Fun with Curry

WowZa!! It's been a real lollapalooza for work hours lately! It's funny how water and electricity just don't mix well. So that means ( for me ) that  working 12 hour days every day of the week and 10 hour days on the weekends are the norm right now. But the thing that is the real kicker is getting wet and cold, but never having a chance to dry out during these long days. So now that the sun seems to be returning a bit and the cold snap is still with us, I decided today that what I would really like in my lunch box is a container of homemade soup. As luck (and a wonderful Lady like Katrina) would have it, my favorite Gal bought me an early birthday present. A portable Microwave Oven for my work truck! So now I can heat up my lunch without having to beg the guys at the local 7-Eleven to allow me to use theirs. Always for a fee of course. The soup I made tonight was quite tasty although a bit spicy. But I made it to suit my  tastes and I just love spicy.

The ingredients:

• 2 Jalapeno Peppers  -  quartered and sliced
• 1/3 cup sweet yellow onion  -  sliced & diced into large pieces
• 1/3 cup carrot  -  1/8 inch slices
• 2/3 cup sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
• 1/4 cup diced Red Bell Pepper
• 2 stalks sliced Asparagus 
• 1/2 cup chopped Green Onion - just the green ends
• 2 tablespoons dried Cilantro Leaf from the spice cabinet
  
• 1 tbsp Sea Salt
• 3 tbsp Red Curry powder
• 1 tsp Celery Seed
• 3 cloves crushed Garlic
• 1/3 cup Cus Cus / Orzo / dried Pea mix from Trader Joes
• 1 dozen 10 count Shrimp from Costco - shelled and sliced into quarters
• 2 - 12 oz  cans chicken stock 
• 3 cups water
  

Cut up all the items and add into a suitable pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to serve. If you are going to use it for lunches ( like me ), then let it cool long enough to put into a large container for storage in the refrigerator.

I must warn you that this is very very spicy! To bring the spice down a bit, delete 1 of the Jalapeno's and 1 of the tbsp's of curry. Hope you enjoy my newest creation. I sure will!

Wp

Lamb Filled Cabbage Rolls

Appetizers For Thanksgiving

This year I was informed by my Lady Katrina that I was not going to be allowed to overdo Thanksgiving. I thought this was the perfect time to set out a Feast of Foods, but it turns out that last year we ended up tossing way too many dishes in the garbage bin. So this year will be all the traditional items, but I am being limited to just a couple appetizer dishes for those that show up early. I suppose that will give me less time in the kitchen and more time with the family,  but I enjoy the challenges of the kitchen. Timing every dish to be ready at the appointed hour, making sure the meal is still hot but not dried out. From pulling a perfectly browned and still moist Turkey out of the oven to the ooohs and aaahs when the guests get to take the first bite. My soul is in cooking for enjoyment. And I must feed my soul as well as my body.

So today I prepared an appetizer that will be quickly finished on Thanksgiving morning.

Lamb and Mint Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

The filling:

• 2 lbs ground Lamb
• 1/3 cup fresh Mint leaves - lightly chopped ( approx 20 sprigs of mint - no stems )
• 1 seeded and finely chopped Jalapeno
• 2 pinches of Thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground White Pepper
• 1 tbsp Sea Salt
• 1 finely chopped Bay Leaf
• 1 cup finely chopped Sweet Onion
• 1 cup grated Keflotiry Cheese
• 1 cup cooked rice blend

The rice blend comes from either Trader Joe's Market or Albertson's Market. it consists of wild rice, long grain white rice, brown rice and red rice. It adds a unique flavor and helps the lamb form a nice meatball within the cabbage.

The grated Keflotiry cheese can be found at any local Greek market. If there isn't one of them in your area, you could substitute with a half and half mix of Asiago and Romano cheeses.

Precook rice as directed on package. Set aside uncovered to cool. Turn rice occasionally with a fork to keep from sticking together. When cool, mix the rice, onion, mint, jalapeno, spices and grated cheese together thoroughly in a large bowl. Add the ground lamb and mix well by hand. When the mixture is evenly blended, put it in a large Zip-lock bag and refrigerate while preparing the cabbage leaves.

The Wrap:

• 1 large head of Savoy Cabbage

Remove the stem core from the cabbage and plunge into a large pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove from pot, drain well and carefully remove the leaves one at a time. If the leaves in the center of the cabbage are still not pliable, re - immerse for a few minutes more while the water is still boiling.

With a sharp knife, carefully pare back the thick vein in the center of the leaf. (see photo)

You only want to remove the high ridge of the vein, not completely cut through it.

After preparing all of the leaves, start the filling and wrapping. It's OK to put more lamb filling in some of the larger leaves and less in the smaller ones. This is how it looks when rolling.

Wrap the sides over the meat and then continue the roll.

