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Last night I created something completely new for me.  Texas peaches are really good this year, and I love peaches with pork.  So I got two bone-in pork rib chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick and proceeded this way.  Season them with salt and pepper, and sear them on each side in a little olive oil.  Remove them from the pan and hold.  To the hot pan, add half a large red onion, thinly sliced, 2 cloves of garlic, minced, and two medium peaches, thickly sliced.  Season with salt, pepper, a pinch cardamom, garam masala, and cumin.  When the onions have softened, deglaze the pan with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of chicken stock and 1/4 cup of Balsamic vinegar.  Return the pork chops to the pan, cover and lower the heat to simmer.  Cook covered for about 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and remove the chops to a plate to keep warm.  Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce until it is thckened to a syrup consistency.  Serve with rice.

I think it turned out pretty good.  The pork chops were tender and the sauce was only slightly sweet.  The peaches held their shape and were really delicious.  Try it.

Yesterday I bought 2 salmon filets to saute.  LJ is not a great fan of salmon and will only eat it sauteed ( with a sauce) or smoked like lox.  So I made a lemon caper sauce with equal parts low fat mayonnaise and yogurt, a finely chopped shallot, chopped capers, the juice of a lemon, and a little salt and pepper.  I sauteed the salmon for about 5 minutes on each side.  I also roasted chopped zucchini with salt, pepper and olive oil in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Finally I put some quartered grape tomatoes in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper, and a half cup of coucous.  I brought 3/4 cup of chicken stock to a boil and poured it over the couscous, covered it and let it stand for 5 minutes.  Dinner was healthy and delicious, and if you go back and look at those cooking times, it was on the table in about 20 minutes.  How easy can you get?

We went to book club on Saturday night, and I brought dessert.  Strawberry Tiramisu is one of my favorites because it’s both easy and delicious.  I hope you try it.

STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU

1 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

7 tablespoons Marsala wine (divided)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1-pint basket strawberries

3/4 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder

2 1/4 (about) 3.5-ounce packages Champagne biscuits (ladyfinger-style cookies)

1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, grated

Blend cream cheese, powdered sugar and 5 tablespoons Marsala in processor until smooth. Mix in sour cream. Slice half of strawberries; cut all remaining strawberries in half.

Combine boiling water, 2 tablespoons sugar and espresso powder in medium bowl; stir to dissolve. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons Marsala. Dip 1 Champagne biscuit briefly into espresso mixture, turning to coat. Place flat side up in bottom of 8-inch square glass baking dish with 2-inch-high sides. Repeat with enough Champagne biscuits to cover bottom of baking dish, trimming biscuits to fit.

Spread 2/3 of cream cheese mixture over Champagne biscuits. Cover with sliced strawberries. Dip more biscuits into espresso mixture and arrange atop sliced strawberries in dish, covering completely and trimming to fit. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture over. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Arrange halved strawberries around edge of pan. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.) Cut into squares and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Bon Appetit

April 1992

Last night was really simple but so delicious.  I bought a whole chicken last weekend and cut it up and froze the leg/thigh pieces and the bone-in breast pieces separately, and I made chicken stock from the back and the wings.  When you do it this way, the individual pieces are huge. LJ and I think one breast is plenty for the 2 of us.  So last night I took one of the bone-in breasts, seasoned it with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chopped, fresh rosemary and put it in a 400 degree oven to roast for 35-40 minutes.  I put 3 cups of water on to boil for polenta, and then scattered broccoli florets onto a baking sheet.  I thinly sliced a couple of cloves and garlic and sprinkled them over the broccoli.  A drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and they were ready to go into the oven with the chicken.  By then the water was boiling and I salted it and added 1/3 cup of polenta, stirring with a whisk to assure no lumps.  Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to stir polenta constantly as it cooks.  Just go back occasionally and stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  You may have to adjust the flame every now and then so it doesn’t boil over, and I put a lid partially covering it when it begins to thicken and the volcano action starts.  Then I poured myself and glass of wine and waited for everything to finish.  Just before serving the polenta, whisk in about 2 heaping tablespoons of grated Parmesan (the good stuff) and a tablespoon of butter.  Take the chicken breast off the bone and slice into pieces.  Serve everything up and enjoy!  Oh, and the little garlic chips on the roasted broccoli are delicious!

