SobaAddict70

it's funny you mention that, because Monica Bhide has a fave dish she's written about that combines fried eggs with store-bought potato chips. that might be my next omelette. it's quite good, despite what opinions one may have of what is essentially "doctored up junk food".

"Pork and greens" -- turnip greens and Red Russian kale, with shoulder bacon, uncured salami, sriracha, shallots and rice wine vinegar.

Swedish lumpfish caviar

Dinner menu for May 28, 2013: "Pork and greens" Spaghetti with spinach and ricotta sauce The app is what I imagine would result if some spring greens and pork got together for some sexy funtime and out popped a baby. The pasta course is an adaptation of one of Marcella's recipes from "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking", without any ham. More later.

It's actually very easy. Keith should try it next time.

*hands rotuts a plate of tortilla de patatas (with no garlic)* http://kitchenseasons.com/2012/03/25/sunday-snapshot-15/

FP -- I use a fork, in this case, a dessert fork. A one-egg omelette is as thin as a crepe. A spatula is way too thick for this type of treatment. One-egg omelette, with asparagus and caviar.

So, I've made omelettes all my life -- from plain, to filled, to things like tortilla de patata. I think one-egg omelettes are a nice three to four bite test of a cook's skill, that once you master it, you'll be able to turn them out blindfolded. The key is a hot pan and timing, as usual. This is one farm egg, with a scant pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and 1 tablespoon heavy cream beaten together. I think the addition of heavy cream provides for a slightly sturdier omelette and gives you a little bit more "breathing space" as opposed to just water. Maybe there's a hint of dairy, but that's a small price to pay for an omelette with no brown spots as far as I'm concerned. These are farm eggs, from Quattro's Game Farm at Union Square Greenmarket. Can't really get much fresher than that, unless you have access to just laid eggs, so the "egg" taste comes bright and shining through, as pure as rain on a cool spring day. As Julia instructs in her video (linked upthread), you want a hot pan glazed with melted unsalted butter. This is a poor pic, but you'll know it's the right moment when the butter begins to foam. There is a brief (!!!) window before it begins to brown -- so pour in the eggs immediately. Begin timing at this point by doing a slow count to 20, or if you have a kitchen timer, then start the clock. Between 15-20 seconds is when you'll want to fold the omelette and slide it to a waiting plate, like so: Voilà. My next trick will be a filled one-egg omelette. Stay tuned.

Sylvia -- thanks. I've always been a creative person and this is one way to give back to the community which has shown so much kindness to me. rotuts -- thanks! when you treat it as a vegetable, even as a starchy vegetable, you may begin to move away from preps that emphasize it as "filler" on a plate as so many people seem to do. Same thing with corn, with certain beans and so forth. Prep pix in a bit.

So, I think we have a problem in this country. People tend to think of potatoes as a starch, not as a vegetable. When you break out of that box, your options become more interesting. Indian food does it well, with aloo gobi and similar dishes of that ilk. This next thing that I'm making tonight -- which is vegan -- is an example of "slow food", because you can't rush it. It's also exceedingly simple. It totals five ingredients, including salt, and is extremely versatile. You can use it for all sorts of things, from spooning it on top of broiled fish, or tossing it with pan drippings from roast turkey or chicken, or on top of scrambled eggs, or folding some cooked chickpeas, roasted tomatoes and caramelized onion for a delicious vegan entrée. From left to right -- Magic Molly heirloom potatoes (blue/purple), Valdisa heirloom potatoes, Japanese turnips, scallions. Recipe: http://www.purplekale.com/2013/05/two-spring-medleys/ "Potatoes and turnips"

I make each course sequentially, but sometimes I'm able to do two things at the same time. It kind of depends on whatever it is I'm making. There's just not enough space in this apartment for me to do a dinner for more than two people -- well I could, but folks would have to sit on the floor. LOL.

thanks luv.

You don't need to peel the asparagus, but I like to do it for aesthetic purposes. TIP: If you eat a lot of asparagus, save the woody ends and make asparagus stock out of them. Lovely as a vegetable stock; same thing can be done with corn cobs or mushroom trimmings for corn stock and mushroom stock respectively. Asparagus with pistachios, Indian spices and coconut. Inspired by a similar dish by Chef Floyd Cardoz at his former restaurant, Tabla (pic below): 1/2 lb. asparagus, peeled and cut into 1" length pieces pinch of sea salt + more to taste 1 onion, trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons ghee 1 teaspoon panch phoron 2 dried curry leaves 3 green cardamom pods, crushed 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon chopped crystallized ginger 3 tablespoons dried coconut 2 tablespoons chopped pistachio nuts Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil, then add the asparagus. Simmer for 3 minutes, then blanch in ice water, then drain. Melt ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the panch phoron. When the seeds begin to "pop", add the cardamom pods, the crushed red pepper flakes, the ginger, the dried curry leaves and onion. Cook, stirring frequently or until the onion begins to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the coconut and pistachio nuts. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, then remove from heat. Taste for salt, then add the asparagus to the pan. Toss once or twice, then serve at once.

Insalata di funghi (mushroom salad) This is typically just lettuce or salad greens, mushrooms, cheese and a vinaigrette. I've elected to omit the cheese, because I wanted the contrast of heavy (the meaty roasted shiitake mushrooms) to with the light (the salad greens and the vinaigrette). Roasted shiitake mushrooms -- sliced mushrooms tossed with sea salt, black pepper and olive oil, then roasted at 350 F for 20 minutes. Vinaigrette -- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Belgian beer, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk all ingredients together, then taste for salt and pepper. I love the technique of mixing wine with wine vinegar; I think it lends a fuller flavor that bottled wine vinegars in the U.S. sometimes don't have.