Continue until all the leaves are used.

To cook rolls, place close together in a large pot, with the seam side down. Layer them if needed. Place a large dish face down on top of the rolls to keep them weighed down and then cover them with a mix of 3 cups water and 3 cans of chicken stock. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove rolls from pot and set aside. Don't throw out the stock as you will need it for the sauce.

The Sauce:

You can use many different sauces for these treats, but the one I like best is a tart lemon pepper sauce. To make it you will need:

• 3 eggs - well beaten or whipped
• juice from 3 lemons
• 4 cups chicken stock from pot
  
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup cold water
• white pepper - to taste

Beat or whip the eggs till frothy. Mix cornstarch with the cold water a little at a time to keep from lumping. Bring the stock to a boil, reduce heat and fold in the cornstarch mixture a little at a time until the stock thickens. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Fold the thickened stock into the beaten eggs a few spoonfuls at a time until all the stock is mixed into the beaten eggs. Put this mixture back on the burner, pepper to taste and reheat on medium for 3 minutes. Stir continuously. Do not allow to boil.  Remove from heat and ladle over the plated Lamb rolls.

I think you're going to really like the intricate flavors of this dish. The mint and lamb really go well together and the sauce just makes it pop! Katrina convinced me to do a sampling of this appetizer today, and gave it a two thumbs up with a twist and snap. Whatever that means.

This dish went very well with a bottle of Zinfandel.

I hope your Thanksgiving turns out as wonderful as mine will !

Wp

Las Vegas Weekend

I just so happened to be able to spend a fun 3 days away in Las Vegas this past weekend ! Believe it or not, I spent a whole 10 minutes gambling in a three day time frame. Not that I was broke, but because we were all having such a great time doing other things. We ate, we drank, we danced ! Our fun loving group of 7 got to see two shows that we had not been to before. Saturday night it was Rita Rudner, and on Sunday we were treated to Bette.

Rita is by far one of the most subtle comedians still performing. She leads you through her show one liner at a time and constantly makes you LOL. And then there's the Divine Ms M. What a fabulous production. Nothing but gorgeous ladies, feather fans and lots of Diva on this stage ! Saturdays dinner was at a little known but very impressive restaurant by the name of The Range at Harrah's. They had a Jazz combo up front at the bar and the music resonated throughout the dining areas. Sundays meal was at  Nero's  along Cleopatra's Way in Caesars Palace. The food was delicious and the service was expertly delivered. Our wait staff really knew how to make our time there memorable.

As for gambling, well, the comedian George Wallace has it just right. Craps is just as easy as BlackJack. You put your money on the table and they take it. I believe the same could be said for the C-note I put on the Roulette table.

But the best part of my time spent there was the group of friends I was with. They love life and living it the best way they know how.

After coming back from all that rich food and drink, I was pleasantly surprised to learn fom the Wii that I had only gained just over a pound. Must have been the dancing. Lot's of that. So after all those great meals, I just had to make something to compare. I started a pot of Great White Northern beans Tuesday morning in the crock pot.

Great White Northern Beans Recipe

• 3 small bags dried beans - rinsed and sorted
  
• 1 Sweet Onion - diced
  
• 1 clove Elephant Garlic- minced
• 4 Jalapenos - sliced
• 8 oz sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms
• 1/2 pound Pork shoulder - whole
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
  
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves- no stems - lightly chopped
• 2 tbls Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tbsp clarified butter or olive oil
  

Combine rinsed beans and 12 cups of water in crock pot. I like to preheat the water in the microwave before putting it in the crock. It always takes so long to heat the crock, and I don't enjoy wasting time and electricity waiting for things to get to the right temperature for cooking.

Dice the onion, mince the garlic, slice the mushrooms and combine in a large skillet. Heat on high with the butter or olive oil until the mushrooms begin to get limp and the onions are translucent. Blend mixture into the beans with the rest of the ingredient list. Try to insert the pork cut towards the bottom of the pot. It cooks better down there and adds more of it's flavor to the top half of the pot that way. Stir occasionally.

 The Veggies and Seafood

While the beans are cooking, prepare 1 & 1/2 dozen Baby Brussels Sprouts. Pare off the cut stem ends and any discolored leaves. Baby Brussels are sweeter than the larger ones, and they finish up more tender inside. In a medium bowl, combine:

• pinch of cumin
• pinch of ginger
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground Cardamon
• 1/3 cup Virgin Olive oil

Toss the sprouts in the spiced oil mixture until well coated. Remove from mixing bowl and set aside.

Toss 1/2 dozen Baby Bella mushrooms, 1 small Zucchini - quartered-  in the spiced oil bowl, (add more oil if needed) until lightly coated. Set on a piece of foil.