Last night was really easy and one of LJ’s favorites.  It’s my own “Turkey Spaghetti.”  I start by sauteing one small or 1/2 a large onion and 2 or 3 garlic cloves, seasoned with salt & pepper in olive oil.  When they are soft, I add 1/2 pound of ground turkey, salt, pepper, about a teaspoon of dried thyme and a teaspoon of dried basil, and cook until it’s browned.  I then add about a half glass of dry white wine and cook until it’s almost totally gone, maybe a couple of tablespoons remaining.  Then add a 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes and half a 6 oz. can of tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes or so.  While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta, about 4-5 oz. of dried pasta (I use whatever I have on hand - spaghetti, egg noodles, orrechiette).  After the sauce has simmered, I add 1/4 cup of cream.  It’s not very much, but it adds an unctuous body that cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.  Then take the al dente pasta and add it directly into the pan with the sauce.  Serve with a generous grating of good Parmesan cheese.  With a salad on the side, this serves 2 generously with leftovers.

One of my friends asked me how I cooked every night and made it easy and different.  So I thought I’d start posting what I actually do each night so you can see how easy it really is to make a good, healthy meal every night.

So - last night we had grilled flank steak, roasted rosemary potatoes and steamed zucchini.  I rubbed the steak with a light coating of olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled it in a cast iron grill pan on the stove, 5 minutes on each side for medium rare.  (Let it rest at least 10 minutes before you slice it.)  I diced red new potatoes in about 1/2 inch dice, drizzled them with olive oil, sprinkled with chopped, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper and roasted at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.  I cut the zucchini into discs and thinly sliced red onion, put them in a steamer basket over simmering water with salt, pepper and a teaspoon of butter.  Covered and cooked for 20 minutes (I like them really tender; you can do it for less if you like them crisper).  That’s my under 30 minute meal for last night.

We went out of town over the weekend, and when we got back, 3 bananas in the fruit basket were a little over the hill.  So yesterday I decided to make banana nut bread.  I use a recipe handed down from my grandmother, and I honestly have no idea where she got it.  The bread tastes delicious, but it never really rises and has a tendency to sink in the middle.  The only leavening in this old recipe is a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 4 tablespoons of buttermilk.  I started thinking about it, and the buttermilk we buy today is very different from the fresh, real buttermilk of 60 or 80 years ago.  It’s made with chemicals, and is much less naturally acidic than its authentic, antique cousin.  I think I’ll start playing with the leavening beginning with adding some baking powder.  I’ll put the recipe at the bottom, and if anyone wants to try anything different, I welcome your comments.

Mamaw’s Banana Nut Bread

1 ½ cups shortening

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon soda

4 tablespoons buttermilk

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup pecans

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and salt.  Add mashed bananas.  Combine soda and buttermilk and let stand until foamy.  Add alternately with flour.  Fold in pecans.  Divide into two loaf pans.  Bake at 325° for 45 minutes.  Check for doneness; may need 15 minutes more.

Scout & Zooey in the magazine basket

I am a pretty serious animal lover.  I love to watch them play and cuddle with them.  I have two cats, Scout is my 13 year old boy, and Zooey is my 12 year old girl.  They are a significant part of our family and bring much joy to our lives.  Scout is the pretty one, and he’s our velcro kitty.  He wants to be touching you all the time - in your lap, next to your leg, curled up next to your tummy when you sleep.  It’s sweet, yes, but can be a royal pain in the butt when you’re trying to read or when it’s just too hot!  Zooey is our smart one.  She’s not as strikingly beautiful as Scout, but she is always watching and sussing things out.  She loves to play tricks on Scout and get him to chase her and then double back and bite his butt.  She isn’t much for long cuddling, but she really likes to sleep at the end of the bed next to my feet.  They only get to sleep with me for about an hour in the morning after LJ leaves for work.  We can’t let them sleep with us at night because Scout likes to sleep on LJ’s head.  This DOES NOT work.

I’m bringing this up today because a dear friend of mine is about to lose her dog to old age kidney failure.  It’s a sad day.  When you’ve had an animal be a part of your life for many years, it is as tragic and gut wrenching as losing a family member.  My thoughts are with my friend all day today. 

And here’s a send up to all those folks who bring animals into their lives and make all the lives a little better for it.

Did I wake you?

I created a new recipe last night that LJ and I thought was pretty successful.  It was really tasty and very easy to make.  I may try it on guests sometime.  Try it and let me know how you like it.

