September 26, 2011

MENU FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

As I had thought, Jacques Pepin’s Garbure was a smash! As he had taken one liberty with the “classic” recipe (he substituted ham for the classic duck confit), I made one substitution of my own.  In stead of using the number of smoked ham hocks, I substituted an equivalent amount of roasted ham I had in the freezer.  If the dish was lesser for it, you could have fooled me. It just reeked of flavor.  The one other change I would do would be to eliminate the crouton and serve plenty of French bread for dunking.  This dish is the one pictured on the cover of this month’s Food and Wine. I totally recommend it!

This is a tough week to schedule food for.  The week begins with temperatures in the 80’s and finish in the rainy 60’s. I think however, that is the last of the really warm weather.  It is officially and practically fall now.

Mon. AM             Warner’s Home Made Sausages with Sauerkraut

Mon. PM              Julia Child’s Fillet of  Sole Grenobloise WTC 93

                             Giada’s Lemon Pasta EI

                             Pierre Franey’s Sautéed Radishes with Butter and Chives 60 Min

Tues. AM             Cold Cuts

Tues. PM              Chicken Dijon revisited

                             Buttered Noodles

                             Baby Peas

Weds. AM            Blue Cheese Pasta CSCB 279   

                             Tossed Salad

Weds. PM            Jacques Pepin’s Fabulous White Bean and Ham Garbure Gratinee FW 10/11

                             Tossed Salad
Rosemont Shiraz
Black Opal Shiraz

Thurs. PM            Diner Style Turkey Meatloaf BA 11/90

                             Potatoes Schiscionese IHC 175

                              Sautéed Carrots
La Postolle Carmenere

Fri. AM                Waffles with Blueberry Syrup

                             Bacon, Coffee
                             Cold Cuts & Gumbo

Sat. AM               Meatloaf Heroes
                             Blue Cheese and macaroni 

Sat. PM                Head Cheese Vinaigrette

                             Madhur Jaffrey’s Shrimp Biryani AHMJ 214

                             Sautéed Cabbage
                             Yellow Tail Shiraz

Sun. AM              Cold Cuts
                             Eggs in mustard sauce

Sun. PM               Chinese Dumplings f/i

                             Roast Leg of Lamb with Dried Cherry Sauce FW 2005 137

                             Julia Child’s Duchesse Potatoes WTC 322

                             White Asparagus
                              Jacob's Creek Cabernet

September 19, 2011

 MENU FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

This has been an unusually cool September and we are starting to think about things like chili again…But it is a beautiful time of year, even though the foliage bit is still a while away. It is cool and comfortable and it gives one a burst of energy.

Our cooking is fairy simple this week.  Finish up Warner’s wonderful pulled pork and the Hungarian roast chicken.  Salmon cakes for something different in the fish direction, the cod with the Beurre Montpelier as a nod to the French, Lidia’s always fabulous steak Marema, a chicken Dijon and finally, Jacques Pepin’s garbure.  The latter is from a Bon Appetite excerpt of his soon to be published cook book.  I am looking forwards to that – his stuff is always terrific and his presentations are beyond compare.

 I wonder what else is going to appear this season.  Years ago, when I was in publishing we used to figure about 60% of our business happened in the third quarter.  And a great season for cookbooks, as so many are given as gifts. (In my case, from me to me, with love). One cookbook that appears annually is the Food and Wine Best of the Best. It excerpts what they feel to be the year’s best selections and therefore gives one the chance to cook from books that perhaps one would not normally buy. The salmon cake recipe is from this years…

Mon. AM             Pasta in White Clam Sauce CCI

Mon.                    Salmon Cakes with Herb Crusted Potatoes Fresh Tartare Sauce BOTB Vol 14

                             Sautéed Carrots, Salad, Peasant Bread

Tues. AM             Cold Cuts

(I got a new lens yesterday, so you will probably seem more pictures as I play Nikon 50mm f1.4)

Tues. PM              Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Fresh Cole Slaw, Local Corn

Weds. AM            Pierre Franey’s Chili

                             Steamed Rice

Weds. PM            Hungarian Roast Chicken with Horseradish Sauce

                             Sautéed Spaetzle with Caraway, Green Beans

Thurs. PM            Roasted Cod au Beurre Montpelier CCOF 67

                             Steamed Rice, Baby Peas

Fri. AM                Cold Cuts
                            Chicken with pasta and black olives.
(pictures are posting on the wrong day as we didn't do the steak last night as it was raining, tonight and it is the one in the middle. That is the high end beef for the rest of the year.)

Fri. PM                 Steak Marema LI

                             Potato Daube SFF 223, Local Corn

Sat. AM               Steak and Eggs

Sat. PM                Roasted Eggplant Spread with Fresh Tortilla Chips TOHC

                             Chicken Dijon with a Sour Cream Sauce FW 10/11 118

                             Fresh Pasta

                             Salad,         Peasant Bread

Sun. AM              Chili over Rice

Sun. PM               Blue Cheese Loaf Cake with Mustard and Bacon SLIP 144

                             Jacques Pepin’s White Bean and Ham Garbure with Potatoes, Leeks,

                                 Celery, Carrots, Parsnips and Cabbage FW  10/11

                             Peasant Bread

                             Tossed Salad