Peel 2 defrosted Jumbo Shrimp and marinate in Crystal Pepper Sauce. (Referenced post)

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees, place Brussels Sprouts on foil on an upper rack in the grill. (see photo)

Grill for 22 minutes, turning 4 times. They may char on the outside, but you can remove those outside leaves if you want. Grill the mushrooms and Zuc's for 12 minutes. Turn once. I also like to add a rinsed and lightly oiled Jalapeno to the grill to cook alongside. Next I added a 1/2 pound fillet of Salmon to the grill. Grill the seasoned fillet  for approximately 15 minutes, skin side down, depending on thickness. The shrimp will grill very quickly so they should be tossed directly onto the grill during the last five minutes of the process and only turned once.

When you are all done with the grilling, you should have a dish that looks something like this:

It is just enough to fill two people up without getting stuffed. There is also the added benefit of all that healthy food that really does taste great.  And if you're still hungry afterwards, well then there's lot's of beans left !

Katrina paired this with a bottle of Justin Cabernet. For me -- Tequila with Lime & seltzer.

Work Gets in the Way

I can't believe it's been so long between this post and my last one! Mostly due I believe to the extra time I've been at my regular job and how worn out it makes me. The good news is that more savings get put away for retirement, the bad news is that I have less time right now to do that which is enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I still get out and about on some weekends. Katrina makes sure of that. But during the week it becomes a drudge just to go through email, much less write about life and food. 

So I took the plunge and bought the new Blackberry Storm II. Now I can get my email anywhere I go, from all of my services. This should hopefully give me more time to write. One of the email groups I am a part of can sometimes get more than a hundred posts during a single day! This will allow me to sort and delete on a better time-line during the day, and not be stuck going through so much at once when I get home. Plus I now have Wi-Fi and can go to the Web whenever I need to without incurring the wrath of the IT snoops at my workplace. 

On to important news! 

I have promised that I would share some bean recipes, and so I shall. The following ingredients are what I add to every pot of beans that I make. The only variable about these items are the quantities.

• Jalapenos ( red and green )
  
• Onion
• Garlic
• Cayenne or Paprika
• Cumin

There are several ways to prepare the beans themselves. You could use a crock and slow cook them from scratch, or use a pot on the stove top the same way,  or do it the easy way and buy canned beans and just cook long enough to blend the flavors together. Your choice. Depending on the time I have, my favorite is the crock pot, but most of the time it's can city baby! The beans I use most are:

• Pinto beans ( whole- not refried )
• Red Kidney beans
• Navy beans 
• Great White Northern beans
• Black beans
• Red Chile beans in a can
• Garbonzo beans in a can
• Lentils

I also use in varying quantities:

• Precooked Rice- brown is best
• Canned Corn
• Mushrooms
• Beef or Pork

The best way to find out what suits your tastes is to experiment with all of the ingredients and find the flavor you like the most.

A recent example of what I prepared is:

• 1 whole Sweet Onion-diced
• 1 large clove of Elephant Garlic-chopped fine
  
• 4 green Jalapenos - sliced
  
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Cumin
• 1 package Baby Bella Mushrooms- sliced 

 Cut and put in a large pot on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and cook till onions are translucent.  Then add:

• 1 cup Precooked Rice
• 3 cans Whole Pinto beans
• 2 cans Whole Red Kidney beans
• 1 can Garbonzo beans
• 1 can corn

Bring to a slow boil and simmer on low for one hour. Stir every 10 minutes to keep the bottom from burning.

This will give you a dish with plenty of flavor, spice, lot's of protein and the added value of little or no fat. 

You can add meat too. But just get something like a pork loin which has less fat, or a beef cut that has the fat trimmed off.  Add the meat in large pieces to the onion and garlic mixture right at the start, simmering  for 90 minutes after the beans are added. That gives the meat a chance to get tender and shred easily.

Well folks, I hope this helps those who want to lose some weight without starving. I know it has helped me. This mornings weigh in on the Wii was 217. Down 4 pounds from my last post. I still am somewhat hungry most of the day, but at least my navel isn't rubbing my backbone. And eat some veggie or fruit snacks every few hours,  it will help stave off the hunger to some degree. Plus it will help make your poop float! It's alway's healthy to keep the colon running smooth and easy. Most importantly, eat a decent breakfast. It will set the tone for your diet all day long. I have had great luck eating Kashi mixed with blueberry's, blackberry's raspberry's and banana's. Pour a bit of 2% milk over it and I am ready for the world!

