Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Scallops on Pasta with Creamy Sauce; I'm becoming an expert time waster

I just discovered that I've become guilty of a behavior I detest.... And spent most of my working life trying to stamp out.

This particular behavior always seemed illogical, counter-intuitive, and well, somewhat childish to me, and I was convinced I was above it.  I preached against it whenever possible.

And now, to my shame, I've discovered that I'm guilty.

Are you guilty?

It's endemic in almost every office, every factory, every hospital, school, organization and, yes, many homes.

It's the innate human ability to expand any task to fit the time allotted it.

I really thought I was above that behavior.

I was wrong. 

We got up a bit earlier than usual this morning.  I ran through my projects for the day and was pleased:  I would be able to get everything done, easily, by mid-afternoon. 

I would make myself a nice cup if tea, slice a thick slab of Cranberry Bread and settle down for a relaxing few hours to write this post and catch up on what's happening in the blogosphere.  

What happened? 

I barely managed to finish my planned work before it was time to start dinner.  I'm typing this while it bakes. 

What happened?  Well....

I found a Christmas present for my mother... I got an email from Williams Sonoma, so I just took a minute to look.  Did I order it for her?  Of course not; that wasn't on my list for today.

I found the CD mon mari was looking for (email from Amazon).  Well, actually, it's an MP3 download because the CD is out of print.  Did I download it?  Of course not; that wasn't on my list either.

I brushed the dogs.  They really needed it and the sun came out for a bit this afternoon. That was on my list for the weekend.

If, when I scheduled my daily tasks, I had filled every waking minute of my day, I would have accomplished everything, without any meanderings. 

Because I knew that, for once, I was going to finish early, I managed to waste enough time to be later than usual.

Why do I do that to me?

At least I managed to get this post done... For Presto Pasta Nights.  I've been very remiss in participating in this event, but when I noticed the founder Ruth, of Once Upon a Feast, was also hosting this week - I decided I really had to share this.

I love heavy cream, butter, full fat cheese.... I don't love the way they rest on my hips.

This is not a Cream Sauce.

This is a Creamy Sauce,

Puréed white beans are wonderfully creamy, healthy, and add a lovely flavor to the sauce. Finished with a bit of cheese and you have a rich, seemingly decadent sauce that's actually good for you!

Creamy Scallops with Cheese

12oz scallops (350gr)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
8 oz, (220gr) white beans (cannellini)
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese (I used Cheddar)
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/4 cups pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse lightly.
For the scallops: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add scallops and quickly sear on both sides, just until they turn opaque, 3 - 5 minutes, depending on size. Sprinkle with lemon and paprika. 
For the sauce: Chop shallots and garlic. Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until tender. Drain and rinse beans. Add beans, wine and 1/4 cup chicken stock and heat through.  Remove and purée in blender or with immersion blender. Add a bit more chicken stock if needed to get to a thick sauce consistency. Return to heat and bring to a simmer. Add thyme and cheese and stir well as cheese melts.

To finish:  Combine pasta and sauce, stirring well.  Spoon pasta onto a platter.  Arrange scallops on top, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Now, it;s bedtime.

Maybe I'll do better tomorrow.

Poached Eggs Bourguignon; Sniglets

It's just been one of those days...

We we turned our clocks back last night, it's dark at 6pm...

So.....

Who remembers sniglets?  (Besides me)

SNIGLET
(snig' lit) Any word that doesn't appear in the dictionary, but should.

COEGGULANT (ko eg' yu lent)n. The white things in a plate of scrambled eggs.

MUSQUIRT (mus' kwirt)n. The water that comes out of the initial squirts of a squeeze mustard bottle.

CHOCONIVEROUS (chahk o niv' ur us)adj. The tendency when eating a chocolate Easter bunny to bite off the head first.

STROODLE (stru' dul)n. The annoying strand of cheese stretching from a slice of hot pizza to one's mouth.

SPIRTLE (spur' tul)n. The fine stream from a grapefruit that always lands right in your eye.

FLOPCORN (flop' korn)n. The unpopped kernels at the bottom of the cooker.

FRANKFLUID (frank flew' id)n. The liquid at the bottom of hot dog packages.

