Our 18th valentines day…at pommes frites in palm springs 
A favorite flemish ale:
Prix fixe vday dinner
Beets napolean:
A yummy new beer:
Potato croquettes, filet, shrimp
Jims gluten free version with mashed instead of croquettes (the mashed has nutmeg…tasty)
Grand marnier creme brulee:
🙂
Im so so so behind…busy and sick and here i am (plus then i managed to clog the sink in the kitchen and that had to wait for the plumber since i failed at non invasive treatments!)
So with a counter full of goo and my sink back in operation i went simple.. Grilled cheese.
I didnt catch pics of the bread label or the cheese (its my usual from northern california)…the bread is a new brand ive been trying out—this week the long cut was on sale.
Mushrooms sautee with some olive oil, tamari, and worcesthire
Nice hydroponic lettice leaves
Butter beans with penzeys greek blend and olive oil with red wine vinegar
I havent even tried this yet…i ordered it online and then it showed up with the picture which immediately made me think of how unhappy she looks to be eating vegan jerky…i said it must be named after his mother or grandmother or something…nope. The back just has a message from the owner about how he started making it with no mention of Paulette.
while at the farmers market and out and about we found a few fun things to try or think about trying.
Root veggies are the spotlight at the farmers market this week 
I bought some pretty pink and blue potatoes…these are colored clear through so they lose their color less than those with just a colored skin
It’s been cold so the avocado su ply train is getting a bit week. 
Tiny iceberg lettuces!
Assorted cute little lettuces
And a Penzeys trip
My penzeys haul this week… The Turkish oregano was free (coupon)
Macaron for Jim at lemonade
Buffalo milk butter at whole foods
Cognac barrels! I already have the bourbon barrel version at home waiting to be savored
Needed to try my Singapore spice from penzeys so made a sort of Singapore noodle
And some tofu lettuce cups
I have always wanted to try this and the Gluten Free & Easy magazine (from the editors of vegetarian times) had a recipe…and as I hunted for a side, ensalada rusa kept popping up as a popular Central American dish 
First the cabbage is chopped and carrots shredded and onions sliced. Boiling water poured over all
Drained the lot and poured boiling vinegar, sugar, salt and oregano over the top and put it aside
The ensalada rusa is boiled eggs, potatoes, and mayo…plus..
Cooked beets. Every recipe said red beets which makes the whole dish pink…but I only had golden ones so that’s what I used
Pupils a dough is super easy…masa, baking soda, salt, cumin, and water
16 balls with holes that get stuffed with corona cheese or beans
I thought I took a pic of the frying version…but nope…so they got fried in my cast iron, placed in the overnight at 230 until I was ready to serve
The hit sauce is hidden there…just puréed and simmered dry guajillo chili, fresh tomato, garlic, broth, and that’s it 
And here’s my source
new years day is usually about snacks and the inevitable greens, sauerkraut, and black eyed peas.
First is a beautiful pile of a new rendition of one of my favorite appetizers. Peppers stuffed with goat cheese, mint and cucumber. The original recipe was for peppadews. At Xmas I found jarred cherry peppers which were nice because of the subtle heat…and then for New Years I used jarred piquillos which were nice and gave a whole new flavor and texture (plus a wide stuffing space) 
The simmered sauerkraut hit the pan–this likes at least a three hour simmer and is even better with smoked pork or nice German sausages in the mix. A whole bottle of dry white wine goes in, a little sugar and salt, and juniper berries, a few cloves and a few peppercorns. A bay leaf. This year I added some fresh thyme and Rosemarie…all of the latter to be removed before serving
Deviled eggs! Using vlassic new spice dills and my grandmas spice blend in top of the usual suspects of mayo, mustard and celery seed
Leftover cheese hunks from the night before (ps..I like every Cheese that wicked river makes particularly the steakhouse)…chips and Suzuki crackers and a nice dip with an avocado mixed in (try this sometime…it adds a layer of creamy flavor without distracting form the dips other flavors)
Dinner is the summer kraut, simmered kale and mushrooms in broth, and some smoky black eyed peas.
I made this the same night I made the spice blend…quick easy weeknight dish.
Into the pot goes canned tomatoes (1 roasted and crushed and 1 chopped)…a can of limas and a can of cannelini .. Some low sodium chicken less chicken flavored broth and a touch of water and I let it simmer and reduce 
Omg…don’t talk about the lid of my pot–this is my favorite everyday pot and whatever…it gets a periodic scour otherwise just a quick wash
Anyway…make some wells, add the eggs…these happened to be from my friends hens in her own yard given to me the day they were laid
Cover them up and about 7/8 minutes later they are perfect
Pair with some gluten free focaccia from Palm Springs Thursday night street fair with an olive oil and balsamic dip
A quick salad with evoo and tarragon white balsamic
The vinegar is from Palm Springs too
Looks like I got more booze shots than food.
It was a whirlwind…home from work at 6:05 and guests at 7
A cheese array and selection of crackers both regular and gluten free. A cheese fondue which you see melting and gluten free baguettes, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes and cornichons, a homemade dip with penzeys Tuscan sunset….shrimp and homemade cocktail sauce…and voila! I didn’t get to my other planned dishes but this worked 
The plan was to play Game of Thrones Risk but devolved into a couple random card games and idle chatter
Maria brought us a nice pink hello kitty sparkler which I paired with a splash of Pama for Maria and Jim
While Ryan and I killed two bottles of Take the Black stout in my new Game of Thrones steins…chased by the enjoy after 12/26/15 seen below
Then Ryan and I had jalapeño margarita with the most awesome mix ever! And we used a reposado
Yes, besides the game of thrones steins, everything else was drank from Barbie glasses
That sparkling Syrah was very very nice!
The subsequent pictures have been censored.
I made this year as part of my Christmas gifts to family. This is a concoction that my great grandmother used to make and use mixed into the egg dip when she fried chicken. After all the chicken was ready to go, she would fry the egg dip for her grandchildren to eat while she cooked (and later, this great grandchild who spent hours in the kitchen cooking with her).
The color and taste will never be exact because decades have passed and things change…this batch was a giant purchase from Penzeys and she always used Spice Islands. The exact ingredients have been hotly debated but I have transcribed my version from one that she wrote—however I think she took some liberties….(this is the same woman who taught me to cook by measuring things by her hand/eyebal).
I don’t make fried chicken but I love this on fried eggs and in deviled eggs (I assume that’s the mental connection with eggs).
She used to make it and give it away freely but in today’s dollars from penzeys it ran me about 17.65 a jar to make.
Below you see another actual mise en place from me which is rare.
It’s equal parts of onion and garlic and thyme and cumin and marjoram and more for a total of thirteen ingredients. The mace and cloves need to be half portions though.
It all gets combined
Jarred in handy penzeys jars
And labelled!
I also dated the jars so it doesn’t get stale dated …however, after she died, I nursed my last jar for years and it still tastes like childhood:-)
continuing my holiday catch up Posts from the past two weeks …. This was Christmas week. I actually took the time for a mise en place as I prepped my gnocchi. This gluten free gnocchi I buy from Amazon in a four pack which is fare less expensive than the gluten free one at sprouts or whole foods as is the olive oil that I have on Amazon subscription.
I sautéed the elephant garlic, beans and chanterelles in olive oil with the penzeys pasta sprinkle spice mix
Boiled my gnocchi
Added the garlic greens
Added a quicks salad with olive oil and balsamic
And I had a quick weeknight dinner with minimal pots to wash
Brian and Jim Eat 
