38 Power Foods, Week 36 -- Rainbow Trout -- Pan-Fried Trout Brunch with Red Pepper-Zucchini Potatoes and Fried Eggs

 

Skip the quiche this Easter and fry up a tasty rainbow trout to go with your eggs and a big platter of potatoes with peppers and zucchini. While this is a lovely and not too time-consuming brunch (no do-aheads), it necessitates planning and ... well ...and doing things in approximately the order (see below), as fish waits for no one.  

Servings:   One fish will serve two people generously.  There's plenty of Avocado-Basil Mayonnaise and potatoes for four. If you do have four, you'll need to buy two trout and cook one, putting it in the warming oven while you cook the second.   Alternately, each of the four of you could have a small serving of the single trout.  With the eggs, it's a filling meal.

       

38 Power Foods, Week 12 -- Sweet Potatoes -- Warm Two-Potato Salad with Tarragon-Mustard Vinaigrette

from a June, 2012 post

(A note to my readers:  This blog has been publishing with an odd display and, in an attempt to restore its appearance, I've inadvertently deleted all of the comments from this post.  Please accept my apologies and thanks for your lovely comments!  Now on to today's post....)

Necessity is the mother of invention.
As is a determination to use what's available in the larder.
Tonight, I had probably half a pound roasted pork loin and a nice dish of my favorite barbeque sauce leftover from a birthday dinner for my friend, Lani.    I had, however, eaten the side that went with it for lunch.  Of course I knew what I was doing, but I love toasted Israeli couscous with vegetables.

Homemade Potato Chip-Steak Salad

Just add fork

Sometimes I don't know what gets into me.  I know I have something leftover and simple from which to create a meal.  Say a piece of steak or two small pieces, in this case.  (Neither Dave nor I could finish our dinner the night before. Is there something wrong with us?)  I didn't set out to make a homemade potato chip-steak salad...but here's how it happened: 

First,  I take the steak out of the frig and begin casting around for something to go with it.  Toast?  I could make a sandwich.  Pasta?  I could cook up some vegetables to go with the steak while the water boils.  Stir fry?  Omelet filled with steak?  Steak and eggs?  I could make  mushrooms in velouté  sauce with cream (Supreme is the name, I think--I made it up as a young cook without knowing its name.) and Dijon mustard, add the steak and serve it over rice.  How about a childhood favorite, beef hash?  (Who would waste great steak on hash, Alyce?) 

Instead of beginning any of those dishes,  I  find myself at the Cuisinart making homemade mayonnaise, using Daniel Boulud's method:
    

Who is Daniel Boulud?

 

Warm Two-Potato Salad with Mustard-Tarragon Vinaigrette

Necessity is the mother of invention.
As is a determination to use what's available in the larder.
Tonight, I had probably half a pound roasted pork loin and a nice dish of my favorite barbeque sauce leftover from a birthday dinner for my friend, Lani.    I had, however, eaten the side that went with it for lunch.  Of course I knew what I was doing, but I love toasted Israeli couscous with vegetables.

Southwestern Turkey Meatloaf or Here You Go, Lori!

It was ready for its close-up, but does meatloaf ever photograph well?

 I have a friend named Lori.  She's smart and tall, is mom to a big hulking chocolate lab, is beautiful and talented, and does things like run a salon and also fly airplanes.  Sometimes in the same day.  Did I mention she's a runner and that she's from Boston?  She also "did" my nails for several years in Colorado Springs.  When you spend an hour and a half every three weeks literally face to face with someone for years on end, you either become friends or sleep.  Lori and I chose to become friends. (I miss her.)

So, being women and being friends, and being a foot apart so often, Lori and I talked food. (Also family, men, sports--her, not me, work, whatever)  Lori's mostly vegetarian, though she eats some chicken, etc.  And Lori makes meatloaf.  Turkey meatloaf.  It's good, says she, but she's a bit bored with it.  More than once, she asked if I had another recipe.  Recipes, now that we have the internet, are a dime a dozen, but I hadn't made turkey meatloaf in years.  I was intrigued and remembered someone saying, "You cannot season turkey meatloaf like beef meatloaf; it's awful.  You must season it like turkey."  While that brings sage, onions and celery to mind, for me it also brings hot peppers, feisty cheese, and salsa.  Living in San Antonio for four years and Colorado for 15 would do that.  Taking cooking classes in Santa Fe would definitely do that.

