Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

I wanted to prepare a special meal for a friend of mine who is undergoing chemo treatment for her birthday. I couldn't think of anything better than this. I am attaching The Gourmand Mom's blog as she does a superb job describing the dish and the steps to prepare it. Trust me, any man you make it for will get down on one knee and propose before the meal is done. Bon appetit!


https://thegourmandmom.com/2012/08/14/julia-childs-beef-bourguignon/

Food Truck Infatuation

Yes, I AM A FOOD SNOB! I readily admit it. But food comes in many forms and my infatuation recently has been the food trucks from which we partake at the micro brews we frequent. This past week we had an awesome meal from a truck (I don't remember the name) and it was so good I had to come home and replicate it this weekend. It wasn't that it was anything super special, but the paring of the ingredients was just perfect. Fried green tomatoes (yes, it's a Southern thing), homemade black beans, Asian slaw, Sriracha mayo and Pico de Gallo. Topped off with a bit of goat cheese and it was the perfect amount of spicy, sweet, sour, crunchy...just YUM! Part of the fun of eating this way is the disposable dishes.....I HAD to have those for the occasion to make it feel authentic!

No big recipes here other than the Asian Slaw. Any recipe will work, but I chose this one from Alton Brown and it was beautiful and tasty.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/asian-slaw-recipe-1913307

Make black beans, Pico De Gallo, Sriracha mayo and Fried Green Tomatoes. Nothing special here.  Put it all in the "paper boat" and top with some fresh goat cheese. Bon appetit and remember, you aren't lowering your standards....you are just appreciating a new cuisine. The old food truck just ain't what it use to be. Oh yeah, and don't forget the beer!!!!!!

Corn On the Cob with Miso Mayonnaise and Grilled Lettuce with Farron and Lemon

OK, OK, I know....everyone is sick of hearing my rant about Yotam, but I have these beautiful summer vegetables and what better place to turn than Yotam's Plenty More for interesting vegetarian recipes. Tonight's fare definitely did not disappoint.....Grilled romaine with homemade croutons, preserved lemons, farro...what's not to love. I usually make wilted Caesar Salad, but this wilted salad was really good. Super easy, but, of course, heavy on the number of ingredients. Let's move on to the corn with the miso mayonnaise. YUM! I did not realize how flavorful miso is, but I am hooked. I want to find all the yummy miso recipes I can lay my hands on and make them every night. This rocked the Casbah.  Thank you, once again, Yotam, for your ingenuity and pairing interesting herbs, flavors, etc. Tonight's vegetarian fare was a big hit. 

Saffron Chicken and Herb Salad served with Strawberry Spinach Salad

Not my favorite Yotam recipe, but nice and clean. The fennel combined with the orange and all the herbs was refreshing, but it just did not have the creativity or the depth of interest that most of the other Yotam recipes seem to have. Just blogging it here so I will remember the experience. Paired with a delicious strawberry spinach salad with carmelized pecans and poppy seed dressing from the Apron Strings Cookbook from the Junior League of Little Rock which was delicious. Had the girls over and no one complained. Great friends, happy bellies, good times....The food just makes it all the better, no matter what the meal consisted of.......

Next day...side note....upon eating the leftovers, I must add that the fresh fennel is interesting and I neglected to mention I paired it with forbidden black rice which was the perfect side to the tangy, citrus flavors....

http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/saffron-chicken-and-herb-salad-shop

CAMPARI AND GRAPEFRUIT ICE POPS

We tried something tonight that I have wanted to try for ages and FINALLY got around to making. ADULT ice pops! And, boy, were they refreshing. Made up this sweet little treat from the August 2000 issue of Gourmet Magazine. Sugar water, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, Campari and vodka. Just the perfect thing to cool you down on a 100 degree Southern day. They didn't last long! Can't wait to try all the other flavors of adult pops!

http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2000/08/camparipops.html

Braised Eggs with Lamb, Tahini and Sumac

Yotam, Yotam, Yotam.....How I LOVE you and your Jerusalem fusion cuisine. Dinner tonight did not disappoint. Extremely flavorful and an interesting concoction of Israeli spices paired with fresh ingredients. Sooo amazing. Of course, it required about 25 ingredients, but worth the effort. Thank you for your creativity and making me look like a master chef. Your recipes are always foolproof and you always make me look amazing. You are my kindred foodie spirit. Bon appetit! From Yotam's Jerusalem Cookbook.

https://dishnthekitchen.wordpress.com/braised-eggs-with-lamb-tahini-and-sumac/

Tagliatelle with Walnuts and Lemon

Unbelievable!!!!  FINALLY a Yotum recipe with only 10 ingredients, super fast to make and absolutely delicious! Hidden in the middle of his Plenty More cookbook I came across this lovely little pasta dish and thought, "I am not too tired to whip this one up tonight." Glad I did. Came together super fast and delivers an unexpected richness of flavors. Thanks, Yotam, for my Friday night surprise. I don't often make pasta, but I will be making this again. Served with Giada's Cantaloupe, Red Onion and Arugula Salad. (Previously blogged). 

Bon appetit!