j 8/21/12 j 8/21/12

Southern Fried Okra

So many people hate okra. Honestly, after seeing the way okra is prepared and served at restaurants, I would hate it too. So, I'll show you how to make a proper okra dish with a Italian twist.

slice the okra in chunks, nearly cube shaped
prepare an egg wash with egg whites, a smidgen of water, Greek youghurt and truffle salt
saturate the okra with the egg wash and then bread in cornmeal
fry over medium heat until golden brown

Fried okra, served here with spicy seared green beans and ranch mashed yams.

For dessert, pure, unadulterated chilled cantaloupe.

j 8/19/12 j 8/19/12

The latest from the garden

The garden is nearing the end of its productive season for the summer crops. There are a few tomatoes left, but okra is the only thing still growing strong. A few scarce peppers are still growing; green beans and the last of the cantaloupes. Now's the time to plant the fall crops: garlic, lettuce, cabbage, etc.

Check back later this week to see how these ingredients combine to make a delicious Southern meal.

j 8/17/12 j 8/17/12

Dolmas

I harvested the grape leaves from my vines. The filling contains:

turmeric rice
sautéed tofu with onions
olive oil
truffle salt

Served with grilled green beans and fresh cherry tomatoes.

j 8/13/12 j 8/13/12

Euro Travels

A few months ago, I wrote that I was going to take a little break for inspiration. It came in the form of a month-long trek through Europe's finest art museums and sampling the cuisine. Here's some of the highlights:

Countries visited:

Belgium
Netherlands
France
Switzerland
Italy
Austria
Germany
Czech Republic
UK

j 8/11/12 j 8/11/12

Pasta Fresca

I just got to try my new pasta attachments.

Make the dough and let it rest:

This is a buckwheat and semolina dough.

Then roll it to the desired thickness:

Then cut as desired - this is a fettuccine:

Start the water boiling and lay the pasta aside - boil when ready. Then drain, rinse and keep warm (for no more than 10 minutes):

Prepare the fresh veg:

basil
parsley
onions
cayenne
oregano
tomatoes

Mince the herbs and pepper:

Marinate with Italian salad dressing:

Sweat the herbs and onion in olive oil with a dash of salt. Add toasted pine nuts to the mix:

Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes. You don't want to cook them, just allow them to soften slightly:

Add ripe green olives (not the pickled variety) and julienned green peppers:

Pasta Fresca, served with sauteed green beans and (veggie) sausage.

j 8/5/12 j 8/5/12

Home Grown Salsa

A nice light side dish or appetizer:

Dice the tomatoes. You may wish to blanch and peel them first, but it's also delicious with the skins.

Roast the corn and cut it from the cob.

Diced jalapeños

Mix in onions and salt. Serve with Geek youghurt - or leave it off for a purely vegan meal.

j 7/31/12 j 7/31/12

Filled Cherry Tomato hors d'oeuvres

With an abundance of cherry tomatoes, I decided to find a proper dish for them.

First, remove a slice from the top or the bottom. Scoop out the guts and fill with the following:

greek youghurt and dill
corn
parsley
basil
slices of bell pepper

j 7/30/12 j 7/30/12

Mediterranean Grilled Tofu Sandwich

Marinate and grill extra firm tofu to desired colour.

This compilation includes:

fresh lettuce
fresh from the garden tomatoes
grilled bell pepper
feta & olive relish

j 7/24/12 j 7/24/12

Cantaloupe Sorbet

Start with a fresh, fragrant cantaloupe! Your finished product will taste like the raw ingredient ;-)

Make sure the cantaloupe is semi-frozen or well chilled. Then, blend with ice, a pinch of salt and a dash of sugar. Make sure that the blender and serving dishes are very cold (store in the freezer for a few minutes prior to preparation) and be sure to serve promptly.

Served here with candied jasmine tea leaves (mint leaves are also a good choice).

j 7/22/12 j 7/22/12

Concept: Asymmetrical Henley

I designed this while in Switzerland.

A side buttoning henley constructed of slub knit cotton.

j 7/18/12 j 7/18/12

Mac and Cheese - Ghetto to Gourmet

I love the boxed mac and cheese! Unfortunately, I feel like it's not very nutritious.

So, I added the following things:

greek youghurt
olive and/or macadamia nut and/or walnut oil
sautéed onions and shiitake mushrooms
fresh tomatoes
Irish cheese

Prepare the mac generally as directed, but substitute Greek youghurt + healthy oil for butter.

Sweat the diced onions and mushrooms.

Dice fresh tomatoes:

Stir it all together and let sit while still hot. Season with truffle salt and top with a nice sweet cheese - I used something Irish.

Broil or toast with a butane torch before serving.

j 7/16/12 j 7/16/12

Mocha Pie

Chocolate custard mix accompanied by espresso grind coffee beans.

I doctored the custard with corn starch, cocoa powder, vanilla, sugar, marshmallows and Greek youghurt.

Pour in to a crust and chill. Top with whipped topping and cookie crumble.

j 7/12/12 j 7/12/12

Cookies and Cream

Easy to make!

sugar cookies
vanilla greek youghurt
fresh fruit

This is a fresh and tasty treat. It replaces the typical sugar frosting with a fat free, but sweet, Greek youghurt. Chose a relatively sweet and thin skinned fruit as a very tart and thick skinned fruit may harshly contrast on both dimensions.

j 7/10/12 j 7/10/12

Concept: Side Buttoning Shirt

I designed this while sitting on the front porch of St. Peters church in Rome:

Constructed of cotton-blend interlock

j 7/4/12 j 7/4/12

Tomato Blueberry Salad

Here in the US, it's our Independence Day! Here's a chilled dish that sports the nation's colors: Red, White and Blue

Ingredients:

cherry tomatoes
fresh blueberries
toasted pine nuts
dash of salt
slash of olive oil
smidgen of fresh basil

Happy Fourth!

j 7/1/12 j 7/1/12

Four-Month Potato Casserole

First, grow and dig potatoes: Approximately 3.999 months

Then clean and slice them thinly: 5 minutes (with the food processor)

Layer in a casserole dish, alternately with Greek youghurt (or sour cream), olive oil and salt.

Top it off with a smidgen of cheese - something rich and sweet, or something bold like chèvre. Add chives or green onions before or after baking... or both.