Choosing the Right Tree

At Crest Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Fun times!

Roasted Feta with Thyme Honey

This is not the most beautiful hors d’oeuvres – it emerges from the oven with a war-torn look, your casserole strewn with singed oil and blackened burned bits. But the abuse of the dish is all in the service of the feta, whose honey-slicked exterior turns to savory candy and whose interior softens to custard. Plus the recipe is such a breeze – it’s a great hors d’oeuvre to include when you have a more ambitious meal to follow.

Cooking Notes:

Use a mild flavored honey and warm toss in a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

Use a dish that’s just large enough to hold the cheese, otherwise the oil will pool on the open surfaces and could catch fire under your broiler. A small souffle dish worked well for me.

Serve with raincoat crisps or other dark bread cracker.

Serves 8-10

* One 8-ounce slab Greek feta, blotted dry
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 tablespoon Greek thyme honey, or other honey
* Freshly ground black pepper
* Greek-style pita bread, toasted and cut into wedges
* Heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables (optional)
*

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Select a small oven-to-table earthenware dish. Place the feta in the dish and cover with the olive oil. Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 12 minutes.

2. Preheat the broiler. Pour honey all over the cheese. Sprinkle with thyme branches. Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. Season with black pepper. Serve immediately with dark crackers. Also suggested are pita wedges, sliced heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables.

From Cooking From Every Angle. Reprinted by Food 52

Shrimp Pad Thai

Shrimp Pad Thai

Really yummy and fast pad thai from the Food 52 blog. I found that it made enough for 4 healthy portions. You can find tamarind paste at whole foods in the Asian aisle.


Serves 2

* 1-2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces thick rice noodles
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
small handful honey roasted peanuts, chopped
small handful cilantro, chopped


1. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, 2 tablespoons oil, and tamarind concentrate. Stir until sugar is dissolved and set aside.

2. Soak the rice noodles in hot tap water for about 20 minutes, or until they start to soften but not fully tender. Drain and set aside.

3. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt in a small bowl and set aside. (There's lots of things to set aside, aren't there? Makes it easier in the end because the cooking of this dish is fairly quick)

4. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil under high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp start to turn pink with browned edges. Remove shrimp and set aside.

5. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet. Add garlic, shallot, and jalapeno. Cook over medium heat and stir continuously for about 1 minute. Add eggs to skillet and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until scrambled, about 30 seconds. Add the egg noodles and toss with tongs to combine. Pour the tamarind/fish sauce mixture over the noodles and increase the heat to high, continuing to toss the ingredients with the sauce.

6. Add 1/2 of the chopped peanuts and cooked shrimp. Toss noodles for about 2 more minutes.

7. Dish out onto hot plates and top with remaining peanuts and garnish with cilantro.

By day, Jennifer Steinhauer, aka Jenny, covers Congress for The New York Times. By night, she is an obsessive cook.


Read more: http://www.food52.com/

Pasta with Chopping-Board Pistachio Pesto

Delish!!

Reprinted fromThe Splendid Table's® How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift (Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2008). Copyright © 2008 by American Public Media.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish

10 minutes prep time; 10 minutes stove time
Equally good hot from the pot or at room temperature

Pistachios, scallions, garlic, and fresh herbs: who would think this adds up to a pasta dish? This is actually a riff on an Umbrian home sauce. You do it all with your trusty knife and one pot. Call it green spaghetti, and the kids will be all over it. It's also good hangover food.

5 quarts salted water in a 6-quart pot

The Pesto:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 tight-packed cup coarse-chopped fresh chives or scallion tops
• 4 tight-packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup shelled salted pistachios or almonds
• 2 tablespoons good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil

Pasta and Finish:

• 1 pound imported spaghetti or linguine
• 1 tablespoon good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fine-chopped red onion
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago or Stella Fontinella cheese

1. Bring the salted water to a boil.
2. To make the pesto, pile the salt and pepper on a chopping board. Crush the garlic into it with the side of a large knife, and fine chop. Add the chives, basil, and onion, and continue chopping until the pieces are cut very fine. Add the nuts to the pile and continue cutting until they are coarsely chopped. Directly on the board, blend in the oil. Taste for salt and pepper.
3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook at a fierce boil, stirring often, until it is tender but still a little firm to the bite. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Quickly drain the pasta.
4. Film the empty pasta pot with the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place it over medium heat, and sauté the finely chopped onion in it for 1 minute. Stir in the pesto. Warm it for only a few seconds over medium heat to let the flavors blossom do not cook it. Stir in about 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water to stretch the sauce. Immediately pull the pot off the heat.
5. Add the drained pasta to the pot, and toss with the pesto and the cheese, adding more pasta water if the mixture seems very dry. Taste again for seasoning, and serve.

