blue_dolphin

Another wine from my "summer whites" box. This is the 2018 Citrine Chardonnay from Enfield Wine Co. Delicious! and a wine I can actually enjoy with my Chardonnay-loving friends! I'm not a lover of overly oaky, buttery California Chardonnays and don't really consider them "summer wines" so I wasn't terribly enthused about the presence of this one in the box. However, I'd read an NYT article that featured winemaker John Lockwood (The Art of Winemaking on the Cheap) that made me interested in trying it and the wine info sheet on the Beaune Imports site said that it was similar to Chardonnay from southern Burgundy which was encouraging. I was pleasantly surprised. It's very nicely balanced with peachy and floral notes, a slightly creamy mouthfeel (but not the heavy buttery sense I get from some Chards) and a brisk, palate-cleansing acidity. Lots of flavor but not heavy. This was delicious to drink on its own and I enjoyed sipping it both before and after my meal. Salmon is my go-to dish with chardonnay but my fish peeps were absent from the farmers market this week so I made some crunchy little appetizer-sized salmon croquettes and enjoyed the wine with them. This is not a fussy wine and would pair well with a range of foods. Unlike the heavy, oaky Chards, it won't overwhelm a light fish dish but has enough substance to pair with stronger flavors as well. This bottle is $28 on the winery's website. For my low-end budget, that's approaching special occasion territory and I'm not sure this is really a special occasion wine. On the other hand, because of its balance, versatility and easy drinking nature, it could make a table of people very happy with their glasses. I can buy more from Beaune for $24 and I may just do that.

I used a can of Trader Joe's wild-caught sockeye salmon to make salmon croquettes from Jubilee in a 2 Tbsp appetizer size: Preserved lemon aioli from Shaya on the side. Salmon croquettes formed into bulky logs with mushy middles were a Lenten penance when I was growing up. The small size of these improved the ratio of crispy exterior to tender interior. No mush.

The macarons look glorious! I know what a gender reveal party is but for some perverse reason, I imagine random people dropping trou or raising skirts and shouting "Surprise!" at happy hours everywhere.

Another OXO here. Mine is similar to the one that @kayb linked to but it is red. I don't see it on offer. Mine is ~ 12 years old. No complaints thus far.

Couldn't resist sharing from today's Breaking Cat News comic: Field Reporter Tommy: This just in: The People are making s'mores! A puzzled news anchor Puck: Tommy, what are s'mores? Tommy: It's a marshmallow sandwich that combines two things children LOVE: "FIRE" and "BEING STICKY"!

The Kindle version of Josef Centeno's first book, Bäco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles is currently $2.99 on Amazon in the US. Sadly, not in Canada. I have a hard copy of the book. It uses a lot of unusual ingredients and some recipes are rather involved but I find the it always inspires me to cook!

You guys are so cute!

I mentioned upthread that in honor of this tasting, I ordered a mixed box of summer whites from Beaune Imports. They arrived very promptly but I've been turning to the same old rosés from TJ's. Six wines was just too much choice 🙃. Yesterday, I received some tinned mussels in escabeche AND remembered that we only have a few more days for this tasting. Mussels from Spain? Wine from Spain ✔️ I opened the 2016 Villa Narcisa Verdjo from the Reuda region by winemaker Javier Sanz. The notes in my quote above are for the 2019 vintage which Beaune is currently selling for $11/bottle. At first taste, without food, I liked the wine but was not won over. As you can see from reading the notes, there's a lot of fruit on the nose, nice acidity but also significant grassy and mineral components. It is bone dry and, at least for this 2016, is not a lightweight but has some body to it. Without food it seemed sort of awkward to me. I made some crostini with my pickled mussels, setting them on toasts rubbed with garlic and spread with a preserved lemon aioli. Between the rich, slightly funky mussels and that preserved lemon aioli, there was a mouthful of flavor going on and this wine stood right up to them. This was the synergy that @weinoo mentioned above. I wouldn't really recommend this to be sipped on it's own but it's certainly a great companion for flavorful seafood recipe....crabcakes with remoulade? Oh, yeah! I'm not familiar with the varietal at all. A little looking tells me that it's recommended where one would serve a Sauvignion Blanc. I think that's true, though many Sauv Blancs in the price range seem to be little more than lemon water. This stuff had some guts. I'd certainly consider getting more. We've apparently got a few more days before Sept begins so I'd best get to work on a few more bottles!

I was running low on tuna and placed an order with the Fishing Vessel St. Jude people. Decided to add a few tins of these La Brújula mussels in escabeche to my order. I put a few on crostini, spread with aioli, then followed the description on the website for a super quick pasta: A little parsley would have been nice but I hear it's over-used 🙃 Very tasty. I wish I'd bought more but I see that the local import store I visit from time to time has them in stock so I'll check their prices.

I use the snack-size zip-top bags. I know plastic is the devil but it keeps them from picking up freezer odors and it's easy for giving them away. After unmolding, I put them back into the freezer for a little while to firm up before I bag them up. If you try to bag them as you unmold, the bags get smeary.

The coconut pops were a big hit last time so I made another batch: The original recipe from Paletas included sweetened condensed milk and half & half. I substituted sweetened condensed coconut milk, coconut cream and cashew milk to make them non-dairy for my friend's vegan daughter.

