Those jelly slice candies that mom used to serve for Rosh Hashana

Known in France as Pate De Fruits, and made from real fruit purees! So much superior. I never liked those jelly candies from Manaschevitz. These were made with bitter orange and apricot, using gelatin instead of pectin as the setting agent. They came out really lovely.

Castle of the Pope

Friday nite Bob Burrows treated us to dinner @ the cozee French Bistro Monet, because Tommy wallpapered their new bathroom. The highlight of the night was the 2005 Guigal Chateaneuf-Du-Pape. (This one) grown in pebbles and red clay, Chateaneuf-du-papes are Rhone blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre, and they're totally unctuous and enticing and totally not wines you'd drink everyday cuz they are $. This one was so delicious that eating with it wasn't necessary, it was the food. It smelled amazing, was rich and smooth and slightly spicy and voluptuously warm in the after finish in your throat and anyway I highly recommend for a real exceptional evening if your menu includes things meaty or creamy or cheesy................here's a link to buy at not a bad price - http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1056363

Fall begins...

With a nice inexpensive wine from Spain....the 2009 Artazuri Grenacha. Wine Advocate gives it 91 points but we just thought it tasted really good. Eaten with cornbread and Tommy's mom's red beans and rice recipe, rocked up with some sauteed shrimp on top. Also, testing out tiger mask.

hot peppers hanging

in various stages of drying out in the kitchen. The plant is going crazy. It's going to be a spicy fall, eats wise...

Cheesecakes in tiny pots

With Organic Michigan Tart Cherries - for Sarah's bridal shower. With tinted white chocolate (pink) spears

Strange Love

Kirk Douglas's early films Film Noir night on Turner Classic Movies paired with Eggplant Parmy. First film was "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" with Barbra Stanwyck. Douglas played a lawyer turned drinker over his tormented unrequited love for Barbara S, who was in love with Sam!! Oh, Sam!! Madness ensued, as well as posed ceremonial smoking of hundresd of cigarettes. That film Followed by "Out of the Past" with Robert Mitchum, which began really amazingly but I was fading by the middle. Double features are tough! Perhaps it was the Eggplant, all that cheese and Cabernet. Parmy tips: slice the eggplant thinly. have three deep bowls in front of you - one for 1 egg beaten with about 1/4 cup of water, one for some wheat flour, one for some cornmeal. Slide slice of eggplant into the flour, shake off, the egg, shake off, then the cornmeal. repeat with 1/2 the slices, placing them on a sheet pan. Have the oven heated to 400. Place about 2 slices mozerella on top of each piece of eggplant, then top with another slice of eggplant, using the remaining 1/2 of eggplant. (Basically, sandwiches). Bake for about 40 minutes, flipping once during baking, til crispy on the outside. sauce: Used up a bunch of roasted tomatoes I had in the fridge, which was delicious - just heated them with some wine, garlic, herbs, salt, dash sugar and pureed....but any sauce is ok even Paul Newman. boil about 4 sheets of lasagna. assemble whole melange with sauce and cheese and devour, OR to get arty: take a beautiful biscuit cutter and cut perfect circles out of each sandwich, 3 per person. Put some sauce on a plate, followed by some grated Parmesean and Mozz. Top with a circle of eggplant. more sauce. a slice of noodle. more sauce, a bit more cheese and another sandwich, like a tiny lasagna. finish with sauce, sprinkle of cheese and fresh herbs. Viola!

aug 30, 2011

a fun and festive 43rd! Ken and Dixie's card,the tomato foccacia, lovely Carol, the Purple orchid from Tommy, the Mango Mousse torte = splendid night