LYNNE'S TIPS

This pasta demonstrates a pet theory: chop ingredients together and not only do you save a lot of time, but their flavors also blend in a unique way.

You want the pasta cooking water to taste salty, like sea water, to season the pasta as it cooks. Toss a quarter cup or so of salt into the water as it starts to heat.

Learning Early

Ben hard at work at the keg

Poker Night in the Yurt

Tom Coates and Peter Bowman modeling Daddybill's sports coats.

Google Eyes

We're getting ready for Halloween...

Fish Fillets w/Cilantro Butter

Cooking Light recipe that hits the spot for fast, easy and tasty on a warm night.

Any mild white fish such as cod, flounder, or orange roughy would also be delicious in place of tilapia. Serve these brightly flavored fillets with sautéed spinach or a green salad

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and about 2 teaspoons cilantro butter)

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Cooking spray
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle over both sides of fish. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Coat both sides of fish with cooking spray; place in pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish on a serving platter; squeeze lemon quarters over fish.

Place butter and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Serve with fish.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 194 (32% from fat)

Fascination with Emu

Will and Ben @ Henry's Ark in Louisville.

Body Art

Will got a little creative with his painting today.

Butterbean Pate

Yep, that's what it's called. So good. Recipe came from Mama Fran.

They say spread it on toast points, I say serve with your abundant supply of pita chips. Just add a little more sour cream to make the consistency right.

2 c water

1T kosher salt

2 C fresh butterbeans (use the baby variety if frozen)

1/4C fresh mint leaves

1/4 C fresh flat leaf parsley leaaves

2 T sour cream

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C lemon juice (2 lemons)

s&p

Bring water + salt to boil, cook limas until just tender . drain & rinse under water to cool . drain as much water as possible.

put beans and all remaining ingredients in food processor and process to a smooth, thick puree.

season with salt and pepper. cover tightly and store in fridge not more than 3 days.

Sausalito Arts Festival

Hanging w/the Steinhofers

Checking in w/Grandma

Skype in the great outdoors works just fine.

Quinoa with Corn and Zucchini

First got this recipe from our neighbor Tanya and its so yummy and a great make ahead for a party. Make sure to cut the zuc/squash (I used both) the same size and small so that they cook through. Also I added the toasted quinoa back into the broth pan b/c I don't have a lid for my skillet and it worked fine. Good room temp or cool too. Just add the cilantro and feta at the end.


Quinoa With Corn and Zucchini
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN NYT recipe

Sweet corn and nutty-tasting quinoa make a nice combination that is also nutritionally rich. Quinoa has more iron than any other grain, and it’s a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and copper. It’s also a good source of protein.

1 cup regular or red quinoa
3 cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
Kernels from 1 ear corn
1 medium zucchini, cut in small dice
2 to 4 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta (optional)

1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear.

2. Bring the water or stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat another medium saucepan or lidded skillet over medium-high heat, and add the quinoa. Toast, stirring, until the grains have separated and begin to smell fragrant. Add the water or stock and salt. It should come to a boil quickly. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and translucent and each grain displays a little thread. Drain and return to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dish towel, replace the lid and allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, and add the garlic, corn and zucchini. Season with salt andpepper, and cook, stirring, until the zucchini is tender and translucent and the corn tender, five to eight minutes. Stir in the quinoa and toss together. Heat through, add the herbs and serve with a little crumbled queso fresco or feta sprinkled on top if desired.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Quick and Yummy Dessert

Raspberries & cream with meringues
from tori ritchie Tuesday Recipe

serves 6

prep time: 7 minutes

1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 oz vanilla meringue cookies (about 10 small star-shaped ones), purchased

1 basket (about 6 oz) raspberries Beat the cream with the vanilla until softly whipped. Put the cookies in a plastic bag and gently crush with a rolling pin. In a bowl, fold the whipped cream, crushed cookies and raspberries together. Divide among bowls and serve.

Hauke Park

Ben Tackles the Balance Bike

Not there yet.

Yard Men

Jed and Will ready to mow

Elaine and Jarrett Visit

And they brought legos with them. Very popular!

Okra, Who Would Have Thought?