Oh yea, be ready for the gas, it's gonna happen!
WP

Beans, Beans and More Beans

Beans, Protein and also a bit of Gas

I have been on a diet now since April, 2009. I weighed in at 266 pounds and decided that if I ever wanted to see my Willy again, I better lose some fat. You can only tell your lover to push back the fat for so long. Then they just give you that LOOK, you know the one!  I needed a sensible diet that would allow me to eat enough to make sure I wasn't starving all the time and still get the protein I needed without fat content. So I settled on beans as my main source of food. I had in past times gone through Weight Watchers diets, Lindora Diet Hell (no Carbs! That is my Hell) and other faddish nonsense.  This time I decided to devise a regimen that I could stick with. It didn't have to include outlandish expectations. Why try to fool myself into believing it could be done in a few short months. I mean WTF, it took me years to put it on, if it takes a few years to get it back off than hey, such is life! I have been very diligent in my quest though, so now I can say that the Wii Fit no longer says " That's Obese! " when I take my body test. It only tells me that I am overweight. Yeah sure, my bod hasn't seen 165 ( my ideal weight) since I was 16. It most likely never will again. The only way that could happen would be if I got some incurable disease that just wasted me away. But for now, I just want to fit back into my semi fat clothing. And it is working for me. Sensible portions of beans, rice, seafood, low fat beef and pork, chicken, turkey, and of course lot's of veggies. Added in the mix are generous doses of Tequila and Wine to round out my new diet experience. Breakfast consists of Kashi and bananas with raspberry's, blueberries, blackberry's and dried cranberries. Top it with 2% milk for the calcium. For me it's important to have that first good meal of oxidants, potassium and carbohydrates. This helps keep my system charged.  So I might overdo on the odd weekend. I expect to see some gain. Can I take it back off by Thursday? Yes, it can be done. Decide not to exercise? You get wrinkles and flappy skin where the fat used to be and it takes forever to lose even a pound. Walking, cycling, whatever, just DO something! So I do what I can when I can.

I will be posting some bean recipes in the next few days or weeks. I hope they can help you take the plunge. Or at least help in your never ending quest. It's a lifelong challenge, so as Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest says, 

" Never give up!  Never surrender! " 

Oh, by the way, if lot's of farts are too much for you, get some Beano or GasX. Personally, I like to give them descriptive names. Like Butt Flapper, Wet Rhoid or Donald Duck. Even the occasional Wookie  can be heard. But when my brother in law Rex hears one of mine, he only laughs and says "That's just not right".

WP
221 and counting down

Chimayo Returns

Chimayo at the Beach Returns!

We were greatly disappointed last year when Chimayo was replaced by a Savannah Restaurant. We always enjoyed watching the sunset and having Mango Martinis with a really good appetizer. But now we find it has come back! Good times! Plus the menu and drinks are back to what they used to be. When it switched over to being a Savannah, the drinks got smaller in size, the menu got funky and the service went, well  ....  let's just say it wasn't as good. But we found ourselves there on Sunday and saw that it has reverted back to Chimayo! We're doing our Happy Dance again! And how we love to dance!

They are doing an October Lobsterfest similar to the one at The Longboard,  but the prices are a bit higher and the Lob-monsters are one per serving. The good news for those that don't want to get messy hands is that everything is shelled and ready to eat with a fork.

They also have an expanded menu for other Lobster related dishes. There's Mac & Cheese Lobster, Lobster Tacos, Lobster Fritters, Lobster Risotto, Lobster Salad and a few Lobster combination plates too. The drinks are a decent price at Happy Hour during the week and you get to watch the sun set. The best place for us to sit is at the bar because the barmen are entertaining and interesting to chat with. And from the bar, the sunset view is awesome. It almost feels like the end of a day in Maui.

If you go, the restaurant is on the beach level, right at the beginning of the pier. Friday and Saturday evenings you may need a reservation, but call them to be sure. Or just do as we do, go Sunday evening during the off season and enjoy the smaller crowd.

WP

Lobsterfest ! ! ! !

 Katrina says  " I'm cold, can we go in now!"

I have a deep love of Seafood! So this type of Festival puts me in my best of moods. There are other venues to go to for the Lob-monster of the Seas, but this one brings it home for me at a price that makes me smile from ear to ear! This is where a couple can Hob Nob with the Lob, have two glasses of wine apiece and still make the waitress smile about her tip for under a hundred bucks. The price has gone up this year, (go figure) but it is still a great deal. Nowhere else have I seen TWO Lob-monsters on the menu for these prices. 

Plus there's the added value for me that it's a mile from where we live. The monsters were excellent. We now know to go early in the day, ( around 4 to 5 o'clock) so that the Lob's were not sitting in the hot water too long. Timing is everything, too far after the rush means you get Lobs that have cooked too much. Get there just as it begins and the Monsters are fresh in the pot. Ours were cooked just right.  Tender and sweet, not overcooked.

We had a great meal at a decent price at a friendly place close to home. I could not ask for more. 

