where the image is meant to titillate and inspire the cook
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…
Continue reading “Oloroso Sherry/ Mini Bundt Cake/ Marcona Almonds”
James Beard called tapioca pudding, “a most refreshing dessert…delicious to the taste.” This twist on the classic old-fashioned tapioca pudding recipe is heart-healthy and simply delightful!
Fat-free, cholesterol-free, and gluten-free yet creamy and satisfying this pudding pairs wonderfully with juicy fragrant colorful mango.
The cassava or tapioca plant is grown in the tropics and produces a fleshy edible root stock very rich in starch containing significant amounts of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C. Starch is extracted from the cassava and formed into “pearls.”
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.
Continue reading “Smoky Braised & Grilled Lamb, Anise Ginger Sauce”
Belgian Endive, Mixed Baby Lettuces, Garden Fresh Italian Parsley, Violas
Fava Beans, Thinly-Sliced Meyer Lemon Wheels, Toasted Pine Nuts, Kalamata Olives
Dressed with Meyer Lemon Cream
Gail’s Meyer Lemon Tree (upper left) and Violas (lower right)
We’ll be hosting another one of our Sunken City Supper Club events soon, so my friend Gail and I have been busy in our “test kitchen” creating an exciting springtime menu. 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, the awesome intimate jazz standards (and perhaps a little dancing too) performed by local musicians Barry Anthony and Bill Ryan. We hold one event per season, and the menu always reflects seasonal ingredients.
The first absolute winner from our test kitchen is this gorgeous salad! The Meyer lemons are sliced thin, the entire fruit is edible, including the thin, soft, smooth rind. The violas, also known as Johnny Jump-ups, add beauty and a lovely mild pea flavor. It is imperative that we test every dish, not only for taste, but also to make sure we can prepare and serve the 5 courses to 24 people in a timely manner.
Continue reading “Dreamy Meyer Lemon Salad with Edible Violas”
Fresh Spinach Tossed with Warm Tahini, Garlic, and Lemon
Garnished with Black & White Sesame Seeds
Packed with flavor as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This is one delightful healthy satisfying side dish.
Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)
