toasted french baguette
mashed mayocoba beans with rosemary
chopped fresh baby spinach/ sesame rice wine vinaigrette
savory sautéed mushrooms/ roasted hatch chiles

Here is an über-flavorful appetizer certain to appeal to all of your guests: gourmet, cholesterol-conscious, vegan/vegetarian, and meat-eaters alike. It’s a creamy mayocoba bean mash with fresh rosemary, tender baby spinach dressed with a slightly sweet and toasty vinaigrette, meaty mushrooms, and smoky medium-hot chiles all layered atop sliced toasted baguette.

The inspiration for this crostini came from a favorite salad: Grilled King Trumpets & Shishito Peppers on Rosemary Skewers over Spinach and Roasted Soybeans. The combination of flavors and textures in the salad is extraordinary. Here, similar ingredients are terrific together arranged on slices of toast.

The Hatch Chile Festival is coming up on September 4th and 5th in Hatch, New Mexico, the “Chile Capital of the World.” Fresh Hatch chiles are only available for a limited time at our local market here in LA, and since we can’t attend the festival, we’ll be stocking up! Roasted chiles can be frozen and enjoyed throughout the year. Our first dish of  Hatch chile season is Ultimate Crostini.

fresh hatch chiles from new mexico
the most delicious roasting chile

roasted hatch chiles

remove blistered skin from the roasted chiles, remove stems and seeds
dice, then heat in a bit of olive oil, season with sea salt

mayocoba beans

these plump, yellow tinged, creamy beans are very flavorful
make extra and try them in a salad, with rice, or in a soup

Soak mayocoba beans overnight. Rinse then cook in a deep saucepan with a few cloves of smashed garlic and some salt, covered by a couple inches of water. They should be tender in about an hour. Drain then toss with chopped fresh rosemary, sea salt and olive oil. Roast in a single layer at 400° for about 15 minutes until the skins start to pop open.

Coarsely mash the beans, add more salt and olive oil to taste.

Meanwhile, sauté sliced mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil until browned. Add about 1/4 c. white wine, when the wine evaporates, add about 1/4 c. rich vegetable stock. Let the stock evaporate, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly brush sliced baguette with olive oil, then toast to light brown. Top with bean mash.

Chop fresh baby spinach, dress with a splash of seasoned rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil.

Top the bean mash with spinach, then a few slices of mushroom and finally diced New Mexico Hatch chiles.

Ultimate Crostini @My Legume Love Affair

It has been well over a year since I had the pleasure of hosting My Legume Love Affair 11th Helping, a wildly successful monthly event showcasing legume-centric dishes from around the world created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, now going into its 26th month. Ultimate Crostini with its flavorful mayocoba beans would be a great appetizer to serve at this month’s party, so I’m sending this dish along to August’s gracious hostess, Simona of Briciole blog.

Fans of Hatch chiles might want to try this tasty recipe too: Albondigas Soup with Hatch Chiles

“Mediterranean on the Pacific”
Sunken City Supper Club
Summer Soirée

The Sunken City Supper Club is a fresh, local and secret place to seasonally mingle with friends and neighbors – to enjoy the camaraderie, great food, wine, and the awesome intimate jazz standards performed by local musicians Barry Anthony and Bill Ryan. We hold one event per season, and the menu always reflects seasonal ingredients. Our Sunken City Supper Club events feature a five course fixed menu plus our signature amuse bouche and unique sherry courses.

Supper Clubbers Sally & Al, with a great view!

The 24 guests are emailed the menu in advance so they can bring wines to complement the dinner. The Sunken City Supper Club is a “moveable feast” – the location varies. The Summer Soirée was held at the beautiful home of our friends Gina & Van overlooking the ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The summer menu features many seasonal summertime ingredients typically served along the Mediterranean Sea. The table setting, decor, and colors enhanced the Mediterranean theme.

We are especially proud of this recent dinner, as we have now completed a full year’s cycle of seasonal events:

• The Best of Fall October Dinner
• The Winter White Dinner: Totally Chic
• The Lusty Month of May Springtime Jazz Feast
• Mediterranean on the Pacific Summer Soirée

Over the year we have learned how to run a “restaurant” out of a home kitchen, held many experimental test kitchen dinners, honed our timing skills, gained a new appreciation for that second refrigerator, made new foodie friends, and had a blast! We look forward to another year of Sunken City Supper Club seasonal events!