PEPPIER (peph ee ay') n. The waiter at a fancy restaurant whose sole purpose seems to be walking around asking diners if they want fresh ground pepper.

CHUBBLE (chuh' bul)n. The aerobic movement combining deep-knee bends and sideward hops used when trying to fit into panty hose.

Warning:  There may be more.... That's the mood I'm in at the moment.

For now: here is the Poached Eggs in Red Wine recipe.

The bright yellow egg mingling with the deep red sauce is visually appealing and indescribably delicious. If you have never poached an egg, don't worry, it's easier than you think. Or, if you have an egg poacher among your kitchen gadgets, use that. Try to use nice, fresh eggs: they are easier to work with and make a nicer presentation. Use a full-bodied Burgundy or Cote de Rhone (or equivalent) for this. Not expensive, but drinkable.

Poached Eggs Bourguignon

1 1/2 cups red wine
2 shallots
1 carrot
2 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 eggs

The Sauce: Peel and finely chop the shallots and carrots. Put shallots, carrots and red wine into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Wine will reduce slightly. Strain the sauce into a bowl, discarding solids. Put the wine back into the pan and return to heat. Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to wine, stirring until thick and clear. Cover and keep warm.

The Eggs: Fill a large skillet with water. The water should be at least 1 1/2 inches deep, 2 inches (5 cm) would be better. Heat water over medium-high heat. Add vinegar. When water is softly boiling poach eggs: one at a time break egg into a small saucer. Swirl a spoon in the water where you will put the egg - off to one side. When water is swirling drop egg into center. With slotted spoon try to keep the white together. Do next egg. With regular spoon scoop some hot water over tops of eggs. Poach for 4 minutes or until white is set but yolk is still very soft.

Remove eggs with a slotted spoon, drain and put into a soup plate or flattish bowl. Spoon sauce over top and serve, salt & pepper on the side.

NAPJERK (nap' jurk)n. The sudden convulsion of the body just as one is about to doze off.

Blog Action Day; Stop wasting the food!

Today is Blog Action Day.

This is the one day, each year, that bloggers the world round get up on their soap boxes to give their views - or someone else's, on a topic of global importance.

The goal is not to convince the rest of the residents of this planet, or even the blogger's own significant other, of the rightness of the expressed opinion.

The goal is to get all of those, or at least, some of those, people talking about the topic.

And, of course, the hope is that the conversation will be intelligent rather than emotional.

This year's topic is Climate Change.

And this is my opinion on Climate Change:

The climate is changing.

Whether you believe it's changing because of the natural life cycle of the earth or because of the contribution of the (and this is also open to discussion) most intelligent life form on said planet, is, really, immaterial.

The climate is changing.

Earth, the planet itself, is not in the least bit of danger.  It will survive quite nicely, thank you very much.

It's we humans, and all that we hold dear, that are at risk.

Whether or not we can stem the tide of Global Warming, or Global Cooling when that happens, remains to be seen. 

What we can do, should do, and should encourage everyone else to do, is try, to the best of our ability, to keep our planet clean and healthy for us, our children and their children and their children..... 

I do love a good soap box.....

So, you ask, what does this all have to do with food - this being a food blog and all....

Well, this being a food blog....  And since good food is my personal raison d'etre....

I thought I'd use my time on the soap box to share some of my practices that, I hope, contribute to the health of our planet.... Or, at the very least, don't exacerbate the problems.

I'll leave it to the other bloggers to talk about cars, pollution, fuel, methane, and all that other stuff. 

Here, out in the middle of French nowhere, we do what we can in our, albeit small, way.

1.  Take your own bags to the markets and stores.

Yeah, I know you know.  It's a no brainer.  Everyone talks about it.  Lots of people have the bags and some have even done it once or twice.  Do it all the time.  All the time.

2.  Don't cook more than you eat. 

Never thought of that one, either, did you?  Do you regularly fix 1 cup of rice (because it's easy) then put the leftover bit in the fridge to mature for a few days before you throw it out? 
Stop it. 
Fix 3/4 cup, or 2/3 cup or 5/8 cup.... Whatever.  Figure it out and fix what you'll eat - even if (OMG!) it's not quite enough. 
Every little bit of rice that you don't throw out doesn't have to be produced, harvested, shipped, hauled, packaged, and sold.  Not to mention fertilized and watered.
Multiply that by every little bit of food you throw out....
What the heck, you'll save money, too.

