Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb...a memory from my childhood when my Great Grandmother, Gigi, would make the most delicious rhubarb strawberry pies. Now, I am not a huge pie maker, but I still remember the delicious tartness of the pies and when my sister in law hands me a pound of fresh cut rhubarb I wasted no time making a rhubarb compote. SUPER simple. I chose Jaime Oliver's recipe for the simplicity and the added orange and ginger side notes. Delicious! The first night I served it alongside grilled chicken. Second night, a small dish aside some cheese and delicious crackers at a party and tomorrow will see it at a picnic on top of homemade vanilla ice cream. Very versatile. A short lived and often overlooked "vegetable", but it adds a zest to so many things that I will continue to try to find uses for this easy side dish. Bon appetit!!!!!!!

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/stewed-rhubarb-and-vanilla-yoghurt/

Thailand Spicy Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato

I love this soup. Very fresh flavors melding together to make soup, one of the most nourishing comfort foods on the planet, and a bright finish to the flavor. Although it is summer in VA we still are enjoying soup! This particular soup is light, but filling. A perfect soup for this time of year as it is light and bright and the flavors just explode. It's beautiful as well and the crowd was impressed! The recipe calls for chicken, but shrimp would work well also. Bon appetit!

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spicy-curry-noodle-soup-with-chicken-and-sweet-potato

Julia Child's Provencal Beehive Cake

Only about four times in my life have I set out to make this cake, but it is one of my very favorites. The brioche dough is what I use to make cinnamon rolls, etc. and is a delightful French treat that is not sappy sweet and more of the consistency of a pastry than a cake.  Filled with amazing rum flavored butter cream and served with a side of fresh berries and a cup of tea/coffee you feel as elegant as if you were having high tea with Her Majesty. Published in Julia's original cookbook, The Way To Cook, you can find a miriad of uses for the dough. While delicious, a word of caution when making this....the ambient temperature can have a huge impact on the results. It is spring here in Virginia, and although not super hot, I found the butter (yes, there is a lot in this dough) began to ooze out and I had to turn on the air conditioning and keep it a bit cooler, despite the fact that I wanted the dough to rise. It is a complex, but rewarding balancing act of time and attention to get this one right. Julia makes it look so simple. And then there is the full time and attention you must devout to the butter cream filling...trying to get the sugar water to the perfect stage and then incorporate it into the eggs without precooking them, only to beat the heck out of them to insure they are cooked, but not overcooked....Not a recipe for the faint of heart.  The good news??????? How can so much butter and so many eggs be bad?????????? While there is a trick to every stage to get it just right, in the end, the amazing ingredients taste so awesome that I'm sure Julia would give you an A just for effort. I find that making 1/2 the dough is sufficient and feeds a large number of people. It is very filling. Bon appetit!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Julia, for making it OK to eat so much butter!!!!

https://books.google.com/books?id=pzzHQdIXlPYC&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=julia+childs+beehive+cake+recipe&source=bl&ots=5yPI1w7OhQ&sig=c2y0i6-TJ6BqpcsTZwM3llyHudc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje9bbRxu_aAhWIMd8KHWfJDKcQ6AEIeDAO#v=onepage&q=julia%20childs%20beehive%20cake%20recipe&f=false

Pulled Pork BBQ

This recipe is so tangy and yummy. The guys all love it and beg me to make it whenever possible. Making pulled pork couldn't be any easier, (seriously?! If the guy who has the show 'How to Boil Water' can do it, anyone can) just rub it and cook it low and slow. Then just pull it and serve with sauce and homemade coleslaw.  The cider vinegar sauce is super tangy, but you can make any kind of sauce to serve with the pork. We just happen to like this one. Bon appetit, all my Southern friends!  (No pictures as they devoured it immediately).

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pulled-pork-barbecue-recipe-1953137

Thai Peanut Tofu or Chicken Noodles

So, I love Thai food and have been trying to learn how to make more dishes lately that will familiarize me with the spices of the region. I actually turned down a trip to Thailand in January due to scheduling conflicts, but it is on my list and may happen as soon as next year. In the meantime, here is a simple dish that one friend turned me on to that was super quick and simple. I did use tofu which is something I don't really ever cook with, but I gave it a try to see if it might pass the vegetarian daughter in law test. It did. I also opted for the udon noodles. I would make this again and think it would be great with chicken. I think it's a very Americanized version of a Thai dish, but still yummy. Bon appetit.

https://www.daringgourmet.com/thai-peanut-tofu-noodles/

Braised Oxtails with Fresh Pasta & Tomato Gremolata

Yumminess in new places. WHO KNEW about oxtails? Not me! Well, it was a first and super yummy. A little bit cumbersome to work around the bone, a little bit fatty (which I love) and super yummy done in the pressure cooker. Thanks to Will and Alex for coming over and being adventurous! LOVE LOVE to try new things with folks who love food as much as I do. Beautiful presentation with all the veges and the tomato Gremolata was a nice finishing touch. For the first experience with this new food I would say it was delicious. Turns out folks really use to use ox tails, but now the term refers to cow tails. Supposedly good for making soup or stew, I will have to give that a try sometime. Bon appetit!

Cooking note...we did not dredge the meat first. It was all just kind of put in the pressure cooker together and came out delicious. The Tomato Gremolata was just put on room temperature on top of the cooked dish. 

Gomashio

What is Gomashio????

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomashio

Wikipedia doesn't mention how delicious it is. Or how really amazingly good for you it is. It benefits digestion, the vascular system, acts as an antacid to help heal anemia,hypoglycemia, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory diseases associated with an acidic diet, improves energy as well as a number of other hemostatic properties.  Easy to make and delicious used in place of table salt this homemade condiment is an awesome addition to any diet. (I added a small amount of Nori and some dried Shitake mushrooms to mine).

Bon appetit (gochiso-sama)!