San Pedro, Los Angeles, California 1929: An entire block along the coast slips seaward and continues to slump into the ocean until 1933. Two of the houses on the seaward side of the street fall into the sea. Others homes on the block are moved to various locations. This area became known as Sunken City, well known to the locals, hence the “secret” name of our Supper Club.

MENU

the essence of summer with a mediterranean twist

pizzette/ beef short rib/ gorgonzola/ wild arugula/ malt vinegar vinaigrette

amuse bouche/ heirloom tomato gelée/burrata cheese/ fresh basil

chilled avocado tarragon bisque/ shrimp/ marcona almond

grilled king trumpet mushroom & padron peppers on rosemary skewers/ baby spinach/
sesame rice wine vinaigrette/ rosemary roasted mayocoba beans

grilled eggplant and spiced lamb napoleon
slow roasted tomato/ feta/ mint/kalamata olive

mascarpone sorbet/ edible hibiscus flower garnish

sherry course/ oloroso sherry/ mini pistachio bundt cake/
grilled peach/ fried halloumi cheese

SUNKEN CITY SUPPER CLUB
FRESH, LOCAL & SECRET
Celebrating summer!

Your Chefs: Gail & Lori Lynn
Your Hosts: Van & Gina
Decor: Sally & Al

pizzette/ beef short rib/ gorgonzola/ wild arugula/ malt vinegar vinaigrette

Extending a special thank you to hosts Gina & Van!

amuse bouche/ heirloom tomato gelée/burrata cheese/ fresh basil

chilled avocado tarragon bisque/ shrimp/ marcona almond

grilled king trumpet mushroom & padron peppers on rosemary skewers/ baby spinach/
sesame rice wine vinaigrette/ rosemary roasted mayocoba beans

grilled eggplant and spiced lamb napoleon
slow roasted tomato/ feta/ mint/kalamata olive

mascarpone sorbet/ edible hibiscus flower garnish

My mascarpone sorbet has been a big hit at many parties since 2008. Here we serve it in espresso cups, garnished with a dried hibiscus flower. The sweet chewy flower with a flavor of tart cherry makes a whimsical accompaniment to the sorbet.

sherry course/ oloroso sherry/ mini pistachio bundt cake/
grilled peach/ fried halloumi cheese

The final course of the night pairs a glass of oloroso sherry with a little pistachio cake, a browned butter sherry glaze and chopped pistachio nuts, a grilled peach brushed with balsamic molasses, and a slightly salty slice of grilled halloumi cheese. Fruit, nuts, cheese, cake and sherry  - a delightful finale to another enchanted evening!

Links to recipes:
pizzette/ beef short rib/ gorgonzola/ wild arugula
amuse bouche/ heirloom tomato gelée/burrata cheese
chilled avocado tarragon bisque
grilled king trumpet mushroom/shishito on rosemary skewers
grilled eggplant and spiced lamb napoleon
mascarpone sorbet/ edible hibiscus flower garnish
oloroso sherry/bundt cake

Fans of the ubiquitous Insalata Caprese made with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil will go wild over our unique Caprese Verrine. Freshly extracted tomato water combined with sea salt and gelatin when chilled, creates a smooth gelée that melts on the tongue tasting of pure tomato flavor, and pure summer heaven! Layered with chopped burrata – fresh mozzarella stuffed with “rags” of mozzarella and heavy cream with all its wonderful delicate creamy, sweet, sour, and earthy flavors. Finished with fresh basil from the garden and our favorite fruity olive oil from California Olive Ranch – this little 2 oz. verrine is our new darling for summer entertaining.

We served the Caprese Verrine as the amuse bouche at our recent Sunken City Supper Club event, “Mediterranean on the Pacific.” It was a fabulous start to an amazing al fresco summer dinner…

Caprese Verrine Recipe

Blend fresh juicy tomatoes in a food processor (or blender) with sea salt.

Press the tomato pulp in a fine mesh sieve to extract all the tomato water.  In a sauce pan, bring 2 c. of tomato water to a simmer. Add 2 t. gelatin and stir gently until gelatin is completely dissolved. Scoop off any foam. Gently pour tomato water into verrines. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until set. We placed some of the verrines tipped to the side in an egg carton to get the gelatin to set on an angle.

