RoundAbout San Diego

I'm on the mailing list to receive those fabulous catalogue's from Williams and Sonoma and I always love to look at the pictures and imagine my future kitchen. I think buying everything on my wish-list from that place would cost more than remodeling the kitchen in the first place. Each catalogue contains a few recipes, some of which I've tried over the years, and they are all pretty good. Today's dinner came from a catalogue from a few weeks ago and we really enjoyed it. Served it with a salad from Trader Joe's. FYI - I don't have the special frittata pans and just used one, regular, non-stick frying pan.

Leek, Potato and Gruyere Frittata



3 Tbs. unsalted butter
6 oz. small red potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and thinly sliced
5 eggs
3 Tbs. heavy cream
2 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In the deep half of an 8-inch frittata pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add the potatoes, salt and pepper, cover with the shallow pan and cook, flipping the potatoes occasionally, until tender and browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

In the deep half of a frittata pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add the leeks, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Stir in the cheese, parsley, potatoes, salt, pepper and all but 2 Tbs. of the leeks.

In the deep half of the frittata pan over medium heat, melt 1/2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the egg mixture and cook until the eggs are just beginning to set, about 4 minutes, using a rubber spatula to gently lift the cooked edges and allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath.

Meanwhile, in the shallow half of the frittata pan over medium heat, melt the remaining 1/2 Tbs. butter. Place the shallow pan upside down on top of the deep pan and flip the frittata into the shallow pan. Cook, covered, for 4 minutes. Remove the deep pan and cook until the eggs are completely set, 2 to 3 minutes more. Gently shake the pan to loosen the frittata and slide it onto a serving plate. Garnish with the reserved leeks.

Serves 4 - 6 (or in our case 2 dinners plus lunch for me tomorrow).

Made these cookies on Sunday and several were eaten within 1/2 hour of coming out of the oven. With great texture and just the right amount of raisins Martha Stewart hit the nail on the head with this recipe from the September, 2008 issue of Everyday Food Magazine. Please take special note of the photo - I nearly bled to death setting up this shot - see Life or Death for more information.

Chewy Oatmeal-Raising Cookies



1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, raisins, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Gradually add oat mixture; beat just until combined.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown but still soft, 12 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 cookies - perfect with a glass of milk.

I had a bit of an accident yesterday and Alex had to take me to Grossmont Hospital emergency room.



I almost bled to death trying to set up a shot of my newly baked cookies. I tried to move a glass, and instead it fell and broke and I managed to gouge a chunk out of my thumb. I wasn't too worried at first - there was a lot of blood all over the floor and in the sink but I managed to stop it after a while. Alex made me pour peroxide over the wound to clean it (I will get him back for the pain I experienced with that), and I put a band-aid on it. But a short while later I noticed blood running down my arm and all over my pants so Alex decided it was time for a trip to the hospital.

These pictures are taken with my cell phone so they're not super clear but you can see the wound and the bruising surrounding it.







We were there for just over 4 hours and while I tried to be brave I almost passed out when the doctor was putting in the 2 stitches - I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to anything gory.

I did manage to get the shot I was going for which will be in one of the upcoming blogs with the recipe for raisin oatmeal cookies.

A comment that Bookman left the other day in response to the 'Killer Bees Attack La Mesa" was referring to our run in with a bee hive in the wall of the spare bedroom. It started out with us noticing a huge number of bees in the air around the house but we couldn't figure out where they were coming from. Then we started seeing dead bees on the floor by the front window of the living room. One morning Charlie said he kept hearing buzzing at night and it sounded as if it was coming from the walls - we thought he had been dreaming. But we eventually listened to him and one night put our ears to the walls. As soon as we did that we not only heard the buzzing but felt the vibration as well. We knew right away that we had a bee hive in the walls of the front bedroom.

The bee people came out the next day and started the removal process. Here is the honey comb before it was removed from the wall



Did you know that when bees are in the hive they create their own air-conditioning by flapping their wings constantly? This keeps the honey solid and as soon as they stop flapping their wings the honey begins to soften and will start dripping? We didn't know that until we had to clean up the honey as it dripped down the wall so new bees wouldn't be attracted to the honey and move in. We actually took down the whole wall and had to disinfect the inside of the stucco.

