Elisa's Eye on the World

Mom's Latkes in not too much Oil

Time for Latkes! I could not find Mom's recipe card, but Googled by blog and found the recipe. Most heat 1/4" of oil in a skillet, but we have this awesome griddle that just needs a light spray of canola oil. The results may be less crispy but they taste awesome and you can eat more with less guilt or excessive fat.

The ever handy (ancient) blender is perfect for fluffing the eggs, before adding the chopped potato and other ingredients.

Hub's skillful technique of ladling batter into small cakes onto the pre-heated skillet is unsurpassed!

The photo is a little over-exposed, but you get the idea. Golden brown but not hash brown crunchy. Placing them on a rack over the tray keeps them from sticking and getting too moist. We never used the dinner plates I set out and ate 'em as they came off the griddle with some crisp white wine and "franks in blankets" as shown in the next post.

Please see other posts in the "Latke" category for the actual recipe and additional photos.

Table for Four, Five...or is that Six?

Although I cook all the time, it's for two. This past week or so I had to opportunity to serve up dinner for travelers from Vermont, Maine and B.C. Where time permitted I did it from scratch, but sometimes the in house deli at the natural food store was the ticket.

Here's four menus for four or more that were met with rave revues, and no leftovers:

• Deli Fresh individual chicken or turkey pot pies, with a green salad of romaine, spinach, romas and red peppers. For dessert: the deli's pumpkin honey cake served with "Lady Grey" tea.
• Home made simple red pasta sauce with basil and whole wheat spaghetti, with steamed broccoli. For dessert: my home made blueberry yogurt cupkcake-like muffins with a Washington Pinot Noir.
• Home made lentil soup with long grain rice, with a green salad of romaine, hazelnuts, romas and red pepper. For dessert: chocolate cream pie from the the local pie shop. OMG!!
• Delivery "good old plain" tomato sauce and mozzarella pizza, with their house salad with garbanzo beans and a Cesar. Another one of those pumpkin honey cakes.

Pictures? Sorry, I was too busy cooking up a storm and visiting.

Happy Birthday Leos!

Guest Chef Restaurant Style to celebrate my Half Century. Oh my, Tiger Prawns in a slightly spicy fresh tomato sauce with homemade spaghetti.

Hubs had Penn Cove clams over fresh linguine.

The server brought out complimentary Tiramisu and two forks  - it was a perfect dessert for a warm but not hot night.  Happy Birthday to Me and All the Leo Readers.

 

 

Thai Food Ingredients for the Fridge

Last weekend Elisa's Eye Guest Chef T. was here to dazzle us with her authentic Thai cooking. We've made due before with ingredients from our "well stocked groccery store" but she stopped at the large Asian / International grocery as a special treat.

I took a close up so you can see the labels, most are preservative and free of other additives. :Thai Kitchen" is the brand in most non-Asian stores. These are better.

Fish Sauce; Sweet (not to be confused with regular or dark) Soy Sauce, Tom Yum Paste (hot and sour) and Green Curry Paste, which I learned is hotter than the Red variety.

See if you can find them. It makes a real difference and now I am excited about trying more receipes in the Quick and Easy Thai recommended by G.

Salmon the Other Night

Copper River (Alaska) Sockeye Salmon right off the grill....thanks Guest Chef Hubs!

Served with spinach salad with red onion, hazelnuts, fresh parsley and drief cranberries. The second course were "potato skins" from the leftover bakers.

That's caramalized onion on top which added some moisture during grilling along with garlic and olive oil.

Guest Chef: Northwest Cold Seafood Salad

Dungeness Crab, Spot Prawn and Alaskan Smoked Salmon! The cucumber slices were quicky evacuated to my lunch companion's plate (she had the grilled vegetable salad).

And the view!

On a clear day, you would see Mount Rainier.

And here you would see an expanse of the Olympic Mountain range.

Hub's Sourdough Cornmeal Muffins

Fluffy, golden and there's another tray in the oven!

Whole Wheat Sour Dough Muffins

Before dinner last night, Hubs baked a batch of muffins which came out exceptionally well: moist, airy, tasty. Parchment muffin tin liners are highly recommended both for ease of taking the finished muffin out and clean up ease. The recipe came from this cookbook.

Guest Chef #3: Lobster Roll Friday

Another hurried picture, as I tried to discreetly capture this lovely lunch while sitting at the bar of a very busy restaurant. Dolphin Seafood on Mass. Ave.is  just outside Harvard Square as you head towards Central Sq. I walked by it a zillion times when I used to live in the area, but never went inside.

