaggia Salad for dinner.

I immediately called Dale and Jennifer  to invite them since Dale is Scandinavian.  I asked them to bring a dessert and bread.  

At 10:00 I drove to Total Wine and picked up a 12 pack of Carlsberg beer and a bottle of Blaye de Cores de Bordeaux red 

Then I went home and listened to the 4th January 6th hearing regarding the attempt to change votes at the state level such as by finding votes in Georgia and substituting alternative electors in seven states that Biden won.

Suzette went to Susan Palmer’s for a Girls named Sue party at 11:00.  I made a salami salad with a diced tomato, mushroom slices, Persian cucumber slices, sliced green onion and salami and dressed the salad with the all purpose Caesar salad dressing.  I also made Jarlsberg melted cheese sandwiches and filled the pickle jar with spears of Persian cucumber.

Again the testimony was chilling and exposed how the Republicans have normalized lies and violence to try to win elections.

At 1:45 I sold shares of Apple, Nvidia, and Square at the end of a day of rising prices.  My strategy is to wait for the market to tank and then buy back, if it does that as it has done about ten times in the last three months.

Suzette came home at 2:00 but went out again to buy mandarin oranges, red onions, lettuce, and French baguettes for the salad she wanted to make for our Midsummer dinner.

The salad is a replica of one we ate at Spiaggia in Chicago many years ago.  It combines lettuce with slices of orange, red onion, and grapefruit, chunks of cured salmon and is dressed with an orange flavored mayonnaise dressing and drops of basil infused olive oil. It is a salad served at the Greenhouse Bistro and one Suzette’s favorite ways to eat Gravad lax.

I then drafted a motion to extend the deadline for filing my reply brief in the court of Appeals that I had sent out requests for concurrence on this morning and talked to two clients until 5:00 when Suzette returned.

Suzette then went to the garden and picked a handful of basil and pureed it with olive oil to to create basil infused olive oil for the Spiaggia salad.

I sliced slices of three oranges and 1/2 of a red onion for the salad.

Then I filled a small plate with slices of Gravad lax and red onion.

I filled a small bowl with IKEA Swedish salmon sauce.

I filled a larger bowl with pickled herring in wine sauce and a small bowl with sour cream.

I then sliced French baguette. Suzette fetched several Carlsberg beers from the garage and put them into the fridge.

We fetched the cheese board and Suzette filled it with a log of goat cheese, a round of brie, a wedge of Gouda and Manchego and put it on the table.

Suzette set the table in the TV room for the food and the table on the patio for eating.

Dale and Jennifer arrived at 6:30 with a French baguette, a large round loaf of Russian rye, Danish pastries for dessert, and a heavenly Danish shrimp salad made with creme fraiche (skagenrora)

Here is the recipe: https://www.mycookingplace.com/recipes/danish-swedish-shrimp-salad-skagenrora

I had mentioned Danish shrimp salad to Jennifer in passing in the morning when we discussed the menu as an example of Danish dishes that I had eaten in the summer in Denmark and miraculously she had created the authentic shrimp salad.  It was my favorite dish of the meal.

Suzette composed the Spiaggia salads and put one by each seat on the patio table.

I poured beers for Dale, Suzette, and me and white wine for Jennifer and we filled our Royal Copenhagen plates with bread, Gravad lax, herring and shrimp salad.

I made open face sandwiches of shrimp on toasted rye, and herring on a slice of baguette smeared with sour cream and Gravad lax on a slice of  baguette smeared with salmon sauce.

I fetched shot glasses and filled them with Aalborg Akvavit. We refilled the shot glasses and beer glasses and wine glass several more times and took seconds and learned about how Jennifer, who was adopted at three months of age, discovered her amazing family history and birth parents and relatives among several other topics until 9:30, when Suzette made us parfaits of vanilla ice cream, maraschino cherries, and a slice of Danish pastry.  

Dale and Jennifer then packed up the remaining shrimp salad and the baguette and their serving dishes and we said goodnight at 10:00.

We all had a good Midsomer buzz by then.

We cleared the table and put up the remaining items and fell into a deep slumber until 2:30 when I awakened in need of a glass of water and finished this blog.

Suzette said she enjoyed the evening, which made me happy.

Perhaps we will do it again next year.

