You remember Dearie right? No? She is my mother…. I did a post a while back about cooking with her when my folks were here for a long visit. Oh, and then there was the post about us cooking Meringues together too.
Yellow fin tuna, sage oil, hibiscus salt
November 18 th 2008
I have mulling this one over in my head for a while now. I have been thinking of ideas for simple appetizers, or even an amuse bouche that had the flavor intensity that I love with autumn, but a really clean light taste.
Sage is one of my favorite autumn herbs. Rich, deep, but yet floral, and sometimes with almost a citrus undertone to it. It adds this lovely almost smokiness to dishes, and really gives a certain robustness. Cook some with a little proscuitto and butternut squash, and have the basis for a lovely little quick pasta dish that just shouts fallen leaves, dew, and scarves.
Pan seared Walleye, potato and celeriac cake, pea puree, butternut squash ribbons – or FISH AND CHIPS!!
November 6 th 2008
Recently I have been thinking quite a bit about classic dishes from my English past. Unfortunately these thoughts aren’t always good. We all know the stories about English food. Certainly nothing sexy. But, I honestly think that Brit-food gets a bad rap. Sure, the traditional stuff was super heavy and rich – but a lot has to be said for modern British cuisine. Actually, sod it, a lot has to be said for the classics too – all they take is a bit of re-interpretation.
So, I am going to be visiting a few classic dishes from my past, and putting my spin on them.
Continue reading after the jump, with a recipe for this new Fish and Chips
Halibut, Mussels, Fennel, Potato and Lovage – en Papillote with white wine and saffron – and my favorite wine glasses
October 30 th 2008
en Papillote is just French for “cooking in parchment” which normally refers to baking a bunch of ingredients together in a parchment parcel. It is all very dramatic to be honest, especially when guests open up the parchment for themselves at the table. Of course, the drama is heightened further if you don’t tell anyone what is in the parcels. Looks around the table for peoples expressions – some shock, some delight. Then of course, there are those people that just forget this is straight out the oven, and open the thing with their face RIGHT over the bag. Opps, steam burn for you!
Crispy skin Kona Kampachi, Mussels, Risotto Bianco, Chanterelle, pimentón mussel broth
October 15 th 2008
OK, perhaps the longest dish title I have had on my blog so far. It sounds like there is a lot going on here, but there really isn’t – It is actually a rather simple dish, with a lot of really robust flavor to it.
Silver Smelt two ways, roasted beet and savory salad
September 23 rd 2008
Yep, we are back from LA. A great time was had by all, especially Drake at Disneyland. Holy cow that kid wore us out. I had my reservations about whether Disneyland was going to be good for a 21month old lad.. I was wrong, it was just perfect. If he breaks down and starts screaming – so what? There was 3 other kids in earshot all the time doing just the same.
The best thing I have ever done with Dandelion leaves, thanks to one of my favorite cookbooks – oh and some grilled Mackerel
September 11 th 2008
Dandelion leaves. These have always been one of my favorite greens to prepare. Maybe it has some sadistic pleasure in cooking up something that I always seem to be yanking out of our lawn. Maybe it is the fact that they taste great, and are one of the healthiest greens you can eat.
Pan Roasted Halibut, French cut Romano Beans with Lardons, Salsa Verde
August 29 th 2008
I am still on cloud nine to be honest. The party hosted by WhiteonRice is still in my darn head, and I cannot get it out. Dani and I finally met the awesome couple, and can now call them friends. I am honored. The only bugger is they are in California, and we are in Seattle, so I cannot invite them over for dinner every weekend!! They managed to assemble such a fabulous range of bloggers, that are truly inspirational – it is no wonder I cannot stop thinking about that wonderful sunny afternoon in California.
Seafood Paella
August 12 th 2008
I have been having seafood withdrawals recently. It has actually been quite a while now since I have really cooked up a decent amount of ocean fair.
This post, you see, is actually out of order. I have a great roast chicken post to do, which actually got “made” before this one. The problem is that there is a video associated with that, which is taking me a sodding age to edit, because I have realized that I am remarkably crap on camera.
Seaweed Salad with watermelon radishes and garlic scapes, grilled mackerel
July 16 th 2008
For some reason I had been thinking about seaweed a bit of late. I have absolutely no idea why to be honest. I haven’t eaten any in ages, however one day sitting at work I decided I wanted to make a nice tasty and fast seaweed salad.
And that really got me thinking about flavors with seaweed. I have had some really awesome seaweed dishes at some great local Japanese restaurants, but I couldn’t remember for the life of me what also went in the salad. Which, leads me on to my next point. To me, seaweed doesn’t have a ton of flavor. It tastes of the sea, and I love that, but it is far more a textural thing than a taste – in my books anyhow. So, the really memorable flavors in a seaweed salad have to come from elsewhere.
Continue to see this seaweed salad and grilled mackerel fish recipe
Pan Seared Scallops, Red Onion Confit, toasted pine nuts and sage oil
July 11 th 2008
Blimey, scallops again you say. Well, yes. I am on a bit of a scallop fix lately. When the weather is hot, they just seem like the perfect seafood bite. They also cook in a snap, and are bloody tasty. That could be closer to the truth actually….
Pan Seared scallops, beans, frisée and chilli
July 3 rd 2008
OK – after the last post, I am going to get through this one without a single exclamation mark. Lets see how I do…..
So this dish very nearly didn’t make it. I was meant to be cooking for my parents, Danika’s parents and us, at our house. Somehow it then got all screwed up, and I was then cooking at Danika’s parents house. Bastards. I am going to seem like a real high-maintenance bloke here, but I am not. Just don’t ask Danika that though!
So, I hate Danika’s parents kitchen. Their stove is rubbish. A match gives out more heat. They also don’t cook much, so the layout of the thing is pretty rubbish too, along with lots of stuff covering the counters, which makes it hard to work. The only work space is really on the bar, which is full of people, and snacks for said people.
Pan Roasted Striped Bass, roasted tomato puree, grilled fennel and olive/anchovy tapanade
June 24 th 2008
Something crazy happened when I walked into Mutual Fish at the weekend. I went there with Copper River Salmon money. Yep, that stuff ain’t the cheapest fish in the store. But, and this is a big but, I walked straight past it. It looked amazing, but at this point no where near as good as some of the most beautiful white fish I have ever seen. Striped Bass.
Seafood Risotto
June 20 th 2008
“oohhh, I am so looking forward to your Fathers Day dinner” said Danika, with a rather cheeky smile on her face. Yep, that is right folks, I cooked my own Fathers Day dinner, and was bloody happy about it. Not that Danika isn’t a good cook – far from it, she is awesome, but it is just me and cooking. I obviously love it (who the heck would have a food blog if they didn’t!!!). Cooking, above anything else relaxes me. If I have had a tough day at work, I am, it has been said, not that fun to be around until I get into the kitchen.
True Cod and clams, sea beans/rocket/English peas, fines herbs fish broth - and cooking with Dearie
June 9 th 2008
“Dearie? Who the heck is Dearie?” you ask….. The answer, my Mum. Yep, we call her Dearie. That isn’t her name, it isn’t even remotely close. Somehow, somewhere in my childhood we got to calling her Dearie. It just stuck. It now seems really odd in fact to call her Mum. Dearie she is. It rather suits her actually, as anyone that knows her would say.
