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United States, North Carolina, Carrboro, English, Paul, Male, 56-60, All Music, All Food.

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Sunday, August 13, 2006

and dessert.                         7:01:32 PM    comment []

The main thingie   6:43:16 PM    comment []

Mango and avocado. Deshler did not have a church of the avocado, but I think they had one for minestrone. This pairing is also unusual but very colorful. Tomato wedges wil go in later for even more color.     4:04:07 PM    comment []

Nectarines and blueberries. I think we had a church of the nectarine back in Deshler, by the tracks, down by the alfalfa mill. This will be dessert after being topped with spearmint-infused honey and whipped cream. The trick to quartering nectarines, I learned, is to cut on their prime meridian, you know, that slightly dimpled part that runs parallel to the seam of the seed, and slice right through the seed and all. Then you can carve out the seed with a paring knife. If you try to separate the seed by twisting the cheeks, you end up with a mess because the flesh tends to adhere tightly. You end up smashing it. A clean cut all the way through makes it easy to extract the seed. That’s probably what the pastor taught the congregation at that church.   3:05:59 PM    comment []

Here are the scallops preparing to take a bath in what is essentially salsa: lime juice, tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno. The trick to quartering cherry tomatoes, I learned, is to keep the right half on the blade of the knife, rotate the knife, and slide it down to line up with the left half. Then you ready for your next cut, both halves at once.     2:25:09 PM    comment []

I wasn’t too keen on this week’s Chef On A Shoestring. Check out the menu:   Bay Scallop Ceviche Poached Fillet Mignon over Tomato Salad Summer Fruits with Honey and Whipped Cream   I thought I had an out though – an ingredient I never thought I’d find:   Bay Scallops: Generally found on the East Coast, these scallops are very, very tiny. It takes about 100 to equal a pound. Bay scallop meat is sweeter and more succulent than that of the sea scallop.   So I made my list and headed out at 9am to Whole Foods, the place in town most likely to have Bay Scallops. Then, I reasoned, when the didn’t have them, I could tell Liz I decided to go with an old-fashioned (and far less time-consuming) beef stew. I already had a cut of beef I found on sale yesterday. Also, it seems to me that poaching is a waste of good tenderloin and Ceviche, well, they tell you the limes cooks the fish but I never really trusted them.   So, I took my list (below, and pictured) across town, walked into Whole Foods and directly to the fishmonger. First thing I saw, in the lower right cprner of the display case was Bay Scallops, so on with the rest:   Bay scallops Limes (x3) Red Onion Grape tomatoes Jalapenos (2) Cilantro   Filet Mignon Chicken Stock (1 quart!) Onions Carrots Beefsteak tomatoes (2) Mango Avocado Basil   Nectarines Blueberries Honey Mint Whipping Cream   Incidentally, they have a segment at the end of each show where the tally up the cost of the ingredients to show how the chef stayed under $40. I never have, in reality. All the above ingredients at Whole Foods cost a little over $76. Not even close – and that’s for two people, not four.     10:10:17 AM    comment []