Bon Appetit

June 20, 2022 Lunch - Caesar Salad. Dinner - Hamburger Helper Stuffed Potato

June 20, 2022 Lunch - Caesar Salad. Dinner - Hamburger Helper Stuffed Potato

 Ate a bowl of granola with milk and blueberries and yogurt for breakfast.

I started working at 6:30 and at 10:30 I took a walk but I forgot to take a sugar pill so I only walked six blocks and was sore when I returned.

I rested until 1:00 and then made a Ceaser Salad with smoked anchovies, lettuce, a tomato, Pecorino cheese, and romaine lettuce. The croutons I added were rancid so they abused my stomach a bit in the afternoon but I worked through to 5:00.

Suzette arrived shortly thereafter.  At 6:00 I washed and scored five russet potatoes and baked them at 375 degrees for an hour.

I also thawed two hamburgers.

Suzette then went into the kitchen and created the menu of potatoes stuffed with a sauté of ground beef, Pasilla chili, parsley, a tomato, and scallions, and garnished with green onions and sour cream. 

I opened a bottle of Barbera di Astit for the smoothness and low tannins to complement the mild flavor of the beef and potato.  It was a lovely meal.

We watched game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals and thought the stuffed potato was an excellent hockey dinner.

Bon Appetit

June 19, 2022. Juneteenth and Father’s Day Brunch

June 19, 2022. Juneteenth and Father’s Day Brunch

We drove to Burque Bakery this morning to buy some breakfast baked goods but when we arrived there was a line around the block of 25 to 30 people, so we drove home.

I decided to make the style of cinnamon toast my mother used to make.

I pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees and then buttered four slices of raisin bread and then sprinkled the cinnamon and sugar mixture Suzette had made and then sprinkled a light layer of sugar on each slice and baked the toast in a 350 and then 450 degree oven until the sugar melted.

The only difficulty with this technique is that there is a very short time between when the sugar melts and when it burns, so you must check it constantly.

After our breakfast I put a bottle of 2021 De Ponte Melon de Bourgogne in the freezer to chill.

We worked until 12:30 when Suzette started cooking our Father’s Day Brunch of Fried Oysters and Corn and chard pudding.

Suzette followed the Chef John recipe for the corn pudding except she added a handful of fresh chard and kale from the garden and pureed the corn and chard and kale, which raised the dish from American regional to French Haute Cuisine and from pudding to soufflé.

Here is the recipe:

The Fried oysters

We got very lucky at Smith’s yesterday.  We found five bottles of oysters within three days of expiration that the deli guys discounted from $5.99 to $1.99.  We decided to celebrate by making fried oysters, which we both love and is very Southern, so fit into the framework of a Juneteenth celebration along with corn pudding.

Suzette froze two jars and we fried the 12 large oysters in the remaining three jars.

Suzette dipped the rinsed and dried oysters first in a mixture of egg and milk and then roughly pureed saltine crackers and sautéed them in about 1/4 inch of canola oil.

While Suzette fried the oysters I made tartare sauce by slicing a green onion into thin ringlets and then soaking them in lemon juice for about ten minutes.  I then added two heaping tablespoons of pickle relish, about 2/3 cup of mayonnaise and about 1 T. of prepared horseradish .

I also sliced thin slices of French baguette and toasted them. As we ate I made small poorboy canapés by slicing an oyster in half and then slicing that half in half and laying the two halves on a toast spread with tartare sauce.

When the oysters were all fried we opened the white wine and carried our brunch and wine to the table under the gazebo and enjoyed a delicious dinner. Melon is the variety of grape and De Ponte produces a wine with huge amounts of fruit and huge acidity; a very imposing wine that cuts through the grease of the fried oysters while offering a lovely fruity flavor. We thought it was a great choice to complement the fried oysters.

We were so satiated that Suzette did not eat any dinner, but we sipped a glass of limoncello as we watched the new Masterpiece Theater series called Hotel Portofino.  There is a scene that triggered us to sip limoncello.  A very stayed and proper matron is having trouble digesting the Italian food and claims to be a teetotaler and refuses to drink wine, but when the hotel gives her a glass of limoncello flavored with fresh mint and tells her it is Italian lemonade, she loves it and keeps asking for more.