WP

 

OK then, I was going to put together a recipe for Stuffed Patty Pan Squash. Stupid me, the season has passed. What I can see of them in the markets makes me realize that the ones left are end of season or those that have sat in some bin for awhile. I like my veggies fresh.  So this recipe will need to wait until I can do it justice. But I will make it. Because I think I have the right Twyst to make it snap in your mouth!

Next post:

Chimayo!

A Very Busy Saturday!

Today was chock full of back straining chores. We awoke early, well 8:00 o'clock was early for me! Then just had time to do my body test on the Wii (down another pound!), eat and then start the process of putting the patio back together after the painters had finished. We have a lot of plants and artwork out there that needs to be placed just right to maintain the correct Feng Shui. Plus you just can't just reset everything. It needs to be cleaned. The hot tub has to be prepared  with a fresh coat of interior gloss, filled, and then retreated with the right mix of chemicals.  The slate has to be sealed. The plant stands need refurbishing. The pot feet need washing. The windows onto the patio need to be cleaned after all the power-washing that the painters did. Also, since you have the class cleaner out the rest of the glass surfaces downstairs need to be cleaned.  And since the water overflowed at the filtered water spigot and it seeped into the lower cabinet, that has to be cleaned out too. Oh and by the way, since everything is out of the cabinet now, shouldn't I change the water filters while I have the opportunity? Then the paint smears on everything need to be cleaned up with Goof Off. The electrical cords need to be hot glued back in place so the lighting works again. The garage where everything has been stored this week needed to be swept and cleaned up. Then it all has to be re-arranged so that it looks like our normal patio world. Once that was done and the Hummingbird feeders were cleaned, filled and reinstalled we actually even had to take time for dinner. Since I went on a weight loss regimen, my mantra has been don't eat after 5 o'clock. but it was 8 pm by the time we finished and were able to sit down for a wonderful meal of Fillet Mignon, Baked Potato, Grilled Asparagus and Crystal & Cardamon Shrimp. Of course we just had to pair this dinner with a vintage bottle of Raymond Cabernet. I won't be looking at a scale in the morning and that's fer sure!

We had an invite to go to a friends house for a Renstock Tie Dye and Poker party, but by the time we were done eating this fabulous meal we fell into a food coma and had no energy left to give for anything except turning on the TV and putting in an old favorite DVD, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Got to get prepped to go see Spamalot again when it rolls into the Performing Arts Center on the 18th of this month. We saw the show on Broadway in New York a few years ago and it will be interesting to see how much, if any, that it has changed. 

Tomorrow is another chore day. But somehow I have to find the time to try out my recipe idea for the stuffed patty pan squash! Oh well, I just may need to get up before 10 am again. Or not. At least I have Lobsterfest at the Longboard to look forward to! 

WP

Weekend Preview

Another weekend is here. Whatever should I make now? I think it's time to feed my body with some Fillet Mignon and some really interesting veggies. I did at one time promise Linda ( of Linda & Oz  fame ) that I would rethink her stuffed Patty Pan  squash recipe. It has been percolating in my mind a bit and I have a glimmer of an idea as to what will work. So hold the anticipatory breath and by Sunday I just may have a new recipe to publish. 

Oh yeah,  Sunday evening Katrina and I hope to spend some quality time at The Longboard  on Main Street and dive in to some serious Lobsterfest. This is an annual event that runs from the 3rd week in September  to about the  first week of November. 2 one pound lobsters, corn on the cob, new potatoes  ......  21 dollars and change. Split a plate for a few dollars more.  We will let you know how that works out this Sunday too. but as for the Patty Pan's, I sure hope you like spicy!

By the way, if you have a favorite dish that could use a Twyst, send me a line via email. I am always looking for new things to make!

WP

As Fate would have it, I get to love and laugh with my soul mate, Sweet Lady Katrina.

Palm Springs Weekend

This weekend we decided to take a little Pete &  Katrina time and relax in the sun out at our favorite hot spot, Palm Springs! The hotel of choice for us is The Movie Colony. It has all the things we love!  Great location, fabulous beds, a morning self serve breakfast bar ( see photos ) secluded pool and spa, three 2 story Town Houses with living rooms that open next to the pool, several Private Patio Rooms, two Terrace Rooms with private upper decks, mini-fridge in room, DVD players and lots of fun little nooks to relax and snuggle in.  Not only that, but the management is just great! They all go home after 7 pm and leave a phone number to call them if there are any problems. One of the guests from Europe locked themselves out on Saturday night and Donald was there in 10 minutes to unlock the door for them. There was still a pitcher of Sangria at the bar that Juana, the general manager, had made earlier that afternoon for the guests. This kept them in good spirits till he could get there. Oh, did I forget to mention that the hotel serves up an afternoon / early evening wine and appetizer get together for the guests. No fee, just lots of fun and interaction with others staying there. There are just sixteen rooms, and they fill up fast in the high season, October through March, so if you decide to go there, make reservations well in advance! 

