Some of Thanksgiving

I hope everyone stopping by had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.

Our family got together at mom's house.  We certainly miss all our parents, their presence is so missed.

So I fixed the Lamb Racks.  You know I love the smell as it cooks, I just can't handle the taste.  Hubby loves them.

Of course I made the lechon pork bellies.

Made the tomato soup, I think it tasted different this time, not too sure what I did different. But I was working on a few things. 

Expiremented with Pumpkin and Day Old Krispy Kremes.  I usually make a Bread Pudding with those left overs so this was a Pumpkin Krispy Bread Pudding

 My sister in law's Sweet Potatoes.

My daughter's Short Ribs

Shun was sure busy

My Cranberry Conserve which we forgot to bring out to go with the Turkey.  

Hmmmm I notices the guys are all here eating.. Hehehe.

I made the Garlic Mashed Potatoes, thank goodness for the ricer.

To snack on earlier in the day,  Chinese Roast Duck Congee that I made as well.

Happy Thanksgiving Week

Hello everyone, I know it's been a while since I've posted any meals.  I'm so busy at the office

and my 72 mile commute each way it's wearing on me. So by the time I get home it's something fast and have been either dining out on the weekends or that is when I actually cook.

So last night it was Au Gratin Potatoes, Kobe and Lobster.



Tonight, well.....I labored of love and made Lobster Risotto.  Last nights shells I boiled for a while, pulverised those shells and saved that broth for the Risotto and voila, here it is. 

Lobster Risotto Ingredients

2 8-ounce uncooked lobster tails ( If you can get the whole lobster’s that will be better).  The more the merrier.

3 ½ cups seafood stock (I buy the seafood stock at Podesto’s in the soup section it’s in a box, and I use Lobster Stock concentrated it’s in a jar “Better than Boullion”).Reserve the stock from cooking the lobsters. This becomes part of the above stock.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons white or black truffle oil to finish. ( I found truffled butter in Sac., but Podesto’s has concentracted black truffle in a tube it's great)

1/4 cup chopped shallots and leeks.  I love leeks, just the white part and clean well.

1 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup brandy or white wine

1/3 cup whole milk or cream for the end.

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 T butter to use sparingly throughout
Directions

Preheat oven 425.
Cook lobster in large pot of simmering salted water until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes depending on size.  I also put thyme and aromatics in the water to season. Transfer to bowl of cold water to cool. Drain lobster. Remove meat from shells; reserve shells. Cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces.

Break shells into large pieces. Place on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Blend shells with 1 cup chicken broth in blender until finely chopped. Strain through fine sieve. Reserve lobster broth; discard shells. I bypass this and just blend and add to stock then put it all through sieve.  So if you don't feel like putting them in the oven it's fine, put through the sieve twice.


Bring 2 1/2 cups seafood/lobster broth to simmer; keep hot. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cippolini onions, leeks sliced and shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add brandy or wine ; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until brandy is absorbed, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add lobster broth. Simmer until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding remaining broth by 1/4 cupfuls as needed and stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add lobster and cream; stir until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons truffle oil and chives. Season with salt and pepper.

Finish with truffle oil, now if you have Truffled Butter add some of that and Bon appetit!
Serves 4.

1st stab at Porchetta

My hubby had to work today., so stayed home after going to market and overcame with a thought to make a Porchetta.  The Fatted Calf in Napa really makes a good one and I find it quite tasty. I forget now where I sampled another one and it had too much flavor that you didn't get to taste the meat.

So mine was simple the stuffing was Panko, Green Onion, Sage, Rosemary, Parmesan, a little Feta Cheese and 1 large Crimini Mushroom and olive oil

Thank goodness for my Turbo Oven. Forget the Nu Wave.  My Turbo oven was $49.00.

The veggies, I caramelized shallots and yellow onion then added some garlic, then the zucchini and bell pepper.  Added some black truffle paste and fnished it off with some veal broth and butter. Threw in some chives and voila!.

Bon Appetit!

Wonton Pi Soup with Chicken and Sweet Pea Sprouts

I love Wonton Soup but if the Wonton is funky I won't like it.

But I like really only the Wonton Pi, I had some left over fried chicken drummettes, so I shredded that.

Cut up the Wonton Pi and after it was all said and done with good chicken broth I placed the Swee Pea Sprouts. mmmmm good.