Pulled this from this Food & Wine. It's a recipe from Kevin Gillespie from Top Chef who I liked. Wow was it tasty and easy. Definitely the kind of thing you have folks hanging around the kitchen for and then serving. I also think it took a little longer than 15 mins but maybe I'm slow.

• TOTAL TIME: 15 MIN
• SERVINGS: 4
  

• FAST
• HEALTHY
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

• 1. 3/4 teaspoon hot paprika
  2. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  3. 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  4. 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
  5. 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
  6. Pinch of cinnamon
  7. Pinch of ground fenugreek (optional)
  8. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  9. 1 pound small okra, halved lengthwise
  10. Salt
  11. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a small bowl, blend the paprika with the cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, cinnamon and fenugreek.
2. In each of 2 large nonstick skillets, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the okra, cut side down, and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned on the bottom, 4 minutes longer. Turn the okra and cook over low heat until tender, 2 minutes. Season with salt and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Drizzle the lemon juice over the okra and serve.

Quinoa and Spice-Roasted Shrimp & Pistou

Tasty recipe for this month's Food & Wine. I double the pistou and spice. Would use less rosemary next time b/c it was a little overpowering. Also used more olive oil to thin the pistou.

1. 1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
2. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
5. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
6. 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
7. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
8. 1/4 cup canola oil
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 1/4 cup (packed) basil leaves
11. 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
12. 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
13. 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
14. 1 garlic clove, smashed
15. 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
16. 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
17. 2 1/4 cups water

Directions

1. In a resealable plastic bag, toss the shrimp with the garlic and onion powders, paprika, oregano, fennel seeds, dried thyme, 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until coated. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°. In a food processor, pulse the basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme leaves, garlic and cheese. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season lightly with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; keep warm.
4. On a baking sheet, roast the shrimp for about 8 minutes, until curled and pink. Cut the shrimp into thirds and add to the quinoa with the pistou. Toss well, season with salt and pepper and serve.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/quinoa-with-spice-roasted-shrimp-and-pistou

Big Ben

Just doing his thing.

Frustration...

Little brothers don't always cooperate with the game.

Jed and Mike Turn 40

A little after the fact, but Jed and Mike Ringler celebrated their 40ths at Casa Mandana on July 24th.

Men in Trees

Both boys are climbers. Hoping they find other things more interesting to do than break down our one tree :-)

First Game

Will's first soccer game. He said, Mommy there was only one ball... Perhaps we have a ways to go.

Zucchini-chocolate chip bread

I can't come up with enough zucchini recipes right now but here's a keeper I found on on The Delicious Truth. This recipe provides enough batter for two loaves.

3 cups - Flour (I used half whole wheat and half white)
½ cup - White sugar
¾ cup - Brown sugar
1 tsp. - Baking powder
1 tsp. - Baking soda
½ tsp. - Kosher salt
1 tsp. - Cinnamon
3 - Eggs, whisked
2 cups - Grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
¾ cup - Canola or other neutral-flavored vegetable oil
3 tsp. - Vanilla extract
1 cup - Chocolate chips (preferably semi-sweet)
1 Tbs. - Butter or oil (to coat loaf pan)

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease loaf pan(s) with butter or oil.

2. Combine first seven (dry) ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, zucchini, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and gently fold until just combined. (Batter will be thick.) Add chocolate chips until just combined.

3. Pour batter into loaf pans. (If you have only one pan, refrigerate remaining batter and bake after first loaf is done.) Place pan on middle rack in oven. Bake for about 35-40 minutes (time will vary depending on your oven). Loaf is done when a toothpick is inserted into the middle and comes out moist. (I like the bread a little gooey, so I remove it when a little batter still clings to the toothpick.)

4. Place loaf pan on a wire cooling rack (if you have) and let bread sit in pan for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let completely cool on rack. If there are any leftovers, wrap in foil. Store in refrigerator or at room temperature, depending on personal preference.

Beef's Calico Baked Beans

1/2lb diced bacon
1/2lb ground beef
1 large chopped onion

Saute bacon in a large oven proof pot. Add beef and onion. Add the following to the mixture.

2T white sugar
1/3c packed brown sugar
1/4c ketchup
1/4c BBQ sauce
2T mustard
2T molasses
1/2t chili powder
1t salt
1/2t pepper
1 - 16 oz kidney beans
1 - 16 oz garbanzo beans
1 - 28 oz pork & beans

Cover and bake at 350 for an hour. Uncover if mixture is too juicy.

These rock for non-veggies at our 4th of July neighborhood BBQ!

