tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91475399804819213092024-02-07T12:58:39.491-08:00A Meal Without WineA Meal Without Wine is our blog about food, cooking, wine, and many things related to the enjoyment of life.
“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” – Anthelme Brillat-SavarinKen and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-37901191054137446622014-12-27T17:04:00.000-08:002015-01-06T16:33:23.379-08:00Christmas DinnerOur "New Tradition" Christmas dinner is home-made soup, bread, and dessert. Here are some photos of Christmas 2014.
Home-made Soup - Wild Mushroom & Barley (and lots of other veggies)
Home-made Bread - Dark Rye
Home-made Dessert - Gingerbread Souffles with Vanilla Sauce
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-15117657769253731902014-12-07T22:06:00.002-08:002014-12-27T17:05:33.531-08:00Not Exactly FoodThis isn't a food or wine photo, but just a shot of our hometown at the holidays. Port Townsend is a great local-food community.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-18819280565896580782014-11-27T11:31:00.001-08:002014-11-27T11:31:15.923-08:00Mostly Veggie, A Day Early, Just About All-Local Thanksgiving
We didn’t even do the traditional Thanksgiving dinner of
turkey, stuffing, and all the fixings. And we did our dinner a day early
because of work schedules. But I still don’t want to eat for another three
days. Here are some of our (almost) all-local/regional dinner ingredients.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-11745729577620400732014-11-02T07:47:00.002-08:002014-11-02T07:47:21.584-08:00Yesterday's Farmers Market in Port TownsendAbout once a week, we choose a recipe from one of the many cookbooks in our collection. Tonight we're making a celery and root-veggie soup, with some homemade bread. Here is an image of some of the wonderful finds from the Port Townsend farmers market (many - but not all - of these ingredients are for the soup).
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-30107459066436795102014-10-22T16:22:00.003-07:002014-10-22T16:22:44.213-07:00Wild MushroomsWent out for a short walk in the rain, not expecting much. But we always have bags for mushrooms, just in case.
This is one of our best haul of Lobster Mushrooms (top) and some Chantrelles. Some will get frozen, some will go with dinner tonight.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-49529799436959183622012-02-24T07:18:00.000-08:002012-02-24T07:18:04.071-08:00Just a Little Recent Food PornSpanish mackerel with Aioli, and zucchini chips with chipotle mayonnaise.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-21031494758459590022012-01-30T14:28:00.000-08:002012-01-30T14:28:48.946-08:00Garlic Soup
This Garlic Soup is served over a toast crouton, and topped with a hard-boiled egg and grated cheese. Simply but extremely filling. (And be careful who you eat it with - we're talking lots of garlic.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-76488407221438589302012-01-23T12:51:00.001-08:002012-01-23T12:56:32.618-08:00Welcome Back to My KitchenAdmit it. You probably thought this blog was gone, vanished, down the garbage disposal. Well, for awhile we did, too. But we’ve decided to try and bring some life back to it, and chat again about food, cooking, recipes, wine, and all things sensual, creative, and satisfying in the kitchen and dining room.Here is an HDR (high dynamic range) image of “my studio.” This is my creative space – my Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-73256079849631683382011-05-24T19:08:00.000-07:002011-05-24T19:13:02.862-07:00Cooking For One - Shrimp and RiceEven when I’m just cooking for myself (Francesca’s out of town), I can’t seem to do simple or boring or fast food (“take-away” as our Brit friends say).Sweet-and-sour shrimp, bananas, edamame, and guava paste chunks (added at the last minute so it didn’t dissolve) over cilantro rice. Paired with a Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand).Dishes, pots, utensils for one person. One.Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-50053894961290421392011-05-17T20:24:00.000-07:002011-05-17T20:30:26.688-07:00Way Too LongWe've been.... busy. Actually, started a real J-O-B for the first time in several years, and been, well, busy with WORK. That damn four-letter word. Nonetheless, we'll try to say something occasionally. Despite our new time commitments, we're still eating and drinking good wine with our regular abandon.So tonight we present Vietnamese Banh Xeo via the "Plenty" cookbook. Bonus points if you can Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-20597196734142976782011-03-26T10:32:00.000-07:002011-03-26T10:39:49.344-07:00Many Ways with MackerelWe’ve mentioned before our new-found love of fresh Spanish mackerel. And we’ve been using it in ever-more different ways. In the last month we’ve had:Crispy-skin mackerel fillets with curry.Beer-batter fish & chips with mackerel instead of cod, halibut, or other white fish.Fish tacos with mackerel. (We have claimed to be the king and queen of fish tacos. See this older post.)Teriyaki mackerelKen and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-77971972545828779642011-03-11T06:53:00.000-08:002011-03-11T06:55:33.612-08:00Oysters & PastaWe were trying to do something different with oysters and pasta last night, instead of the tried-and-true oysters in alfredo sauce.We fried the oysters crusted with panko bread crumbs, to give them a bit of a crunch. The pasta (fresh fettuccine) was dressed with an artichoke, red pepper, and olive oil bruschetta sauce. Topped it all with crisp fried leek strips. Served with fresh-grated Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-57039263611219655042011-03-01T09:34:00.001-08:002011-03-01T09:37:23.621-08:00A Few Recent Fun MealsWe haven’t been good about posting meals and wine lately, but here are a few recent dinners (plus one breakfast).Tuna seared in ginger and sesame seeds, over rice with rainbow chard. With Bogel Sauvignon Blanc.Butternut squash and black bean chili. With Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon.Fresh Brussels sprouts in alfredo sauce, with fresh wild sardines fried in panko bread crumbs. With Cline PinotKen