What's cooking?

Tonight it was country pork ribs rubbed with our rub, grilled over charcoal and hickory chips, and slathered with our tangy barbeque sauce; corn-on-the-cob (with a little BBQ on them along with butter), and our sliced Brandywine tomatoes. Washed it down with a Smuttynost Old Brown Dog Ale. It hardly gets better.

Unless you wash it down with a Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale (I prefer their pale ale to their brown ale, although they're both damn good beers).

-Paul W.

A neighbor brought over two large zucchini, from which I have been making Zucchini Cranberry breads and freezing for the holidays. Tonight I am making use of the second one with a very old recipe for zucchini patties. They are yummy served with home made marinara sauce. Then corn on the cob, grilled, and a plate of heirloom tomatoes with Maytag Blue Cheese.

[Robin Garr]

Mary's been craving bluefish, specifically a Marcella recipe in which it's baked over a bed of thin-sliced potatoes with lots of garlic and olive oil, so we put in an order and are supposed to go over and get some right off the boat, er, airplane this afternoon.

Squid sauce for roasted red pepper pasta; end of summer salad - arugula and steamed triomphe de violetta beans; fresh figs with Marcona almonds and Cabrales. A nice little Friday supper

On Friday's we like to pop over to Ted's in Shapleigh, Maine until they close next month for the season. We split a pint of fried Maine shrimp, a pint of fries, and two small cole slaws. Wonderful, but next time we'll get a quart of shrimp!

Squid sauce for roasted red pepper pasta; end of summer salad - arugula and steamed triomphe de violetta beans; fresh figs with Marcona almonds and Cabrales. A nice little Friday supper

Christina, that sounds so much more civilized than our typical Friday night supper.

Actually, our Friday night was nice too. Our club does this thing about once a month called "The Long Table." Depending on how many people RSVP, they just keep adding to the length of a rectangular table. Cocktails at 6:30, dinner at 7, served family-style, so lots of passing dishes and interacting with people you may not have met before. The food last night was all good, but a little incongruous. Len commented that it was like a gourmet potluck where no one knew what anyone else was bringing (i.e. Beef Bourguignon, pancetta baked beans, tomato napoleans, salmon/cuke salad). The parts were better than the sum.

Purchased large Boston butt last week. Used half for pulled pork. Thinking about cutting remain piece so that I can roll and stuff it. After coming back from my farmers market run I am thinking about using a Swiss chard, carrot, parsnip as a strip off filling with a sage, bread, leek tomato stuffing at the center. All will depend if I am able to cut the piece correctly so I can pound it a bit and stuff it. If I do carry through with my idea I think I shall serve a Burgundy to accompany it.

[Robin Garr]

Last night we enjoyed another farmers' market and garden dinner: Dreamcatcher Farm pastured pork chop, garden green beans and farmers' market potato rolls. The wine was some leftover Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc. I only do locavore when it makes sense to.

Tonight, it was a lamb/pork stew with a North African bent to it - cinnamon, clove, cumin, and harissa all went in. That was served over mashed potatoes, despite the recommendation for couscous or noodles in the recipe. To start, we had grilled halloumi, a pumpkin/ginger soup (that my pal Ray brought over), and Jenise's Endive Tarte Tatin. For dessert, it was pound cake with perfect local strawberries and whipped cream. Wines were a Carneros syrah, a surprisingly oaky Pic Saint-Loup, and the '06 Puffenay Poulsard. (I'd been waiting on the Poulsard until Ray came by as he's one of the more adventurous wine people I know.)

Everything came out really well. It was one of those meals that was worth the effort and much more.

This Monday night we had Craig Claiborne's Chicken Breast alla Parmigiana made with Romano instead. Excellent with pasta in our fresh tomato, basil, and butter sauce; and a nice salad. Washed it down with Knapp's Pasta White the oak free Seyval Blanc.

