A Pinch of Lobster

We haven't had a tradition to be in the area over the July 4th weekend, but this year, we had a good friend, David come and visit, so we stayed put. And what better way to celebrate the 4th than with a good bbq?

By popular request, I opted for a seafood theme with the king of crustaceans as the star! Again, my sauce philosophy reigned over the menu - very simple preparation with three sauces to choose from; Chile Verde, Mentaiko Mayonnaise, and Carrot Orange. The lobsters were around 3.5 lbs from Maine and very very sweet. I reserved the lobster bodies and have frozen them for a lobster bisque kind of day (time to reserve your seats in advance).




Me showing everyone how it's done - my hat says "Chef Laura"

We started out with the best - Lobster tails and claws, (1/2 lobster per person), and then rolled out the rest of the food:

Idiot Fish, Barbecued Oysters, and Baby Squid



Steamed Clams and Mussels



Grilled Razor Clams



Corn Salad (Party Favorite), Quinoa Salad, and Veggie Salad



We finished almost everything, except about 20 oysters, and I had a surprise request for Oyster Omelette, which, even at the last minute, turned out super delish!



To finish, we can roasted Bailey Bananas and a Peaches and Cream cake (apparently, I can now bake!)



My favorite thing on the menu was Chile Verde sauce, that I twittered it's "awesome-nest" a week before. It's slightly spicy, with a nice tang, and the roasted peppers add a whole 'nother layer of depth to it. For this bbq, I only used it as a sauce for the seafood, but it would go extremely well with other white meats as well. I'm using the leftovers to braise some pork this week and I'm sure it will rock the boat or knock you off. Another way to use it would be to mix it in with cream cheese and serve it up as a guac alternative at parties.

Here's the recipe:

Chile Verde
Makes about 3 cups

6 ea Anaheim Chilies
2 ea Poblano Chilies
2 ea Jalapeno, Chilies
1 ea Green Pepper
2 ea Limes
1/2 ea Yellow Onions
2 ea Garlic Cloves
1/4 cup Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Roast the chilies and green pepper on a grill or over an open flame until the skin is charred
Place roasted veggies in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap
Leave to cook for about 20 minutes
Peel skin and remove seeds from chilies and peppers, reserve any liquid
Zest and juice limes, combine with chilies, peppers, onions and garlic
Blend till smooth, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while blades are running
Season with s & p

The Thrill of Grill

We had an awesome BBQ dinner last week in honor of a visiting friend. In an unusual twist, the menu was Mediterranean inspired!

Eggplant Sesame Dip with Crackers
Sun dried Tomato & Feta Patties

Herb Scented Lamb Cutlets

Gourmet Sausages from Safeway
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Dinosaur Eggs
Roasted Watermelon & Pineapple

Chai Creme Caramel


Thanks to Kevin & Stephen who did all the grilling for me :D


I helped! - I brushed the meat with oil...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - the sauce really makes the meal. We had four sauces at the dinner, and while we only had three meats, mixing up the flavors with the different sauces took the protein to a whole different dimension.

The four sauces were:
Smokey Red Pepper - New! Get the recipe here
Apple-Mint Jelly - I'm now officially out
Green Goddess - Get the recipe here
Tzatziki - Cucumber, Greek Yogurt & Garlic

The last one of the right is actually eggplant sesame dip

Quinoa is my new favorite grain, and the quinoa salad was a great way to introduce it to other diners. I first tried quinoa about 3 years ago and loved it, but it's become so much more accessible, it's now a pantry staple. Quinoa is considered a super grain, as it is a complete protein with all the essential amino acids needed for a balanced diet. The best way to cook quinoa is on the stove top, but I hear you can do it in a rice cooker as well. Add equal volume of water or chicken stock to the quinoa. Cover pot, and bring mixture to a rapid boil, then simmer on very low heat for another 10-15 minutes. Fluff with fork.