and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-76309293353329984852011-02-15T18:49:00.000-08:002011-02-15T18:52:33.542-08:00Cheese SouffléPeople get so afraid of the word “soufflé.” But if we substitute “egg puff” or “easy cheese-and-egg dish” a lot more folks would try this wonderful creation. If you can make a cake, you can make a soufflé easier and in half the time.Even Julia Child makes it look pretty simple. Sure, she uses a couple of pages to describe the process, but then she was writing for mid 20th century American Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-26739109706114129292011-02-07T19:27:00.001-08:002011-02-07T19:28:17.568-08:00Our Take on Super Bowl FoodI know it’s somehow almost un-American, but we don’t have TV, so we didn’t watch the… Super Bowl. We tried our best to do our version of Super Bowl food, nonetheless. Started with Margaritas, then our dinner was as close to a burger as we can come – salmon cake Panini with chips on the side.Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-60176131484888569642011-02-06T10:21:00.000-08:002011-02-06T10:44:38.056-08:00Cooking School of Life Book Chapter - A Ride to the Beach in CubaSweat droplets make little splotches on the pavement, then slowly dry in the hot, humid air. Beer helps a bit, and it’s only a buck a can. One walks slowly, on the shady side of the street. We pause to appreciate – admire is too strong a word in this car’s case – a blue 1959 Chevrolet Impala. Scott asks the two men seated nearby if the car is theirs and if he can take pictures. The owner is quietKen and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-40048005643959566062011-02-01T08:28:00.000-08:002011-02-01T08:34:26.269-08:00Fennel, Onion, Olive PizzaLast night we made a big batch of fresh pizza dough (froze 2/3 for the future) and created a pie with provolone & blue cheese, olive oil, spinach, kalamata olives, and sautéed fennel, onion, shallot. Fresh rosemary was mixed into the dough. Paired with a Ridge 2008 Paso Robles Zinfandel.Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-12012885401490557792011-01-30T12:12:00.000-08:002011-01-30T12:16:57.532-08:00Tuna & Cannellini BeansTuna steaks glazed with an orange juice, balsamic vinegar, and fig-paste reduction. Served with a warm salad of cannellini beans, celery, and onion, with a rosemary and champagne-vinegar dressing. Paired with one of our best-of-all-time standby wines, B&G Vouvray.Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-29628314086376757182011-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:002011-01-13T08:06:36.987-08:00Deconstructed Pasta BologneseA friend asked me to create a special dinner for her husband’s 50th birthday. She had a few ideas, but indicated that a Pasta Bolognese was one of Brian’s favorites. Attempting to be exciting, creative, and original, I decided to deconstruct the dish.Sautéed onions, carrots, and sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil. Added a sun-dried tomato sauce/tepenade, olive oil, and white wine. Plated a green Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-72278343962690480842010-12-31T08:02:00.000-08:002010-12-31T08:12:55.514-08:00CookbooksWe have (at last approximate count, when we were unpacking from our move) more than 160 cookbooks and cooking-related works. Sometimes we use them for actual recipes, often we just like to read them, but most frequently they're inspiration. For example, I received Thomas Keller's The French Laundry Cookbook for Christmas, and I've already got some new ideas on deconstructed dishes and sauces.A Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-63268997155754423032010-12-29T07:55:00.000-08:002010-12-29T07:59:45.753-08:00Snapper Baked in Salt Crust with Fingerling PotatoesLike most American consumers, I’ve gravitated toward fish that have already been filleted, although in my younger fishing days I was fairly adept with cleaning and preparing whole fish. But we’ve recently been finding some nice-looking whole fish (this Snapper and some Spanish Mackerel most recently). One benefit to cooking fish whole is that the bones, head, etc. contribute additional layers of Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-50709889454528675342010-12-27T09:36:00.000-08:002010-12-31T08:23:53.972-08:00Just a Plain Lettuce Salad, Sil Vous Plait[A chapter from The Cooking School of Life]Bob just wanted a salad. A nice, crisp pile of lettuce with some tomatoes, maybe a slice of cucumber and a black olive or two.“I’m sorry, we have the braised endive. Or maybe Monsieur would enjoy some Tomates a la Provencale?”“No. Really. I’d just like a lettuce salad.”“I’m sorry, again. We have no lettuce.”Bob just stared at the waiter. We were in a Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-47766198217669144762010-12-26T19:19:00.000-08:002010-12-26T19:21:18.425-08:00Tuna & VeggiesSorta veggie tempura (actually beer-batter made with garbanzo flour and rice flour) with seared tuna steak with a teriyaki reduction sauce.Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-7397808968620339842010-11-22T19:53:00.000-08:002010-11-22T19:58:09.880-08:00Deconstructed Shrimp Stir FryWhew. After too many weeks of packing, moving, and unpacking, I feel I'm sorta back to normal. Sorta.Tonight, I was originally going to make a rice-greens-shrimp stir fry. But instead I decided to deconstruct it and serve the dish (sorta) separately.Sauteed slivered onion until half browned, then added Swiss chard and cilantro, and finished with (from a jar) a Ginger Wasabi Teriyaki sauce. PlatedKen and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9147539980481921309.post-14094045239418635562010-11-02T08:32:00.000-07:002010-11-02T20:16:00.402-07:00Eggplant PaniniOur friends gave us a bag of gorgeous home-grown baby Eggplant, so we've been experimenting a lot. Here's last night's meal. We paired this with a Barnard Griffin Cabernet/Merlot (Washington State).Building an Eggplant Panini dinner sandwich.Sliced onions on bread.Breading the Eggplant.Frying the Eggplant.Layering Eggplant and Cheese.Top with Tomato slices.Ready for the grill.Served with Red Ken and Francescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04233409757861407743noreply@blogger.com