Fortunately our bees were the regular type and not Africanized killers

As I was driving along University Avenue this evening, on my way home, I noticed 3 helicopters circling in the general direction of my house. My first thought was "Oh no, what has Alex done now?" Just kidding! But I was curious about the attention these helicopters were giving to the neighborhood. According to one local news station there was a hive of African killer bees and a few people had been stung and taken to the hospital. When reading this story, however, it believes some honey bees had interbred with Africanized killer bees. This all happened 2 blocks from our house so we're keeping our doors and windows closed for the time being.

How can something so simple taste so good? I have a huge stack of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazines that I'm trying to purge so I'm going through them one by one to pull recipes I like. Couscous is so quick and easy to make which makes it perfect for a weeknight meal. This recipe requires only a few ingredients but was really great with some grilled chicken and garlic roasted broccoli. I didn't have a lime so I just picked a lemon from the tree in the backyard and used that.

Minted Couscous

1 cup couscous
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup torn mint leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous; season with salt and pepper. Cover and, off heat, let steam in the pan, 5 minutes.
Add scallions, mint, oil, and lime juice; fluff couscous with a fork.

I bought some soba noodles a few weeks ago with no idea in mind other than wanting to try them. Of course the 'buckwheat' part of the ingredients didn't go down too well with Alex but since this meal last night he's a changed man. We both LOVED the soba noodles and the way the tofu was broiled. I found it on Martha Stewart, Everyday Food after doing a search for Soba Noodles. There was a bit of a complaint about the number of dishes I used but hey, this is the price he has to pay to get fun and interesting meals.

Broiled Black-Pepper Tofu



1 1/2 blocks firm tofu
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices (about 3/4 inch thick each). Cut each slice diagonally into 2 triangles. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Place tofu on top, and cover with another double layer of paper towels. Place another baking sheet or a large plate on top. Weigh down with heavy objects (such as large cans of food); let stand 20 minutes.
Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heat. Stir together tamari soy sauce, oil, and pepper in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pat tofu dry with paper towels; transfer to baking dish. Turn to coat both sides with marinade. Broil, flipping once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce.

Soy-Lemon Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tbsp plus 2 tsps fresh lemon juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Whisk together ginger, tamari soy sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside at room temperature until ready to serve. Just before serving, stir well.

Soba Noodles with Vegetables and Mint



Coarse salt
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, strings removed
12 ounces soba noodles
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 medium carrots, about 1/2 pound, peeled and shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
Freshly ground pepper

Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring a large (8-quart) pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add peas; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer peas to ice-water bath to stop the cooking; drain. Return water to a boil; cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain. Rinse noodles with cold water; drain.
Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Add oils; toss to combine. Add reserved peas, the carrots, ginger, scallions, tamari soy sauce, and mint; season with pepper. Toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.

I made 2 changes to the above recipe. Julienned the carrots and added with peas to boiling water for 2 minutes.

Serves 4

It was a little chilly today and actually poured with rain for some time. While the weather is so cold, we are having what we think is the last fire of the season. Here's Alex and Boo taking a nap in front of a roaring fire.

Alex and I had our St. Patrick's Day dinner last night. My traditional corned beef and cabbage is a little different from the usual and takes quite a bit of time to prepare so I didn't have the time to make it during the week. I've been making this dinner once a year for over 8 years and it's now got to the point where I can't remember how I came about this recipe. I've fiddled about with it only a little since I first made it and I no longer have a written recipe so the following is a little touch and go.

Corned Beef and Cabbage



1 packet corned beef
Large pot of cold water
8 slices bacon
2 large onions
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 russet pot
1 lb carrots
1 large head of cabbage
1 carton low sodium chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 cup juice from corned beef

Place corned beef in large pot of cold water and bring to boil. Drain, and using same pot, add enough cold water to cover corned beef and bring to simmer. Simmer, covered, for 2 - 3 hours.

Cook bacon in large frying pan until crisp and golden brown. Remove and crumble. Chop onions and then fry in batches, on a low heat, in same frying pan until brown and carmelized. This can take up to half an hour for each batch. During the last minute of cooking add garlic and stir until fragrant. Stir in bacon and turn off heat.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Quarter, or cut into several wedges, the cabbage. Place in a very large roasting pan. Peel and quarter potatoes and place alongside the cabbage. Peel and slice the carrots and scatter over the cabbage and potatoes. Sprinkle the onions and bacon over everything. Heat the chicken stock, wine and some juice from the corned beef and pour over the cabbage and potatoes. Seal with aluminum foil and put into a 350 oven for about an hour.