3.   Encourage restaurants to serve reasonable portions

The custom of serving huge portions with the expectation that people will take them home is ridiculous.  Get a proper portion at a proper price.  When I am in the US, that excess food goes to waste as I have no place to 'take it home' to.  Me and all the other people traveling in the US.  Think of how much food American restaurants throw out every day!  Or you throw out 8 days later when you realize that you forgot to eat it.

4.  Don't throw out or compost what you grow.  Compost the waste, not the food.

We all know the problem of the never-ending zucchini.  They grow faster than we can pick, let alone eat.  But why throw out perfectly good food?  That you watered and fertilized?  Freeze it.  Wait a few months and it will taste good again. 
Which brings up the next point...

5.  Invest in an energy efficient freezer if you can.

I bought a freezer the first year I planted a vegetable garden.  No meat has passed through it's doors.  No, we are not vegetarians.  But this is my vegetable freezer.  I freeze everything from my garden that we don't eat.  Plus, I buy food in season, when it's cheap, and freeze that, too.  And, something that anyone can do, when I buy frozen vegetables I buy them in big bags, not little vacuum sealed bags in cardboard boxes.  Less packaging on the end product means less production in getting it to you.

Which brings me to my final tip:

6  Buy in bulk

Take your own containers, fill them with bulk food.  It's cheaper.  It's healthier for the planet. 
No place to store it all?  Store it in that freezer you just bought.  Coffee, flour, grains.... They'll all keep longer, allowing you to buy in bulk without letting it go to waste.  Kind of circular, isn't it?

And now, the confession:  I draw the line at the ultimate 'original packaging.  Today, at the supermarket (not the local butcher's, the supermarket) they had, recently dead but still with gleaming coats, rabbits and partridges.  I draw the line at buying my meat at the supermarket, then taking it home to skin or pluck. 

Although, we could use some new feathers for our pillows......

But I would not know how to treat the rabbit skin.

And, as you may have guessed.... I really hate waste!

What does all this have to do with Climate Change?

If we all adopt a more careful and thoughtful approach to our food it will, eventually, work it's way up to the producers, growers and packagers.

If we all do nothing.....

Basmati Rice and Carrot Gratin; Make a 'sickness pact'

When I was in the US I had contact with people who had just recovered from the flu (H1N1), who's family members currently had the flu, who were 'coming down' with a cold and whose friends currently had colds.

Needless to say, all of those situations made me distinctly uncomfortable.

I don't want to get sick.

More importantly, I don't want to bring something home to mon mari.  Being ill as a Type1 diabetic adds a whole new dimension with increased risks of all sorts of complications.  I'd rather not go there.

The whole situation started me thinking (yeah, I know).

Then I ran across this post in my files....

As flu and cold season looms over us all, once again, you might want to think about making a 'sickness pact' with your 'significant other ' while you're still healthy enough to think straight.

Repeat from last winter:

How do you like to be treated when you're sick?

Not seriously sick, just a little sick; like a cold, or the flu....

When one is under the weather, one normally also has a bad case of the 'poor, pitiful me's' as well, so how one is treated can become monumentally, if only fleetingly, important.

I have both a cold and the 'poor me's' this morning, so I have been pondering this....

One might say obsessing about this, but that would be a mean thing to say to a sick person, now wouldn't it?

It's only natural to assume that the rest of the known universe would like to be treated exactly like we would like to be treated. After all, we're at the center of said universe, aren't we? I mean, it's all about me, isn't it?

When mon mari has a cold he want's to crawl into a warm, quiet, dark place, armed with nothing more than his trusty remote, and be left alone.

He doesn't want cheerful inquiries into his health and well-being, he doesn't want chicken soup or orange juice, he doesn't want to be tucked in, cosseted or in any way tended to.

He. Wants. To. Be. Left. Alone!!!

He'll suffer in manly fashion: silent at first, getting excessively crosser the more concern I show.

Occasionally, say once, I might be allowed to bring an aspirin... But "just set it down!" is the most I get in return.

I, on the other hand, want my brow checked for fever every 30 seconds.

