A fall-inspired Sunday dinner for 2

Yup, it is dinner for 2. Regardless, I like to do it as if our table is an empty canvas to be filled with sensually appealing colors, flavors and textures. Tonight, I went with what is available in the farmer's market: broccolini sprouts, arugula and romaine mix, wild salmon and jumbo shrimps. And of course, baguette from our favorite bakery's La Maison du Pain.

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Salmon and Shrimps with Olive Oil and Garlic ( I want to call it vampire shrimps and salmon, because I use lots of garlic, a whole bulb enough to kill a vampire. ) I have no scientific proof for that, only old wives' tales.

olive oil, 3 tablespoons
butter, one tablespoon
goya adobo seasoning
a whole bulb of garlic, skinned and macerated cloves

Heat up the cast iron pan. When fully hot ( unable to touch, but the heat can be felt three inches high from the pan ), add olive oil and butter, and quickly, the macerated garlic. Add the shrimps, when they turn pink in their shells and the meat inside is no longer raw, about 3 minutes ( do not overcook ), they are ready. Set them aside.

Take the salmon fillet and apply generously Goya adobo seasoning on both sides of the fillet. I chose wild salmon, the preferred in our family, and luckily they were available at the Farmer's market. I took it home, with a bag of ice, as fish is a perishable product, that needs to be refrigerated. In lieu of refrigeration, a bag of ice is an alternative. Well, that also goes for the shrimps..., with bagged ice as its partner in transport.

Sear the salmon, skin first, over medium heat, in the cast iron pan with olive oil and butter. Folks ask me why the combination - because by itself, butter will burn, so will olive oil and the worst taste is burnt oil. But the combination allows a higher temperature to be attained without burnt oil taste. Searing is done when you can move the salmon with a tong with ease and it can be turned over and ever so gently please so as not to ruin the fillet. Sear the other side.

Observe the sides of the fillet, you will see a change in translucency. Why is that observation important? It will be the visual indicator of how fish cooks, without overcooking it. Observe the raw salmon's color, and notice the color of the fish as it cooks, just before the sides of the fish turn white, remove the pan from the stove.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F, and finish cooking only long enough until the salmon flakes off. Turn off the oven. Why? Residual heat from the pan and the oven's give the fish additional cooking time. It would be enough to finish the cooking of the fish, without the risk of overcooking.

My hubby of course complimented the salmon as done just right! I do not live for his compliments, but it is nice to hear it especially since I try to make a masterpiece of my cooking each night, well sometimes, I only manage colors and textures, and flavors will be off. That happens when I am in a foul mood. So, when I am in that funky mood, I do not like to cook.

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Garlic Parmesan Bread

Baguette from La Maison du Pain
Three cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of butter or more, if needed
Parmesan cheese ( two thick slices )

Use a small processor, a 4 cup size. Add mashed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 slices of parmesan cheese and grind into a paste. Break open the baguette and apply the paste. Place in a pre-heated oven at 375 F for 5 minutes, enough to melt the butter. This cheese is not mozarella, so it will not melt completely, and there will be bits and pieces when you bite into the baguette. But, this is just the yummiest garlic bread you would have tasted.

How do I know?

Well, Steve came up with this recipe, we watched him melt the butter, add the garlic and grated parmesan cheese as he prepared the garlic bread to go with the gumbo. I decided to tweak his recipe and not melt the butter, and just allow it to happen when the bread is heated in the oven with garlic, butter and parmesan cheese paste. My hunch was right, and I saved myself an extra step of melting butter in the microwave. And it is so good!

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Arugula and Romaine Mix
Jicama, skinned and cut up into pieces
Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced
Persimmons, peeled and cut into quarters
Broccolini Sprouts, raw ( a handful )

Dressing: Use a processor and mix in 12 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon seasoned, gourmet rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar with raisin syrup, salt and pepper. If a bit sour, add a teaspoon of sugar. It is slightly sweet, citrusy, light dressing. Add the dressing to the salad mix.

We decided our dessert is either cinnamon/lemongrass tea ( which my hubby makes from scratch, using lemon grass from the backyard and cinnamon sticks - he has a precise formula that after boiling them together, a very tasty tea that is not too sweet and slightly lemony in taste) or brewed colombian coffee.

The entire meal took me 20 minutes to cook, including preparation time. It was gone in less than 10 minutes.

I wish sometimes for the European way of eating, three hours at the table, prolonged conversations, so much laughter and of course two glasses of wine at dinner time.

Except, for me, only my hosts get to drink, as I am allergic to wine!

Ha, ha, I am actually okay with the American efficient way of eating, I get to blog afterwards and feel like I am preserving the family's recipes for the next generation.

Actually, I love blogging what I cook and what I create. It keeps me motivated, particularly when readers stop me at events and tell me they read the blog. I just wish they leave the comments on this blog instead.

Bon Appetit, till the next one!!

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Creating Pasta without pasta, instead spinach!