What a nice surprise! I was pleased with the quality, value (~$10!) and service.  No greens, but I did a ton of walking in the rain that day.

Guest Chef #2: Mediterranean Halibut with Couscous

Steam is blurring the image here, but there was no time for more - everyone was ready to eat Guest Chef L's offering for the night.

Guest Chef #1: Maine Crab Meat Caesar Salad

Can we say wow? This was my first full day in Boston for my annual fall visit to New England.  Lunch with The Roomie at Legal Seafoods at the Pru. Usually I get the Maine Crab Roll, but I was trying to get in some greens after a day of travel the day before. The crab was perfect, the cheese was plucked to the bread plate, the rest with dabs of dressing just right.

Hub's Sourdough Blueberry Hotcakes

On the griddle.

 
On my plate with real maple syrup.

On cooling racks.

Red Curry with Red Snapper over Jasmine Rice

Guest Chef T and our nephew are now heading home to B.C. Before they left we were able to dine on bowls of Guest Chef T's Red Curry with Red Snapper in the rare June sun.

Ingredients were: jarred Red Curry Paste (Thai Kitchen), Coconut Milk, Red Snapper and a sprinkle of red pepper; a few torn basil leaves made a great garnish. All was served over Jasmine rice. Yum Yum Yum!

Thai Noodles with Three Soy Sauces

 

A few hours before serving, soak rice noodles in a big bowl of water and cover...

After soaking notice how color changes to white (vs. opaque), drain well, cut into smaller pieces (no need to be fancy) and set aside while preparing the wok...

Preparing the veggies: broccoli, mushrooms and garlic; liquids included soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sweet soy sauce as well as rice vinegar and vegetable broth. Other ingredients included: sugar and tofu...

Scramble eggs in pan, add noodles and some of soy sauce and the tofu...

Add vegetables along with a little sugar and broth as needed to keep everything from sticking to the pan...

Enjoy! Thanks Again Guest Chef T!

Thai Style Soup with Coconut Milk and Mushrooms

Simmer coconut milk and sliced onions...

Add sliced mushrooms and sliced cubes of tofu and simmer some more...

Add seasonings: juice of a lime, red pepper flakes...

Serve in heated bowls and enjoy! Thank you Guest Chef T.

Hub's Hotcakes

Hubs made hotcakes while I headed to the Farmer Market; I came home to these stacks cooling on the counter.

Yum! Once cooled small stacks were slipped into zip lock bags and stowed in the freezer. They reheat quickly in the toaster oven and form the basis of a good healthy snack on busy summer days.

Vegetable Quiche in a Quaint Cafe in Prague

On one of my extended stay tours of the city I discovered Au Gourmand for lunch. I sat at a table right behind the men on the home page.

I sketched the tables and chairs while listening to all the non English speaking shoppers as they placed their orders. The espresso machine repairman sat next to me filling out his paperwork after servicing the equipment.

This is the vegetable quiche with a bottle of fizzy water. The gelato and deserts in the case were all amazing but the quiche was filling and the choices overwhelming so I held off for a gelato later on in Old Town Square.

Czech Grilled Dinners with Stella Artois

A big thing in Prague were restaurants (often with outside seating) featuring grilled meats. Towards the end of the trip my hosts took me to "Negative" where finding nothing non meat to eat, ordered the chicken with fries. I have to look the technique up, it starts with a "C" which is a form of dry roasting, it was tasty. The dipping sauces were sour cream and sour cream with perhaps paprika. I think they charge extra for catchup.

G was having a red meat craving and had the Argentian beef. M had mashed potatoes with basil pesto and read her Kindle. The adults each had Stella Artois, which were robust and satisfying in elegant chunky glasses. We all shared a salad with tomatoes and decided on a vegetarian place for the next night. 

Airline Lounge at Prague Airport

Early Friday morning Prague time, I patiently waited to check into my volcano-eruption-rescheduled-from-Monday-award-ticket-return-flight in business class. It was a splendid treat to pass the time before boarding in the airline lounge the ticket entitled me to visit.

There was passable orange juice (fresh squeezed is rare in Czech Republic) in a glass pitcher the obscured fridge. I loved the nice glassware and china plates. No plastic except for some utensils. Classy and very clean.

To the right there was another counter with cereal, granola and pastries. As the flight was delayed 2 hours and the plane wasn't at the gate it was the perfect time for a good breakfast to start my 24 hours of travel back to the States.

After two cups of black tea, a small bowl of mixed up cereal, a tiny open face baguette sandwich (tuna with a thin slice of egg white) and cocoa with milk prepared by the sleek machine I found a nice wing back chair by the window to hang out. 

