What Did You Eat?

No Rest For Weary Knees

You take a lot of things for granted when you're younger.  At one time, the biggest issue for my knees was skirt lengths.  Now, I spend every day wondering how difficult walking, sitting, or sleeping will be for me.   It all dates back to one moment around 12 years ago when I slipped on wet tiles in my bathroom and tore the meniscus in my left knee.   An operation seemed to solve the problem and I was a very happy camper for many years. Then, trouble arrived.  It turned out that the operation that solved the meniscus tear set me up for future problems.  And the future is now.  My left knee hurts horribly all the time, leading to severe hip pain, because I don't walk properly anymore.  And my right knee hurts, because it feels lonely and wants attention too.  Actually, it's been overworked, compensating for the left knee. I'm sure there are many people nodding their head as they read this, because they've gone through a similar experience. 

My knee doctor (who hates knee surgery) tried all the non-surgical fixes: glucosamine and chondroitin, synovial fluid injections, cortisone injections, lidocaine patches, etc.   Finally, he gave me a prescription for vicodin.  It helps some with the pain, but mostly makes me very sleepy. So, I decided enough was enough and asked to be referred to an orthopedic surgeon.   I want an knee replacement. I want to walk like a normal person, ride my bike, take yoga classes, and go to Italy.  This Thursday I have an appointment with the surgeon, and I hope this is the first step in a more active, pain free life.

WHB: Brown Rice, Turkey, Vegetable, And Arugula Jumble

Everyone must have a favorite recipe that tastes good, but lacks a certain...sexiness.  The ingredients may not make everyone's heart race, and it would probably be overlooked if placed next to a more picturesque dish made with scallops or filet mignon.  But, sometimes a person feels a need for comfort.  This is one of those dishes for me.  Looking at the above picture, I see that it resembles a version of Hamburger Helper, with arugula on top.  Almost as easy to fix as a boxed meal, this dish always satisfies me and uses up my veggie odds and ends in the fridge.  If you play it right, it will supply you with most of the FDA's daily recommendation for vegetables. 

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

I'm not sure why this is named Minnesota wild rice soup.  The fact that the best wild rice, in my opinion, is produced there might be a clue.  I loved the taste of the wild rice in this soup and the way it stayed whole and chewy, even after the soup was reheated several times.  A simple recipe, it can be made very quickly if you have a fast chopping hand. I'm a slow chopper but didn't want to use a food processor.  I like uniform pieces of vegetables in my soup, so I gladly spent time chopping  carrots, leeks, and celery on Sunday, as I watched part of While You Were Sleeping for the umpteenth time. 

Alarm bells will go off for many people when they see the cream in the recipe.  I didn't use the full amount, and it tasted quite rich.  I normally drink skim or 1% milk, so just a small amount of cream feels quite decadent to my taste buds.  This would make a lovely soup for guests, where I would probably use the whole amount of cream.  After-all, what better honor than loading up your friends' arteries with lots of butter and cream?  But, this was not a fancy occasion, as you might surmise from the chipped serving bowl in the picture.

Kona Kampachi With Thai Red Curry Sauce, Cabbage Salad, And Jasmine Rice

For my last two meals made with the remaining kona kampachi, I chose two of my favorite recipes.  Both dishes are pleasing to the eye, and quick to make.  The first uses a sauce made from Thai curry paste, with a tangy slaw of cabbage, cucumbers, mint, and cilantro resting on top of the fish.  The contrasting textures and  flavors make this a memorable dish.  I've made it before with salmon, and it worked very well here using the kona kampachi. 

WHB: Steal Your Heart Cheese And Nut Loaf

My cousin Debbie is a great cook, but being hampered by a tiny kitchen, she doesn't cook that often.  So, I was intrigued when she called me last year, asking if I had Deborah Madison's recipe for Cheese and Nut Loaf.  There was a note of desperation in her voice, which is unusual.  She had just returned from the Tassajara Zen Mountain Retreat and one of the meals featured the loaf, (actually a terrine).   As I listened to her rave about how delicious it was, and how she HAD TO HAVE IT AGAIN, I started to crave it myself.  I knew it must be a fabulous dish, if she was going cook it in her postage stamp sized kitchen. So, I promised myself that I would prepare the loaf someday.  But I never did, until now. Yesterday I made it, even though it meant I had to turn on the oven and bake something, which breaks my summertime rule to never cook anything for longer than 20 minutes.  Sometimes you have to turn on the oven.

WHB: Stir-Fried Wild Rice Served in Special Bowls

Having a bad day?  Feeling down about things?  That was me a few days ago.  Then I walked to my mailbox and found a surprise package waiting for me from the marvelous Kalyn.  Who doesn't love a surprise package?  Seek counseling if you don't.  I ran back to my house and opened it, to find three beautiful bowls from Kalyn's travel to San Francisco and Chinatown.  Each one is different, and fits into the palm of my hand perfectly.  Since I love to eat one bowl meals, I was beyond delighted. And the fact that Kalyn thought to do this made them all the more special.  I do love material objects, (see another surprise package), but I love kind friends even more.