One day, after months of turkey meatloaf ideas perking around in my head from time to time, I decided to try it.  Wow!  Both Dave and I loved it.  This loaf is full of chiles, onions, garlic, and salsa, and I stuffed it with overlapping slices of pepperjack cheese so that when you cut it (make sure and let it sit a while or you'll have a gooey mess), there are lovely melting bites of sharp cheese right at the center.

I mean, if meatloaf is good, people adore it--right? It's filling, homey, stretches to feed a bunch, and makes great sandwiches.  Though, really, loving meatloaf isn't something everyone wants to admit.  It's not on top of the trendy list, though come to think of it COOKING LIGHT has a meatloaf article in the October Issue.  But trendy or not, if you make it, they will come.  And they'll want the recipe.  It's one of those emotional food-pingers like, "My grandma made the best meatloaf!"  Make this even if you have to invite people over to eat it.  ESPECIALLY if you have to invite people over to eat it.

Side: Mashed potatoes is the usual suspect, but I did an all-in-one sauté of sliced new potatoes, onions, garlic, and late summer squashes that comes together just before the meatloaf comes out of the oven and while it rests before serving.  Top it with finely diced fresh tomatoes and sweet green peppers for color and crunch.   That's not much for directions; let me look in the cooking journal and see if I kept amounts listed when I cooked it.  If I did, I'll include a recipe.  How's that for informality in the cooking blog?   Here's the meatloaf recipe, for which I definitely kept the list of ingredients and, uh--techniques and methods!

Here you are, Lori.  Sorry it took so long.

Here it is all dressed up with someplace to go.  Your mouth!

 Southwestern Turkey Meatloaf Stuffed With Pepperjack Cheese  serves 8  (or 2 with lots of leftovers for sandwiches)

1# each ground turkey breast and ground turkey
1 1/2 cups salsa, divided (I like Frontera Roasted Tomato, mild)
2 cups whole wheat bread, cubed
1/4 tsp each:  kosher salt freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 eggs, beaten
8 oz (about 1 1/2 c) sliced or chopped button mushrooms
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles, drained

1/3# Pepperjack cheese, sliced

2T olive oil, divided

Note about salt:  I do not include much salt as the salsa contains quite a bit.  If you'd like to check and see whether or not you'd like to add salt, make a small meatball of the mixture and fry it in a bit of oil.  Taste and see (great song, too!) if you'd like any salt.

Garnish optional:  Diced fresh tomatoes and green peppers

1. Oil your biggest loaf (I used 9x5) pan using 1T of the olive oil.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash your hands well and take off your rings and watch.  Get a big bowl out of the cupboard and throw in everything (using only 1 cup of salsa; the rest is for later)--turkey through chiles-- but the Pepperjack cheese, olive oil, and garnish.  Put your hands down into the meat mixture and combine thoroughly.
3. Pat about half of the meat mixture into the oiled loaf pan and place the slices of pepperjack cheese right down the middle of the loaf, overlapping, and stopping before the very end. (So that the cheese doesn't ooze out while the meatloaf bakes.)  Place the other half of the meatloaf mixture on top of the cheese and pat down to create the loaf.  Brush with the other tablespoon of olive oil.
4. Place loaf pan on a foil-lined sheet pan and bake for about 1 1/4 hours or until thermometer registers 160.  Remove from oven and let  rest 10 -15 minutes.  Invert onto serving platter (or carve in the pan if that's easier) and top with the other half-cup of salsa.  Garnish with diced tomatoes and green peppers if desired.  Surround the loaf with  the Potato-Zucchini Sauté and serve hot.  Store leftovers tightly wrapped in refrigerator for up to two days.

Yes, it was in the cooking journal and here it is...
 