Concealed and Revealed I Painting by Benedicto Cabrera

Yes, you guessed it, I am at it again. I am feeling brave, more like taking good natured risks in my cooking. Why? Well, after viewing Ben Cab's exhibit and falling in love with his painting called Concealed & Revealed I, which I am posting the image here, it got my inner child going. I consider my inner child the source of my artistic instincts. We all have them, as being creative is what gives our spirit life and it keeps us connected to our Higher Source. Some folks do it with palette of paint colors, some do it with music bars, some do it with written words, I happen to do it with organic harvests from the earth.

My philosopher hubby is so funny, he said if he ate anymore organic, he will be reduced to the soils of the earth. I laugh so hard. Why, because our refrigerator is literally filled with vegetables and fruits, and then on our table, more fruits, and around this time of the year, the colors are so vibrant: red from pomegranates, orange from persimmons, green from limes, and of course yellow-orange green kabocha squash.

Do you see how BenCab's art resembles the colors of nature during the fall season? Hmm, it is so breathtaking, there is a certain drama about his painting, it invites you to inquire some more and see what the painting's soul is about. Do you get the feeling?

Even the flowers get the feeling that I am talking about. Flowers this time of the year are bursting in red, pink and burgundy colors. It reminds you that Christmas is just around the corner. Or Valentine's in another few more months...

Okay, here is what I did...

I used spinach to replace pasta ( steam over double boiler ). Do not overcook, and as soon as the leaves get wilted, take them out and place on a platter.

Of course, the meat sauce has to be prepared first. I did decide to post it last as it requires me to share more instructions. Just the same, we had our carbs by having toasted cheese bread from La Maison du Pain, buttered of course.

Meat Sauce:

hamburger ( 1 and 1/2 pounds )
leeks ( two bunches, only the white part, use the green part for soups )
heirloom tomatoes ( three whole ones )
Goya adobo seasoning
Rufina patis
plenty of crushed garlic cloves

Heat the pan. Place olive oil in the pan. Add garlic and leeks. After the garlic smell is released, add the hamburger meat. Brown the meat, add Rufina patis, goya adobo seasoning. After the meat is well browned, add goya adobo seasoning and the heirloom tomatoes. Use slow heat and cover the pan. After a few minutes and when the tomatoes are getting cooked, turn off the flame, keep the pot covered and allow the residual heat to further the cooking. Serve on the platter with the steamed spinach and toasted cheese bread.

Well, the verdict, for me, I wiped out my plate clean. My hubby, he opted for a lighter meal but kept me company just the same. Those are moments I am grateful for, good company during dinner time or any meal of the day! There are not enough years to squander as I am part of the aging generation of baby boomers and we are all approaching more than half a century.., yes, more than five decades, and with platinum highlights, we are getting up there. And getting up there means that one cherishes what life is: joy, love, art and good food!

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Our Organic Entertaining Style: Artisan Cooking with Friends as Sous Chefs and Special TasteMakers.....

Artists are considered trend setters and tastemakers. Chefs are the same. They invent using food as their paint palletes and the seasonings as their hues varied. The more I involved my friends are with my cooking, the less tired I become and more able to enjoy their company.

It used to be that I did it all: menu planning, marketing, cutting, slicing, dicing, cooking, plating, and hosting. Well, those were the days, when I was barely twenty or thirty with twice or thrice the energy reserves that I have.

I recently found a way of balancing my love for entertaining friends with teaching culinary arts to others, as well as learning from other skilled artisan, organic cooks. Of course, since I am hosting, I like the idea that I am coordinating the efforts of many artisan chefs, and I am in charge of menu planning.

For tonight, as always, since my friends are gaining in wisdom, and gaining in platinum highlights ( my polite way that we are all graying baby boomers ), I want to indulge in vegetables.

So our menu consisted of:

a. Garden mix of vegetables, a fusion of opposites: the theme of the salad was a fusion of opposites: circles with cubes, and an array of colors and a mix of red leaf lettuce and dandelion leaves. Red leaf lettuce has a neutral, bland taste, so I decided to blend it purple green dandelion leaves that are a bit bitter, almost like arugula, except a heightened version.

Two of my friends came early to be my sous chef. Since they own an organic rice farm, I thought they would enjoy harvesting what we will use today. So, we harvested our pears, our apples, the calamansi fruit, and persimmons. Manny asked me for a knife. He started to eat the fruits that were partially eaten by the birds. Of course, I immediately remarked, " My husband does the same, he takes out the parts eaten by the birds, and then, partakes of the uneaten parts. This way, I am assured it is the best fruit on the tree, he would emphasize. " Imagine that, taking our cues from Mother Earth.

So, I assigned them to cut the following, of course that included me: I cut the persian cucumbers in 1/2 inch circles, Angge peeled the jicama and sliced them into cubes. Then, we carefully arranged them in a tupperware: cucumbers ( green ) in one side, jicama ( white ) in another side, cherry tomatoes ( red and yellow ), grapes ( blue gray ).