I was planning to make fried wild rice for Weekend Herb Blogging, the terrific event that Kalyn started at Kalyn's Kitchen some time back.  And I knew the little dishes would be perfect for it.  And, as you will see, they were.  This week WHB is being hosted by the talented Mele Cotte.  There are always lots of wonderful herby recipes in the Roundup, so do go check it out at her site.

WHB: Salmon With Thai Red Curry Sauce, Cabbage Salad, And Jasmine Rice

Several years ago, I bought a wonderful cookbook called Terra, Cooking From The Heart Of The Napa Valley, by Hiro Stone and Lissa Doumani.  As often happens, I've enjoyed reading this book and imagined cooking several of the recipes, but never did so.  One dish in particular has appealed to me, a fillet of grilled salmon on top of rice, surrounded with a lovely red curry sauce, and topped with crunchy cabbage salad.  It's exactly the kind of dish that appeals to me.  So, I decided the time had come to make this dish, and I was not disappointed. The sauce is slightly nippy, but not overpowering, and absolutely delicious. The cool, crisp salad is perfect with the soft and succulent salmon.  The dish looks impressive, but is actually quite easy to make. It would be perfect for a dinner party, because you can prepare the rice, sauce, and salad in advance, leaving the salmon, which takes less than ten minutes to cook. 

This recipe is full of herbs and spices, which makes it a noble candidate for Weekend Herb Blogging,  created by Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen.  This week WHB is being hosted by Rinku at Cooking In Westchester-the practical, spicy, flavorful Way.  Check out the Roundup of herby recipes at Rinku's site, you'll be glad you did.  It was quite easy for me to choose my herb this week. Look at the lovely cilantro gracing the top of the dish. My favorite herb is cilantro, hands down.  Some people hate it, which is unfortunate.  But it appears that this dislike is genetic, so why torture yourself? If that's the case, you could just use the mint.  This was one of my favorite meals this year, so I recommend this to those who like this type of cuisine.   I also recommend the cookbook, Terra. 

Tamales And Rice With Herbs

Yesterday was Cinco De Mayo, so I decided to celebrate by going to the Davis Farmer's Market to buy one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world, a chili-cheese tamale from Pilar's Homemade Tamales. They make different types of tamales, but the chili-cheese usually sells out first.  Obviously, many people share my view that it's a standout.  I'm told that the owners wake up at 4 a.m. to start making the tamales from a trusted family recipe. Not a fiery tamale, it has a delightful tangy, creamy taste, with one of the best recipes for masa that I've ever tasted.   

When I got home I looked into my fridge and saw a large amount of herbs, left over from the different recipes I made this week. In particular, there was quite a bit of dill left from a massive bunch I bought at the grocery store. Despite using it in two other recipes, there was still a lot left.  And there were the other herbs I'd bought, resigned to their fate of becoming withered castoffs. Well, enough of that. I was determined to let them fulfill their culinary purpose by going into some sort of dish. And so, I made green rice full of  cilantro, dill, parsley and watercress. It was very, very good, and all the herbs were used up. 

Risotto With Bolognese Meat Sauce

Quite a depressing day, with the news from Virginia Tech.  I felt numb, as I listened to the news unfold: This insanity, happening yet again.  I had planned making an involved meal that required making Bolognese meat sauce, and then using it to make risotto.  At first, I didn't want to make anything for dinner.  Food seemed very unimportant.  But I went ahead and actually found some comfort in the simple tasks of chopping and repetitive stirring.  This meal took all day to make, and I appreciated that.  Busy hands help at times like this. 

Unfortunately, the CF card in my new camera suddenly died after I took pictures of the sauce, the pictures vanishing forever.  I then used my old camera to take pictures of the risotto, realizing later that I could have used its CF card in my new camera.

Is this recipe worth all the work? Yes, a thousand times over. The Bolognese sauce is wonderful and I have some left for other meals.  Even if you don't make the risotto, make the sauce. 

WHB: Rice Salad With Paprika Shrimp (Tarragon)

I often use recipes from Food & Wine magazine and discovered that any recipe labeled a staff favorite is usually a sure bet.  Such was the case with this recipe.  It's a rather spicy recipe, with crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, parsley and tarragon.  You can reduce the red pepper if you're leery of it, but I would add at least a pinch, to lift the flavor.  There are so many flavors and textures at work here.  I enjoyed the crunch of the onions and celery in the soft rice, with the garlicky shrimp piled on top. One taste that stood out was the fresh tarragon in the rice.  I'm a big fan of it, but at one time I thought tarragon was a waste of money. That was back when the only form of tarragon I could find was the dried form.  Like basil, tarragon really should be used when it's fresh, not dried. Somewhat similar to licorice, it adds a unique flavor to any dish.  And it's a very  pretty plant.  Unfortunately, the one I grew mysteriously died, after looking quite healthy for nearly a year.

This recipe is submitted to Weekend Herb Blogging, which has returned home to its rightful place with Kalyn, at Kalyn's Kitchen.  Stop by her site to see the other herby bloggers this weekend.