Potato Zucchini Sauté

• 6-8 small (1-2") new red potatoes, sliced thinly
• 1 T olive oil
• 1T butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 t chili powder (I like Penzey's; choose your style.)
• 1/2 t kosher salt
  
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• 1 ea:  small zucchini and yellow squash, sliced thinly
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
•  
• Garnish, optional:  1/4 cup each:  diced fresh tomato and green pepper

1. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat oil and butter.  Add potatoes. 
2. Cook until potatoes brown on one side.  Stir and turn potatoes.  Add onions and dust with chili powder, salt, pepper, and oregano.  Cook one minute and add squash and garlic. 
3. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender and squash is al dente or grandma done (your choice)--another 2-3 minutes. 
4. Serve garnished with tomatoes and peppers if desired.

Two-Dog Kitchen and Around the 'Hood
It's that time of year.  Keeping the cantata on the piano at all times (skipping my own piano lessons), planning holiday travel, getting the last of the outdoor chores accomplished before it snows, changing out the clothes, ordering wool socks, taking as many walks as we can with the doggies, and grabbing yet another bouquet out of the flower garden. This may have been the last rose of summer:

 Or maybe this one!

While very dry, the grass is still mostly green.

 Here are the pies I baked for Pops and Pies, one of the monthly concerts at Prospect Park United Methodist:  

Must be October if it's pumpkin!

This is a sour-cream apple topped with a decadent crumble.

I did make that beef-vegetable soup I mentioned (with three variations plus some ideas on how to make it a bit cheaper) and if you'd like to see how I did it, you'll need to visit examiner.com where I write cooking and food articles for St. Paul.

Basic Beef-Vegetable Soup

Pumpkin Custard just for YOU

 Also, on my blog for The Solo Cook (Dinner Place), there's a great pumpkin custard topped with cinnamon-kissed creme fraiche. It's made for those who cook for one and is done in one minute in the microwave.  Your very own (crustless) pumpkin "pie."

Warm enough for flip flops yesterday.

Stubborn Tucker:  wouldn't turn around for his picture.

Happy October, my friends.
Sing a new song,
Alyce

St. Patrick's Day Potato Soup and Irish Soda Bread-A Repeat Post

I had a farm in Ireland.......

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Not.  I did, however, visit once.

I wish I could go back.

I can't go today, but I can make Potato Soup and Irish Soda Bread on

St. Patrick's Day......

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I've been making this meal for a long time.  I love it, but I don't make it any other time of the year.  I don't know why.  Perhaps it wouldn't be special if I made it, say, in May or September.  You, however, have no holiday strings emotionally strumming over these recipes and could make them next week or next year.

Go you.  So, here's the soup...........and then the bread--

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Potato Soup

2 slices of bacon, diced; 1/4# Canadian bacon, chopped*

2 onions (different kinds are nice), chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 leeks, chopped

3 large pototoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces  

1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1" pieces, optional

6-8 cups unsalted chicken broth

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 c Greek yogurt or sour cream

parsley or dill

In an 8-10qt soup kettle, saute bacon until about half-done; add Canadian bacon.  Cook until well browned.  Remove meats  from pot and drain on paper towel-lined plate.  Cool and  refrigerate until you're going to serve the soup.  Pour out all but enough bacon grease to coat the bottom of the pan well.  Add onions, garlic and leeks and saute until almost golden, stirring often.  Add potatoes, turnip and parsnip and cook 2-3 minutes until hot.  Add chicken broth.  Bring to a  boil and lower the heat.  Simmer until all vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.    Puree in food processor, with hand-held blender or by hand using potato masher.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a bit of the bacon and ham and a garnish of fresh parsley or dill.  Make sure there's fresh ground pepper at the table.
*You could choose to use all bacon.

There isn't much better than soup and bread anywhere.  If you're cold.  If you're really hungry.  Can you think of anything better?  I have a friend whose husband doesn't like soup,  Just doesn't like it at all.  He did, however, eat soup at my house once.  And asked for the recipe later.  Such folks are few and far between.  Who doesn't walk in a house, smell soup simmering or bread baking and go, "Wow!  It just smells so good in here."  And, while we can't always put our fingers on what makes us happy in life, we do know we like it when the house smells like something good to eat.  Those  "Wow"s come with big smiles and anticipatory movements that include looking around for the delighting elements.  So, here's the bread.  More on the provenance later.