Chop burrata cheese, taking care not to lose the cream. Place in a bowl, then spoon the creamy burrata on top of the gelée. Drizzle with good fruity olive oil. Add a bit of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. (If burrata is not available, you can substitute chopped fresh mozzarella mixed with a splash of heavy whipping cream).

Finish with a chiffonade of fresh basil.

We liked the casual look of basil, salt and pepper falling about the little saucer.

Serve the verrines cool, but not too cold, to fully enjoy the tomato and burrata flavors.

Remind your guests to dig the spoon all the way down
to get all the distinct tastes and textures in one bite.

Caprese Verrine: a little bite of summer heaven.

Puff Pastry Pizzette
Red Wine Braised Short Rib
Gorgonzola, Roasted Tomato
Arugula Chiffonade, Malt Vinegar Vinaigrette

May I offer you an appetizer?

We are in summer entertaining mode here @ Taste With The Eyes. Two big parties, back to back. Lots of appetizers! We served this one at both parties, big hit…

Cook short ribs a day ahead.

Brown about 2 lbs. short ribs in half olive oil half butter in an ovenproof casserole. Add a half-bottle of hearty red wine, 2 c. beef broth a few smashed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Cook covered in a 325° oven until tender, about 3+ hours.

Chill overnight. Remove the fat, save the juice, shred the meat. Reheat to assemble the pizzettes.

Cut puff pastry sheets into rounds with a cookie cutter. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350° until golden brown.

Poke a hole in the top of the pastry. Add crumbled gorgonzola cheese.

Top each pizzette with a slice of roasted tomato then about a tablespoon of warm (not hot) shredded short rib.

To make the tomatoes: Slice Roma tomatoes crosswise. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper, dried oregano. Drizzle with olive oil. Cook in a convection oven at 425° until most of the moisture evaporates and the tomato begins to caramelize.

Finish with ribbons of arugula lightly tossed with a small amount of malt vinegar/olive oil/ salt /pepper.

Happy summer entertaining!

CLASSIC BISTRO DUCK AND WILD MUSHROOMS
Sautéed Breast of Duck with Crispy Skin
Oyster, Shiitake, and Porcini Mushrooms in a Beef Stock Reduction

CONTEMPORARY BISTRO DUCK AND WILD MUSHROOMS
Sautéed Breast of Duck, Seasoned with Szechuan Pepper & Flor de Sal
Roasted Wood Ear and Shiitake Mushrooms
Crispy Polenta Cake and Wilted Mizuna Greens
Porcini Reduction Sauce and Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette

BISTRO LORI LYNN

I would like to thank Natasha of 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures for the motivation to makeover my living room into a French Bistro by inviting Taste With The Eyes to participate in the 5 Star Makeover Summer’10 Special! She has asked 10 bloggers to Guest Post over the summer and recreate classic dishes to share on her 5 Star Foodie blog. I am honored to be one of the 10! Thank you Natasha.

We’ve cooked Bistro Duck and Wild Mushrooms Two Ways; CLASSIC and CONTEMPORARY. It was great fun setting the table and searching the house for bistro-style props. We especially enjoyed the makeover: creating le plat du jour. Now both of these duck dishes have a place on le menu at Bistro Lori Lynn.

Bonsoir! Right this way. Your table’s waiting…

To read the entire GUEST POST including recipes on
5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures blog please visit here.

5 Star Makeover Summer’10 Special: Ten special bloggers have been invited to recreate different classic dishes of their choice and share them on the 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures blog. These guest posts will be featured every Monday from June 28 to August 30. This event is sponsored by MarxFoods, an online store that offers fantastic high quality gourmet products. In September, a final roundup of these makeovers will be posted and readers will be able to vote for their favorite recipe to receive a fabulous prize.

The seasons fly by, don’t they? We just held our Lusty Month of May Springtime Jazz Feast, and here we are already testing dishes for our Sunken City Supper Club SUMMER Event, “Mediterranean on the Pacific.”

It will be held at our friends’ home high on the hill in Rancho Palos Verdes overlooking the Pacific Ocean. For this theme we will be imagining that the ocean is the Mediterranean Sea. We’ll be cooking with seasonal summer ingredients and Mediterranean flavors. This dish made the cut…

Eggplant & Spiced Lamb Napoleon

Quarter Roma tomatoes and gently squeeze out juice and seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Kosher salt, pepper, dried Greek oregano, and a little sugar. You can slow-roast at 250° for 2+ hours, or if you are in a hurry do what I call fast-roast: Cook in a convection oven at 425° until most of the moisture evaporates and the tomato begins to caramelize.