The salad is best when the quinoa is made fresh, but if you can't find the time, you can always make the quinoa ahead of time and then throw it together at the last minute.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Serves 6 as sides

2 Cups Quinoa, cooked
1 ea Zucchini, roasted & diced
1/4 ea Red Onion, minced
1 ea Tomato, diced
2 tbs Basil leaves, Chiffonade
2 tbs Mint Leaves, Chiffonade
1/4 cup Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together, and season to taste
Let sit about 1 hour before serving

How to Throw a Party

Good food, wine, friends, and an icebreaker game for a conversation starter!

Here's the menu from our Easter Party



1. Tomato Water Gelee Shots with Mozzerella balls & Arugula Cream



2. Chilled Spring Pea Soup with White Truffle Cream



3. Citrus & Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb, served with Apple Mint Jelly



4. Slow Roasted Salmon with Marrow & Mushroom Bordelaise

5. Beer Braised Duck Pie with Root Vegetable Puree



6. Shellfish Pasta in White Wine Sauce



7. Marinated Beet Salad with Crushed Hazelnuts

8. Roasted Asparagus with Meyer Lemon



9. Spanish Potato Cake with Tomato Saffrom Sauce & Fennel

10. Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries



11. Olive Oil Cake with Ganache & Sea Salt



12. Peanut Butter & Rum Banana Cream Pie



13. Old Fashioned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Assorted Candy, Homemade Marshmallows & Dulce de Leche



The spread!

2 Weeks Notice

A long standing joke between Chin and Chef Laura has always been that he never gives me enough notice to make dinner for him when he visits.

So - this time, he did give notice. About 5 hours.

1pm - Lunch

Daryl: "What are you doing tonight for dinner?"
Chin: "No plans, why?"
Daryl: "Oh, you want to come over for dinner?"

Chef Laura casually chokes on carnitas burrito

Chin: "Sure!", turns to Randy & Sharlene "You guys?"
Randy: "Yeah no plans, we'll be there"
Daryl: "Ok, 7pm"

Chef Laura: wait... Did I just get pimped out to make dinner?

2:15pm Costco Trip & Farmer's Market

The goods -
5.5 lbs Ribeye Roast
1 lb Lump crab meat
Ramps
Chives
Baby Yukon Potatoes
Various types of oranges: Blood, Cara Cara, Navel
Ripe Melon ( hard to find usually)
Strawberries
Eggs
Creme Fraiche

Menu after much grumbling -

Crab & Citrus Salad with Melon Consomme
Prime Rib
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon & Parmesan
Smashed Baby Yukon Potatoes, roasted with Ramp Aioli
Meyer Lemon Butter Cake with Homemade Dulce de Leche and Strawberries

3pm: Nap Time

4pm: Start work after a large cup of instant coffee

Preheating the oven is always the first thing
Prepare the cake batter & bake
Meanwhile, set the evaporated milk & sugar on simmer, get Daryl to stir, since he volunteered
Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil potatoes
Kim & Joon arrive for a chat - send Daryl to entertain them for 20 minutes, buying me enough time to finely brunoise the onions for the crab salad, and spin the melons in the food processor without distraction
Chat with guests while prepping the rest of the ingredients, finely knife chives, zest & segment oranges, prepare ramp aioli, smash potatoes and lay them on trays,make crab salad.

The Finished Roasted Potates Roast Beef Dinner with Chin

Prep Rib Roast

5:15pm: Cake comes out of the oven and Roast goes in for 20 + 90 minutes

Salt & Pepper Roast Beef Roast Beef Dinner with Chin

6pm: Guest arrive one hour early!!! WHAT! Kim & Joon take off.

Chef Laura sends the early guests out to the citrus trees to work for their food. Meanwhile, portion the desert, slice strawberries and whip cream for desert.

Dulce de Leche Cake with Strawberries Roast Beef Dinner with Chin

Chin comes back with a bag of citrus - dang, now we have to use it. Slice & juice citrus, while making simple syrup.

Side of Asparagus Roast Beef Dinner with Chin

7:10pm: Bathroom break to freshen up

7:30pm: First course served!

Next time - 2 weeks notice please!

Happy Chin & Cal Roast Beef Dinner with Chin