Servers 4-6.

As this cooks in the oven the flavors from the bacon and onion will cook into the potatoes and cabbage. This is an artery hardening meal that is too hard to say no to.

Potage Crecy from Blue Kitchen was the other recipe I did while Klaus was here. I forgot to mention it before so here it is. This creamy soup is ideal for cold winter nights. Even though we didn't have any of them while Klaus was visiting, it still made us feel warm and good all over. This would be good as a starter soup for a nice dinner or part of a main meal with a salad and some nice bread.

Potage Crecy

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white and tender green parts, rinsed and sliced [see Kitchen Notes]
3/4 pounds carrots [about 5 or 6], diced
3/4 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1-1/4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves [or 1/2 teaspoon dried]
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
additional fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Melt butter and combine with olive oil. Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add thyme, cover the pot and simmer until carrots and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, in batches, if necessary. [Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the pot.]

Return puréed soup to the pot. Add half-and-half, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste [using a light hand, depending on how salty your chicken stock or broth is]. Bring to a simmer until just heated through. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme leaves or parsley. Serve.

Remember to check out the kitchen notes on Blue Kitchen's web page.

While Alex was hard at work on the bathroom I thought I'd make some cookies - not something I do very often. This recipe came from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine, November 2008. The recipe calls for yellow cornmeal and I had it in medium grind which left the cookies a little grainy. If I were to make them again I would try a finer grind. I'm still picking the grains out from in between my teeth as I write. They were not overly sweet, which I like, and all in all I quite liked them.

Cornmeal Cookies



1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal and salt; set aside

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto two large baking sheets; flatten slightly with floured fingertips. Bake until edges are golden, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Makes 26

Alex spent the day working on the new studs and the plumbing for the shower unit. He did a fabulous job feeding the hot and cold pipes through the new studs and neatly soldering all the joints.

Went to Terra last night for happy hour. We had our rehearsal dinner there all the way back in June, 2002. We've been back many times since and the menu has changed often but we still get the quality and atmosphere that we like. Happy hour starts at 5:00pm Monday thru Friday and although it offers a fairly decent menu we still order from the bar menu.

Last night we started with ginger chicken potstickers and garlic french fries. The potstickers were served on a bed of asian slaw which offered a great sweet and spicey crunch. The garlic french fries were loaded with chopped garlic and a spicy seasoning. We finished up with the seafood sliders for me and the pulled pork sliders for Alex. Everything was so good and I'm sure we'll be going back soon.

Another Fred joined the Boese/Walton critter household today. We came home to Fred the lizard, sunning himself on the patio.



It was quite long and beautifully marked.

Rocky's Crown Pub is the most perfect neighborhood bar with the best burgers in San Diego. Unfortunately, it's not located in our neighborhood. Alex and I had to drive to Pacific Beach (PB) to meet Charlie and Danielle for burgers and beer on Monday night but we're glad we did.

Rocky's is a bar (not a restaurant) and really, really, small so getting a seat can be touch and go. The service can be a bit slow but if you're hanging out having a beer with friends it really isn't that big a deal. The menu is basic - burger or cheeseburger; 1/3lb or 1/2lb; onions (grilled if preferred), tomatoes, and green lettuce. Fries can be ordered on the side. A decent, but small, beer list. You need to be 21 to get in and they take only cash - no credit cards.

The burgers are amazing. Thick, and full of flavor, the juice dribbles down your chin when you take the first bite - Mmmmmm! One of the rumors going around is that the beef is mixed with butter before being cooked - way to go Rocky's. The only downside to Rocky's for me, is their fries. They are just very so, so.

More fabulous reviews and a few pictures can be found at http://www.yelp.com/biz/rockys-crown-pub-san-diego and
http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2006/12/its_burger_week.html

Rocky's consistently ranks as # 1 or 2 for the best burgers in San Diego. At the moment they are my #1 choice. Will keep you updated as I burger-taste my way around town.