Simple Supper: Pasta w/Broc & Pesto

Simplest dinner ever. When I was in Guanaguato, Tom made penne w/steamed broccoli and fresh pesto. Honestly, I didn't think it sounded that interesting but changed my tune after my fourth helping. I made it as soon as I got home and the rest of the fam felt the same.

1lb pasta of choice
1 head chopped/steamed broccoli. I chop mine fine so it doesn't need to be cut
1.5 to 1c pesto of your choice. Fresh, bought. ... it all works
Top w/fresh grated parm.

Yard Happenings

Turner Ladies in Lousiville

At 211 Clover with Hunter, Ches, & Beef

Richardson and Garvey Boys on the Run

Five boys under the age a 9 makes for an active evening!

L'artiste

Will's been spending a lot of time at his easel recently

Go Brasil

Ben doing his part at Muir Beach

Pancetta Salmon Kebabs with Parsley Vinaigrette

There's a reason this recipe is on the cover of Sunset this month. I've had these kebabs twice so far this week and loved them both times. Double the dressing recipe to use on a salad.

At Flying Fish restaurant in Seattle, chef Christine Keff makes this super-easy, luscious recipe with fillets. It's worth it to buy really good oil and vinegar for the vinaigrette—you'll taste the difference. You'll need 8 (10-in.) skewers; soak wooden ones in water 4 hours to prevent burning.

Total: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons good-quality red wine vinegar, such as Kimberley
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds skinned king or coho salmon fillet (1 in. thick), cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Combine 1/4 cup oil, the vinegar, garlic, salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat grill to high (450° to 550°). In a large bowl, combine remaining tbsp. oil with remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper. Turn salmon in oil to coat.

3. Set out rows of 3 salmon chunks on a work surface. Unroll pancetta slices into strips and wrap strips once or twice around salmon, weaving long pieces between chunks. Skewer each row of salmon with chunks slightly separated.

4. Oil cooking grate, using tongs and a wad of oiled paper towels. Set kebabs on grate, then grill, covered, turning once, until fish is barely cooked through, 4 minutes.

5. Arrange kebabs on plates. Stir parsley into dressing; spoon on top of kebabs. Serve with warm, crusty bread for dunking.

Little/Big Bro Comes to Visit

Todd comes to hang w/the Americas en route to Tahoe.

Green Chili Pistachio Mole Sauce and Cilantro Lime Rice

I came back from Guanajuato hankering for more of the tasty food I had there. The Pistachio Mole from Las Mercedes was amazing so I found a post online and it turned out good. The rice was behind the mole recipe so I made both. The recipes are from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

Comments are in red italics.

The Green Chili Pistachio Mole Sauce

1 cup shelled pistachios
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 tomatillos, husked, washed, and roughly chopped or 1 1/2 cups canned tomatillos, drained
2 serrano chilies or 1 jalapeno peppers; halved, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 (1inch) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 whole cloves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 cups plus 1 cup water or chicken stock
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime

For the spices I googled the translation to powdered spices for cinnamon and cloves b/c its what I had on hand.

To prepare the Green chili pistachio mole sauce:

Toast the pistachios in a large, dry, deep skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove the pan and reserve.
add the love oil to the pan and saute the tomatillos, chilies, onion, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves over medium heat for 3 minutes, until they begin to brown.

Place the sauteed tomatillo mixture, cilantro, and browned pistachios in a blender with 3 cups water or stock and puree until smooth.

Take out cinnamon stick and 2 cloves before blending if you don't use the powdered versions.

Place the pureed mixture back into the skillet, and bring it to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and cook slowly for 30 minutes, gradually adding more water or stock until the medium-thick sauce is formed(it will coat a spoon). Season with the salt and lime juice. Source: The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

I made this in the AM and reheated and it worked well. Also made enough that there was plenty for drenching the rice too.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced ( 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste
2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups washed finely chopped baby spinach
3 scallions, finely chopped
Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Ad the rice, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lime juice, and salt, and reduce to medium heat. Stir gently, cover, and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Leave the rice covered so the steam stays in, making the rice fluffy.
Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, spinach, scallions, and the salt. Combine thoroughly. Source: ( The Whole Foods Market Cookbook)

I made the recipe using my rice cooker but added in the lime juice at the end b/c the original post said that the lime got muted in the cooking.

Popsicle Break

Focused snackers on a hot day.

Building Muscle

A little teamwork with Brendan to move Ben around the yard.