I want someone to bring me hot tea without asking; to tuck a warm blanket around me; to run miles to the store just in case hot chocolate might cheer me.

I once had a friend, who, when someone was sick, would go to their house and clean it from top to bottom. Her theory: People always feel better if they don't have to think about housework.

That's how I want to be treated: my every wish anticipated; overindulged at every opportunity.

You can see where the problem comes in, can't you?

He treats me exactly like he wants to be treated, ie, ignores me completely.

I treat him exactly like I want to be treated, ie, fuss excessively.

Which causes me to feel more and more pitiful.

Which causes him to feel more and more irritable.

Why, you may ask, after 30 years together, can't we get this sorted?

Because, you idiot, when one is sick one doesn't always think clearly; and when one is concerned, one doesn't always either. And neither of us is sick very often, thankfully.

It's just the little dance we do...

The end  

You can see why is would make sense to negotiate treatment whilst still healthy.

Or, we can just turn into recluses and never leave the house, thus avoiding all viruses.

I'm prepared.... I have my stash of Jolly Ranchers....

In the meantime, we'll eat healthily....

This is somewhere between a soufflé and a pudding. The carrots retain their texture and add a slightly sweet flavor to the rice.

Carrot and Basmati Rice Gratin

1/2 cup Basmati rice
1 cup (8oz, 250ml) chicken stock
2 medium carrots
1 cup (8oz, 250ml) milk
2 eggs
1 tbs chives, fresh or dried
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup (4oz, 125ml) Greek or plain yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese
1/2 tbs olive oil

Cook rice in chicken stock.
Peel carrots. Shred carrots using medium holes on the box shredder. Lightly whisk eggs. Add milk, yogurt and herbs, whisk to combine.
When rice is done, stir in the carrots and let sit for a minute to cool slightly. Add the rice and carrots to the eggs along with half of the cheese. Lightly oil a glass baking dish (1 qt, 1 litre). Spoon carrot-rice mixture into dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, 400F (200C) for 30 minutes. Remove and serve.

Here's hoping we all stay healthy all winter!

Barley with Mushroom Cream; the sunflower update

I walked down to the sunflowers this morning, for the weekly photo.  They're not as pretty at this stage... but, rather interesting, I thought.

  

And a good thing I got my photos...

2 hours later the farmer came....

 

I'm pretty sure this is a co-op tractor - it was HUGE.  

We're thinking that the co-op has a the farmers on a schedule.  The sunflower fields are all staggered in the planting and harvesting.   Some were harvested 2 weeks ago; some are still in full bloom.

 

He made short work of te field; the machine chews up and spits out everything but the seeds.

When he was done, one would never know there had been a crop.

 

And the sun set on the sunflower harvest once again.....

Now that September is here, the wild mushrooms are starting to show up again.

Must take advantage.....

Sautéed mushrooms and onions give a woodsy note to the barley.  The Greek Yogurt gives it a creamy finish.  I use quick-cooking barley, which takes about 15 minutes, and cooked it in beef stock for a more robust flavor.

Barley with Mushroom Cream

2/3 cup quick-cooking barley
1 1/3 cup (350ml) beef stock (or more, depending on type of barley)
3oz mushrooms
1 onion
2 tsp oil
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef stock
2 tsp cornstarch (maizena)
3 tbs Greek or plain yogurt 

Cook barley in stock until done, stirring occasionally. If all stock is not absorbed, drain. 

Roughly chop onion.  Trim and slice mushrooms.  Heat oil in a medium skillet.  Add onions and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes.  Add mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer.  Add Worcestershire sauce and stir.  Dissolve cornstarch in beef stock and add to skillet, stirring until bubbling and thick.  Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.  Keep warm until barley is done.  

When barley is done, stir into mushroom sauce.  Serve.

Winter is back....

I'm going to miss summer.... A little

Stupid woman finds her proper place.....

I have been smacked down, put in my place, chastised, severely punished, beaten into submission, and whipped into shape after my last post.

Apparently, the Powers That Be did not find it humorous. 

A mere minutes after clicking 'Publish' I had to turn everything off (as any good geek would) due to, yet another, thunderstorm.

The next morning, Thursday, when I turned everything back on, not everything did.... Turn on, that is.

Specifically, the internet didn't work.