Meanwhile sauté diced onion and green bell pepper in olive oil until soft, add minced garlic.

Gently brown seasoned ground lamb then drain off the fat.

Add the lamb to the onion mixture.

Toast fennel seeds in a dry skillet for a few minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the seeds. Add peeled diced tomatoes, ground cinnamon, dried Greek oregano, and fennel seeds to the lamb mixture. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.

SUMMER GRILLING

Rub sliced eggplant with kosher salt and let sweat on paper towels for an hour, turning once, to remove much of the moisture. Then rinse off the salt, pat dry, and brush with olive oil. Grill over medium high heat. Slice the eggplant in generous portions so it doesn’t shrivel up on the grill.

Speaking of eggplant, I hope you had a chance to enter my Blog 3rd Anniversary GIVEAWAY!

It’s not too late!

Simply leave a comment on the Blog is 3! Celebrating with King Trumpets and Shishito Peppers! post for an opportunity to win a copy of Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables by midnight PDT June 24th.

Trotter is a master of vegetables. One of the eggplant recipes in this book is Eggplant and Potato Cannelloni with Wilted Spinach and Cardamom-Carrot Juice. Seriously, this is the most inspiring vegetable cookbook ever written! And wherever you reside in this big beautiful world, I am happy to ship it to you! No restrictions. To help me celebrate this milestone, please leave a comment and enter to win! And as always, thank you for your support, readership, and encouragement.

Finish the spiced lamb with chopped fresh mint and crumbled feta.

To assemble: place an eggplant round in the center of a plate. Scoop some of the lamb on top, then another eggplant round, lamb, then top with a third piece of eggplant. Surround the Napoleon with roasted tomatoes and chunks of feta. Garnish with a drizzle of olive and mint.

We seat up to 24 people at our Sunken City Supper Club event, so in addition to being seasonal and tasting great, we need to be able to prepare and execute the dishes in a home kitchen. If you are looking for a great summer dish to serve to a crowd, definitely consider this one! And please stop by later in July to read about the Mediterranean on the Pacific event!

FAMILY MAN

Wishing a very Happy Father’s Day to my dear brother, Don, awesome dad to my nephews, Stone, 7, and Jett, 5 and to all fathers out there on this the 100th anniversary of Father’s Day!

And Happy Summer too!

Grilled King Trumpet Mushrooms &  Shishito Peppers on Rosemary Skewers
Baby Spinach and Rosemary Roasted Golden Soybeans
Toasted Sesame Oil & Tomato Water

Pleurotus eryngii
King Trumpet Mushroom also known as King Oyster, Eryngii, Pleorote du Panicaut,
Argonane, Bouligoule, Champignon de Garrigue, Cardoncello, Cardarello

Taste With The Eyes is 3 years old!

Cooking, photographing, writing, then ultimately sharing my culinary adventures on Taste With The Eyes is a source of much joy for me. This little food blog is an ongoing learning experience, a terrific creative outlet, and a source of pride. It has opened doors and provided new opportunities. It is the means with which to connect with fellow foodies, and a wonderful way make new friends with various interests and passions from all around the globe. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share food and ideas and experiences with you.

Reading your blogs provides an awesome source of inspiration, a conduit of creativity, and a heartfelt connection through your personal stories. Your enthusiasm is infectious. I cook, dine, laugh, and cry with you.

Your kind, knowledgeable, clever, and sometimes funny comments are deeply appreciated. I learn so much from you, way beyond food and cooking. You amaze and inspire me.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

The words above I penned on last year’s anniversary. Today, I feel the same, times 365. It is my absolute pleasure to get to know you through your blogs. And extra special this year – was a true honor to meet several bloggers in person at the San Francisco Foodbuzz Festival, in Chicago, and in LA at a food writing seminar. I never imagined on June 10, 2007 when I taught myself how to upload a photo of my family’s dinner at Charlie Trotter’s Kitchen Table (that’s me on the right), that this little hobby would blossom into such a gratifying experience.

In honor of the three year anniversary and the very first post, I turned to Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables cookbook for inspiration. His recipe for Grilled Porcini Mushrooms with Tomato Water became my muse. The journey began with fresh Shishito peppers and King Trumpet mushrooms…

Shishito Peppers are popular in Japan; thin-walled and mild with just a whisper of heat. Every once in a while, though, you’ll come across a hot one!