While the prominently placed open bar was tempting, it was a wee bit early for me. Two bottles were the locally produced Bbecherovka, a liquor that's also an herbal remedy known to assist with digestion. An acquired taste I'd yet to warm up to.

There was cold Pilsner in cans in the fridge along with litre bottles of mineral water. Nice set up! There was also individual plastic tubs of local side dishes with cabbage and carrots. We finally boarded around noon and when the attendant offered "orange juice or champagne?" it was an easy choice.

Despite the delays, Delta was most accommodating and even passing through J.F.K. where I was met by another day wasn't that bad. By 11:30 pm Pacific Time I was home.

I hope the two gals from SLC and SF I chatted with made it home safe and in time for their friend's party.

Vegetarian Heaven in Prague

It was my good fortune to discover a place for some fine vegetarian offerings in Prague. One both occasions I had "Špenátová quesadilla se sýrem, guacamole, rajčatovou salsou, zakysanou smetanou a zeleným salátkem" or two spinach quesadillas with guac, sour cream and salsa with a side of nice lettuce. Sorry no pictures, we tucked right into our meals.

My friend strongly suggested a favorite desert. The server said it was her favorite and now I know why. It's a  walnut cake topped with fresh strawberries and a light but smooth creamy topping. Nothing about this desert was heavy. Most of the website is in Czech, but it gives you a better idea of the chill ambiance. If you or anyone you know is visiting Prague, and they like inspired fresh food cooking don't miss this little hideaway: Clear Head Restaurant, or "Lehka Hlava."

My Last Pizza in Prague: Twice the Fun

The price point and experience at Vysehrad was at a casual yet elegant restaurant that I believe is operated by the owners of the fancy pants Rios' Restaurant, or at least they left a nice four color double sided map and photo of the facilities along with the check. The waitress "mistook" my order and brought me a plain pizza too, which I took home in a box for my hosts because it wasn't worth arguing over. The pizza tasted "100% Italiano" just like their sign said. Perfectly baked crust, just the right amount of high quality tops. The lean black cat milled around by did not come to the tables or actually cross my path.

Best of Prague (Strange) Menu Signs

Most sit down restaurants in Prague are filled with smoke and food that makes me uneasy so I ate lots of thin crust Margaretta (tomato, cheese) pizza, but I was amused by offerings when written in English, or when informative photos were provided.  Here are some interesting examples:

^^ Roast Knuckle or Pork? eeewww! The rest looks okay.

Last afternoon in Prague enjoying my third visit to Vysehrad I got a bottle of water, no gas (carbonation) here.  Everyone was smoking at the small seating area of this small cafe. I went a bit further and sat outside and had pizza that looked and tasted remarkably better than that photo. See next post!

Tradtional Czech Lunches: Ying and Yang

Lettuce, blue cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, walnuts: kind of refreshing after all those Margarita pizzas.

Goulash with a bland roll and pork dumplings to soak up the thick sauce.enjoyed outdoors on wooden tables and chairs in the amazingly charming castle town of Hrad Karlsteign. Tradition!

Tofu Stir Fry

Guest Chef G continues to impress with her non-traditional ethnic dinners in Prague. Last night she prepared a stir fry recipe from The Joy of Cooking. She kindly substituted tofu for chicken on my behalf and fragrant Basmati rice to please everyone at the table.

Homemade Pad Thai in Prague

Yesterday Guest Chef G. made a batch of Pad Thai for dinner. I was glad to be the prep assistant.

We didn't have the lime or bean sprouts for topping but it still tasted darn good!

Typical Czech Breakfast

Here's a "typical" Czech breakfast, as served at the pension we stayed at last night. Kind of strange but a nice change from eggs eggs eggs. Not shown is the basket of rolls and bread and steaming pots of coffee and tea.

Happy Hour in Cesky Krumlov

The Saturday night dinner picture did not come out, so here are some authentic Budvar brews in a beautiful main square in the quaint castle town of Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.

Pizza in Prague

The first of this weekend's esteemed "Guest Chefs" is Ambiente Risorante Pizza Nuova in Prague, Czech Republic. A perfect balance of oven fired dough, Italian tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms with fresh basil. After a 2 hour yoga class, the meal was heaven on earth with a delicious Pilsner.

Hub's Sour Dough Bread

Fresh from the oven: two lovely loaves of bread made with sour dough starter crafted by my darling Hubs.