We have a 'Livebox' which is what connects us to the rest of the world.  If the Livebox doesn't work I call 'Orange', the internet company, who then walk me (stupid woman) through a number of steps to make certain that I have it plugged in, turned on, connected to the phone lines, etc.

Once they're happy that there really is a problem they walk me through another number of steps to determine where the problem might be.  If the problem is with the actual Livebox, they give me a number, I take the Livebox to the nearest Orange office (20 km) and exchange it for a new one.

Which is what happened.  Naturally, by this time it's 1:00 and the office is closed for lunch.

At 2:00, when they reopen, I am in line to exchange Liveboxes.

Back home, I unpack and install the new one.

Still doesn't work.

I could write a 900 page epistle on what followed but let me be brief:

I spent the rest of the afternoon working on it, alone and with the folks at Orange over the phone.

No success.

They told me they'd send a technician - but not until Saturday.

The guy came Saturday; spent all afternoon.  No luck.  He'd be back on Monday.

Two guys came Monday; worked all afternoon and evening.  Finally!

They had to replace the new Livebox, again.

Turns out that the problem was the line coming to our house.

And the switch/whatever at their main routing station.

And I was given a faulty Livebox when I swapped out the old, faulty Livebox.

To have all that go wrong, and only effect me, not the neighbors on either side, bespeaks a personal  vendetta, a divine malevolence....

Please, contemplate this and reread my opening sentence.

Am I right?

On the other hand, not being online gave me an opportunity to unpack the last few kitchen boxes and, since mon mari finished all of the interior shelves, and the drawers, to finally, and officially, organize my kitchen.

I found my blue-handled kitchen scissors.

 

And I put it in my new drawers.  Aren't they gorgeous?

Notice the gaping hole above the drawers?

That's where my cook top should be. 

The one that is in the shop and should be ready last Thursday..... But wasn't. 

It should be ready tomorrow.

Which means yet another trip to Bordeaux this afternoon.

And I have to pick up the new computer to replace the one that was fried last week and the guy has been here for 2 days cleaning the chimneys and is afraid of the dogs so I have to run interference whenever he goes outside and we're leaving on Thursday to meet family in Paris for a much needed getaway and I still have to find clothes to wear and water the garden and .....

Deep breath.

Calm down.

We are taking the train to paris for a 3 day break.

We deserve it.

So.....

No food today; no more posts until next week.

But, I'll leave you with the sunflower update:

Yes, this is the sunflower field.... They've all stopped looking at the sun and are now contemplating their roots.

Existential Sunflowers.

I'm going to spend a lovely afternoon contemplating Monet's Waterlilies.....

A bientot!

Tomato Consommé; Spy outed on Facebook; the update

"007 outed in Facebook!"

A question:

Must one have intelligence to be in intelligence?

Answer:

Apparently not!

The wife of the new chief of MI6 - that's Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, just blew his cover on Facebook... Posting photos of their house, London flat, children, family, friends, diplomatic connections.... 

And the family has been posting congrats on his appointment on their Facebook Wall.

I am so in awe at the sheer stupidity of it all that I have nothing further to say on the subject.... Beating a dead horse and all that. 

Instead, I'll update you on the sunflowers:

They don't actually turn with the sun, I'm observing, but face the sunrise.

The field is slowing transforming from green to yellow.

 

Every morning the dogs and I walk down to the field to appreciate the beauty.

Well, I appreciate it... They chase the bunnies....

The cabinet doors are in various states of gluing, varnishing, drying.

The bathroom window is having the glass replaced and being caulked.

There was actually a lot accomplished this week.... Just nothing finished.

One of the things we did was to get some bids on putting in stairs to the first floor.

Now we just have the stairs in the barn:

They're not in the best of shape:

 

The new stairs will be in the house, in the hall.  Eventually we'll have 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms on that floor.

First, we have to clean up a bit.... All of this lovely insulation has to be removed and the whole thing cleaned before they cut the opening for the stairs.

We may have to give some thought to heating it as well - before winter.

We may also have to give some thought to repairing the barn stairs before we start using them in a regular basis....

I'm giving it some thought, anyway.  Mon mari says if you walk on the edges it's perfectly fine....

What a guy~!

Summer started this week.  Long, sunny days with the temps hitting 35C (95F).

