Aug
23
2008
In cooking, I am constantly trying to grow and change the way I see food. My feeling is that if you just cook the same thing over and over with no change, the dish looses it’s luster. Instead of the same old soup, deconstruct it. Make that soup into a salad, mixed grill or even a dessert.
I have always been intrigued by how one can make several very different dishes using the same ingredients (aside from one tiny addition), by merely changing the method of preparation and proportion. Take prosciutto and melon for instance, you can wrap prosciutto around the fresh melon, make my crispy melon cups or a melon soup with bits of crispy prosciutto sprinkled liberally over the surface. Caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly.
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Aug
15
2008
This week like so many around the globe, I have been spending my evenings glued to my television watching the Olympic Games. Despite all the scandal, the gymnastics commentators and the fact that I don’t have a sporty bone in my body, I love the Olympics. Most specifically swimming and diving.
Wednesday night we prepared ourselves for an evening of Phelpsian glory, with Phil in charge of the aperitif while I tossed together a few nibbles. Our aperitif was composed of a local Riesling by Holy Cow, cut with local sparkling water by Cascade Ice, it was incredibly refreshing in this 90 degree heat. I made Clotilde’s Dusoulier’s zucchini carpaccio with delicious homegrown zucchini given to us by Phil’s friend Dan (thanks Dan!), pairing it with fruit, cheese and of course my crispy melon cups. While everything was delicious, the melon cups were the gold medal winner that evening.
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Aug
08
2008
The sun baked streets offer little respite from the unforgiving sun beating in the sky. I seek sanctuary in the shade of a nearby tree before continuing on with my journey. My mouth is parched as I stagger onward to the market contemplating a new home for myself in the freezer aisle.
In other words dear readers, it is hot and my stove and oven are going to remain in the off position. At times like these I need to get creative when it comes to dinner and that creativity usually comes in the form of a meal comprised of several simple no-cook appetizers. Today I will share two of our favorites with you; Zucchini with Serrano Ham and Bleu Cheese Prune Bites.
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