It's All In the Brine

I'm (until Christmas Morn) brining a large fresh ham in kosher salt, sugar, red pepper, and a myriad of other ingredients. The (then) brined ham will be stuffed with a mixture of greens, wrapped in cheesecloth, then simmered to (hopefully) perfection. 

Spinach Dal

I truly like vegetarian meals, not necessarily for any political or ethical reasons, but because they're yummy, healthy, and there's such a variety of options. Tonight I'm preparing Spinach Dal, with the primary ingredients being lentils, and of course, spinach.

Two hours later... I added enough spices to bring the tasting experience to a mildly (for me) intoxicating and pleasant heat.  For some reason I decided to play the Zippy soundtrack as I was cooking and felt right at home.  Tumeric, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper were added and a happy time was had by all.

My Thanksgiving Menu for 2011

Grazing begins @ 5 p.m.

At the bar: cashews, madelines, grapes, cashews, roasted pecans, zucchini blinis w/sour cream and caviar, and gravlax on pumpernickel bread.

Main events: options for vegetarians and omnivores: boulliabase, turkey, dark meat smoked and white meat roasted, root vegetable puree, sausage and sage dressing, roasted french green beans with onion topping, freshly made cranberry sauce,  mushroom gravy and turkey gravy.

Desserts:  seasonal pies (tbd) zebra cake.

Libations: apple cider; polluted and un-polluted, light reds, bubbly, and apertifs.

Ages of participants: 1 1/2 through 90 years of age.

Localvore

After a considerable leave of absence, I'm back in business.  Todays comments will be about a few local businesses which supply some of the most delicious foods in the area. My first stop was at Krakus General Store on 1733 Fleet Street.  The main event, for me, is their excellent smoked Kielbasa, a Polish sausage, which is as close to the flavor and texture of the Kielbasa of my childhood in N.Y. as any I've tasted since moving to Baltimore.

My next stop was at Di Pasquales on 3700 Gough Street. That venerable institution has been in business coming up on 100 years and they're kind enough to make a special sausage for me which I buy several pounds at a time. My preference is for mild sausage with no fennel, which is a custom order. Although I do enjoy fresh fennel as a side dish, fennel seeds don't do it for me in sausage. While I was there I bought some lard for cooking purposes (it's healthier than you think) and a container of white beans and escarole for my lunch. It was, as per usual, delicious.

When suitably inspired by such a plethora of delicious foods, both ingested and anticipated, I find it very easy to make good headway with my music composition.  Today I'm working on a new set of lyrics for the new act of "Zippy the Pinhead: the Musical" and a new melodic line for a poem which was written by Michael Salcman.  When motivated by hunger pangs I'll head back to the kitchen, perhaps uncork a bottle of wine, and make my dinner selection du jour.

Cuisine of the Month

I'm contemplating sticking to one cuisine per month, just as an experiment. There's so much variety in each culture, as well, so I don't feel as if I'll be limited in my choices.  I posted this idea on FaceBook and received quite a few interesting responses.

Food and music connection, du jour...in the 1980's I performed or presented 16 original compositions (mine) @ Weill Hall @ Carnegie Hall. After each performance we would wend our way to the Russian Tea Room where we had our usual banquet seating. The Vodka was presented on crushed ice and the blinis were quite good.  Personally I never mixed high end caviar with anything.  And yes, I did bring along my mother-of-pearl spoon.  I'm a damn purist.

Omnivoracity

Actually I have no idea if the title word is authentic or a simply a word of convenience.  However I'm sticking to it.


I've never cared to follow any particular cooking/food style or regimen but several times a week I find myself cooking or ordering a vegetarian meal. Tonight's menu is, in fact, one of those times.


I'm preparing a vegetable lasagna using fresh zucchini, a variety of mushrooms, artichoke hearts, garlic and  onion and slowly roasting them in good olive oil, salt and pepper.  It's quicker to just add them to the cheese and pasta mixture but roasting just makes it so much more delicious.  When the veggies are finished I'll ladle into the baking pan some fresh tomato sauce, add some fresh lasagna noodles and alternate layers with ricotta, mozzarella, shredded parm, then add some of the vegetables, then repeat. 


Since my two guests have different wine preferences I'll be serving an Italian Soave Classico and a Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot, 2009.  

Music and Food

As I cook, I listen to music.  Tonight I chose to listen to the inimitable Dinah Washington's rendition of "September In The Rain." Hence the finished product.  There are certain foods that simply lend themselves to music and vice versa.  Please note that ' Vice' in that phrase only has one syllable.

Lente Al Dente

And so we're off...to a slow start but I hope to remedy that situation asap.

For tonight's dinner, and by special request, I'm preparing grilled lamb shanks, roasted broccoli, and buttered noodles. The request was made by a five year old who knows I'll prepare whatever she wishes. I'm considering including a Cote du Rhone for the older generations to enjoy.

I'll refer to one of the "Zippy the Pinhead: the Musical" selections, titled "The Condiments" and decide which ones I'll incorporate into the above referenced dishes.

Still contemplating a tag to wind up each blog post but maybe not...

Addendum to first post...

A special thanks to Maria O'Brien who has been holding my hand, virtually, today. 


Forgot to mention that the potato, leek, and chicken broth concoction is blended, seasoned to taste, then served.  The breaded 'buffalo' shrimp worked out well. I dipped a few pieces in hot sauce to great effect.


All best wishes.  I'm going to come up with a parting remark but haven't thought of anything clever as yet.

Why Food and Music?

Thanks for viewing this Blog where I'll share my observations about Food and Music. I'll be sharing some recipes, comments about dining establishments, and how music often plays a part in these experiences.


Music and Food have been constants throughout my entire life.  People come and go for various reasons but what has sustained me since my earliest is my deep connection to food and music. We all have these feelings to a greater or lesser extent and mine are often intertwined. 


In the long defunct but fondly remembered "Howdy Doody Show" music was often incorporated and the Howdy Doody theme song is still remembered by boomers and others with a nostalgic bent. As a member of the Peanut Gallery I and the other 'Peanuts' were compensated for our time by Mars Candy, one of the show's sponsors. It was a toss-up as to which was more exciting...being on the show or receiving a monster bag of Snickers to take home.


Tonight's dinner at home will be simple with a leek and potato soup, simmered in chicken broth and topped with a dollop (I love that term) of sour cream. Fried breaded shrimp sauteed in a mildly hot sauce will complete the meal.