What am I cooking this week?
Monday: School "Fry Day"..... BLEK! I hate fried food. I usually fry chicken twice a year, but finish it in the oven because when you have to fry chicken for 7 people - 14 pcs. of chicken aren't going to be done at the same time. So - I don't fry food - and I don't eat fried food with the exception of tempura shrimp roll and fish & chips at the Dell. For dinner I made a fantastic stir fry with leftover NY strip, linguine, fresh onions, carrots and portabellas. We of course put the meat in after we made the veg. version for Chloe. The sauce was made from chicken stock, chili sauce, oyster sauce sesame oil & soy sauce. Then I went to softball for the next four hours.....
Tuesday: I hit Costco for cake supplies & they had fresh - not farmed mussels :) So for dinner we had Mussels in White Wine with bread I had gotten from Le Quartier. The mussels were cooked with olive oil , shallots (which I couldn't find at the store in Fremont - UGH!) - but I used fresh onions from my "garden". I use parentheses because it is overgrown & being eaten up by some wicked - mean ant. We also used tomatoes, saffron (I have a connection in K.C.), fresh flat leaf parsley, fresh thyme, 1 c. good white wine - I use my father-in -laws wine from the vineyard. This is also the evening where Eli - my 9 year old first spotted the cover "To Kill a Mocking Bird" - he said "why would we want to kill a mocking bird? He thought it was some sort of "cook book"...
Wednesday: BLT's??? Okay - I have always loved the concept of BLT's but have never been "satisfied" with them. So for dinner we had a toasted Blue Cheese Baguette from Le Quartier topped with fresh pesto, sun dried tomatoes, thick cut peppered bacon, avocado, fresh olive oil (from my parents backpacking trip to Europe) sliced garlic, fresh lettuce and of course S & P. Even packed up, eaten in the car - while studying "Culinary Math" at Carlee's softball game - this sandwich was a "winner"!
Thursday: Cakes & pies today. Carrot cakes, cheesecakes & ice cream pies. I am beginning to not be satisfied with my skills. What am I saying - I'm never satisfied with my skills - I need to offer more & develop my skills. Chloe called today. She was able to go to school with Tess in France. The first day their lunch was Lentils with Quinoia, the next day they had Ratatouille for lunch!!!! She said she finally feels normal over there. I guess I'll have to visit :) I'm quite afraid if I go to France - I'll never return.
Friday: We headed to Lincoln for the night - to hit the Farmer's Market in the morning. Food in the evening was uneventful - but the Farmers Market was wonderful! We picked up fresh corn - the sweetest I've ever had, beets, beans, tomatoes, tamales, enchiladas, bread..... I'm hooked on Le Quartier"s Almond Croissants.
Saturday: Festivities! Crab Legs - grilled, perfect! Fresh green bean salad with olive oil, balsamic, garlic & tomatoes... Carrot cake and various "cake walk cakes" for dessert.
Sunday: Who suggested I mix Cherry Fresca with Vodka????? I'm in bed til noon watching "Lord of the Rings". My husband makes some beer brats that we had purchased from the farmers market and we watched movies while the rest of the town blew themselves up. Did I mention I HATE fireworks! I'm worse than the dog...
Monday: I was going to make fried chicken - but the chickens are purchased fresh - so they are frozen solid. I took them out at 8 am - but at 3 they were still frozen solid. So I made Potatoes au Gratin with Jarlsberg - not Gruyere, because I live in Fremont. I also added Parm/Romano which made it perfect. We also had fresh beets and bread. No school today because of the holiday. My lovely daughter called from France & reports that American bread is "crap" - according to the French - she agrees. Have a Blessed week - Bon Appetite'