To cook shishito, simply toss in a bit of olive oil, throw them on the grill, finish with some sea salt. We’ll be grilling these all summer.

I wish you could smell the tomato water. It screams summer. Simply pureé beefsteak tomatoes in a food processor with some salt. Place the pureé in a fine mesh sieve and strain the juice. “Tomato water acts as the contrasting backdrop and further highlights the haunting characteristics of the mushrooms,” explains Trotter.

Soak rosemary sticks in water for a few hours. When grilling try to keep the leaves away from the direct fire so they don’t burn.

The stout King Trumpet grows wild on the buried roots of hardwood trees and is popular in Europe and Japan.

The stem and the cap of the King Trumpet are firm and thick-fleshed, so require more cooking time than other less “meaty” mushrooms.

Trim off only the very bottom of the mushroom then season with toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper. Toss the shishito with olive oil and salt. Thread the mushrooms and peppers onto the rosemary sticks.

Toss boiled soybeans with olive oil, coarse salt, and minced rosemary. Roast in a 350°oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden.

Toss baby spinach leaves with a drizzle of half olive oil/half toasted sesame oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Then add room-temperature rosemary roasted soybeans.

Grilling is a little tricky because the peppers cook faster than the mushrooms, and  you don’t want to burn the rosemary. I found that cooking over medium heat on a covered barbecue grill works best, check on them often.

Mound the spinach and soybeans on the plate. Place two mushroom skewers on the spinach. Finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a drizzle of tomato water.

The texture of King Trumpets is reminiscent of abalone. The taste is earthy, meaty, exotic! Extraordinary!

GIVEAWAY – My Gift To You

It would bring me great joy to send a copy of  Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables to each and every one of you. Alas, I can share my enthusiasm for the book with you all, but can only ship a copy to one of you. Hopefully, this small gesture will help to convey my gratitude. Simply leave a comment on this post by June 24th for a chance to receive your own copy of Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables. The fortunate recipient will be chosen using random.org. The winner will be posted on Taste With The Eyes on June 26th.

“Charlie Trotter is passionate about vegetables. In this glorious volume, he presents more than 80 recipes from his famous vegetable menu. In keeping with his commitment to serving seasonal produce, the recipes are divided into 12 chapters, one for each month of the year, based on when the dishes’ ingredients reach their zenith. If you favor the earth’s purest and most complexly flavored offerings, epiphany lies within the pages of Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables.“

This is one awe-inspiring cookbook! Good luck! Bonne chance!

Merci Beaucoup!

So, to Father Adam, Allison, Marie, Courtney, Stacey, Cynthia, Susan, Paul, Luiz, Laurie, Lori, Linda, Lisa, Nina, Peter, Joan, Claudia, Christina, Cristina, Ronell, Merisi, Chrystal, Amir, Simona, Matt, Josh, Danny, Darius, Alexa, Kiersten, Ryan, Dorian, Teri, Lynn, Dorothy, Greg, Val, Mardi, Penny, Debi, Jude, Marla, Sylvia, Mark, Marc, Jen, Jenn, Marvin, Paz, Ben, Kait, T.W., Giz, Psychgrad, Foodbin, Caveman, Natasha, Bren, Barbara, Pam, Kevin, Julia, Julie, Sylvia, Frank, Tash, Val, Erica, Erika, Sanam, Romee, Bee, Nuria, Emily, Rico, Charlotte, Lauren, Gail, Velva, Stephanie, Jonny, Amy, Sandi, Todd, Diane, Denise, Petrea, Krissy, Kristy, Judi, Amy, Sommer, Alison, Kathleen, Eileen, Jean, Vicki, Geri, Cherine, Nik, Kristi, Leah, Sara, Sarah, Heather, Molly, Deanna, Abbi, Sook, Tien, Kelly, Linn, Tori, Tom, Amanda, Dara, Mary, Ann, Elra, Alta, Joumana, Belinda, Elin, Maria, Shell, Carol, Hing, Kim, Scott, Dawn, Pamela, Elizabeth, Dennis, Juliana, Fifi, Rosa, Cara, Kathy, Lazaro, Tam, Roxan, Joy, Ivy, Reiko, Jeannie, Meghan, Abby, Skylar, David, Noelle, Casey, Nash, Olga, Louise, Audrey, Andra, Gina, Sally, Peggy, Peg, Davida, Lynn, Sasha, Cassie, Brian,  Janine, Stella, Noni, Anupama, Joann, Tony, Andrea, Laura, Mowie, Zara, Mo, Tony, Alissa, Poonam, Nancy, Teri, Abraham, Dee, Deeba, Grace, Bianca, Mickey, Erin, Bonnie, Liz, Katja, Ariel, Brooke, Joelle, and all my dear friends in the big bounteous blogosphere:

Thank you for your support, friendship, and inspiration!

