Category: Tasty Recipes

A pork stew made with cubed pork shoulder, various types of green chiles, tomatillos, garlic, white onion, chicken stock, Mexican oregano, cumin, and bay. It is the garnish that really perks up this dish. Garnished here with small diced jalapeno and white onion, avocado, cilantro, panela cheese, and a squeeze of lime.

Panela is a soft, mild, fresh cheese made in Mexico that does not run when heated, it keeps its shape and simply gets soft and creamy in this hot stew. Delicioso!

A Mexican beer would certainly complement this hot and spicy dish, or try this refreshing ice cold hibiscus flavored Jamaica Soda from Jarritos.

Jarritos was Mexico’s first national soft drink in 1950 and is now the best selling Mexican soft drink in the U.S. I am fond of Jamaica because it is not too sweet. It’s been called the “Mexican Iced Tea.”

We see sesame seed crusted tuna quite often in restaurants, as tuna and sesame are a complementary combination.

My tahini sauce is made with a ground sesame seed paste, lemon juice and garlic and is a perfect sauce for raw tuna. I serve it here with a dot of wasabi, crust the albacore with toasted sesame seeds, and offer tamari (soy sauce) on the side for balance.

The Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, California

LABOR DAY BARBECUE MENU:

Nibbles:
Smoked Oyster Pate and Whole Wheat Crackers – recipe from “Hand to Mouth” Blog
Figs with Lavender Honey
Stuffed Olives with Garlic and Parsley Sauce

Salad:
Mixed Greens with Heirloom Tomato in Puff Pastry – recipe from “Champaign Taste” Blog

Main:
Grilled Whole Striped Bass – served with Salmoriglio Sauce
Grilled Corn – rubbed with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

Dessert:
Layered Exotic Fruits Sorbet with Butter Waffle Cookies

Wine:
Cloudline Oregon Pinot Gris 2005
Chalone Chardonnay 2000

I picked up (literally) the fresh bass down at the fish market after taking some beautiful photos of the port on this hot summer weekend.

Lisa’s fabulous Heirloom Tomato in Puff Pastry recipe with mascarpone, basil, and parmesan.

We serve the tomato tart with a fresh green salad dressed simply with Olea Farms “Lemon Burst” olive oil and fresh grated parmesan, salt and pepper.

All my fresh herbs come from Gail’s Garden. Thanks Gail!

Whole Striped Bass – stuffed with Tarragon, Lemon and Celery, then rubbed with olive oil and grilled.

Gary grills the fish over indirect heat.

The corn grilled just the way we like it!

Tavern on the Green

The Crystal Room: Thirty-one year anniversary!
A celebration of light and reflection with its shimmering crystal chandeliers and glass walls affording fabulous vistas of Central Park.

THE HISTORY OF TAVERN ON THE GREEN
Built in 1870, the rural Victorian Gothic structure now known as Tavern on the Green was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould as a sheepfold. It housed 200 South Down sheep, which grazed across the street in Central Park’s Sheep Meadow.

The first incarnation of Tavern on the Green — the restaurant — was launched on October 20, 1934, with a coachman in full regalia at the door. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia opened the restaurant with a brass key.

By the 1950s, Tavern on the Green was showing some wear and tear and the brilliant designer Raymond Loewy was engaged to renovate the building,

A succession of management companies operated the restaurant until 1962 when Restaurant Associates took it over. By the early ’70s, Tavern on the Green was a restaurant no longer in sync with the times, and Restaurant Associates shuttered it in 1974.

Rather than signaling the end of an era, however, its closing was the beginning of an exciting new one for the venerable edifice. Warner LeRoy embarked upon a spectacular $10 million renovation. Then an unheard of sum to spend on a restaurant. With LeRoy’s addition of the glass enclosed Crystal and Terrace Rooms, his lavish use of brass, stained glass, etched mirrors, original paintings, antique prints and, above all, CHANDELIERS, Tavern was reincarnated. It became a glittering palace, Central Park’s most spectacular structure.

The reincarnated Tavern on the Green took New York by storm from the moment it re-opened on August 31, 1976. It dazzled the city with its decorative whimsy, its eclectic menu and its playfulness.

I shot this photo just before they opened for dinner on this summer afternoon. With its wonderful history, I will be interested to see the next incarnation.

Hooked on Mussels! This time it’s Moules à la Marinière.

Chopped onion, shallots, and celery are sauteed in butter. Then some parsley, a couple bay leaves and about a cup and a half of vermouth are added to the pot.

Then add fresh ground black pepper and Trader Joe’s Cooked Gourmet Farm Raised New Zealand Mussels (with their juices) and heat through on high for about 2 minutes. Garnish with rough chopped parsley. Serve with French bread and homemade garlic mayonnaise.

Note: Fresh fennel would also be a nice addition to this dish, saute it along with the onions and celery.

This recipe is adapted from “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home.”