What's Cooking (Take Four)

I dump the strawberry stuff into the basil stuff right before churning. It would be good served separately, though, and the strawberry does cover a bit of the Thai basil flavor. It's worth making without the fruit.

Lunch today arugula, red leaf lettuce, wild caught smoked salmon, Kumato tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, with a Basil Pesto Aioli, splash of red wine vinegar, pink salt, 4 color gr.Peppercorns. It was great.

Jeff - see the note in the "What I Learned" thread for some more info on that ice cream.

[Jenise]

Yesterday my brother and I shopped at Vancouver's amazing Granville Island Public Market. I purchased an Arctic Char that I planned to share with him, but unbenownst to me he didn't realize that and went back for some Pickerell from Winnipeg. Then we went out for lunch--Burmese, outstanding food--and overate so by the time we got back to our respective homes neither of us was had interest in dinner. So tonight we're getting together again and cooking both of the fishes. The Pickerell (a freshwater perch-like fish) will get dipped in a seasoned bread crumb and fried, and the Char will be poached in butter and finished with a bearnaise. The accompaniaments will be a shallot rice and chayote squash, following a green salad with a basil vinaigrette which will follow an appetizer of crostini with boursin cheese and an eggplant tapenade.

We've been in Vancouver several times over the last few years and have always made it a point to stop at that market. It's really amazing! Unfortunately, we've never been in a position to buy something there and cook it - I wish we could have done what you're doing!

Nice prep on the char. It's one of my favorite fishes.

My eldest son is coming for a visit on Sunday, and I am making him a Taco soup, a recipe given to me by a nurse at the hospital I visited with my pet therapy dog years ago. It is loaded with veggies, chicken stock, lots of rotisserie chicken, and tortilla strips to garnish. Served with cheddar, jalapeño sourdough,
Well, my soup ended up being a veggie, bean, chicken soup: onions, garlic, carrots, celery, Orzo, chicken, fresh corn, fire-roasted tomatoes,
chicken stock, chicken, Good Mother Stallard Beans, diced green chilies, a jalapeño. I bought a bunch of cilantro, had it in a little water on the counter, and this morning it was dead... I only had it overnight??? I'll put out avocado in case my son wants to add it to the soup,

[Jenise]

Nice prep on the char. It's one of my favorite fishes.

I know you do it often. It's not a fish I've ever seen on our side of the Lower 48, and yet they always have it on the other side of the border. Frustrating! I'm always envious when you mention it.