Custard Cornbread

I love Custard Cornbread

So here it is which went wonderful with the Short Rib Chili.

I only made a half batch of this too.



Malted Blondies

Malted Butterscotch Blondies

I have a tendancy to see a recipe I like and will only make a half batch.

So that is what I did here.

Malted Butterscotch Blondies with Mac Nuts and Valrhon Crisps.



Short Rib Chili

Well, today is Columbus Day.  I planned to do a road trip to Napa, but it was kinda cloudy, then rainy, then augh...so stayed home and relished in my kitchen.

So today, well, at lunch I made Pizza I had made Pizza in while and still had the touch and thanks to Wolfgang Puck, love his recipe and I improvised or added more things.   Sorry I forgot to take pictures of that one today. 

But this is a Short Rib Chili, adapted from Giada DeLaurentis' recipe, I changed a few things and I did not add the espresso, I only put 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa into the sauce.



Surf and Turf Tonight Paired with 2007 Duckhorn Merlot

Surf and Turf my way

Paired with 2007 Duckhorn Merlot

Snake River Kobe New York with a Veal Stock Reduction Sauce with Porcini Mushroom

Hawaiian Butterfish with a French Bread Crust

Baby French Green Beans with Caramelized onions and Shitakes

Braised Tri-tip with Mexican Seasonings and my Pico de Gallo

Also for during the week, Braised Tri-tip with mexican seasonings made some of my Pico de Gallo.

On hand corn and flour tortillas.

Cat Cora Tapenade

Saw Cat Cora's Tapenade in our local market.

Bought these 2 will try soon.



Soon to be Twice Baked Potatoes

Well, I had some potatoes, had cheese, had chives and sour cream. So whipped these up.  I'll bake them off tomorrow.



Chocolate Covered Pork Rinds

I received an email on these yesterday.

I was at home today while hubby worked, so I started to prep this weeks meals.

Well after pondering........I went to the market bought some Baconet's and Voila!!!

I always have chocolate here so I made some and they are delicious.  Who would have thought?

The email I got was a place in August, Georgia makes em....well now I did and might have to make the rest of the bag. :-)

Napa and Sonoma Vacay last month

We weren't able to take our flight this date, but next time maybe in November or will have to wait until spring.

Darioush Winery, surprised me I did enjoy it.  They have the best Pistachio nuts there and serve with the tastings.

Inside the Cave at Kenzo, quite immaculate.

Need I say more, love this wine.

 The pool at Solage Resort.  Love it here too.

From The Best Thing I ever Ate episode.  Steak Frites at Solbar.  Snake River/Kobe with Frites.  Onolicious!!!

Kenzo Wines

Kenzo Wine Glasses

Outside Kenzo

 Pappas Lunch Flight at Kenzo/Food by Bouchon (T Keller)

My Couscous Salad lunch flight at Kenzo Winery/Bouchon of course.

Fish Story Restaurant, Napa, CA. Fish and Chips

Pappa's Surf and Turf Fish Story Restaurant

Dining Room at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA.  (Charlie Palmer)

A. Rafanelli was a good wine choice for the evening.  Especially when we did 2 other tastings that day.

Burrota Ravioli with a pickled watermelon and tomato consomme'

Brioche Crusted Halibut with a pea mousse and pickled onions

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Pickled Beets, and Spicy Shrimp

Kobe Hanger with onion marmalade

Yogurt Semifreddo with Candied Pistachio nuts and hmmmm I can't remember

Pappa's dessert at Dry Creek

Finale from Dry Creek, Gelee', Biscotti and Brownies


Then we went to the city (Mill Valley had dinner at Tyler Florence and Sammy Hagar's El Paseo Chop House)

Lobster and Gulf Prawn Risotto finished with Black Truffle Oil and Chives

I don't normally eat Risotto.  It has to be really, I mean really good.   The best I had was at Plumed Horse in Saratoga, CA.   It was a Lobster one and omg all the truffle our waiter put on my bowl.  I was in heaven.

I really love the tast of Black Truffles.  Seems to be my oyster.

Instead of using all stock, I used 1 cup of Rombauer Chardonnay and drank the rest of course and 2.5 cups of Lobster and seafood stock with a pinch of Saffron just enough to tast.

Bon Appetiti.