Makes me grateful for our 2-foot thick stone walls!

This is a favorite 'it's too hot to cook' starter:

Tomato Consommé

25gr (.85oz) gelatin
1 cup (225gr, 8oz) beef stock
1 cup (225gr, 8oz) tomato juice
2 tbs Madeira
Fresh basil leaves

Heat stock in a saucepan. When boiling whisk in gelatin and whisk continually for 1 minute. Stir in tomato juice and let cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally to keep from separating.
To serve:  Snip the basil.  Gently stir half of the basil into the consommé.  Spoon into pretty serving dishes and garnish with remaining basil.

Serve with something chilled and bubbly....

Turkey and Green Bean Pasta Salad; Be kind to your Behind

I love British commercials.

Maybe it's because they're good; maybe it's because they're different.

My current favorite is a toilet paper ad.

Yes, they have the cute little puppy running around, unrolling the ultra-soft (so they say) T.P.

But that's not why I like it.

It's the slogan.

"Be kind to your behind."

It starts out showing people riding bicycles and horses; it shows them bouncing in cars over rough roads; getting jolted on a see-saw in a playground....

All of this with a voice saying something like "Life can be hard on your bottom" and "You're bottom takes a lot of abuse every day".

Followed by the puppy and the T.P. and the slogan "Be kind to your behind."

In the U.S., when we see toilet paper ads, it's implied that it's a product used in the bathroom; but no one really says what for.

An American commercial would advertise an antiperspirant as a product to 'help you stay fresh all day'.

The British counterpart would tell you that it 'stops sweat'.

Brit's sweat; Yanks go stale.

In the U.S. one can see ads for Viagra.... Although, again, one never really is told what it's for.

I've never seen a British Viagra ad....

I have seen a series of commercials targeting women with "big boobs".

Yep, that's what they say.

The ad depicts several, very well-endowed women modeling bras for women with "Big boobs".

As in: "If you have big boobs, try our line designed especially for you."

That would have every male in the U.S. snickering.

(They don't snicker for the Viagra ad because.... Okay, I'll be nice and not finish that comment)

Could be I'm just easily amused.....

I know I'm easily pleased with summer pasta salads....

This one is my submission to this week's Presto Pasta Nights, founded by Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast and hosted this week by Katerina, of Daily Unadventures in Cooking.

Visit Katerina's blog on Friday for all of the wonderful pasta dishes from around the planet.

I found those gorgeous Ananas Heirloom Tomatoes again.

I do love summer tomatoes!

Turkey and Green Bean Pasta Salad

1 1/4 cups whole wheat penne
10oz (300gr) turkey cutlets
6oz (180gr) green beans
1 red onion
1 tbs olive oil
1- 2 large, garden ripened tomatoes
2 tbs snipped fresh basil
1/2 red or sweet onion
Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse in cold water and toss with olive oil.
Cut green beans into 1" lengths (2.5cm). Slice red onion. Cut turkey into strips.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Add turkey and quickly stir-fry.  Remove.  Add onions, beans and stir-fry until lightly browned and crisp-tender.   
Snip basil. Cut tomatoes into large chunks. Make vinaigrette.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, add vinaigrette and toss to combine.

Vinaigrette

1 1/2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
3 tbs olive oil

Put all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.

Easy peasy....

What's your favorite ad?

Fresh Pea Sauce - what to do with it; Eclectic tastes in music

Fresh Pea Sauce

 I'm not a good driver.

Don't misunderstand: I'm a very competent driver; it's just that I rarely enjoy it.

I have my moments: setting out on an adventure on a crystal clear spring morning... that I enjoy.

Driving to and from Bordeaux, on the motorway, 4 or 5 times a week.... that's a chore.

On one of my days of whirlwind unpacking I found my box of CD's. 

I've been selecting 2 or 3 different ones to listen to each day.  Some were old favorites, some new favorites, some in the "I really own this?" category.

In the last few days I have listened to, in no particular order:

The Sublime Pavarotti

It's a Beautiful Day

The first 2 of the 'Three Tenors' concerts

Jeff Buckley

Maire Brennan (Enya's sister)

The Grateful Dead

Simon and Garfunkel

Katherine Jenkins

Secret Garden

Bryn Terfel

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

Johny Mathis

Caroline Lavelle

And a collection of songs from Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber's musicals.