 Juana Loera   
General Manager

Check out the website.

 http://moviecolonyhotel.com/

 One of the things we love to do while we're here is to go find fabulous wine and food. We have some fav's, but we also like to be adventurous and try new ones too. Dumb luck would have it that when we went to where we thought an old favorite was, it had closed! But in it's place we were lucky to find Trio. It's brand new ( opened one week ago ), and the food was very good! The menu was well thought out, with an eye for a broad spectrum of tastes. Seafood (oh yeh baby!), lamb, beef, pork, pasta, a full appetizer list. We were hard pressed to decide where to start! When served, we were very impressed with the preparation and presentation. Most excellent! It is now on my to do list when we visit.

A word of warning to the gentlemen. It is Palm Springs, and Katrina remarked at one point in the evening that it was strange that besides the one waitress, she was the only woman in the entire establishment. But don't worry guys, they don't bite. Much.

We would normally eat at Sherman's Deli by the Indian Resort and Casino for breakfast or lunch on a Saturday morning when just hanging out. But we had been on an intense open house tour and ended up by Barona Rd and E. Palm Canyon where we found a little gem called Manhattan in the Desert! One thing I can say for sure. These guys know food! I ate half this Smoked Turkey sandwich before I decided I better take a photo before it disappears!

The desserts and Pastries on display are mind boggling too! I could gain the fourty pounds back that I lost wayyyyyyyyy too easy there! 

Plus they have all the things you would expect from a typical Deli. Matzo, Whitefish, Smoked Salmon, Chubs, Lox, Bagels, ect .... 

I highly recommend this deli. Oh, did I mention they advertise 50% off all entrees?

So now let's go to my Every Time I'm There favorites list. We like to have lunch at least once at The Thai Smile Cafe. Typically spicy and fresh Thai food with reasonable pricing. It's on N. Palm Canyon very near (walking distance) to The Movie Colony Hotel.  The cafe seats quite a few people, so if you had a large party they could easily accommodate you. It's a mom and pop place where the ambiance is easy and the music is pleasant. The service is prompt and the food is very good. Katrina and I always keep this one in mind when looking for a quick and delicious bite to get us through the day.

Next up is Wild for the Vine. We love to go wine tasting and this little treasure has it in style. The owners, Scott and Debbie, are wonderful hosts and will make you feel as if you belonged to their large circle of friends from high school. Two talented souls that love wine and know how to present it in all it's glory for you to taste and buy. They are just a block or so south of Francis Stevens Park at 390 N. Palm Canyon Dr.  760-325-9930.  The shop is small in size, yet humongous in stature. The selection on hand will delight you if you enjoy finding new flavors. And don't miss out on one or more of their special tastings! We attended one where a chocolate distributor they know was pairing chocolate with the wine. Who could ask for better?

Now for my Most Favorite of All:

Kiyosaku Sushi

Chef Kiyoshi Ishikawa is a Master at his trade. In fact he follows traditions to such a degree that if you are looking for just some California Fusion food, forget it. What he does make is the best of the best! He gets much of his extremely fresh fish from the Tokyo markets in Japan. He also has family there and goes to visit as often as he can. This weekend he said the Salmon was from Scotland. There are no boundaries when it comes to excellence. 

Kiyo's knowledge of sea food and the impact from  the warming of the seas concerns him to such a degree that he will no longer prepare and serve some delicacy's because of what it has done to the taste of some fishes. An example would be monk fish liver. He will no longer prepare it because it isn't up to his standards. He barbecues his own unagi and specially marinades his saba. He will only serve the best uni from Santa Barbara. The crab meat is upper arm king crab, no artificially flavored pollock allowed. Octopus?  Fresh and cooked to perfection by traditional standards. Our friend Mercy has said she never liked octopus until she tried some of Kiyo's carefully prepared sashimi. Now she holds his up as a standard for all others to meet.  Kiyo and his wife Teraku serve their guests with pride and in the best of Japanese tradition. If you want an experience beyond what you have ever had in flavor, try this place. Although the restaurant is small, it sparkles with cleanliness, good vibes and smiling faces. The pricing is in line with the quality of the dishes served, but without the pretentiousness you find at some of the big name eateries. Our friend Russel claims that a California roll at Kiyosaku is a meal unto itself with all that king crab in it! When you do go, try the Special Rainbow roll, it isn't like what you will get anywhere else. Once assembled, cut and plated, it's fish origami. Geometric patterns abound in this presentation! 
While you are there, get to know some of the regular local patrons. Katrina and I just happened to be present this Sunday when two locals came in. He was an older man whose 11 something year old daughter spoke fluent Japanese and English. He spoke some Japanese, but not as well as his daughter. The girl was a regular chatterbox. But then, at that age they sometimes are. Katrina was captivated by her range of interests combined with her ability to grasp ideas and concepts quickly. They both gabbed away for some time. After a while it was hard to tell which was the adult of the two! 
This wonderful restaurant is located at :