Chicken with Port Wine Mushrooms

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons butter

4 chicken thighs, skinned, boned, and fat removed

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 package cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup port wine

1 cup chicken stock

Salt

Pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup sour cream (I used Greek sour cream which is slightly thicker than regular)

chopped parsley

Season thighs with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a 12” skillet, and brown thighs on both sides.  Remove from pan.  Add butter to pan and sauté shallots and garlic until soft.  Add mushrooms and cook until browned and they have given up their juices.  Add salt, pepper and thyme.  Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring for about a minute.  Add port and chicken stock and add chicken back to pan.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove lid.  If sauce is too thin, boil gently to reduce until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over egg noodles.

Serves 4

My sweet mother decided she wanted to go on a trip to the beach so she took all four of her children and their spouses to Paradise Island in the Bahamas for five days.  The adventure began last Saturday when we all arrived midafternoon within an hour or two of each other.  We were all in the hotel pool immediately, soaking up the sun and wetting our whistles.

The first evening, the hotel had a band that did pop music and rhythm and blues.  If there’s one thing the Arnold clan has, it’s rhythm.  We were singing and dancing all night long.  We formed a dance line and boogied down to funky town.  Even my 82 year old mom got in the act.  Everyone in the room got up and danced with us and it was a real party. 

On Sunday, LJ and I decided to go into old downtown Nassau.  Some of the old buildings were beautiful and I loved the government buildings.  They were all pink with white trim and green shutters.  And the landscaping was gorgeous.  There were, of course, hundreds of little shops selling junk for tourists to waste their money on, and I contributed my share.  There were also a ton of high dollar jewelry shops.  We couldn’t really figure out why since the prices seemed very similar to prices in the states.  The only thing one would save would be taxes - not that significant in my mind.

Sunday afternoon we were back in the water.  Sunday evening the hotel activity was karaoke to rap songs we weren’t too familiar with.  So, as Arnolds sometimes do, we got drinks in the lobby bar and proceeded to have a song fest on our own.  My brother Steve and I sang big band songs from the 40’s.  It was such fun!

Monday we decided to go to the Atlantis Casino.  Mom and I played slots and my brothers-in-law played roulette.  And the winners were - Mom and Rob!  Mom won $100 and Rob won $150.  Good job!  In the Atlantis complex, there was a wonderful aquarium that wrapped around the building.  It was stocked with hundreds of beautiful fish, large and small, all brightly colored and some really cool manna rays.  That was fascinating.

Our Paradise Island resort was all-inclusive and we ate most of our meals at a buffet that offered a variety of choices.  Generally, we found the food was quite good.  They had a nicer restaurant that required appropriate dress and reservations, so we decided to have a more formal evening there on Monday night.  The food was good and there was lots of conversation and laughter, as always happens when my family gets together.  The evening would have been perfect if Mom had not fallen getting on the elevator at the end of the evening.  She had to be taken to the hospital the next morning to be x-rayed and get everything thoroughly checked out.  She sustained a pretty bad sprain and was in a lot of pain, but meds and sleep helped her get through Tuesday.

On Tuesday, with Mom back at the hotel sleeping, we went to the beach.  The water was unbelievably beautiful and the waves were pretty powerful.  We had so much fun playing in the ocean.  Jen declared it the best thing on the whole trip.  Tuesday night the hotel put on a show of native dances and a limbo specialist.  LJ got picked from the audience because he was the tallest guy there.  He had to “assist” the limboist go under the lowest bar by holding another guy standing on the limboist’s abs.  Funny.  It was a good last evening.

Wednesday was travel day back for all of us.  It was a lovely vacation and a really memorable one to have with my whole family.  Thanks, Mom!

LJ and I just spent 3 days in New York, and except for the heat/humidity, it was glorious.  We arrived at the Mansfield Hotel on Wednesday afternoon.  It’s a wonderful little boutique hotel on 44th Street across from the Algonquin between 5th Avenue and 6th (or Avenue of the Americas).  It is a prime location being equidistant from prime shopping and the theatre district, and I plan to partake of a little of both.  The room is roomy (for New York) and the bathroom is great.

Mansfiel Hotel

In the M Bar

After drinks, we go to dinner at Osteria al Doge.  It’s a wonderful little Italian place on 44th that is really busy for a Wednesday night.   I had Salmon alla Griglia which was perfectly cooked, and LJ ahd Ravioli Spinaci.  He said it was wonderful. 