After Hotel Portofino we watched the first episode of the new season of Endeavour until 10:00.

During Endeavour I re-heated the corn and chard soufflé and ate a few bites of it.

Then after Endeavour at 10:00 I drank a cup of tea and ate three chocolate chip cookies.

Suzette went to bed at 10:00 and I followed at 10:30 to blog and read a bit.

The pain in my hips and legs seems to improve as I increase the dosage of turmeric and collagen I take and increase hydro-therapy. I am now experiencing little or no sharp pains, just dull pain, which I count as progress because I seem to be able to walk through the dull pain with the hope of greater mobility.

Bon Appetit 

June 18, 2022 All American Breakfast, Lunch - No. 30 Salad. Dinner - PPI Bobby Flay Chicken with Ratatouille and steamed Snow peas

June 18, 2022 All American Breakfast,  Lunch - No. 30 Salad. Dinner - PPI Bobby Flay Chicken with Ratatouille and steamed Snow peas

Last night I had difficulty sleeping, so I finished Swag by Elmore Leonard, our book club selection for the month, and then spent 1 1/2 hours draft a purchase agreement.  I went to bed at 5:00 and slept until 8:45, so felt mentally alert.  Suzette awakened earlier and worked upon the garden cleaning 1 1/2 of the six beds in the hexagonal garden.

Then while was I showered and dressed Suzette made breakfast. I had brought in 1/3 of a log of Jimmie Dean sausage yesterday.  When I arrived in the kitchen a skillet of country fried potatoes was cooking. I brought in a carton of eggs and Suzette fried two sausage patties and three eggs over easy and we toasted three slices of cinnamon raisin bread for a wonderful American breakfast.

I drank tea and Suzette drank a Bloody Mary.

We then worked in our respective offices until 1:30.

I made a salad by combining some of the fresh garden greens Suzette picked in the Center’s garden and a couple of thinly sliced green onions with the leftover 1/3 of the 2000 Vietnamese No. 30 I ate for lunch yesterday to created an Oriental Noodle salad.

I loved it.

After lunch I continued reading an opinion for my brief.

At 4:30 we stopped and drove to Smith’s to buy several items, including milk asparagus and cookies. We were lucky and found five jars of oysters with an expiration date of June 20 that we were able to buy at a discount and there was a wedge of Murray’s Reserve Gouda in the markdown area that we bought. We also bought a whole chicken to roast this week and a 2 lb. bag of shrimp.

We returned home at 6:00 as Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals was beginning.  Suzette had a cocktail and started watching it but I was hungry l. I heated a leftover thigh from last night’s dinner with some ratatouille and about seven of eight snow peas Suzette picked in our garden and drank the last glass of La Granja Viura/Verdejo blend of Spanish white wine.

When the plate was heated I added a spoonful of the zesty mint sauce Suzette made last night that is part of the Bobby Flay chicken recipe.

Suzette ate the other piece of chicken and the rest of the snow peas with the last of the calabacitas.

After dinner we watched Colorado beat Tampa Bay 7 to 0 in what turned out to be the third largest margin in the history of Stanley Cup games. 

Then at 9:00 we soaked in the hot tub for about 30 minutes and then went to bed.

The more I eat leftover No. 30’s with lots of fish sauce, and lots of lettuce and green onion, the more I like them.  

The big news of the day came from our art dealer friend, Aaron Payne, who contacted the Christo foundation seeking information on the Wrapped Island piece.

They identified the piece because Jill Pollack’s ownership was registered with the Foundation. The Foundation also said that two similar pieces sold recently in Europe for €80,000 each. That made my day. I had no idea that the piece was registered or that it was selling for €80,000. Of course, registration as an authentic Christo is an essential requirement for selling it for €80,000.