Lori Lynn

SUNKEN CITY SUPPER CLUB

FRESH, LOCAL & (not so) SECRET (anymore)

presents

The Lusty Month of May: Springtime Jazz Feast

Our Sunken City Supper Club events feature live music, and awesome location, and a five course fixed menu plus a our signature amuse bouche and unique sherry courses.

The Sunken City Supper Club is a fresh, local and (not so) secret place to seasonally mingle with friends and neighbors – to enjoy the camaraderie, great food, wine, the awesome intimate jazz standards performed by local musicians Barry Anthony and Bill Ryan. We hold one event per season, and the menu always reflects seasonal ingredients.

Guests are emailed the menu in advance so they can bring wines to complement the dinner. The Sunken City Supper Club is a “moveable feast” – the location varies. We held the Spring affair at my place. The gorgeous centerpieces were arranged with fresh cut roses from my garden, accented with rosemary from Gail’s garden. My dear friend Gail and I are the Chefs and Gardeners. This spring menu features edible flowers, herbs, and citrus that we are growing ourselves.

San Pedro, Los Angeles, California 1929: An entire block along the coast slips seaward and continues to slump into the ocean until 1933. Two of the houses on the seaward side of the street fall into the sea. Others homes on the block are moved to various locations. This area became known as Sunken City, well known to the locals, hence the “secret” name of our Supper Club.

Come, celebrate this lusty month with us! It’s May!
Lori Lynn

the menu

“the essence of spring with an asian twist -
plus a hint of french, italian, and spanish too”

fresh spring rolls/ shrimp/ peanuts
spicy sesame lime dipping sauce

verrine/ petite peas/ mint/ pine nuts/ goat cheese/ sprouts
grilled baguette

steamed savory custards/ crab/ shiitake/ lemongrass/ coconut/ cilantro

meyer lemon salad/ endive/ fava bean/ kalamata olive/ violas

smoky braised and grilled lamb/ anise/ ginger/ tamari/ garlic
baby bok choy/ polenta/ miso butter

fresh mango and old-fashioned tapioca/ citrus leaf/nasturtium flower

oloroso sherry/ mini sherry bundt cake/ marcona almonds/ manchego cheese

Below is a photograph of each of the seven courses, including a link to the recipe.

appetizer

fresh spring rolls/ shrimp/ peanuts
spicy sesame lime dipping sauce

Spring roll recipe at the very end of this post, please scroll down.

amuse bouche

verrine/ petite peas/ mint/ pine nuts/ goat cheese/ sprouts
grilled baguette

Awesome recipe by Ronell of My French Kitchen here.

we served custard instead of a soup course

steamed savory custards/ crab/ shiitake/ lemongrass/ coconut/ cilantro

Recipe adapted from Taste With The Eyes here.

salad

meyer lemon salad/ endive/ fava bean/ kalamata olive/ violas

Recipe on Taste With The Eyes here.

main

smoky braised and grilled lamb/ anise/ ginger/ tamari/ garlic
baby bok choy/ polenta/ miso butter

Lamb recipe on Taste With The Eyes here.

Creamy Polenta and Bok Choy: Cook the polenta was usual then before serving add a good amount of milk and stir until creamy, finish with plenty of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. The baby bok choy is sliced lengthwise then steamed in vegetable broth until soft. Bok choy is placed on the polenta then topped with miso butter.

Miso Butter:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 2 – 3 T. white miso (depending on saltiness)
• 1 1/2 t. garlic minced
• 1 1/2 t. fresh ginger minced

Mix all ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor. You can make the miso butter ahead of time and keep it on hand. It is great on vegetables, fish, noodles, and oh, please try it on a grilled rib-eye steak!

dessert

fresh mango and old-fashioned tapioca/ citrus leaf/nasturtium flower

The recipe for a heart-healthy version of tapioca pudding can be found on Taste With The Eyes here, for our party, however, we used real eggs and whole milk.

sherry course

oloroso sherry/ mini sherry bundt cake/ marcona almonds/ manchego cheese

Recipe on Taste With The Eyes here.