     1555 S. Palm Canyon Dr. # 104

          Tel # 760-327-6601

But now it's back to the grind. Painters are coming this week. My Lady has been busy since we got back this morning getting the patio cleared and trimming the roses next to the front wall. Tomorrow before work I need to finish the prepping so power washing and painting can flow through on schedule. Plus still make it to my 8 hr job by 11 am. Bummer.
blah blah blah,

Katrina! How long is it before the Vegas trip?

 

Wycked Drinks ... The Final Meltdown

Finally - The Martinis

Ever hear the saying, You can't fix Stupid? I gotta say there are times in my real job as a tele-com tech that the people I meet  really fit that to a T ! 

Stupid things like: 

Yes sir , you really do have to plug in that DSL modem in order for it to work. 

Yes, I know  the instructions said it was wireless, but if you read the first page, you will see the little photo diagram that shows you how to plug it in.  

After a day of meeting people like them and hearing  other incredibly stupid lines from  other customers, I really look forward to a cocktail after getting home. So let's concentrate real hard (not) and come up with a few Twysted  drinks that anyone can make and enjoy.                                                                                                                                                 

Tequila Martini

This is our martini shaker. This particular one is nicer since it has leather covering the base to give you a better grip when shaking it. 
Fill one of these with ice and add: 

• 6 shots of Blanco Tequila 
• The juice from 1 lime
  
• 2 shots of seltzer water

Hold the shaker at the top and bottom and shake vigorously for about one minute. Remove the small top from the cover and pour into two chilled martini glasses.  Add a slice of lime to the rim, float a little Gran Marnier on the surface and your on your way to Tequila Heaven! 

Just a word of caution. If you're at someone else's party and you drink too may of these  you may end up yakking in your buddies car on the way home!

Mango Martini

Same Shaker, different drink.   Fill with ice, add six shots of your favorite Vodka, two shots of Mango juice and shake for one minute. Pour into two chilled, sugar rimmed martini glasses and add one slice of prepared mango on a skewer. 

You can buy cans of cut mango at Smart and Final. the mango in them has been cooked during the canning process pretty heavily so it is really mushy. Not exactly fit for putting in the drink. But the juice in these cans is perfect ! Put the juice from the can in a blender or food processor along with about 1/2 the mango slices, add 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup sugar and puree. Strain the juice to remove most of the pulp. You can make quite a few drinks with all that juice. The mango slices that go in the drink are cut from a whole, ripe mango. Put the slices in a container and cover them with Vodka. Sprinkle them with a little sugar and leave overnight in the fridge. They really soak up the vodka and will give a bit of a jolt all by themselves.

Chocolate Martini

I make my chocolate martinis with equal parts of :

• Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur
• Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
• Stoli Vanilla Vodka

I  grate a dark chocolate bar to rim the martini glass with and use a squeeze bottle of dark chocolate to lace the inside of the glass. A small saucer works well to put the grated chocolate in for rimming.  A saucer also works well to spread some liquid chocolate in when wetting the rim prior to dipping into the grated chocolate. Just before pouring, lace the glass with the squeeze chocolate, be sure not to put too much in there as it will all just puddle on the bottom if you do. 

Now for the  Twyst.  To really give the drink a holiday flash, add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon before you shake it. Then after you pour it, sprinkle a small pinch of grated chocolate on the top of the drink right in the center.

 Voila` !! You now have the best dessert in town!

 Martini's Straight Up !

 The easiest and most Wycked  Twyst  of all is the Straight Up. It's made by pouring vast quantities of Vodka in your shaker, passing a cap-full of Vermouth over the top, ( even though I personally never really use Vermouth) and after it's poured, add a large stuffed olive. Simple yet deadly. Just like drinking out of the bottle but loads more civilized. Plus you get some veggie this way. Is an Olive a vegetable? Whatever.

This concludes my  series on Party Specials. 

Hey Katrina  ...... is there any more Tequila left ?

Party Specials - Drinks and Appetizers - part II

My Favorite - Seafood !

 

The next item on the Party Specials list is Scallop Stuffed Salmon Rounds. 

For this dish you will need:

•   1  lb or so of  salmon  fillet                      
  
•  5  sea scallops - cleaned - wash and remove sand sac
  
• 2 tbsp Vietnamese chili paste 
• cilantro leaves  - washed and de-stemmed
  
• 1/4 tsp mayonnaise
•  fresh Lemons
• a very sharp knife! 