Team Dinner

Starting on the the right: a double batch of Mark Bitman style Mac and Cheese. I was proud to lend a hand while my hosts prepared the rest. Roasted vegetables topped with cheese, Cesear salad and grilled BBQ chicken (not shown) along with M's Toll House cookies. We substituted vanilla extract for orange and they tasted great.

Fish Stew with Couscous and Seasonal Vegetables

Last Friday SiL L served up this delightful dinner: striped bass in tomato/onion/olive broth with sides of couscous and sauteed zuchinni and red pepper.

When the Cook Eats Out

Dear Readers,

It has a been a terribly long time since my last post. Travel, work, family matters have distracted me and I apologize. While traveling in the Boston/Cambridge, MA area I ate at some great places that I'd like to share with you. Yelp linkage where websites not available:

• Thai food at Pepper Sky's Thai Sensation in Central Sq. off Mass Ave
• Sandwiches and Soup twice at the venerable Au Bon Pain
  
• Crab sandwich at the Harvard Square location of Legal Seafood
  
• Pizza slice at The Village Kitchen on Huron Ave. in West Cambridge
• Sunday breakfast with "The Roomie" at The Paramount on Beacon Hill
• Monday dinner and brews at the new Bull McCabe's in Union Sq. where My Man D. is cooking up a storm to compliment the fine beer menu. See photo below of my Jambalaya with steamed rice and N's salmon dinner.

Guest Chef Presents a Salmon BBQ Meal

Shown here is the $10 meal deal of the year.  Barbecued Wild Salmon, corn on the cob (pre-slathered), cole slaw, garlic bread, choice of soft drink and dessert (cute cup of ice cream -not shown) all to benefit the Seattle Fisherman's Memorial.

While patiently waiting on line and while I was enjoying the meal in the shade of a tent, Knut Bell and the Blue Collars was up on stage entertaining the throngs.

Fresh Roll with Prawn

Guest Chef T. returned last weekend and treated us to a few more Thai specialties. Fresh Roll with prawn ingredients: 

• Lettuce
• Cilantro
• Green onion
• Carrots (shredded)
• Thin rice noodles
• Prawns (peeled, cleaned and boiled for about 3 min. or until bright color)
• Rice paper wraps

To do:

1. Prepare ingredients->wash and put in small bowls
2. Soak rice paper wraps in hot water (10 seconds) one at a time, or as you wrap
3. Place prepared rice paper wrap on clean surface and add one of each ingredient; with the prawn on top
4. Roll like a burrito (outward 2 times-> then tug both sides in then roll outward again.

Sauce:

• Chili flakes, 1 tsp.
• Hot sauce, 1 tsp.
• Sugar, 2 tbsp.
• Tamarind paste, 1 tsp.
• Rice vinegar, 1 tsp.
• Corn starch, 1 tsp.

Mix well in a saucepan over low heat. Delicious. Please note this is NOT the sauce in the picture, which is from the jar Thai Chili sauce we deemed unworthy of these fine rolls. Many thanks Guest Chef T. for taking the time to whip this up for us.

Guoy-Deow Kua Koong (Thai rice noodles with shrimp and mushrooms)

Oh boy. One of our visitors this weekend is a native of Thailand, and much to our delight she offered to cook. This dish consisted of thin Thai rice noodle, prawns, 2 eggs, leaf lettuce (!), soy sauce, salt & pepper, sugar, mushrooms and basil. Essentially she scrambled the egg in a heated wok with canola oil. The soaked noodles were stirred in, followed by the vegetables and seasonings before the shrimp. Salt & pepper was added in stages, and water was poured in things started to getting too sticky. Everyone but me topped their dish with a simple sauce of white rice vinegar and chopped red chili. "Everybody happy." Thank you Guest Chef T!

Jane Brody's Deep Dish Pizza with Spinach

The first Guest Chef blog of 2009 features a deep dish pizza, with spinach filling and sliced tomatoes baked on top.

That's "Egg Man" keeping watch until it's cool enough for release from the Springform pan. One could guess it did not take long for my friends S & R to tuck into this luscious New Year's Eve pizza pie.

Our Guest Chefs wisely placed a cookie sheet under the pizza pan - which takes care of bubbly drips. We used to make this recipe together in the late 80's after my mom gave me "The Jane Book."

This dish is a true from scratch preparation: dough, sauce and filling. One of the many exceptional recipes in Jane Brody's  "Good Food Book"

Maine Crab Sandwich in Cambridge, Mass.

 Last Monday I was back in Mass. and made a point of frequenting a fish establishment called "Legal Seafood" where they serve a fine Maine Crab sandwich. Pretty much just fine crab and just enough mayo to bind. The bun was buttered and toasted, the fries delicious and cole slaw yummy. Best of all, it wasn't overpriced and the server friendly.