I would have listened to Willie Nelson, the Bellamy Brothers, Arlo Guthrie and The Band if I could have found them.

Is this what happens as we become more seasoned in life?  (I decided I do not get older, only more savory).

There was a time when, if someone (like a great looking guy on a first date) asked me what kind of music I liked, I would have had an answer. 

Now, apparently, I would be hard-pressed to come up with something I don't like.

I'm not indecisive.... I embrace it all.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby!

As long as I'm confessing secrets here.... Let me give you a recipe that didn't quite work.

It has potential; I just haven't found it's proper venue yet.

It's a sauce made of fresh or frozen peas.

I think I saw the recipe in Cooking Light years ago.  It was Veal Scallops in Fresh Pea Sauce.

It was an interesting idea.

Fresh Pea Sauce

1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken stock
1 tsp white Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried tarragon

Cook the peas in the stock, along with the tarragon, until the peas are tender. Purée.

I briefly sautéed some veal scallops in olive oil and a drop of Balsamic vinegar. I served the veal on the Fresh Pea Sauce.

Opinion?  It was interesting, but I wouldn't do it again. 

The Pea Sauce was good.

The Veal was good

They just didn't seem to belong together.

Determined, I tried it with white asparagus that I sautéed in butter and olive oil  

This worked better. 

First, the colors, with white asparagus, were pretty.

Second, the flavors seemed to match nicely.

It's still not a "Wow!" though.

Maybe I'll try pasta next...

Any suggestions? 

Any music suggestions?

Grilled Shrimp with Pimiento Sauce; Bad mari; Menu of the Week

Grilled Shrimp with Pimiento Sauce

 Anybody watch the New Yankee Workshop?

It's about wood-working and furniture making, mon mari's favorite pastime.

Mon mari is a big fan of the show and has gotten lots of great ideas which he's used in the stuff he makes for us.

Apparently, there is one, very basic, very important, piece of information that he (mon mari) has a hard time with.

At the beginning of every show, Norm points to his goggles and says something to the effect that they are the most important piece of equipment in the workshop.

You can see where this is going, can't you?

Two days before the surgery, mon mari said his eye felt like there was something in it.  He decided it was dust from mowing the field.

After the surgery he said it felt fine... Perhaps there were other areas that trumped it.

It started 'bothering' him on Monday of this week.

On Tuesday he couldn't hold it open.

On Wednesday the doc finally took notice and made a rendez-vous with an ophthalmologist.

On Thursday I got to go with him in the ambulance.  (Here an 'ambulance' is a medical taxi service.  The kind with actual medical equipment in it, is either SAMU, the medical emergency service, or the fire department)

The nice young doc removed a piece the size of this dot . from his eye.

They eye was immediately better and back to normal today.

He (mon mari) finally admitted that it happened in the shop, operating the table saw... Without his goggles.

Bad, bad mari!

Grilled Shrimp (Prawns) with Pimiento Sauce On Herbed Orzo

12oz (350gr) cleaned large shrimp (prawns)
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice - fresh is best
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pepper
Pimiento Sauce

Clean shrimp if needed, if not just rinse and let drain. Mix garlic, paprika, lemon juice and oil in a bowl, whisking well to combine. Add shrimp and toss to coat. To cook on barbecue either put shrimp on skewers or cook in perforated grill pan with a little olive oil. To cook on stove add a little olive oil to a large frying pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes - until shrimp curl and turn opaque. When done, remove from heat.

Pimiento Sauce

4oz (125gr) pimento pimiento (pimento) or roasted red peppers
1 cup (8oz, 240gr) tomato sauce
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
Red pepper flakes, if you want more heat

Finely chop shallot and garlic. Heat oil in small sauce pan over medium heat. Add chili powder, shallot and garlic and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Purée with blender or immersion blender.

In addition to the above, for the week of June 5 we have Avocado, Tomato and Feta Salad, Grilled Lamb Chops with Basil Butter, Patatas Bravas, Salad with Tuna and Walnuts, Burgers, American Potato Salad and more....

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For more recipes visit my internet cook book:  Easy Gourmet Dinners