This is the Vietnamese chili paste that we use around our house. We go through quite a lot of this! Katrina even puts it on her Breakfast Bagel Creation [ a recipe for another day!]. Our name for it is Red Rooster. Must be because of the label, eh?

Start by slicing the cleaned scallops. Turn them on their sides and slice a nice  1/8 inch  round off. When you get done each slice should be about the size of a Quarter.
In a medium bowl gently  mix the slices of scallop with the chili paste and the 1/4 tsp of mayo. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Place the salmon fillet on a cutting board and begin slicing as shown. Again, make the slices as thin as you can without the meat separating [approx 1/8 inch]. If you cut the pieces on an angle, they will be about 1 inch wide when done. Clean the knife often as this will facilitate cutting.

Rolling:

As you can see in the photo, just lay the salmon strip on your palm, place a dollop of scallop about an inch from the end, add three cilantro leaves and roll  the short end up over the scallops, then bring the long end over that and finish the roll. Place on an oiled sheet and continue till done. Some of the pieces will be different sizes, but that will add to the overall appearance when plated. 

 Once all the roll-ups are completed, squeeze some lemon juice over the top of them, then place in a 400 degree preheated oven or toaster oven for 8 minutes. When cooled, you can set these in the fridge for safekeeping. When ready to serve, just nuke them for 45 seconds on high and add garnish.   The leftover cilantro and a curled slice of lemon will make them Pop when set out! 

  Makes 10 to 12 rounds

Crys`tal and Cardamon Shrimp

These are very simple to make. You only need three items  for this dish.

• Large Shrimp - Costco has large tiger prawns that work well.
• Crystal Louisiana  hot sauce - see photo - I found it at Smart & Final
  
• 2 tsp ground cardamon

Shell and de-vein shrimp. Costco shrimp are mostly de-veined, but check them. They sometimes are not completely cleaned out. 
In a large bowl, add 1/3 cup Crystal, 2 tsp ground cardamon and mix well. Add the cleaned shrimp and mix till the shrimp is coated on all sides. Allow to  marinate for 15 minutes then place on a 400 degree preheated grill. After 2 minutes brush the cooking shrimp with some of the marinade, then turn them over. After another 2 minutes, brush again and then turn. Brush and turn two more times then remove from grill. When cooked in this manner, the shrimp will be cooked but still tender, not dried out and stringy.

Plate and serve with your favorite cocktail sauce and delight your guests with this slightly Twysted  flavor.

note:

The amount of shrimp you grill will depend on the people you are serving. Some of our friends don't do seafood. Others  can't get enough! It will be up to you who attends your party and then you must cook accordingly. Even with the ones that go gaga over seafood dishes, I've found it's better to make a bit less than anticipated. People will adore what you made, and will really look forward to being invited again.

 

Grilled Asparagus
 

We once more rely on Costco to find our favorite green veggie - Asparagus!  They buy large quantities of Dole brand asparagus that is packaged  in huge bags for us at a reasonable price. Much less than what you pay at the local market. I like having this as an addition to the pre-made veggie trays you can buy most anywhere because it can be served hot or chilled. 
According to our friend Linda,  she has learned through a nutritionist that asparagus also is supposed to aid in curing hangovers! So let's get the cure going before we drink all that booze!! It couldn't hurt!

The Fixin's

• 1 bag Dole asparagus from Costco
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch cardamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1/3 cup  olive oil 
• pinch cinnamon
• grated Fontanella or Asiago cheese
  

The Process 
 In a small bowl, mix all the spices and the olive oil. Set aside.
Wash and trim the asparagus ends. You want the woody ends removed so that what is left will turn out tender but still a little crisp when done.
Preheat your grill to 400 degrees. Have you noticed how I use this temperature a lot?  It cooks food perfectly for me  without drying out meats, or as in the case of veggies, turning them into  soggy messes.  Place the asparagus on a large doubled up sheet of aluminum foil whose edges are slightly turned up.

Lightly brush the oil and spice mixture on the spears. Don't apply too heavily as it will make the asparagus soggy when done.  Place the foil pan on the pre-heated grill and cook for four minutes on one side, turn and cook for two minutes on the other side. They will just begin  turning  a darker green color when  ready. To test them, pick up one with a pair of tongs. It will slightly bend but not double over. Bite into it and it will be just a little crisp but not raw.  When ready, remove from the grill, sprinkle with the grated cheese and put on a fun plate. Serve hot or put in the fridge and chill for serving later. they are just as delicious when chilled.

Well then, I hope you enjoy these dishes. I know I certainly do and each and every time I make them they come out just a little different (and better) than they did the last time. I really enjoy experimenting with foods! It's just fun to create new Twysts to everything!


Next Posting :

Martini's!!!!