[Robin Garr]

Kentucky Dreamcatcher Farm lamb burgers scented with curry, and a little fresh broccoli on the side. And a pretty tasty affordable South African red to wash it down. (The Wolftrap 2008 Western Cape Syrah Mourvedre Viognier)

Last night it was pork tenderloin, marinated in balsamic, fresh rosemary, apple cider vinegar, evoo, garlic and mustard, and grilled. I sautéed round zucchini with banana peppers, and a cold pilaf salad with parsley, basil, tomatoes, asparagus, with a lemon vinaigrette. The rounds of sautéed zucchini with the peppers was outstanding.

[Robin Garr]

For lunch today, a bunch of LouisvilleHotBytes curmudgeons (hey, where was 'winger?) gathered at a local brewpub to shake our canes at each other and enjoy lunch and artisan brews. I had a really good corn-and-poblano chowder and a surprisingly "meaty" vegetarian "burger" fashioned out of walnuts and spinach with a slice of pepper jack cheese. (Let the flaming begin.) All washed down with a pint of Bluegrass Brewing Co.'s just-tapped Oktoberfest.

Tonight, avocado and tomato salad ...

On Friday's we like to pop over to Ted's in Shapleigh, Maine until they close next month for the season. We split a pint of fried Maine shrimp, a pint of fries, and two small cole slaws. Wonderful, but next time we'll get a quart of shrimp!

Tonight it was twin lobsters with the fries and slaw. Mmmmmmmm.

Peking meat sauce noodles (Tsa Chiang Mein), served over lightly-poached bean sprouts.

-Paul W.

2 Pastrami briskets are in the smoker. Tonight, Scandinavian style red cabbage, hot potato salad made from fresh small red potatoes and some nice slices of the pastrami brisket. The wine, either a Riesling or a red Rhone grape wine should go well.

[Robin Garr]

We filled up on a downtown hotel buffet including pretty decent roast beef carving stations at midday, so we were in the mood for a light, meatless dinner tonight. A fresh tomato and onion risotto hit the spot, with leftovers to sautee as baby risotto cakes later on.

2 Pastrami briskets are in the smoker. Tonight, Scandinavian style red cabbage, hot potato salad made from fresh small red potatoes and some nice slices of the pastrami brisket. The wine, either a Riesling or a red Rhone grape wine should go well.

Would you mind sharing a recipe for the Scandinavian style red cabbage. I just got a small head at Farmer's Market on Saturday and it is calling me. thanks

We went to a friend's house for supper tonight. Our contribution was a corn-black bean salad with bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and balsamic vinaigrette. Everyone else supplied burgers, an oven-dried tomato/olive tart, and a couple of desserts. Beautiful evening for al fresco dining in Sacto.

Dry run for Thanksgiving today: 9# heritage turkey (simply roasted with garlic and basil), yam+apple+cashew casserole, cranberry sauce, mixed vegetable saute for HWMBO and heirloom tomatos for moi-meme.

Channa masala, stir fried plantain and parathas.

Been having some fun in the kitchen this past week... did biryani on the weekend, paneer makhani a couple of nights before, and a stir fry of carrots (thanks David), snow peas, broccoli and bean sprouts last night with rice.

We have an extra kid over tonight, so after a 102° soccer practice (for them not me!), it was turkey/swiss panini with leftover corn salad and potato chips. The panini were given the maximum rating of "REALLY good".

Dry run for Thanksgiving today:...basil...tomatos...

Do I assume this is the September version of Thanksgiving that will get tweaked to November realities?

Dry run for Thanksgiving today:...basil...tomatos...

Do I assume this is the September version of Thanksgiving that will get tweaked to November realities?

Yes, although I declined to also do the Pumpkin Soup, Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie because those are standards in my repertoire. The cran is a standard, too, but I like it enough to eat it anytime.

The garlic-basil did not really stand out. I used 5 hefty cloves and a whole handful of leaves. When the big bird is here I will use more garlic and probably change herbs.

The yams were really good. That is definitely on the November menu.