Burn some incense, suck some peppermints, and go

If you granola crispy, and in big clumps, this is the one. Click on image to enlarrrrrrrge

thanksgiving 2009

Dan's 50th bday WC fields choc cake...a great butterhorn dinner roll recipe (from saveur magazine, a very nice dough to work with)

but the highlight, without a doubt, is Salinger, and watching him eat his vittles...

Brokeback mountain chicken dinner with friends

Really fun dinner party last night, recipes to follow...the best chicken recipe we've ever made...i think cuz we broke the chickens back it really did result in much more even beautiful cooking.

Ken and Stacey brought this mask for us...brilliant for tommys halloween costume.

Also we made the most delicious brussel sprouts recipe...

yams. they are beautiful and I can't stop drawing them

Fun to have Tommy back home...last night he's prepping chickens for a dinner party tonight...breaking their backbones out. It looks like performing Shiatsu on the chickens...meanwhile i'm still drawing sweet potatoes.

When my mom called and i told her this she said "what is so interesting about potatoes?"

more tomorrow after meal...

Jack Daniels Gelato

THis is one nice gelato. You do need an ice cream machine, though....make the custard, chill it, then freeze in an ice cream maker. When it's soft serve consistency, put in tupperware,cover top of cream directly with plastic wrap, and freeze. may need to soften out of the freezer for a minute or two before serving.

Painting by my dad, Louis Burrows.

Note - third line of recipe should have parentheses, meaning you can add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar to the half and half, depending on your taste buds and how boozey you like your gelato.

Also, brown sugar would be fun to try.

call any vegetable vegetable burgerz

form into patties and dip both sides in flour, then fry in a pan. I like these on a good bun, with mayo or 1000 island, tomato, lettuce, a slice o' red onion and a slab a cheddar cheese. Deeeelish.

What a pumpkin!

Fall is here, just like that.

Missing Tommy who is working in LA, warm, sunshiny...meanwhile here the weather has done a complete 180 just like it's bound to do at this time - summer out, heaters kicked on. Invited Harry over - the only thing you can do is make soup.

This particular soup, I believe, contains healing powers. I made it the day after an upsetting phone call with a good friend, who'd told me his mom had passed away. Feeling a bit helpless, but wanting to help somehow I made some soup and left it by his door. I figured it might offer comfort and warmth, as it was February, and I don't know. Anyway this soup was made in honor of Millie, Randy's mom. And maybe because of that it has healing alchemic powers. Or so I like to think....hey try it. If you are feeling sad, or lonely, or just chilly, make Millie's lentil soup. It'll warm yer cockles. Better still, make it for a friend.

Served it with a roasted beet salad, with caramelized walnuts, which was really delicious.

ROb's Birthday Napoleans

Really lovely father's day even though Tommy's root canal was killing him and his cheek was all puffed out. Dinner @ Rob and ALice's, deelish steak salad with fresh morel mushrooms, and Rob finally got his birthday "Napoleans on demand" that I had promised (with bing cherry sauce) though I went through a tiny bit of hell to get them made...then finished out the evening iwth a set of jazz by Hashimoto 5 at Simon's tavern. I couldn't thinka a nicer way to spend a sunday evening... 

Kenny, Stacey, and Black beans and rice

black beans

soak black beans (1# standard bag) in water overnight or bring to rolling boil and let stand for one hour. Here, i like to drain the beans, but that is optional.

In a large soup pan, saute 1 onion and about 4 cloves garlic, 1/2 - 1 jalapeno, 1/2 a green pepper in some olive oil. Saute til onions are translucent, add beans and 5 cups water and chicken boullion, or 5 c chicken stock. Add about 1/2 cup of tomato salsa (can be canned or jarred) 2 packets of goya sazon seasoning (contains cumin and annatto). Add some fresh chopped cilantro, fresh ground pepper, a bit of kosher salt, 2-3 bay leaves, 1 chopped tomato (if you'd like) a splish of red wine viegar and let simmer for about 1 1/2 hours....

then, mash some beans with a potato masher or take a can of black beans and food process and add to bean mixutre to thicken. Or add more stock or water if you need to thin. Taste and correct seasonings...a few splishes of hot sauce may be needed. Before serving, stir in generous handful chopped fresh cilantro...garnish with fresh cilantro and some cheese...serve with rice

Fiesta night last saturday with ken, stacey, irene and harry....

Beans rice chicken and flan...recipes following soon...

Flan Recipe

sugar syrup

1 cup sugar

3 T water

1/2 t cream of tartar

heavy saucepan, very clean

Custard

4 c 1/2 and 1/2

8 cardamom pods

zest of one large orange

dash of cinnamon

t of vanilla xtract

(or skip above and flavor however you'd like)

bring to boil, turn off, steep...

in bowl whisk

6 eggs

4 yolks

1 cup sugar

pinch of salt

method coming soon...

Lousy Anna Red Beans and Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

Today's secret ingredient is.....Fennel!!