grilled peaches & oregon blueberries balsamic molasses syrup/ black pepper/ vanilla ice cream Luscious peaches, smoky and warm, right off the grill are paired with plump Oregon blueberries and a small scoop of premium vanilla ice cream. The… Read more

Julia Child Floribunda Rose the color of different shades of butter photo taken in my garden today 8/15/2010 at 5:23 PM Do you remember the first food blog you ever read? I do. It was Champaign Taste. I was about to host a Julia Child themed… Read more

Grilled Eggplant Layered with Spiced Lamb Roasted Tomato, Feta, Mint 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… Read more

Lamb Rack Chops over Toasted Baguette topped with a Slice of Brie Rice Wine Vinegar Blue Agave Mint Sauce and Walnuts Recently in Las Vegas, we had an awesome tapas & sherry dinner at Julian Serrano which I wrote about here. One of the… Read more

Fresh Pacific Swordfish with Chinese Fermented Black Bean Garlic Marinade Fresh Pacific Swordfish with North African Harissa Marinade For a fresh twist, pair your common fish with uncommon flavors! Try these two piquant marinades – from a… Read more

Tagine of Petrale Sole with Artichoke, Olive, Yuzu This fragrant dish is flavored with Italian parsley, thyme, garlic and yuzu (a Japanese citrus)…. Read more

Tagine of Spicy Lamb Meatballs With Chickpeas and Yuzu Served Over Couscous Garnished with Red Chile, Cilantro, and Mint The inspiration for this awesome recipe came from the little cookbook, TAGINE: Spicy Stews from Morocco, by Ghillie… Read more

Fresh Pacific Swordfish Smoked Paprika Breadcrumb Crust Sausage, Chestnut, Pistachio Stuffing Wild Arugula Salad with Pistachios Sherry Vinaigrette We used the same stuffing that filled our pork roast roulade, pictured above, which… Read more

Asparagus Risotto with Gorgonzola Recently I was the happy recipient of some beautiful bundles of thick and thin asparagus from my friends at Gourmet Trading Company. Elegant asparagus’ peak season is Springtime. If you are in the depths of a… Read more

Mexican-style Meatball Soup Pasilla & Cumin Scented Beef Broth with Rice & Zucchini Roasted Chiles from Hatch, New Mexico Garnished with Fried White Corn Tortilla Strips Lime and Cilantro Last summer I wrote about Hatch chiles…. Read more

Organic Rainbow Carrots Roasted with Toasted Sesame Oil Splash of Tamari Miso Butter with Ginger and Garlic Sesame Seed Garnish Who could pass up these beauties at the market? Looking for a holiday side dish? Something colorful,… Read more

I left my heart in San Francisco High on a hill, it calls to me To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars The morning fog may chill the air, I don’t care My love waits there in San Francisco Above the blue and… Read more

Peruvian White Asparagus Shaved Californian Avocado Tarragon Mayonnaise I was shopping at Whole Foods Market today for meat to make a very Autumn-Style dish for a big party this weekend: Stout Braised Short Ribs, a two-day process which we will… Read more

Pistachio Crusted Fresh Opah from Fijian Waters Pomegranate Nectarine Reduction Opah, also called moonfish, weighing up to 200 lbs., is harvested incidentally by long-line boats fishing for tuna and billfish in the Pacific. This fish… Read more

Veal Osso Buco Saffron Risotto Peas & Snow Pea Shoots When my dear friend of many years, Father Adam, comes to town we like to cook! Nothing we make ever takes less than three hours. It’s always an adventure. Last time we… Read more

Dinner for A Sweet New Year Crispy Rosemary Chicken Paillard and Grilled Apples with Truffle Honey Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash, Spinach, Walnuts Israeli Couscous Side Dish Roast cubes of butternut squash with a little… Read more

Steamed Haricots Verts Melting Goat Butter Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper Toss and serve. This ain’t your ordinary “green beans with butter.” A couple years ago we had a magnificent dinner at Alinea, the amazing cutting-edge restaurant… Read more

It’s Hatch Chile Roasting Time! The Hatch Chile Festival is happening this weekend in Hatch, New Mexico, the “Chile Capital of the World.” Although we won’t be making it to the festival, we will be making Hatch Chile Salsa. Remove the skin,… Read more

Broccolini, Torn Ciabatta Croutons, Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. It is also known as asparation (a name derived from its mild asparagus flavor) and baby broccoli (although it is not an… Read more

Fresh Local Peaches Puff Pastry Filled with Peach Jam and Brie A Drizzle of Honey Whipped Crème Fraîche We made this dessert when I was in Chicago visiting my family. We were shopping at Whole Foods Market and asked the produce… Read more

Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon “In France it is usually accompanied only by parsley potatoes; buttered green peas could be included if you wish a green vegetable.” from Mastering the Art of French Cooking In honor… Read more

“A well-roasted chicken is the mark of a fine cook. Even among professionals, it is a source of pride to present a shapely chicken, with beautifully colored skin and perfectly done meat, juicy and tender. There is nothing technically difficult… Read more

Julia’s First Meal in France with Husband, Paul Child (a re-creation) We rolled to a stop in La Place du Vieux Marché, the square where Joan of Arc had met her fiery fate. There the Guide Michelin directed us to Restaurant La… Read more

I hadn’t made this in a long time. Dorado (aka mahi mahi and dolphinfish) fell off my radar. Too bad, fresh dorado is fabulous. It has a sweet mild flavor similar to swordfish, firm texture with large moist flakes. Our local Bristol Farms was… Read more

Butter Lettuce Shell Pasta Thin Asparagus and Petite Peas Tarragon, Basil, Italian Parsley Dijon Vinaigrette Crumbled Feta Smoked Salmon Rosettes Cook frozen petite peas in boiling water with salt for about 3 minutes. Add thin asparagus… Read more