Irish Soda Bread - American Style

4 cups flour

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp salt

1tsp baking powder

1/4 c butter

1 1/2 c currants or raisins

1 1/3 c buttermilk

2 large eggs (3 if at altitude)

1 t baking soda

Grease a 2qt  round bowl (ovenproof), casserole or  deep cake pan.

Preheat oven to 375F.

In food processor, or large mixing bowl, measure dry ingredients and mix well.  Cut in with blade attachment or with knives or pastry blender, the butter.  In a large mixing cup, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs; add the currants and baking soda.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix well to form a very wet dough.  Turn dough into the prepared baking bowl and bake for about an hour or until bread is very well-browned and firm in the center.  A wooden skewer stuck in the middle of the bread should come out clean.  You may have to test several times.

Let this bread sit 15-20 minutes before cutting or it will crumble.  Cool completely before wrapping tightly in foil and storing in the refrigerator.  Will keep 3-4 days.

 Excellent leftover just as it is, but even better for toast made under the broiler. 

2012 update:  If you'd like to make whole wheat Irish Soda bread (very traditional), read my post on Darina Allen's bread here.

  

copyright 2012 alyce morgan

 

Me and the green.

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A couple of notes on the provenance of the recipes:

I began (and later changed) the potato soup years ago from a recipe called  "A Cold Winter's Day Potato Soup" from THE EASTERN JUNIOR LEAGUE COOK BOOK, edited by Ann Serrane and published by David McKay in ??1980.

The bread recipe is one I have no idea about from whence it came.  It's on a recipe card I've had for so many years.  I'd guess I copied it out of a magazine or a book at the library one day as a young wife. 

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THE TWO-DOG KITCHEN IS REALLY SOMETHING ELSE AS TUCKER HITS FOUR MONTHS......

While we are making the potato soup, Tucker tries to figure out if he likes onions skins.   Nah....

Sing a new song,

Alyce

all photographs copyright Alyce Morgan 2003 and 2010

PLEASE NOTE:  ORIGINALLY POSTED IN MARCH OF 2010.....REPEATING BECAUSE IT'S GOOD.   Happy St. Patrick's Day, 2011!

Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust or Get a Pedicurist Who Cooks

Having my toes done is one of the guilty pleasures in life.  I guess you might call it getting a pedicure.  I go every month in the summer, sit with my feet soaking, and allow someone to trim and paint my feet.   And I love it.  I do it in the winter, too, but not so often.

There've been a few toe-artists over the years, but the latest may be the best.  She's great at what she does, but also likes to cook.  Double dose of fun for me.

Over Christmas, when my toes always turn bright red (called "I'm Not Really a Waitress" though I was for years of high school and college), she described this gratin that's baked in a crust.   In fact, she described it so well (after a story about her new pans) that I knew I could go right home and make it.  Being able to describe a dish and its prep that well is a definite talent.

Still, by the time I got around to making it (after Christmas!), I thought I'd see if I could find the recipe online.  Search, hunt.  Well, well.  The recipe came from SOUTHERN LIVING (which I knew), a notoriously fattening publication, but the award-winning food blog, The Bitten Word had blogged it and I got the recipe there. 

Clay Dunn and Zach Patton of The Bitten Word blog (photo-Chris Leaman/CC)

I'll share it here, but note that it calls for store-bought pie crusts and I like to use my own.  Si place, as my conducting instructor (Angie, Angie)  at University of St. Thomas would say.  It means, "Do as you like."  I have nothing against store-bought crusts, but can make a crust at home faster than I can drive to the store.   And I do like mine better.

This is a show stopper dish.  Touted as a side for tenderloin or something equally luscious at holiday time, it could also be a brunch dish or a lovely vegetarian lunch with a big crunchy salad.

I'm leaving the pics all in a row for you to see...

While it was quite a process, it wasn't difficult, and was well worth the effort.

I agree with The Bitten Word that it needs to bake longer than the recipe allows, but then again, I'm at altitude.  I've made notes for adjustments.

Just when I know you needed salads or stir fries (frys?)....here's something gooey, warm, heartening, and fattening.  Sorry.  Check out examiner.com (Colorado Springs Entertainment--Food and Drink) for a healthy Chicken Minestrone--quick version I published yesterday if you need something slimming.  Meantime, this should be shared. Dave and I ate it twice and then I shared it with my book club.  I froze a little bit just to see how it'd hold.  I couldn't throw it out.

