Teacher Appreciation Luncheon ~ Baseball Theme! Home Run!

root beer float
teacher appreciation luncheon invitation

Take me out to the ball game! We all have our favorite days in the school year – mine, Graduation Day and the Annual Teacher & Staff Appreciation Day. Each year the generous, creative parents of children at Rolling Hills Country Day School transform our auditorium into a delightful oasis in the middle of the workday.

A couple weeks before the event we were thrilled to receive an “admission ticket” to a DAY AT THE PARK accompanied by a box of Cracker Jack – a baseball-themed luncheon, and we were invited to wear our favorite team jersey. How fun! And while we know the general theme of the event, the decor and menu will be a surprise until we walk through the auditorium doors. We’re always dazzled and amazed when we enter the room!

The attention to detail is what impresses me most. This year featured charming picnic tables with astro turf runners with giant baseball vases and handcrafted daffodil arrangements. Four “Olde Fashioned Stations” were set up around the room – Party Favors, Root Beer Floats, Ball Park Candy & Cupcake, Popcorn. Fresh popped corn was offered with assorted toppings – truffle salt was by far the most popular. Several moms baked specialty cookies, which were made into ice cream sandwiches, a hot seller! The buffet table featured a bounty of picinic-style sandwiches, salads, and sides. Last but not least, one dad was the pretzel & peanut vendor, how adorable is that??

While some parents graciously serve the food and set the tables at the luncheon, other parents are in the classrooms with the children so teachers may have an extended lunch period to relax and enjoy the fabulous meal. We are so very fortunate to work at an outstanding school with such a dedicated parent population.

Continue reading “Teacher Appreciation Luncheon ~ Baseball Theme! Home Run!”

Not Your Ordinary “Chopped” Salad

brussels sprout lentil salad, tahini vinaigrette

shaved brussels sprouts & french lentils
bacon, dates, apples, pistachio nuts
tahini apple dressing

You’re not tired of green are you? I hope not because this brussels sprouts and lentil salad is savage! (Irish slang for brilliant, great). It was a do-over. The first attempt at our monthly challenge was a sad failure. It had all the right components ~ fresh ingredients, color, flavor, texture. But alas, pretty as it was, there was no harmony. That dish simply did not sing.

Continue reading “Not Your Ordinary “Chopped” Salad”

A Potato Lover’s Dream: Colcannon, Three Ways

kimchi mashed potatoes, kimchi colcannon

Kimchi Colcannon
Garlic, Scallion, Butter

cabbage leek colcannon

Green Cabbage & Leek Colcannon
Chick Peas, Olive Oil, Nutmeg, Garlic

southern greens colcannon guinness gravy

Southern Greens Colcannon
Mustard, Turnip, Collards, Spinach
Guinness Gravy

I am of Russian, Romanian, English, and German descent. But on March 17th I will be Irish. In the spirit of St. Paddy’s Day, I’ve been playing with potatoes. Mashed potatoes. Been taking the famous Irish potato & cabbage dish, colcannon, and giving it my spin. I was going to share one recipe, but honestly, I can’t pick just one. Spicy fermented garlicky kimchi with butter and scallion? Green cabbage and leek flavored with nutmeg, studded with chick peas? Loads of dark leafy greens with Guinness gravy? Please, you pick. . .

Continue reading “A Potato Lover’s Dream: Colcannon, Three Ways”

Lori Lynn, please bring an appetizer…

shrimp and feta appetizer

Shrimp & Feta
Kalamata Olives, Lemon Wheels

Oregano, Red Chile Flakes, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice

The following note was in my mailbox at work:

Lori Lynn – Please bring an APPETIZER for the party on Tuesday.
Thanks!

Once a month we have a festive luncheon for the faculty and staff who are celebrating birthdays. This month I brought spicy Shrimp & Feta which is definitely a crowd-pleaser. And it couldn’t be much easier or quicker to prepare.

Place cooked shrimp in a large ziplock bag with hunks of good feta and lemon wheels. Add dried oregano and red chile flakes to taste. Pour in plenty of fruity olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice to well-coat the mixture. Place drained pitted kalamata olives in a separate baggie to keep them from discoloring the feta. Travel time to work or to a party gives the mixture time to marinate.  To serve, gently toss the bag to mix all the ingredients then pour into a pretty serving bowl. Top with the olives. That’s it.

Wow, might be my shortest post since 2007.

Do You Know How To Clean A Sea Urchin?

how to open fresh uni, sea urchin

Fresh Sea Urchin
Meyer Lemon Juice, Single Varietal Olive Oil, Sea Salt

For me, the Farmers Market can be a dangerous place. No, not in the sense of personal safety, but hazardous for my wallet. Last weekend I came home with heirloom baby cherry tomatoes, wild arugula, avocados, fresh salmon. All intended for dinner that night. But also in the shopping bag were yu choy, epazote, unique baby red-speckled romaine, single varietal olive oil, a bottle of safe & organic pesticide purchased from the woman who invented it, and a live sea urchin harvested just down the coast off Dana Point. Impulse purchases.

Decades ago when sushi was just becoming popular here, a date took me out to a sushi bar. He warned, “Don’t order uni, it’s disgusting.” Months (or years?) later I tasted it, and could not believe what I had been missing! I was intoxicated with the exotic, mysterious gonads of a spiky purple sea creature. Over the years I’ve enjoyed uni sushi dozens of times, and have bought many little trays of fresh uni from the Japanese market for various dishes, but until last weekend, I had never handled nor cleaned a live sea urchin.

Sharing the joys of cooking with friends in my kitchen and through Taste With The Eyes is a pleasure and a passion. Should someone one day ask, “Hey Lori Lynn, do you know how to clean a sea urchin?” I want to be able to say, “Sure, let me show you.” And that’s why a live sea urchin ended up in my shopping basket…

Continue reading “Do You Know How To Clean A Sea Urchin?”