Wilson The Love Bug

One Eyed Boston Terrier
Wilson The Love Bug

Poor Wilson was brutally attacked by another dog, his eye severely damaged. And then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, his previous owners decided to dump him at a shelter. Boston Buddies (Southern California Boston Terrier Rescue) rescued Wilson, but their veterinarians were unable to save his eye. Yet, in spite of his bad experience, Wilson was a love bug.

After reading about Wilson on their website, I contacted Boston Buddies to say I was interested in him. I was told that he had already found his “forever home” and would be going there the next day. So, please, choose another dog. But I didn’t really have an interest in another dog, so I waited. A couple days later I got a call to say that his “forever home” had fallen through and could I meet him that day? I said that I was going to be out of town for the weekend and could take him on the following Monday. It turned out there was another family that wanted to take him that day, so he was placed with them. When I got home from the trip I received another call saying that Wilson did not get along with the other dogs in the home and did I still want him? YES! I WANT HIM! It sure seemed like we were meant to be together. That was in March of 2006, and he was three years old.

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New Korean Salad: Chrysanthemum Greens, Chestnut, Persimmon

korean salad, persimmon salad
Fresh Chrysanthemum Greens, Roasted Chestnut
Semi-Dried Hachiya Persimmon, Fresh Fuyu Persimmon Wedges
Toasted Sesame Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Arils, Toasted Pine Nuts, Roasted Laver

Inspiration from two separate dining experiences sparked the idea for creation of this delightful salad. First, an outstanding meal at Jun Won in LA, a gem of a restaurant that features regional Korean cooking from the province of Chungcheongnam-do. I was captivated by their salad of chrysanthemum greens (sukgat) with chestnut jelly. A week later we attended an event highlighting the “Tastes of the Korean Forest” including sanchae (wild vegetables grown in the mountains), oak mushroom, chestnut, and persimmon.

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Doggie ♥ Treats

best dog treat recipe
Braunschweiger & Brown Rice Balls

My sweet little Wilson is recovering from surgery. His procedure was a “right everted laryngeal saccule removal and stenotic nares resection.” (Kind of like a tonsillectomy and a nose job). He’s almost 10 years old, and is having more trouble breathing. The procedure opens up the airways in the throat and enlarges his tiny nostrils, as cute as they were, they were not very efficient. He is doing fine today, but must eat a soft diet. No biscuits. No pumpkin apple biscuits, his daily favorite…

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bison & onion burger ~ grill basket method

bison burger
grilled bison & onion burger
arugula & tomato
on toasted sour dough with thai chili mayo

Posting “last night’s dinner” on Taste With The Eyes? A simple burger with onions and the ubiquitous chili mayonnaise? Well, actually, yes. But for a reason. I want to share my method. Here in Southern California we’re grilling all year round. And I love this grill basket.

Burgers and onions fit in one layer. Brush lightly with olive oil, pop it on a hot grill, flip once after 5 minutes. The burgers are juicy and the onions perfectly charred, while the rings remain concentrical.

A whole fish can be stuffed with lemon and herbs, rubbed with olive oil then grilled over high heat. The edible skin is crisp and charred contrasting the melt-in-the-mouth flesh. Using a grill basket makes easy work of flipping the fish, and helps to keep the nicely charred skin intact for presentation.

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When to “Doggie Bag?” Your Thoughts?

peking duck, steamed buns, wolfgang puck duck, wp24

Leftovers of Peking Duck with Steamed Buns
Accompaniments: Scallion, Pickled Daikon, Cucumber, Sugar, Hoisin

The concept of a “doggie bag” or taking home leftovers from a restaurant meal is not an American invention. It’s been around since the sixth century B.C. when Romans would wrap up goodies from a banquet meal and take home the leftovers in a cloth. It showed respect and honored the host, implying the food was good and was worthy of taking home. Food preparation way back then could not have been easy, so, seriously, whose ancestors wouldn’t take the bountiful offerings from the big buffet back to their humble abode?

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