Thanks for another great flavor combination! Coconut and Pineapple with Star Anise: The pineapple part has the star anise added, the coconut does not. I liked pineapple/star anise combo a lot. I made an infused syrup with whole star anise and also added some ground. Could have used more. Maybe I should have mixed the layers together but the contrast of the two is kind of nice. Edited to add that the guy I buy the figs from at the farmers market liked the saffron & fig pops. He thought my idea of figs on pizza was an abomination so I wasn't sure what he'd think of the pops 🙃

In the LA Times this morning: Instacart shoppers say they face unforgiving metrics: ‘It’s a very easy job to lose’ This statement rang true with me: I stopped into Whole Foods the other day for the first time in ages. I only wanted blue cheese and bread to go with the fresh figs that I'd just picked up at the farmers market. I felt like I was the only person in the store purchasing my own groceries. The vast majority of other shoppers were....well....shoppers 🙃. Shoppers for Instacart, or other services. There was a bit of gridlock near the meat counter as shoppers were using carts to maintain their place in line while running off for other items. I powered my way through but after reading how these shoppers are penalized for taking too many seconds per item, I'll try to be more gracious next time!

@paulraphaelmade blender Negronis back in this post. I've been drinking this version from Jeffrey Morgenthaler's website which adds a couple of ounces of OJ and some simple syrup to the mix. The brain freeze helps distract me from other annoyances.....🙃

White Nectarine & Raspberry Pock-marked pops!

Plum & White Nectarine. These were the last of the vibrant Satsuma plums and the white nectarines were freebies from my farmers market peeps. I wanted to do something to show off their pretty color but they are clings, not freestone so pretty slices weren't going to happen and this was the next best option. I'll be sharing these when I visit their booth on Thursday.

Popsicles? Did someone say popsicles????? 🤣🤣🤣

I've enjoyed these sauces on vegetables: In Amá, Josef Centeno has a Vegan Cashew Queso that may be good if a cheese sauce was a favorite. I found a modified version of his recipe here on NYT Cooking. I see many others online. That book also has a delicious Cilantro-Pecan Pesto that he serves with roasted cauliflower. The recipe is available online here. The "Torrada" sauce that he serves on roasted broccolini is also delicious. Made with pecans, walnuts, garlic, anchovy, cilantro, olive oil, lime and various seasonings. He describes it as a Mexican-inspired version of the classic bagna cauda, which might also be a possibility. Along the lines of the Tahini & Miso dressing that @BeeZee mentioned, Mollie Katzen has a recipe for a Miso-Almond Sauce to be served on steamed vegetables, tofu and/or noodles. I used to make that over and over. Here's an online version. You can make it with any nut butter and any sort of miso. Three ingredients. No cooking. The Pine Nut Vinaigrette from Six Seasons appears online here. You can sub other nuts for the pine nuts. The same book has a Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette that is also excellent on vegetables. The recipe uses a 2 ounce tin of anchovies, which I think make it delicious but this online version omits them for a vegetarian version. You choose. Those 2 above are somewhat tangy so they may not suit someone who doesn't care for your lemon/olive oil mix. I think the other flavors balance that out, but everyone's different. In the creamy but non-dairy category, Shaya has a preserved lemon aioli that he serves with crab cakes. I think it's great on steamed vegetables...or on a spoon! I can't find it online but can paraphrase it for you if you think it would be of interest. Editing to add this link to the fabulously flavorful tonnato that Mandy Lee of Lady & Pups calls, "Tuna Sando Sauce." It's amazingly delicious!

Isn't it mooncake season? They would seem to be a fair contribution to the topic.

Peach & Ginger: Peach, Ginger & Cream: I wasn't sure about adding cream to these, but I made some roasted pear with ginger & cream one time that were good so I figured it was worth a try. Now I have pops for the creamy pop neighbors and the friends' vegan daughter!

I would not recommend direct heat on a mai tai. Do be careful. I had the same fry basket situation. The probe is too big to fit in between the basket and the inside of the pot so I haven't used the basket. Good luck with the potatoes.

A while back, I made this recipe for Country Ham-Wrapped and Roasted Peaches from Deep Run Roots: Peach wedges get wrapped in thin slices of smoked country ham (I subbed prosciutto) and roasted. They're served on gingered goat cheese (goat cheese, buttermilk & grated, fresh ginger) with a drizzle of balsamic honey and a sprinkle of sweet & spicy pecans. Very decadent. With inspiration from @shain's peach pizza above, I decided to pizza-fy this recipe today: to fi I layered the gingered goat cheese mixture over the dough, sprinkled with a little mozzarella and the sliced peaches: Topped with pepperoni (subbing for the country ham or prosciutto) Baked: I added the pecans and drizzle of balsamic honey after baking.

You can skip one shipment per year. I should do that or just drop out and order what I need. But FOMO won't let me....🙃

How fun would it be to have everyone come by for popsicles! I love to share them. At Thursday's farmers market, my stone fruit peeps from Tenerelli Orchards got peaches & cream and satsuma plum & yogurt pops. I received a bag of white nectarines from them which will be making their popsicle appearance soon. The Harry's Berries guy got strawberries & cream pops and my herb guy got a strawberry & mint pop. It was dreadfully hot so they were appreciated. I have a small box packed up for my next door neighbors and another one waiting for me to make more non-dairy pops to be sent to a friend with a vegan daughter but there are still pops to share and more to be made! Peaches are roasting in the CSO at the moment for some peach & ginger pops....

The Kindle version of Joe Yonan's book, Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, published in Feb 2020, is a daily deal today on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca for $2.99. I own the hardcover version of the book and have enjoyed what I've cooked from it.