P.S.  As is sometimes the case, the Gruyere was cheaper at Whole Foods than at King Soopers.  (This is true of chicken broth, orange juice, other cheeses and other stuff, too.)

Here goes... I forgot to photograph making the pate brisee (pie crust made with butter) in the food processor.

I made my own version of pate brisee in the food processor.  Carefully possible.  You might want to wait to put the rosemary and cheese on until after you put the first crust in the pan.  See pic below as I roll the crust onto the pin.

Do buy Gruyere.

Grate the cheese in the food processor if you have one.  Save your hands.

This is one way to move a crust from the counter to the pan--wrapped very loosely around the rolling pin.

The edge of this crust is purposely quite thick and will be very crunchy.  There's no way to get it looking perfect.  (Though is will taste that way!)

Get a kitchen scale.  Don't guess at weights. Scales at groceries are inconsistent.  3 potatoes can weigh 3/4# or 1.5#, depending on their size.

I slice most potatoes in the food processor.  The mandoline, while perfect for some, is dangerous for me!

Warm the cream and garlic in the microwave.  Buen idea!!!

After removing foil and before second baking.  Looking yum already.

Oh dear.

 

Ready for its closeup.

Once more for grins and giggles.

And now that you've gained a pound just looking, you're done.  Hey, let me know if you make this.  It's not any harder than scalloped potatoes really...and the presentation is just WOW.  Here's the recipe:

Total: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Yield: Makes 10 servings
Ingredients

• 1  (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts* (I make my own--recipe at end.)
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 2  cups  (8 oz.) shredded Gruyère cheese, divided (Grate in food processor)
• 1 1/2  pounds  Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 1/2  pounds  sweet potatoes
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 2/3  cup  heavy cream
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Unroll piecrusts on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle rosemary, pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese over 1 piecrust; top with remaining piecrust. Roll into a 13-inch circle. Press on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan; fold edges under. Chill.
2. Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice Yukon gold and sweet potatoes. (Slice in food processor.)
3. Layer one-third each of Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, and salt in prepared crust. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice, pressing layers down slightly to fit.
4. Microwave cream and garlic in a 1-cup microwave-safe measuring cup at HIGH 45 seconds; pour over potato layers in pan. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 450° for 1 hour.  (I added 10 minutes here.) Uncover and bake 25 minutes (I added 5 minutes here) or until potatoes are done and crust is richly browned. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully transfer to a serving plate, and remove sides of pan. If desired, carefully slide gratin off bottom of pan using a long knife or narrow spatula. Garnish, if desired.  Note:  At altitude, I still though this could have used an extra 10-15 minutes.


Alyce's Double Pate Brisee Crust Made in the Food Processor


2 2/3 c unbleached white flour
1/4 t kosher salt
12 T salted butter, quite cold, cut into chunks
1/2 c ice water (you might need a tad more if flour very dry)

In the bowl of your food processor, blend flour and salt.  Add butter and pulse until some pieces are pea-sized, some are smaller and some are bigger.  With machine running, pour water through food tube and process until dough comes together.  Stop machine and remove dough.  Carefully pat together into a ball and divide in half.  Sprinkle counter with some flour* and place one half of the dough on it.  Sprinkle dough and rolling pin liberally with flour.  Quickly (trying to keep it cold here), roll out into 12-13" circle.   Roll the dough loosely around the pin and place crust in pan.  Sprinkle crust with the cheese and rosemary.  Refrigerate pan.  Roll out other crust, roll it around the pin, and place on top of refrigerated crust.  Press top crust into bottom briefly and turn edges under, trimming crusts if needed.   Pinch edges of crust together quickly; don't spend long on this.  Continue as above.

* You can also roll dough between  two pieces of waxed paper (some of the crust will escape!) and leave out the floured counter entirely:

First--dampen the counter by wiping it well with a very damp cloth.  This insures the waxed paper will stay put and not slip around.  


-Place half of the dough between two sheets of waxed paper, place "package" on damp counter and, with rolling pin, roll out (start at center, roll to edge, and repeat- Go around the crust clock-wise) until crust is 12-13"...