After dinner we walked to Grand Central Station and got our Metro cards so we could take the subway like locals while we’re here.  We jumped on and went downtown to 86th to our favorite little bar in NY where the wait people sing Broadway tunes between slinging drinks.  It was fun, but we called it a fairly early evening after all the travel and hubbub of the first day.

Thursday morning we had breakfast at a little restaurant called Un, Deux, Trois.  It was a pretty little place, but breakfast was really pedestrian and cost a fortune.  I think we’ll find a more down home place tomorrow.  We then head uptown and shopping at the MOMA store.  We roam Rockefeller Plaza and go into the NBC store so I can buy a 30 Rock t-shirt.  As we walk back down 5th Avenue, I decide I haven’t brought the right shoes, so I go into Nine West and buy another pair.  I know, we have Nine West in Dallas.  But it just feels different in New York!

It’s time to have lunch at Le Bernardin.  I have been anxiously waiting for this for months.  Eric Ripert is one of the finest chefs in the world, and this is going to be a world class experience.  And it doesn’t disappoint!  Lunch is a prix fixe, 3 course meal.  My first course was barely seared shrimp with mache and wild mushroom salad with shaved fois gras and white balsamic vinaigrette.  LJ had barely cooked slivered scallops in a lime coconut sauce with cilantro.  They were both simply magic.  I could have stopped there and been happy.  But, no.  My main course was baked wild striped bass with a corn canneloni in a light perigord sauce.  Everything was so light it fairly floated.  The flavors just sort of lingered on the tongue.  LJ had crusted red snapper with zucchini, mint and coriander compote in a rich citrus broth.  Finally, desserts were so elegant and delicious.  They are titled by the food that is featured.  I had “Pear” and LJ had “Hazelnut.”  Pear consisted of a cinnamon caramel parfait, liquid pear, smoked sea salt, and fromage blanc sorbet.  Amazing!  I have no idea how it was done, but the “liquid pear” was a little grape looking thing that when you bit into it, there was a pear explosion in your mouth.  “Hazelnut” was a gianduja cream with Oregon hazelnuts (which was kind of like a hazelnut mousse) and honey banana brown butter ice cream.  I don’t think words can do it justice.

After that lunch, it seems like nothing could top the day, but we are seeing Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences that night.  It was amazing, devastating, the best play I’ve ever seen, which is saying a lot considering I’ve see Ian McKellan and Helen Mirren on stage.  I have never cried so hard watching a play.  I’m sure Viola will win a Tony.  What a day we’ve had! 

Friday morning we slept a little later and did a little more walking around town before getting ready for lunch at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill.  Mesa Grill has a really fun vibe with colorful walls and table linens and a moderately noisy atmosphere.  We start with Margaritas - LJ has the Mesa Grill Margarita and I have a White Peach Margarita.  Yummy.  Our appetizer is Rough Cut Tuna Nachos with Habanero Mango Hot Sauce and Avocado Crema.  It was really like a tuna tartare with gorgeous raw tuna with the two sauces and homemade tortilla chips on the side.  Wonderful!  LJ’s main course was Cornmeal Crusted Chile Relleno with roasted eggplant, manchego cheese, sweet red pepper sauce and balsamic vinegar.  I had a Pressed Roasted Pork Sandwich with grilled red onion, arugula ancho mayonnaise and Southwestern fries.  For dessert we shared a blueberry tart which consisted of lime custart in a very crisp shell topped with whipped cream and a crushed fresh blueberry sauce.  Outstanding!  All I can say is it’s a good thing you walk 5 miles a day in New York.

After lunch we went to Chelsea Market.  This market is like a New York mall with lots of stores under on roof covering a couple of city blocks.  It was bustling and the stores were wonderful.  We particularly liked the Italian food market.

  After spending a couple of hours wandering Chelsea Market we head back to the hotel to rest up before going to see Stacey Kent.

Birdland is a great place to see jazz!  It’s an intimate club but it serves full dinners (if you want and you haven’t just eaten everything in sight at Bobby Flay’s) or just a cheese plate or snacks.  We were seated right at the edge of the stage.  Stacey was, as usual, impeccable.  She did about half of her songs in either French or Portuguese.  Her new CD is called Reconte-moi and is done entirely in French.  It’s just lovely, but harder to relate to when you can’t understand the lyrics.  Still, she is an amazing singer and we loved it.

We leave on Saturday after having been excited, entertained, and exhausted by New York.  But we know we’ll be back!