Halloweeney
I’m not ready! According to the calendar we are in fall but it was sunny and in the 70’s last weekend on Fire Island. The day trippers were gone. The diehards; (owners), are here. Its quiet and beautiful. I grabbed my clippers and went around snipping fall foliage from all the neighborhood yards. The rainbow colors of the foliage and the crisp feel in the air, as sad as it was, that summer is over, was awe inspiring. Continue reading
I was thinking about my friends all over the world today. We have only one planet that we must share, hopefully with love and peace.
My heart particularly cries for the people of Puerto Rico and the families of the hideous slaughter of the innocent people in Las Vegas.
I wanted to reach out to all of them with some International Cuisine. Continue reading
The words spoken by the commander of the Apollo 13 , Jim Lovell, to NASA Mission control were actually: “Uh, Houston we’ve had a problem”….
Reporting the explosion that crippled their aircraft.
The devastation in Houston last week was beyond anyone’s comprehension.
Earth we have a problem!!!!! Continue reading
So its now August (huh? How did that happen?) Its peak tomato season!!!
So I decided to make a tomato tart. Its the season for heirloom cherry tomatoes and fabulous beefsteak tomatoes!!! I’m in heaven!! I took 6 sheets of Phyllo dough and spread each with melted butter on both sides and layered them on top of each other, then rolled up edges.
Hello Mars!!
Bake tarts until lightly browned. 350 30 minutes or so.
Top baked tarts with a combination of cream cheese (8 oz each tart) and sour cream ( 4 oz or so ) and lemon zest to taste.
Top cooked tarts with cream cheese and sour cream mixture, sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes top with torn basil leaves.
Salt and Pepper and drizzle of Olive Oil.Beautiful images everywhere.
Cut into 8 squares
Gargoyles guard my house!
Sunflowers a surprise event this summer!
Entrepreneurs in town
Yet another lovely sunset
And then there are the children of Fire Island that have the freedom to be children and explore uninhibited, their magical surroundings.
Damn that’s a good photo! Haha
Ok I digressed now on to tarts….
Peaches Plums and Nectarines
SORRY, I get distracted by the beauty around me.
Here you go plums, peaches and nectarines sliced to about the same size.
Add a big squeeze of lemon juice ( 3 lemons) and some gated ginger (peeled and grated about 3 tablespoons) and the seeds of 4 vanilla beans.
OK I cheated I bought pre-made pie crusts. I used the bottom as is, then took the top crust and warmed it my hands as I worked it into ball then rolled out and cut into strips.
I criscrossed the pie under/over to make a home made looking pie and sprinkled with brown sugar . I baked at 350 for about 45 minutes until bubbly and brown.
Wha la!!!
So here’s the deal…you need to pay attention to the beauty and magic of everyday life around you. It’s all there you just need to…
“see it”
I haven’t done much grilling on my BBQ out on FI; so I thought with this heat wave it would be a good idea to grill outside instead of heating up the house. I thought I would do a “hibachi” style steak dinner with a Asian Coleslaw.
Asian Coleslaw
1/8 cup canola oil
12 wonton wrappersHAHA Light Not so much!!!
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup almonds
6 cups shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups chopped baby Bok choy
1 cup julienned carrots
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cupped stemmed and sliced sugar snap or snow peas
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons sesame oil, or to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Teaspoons freshly grated ginger
Juice from 1/2 lime
DirectionsCarrotsBeGrilled
Heat canola oil
in a small 6 inch skillet over medium heat. Cut each wonton wrapper squares into 5 strips. Once the oil is hot, cook stripes in batches until golden. Season with salt, to taste, and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Cook almonds over medium heat until golden brown, shaking pan frequently and keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Season with salt and set aside.CarrotsBeef
Place cabbage, bok choy, carrots, scallions, snow peas, and cilantro in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, lime juice and salt. Just before serving toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve with crunchy wontons and almonds on top.
Steak and Veggies with Zesty Cilantro Sauce (Chimichurri)
Beef tenderloin fillets make this quick summer dish very special. You can also use also use 2 (8 oz) sirloin steaks, grilled for 4 minutes on each side.
! !/4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes cut into wedges
Cooking spray
4 ( 4oz) beef tenderloin fillets
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
1 lb. yellow squash, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch pieces ( about 3 cups)
2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Preheat grill to medium 350 to 400 degrees
Place potatoes in a microwave safe dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap. cut a 1/2 inch slit in plastic. Microwave at High 6 minutes or until almost tender. Coat grill grate with cooking spray. Add potatoes to grill ( skewer if necessary) ; cook 5 minutes or until tender and marked, turning after 3 minutes.
Coat fillets with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add fillets to grill; cook 3-5 minutes on each side until desired degree of doneness. Remove fillets from pan; cover and keep warm.
Coat squash with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add squash and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add squash to grill; cook 3 minutes or until tender and lightly charred. Place remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic in a food processor, pulse until finely chopped. Add oil; process 30 seconds or until smooth. Serve with cilantro mixture with potatoes, fillets, and squash.
Yummy Fire Island
Cool Manhattan
I’ve come to talk with you again.
Cuban Meat Stuffing
Sometimes I just hanker for Cuban food!, so this week I am revisiting what my mother called “Cuban meat stuffing”, which is actually a dish called Picadillo. It originated in Spain but as immigrants of that country brought this dish to the America’s… the main land and each of the Carribean island’s put its own spin on this recipe. This is typical of the Puerto Rican and Cuban culture. My mother taught me to make this when I was a kid but the first time I made for her she told me I made it better than her!!! Continue reading