Super Delish Cochinita Pibil from Simply Recipes

Cochinita Pibil Recipe

If for some reason you don’t eat all your cochinita pibil at one sitting, it will keep for several days in the fridge. Achiote is an essential ingredient for this recipe, there is no substitute.

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
• 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed if possible
• 1/2 cup lime juice, juice of 4-5 limes
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 3 ounces of red (rojo) achiote paste, available in Latin markets
• Pickled red onions (optional), for garnish
• Dry Mexican cheese (queso seco), for garnish
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Method

1 The night before or the morning before you plan to serve this, mix the orange and lime juice with the achiote paste and salt in a blender until combined. Be sure to rinse the blender soon afterwards, as the achiote stains. Cut the pork into chunks of about 2 inches square. Don’t trim the fat, as you will need it in the braising to come. You can always pick it out later. Put the pork in a non-reactive (glass, stainless steel or plastic) container, then pour over the marinade mixture. Mix well, cover and keep in the fridge for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

2 Cooking this takes 3-4 hours, so plan ahead. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large casserole with a double layer of heavy-duty foil, or a triple layer of regular foil – you want a good seal. (Traditionally, cochinita pibil is wrapped in banana leaves, which add a wonderful flavor to the pibil. So, if banana leaves are available—you may be able to get them at the same store as the achiote paste, or at an Asian market—consider using them. Just heat the leaves first to make them more pliable.) Pour in the pork and the marinade and close the foil tightly. Put the casserole in the oven and bake for at least 3 hours. You want it pretty much falling apart, so start checking at the three-hour mark.

3 When the pork is tender, take it out of the oven and open the foil. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl, then shred it with two forks. You don’t have to shred the pork, but I like it this way. Pour enough sauce over the meat to make it wet.

To serve, either use this as taco meat or eat it the way we do: Over rice, garnished with cilantro, lime wedges and queso seco, a Mexican dry cheese a little like Greek feta. Pickled red onions are a traditional garnish, and if you like them, they’re good, too.

Serves 4-6, depending on appetite.

Remembering Guanajuato

Back from a great week visiting Debbie, Tom and the boys in Guanjuato with Mira.

Sweet and Sticky Grilled Chicken

1 1/2 cups Pomegranate juice
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
8 chicken breast halves, or equivalent amount of assorted chicken pieces
Coarse salt,pepper
olive oil to prevent sticking to grill


Bring juice, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer until mixture has thickened to the consistency of honey, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool.
Using a sharp knife, make three diagonal slashes through the skin and flesh on both sides of each piece of chicken (this will help the flavors permeate the meat). You may also use skinless chicken.
Preheat grill to medium-low. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 7 seconds.) Generously salt and pepper chicken and brush with olive oil. Place chicken on grill, cook for about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and begin basting side that was just grilled. Close cover, and grill 4 minutes. Flip chicken, and brush with additional sauce. Continue to cook, flipping and brushing with sauce every 4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through, about 20 minutes total.

Students of the Game

Will and Tyler learning some skills @ Coach Dave's class

Finally Some Sunshine

Shrimp & Green Bean Salad

Something for the summer...

Dressing (which is definitely the best part!) -
1 1/2 tbs finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 1/2 thai red curry paste
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
kosher salt & pepper to taste

1 lb green beans - boil 3-4 minutes & blanche in cold water
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
1 tbs EVOO
1/2 lb shrimp, cooked quickly (2-3 minutes) stove top in olive oil
3 radishes, sliced thinly
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, for garnish on top

Mix all together - delish!

More Projects

Will and Jed working in the yard

Seared Salmon with White Beans and Spinach

From my buddy Cheryl. Simple, fast, and good.

Cook spinach and white beans together in olive oil over medium high heat - 5-6 minutes; season with salt & pepper
for the salmon, heat canola oil on medium high head on stove top. when the pan is hot, put skin side down - cook without moving them 3-5 minutes. when it's brown and crispy, flip and leave on for another 3-5 minutes. season with salt and pepper and serve over the spinach.
Top salmon with olive-lemon relish -
1/2 cup pitted green olives (like Picholine), finely chopped
1 lemon, peeled & segmented and chopped and juiced
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt & pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Hope you like it!

ILL

Will finally fits in his pimped out Illini gear from the Monkens!

Train Boys

In Mill Valley square

Will's 4th w/Friends

@ Will's bday w/Cole, Max and Finnan

Weezie Guarding the Garden

Does she even know they are there?

Ahoy there

Now in full pirate regalia at Tyler's Bday

The Stache

Seemed like a good one to start back with... 4 yr old Will has grown a mustache.