Minimalist Potato Salad: Hold the Mayo

This delightful potato salad was one of the many side dishes at a Labor Day BBQ last week. Prepared by a friend of a friend, I knew at once this deserved a place on my blog. I have to ask him exactly how it was made - as it was right from his garden. It appears to be diced potato, carrot,sweet onion, parsley, dill and egg. No mayo. Exquisite.

Guest Chef Grills and Thrills Dinner Party

Last night's Guest Chef BN traveled all the way from FLA, and showed off his versatility on the grill serving up yellow squash, Halibut and Salmon. For the teens he heated up some ham steaks (not shown); I pitched in by making a double batch of brown rice.

Lobsta' Roll at Joe's Boathouse

Cellphone camera to the rescue- faced with this delicious Lobster Roll and no Nikon. After taking the train from North Station to Portland, we stopped at Joe's Boathouse (1 Springpoint Drive, S. Portland, ME) for lunch. The homemade potato chips were a nice touch. The sandwich, just right and company perfect.

Simple Food in the Right Dish = Special Occassion

Traveling north to Maine, our ambitious Guest Chef A. created a delightful meal, which unfortunately came out blurry.

However two parts of the dinner remained in focus: her homemade cornbread baked in a large and heavy stoneware dish; and a Cherry flavored Sam Adam's beer poured into "the right glass."  The main course was "Black Beans a la Dean" (recipe to follow) and a green salad with fruit and nuts.

There was an Oatmeal Snack Cake for dessert. I regretting not snagging some for the long travel day ahead.

Poached Salmon with Bulgur and Steamed Asparagus

Our esteemed Guest Chef had to scoot off to yoga; but left this dinner for her Hubs and guests. Proof that a meal can be prepared in advance, served up hot with out a microwave. The key here are good pans with tight fitting lids and strategic start times.

Guest Chef poached the salmon in white wine in a heavy pan. I "noticed" the lack of fishy smell as it was cooked. The lid and liquid contained it without a fan. Bulgur added a hearty contrast and first of spring asparagus fulfilled the required green vegetable role.

Grilled Scallops Served Up Right

Returning to New England for a visit, the venerable Legal Seafoods seemed like a good option. A new location in Harvard Square has outdoor seating, perfect for a sunny Wednesday afternoon with a friend heisted from a nearby office.

Here is Hub's lunch: grilled scallops with brown rice and asparagus. Not sauce, deep fry or fancy treatment, just good food!

Sourdough Hotcakes by Guest Chef Hubs

Check out the rise on those cakes! Also, two kinds of syrup.

Feeding the Sourdough Starter: Photo 1

Saturday, 8:30 a.m. Hubs started feeding the Live Sourdough Starer Friday night. This is the status photo after 12 hours.

Adventurous!

November Guest Chef: Vegetable and Bean Chili

A few weekends ago an Elisa's Eye Guest Chef served up a delicious pinto and kidney bean chili with carrots, sweet peppers, onion and garlic. It wasn't too spicy (yay!) and in fact, had a hint of cinnamon which Guest Chef stirred in to add complexity in lieu of spice.

The Whole Pie

Here is one of the two pizza featured in the previous post.

Onion and Cheese Pizza by a Guest Chef

Here's a slice of pizza made by an Elisa's Eye "Guest Chef" during a recent visit to the right coast. High quality photo by DAD.

The recipe from my often cited, tattered Jane Body's "Good Food Book" (page 474) features a tasteful whole wheat / all-purpose flour blend crust, golden brown onions and Fontina cheese. An ingredient that surprised (but pleased) me is grainy mustard, spread on the crust beneath the cheese. Heirloom tomatoes from a nearby farmer market were sliced for a simple side dish.

A picture of a whole pie (there were two) is shown in the next post.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

A special treat, baked up by a St. Louis native. M, who modified this recipe by using 2 eggs with the cake mix and following the common substitution of 1 teaspoon of vanilla for the almond extract.

Hub's Made from Scratch Pancakes

The oatmeal variety straight from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. The key as always is the bestest ingredients: canola, eggs, milk, flour, honey (instead of sugar), unbleached flour and quick (not instant) oats.

Don't skimp and the taste will amaze you.

If you did not know this, most "mixes" rely on hydrogentated products that ensure super long shelf life, low production cost and big profits for manufacturers who use cozy names to sell their junk food. Read the label and put it back on the shelf.

Pancakes can be frozen, after cooling by stacking them in zip lock bags. Reheat in toaster or oven when you want a hearty meal on short notice.