-  Flip the crust over, quickly give one roll with the pin on that other side, take off that paper, flip again and, as you gently ease the crust into the pan, peel off the second piece of paper. 

-  Throw that paper away, get new paper and repeat procedure. 



Reading, Listening, Viewing, Whatever else and Cooking Currently:

I'm so late.  I just finished THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein for book club.   I love the idea of a dog talking, but wish he'd re-write this in 20 years.  The club, over all, liked the book and, I think, all of them read it! 

I am reading -all at once!- DEVIL'S TRILL by Gerald Elias (2009), THE APPRENTICE  by Jacques Pepin (biography) and MATHILDA SAVITCH by Victor Lodato.  I continue to read Dorie Greenspan's newest book, AROUND MY FRENCH TABLE, as well as Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite.     Want cookbooks?  Buy these gems.

I am listening to Hildegard von Bingen...a Christmas gift.

We saw "The King's Speech" last weekend and were bowled over.  Stunning film.  Go.
This week, I made a point to find out when "Glee" was on and watched an episode.  Interesting, but I couldn't figure out what all the hoopla was about.   Maybe because I'm a choir director.

I am playing things I haven't played in months.  Did Advent intervene here?  Maybe.  But I spent an hour playing and singing last night before I read DEVIL'S TRILL.  Singing your heart out is good for you.  Remember singing around a camp fire?  Or on a road trip?

I am not dreaming this week (I'm not a big dreamer), but I did wake up over and over one night thinking about a new job I've applied for.  As I glanced out the windows in the dark, I saw (and  I'm near-sighted) a white bird--a big one--fly into a tree in the wildwood between our house and Mike and Sara's.  I laid there a minute or two, wondering if I'd imagined it and finally got up to put my glasses on and peer out into the gloom of early morning.  No bird then, but there was a falling star!! I haven't seen one since Emily and I beat it up the road of the campground in Brown County, Indiana to hit the outhouse in the middle of one long night.

I talked to Tina from Prive (lovely, lovely Oregon winery)  today about our upcoming shipment.  While they did make wine, they made a lot less.  Oregon weather just didn't cooperate for a large yield.  A cool fall meant delaying and delaying picking, though they had pruned hugely in September and knew they might not get much, but they'd get tasty.  And so it happened.  She's concerned that the wine being shipped now (last year's) will travel through places with temperatures under freezing, thus not just compromising, but ruining the wine--blowing the corks for the cardboard to drink the fine Pinot.  Tina and her husband Mark have a capital T Teensy vineyard in Oregon Pinot country, where they make boutique Pinot Noir (there's another name, I'm thinking) from their own on-site grapes and also a couple of other wines  from grapes they borrow and whip into shape from Washington (a Syrah and a red blend).  Between the pristine, reminiscent of France winery and their house is a comfortable patio replete with tables, chairs, plants, flowers and, the piece de resistance, an outdoor pizza oven.  Now I envy Mark his vineyard and Tina her winery, but what I really covet is the pizza oven.  Wineries like Prive sell pretty much on futures only; you must buy ahead (barrel tasting that vintage sometimes) or  you get no wine.  These wines don't appear in stores or restaurants often, though you might have a better chance in Oregon itself.  So our wine, waiting for shipment in her cellar, is well worth the wait for good shipping weather.   It'll keep just fine right there.  Our Sunday weather promises a snow storm and -12.

Our friends (and students)  Jacque, Tom, Joel and Miss Ellie moved this last week.  Current cooking includes a big pot of bean soup (I do this a couple of times a winter and make 20 qts or so), a slab of corn bread and hazelnut brownies (with Valhrona chocolate frosting)  I'll take to them tonight for dinner.  A big, fat bottle of Cotes du Rhone goes with it, along with some sparkling apple cider for the kiddoes.

For dinner, I'm trying a halibut with pico de gallo in the oven in foil.  Yes, I actually do have to stop eating things like Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust.  Let you know how it comes out.

Two-Dog Kitchen--

Was this a self-indulgent blog?  Surely was, but it's been a while since I did one.  Thanks for putting up with and reading as you
Sing a new song,
Alyce