Bon Appetit

June 17, 2022 Lunch - 2000 Vietnam No. 30. Dinner - Bobby Flay Chicken with Mint Sauce and Ratatouille Today was interesting. The most interesting thing was that my muscular conformation held together and I was mostly without paise. The other interesting thing was I slept in, had a small breakfast and a moderate lunch and large dinner and did not feel hunger or pain. I worked from 2:45 to 4:15 on an affidavit, then watched Morning Joe until 5:30, and then slept until 9:00 with several interruptions. I sent out the affidavit, and did a few more tasks, such as finally determined that my notary renewal was far simpler than I was trying to make it and paying my gross receipts tax for May. At 11:30 I checked with Peter and Willy and ordered them and myself a No. 30 from 2000 Vietnam to go. Willy is quarantining with Covid, so I left his in the garage fridge. I made Peter and me an iced Vietnamese coffee and we each ate about 1/2 of our No. 30. Then we did a walk through of the art that may need an appraisal for insurance purposes. Peter left at 2:00 when my new client arrived for an appointment to draft a sales agreement for his business. We worked until 3:25 and then I tried to draft a Purchase Agreement for a real estate sale but erased it my mistake. Suzette came home at 5:30 and a I gave up trying to resuscitate my draft shortly thereafter when Suzette was unable to find the draft. At 3:30 Suzette had called to tell me she would not be bringing home a roast chicken. So, I went to the garage of fetched a bag with five small chicken thighs and defrosted them. At 6:00 we decided to cook the thighs Bobby Flay style which meant rubbed with an herb blend, sautéed on top of the stove weighed down with a skillet filled with water for 25 minutes and then baked for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. There is also a sauce for the chicken dish that consists of 1 cup of fresh mint, ground fennel, 1/2 cup of parsley, ground cumin, and several other ingredients. See recipes below. I fetched the ratatouille and we heated it and served ratatouille with the chicken garnished with the sauce. I opened a bottle of Cortes du Provence rose’ and we ate a lovely meal under the portal of the patio as it rained. Hopefully we are entering the rainy season. I can not tell you how delicious the chicken and mint sauce were with the rose’. Neither of us had slept well last night, so we went to bed

June 17, 2022 Lunch - 2000 Vietnam No. 30. Dinner - Bobby Flay Chicken with Mint Sauce and Ratatouille 

Today was interesting.  The most interesting thing was that my muscular conformation held together and I was mostly without pain.

The other interesting thing was I slept in, had a small breakfast and a moderate lunch and large dinner and did not feel hunger or pain.

I worked from 2:45 to 4:15 a.m. on an affidavit, then watched Morning Joe until 5:30, and then slept until 9:00 with several interruptions.

When I reawakened I sent out the affidavit, and did a few more tasks, such as finally determining that my notary renewal was far simpler than I was trying to make it and paying my gross receipts tax for May.

I made granola and blueberries and yogurt and milk around 11:00, but ate only two bites.

At 11:30 I checked with Peter and Willy and ordered them and myself a No. 30 from 2000 Vietnam to go and drove to 2000 Vietnam to pick them up.

Willy is quarantining with Covid, so I left his in the garage fridge.  I made Peter and me iced Vietnamese coffees with coffee, condensed milk, and ice and we each ate about 1/2 of our No. 30.  

                                 Peter the great art appraiser and dealer and friend

Then we did a walk through of the art that may need an appraisal for insurance purposes.  Peter left at 2:00 when my new client arrived for an appointment to draft a sales agreement for his business.

My new client and I met until 3:25 and then I tried to draft a Purchase Agreement for a real estate sale but erased it by mistake rather than saving it. I should have taken a nap.

Suzette came home at 5:30 and I gave up trying to resuscitate my draft shortly thereafter when Suzette was unable to find the draft.

At 3:30 Suzette had called to tell me she would not be bringing home a roast chicken. So, I went to the garage of fetched a bag with five small chicken thighs and defrosted them.

At 6:00 we decided to cook the thighs Bobby Flay style which meant rubbed with an herb blend, sautéed on top of the stove weighed down with a skillet filled with water for 25 minutes and then baked for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. There is also a sauce for the chicken dish that consists of 1 cup of fresh mint, 1/2 cup of parsley, 1/4 pasilla chili diced, ground fennel, 1/2 cup of parsley, ground cumin, and several other ingredients.

                                                           The mint sauce

                                 Weighing the chicken down with a skillet of water

See recipes below.

I fetched the ratatouille and we heated it and served ratatouille with the chicken garnished with the sauce.

The flavor of the fresh zesty mint sauce complemented the thick ratatouille vegetable stew to result in a memorable meal.

I opened a bottle of Cotes de Provence rose’ and we ate our meal under the portal of the back patio during the first rain of this year. Breathing in the moisture of rain was a great pleasure.

