zoramargolis

When my daughter was in Beirut, she was craving spicy food, since Lebanese cuisine is savory but not hot spicy in the least, especially for a kid who grew up eating Mexican food. Her local friends took her out to a Yemeni restaurant to satisfy her spicy jones.

eco-friendly suckling pig shoulder, herb-brined, smoked with hickory and oak for two hours and wrapped in foil for three hours @220f., pulled and served on buns with ZQ sauce cabbage and carrot slaw bbq kidney beans made in the pressure cooker fat tire, db vienna lager

pan-seared duck breast steamed new potatoes cut in half and browned in duck fat thin-sliced green and golden zucchini baked en casserole with garlic, red onion, tomato and feta peaches 2009 Clos Pegase pinot noir

last night: tacos dorados with grilled chicken thighs, leftover tri-tip or leftover grilled lamb, salsa verde, pico de gallo, jack cheese and lettuce refried pinto beans made in the pressure cooker with onion cooked in duck and bacon fat, cumin, and aromatics DB Vienna lager

I'm not a big fan of the "traditional" knish, with potato, cabbage, or kasha filling. They are often described as "gut bombs" with good reason.

My mother used to make them with a farmer cheese and pineapple filling. She rolled the dough and filling together jellyroll style. Haven't seen Smitten Kitchen's dough recipe. Does it have sour cream in it?

I went to the Friendship Heights Sushi-ko last week, asking about him, and the sushi chefs there had no idea where he was. Glad to know that he is still in Glover Park.

Whole Foods Tenleytown--hadn't seen it there before, but I'm not a regular shopper at their meat counter. Tri-tip is also available at Organic Butcher of McLean, which is owned by a former Californian. dinner tonight for members of J's family minted g+ts smoked eggplant baba ghanoush/hummos hybrid pita chips marinated olives caprese salad watermelon-feta-mint salad Bonaparte multi-grain baguette with homemade cultured butter 2013 Mulderbosch rose charcoal-grilled yogurt/herb marinated lamb chops grilled spice-rubbed chicken tenders Mirai corn on the cob 2011 Bastide Miraflors cultured buttermilk-peach clafouti creme chantilly

"6 Smart Ways To Kill Fruit Flies" by Lauren Piro on goodhousekeeping.com

I heard from my BIL's daughter, before he was in town and coming here for dinner, that he had gone "gluten free." He's been vegetarian no alcohol for about 35 years. He is clearly someone who has been swept up in the fad because he heard that a lot of people were doing it in order to feel better. Clearly, he hadn't done much research or reading--he didn't realize that cous-cous had gluten in it, and had been eating a fair amount of it. Perhaps he confused it with quinoa. I've merely added that to the list of his anachronistic beliefs and practices that I have to remember not to react to with mockery. I've taken a "whatever floats your boat" attitude toward the multitude of dietary choices that are not prescribed due to illness: gluten freeism, along with paleo, low-fat, no carbs whatsoever, juice cleanses, et al. There is the phenomenon of the placebo effect, after all. If one truly believes that a diet can make them feel better subjectively, it might actually work. I do empathize with chefs who are descended upon by hordes of picky eaters expecting to be catered to with special menu creations. But I also understand that some people need to avoid certain foods that their bodies cannot tolerate. Boy, do I wish that I didn't have to say that I can't eat apples or walnuts. But the consequences of my body going haywire with allergic responses of various degrees over my lifetime, ranging from "itchy round the edges" to getting to the ER asap, make it necessary.

last night: g&t for J charcoal-grilled spice-rubbed tri-tip--a long time since I have seen, let alone grilled a tri-tip. I was reminded why it was in regular rotation before we moved east. delicious! grilled baby bok choy grilled baguette pan-crisped halved leftover new potatoes peach clafouti redux, this time with some heavy cream Sunshine pils

baguette with homemade cultured butter slow roasted salmon (wild chinook for me, farmed for J.--his preference) with dill, parsley and chives haricots verts with olive oil, garlic and lemon roasted new potatoes with pimenton peach clafouti 2013 Royal chenin blanc

No problems for me. Speed has improved significantly.

Aperol spritzers chilled corn and buttermilk soup with multigrain toast eco-friendly chorizo, new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green and yellow zucchini Toigo canteloupe 2006 Glorioso rioja

Wawona Packing Co. in California is recalling certain lot numbers of peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots packed in June and early July and sold nationally at Trader Joe's and Costco, due to Listeria contamination. There is a link in the article to a list of lot numbers. If you scroll down past the list of numbers, there are images of the fruit labels with the specific fruit numbers visible. I had a package of plumcots purchased dring that time at Costco, but the number did not match. Good thing, because I've already eaten some. Fruit recall

last night: antipasto plate with Olli salami, olives, sungold tomatoes, cucumber slices, Taleggio, goat gouda, and Roquefort with crackers linguini with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, grated romano and parmesan cheese and fresh basil sliced peach and nectarine with cream 2012 comolaluna palomino

The salt in the brine draws water out of the cucumbers and dilutes the brine. The resulting leftover brine is then watered down and doesn't have the necessary salt:water ratio to pickle a new batch of cukes. Either add more salt, or start new brine for the next batch.

what about room temp. panzanella with chunks of fresh mozzarella and/or cut-up grilled chicken thighs, and lots of fresh basil? re: something summery with pork tenderloin. how about a pork version of vitello tonnato: maiale tonnato?

Give them to Dan Cole. He'll eat them as a cocktail snack.

Don't cry over spilt tomalley. Or eat it during a red tide. I would recommend cleaning the grill ASAP, however. It won't take long, standing in the heat, for that stuff to putrify, unless it has been carbonized by contact with the flame. Take off the grate, scrub with detergent and an abrasive sponge. Rinse with a hose, or if you have to do it indoors, rinse in the bathtub if it is too big for the kitchen sink. Clean the inside of the body of the grill with cleaning spray, wet, soapy paper towels, and then wet paper towels. Or a sponge. It's not the world's most pleasant job, but you'll figure it out.

They all speak my mind.

It's been very slow for me for a while now. I just play a hand of solitaire while I wait.

pan roasted duck breast with fresh plumcot pan reduction sauce based on glace de viande with some pomegranate molasses and sherry vinegar barley-corn-green chile salad green beans with lemon 2012 Cameron Hughes lot 395 RRV pinot noir

I've been using the cold water start-bring to a boil-turn off and let sit for 15 minutes technique for a long time. It doesn't necessarily lead to easy peeling, however.

This article is simultaneously educational and teeth-gnashingly frustrating, because unless you buy directly from Andy's Orchard in California, or go to one of the few farmers' markets where he sells his fruit or one of the restaurants serving it, you won't be able to taste these delicious-sounding varieties of peaches, apricots, nectarines and plums. However it is worth reading because there is much useful information about why supermarket fruit is often so disappointing, and what to look for when selecting fruit. click