The Lusty Month of May
Julie Andrews in Camelot c. 1960

It’s May! It’s May, that gorgeous holiday!
That darling month when everyone throws self-control away!

It’s May! It’s May, the month of Yes You May…
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray…

FRESH & LOCAL

from our gardens…

persian lime for spicy sesame lime dipping sauce

meyer lemons for meyer lemon salad

nasturtium flowers as garnish for mango tapioca verrine

rosemary as garnish for mini bundt cake and in flower arrangements

violas in meyer lemon salad

parsley in meyer lemon salad and as garnish for lamb

mint with pea in amuse bouche and in fresh spring rolls

FROM MY ROSE GARDEN

For our springtime table we chose the roses the color of sorbet; raspberry, apricot, peach, and lemon.

gail’s arrangements are breathtaking

SUNKEN CITY SUPPER CLUB

FRESH, LOCAL &  (not so) SECRET
Celebrating May!

PARTY SCENES

spring table setting

assembling custards

serving amuse bouche

steamed custards

supper clubbers

violas

gail and marlene garnish salad

joe serves main course

assembling dessert

gail talks sherry

kitchen scene

Fresh Spring Rolls
Recipe

Originally I thought we could slice the spring rolls like sushi rolls and serve on a big platter with dipping sauce in the middle. But after a test run, we determined that everyone needed their own dipping sauce and chopped peanuts so we cut the rolls in half, and served dipping sauce in an espresso cup on individual plates.

The hardest part of making these fresh spring rolls was finding the wrappers, 8 1/2 inch dried rice paper rounds. A trip to an Asian market was the answer.

Fill a pie plate with cold water. Dip the rice paper in the water then spread it flat between two clean damp towels. In a few minutes the rice paper will be pliable. Peel off the top towel then assemble the the roll as follows.

First place a piece of red leaf lettuce on the lower half. Top with thin rice stick noodles, cooked according to the package directions and cooled.

Prepare batons of cucumber and carrot ahead of time. Toss the carrot with some sugar and let sit for 15 minutes, this softens the carrot. Place carrot and cucumber on top of the noodles, then top with fresh mint.

Roll the bottom of the rice paper over the veggies as tight as possible to complete one turn, then fold in the sides. Next, place shrimp and cilantro leaves on the rice paper then finish the roll. I cut the shrimp in half crosswise so they would not be too thick to balance with the other ingredients.

After rolling several spring rolls, I learned to place the shrimp with the pretty pink side facing out, and the same with the bright green side of the cilantro leaves, that makes a very pretty presentation when the roll is completed. The rolls can be kept refrigerated covered with damp towels for several hours, but don’t let them touch or they’ll stick together. Bring the rolls back to room temperature before serving.

Spicy Sesame Lime Dipping Sauce

• fresh lime juice
• sesame oil
• tamari
• rice wine vinegar
• fish sauce
• sugar
• minced garlic
• minced ginger
• thinly sliced serrano

Combine all ingredients in about equal parts, taste and adjust the flavor to your liking. Make ahead so the ginger, garlic, and chile infuse the sauce.

The perfect party starter! Individual portions are the way to go.

foodbuzz 24X24

Extending a special thank you to the folks at Foodbuzz for choosing the Sunken City Supper Club’s Lusty Month of May: Springtime Jazz Feast as a participant in the Month of May’s 24×24 event! Foodbuzz 24×24 showcases posts from 24 Foodbuzz Featured Publisher bloggers, the monthly Foodbuzz 24 highlights unique meals occurring around the globe during a 24-hour period. “From San Francisco, to Sydney, to San Pedro!”

the food rocked, the setting & music were awesome,
but it’s the people who make the party!

gail, barry, bill, sally, al, denise, ted, paul, lou, shelby, todd, marlene, and joe

thank you so much!

Next up:

A Steamy Summer Affair

featuring

A Hot Mediterranean Menu!

Will you be in town? Come, join us!