Hopefully we are entering the rainy season.

Hopefully the reduction of pain in my hips and legs will last more than one day.

I can not tell you how delicious the chicken and mint sauce were with the rose’.  

Neither of us had slept well last night, so we went to bed at 9:00.

I awakened at midnight to make a cup of tea and drink a cognac mixed with Trimbach Liqueur de Framboise and a pineapple cake to extend the evening’s wonderful food experience.

Bon Appetit

June 11, 2022 Lunch - La Choza Dinner - With Barry, Grilled Rack of Lamb, Risotto, Salad, and Cobbler

June 11, 2022 Lunch - La Choza  Dinner - With Barry, Grilled Rack of Lamb, Risotto, Salad, and Cobbler

Suzette made a mushroom and Manchego cheese omelet for breakfast.

We then drove to Santa Fe at 10:00 and arrived at the Rodeo Grounds at 11:15

for the Folk Art Museum Flea Market.  I used my handicapped permit for the first time, so was able to park within 50 feet of the entrance.  There were two buildings full of stuff.

In the first building I found a Chinese carved ceramic evermore bowl for $6.00.

Then we went to the second building and went a little wild buying fabric and clothing.  We each bought three garments and fabric and a lovely hand made Pakistan tablecloth for $24.00.  Our total was 136.00.

At around 12:30 we drove to La Choza for lunch.  It was packed so we ordered margaritas and sat inside to wait for our name to be called. Soon we were offered chairs at the bar.  The bar is my favorite spot to eat.  The chairs are comfortable and there are often interesting people at the bar.

Today was not great but last time I sat next to an older couple who were really interesting. The wife had been Richard Feynman’s Secretary at Caltech and the husband had been assistant to Bruce Babbitt when he was Secretary of the Interior.

I ordered my usual, flat blue corn enchiladas with ground beef and double Posole.  Suzette ordered fish tacos and we shared.

                                       The bar tender holding a dozen wine glasses

We both ordered Negra Modelos, which was served from the tap with a slice of lime.

I have been eating at the Shed and later La Choza for over 50 years.

After we ate we drove to Taos.  We first stopped at 203 Fine Arts to see the Bob Ellis exhibit. I saw a silver point drawing by Earl Stroh of one of the large Cliff houses at Mesa Verde that I liked and bought it.

We then drove to the Mable Dodge Lujan House and settled into the Willa Cather room on the portal. After we rested for an hour we drove to Barry’s house on Juniper Rd. It is high on the hill with spectacular views of the mountain on the north and the valley and sunset on the west.

We brought a rack of lamb, the four fruit cobbler Suzette made last night, Georges (French cheese puffs) Susan made, cheeses, scapes, and lettuce Suzette picked fresh from her Center garden yesterday and fresh snow peas she picked this morning in our garden and a bag of green onion slices I cut this morning.

Barry had a balsamic and olive oil salad dressing and made his wonderful risotto.

We started with Barry making us Aperol and Prosecco cocktails with lots of ice and ate Georgues and cheeses.

Then we began cooking. Suzette grilled the lamb and scapes and I dressed and tossed the salad and opened the bottle of 2013 Calstar Sagiacomo Pinot Noir. Everything was perfect.  The wine was great it had strength, character, and a fruity sweetness.  Barry’s risotto was wonderful as usual and Suzette grilled the rack of lamb to a perfect medium rare (pinky red in the middle).

The fresh lettuces were wonderfully fresh. I think the only other time I had such a fresh salad was at the Greenhouse Bistro two weeks ago and in France, where the chef went to the garden behind the restaurant to pick the lettuce for the salad I ordered.

We ate at 9:30 and then around 10:15 we heated the cobbler and Barry added Scoops of Blue Bell ice cream for a perfect dessert.  Suzette made the cobbler with the sour cherries from our tree, the 12 apricots from our tree, marinated cherries, and blueberries

We ate outside with a view of the valley.

Finally at 10:45 we said goodnight and drove back to our room at Mable Dodge Lujan House.  This is the house Mable built in Taos that all the luminaries of her era visited.  We are staying in the room in which Willa Cather stayed.

This was as good a day of food as one could ask for.

Bon Appetit