I understand the issues you have with respect to aesthetics and such, but really, the one-egg omelette thing was more a challenge to me, to see if I could do it. I don't remember where I saw it, could have been a pic of something that TK did at Per Se (TK = Thomas Keller) or maybe it was some other "name" chef, but one-egg omelettes are all about deriving maximum flavor, particularly if there's a filling. Since the omelette itself is as thin as a crepe, you have to be observant and quick in order to ensure that it comes out right. FYI, I rarely make omelettes without brown spots on them, so this one was a triumph. And in retrospect, there's just a hint of brown at the edges, but that's just me being a hobbit with perfectionist tendencies. Must buy a One Ring from the local magical items vendor.

Maybe it might be an idea to have other kitchen goddesses as well. :-) I do, but with respect to specific things like omelettes, Julia is it for me. *shrug*

those are bottles of protein powder. and yes, I need to start lifting again. those are old pix, from 2008. ty for the compliment.

but according to Julia, not as perfect. she's one of my kitchen goddesses. http://youtu.be/RThnq3-d6PY

So I might do a demo for tomorrow's lunch (not breakfast as I have a doctor's appt. at 9:45 am) on how to make a one-egg omelette. Would people be interested in that? These will be filled with asparagus and ricotta cheese. A comment on how I devise menus: I know what I am capable of in terms of skill set and equipment. I have not much in the way of the latter -- one frying pan/heavy skillet, one Dutch oven, one medium-sized pot, one small saucepot, one 6 quart stock pot, three Pyrex baking/roasting dishes, one cookie sheet. No microwaves, blenders or food processors. I'll probably get a mortar and pestle soon. Maybe an immersion blender for cream soups and stuff. A mandoline for turnip or potato galettes. This is an extremely low-tech kitchen. My kitchen skills are somewhere between ambitious intermediate home cook and advanced. Yes, I know how to make the French mother sauces, how to do stocks and some other classic elements of haute cuisine. I don't know pastry or baking -- you can all laugh later this week at my effort to bake bread. but that's slowly changing. recently discovered how to make homemade pasta. So I devise menus knowing what I can do and what I can't. sometimes something will work, sometimes not, but I document everything and show the results, failures or no. that's important. the key thing is that I tried, not whether it succeeded or failed. and if it failed, I use that knowledge for next time. I don't think as to whether it will be all vegetarian or vegan or whatever. I usually have a mental inventory of what's in my pantry, then devise accordingly. I look for inspiration from cookbooks, restaurant menus (like the ones at Chez Panisse or Gramercy Tavern), newspaper articles, food blogs, Facebook posts, books on food, or forums like eGullet. Another key lesson is something my writing professor once mentioned -- "Keep your eyes open and be observant, because you never know when the next thing you see will be what sparks the urge to create, to write." And so it goes, as far as cooking is concerned. And some things, like the baked eggs with asparagus salad, have personal meaning that go far beyond a mere meal. I draw from experiences in my personal life which serve as material for future use. Dinner menu for May 27, 2013: Insalata di funghi (this version will have roasted shiitake mushrooms) Asparagus, with pistachios, coconut and Indian spices "Potatoes and turnips" Leftover pearl barley biryani More later.

I don't think the size of the pan is so much a factor as being quick and having everything ready -- a good reason why mise en place is so important. Even in my hobbit-sized kitchen, I still try to have things within easy reach so that I'm not looking for things at a critical juncture. There is literally a 15-second window before the eggs go from "perfect" to "overdone".Here's a pic of my kitchen. Note the extreme lack of counter space. The top of the garbage can sometimes serves as one.

I was describing to Mom dinner last night as we were walking to the train station. The funny part is that she thinks my dinner is "gourmet". It's interesting to me, because I consider what I do to be "simple". A reminder that perception is truly in the eye of the beholder.

so it turned out that Prune was closed -- I'll probably mosey on down there for lunch sometime this week or maybe Mission Chinese Food. and I still wanna try Torrisi Italian Specialties for dinner. in the meantime, brunch was some Japanese izakaya on St. Mark's Place. there is a reason why I don't do restaurant food photography, because I'm using a camera held together by tissue paper and glue from 2006. miso soup broiled chicken bento box -- clockwise from bottom left: broiled chicken in ponzu sauce, salad with carrot-ginger dressing, california roll, shumai, fried chicken shrimp and vegetable tempura, steamed rice lunch for two people, for $27.95, including tax and tip. very reasonable for cheap eats.

ty Patrick. that's high praise indeed. thanks again.

for huiray, here's a one-egg omelette from a few days ago ... I forget what the filling was, but I think it might have been cheese and something else. you'll notice the brown spots. this omelette had 1 tablespoon cold water and no cream. personally I prefer a French omelette in the same way as how Julia demonstrated on her show, but as the saying goes, à chacun son goût.

So, tomorrow (Monday), I have brunch in the East Village with my mother -- you'll see pix of that. Not sure what's for dinner tomorrow, probably leftover biryani -- but I might do a salad or a couple of apps to start. I'll also comment more on how I devise menus. A few months ago there was a thread started by liuzhou on "Cooking For One"; this blog was a reaction to that. Talk to y'all later.