We prepared the dressing. I like to experiment when there is company, it is like a performing stage artist on theater, who improvises what they do and varies the lines each night. I do the same, I am inspired by the presence of folks surrounding me. So, tonight, without any inkling as to how it will turn out, I decided to trust my instincts.

Yes, instincts, as i have been cooking since age six, and after five decades, I kinda know the general principles. So, combining acids is a lesson and an artsy way of flavoring dressings, without making them piquant or too acidic. So, what did we combine: a tablespoon of freshly squeezed Calaman-C juice ( harvested from our backyard ), a tablespoon of gourmet, seasoned rice vinegar, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar flavored with raisin syrup. We macerated two cloves of garlic, added a pinch of salt, the three tablespoons of acids, and twelve tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Plating is as important as the flavors inside the bowl. I decided to use my handcrafted wooden bowl that my college classmate, Reme B. bought for me, made by artisans from the Benguet Mountain. It carried a special significance for me, as you could feel the bowl had a life of its own, the multiple hours of labor of someone etching the curves on the piece of wood, until it became a bowl. I carefully laid a bed of red leaf lettuce mixed with dandelion leaves and now carefully laid on opposite sides of the bowl: the jicama, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, the persimmons in the middle, slices of heirloom tomatoes, slices of avocados, blue gray grapes.

The theme of the garden mix of salad: fusion of soft and hard textures, a fusion of circles and cubes, a trio of citruses, and a palette of colors. I have always believed, as others that one feasts with one's eyes first, then, taste follows and of course, the mouth has to crunch a lot to feel satisfied. And it was a success, folks came back for seconds of the salads..

b. Filet mignons - marinated in crushed garlic, lemon zest, juice of one lemon, Kimlan soy sauce. I marinated the filet mignons in a container, and kept them marinated for the whole day inside the fridge. When the guests arrived, I heated up the cast iron pan. I added olive oil, seared the filets on each side until well browned. The key to testing it if well browned, if the meat is no longer sticking, it is time to turn it over. Then, the rest of the cooking was done inside a pre-heated oven at 350 F for 5 minutes.

The result: folks raved about how tender the meat was, with juice still oozing and medium rare but well flavored.

c. Side entrees were brought in: steamed asparagus with shredded parmesan cheese, Piave cheese brought by Lucita and Giorgio, which blended so well with La Maison du Pain's cheese bread that I bought of course from my favorite bakery. The bread was well-heated and kept warm by a well heated pizza stone. The cheese was simply the best but nothing like pairing it with good cheese bread from La Maison du Pain.

d. Dessert was carefully planned. It was sauteed apples, sauteed pears with a side serving of chocolate rice risotto. Hmm...I think I will leave the dessert part kinda a surprise to tease the readers so they would leave me comments, if they want the recipe. And the combination of the two surprised me as well for it was a hit. The sauteed apples and pears were used the next day as topping for Greek Style plain yogurt.

e. Drinks were mojitos with Beringer Red Wine brought in by Tonette and Nick. Hmm, simply the best tasting drinks to go with the dinner.

f. Mung bean and ube hopia, directly from the Philippines, courtesy of Tess and Fred, which were heated in a toaster oven, with cups of organic coffee....

After dinner, we sat around the oblong table in the library and it became an impromptu sharing. Len started with sharing a piece she wrote at a writing workshop with 80 year old Jewish young artists, who shared their lives with candor: some with discreet love affairs, still while married, some divorced, some in very happy, unmarried relationships. She shared about the exercise: to write about their First Kiss.

Len decided to write about her Last Kiss, as she is about to be divorced. She shared the piece and we all could feel the intensity of that last encounter. Strangely, what I remember is the crush, crush, crush of the plates that were broken that night. I cannot even excerpt the story here as it is still under embargo until Len decides she is ready to share it with the world. We encouraged her that this is her path, to conduct writing workshops with folks and publish their works.

It turns out she recently edited and had published a scrapbook, actually a book of essays about Fr. Abe, a Jesuit priest who died and left such an imprint on other folks lives, including his valiant attempt to survive Stage 4 colon cancer, using his own alternative treatments of meditation, raw foods, massage, and managed to outlive another family friend with a similar ailment who undertook surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, by three more quality years with lucidity and sharpness of mind.

The lessons we had for the night: fellowship from friends and family overtakes all, love always conquers all. Love precedes, love transcends, and love will be eternal.

And for my readers, here is my offering of photos for the evening....it was truly a night to remember, like all nights when there is good food, wholesome fun, friends and genuine friendship!!

By the way, for the evening, we were joined in by 93 year - old Felisa, my husband's mother, who shared her love for God through a prayer before the meals and it was so touching and endearing....and she set the tone for our togetherness for the evening, we are all God's children and may the loving hands who prepared this food, partake of it that they may become not just nourishment for our body but for our spirits!!

And a special rendition of live violin music by my very own Mozart in residence, who played music from Constancio de Guzman. The evening was so perfect: food, wine, good violin music and authentic stories written by three artists/writers. Amen!!

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