Other Sunken City Supper Club Posts:

The Winter White Dinner

The Best of Fall Dinner

One signature of our Sunken City Supper Club is a Sherry Course. We’re in love with Sherry! We tested this mini sherry Bundt cake with sherry glaze, garnished a sprig of rosemary, paired it with roasted and salted Spanish Marcona almonds as we sipped Oloroso sherry. Bingo!  Sweet, salty, crunchy, nutty, creamy, toasty…

Last December I was contacted by Challenge Dairy’s Marketing Team to see if I might want to receive a sample, cook with their butter, and write about it on Taste With The Eyes. Happy to, especially since Challenge Butter is the brand I use. Back then I shared these delightful Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Miso Butter (recipe here).

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Miso Butter

Recently the folks at Challenge Dairy paired up with the folks at Nordic Ware and shipped out some new goodies. I was especially excited to receive the adorable Bundt Tea Cake & Candy Mold, Challenge Butter coupons (available here, just click on your state) and a Bundt cookbook! Cookbooks are always welcome…thanks so much!

Jupiter aligned with Mars! As we were looking for something tasty to pair with Oloroso Sherry at our upcoming affair, I came across a recipe for Almond Sherry Cake in my new Bundt cookbook! And not being an advanced baker, it is my kind of cake recipe; it uses a mix!

The original recipe calls for sliced almonds and a streusel filling. I modified the recipe to serve as mini cakes:

• 1 pkg. 18 oz.yellow cake mix
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 c. cream sherry
• 3/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 pkg.  3.5 oz. instant vanilla pudding
• fresh grated nutmeg

Lightly coat mini Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Mix at low speed one minute, then at medium speed 3 minutes. Spoon into pan and bake at 350° for about 15- 20 minutes.

Sherry Glaze

Three Ingredients: Cream Sherry, Powdered Sugar, and Challenge Premium Butter

Mix the following ingredients together. Add a teaspoon or two of hot water to get the right consistency to drizzle over the mini cakes. We use a less expensive (but still tasty) cream sherry in the recipes/ serve with a higher end sherry for sipping.

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. melted butter
• 2 T. cream sherry

Bodega Dios Baco NV Oloroso Sherry, Jerez, Spain

Aromas of nuts, vanilla and caramel.

Rich nutty semi-sweet creamy flavor.

Great balance between sweet and dry.

For more on delicious Vinos de Jerez, please visit the Bodega Dios Baco website here.

For an extra kick we plan to add a few slices of shaved Spanish Manchego cheese on the plate when we serve these at our party.

UPDATE: Read about our Sunken City Supper Club Springtime Jazz Feast event here!

Cross-cut Lamb Shank braised until tender
in tamari, water, ginger, star anise, garlic, and sugar.

Finished on the grill and served with
a velvety aromatic sauce made from the braising liquid.

We are still in “test kitchen” mode, preparing a menu for our upcoming Sunken City Supper Club dinner affair. We serve ingredients that reflect the season at our events, so this one in Spring will include lamb. And, folks, we have a winner here! Back in September of ‘08 Father Adam and I cooked Mark Bittman’s “Braised and Grilled Lamb Shanks.” That was a dish we haven’t forgotten, please take a look here to see exactly why that is.

We’re making that idea work for a large party by having our butcher cross-cut the shanks as we did for the Roman-style Orange Peel and Sage Osso Buco at our Sunken City Supper Club winter event.

Arrange the shanks in an oven-proof dish. Add braising liquid. Cover with foil and cook at 325° for about 3 hours until very tender.

Braising Liquid:

• 1/4 c. low-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
• 1 c. water
• several thin slices of ginger (we use a vegetable peeler)
• 5 whole star anise
• 4 smashed cloves of garlic
• 1 T. sugar

Remove meat from the baking dish and set aside. When meat has cooled slight, trim off excess fat.

Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids.

Use a gravy separator to remove the fat from the liquid. Pour liquid into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Whisk while adding small amounts of buerre manié until the sauce reaches its desired consistency and the flour is cooked adequately. Taste for seasoning. We did not need to add any salt as the tamari provided the right balance of saltiness. This sauce is very aromatic with heady scents of anise, ginger and garlic.

Meanwhile, grill the lamb until nicely browned.

Serve the smoky tender lamb in a pool of the shiny intoxicating sauce. This will be a big hit!

It is a challenge to photograph brown meat with a brown sauce, no?

The most photogenic food, in my opinion it’s the egg.

What do you think?

My eggy compilation here.