What's cooking?

[Robin Garr]

Wondering what that little yellow flaccid looking thing is in the middle of the picture ??? It's kinda creapin' me out.

Grilled peppers. It might be that Volare just isn't the right kind of place for you ...

You can't find -real- Bratwurst very far south of Chicago...]

Nope..thats why you go north to Milwaukee..the real home of the brat.

I was originally gonna say Wisconsin but didn't want to hurt your feelings. Those cheddar heads DO get a few things right...Makin cheese, drinking beer and grindin' sausage among them. The trick here is the veal...most every "commercial" brat maker has followed Johnsonville's lead and went to a (cheaper) all pork sausage, that and they skimp on the seasonings (or they just don't know what a brat is supposed to taste like in the first place)

[Robin Garr]

Colcannon for Paddy, but with an Indian spin for us: cabbage, potato and onion curry. 

[Robin Garr]

Fresh asparagus, roasted at high heat with sesame oil, then dressed with Bluegrass soy sauce and white sesame seeds. 

Quick dinner so we could enjoy working outside in this fabulous weather:
Filet mignon, rice medley ( from TJ) and fruit salad with Ginger syrup. All but the fruit were in my freezer. Man, I love having a well-stocked freezer ( except when the power went out) .

Deb

Lately, I've been struggling with trying to cook seasonally when the seasons aren't cooperating. Not that I'm complaining about summery weather in March.

Enjoyed a dynamite Morgon by Domaine Rochette with the pastas, and an interesting Gruner by Nikolaihof with the fish.

Deb, did you go to NYC yet?

Bones BBQ 1.jpg

Lately, I've been struggling with trying to cook seasonally when the seasons aren't cooperating. Not that I'm complaining about summery weather in March.

Enjoyed a dynamite Morgon by Domaine Rochette with the pastas, and an interesting Gruner by Nikolaihof with the fish.

Deb, did you go to NYC yet?

Ken,

Got back on Tuesday. It was fantastic! We ate our way through Manhattan. I'll post more this weekend when I have time.

Deb

Spaghetti with ramps and bacon. Enjoyed with the very nice '08 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico.

[Robin Garr]

Dal Palak, Indian lentils and spinach.  With aromatic but only moderately fiery spice, it goes surprisingly well with Puzelat 2010 Touraine Pinot Noir.

Veal chops with potatoes & salsify vesuvio and a slaad of spring greens, oven-wilted kale, ramps and lemon/sherry vinaigrette. Enjoyed with an Isole e Olena Chianti Classico '08.

[Robin Garr]

salsify vesuvio

Salsify! Good stuff that I don't see around here much. What's a vesuvio, Ken?

You've been drinking some Italian favorites of mine, too ...

[Robin Garr]

Bund Ghobi Dopiaza, Indian spicy cabbage and onions. Good with Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA.

YUM-OH...In honor of Ohio State kickin' some ass this weekend, I made myself A "Polish Boy" tonight with Kielbasa straight from the Westside Mkt in Cleveland. Washed it down with a nice pint of Great Lakes Elliot Ness.

PolishBoy1.jpg

salsify vesuvio

Salsify! Good stuff that I don't see around here much. What's a vesuvio, Ken?

I saw the salsify at the Root Cellar and had to grab a bag. It was on the small side, a bit hard to work with since it really needs to be peeled and then it oxidizes in something like 2 seconds, but worth it. The vesuvio is stolen from a dish at the Italian Village in Chicago. One of their signature dishes is Chicken Vesuvio - chicken with a gang of garlic, plus roasted potatoes, oregano and white wine reduction. I just kind of riffed off that for the side, and threw that salsify in there with those potatoes.

It seems like every time I ask my wife "Italian or French?" she goes for the Italian, but then the food has kind of been begging for it.